Whatever happened to “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?” Between recent and upcoming releases like “Zootopia 2” and “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” one question has echoed in my mind: Are moviemakers simply out of ideas?
It seems as though redundant sequels and unnecessary adaptations have replaced creativity. As an avid movie-goer and, admittedly, an avid preview-watcher, I often find myself sighing when the silver screen warns of yet another reworked, repurposed story.
“I think that sequels can sometimes move away from the original focus of a movie,” first-year Penelope Tarr said. “It just seems like sequels can diverge from the original story and create a different direction that viewers begin to enjoy less and less.”
The main sequel haunting my mind has to be “The Devil Wears Prada 2.” As a self-proclaimed superfan of the original 2006 dramedy, I simply do not understand the need for a second movie. To me, one of the best parts of “The Devil Wears Prada” is its early 2000s charm, a quality that cannot and should not be recreated.
“Do they really need to be making a second one 20 years later?” first-year Phoebe Diamond asked. “In my opinion, sequels are never better than the original, and ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ just seems like overkill.”
To be fair, some sequels actually serve a purpose. For example, the “Dune” and “The Hunger Games” franchises contain complex storylines and intricate details that require multiple movies to do them justice. But the last thing that simpler franchises need is another 90-plus minutes that create a brand-new plot. With “Minions 3” and “Toy Story 5” set to hit the box office later this year, it looks like most movie empires have no concept of beating a dead horse.
Ultimately, my issue is with redundancy and lack of imagination. With sequels overtaking the theater, how can movies remain an expression of artistry? Without creative risk-taking, moviemakers forget what makes viewers fall in love with movies in the first place. Until Hollywood rediscovers the originality that is movie magic, viewers like me will continue to sigh at the silver screen, waiting for something new.
