I can’t say that I’m completely against the concept of reviving old ideas. One can argue that some TV Shows or movies were revived due to fan demand. Loyal fans were keeping alive the “Dragon Ball” franchise for years, and this lead to the sequel series, “Dragon Ball Super." The new adaptation of "Stephen King's It" was one of the best-reviewed horror movies in recent memory. But there is a catch to reviving an idea from years ago.
The problem
“Stephen King’s It”
“Blade Runner: 2049”
“Jumanji”
“The Powerpuff Girls”
“Ducktales”
“Lethal Weapon”
“The X-Files”
“Roseanne”
Is this a list of beloved movies and TV series from decades ago, or are they among the many that are prominently featured in the media in 2017 and beyond?
The list is just scratching the surface. Networks like #Fox and #NBC are picking up series adaptations of older movies such as “Rush Hour," and more are on the way. The media has been in this period of attempting to revive any significant series or movie from the 80’s or 90’s, in what seems like an attempt to appeal to millennials that love nostalgia. Some #reboots are even geared towards those who are probably grandparents by now.
The difference
An argument can be made of how music is doing the same thing. Look at DJ Khaled’s hit song “Wild Thoughts;" the song heavily samples Santana’s hit song “Maria, Maria” from 1999. Though the beats of both songs are identical, the lyrics for both songs don't have too much in common.
The problem with these adaptations and revivals is that most of them are following the same source material as the original, leaving almost nothing up to the viewer’s imagination. No matter how many plot points are put into the “new” adaptation, the viewer essentially knows what is going to happen regardless.
It just shows that studios aren’t willing to take risks anymore.
Why come up with something original when you can bring back a show that was ended less than two years ago? The studio would rather settle with a known franchise to get those near-guaranteed viewers rather than come up with something new, creative, and original. The “Power Rangers” reboot barely made back its budget, “Ghost in the Shell” was considered a failure at the box office, and “Baywatch” was received negatively by the masses.
Reviving a known franchise does not guarantee success in the least. However, the top 8 U.S. box office earners this year were either a sequel, remake, or adaptation. For every disappointment, there’ll be five more successes. Or, at the very least, just an excuse not to come up with something original and bring back something that doesn’t need to be brought back.
