They’re Being Made Just Not Marketed

Written by Emilia Toth

Moana from yet another live action remake

How many Toy Storys do we need?

Who greenlit another Jumanji?

Why is every Disney movie being remade into a live action?

What happened to original movies?

It seems that every major movie being released nowadays is some sort of a remake, sequel, or spin-off of a beloved classic.

Sometimes not even a classic. I mean, Moana only came out 10 years ago and they’ve already released a live action remake this past summer. And it was everywhere: I couldn’t escape The Rock with long wavy hair for the entire summer.

People Want Original Movies

I’m not nearly the first to roll my eyes and complain every time I see an old movie set to be rehashed into something “new” and incredibly mediocre. In fact, it seems that most people are sick of remakes and just want to see original stories told on the big screen.

These complaints have been circulating for nearly 10 years and I began noticing them as Disney started to ramp up on announcing live action remakes followed by whatever phase Marvel threatened us with after End Game.

But the growing consensus among Gen Z and millennials, revealed in a 2024 survey conducted by Tubi, is the desire for original movies as opposed to remakes. 74% of Gen Z and millennials, the main audiences relied on to fill theatres, are tired of what Hollywood is offering them.

But when original movies do get made (and to preface, I’m talking about big studio releases you typically see at Cineplex, not the indie scene or smaller productions), I feel like I only hear about them once they’ve already been released.

Which leads me to wonder: why are original movies not being marketed well, despite the overwhelming demand for them?

The Short Answer is Always Money

Nostalgia sells.

In the same 2024 survey it was revealed that nearly 96% of Americans are interested in watching nostalgic content.

It’s easy for studios to put all their effort into marketing the sequels and remakes because they know there’s a fan base for them. And despite the complaints, and what seems to be the majority of people claiming to not want to see them, people will watch.

And even though they know that the sequel or remake will never have any hope of surpassing the original in terms of success, studios can be confident enough to know that there will be more than enough profit anyway.

It’s a solid, risk-averse move.

The Lack of Marketing Budget for Original Titles

Last year, the Wall Street Journal reported on a significant drop in movie-goers for original titles. They claim that “Hollywood is cranking out original titles, audiences aren’t showing up.” From my own experience, I would have to say that this statement does have some truth. Of course, if I’m at a small local theatre attended by avid movie-goers like Hot Docs or Revue Cinema, the audience will probably be pretty close to full. However, the drop at Cineplex theatres is quite noticeable when it comes to these films.

So what’s the disconnect?

Audiences want original films but they’re not watching them???

I think it would have to do with the obvious lack of marketing for original movies. Maybe part of it is budget. Compared to $200 million blockbuster remakes, I can see how maybe original movies with way less financial backing might have a smaller marketing budget.

Circling back to risk adversity, to me it is clear that investing in marketing for well-known titles is the safe option. We know who the audience is. We have sometimes decades of data to work with.

A Somewhat Bright Future

In the past couple of years we’ve seen some original films do really well and have a significant impact on pop culture, especially in the horror genre. Backrooms, Obsession, and last year Sinners with its 4 Oscar wins.

I think slowly but surely we’re shifting into an era of successful original titles.