film remakes.

[bustergutt]

Are film companies, writers, producers etc getting lazy or have they just simply run out of any new ideas? I mean what`s all this about remake stuff all the time? Or making old TV series into films? Or have one hit film made into sequals 1,2,3,4,5,6 etc? Or get one hit show, then copy it to death and show it at prime time until we are brain dead.
Why can`t we have something new?
Surely anything new means more interest, publicity, fame, money!
Am I right in thinking that back in the 60s we had a lot of people in Film and TV that gave us endless amounts of new series and Films with all different kinds of formats and themes! Everyone involved seemed to have wanted to bring out something different and new for the viewers.
What`s your opinion?

[Llamatron]

Studios spend a hell of a lot of money making movies, particularly as they know the big expensive event movies can make them the most money.
For the accountants that run the studios it makes business sense to take an already established or successful franchise. There's already a fanbase and the movie going public already know what to expect so part of the marketing job is already done.

Of course if they could just get over this obsession with big FX movies and trying to make countless millions for each and every release at the box office then originality might make a return.

[Llamatron]

Another thing...
We only have ourselves to blame.

If it didn't make money then the film makers would have no choice but to try something else.

Originality is too risky.

Just look at the games industry and the endless football games, racers, first person shooters and GTA wannabes.

Movies (and games) are all made by committee and focus groups where they decide what'll play best with their target demographic.

Ok, rant over.

[tonymclark]

Adding to what Llamatron says, there are loads of films that do get made but don't manage to get distribution deals.
A lot of these may get a release on DVD, but with only a few exceptions, they were all made as cinema films.
The cinemas in this country are mostly owned by the American studios, so they want to show the films that will bring them the biggest return on their investment.
To be fair, the amount of re-makes are a small percentage of the films made, I think it may be that you notice them more because you are familliar with the subject.

[gary baldy]

Despite what people think this is nothing new. Hollywood has always relied on remakes, spinoffs and sequels.
They also relied heavily on adapting books and classical or biblical tales.
The themes and ideas rarely change it is just how they are made and the techniques that have changed.
There are still interesting and original films being made - even in Hollywood.