2026 is set to be a sequel-packed year, with live-action adaptations and additions to franchises galore. The film space has become a rotating door of the same faces, story lines and tropes.
Upon the release of the “Shrek 5” teaser in February of 2025 originally set to release Dec 25 2026 but the release date has since been pushed back. Even just the teaser sent the internet into a frenzy of jokes about the story line following the overbearing father and the adventurous daughter who wants to break away, many using the line “I wanna explore the world, dad” in their humorous theories about the film.
That cliche is found in a variety of films — many also animated — including “The Croods,” “Hotel Transylvania,” and “The Little Mermaid (1-3).”
The same thing has occurred in many other franchises, with studios making a story fit a mold because it is easier than branching out — playing it safe because a name sells.
Reviving franchises that sell is not a new concept has been around for decades. In an article published on Variety in November 2024, Owen Gleiberman wrote “Sequel culture craves that déjà vu nirvana, but like all addictions it provides a high that eats away at you at the same time. It’s sustaining without being nourishing. As the movie industry fights to survive, any film that helps it do so probably deserves a tip of the hat. But the industry can’t ultimately survive unless it figures out a way to make movie culture survive.”
After the drop in ticket sales caused by Covid-19 closures, it’s easy to understand why Hollywood sticks to a formula — but it also destroys the movie-going experience, making each film predictable and familiar. The silver screen now fails to provide a sense of wonder and amusement.
A constant cycle of the same mold and relying on a name to hold an entire industry is not sustainable. This safety net makes taking risks on new faces both in front and behind the screen a rarity.
“What I’ve talked about a lot with like union friends of mine and with non union friends from L.A. to wherever is in the U.S. there’s like not a lot of work for established film makers even. Like other assistant directors that I know, they’re taking the heads of departments abroad to avoid paying union fees and the seconds or like the rest of the department is left here without work” said 23-year-old Sydney Strange, an independent director and producer based in Sacramento notable for her short “I Thought of You.” The piece won Best Short Under 3 Minutes at the Sactown Movie Buff Film Festival in 2024.
The concern for the industry is not just cheap ideas but also outsourced labor.
“…Like can we make our money back from this big investment that is filmed and so not trusting new upcoming film makers not even trusting established people that aren’t the heads of departments because you want to be cheap and avoiding union fees they, they all go together,” said Strange.
Those wanting to enter the film industry are no longer just battling a competitive job market but also battling the bigger names of the past.
“…now I think they’re more evidently afraid of making newer content with newer people because it’s a risk and they don’t wanna spend a couple million dollars on somebody that might not make money because there’s already existing fans and existing IP,” said Strange.
These existing names are fun for a second, a little hit of nostalgia here and there but they should not diminish the work of newer creatives who seek to keep the film rolling for the long run. Strange noted that the industry would eventually burn themselves on the reliance of a nostalgic past. But eventually a series must die and the industry has to take a risk and that is where the Independent film industry can fill the void.
New ideas, new creative minds, and new talents dawning the big screen is what the industry needs.
