It's been quite a while since anything truly original has come across the silver screen. I wonder if it's an industrywide fear of failure or something far more complicated? Whatever's behind the current trend of derivatives, retreads and remakes, I certainly hope it fades quickly.
Screenwriting : Is Hollywood Ready For Something Truly Original? by Steve Ford
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I think there are often original films. You just have to look beyond the mainstream fare.
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Hollywood wants something original as long as it is the same.
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Just out of curiousity - has anyone here seen The Bronze, Miracles From Heaven, The Boy, The Brothers Grimsby, Daddy's Home, Eddie The Eagle, The Finest Hours, 45 Years, Gods of Egypt, Hail Caesar, How to Be Single, The Other Side of the Door, The Perfect Match, Race, Risen, Triple 9, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, The Witch, The Young Messiah, or Zootopia? Those are films that are playing at local theaters that aren't a part of a franchise and aren't remakes. I bet not a single one of you have seen more than a handle of those films. And Steve...you live in Las Vegas...all of those films are playing at local theaters. I don't think it's wrong that major studios want something that people are familiar with. Large amounts of money are invested not only in a film's production, but also in the film's marketing. It's a lot easier to market something that people are already familiar with versus something completely unknown. In today's marketing world, you have about 3-5 seconds to capture someone's interest, and people make their first conscious decision about something in less than 10 seconds. Independent producers who make ULB and LB films have more ability to create something previously unknown, and as a group they do a pretty good job at bringing less-familiar concepts and topics to fruition. They have to battle to get viewers' attentions, too, and do the best they can to get their films distributed or placed in entities like VOD and other outlets. There are a ton of original movies out here - in theaters and elsewhere.
Bill. You are one hundred percent right. That's why I decided to write LB film scripts.
Thanks for connecting!
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"Whatever's behind the current trend of derivatives, retreads and remakes, I certainly hope it fades quickly." The people who buy tickets to movies buy tickets to those movies, and it is not a current trend... that "classic" version of THE MALTESE FALCON was the 3rd version, and WIZARD OF OZ was something like the 12th version, and you don't even want to talk about BEN HUR (which I'll soon be watching, 'tis the season). Some films in the 1940s were literally remade the following year! And they took a hit like boxing flick KID GALLAHAD and remade it with different sports - my favorite version is about lion taming! But as Bill C has said - there are lots of original films out there... I'm not sure what your criteria of "Truly Original" is, but even though LONDON HAS FALLEN is a sequel, it is a sequel to an original screenplay (not based on a novel or comic book). The ticket buyers run the show. They decide what gets made and what doesn't get made at the studio level. Independents are anything goes, because those films are usually made independently (by people rather than companies) and then licensed to distributors. So you can make any kind of film you want - just go do it!