Movies with fresh and original ideas are more entertaining

The argument

Once a movie achieves adequate success, it is understandable that—like any business— they will look to reproduce such results. However, this addiction to achievement is only typically answered by the industry through the addition of sequels to the series. Yet, this has done more harm than good. In other words, although movie sequels are easier to produce, they are rarely as entertaining as the original. As a result, lists of incoming movies are heavily saturated with stale franchise additions, causing audiences and once frequent movie-goers to suffer from franchise fatigue. Movies with original plots, free from an already established universe, allows audiences to truly experience something new and interesting: Entertainment in the form of novelty. Familiarity— as seen in franchises— does not sustain attention and is simply boring. This sentiment is only heightened when looking at the 2019 box office: an unforgiving year for sequels. Hopeful hits like "Dark Phoenix" and "Men in Black: International" flopped. As did well-reviewed sequels like "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part," which opened early in 2019. Looking to the horror genre, even "It: Chapter Two," was unable to live up to expectations of its predecessor, although it still proved successful. However, the majority of sequels in 2019 tended to find themselves making about equal to or less than 50% at the box office than their predecessors; such titles include but are not limited to: "A Dog's Journey," "Godzilla: King of the Monsters," "The Secret Life of Pets 2," as well as "The Angry Birds Movie 2."

Premises

Counter-arguments

A movie plot does not need to be original in order for it to be entertaining. That is to say, live remakes are just as entertaining as watching the original for the first time. For one, these remakes are most often a little different from their predecessors, and they have a nostalgic appeal. In the case of Mulan (2020), the live-action remake allows Disney the opportunity to retell the ancient tale in a more accurate and respectful way, yet still make money as it appeals to diehard fans of the animated version. Moreover, live-action remakes also let Disney cast diverse female leads for a new generation of Disney fans who long to see themselves in such inspiring heroic protagonists. Simply put, you know live-action remakes will be entertaining if the original was. This is not the case for movies with new ideas.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Ease of production says nothing about the result, and the argument concedes its own exception: it describes It: Chapter Two as successful despite being a sequel. [Rejecting P2] Familiarity is part of the appeal rather than a defect of it — continuations and remakes draw on nostalgia and on an audience's attachment to a world it already knows, which is why studios keep finding buyers for them. [Rejecting P3] Box-office takings measure what audiences bought rather than how entertaining they found it, and a single year's results cannot establish that novelty is what makes a film enjoyable when the titles listed also differ in budget, marketing and reception.