Commentary by NatalieElse

In recent years, the entertainment industry has seen creativity slowly dissipate. From remakes to sequels to live actions, movies have essentially redone themselves over the years. People have seen a common pattern of sequels and sagas following the same archaic formula that fans subscribe to time and time again. So, are fans fueling the fire that destroys creativity, or is the industry simply too lazy to come up with unique ideas?

The first thing that comes to mind when discussing the lack of creativity within the entertainment industry is remakes. Remakes, throughout the years, have gotten a bad reputation for being the new and not-so-improved version of an earlier production. 

Take the 2021 remake “He’s All That” starring Addison Rae and Tanner Buchanan, for example. Fans were not exactly thrilled when this movie came out. Unlike the original 1999 film “She’s All That” starring Rachael Leigh Cook and Freddie Prinze Jr, this movie lacked romantic chemistry, good dialogue and character depth. Overall, viewers found it to be incredibly cringeworthy with all of the TikTok references and in-your-face brand deals. Many fans were left questioning why the movie was even remade in the first place. 

“He’s All That” is a perfect example of the entertainment industry trying to mask a quick cash grab with a nostalgic remake.

Remakes also expand beyond movies. The 2005 film “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” follows a married couple, John Smith (Brad Pitt) and Jane Smith (Angelina Jolie), who find themselves in a rather awkward situation when they realize they are both secret assassins assigned to the mission of killing each other. This movie was loved by many and even sparked some controversy with the infamous love triangle between Brad, Angelina and “Friends” star, Jennifer Aniston.

 In 2024, Amazon Prime retold this classic espionage story with an 8-episode series starring Donald Glover also known as Childish Gambino and Maya Erskine. Fans were initially excited to see a more diverse casting but were ultimately left disappointed by the lack of action and chemistry. 

Disney fans have become incredibly familiar with cash-grab remakes. The 1994 animation “Lion King” is a beloved, heartwarming film that has become an integral element of many people’s childhoods. In 2019, this classic tale was remade as a live action film. While some fans were excited to see the father-son lion story be revived; others were left exhausted by Disney’s unoriginality. According to fans, the 2019 remake did not elevate the original whatsoever nor did it breathe new life into the characters and plot. 

Directors and producers are undoubtedly leaving fans unsatisfied with remakes, but can we only accredit them to the fade-out of creativity? 

Director Steven Spielberg took a groundbreaking step in 1993 with the film “Jurassic Park.” It was the first movie to integrate CGI and animatronics into action sequences. It left the world amazed and wanting more. So, soon after came “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” (1997) and “Jurassic Park 3” (2001). This trilogy was not enough to satisfy science fiction fans, though. 

In 2015, a whole new world of dinosaurs debuted on the big screen with the release of “Jurassic World” starring Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. Although this reimagined story did not perfectly capture the nostalgia of the original trilogy, it still left fans on the edge of their seats. Three years later, “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” came to theaters and four years after that, “Jurassic World: Dominion.

Fans became so attached to this dinosaur franchise that filmmakers continued to feed into their desires despite the recycled structure of the movies. 

As an avid movie watcher, I have noticed that movies have started to lack the substance and drama that fans crave. Whether it is the industry’s lack of originality or fans’ desire for the same structure, it is evident that recent media has lost its spark. So, next time you go to watch a movie, be careful. You may have already seen it.