Not Every Franchise Is Worth Reviving
By Justin Carter
Nostalgia has long been an important part of the creative industry, particularly as it relates to film and TV. There’s so many reboots and revivals these days you could fill a modest paperback, but not all of them are created equal. And by that same token, they’re not announced and received equally, either.
Earlier in the week, Disney announced that a live-action remake of its 2015 animated film Moana is in the works, with star Dwayne Johnson set to return. Disney also recently announced a live-action Aristocats—and those are just two of the many remakes the studio has planned. After the success of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Illumination finally confirmed it’s working on a Shrek 5 with plans to bring the original cast back (as well as give Eddie Murphy’s Donkey a spinoff of his own). Warner Bros. is also getting in on this; yet another Game of Thrones prequel is being discussed, as is an HBO Max series for Harry Potter after video game Hogwarts Legacy sold like gangbusters.
This has always been a part of the game—a reboot here, a revival there. Asking the entertainment industry to not tap into the nostalgia well is basically an impossible ask, and I know I’m part of the problem. I’m not going to act like I haven’t completely marked out time for recent stuff in this vein like Creed 3 or Scream 6. But what helps those two particular examples stand out, in my mind, are how they feel unique and like actual films first. Even though both of their respective franchises are going to continue on and have anchors to their pasts, they’re able to stand on their own and bring their own specific energy to the table.
