Rising Sequel Trends

Every summer, Hollywood releases a slew of movies that aim to be blockbusters as viewers throughout the world queue up at the theatres. And like each year, this year too, there were numerous movies that vied to win over the box office. However, most movies released this summer were sequels. Sequels are story narratives continued from previous works and they are seeing a boom at the box office, prompting movie reviewers to wonder if original ideas in movies have become a thing of the past. Instead, Hollywood is churning out one sequel after another.

Some of the sequels released in 2025 include Superman, Fantastic Four, Jurassic World Rebirth, etc. They all did well when it comes to the box office but still, the audience was left pondering if the movie industry is running out of novel concepts. Movies are a major entertainment industry worth billions of dollars. Especially, Hollywood leads as the most profitable of all movie industries. It makes stars and starlets, whom the audience love to see again and again on the silver screen, rich and famous. 

And yet, the fact is that making movies is a gamble. The first and foremost question for movie producers is whether the movie will gratify the audience, making it a financial success. If a movie is a success, it means there could be a sequel in the making. Hollywood is currently seeing a boom in sequels but it seems viewers are tired of them. Even if the sequels make a profit, they are doing so less and less, as most of them are barely breaking even. 

Viewers might also have noticed that movies are becoming quite repetitive, especially Marvel and DC movies featuring superheroes. Superman has become quite a hit this summer and there will likely be sequels in the future. This trend has sadly infiltrated Hollywood, which has chosen to produce movies that will make the most bucks. However, this trend isn’t limited only to Hollywood, even Bollywood and Nepal’s own Kollywood tend to make sequels because the money flows where the box office success is guaranteed. 

Ever since the silent films were introduced to the mass audience, there has been a deep fascination with cinema. Movies don’t just entertain, they also sell dreams. People often watch their favourite movies again and again to relive the experience of the thrill. Film industries know this. By selling a sense of catharsis, whether as a thriller, romance, drama, action, sci-fi or adventure, movies connect to the audience, highlighting a new star in the meantime. But the current trend of making sequels has become less thrilling each time. 

When Pixar’s latest offering, Elio, bombed at the box office, its creators lamented the fact that the audience no longer loved a movie with a new concept. However, cinema critics beg to differ. The truth is the audience loves a good concept in a movie and the industry can profit from sequels only as long as the audience is eager to watch them. Although the film industry is unpredictable when it comes to audience reaction, a movie with a solid storyline and original concept is bound to be well-received. Having said that, looking at the sheer number of sequels being produced, it seems sequels aren’t slowing down anytime soon.