Once beloved, mid-budget films such as Nora Ephron’s romantic stories and comedy hits like “Being John Malkovich” and “Pineapple Express” are increasingly scarce in today’s cinema landscape. The disappearance of smaller indie divisions within major studios has left these films sidelined, often overshadowed by big franchise movies even when they manage a theatrical release.
Duncan notes this shift began around 2008 with the rise of blockbusters like “Iron Man,” marking the decline of indie studio experiments that flourished from the late ’90s to the early 2000s. “Right around 2008, when ‘Iron Man’ is about to come out, they start shuttering a lot of these,” he explained.
The current trend leans towards darker and grittier re-imaginings, evident in projects like the 2015 “Fantastic Four” movie and series such as “Riverdale.” Duncan suggests that these adaptations aim to resonate with adult audiences by adding complexity to classic narratives. “Seeing the good guy with a lightsaber fighting the bad guy with a lightsaber seems pretty corny to most adults at this point,” Duncan said. “So twisting that can connect with things in our lives might give it a little bit more of an adult sheen.”
Despite the prevalence of this trend, critics have expressed fatigue over the constant stream of remakes. Hamilton remarked, “The gritty reboot is so cliché at this point it’s almost a punchline.” He suggests that any reboot should ideally bring something novel to the table.
Historically, audiences have embraced adaptations, as evidenced by Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rebecca,” based on Daphne du Maurier’s novel, which remains a favorite of Duncan’s. However, recent Disney live-action remakes such as “Lilo & Stitch” and “Snow White” have not fared well with critics. Hamilton observes, “When you watch a bad version of one of these things, it feels very cynical. It feels like studio heads are saying, ‘Give these hogs their slop.’”
There may be a shift on the horizon as Disney has decided to cease making live-action remakes of its earlier films, a move Hamilton views positively. “They pulled the plug because people just don’t like them,” he said.
In an encouraging development for fans of originality, the recent success of “Sinners”, directed by Ryan Coogler of “Black Panther” fame, signals that original content can still achieve significant box office success. “There’s evidence that a well-executed original movie can still be really lucrative,” Hamilton stated.
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