Sure, but don’t get me wrong - it’s not like there isn’t a problem with hollywood lazily doing the same things, though. I think both are true, that we enjoy familiar stories, but also that hollywood has a problem with playing safe.
Take LOTRs, which was a familiar story, especially for fans of high fantasy (as it was built on older myths and folk tales that Tolkien was familiar with). Hollywood did not want to take a risk on pouring money into making it a workable film. But Jackson managed to get his way, and it was a ground breaking film (or set of films). Now there are tons of attempts to replicate that kind of interconnected storytelling that just haven’t been quite the same.
So comfort can be enjoyable, and I don’t think it’s fair to discount that. But surely we can find ways to expand our cultural and social horizons without relying on the concept of “pure” novelty? I’d love to get further away from centering particular groups over others, for one. More stories from the African diaspora, more stories from women’s perspective, more from Latin America and Asia, or even the margins of Europe (Ireland, the Balkans, Eastern Europe). It can still be comfortable stories, but just told from a more diverse range of perspectives…
Hollywood has hardly ever been about new ideas. From day one they were just filming the popular stage plays of the day. Hollywood as a whole has always been risk adverse and wants an in-built audience.
C’mon! Marcus Aurelius versus the Roman tribes? Commodus murdering his father, Marcus Aurelius? Political Intrigue in the Senate? Commodus and his arch enemy fighting it out at the end of the film, with Commodus dying? And then there was… oh… I’m sorry. That was 1964’s The Fall of the Roman Empire.
Even from a pure capitalist/marketing perspective I don’t get the idea of doing a sequel of after that much time has past. For those who “where there” when the original movie was a thing, it probably will disappoint anyway.
But studios probably have some metrics at hand showing them, more “old” people will spend money for it out of nostalgia/comforting than younger people will be convinced of watching some sad dude’s revenge story.
Ok, I’ll watch it.
People who run studios (much like people who run record labels) tend to be a bit up their own assholes, surrounded by yes men, and think they’re on the cutting edge of what’s in, but most certainly are not.
Lazarus Jones, a veteran who lost his legs in combat suffers post-traumatic stress disorder and descends into alcohol and drug abuse. After a visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, he suffers a car accident and, in a coma, is transported to another dimension where his friends are alive, serving as warriors in a never-ending battle against Lord Na and the forces of Outer Darkness
hmmmm … well about they use russell crowe instead of channing tatum and get two movies for the price of one?
