Reboots, Remakes, Sequels… Why?

Another weekend, another box office flop for yet another Hollywood reboot/remake/sequel. The unwanted and unnecessary Ben-Hur remake opened at #6 at the US box office this weekend. You’re probably asking yourself “Wait, there was a Ben-Hur remake?” and that’s the proper response. The $100+ million budget CG remake of the iconic Charlton Heston movie showed up without anyone wanting it and will disappear shortly at your local cinema.

It’s just the latest reboot/remake/sequel Hollywood has thrown at us whether we wanted it or not. At one point sequels were big money. Some reboot/remakes have cashed in big as well. But it’s time Hollywood started looking at the numbers. Clearly Hollywood doesn’t care about making good movies, it’s all about the numbers, so let’s take a look at those numbers. Below is a list of films from 2016 that are either a reboot/remake or a sequel in a franchise. Some of them were helped by international markets, but others are just outright duds.

Ghostbusters – The most hated movie trailer in YouTube history, rumors of a $70 million loss has a sequel on hold. No real international market can help the “All Female Reboot” save itself.

Now You See Me 2 – The first film did over $100 million in the US alone, the sequel barely did half that. International numbers help its $65 million US box office take.

The Legend of Tarzan – A disappointment in the US and even with international numbers, it’s still barely over $300 million worldwide. The hottest actress in the world (Margot Robbie) didn’t help this lackluster remake.

Pete’s Dragon – Still kind of early to tell, but it only opened number 3. Second weekend dropped to 5. Still has a chance to turn a profit domestically.

Jason Bourne – A big gap since the the third film, this has made a slight profit in the US already and over $100 million internationally, but that’s nowhere near the numbers of the other films in the franchise.

Star Trek Beyond – With worldwide money it turned a profit, but it has a below budget box office in the US so far. I liked the film a lot personally so it being below $150 million US is a shame.

Independence Day: Resurgence – Three quarters of its box office is international. Barely a $100 million movie in the US. First film did $300 million in the US alone…in 1996!

Ice Age: Collision Course – 80% of its box office is international. A $40+ million below budget US box office. Every previous film did $160+ million in the US.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows –  A big loss in the US, international numbers don’t even put it over $250 million worldwide. Over a $100 million drop from the first film just two years ago.

Alice Through the Looking Glass – Not even $300 million worldwide and with a given budget close to $200 million, a big disaster compared to the monster first film which grossed over a BILLION worldwide. Yeah that’s with a B.

The Huntsman: Winter’s War – $50+ million loss in the US. Maybe breaks even with international numbers depending on actual budget number. First film did almost $400 million worldwide without Jessica Chastain and Emily Blunt.

X-Men: Apocalypse – Overseas market puts it over $500 million worldwide, but a $155 million US take is below budget. Over a $200 million worldwide drop compared to the last film.

Kung Fu Panda 3 –  A little over a $500 million worldwide box office sounds great until you realize that’s a $100 million below the previous 2 films.

The Divergent Series: Allegiant – Such a flop they are moving the rest of the series to TV! $70 million behind the second film in the US alone. $100+ million worldwide behind the previous two films.

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising – Not sure of the budget so can’t say if it made money in the US or internationally, but it did almost $100 million less than the original in the US.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 – Not really sure what its budget is, but an $88 million worldwide take compared to the first film’s $368 million (14 years ago) is quite the difference.

Ok, I know what you are going to say, Ken go look at Box Office Mojo, the two highest grossing films of the year are sequels and number 3 is a remake! Yeah I know. Unfortunately Hollywood will see that too and forget everything else I’ve just said. They will see the list below and keep pounding out the unoriginality.

The Purge: Election Year – The little series that could. A $10 million budget turns into a $100 million worldwide take. Hollywood won’t pass that up.

Finding Dory – The #1 movie of the year (in the US) so far. It’s actually behind the worldwide box office of Finding Nemo in 2003.

The Conjuring 2 – $100+ million in the US $300+ million worldwide. Can’t argue with that. Hollywood will find a way to milk the series even more.

The Jungle Book – #3 movie of the year (in the US) so far. Jon Favreau’s live action Disney film has done almost a billion worldwide.

Captain America: Civil War –  #2 movie of the year (in the US) so far. The film that looked like and felt like an Avengers film did Avengers type money at the box office. $400 million in the US. Over a billion worldwide, Hollywood drools.

Ride Along 2 – Made a $50 million profit in the US alone, but that’s still $40 million behind the first film.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – #7 movie of the year (in the US) so far but that’s not what they wanted. They wanted/expected Avengers type money, but didn’t give us a film worthy of that. But hey Zack Snyder can’t screw up Justice League, can he?

Hopefully Hollywood will take a long hard look at what people are actually going to and enjoying before they make decisions on what movies they make. We know they won’t. People thought the anger against Ghostbusters wouldn’t matter because online trolls are trolls, but the backlash translated into disappointing ticket sales. Hollywood saw what happened and said, “Hey let’s do an All-Female Ocean’s 11 Remake!” anyways.

The year is only three quarters of the way through and we still have reboots/remakes and sequels coming our way. Will Bridget Jones’s Baby be as popular as the previous films? Will The Magnificent Seven remake cash in? Will Rogue One: A Star Wars Story come close to The Force Awakens numbers? And somehow there’s a Blair Witch film heading our way shortly as well. Will Hollywood learn anything from 2016? Probably not.