Hollywood seems to be in full-bore reboot and sequel mode. Where Summer and Thanksgiving used to be the launch of the big blockbusters, now they seem to be nothing more than a couple of new ideas but many more sequels and more recently, the reboot – a remake of a remake…of sometimes another remake.
Up until just about 10 years ago, there was the Batman movies which built on the original TV series from the 1960s with Adam West (with several different actors) and the Superman movies (with Christopher Reeve). Then came The Hulk and Spiderman. Then nothing. Then of course came the multiple other superhero movies and then the phenomena of multiple Hulk movies (reboots) and to date, two more Spiderman reboots, another Batman reboot, and then of course Batman vs. Superman.
It’s not just superheroes. Since the original Jaws movie in 1975, there have been four sequels and several other killer (really insane killer) sharks in movies. Just when you think it’s safe to go back into the water…
What does this all have to do with you? Well, how original are you? How groundbreaking are your ideas?
There is a risk with being first and with being original. You could of course be wildly successful. That’s what happened with the original Jaws movie. Even though the shark looked fake, the terror kept people in real life off the beach. Sequels tried to recapture that same magic but aside from more realistic sharks and bloodier human feedings, they just didn’t have the same effect. There was always a comparison to the original.
On the other hand, you might fail. It’s possible. But here’s the thing. Even if it failed, you were the first to try. Even if someone builds and perfects your idea, they still keep YOU in the conversation. Someone else is trying to improve what YOU started. YOU started. You’re still memorable.
Hollywood seems to have lost its creativity. And the more it happens, the more we think about and miss Adam West, Christopher Reeve, and the robotic fake shark Bruce. The more you copy the original, the more the original shines.
What new idea have you been thinking about proposing? What new direction have you been contemplating in your current career path? Instead of waiting for affirmation from what’s already been tried, why not be the pioneer that will be remembered for no other reason maybe than it was simply the first…
