What do you think? Are you suffering from "franchise fatigue," or do you love seeing your favorite books/games on screen? Sound off in the comments below.
Don’t get me wrong—I love Dune: Part Two as much as the next cinephile. But when you look at the slate of upcoming blockbusters, it is almost entirely comprised of IP (Intellectual Property) that already exists.
But we are reaching a saturation point. We’ve seen the live-action Little Mermaid , the live-action How to Train Your Dragon , and soon, the live-action Tangled . When everything is special, nothing is special. The irony is that the appetite for originality has never been higher. Look at the watercooler hits of the last few years: Everything Everywhere All at Once . Beef . Succession . None of these were based on a Hasbro toy or a Marvel comic. They were weird, uncomfortable, and new . HardWerk.E04.Luna.Silver.Triptychon.XXX.720p.WE
Literally.
Adaptation Addiction: Are We Running Out of Original Ideas in Hollywood? What do you think
Studios aren't in the business of art anymore; they are in the business of algorithmic engagement . It is safer to spend $200 million on a Harry Potter reboot (which is coming, by the way) because there are already a billion people who love Harry Potter. It is terrifying to spend $200 million on The Man Who Loved Zebras because no one has heard of it. Nostalgia is a drug, and streaming services are the dealers. When The Super Mario Bros. Movie made over a billion dollars, it wasn't because of the plot (it was paper-thin). It was because every Millennial in the theater heard the thwomp sound effect and felt a dopamine hit that transported them back to their basement in 1991.
Why is this happening? It’s not a lack of talented writers. It’s a lack of risk tolerance. Don’t get me wrong—I love Dune: Part Two
The Daily Reel Date: April 16, 2026