Thanks for this! Matt Damon said the lack of DVD sales to fall back (for secure revenue stream after initial release) drove some of the push to create movies that would succeed. The one-off, “big gamble”, emotional movies of the 90s and 00s were dwindling. Franchises are a great way to keep the money going because they are heavy hitters on release. You make back the investment.
It is sad thought that we don’t get the closure of a complete story. There are so many great singular movies that hit hard and endure that we don’t get to have now.
What do you think would have to change for less franchises to be made?
I think you (or Matt Damon, I guess) hit the nail on the head in pointing out the financial model as a critical factor in this. I hope that some of the current turbulence and uncertainty regarding the viability of streaming leads to some evolution in the way these companies make their money. If the financial model can mature, and the industry can figure out the right balance of streaming vs. theaters vs. whatever else, to the point that studios are able to replicate the income stream they had in the 90's and early 00's, then maybe we can get back to a point where they feel comfortable taking risks.
Other than that, I think the other thing that would have an impact is if one or two major franchises just flat out failed, and it became crystal clear that audiences weren't interested anymore. I don't think that is very likely for a number of reasons but there are obvious signs of strain on the MCU that do give me hope.
I think stories like Ant Man, Thor, Doctor Strange, and a few others will fizzle out once those actors call it quits. The enduring, legacy franchises like Batman, Superman, and Spider-Man will be rebooted to success telling the same stories reimagined.
Thanks for this! Matt Damon said the lack of DVD sales to fall back (for secure revenue stream after initial release) drove some of the push to create movies that would succeed. The one-off, “big gamble”, emotional movies of the 90s and 00s were dwindling. Franchises are a great way to keep the money going because they are heavy hitters on release. You make back the investment.
It is sad thought that we don’t get the closure of a complete story. There are so many great singular movies that hit hard and endure that we don’t get to have now.
What do you think would have to change for less franchises to be made?
I think you (or Matt Damon, I guess) hit the nail on the head in pointing out the financial model as a critical factor in this. I hope that some of the current turbulence and uncertainty regarding the viability of streaming leads to some evolution in the way these companies make their money. If the financial model can mature, and the industry can figure out the right balance of streaming vs. theaters vs. whatever else, to the point that studios are able to replicate the income stream they had in the 90's and early 00's, then maybe we can get back to a point where they feel comfortable taking risks.
Other than that, I think the other thing that would have an impact is if one or two major franchises just flat out failed, and it became crystal clear that audiences weren't interested anymore. I don't think that is very likely for a number of reasons but there are obvious signs of strain on the MCU that do give me hope.
I think stories like Ant Man, Thor, Doctor Strange, and a few others will fizzle out once those actors call it quits. The enduring, legacy franchises like Batman, Superman, and Spider-Man will be rebooted to success telling the same stories reimagined.