The majority of 2024’s biggest films were sequels, remakes or reboots. The top five highest grossing films at the box office worldwide were: Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, Despicable Me 4, Moana 2, and Dune: Part Two. Even if you extend the list to the top 10 films of 2024, all but one film (Wicked, which is based on established material) falls into the categories of sequels or reboots. In a money-driven, capitalist world, it makes sense why film studios prioritise these types of stories when they regularly perform well with audiences. The world of sequels and reboots continues to break records, too, with Inside Out 2 overtaking Frozen 2 to become the highest-grossing animated film in history.

It’s a trend that Hollywood has embraced for a few years now. Not only are sequels safer bets when it comes to bringing in money for film studios, but they’re arguably easier to put together as the material already exists and a story doesn’t need to be started from scratch. It’s a trend that continues to frustrate me as I don’t want to only watch sequels and reboots; I want to see new, fresh and experimental ideas. Which isn’t to say that there aren’t some brilliant sequels and reboots out there: I really enjoyed Deadpool & Wolverine and thought the story was witty and fresh even though it’s technically a sequel. I also recently watched and enjoyed Gladiator 2 and Nosferatu.

However, it does feel as though sequels and reboots have quickly taken up a large chunk of film and TV, leaving very little room for new and original stories to get made for the screen. Film studios would rather put their money into the safe hands of a sequel than take on a bit of a risk with an original story.

Currently, we know that the Harry Potter franchise is being remade by HBO into a TV series slated for release in 2026. Twilight is also getting a TV reboot. This is another trend we’re seeing more of: turning films into longer-form TV shows. This can work, as writers and directors are often able to give a story or its characters more time and space in a TV series format, but it also risks alienating viewers if they feel as though a series is somehow cancelling or rewriting the original film – especially with well-loved franchises like Harry Potter and Twilight. For example, I love Twilight, and I love how cringe and strange the original films are, and that has become a big part of its cult following (you only have to google the memes), so changing that would ultimately change the story for me. And I don’t want that.

This year, audiences will also see more from the world of Mission Impossible and a third Avatar film, as well as sequels to Freaky Friday and Dirty Dancing – decades after the original films were released. There are also rumours that Princess Diaries will be getting another sequel and as a die-hard fan of the film, I’m nervous that a continuation of the story just won’t live up to the brilliance of the first film. So, it seems that Hollywood continues to turn its eye to nostalgia and the past in order to produce more films, and the thing is, these films will likely do well with audiences because nostalgia does sell. We saw the same thing with Gladiator 2, which was one of the most anticipated films in 2024 because people loved the first film so much.

And I say all of this as someone who loves nostalgia. When I found out there would be another Shrek film in 2026 (16 years after the fourth film), I silently screamed.

Yet, there’s a fine balance to be struck. Yes, sequels can be brilliant for seeing your favourite characters extend their story lives and reboots can be a great trip down memory lane, but they cannot make up the majority of the stories being made for the screen. It becomes frustrating and monotonous for audiences to keep seeing the same stories and characters year after year. There has to be motivation, space and budget for new narratives too, because we need them. The entertainment industry needs to invest time and money into writers and screenplays so that people will continue to go to the cinema.

For me, I’m much more likely to go to the cinema – as opposed to waiting for it to land on streaming services – to watch a new film rather than a sequel or reboot.

And it isn’t as if these narratives don’t perform well financially either. 2023 saw Barbie and Oppenheimer – neither sequels nor reboots – break several box office records and become a huge cultural moment for cinema. Many have found critical acclaim too, such as Past Lives, The Holdovers, Anatomy Of A Fall and, more recently, The Substance and Challengers. And so far, the cinematic slate for 2025 shows glimpses of hope in terms of original material with films like Babygirl, Hard Truths and Mickey 17. There may be an appetite for stories we already know and love, but I really do believe there’s just as much interest in fresh and original narratives.

Images: Summit Entertainment; Warner Bros; Focus Features; Disney+