Miscellaneous Movie Musings the Sequel

[Alex]

An article I was reading lead me to another interesting blog post about "unoriginality" and Hollywood. And why Hollywood doesn't come up with original ideas.

I think it sheds light on why movie studios aren't so inclined to just sit people down at typewriters and come up with completely original stuff. Based on what we reward, why would they?

The top 40 grossing live action movies from 2000-2009:

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - Sequel, book adaptation (no more original than a TV show adaptation)
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - Sequel
3. The Dark Knight - Sequel, comic book adaptation
4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - Book adaptation (I didn't realize that the first one was still the highest grossing one)
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - Sequel
6. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Sequel, book adaptation
7. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Sequel, book adaptation
8. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - Sequel, book adaptation
9. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Sequel, book adaptation
10. Spider-Man 3 - Sequel, comic book adaptation
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Sequel, book adaptation
12. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - Book adaptation
13. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith - Sequel
14. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - Sequel, comic book/TV adaptation
15. Spider-Man - Comic book adaptation
16. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Sequel, book adaptation
17. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - Sequel
18. Spider-Man 2 - Sequel, comic book adaptation
19. The Da Vinci Code - Book adaptation
20. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - Book adaptation
21. The Matrix Reloaded - Sequel
22. Transformers - TV/comic book adaptation
23. 2012 - Hodgepodge of metacultural ideas but not based on existing property
24. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl - Yes, inspired by a ride but that hardly contribued anything beyond some gags so I'll be friendly and call it original.
25. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones - Sequel
26. Hancock - Original
27. The Passion of the Christ - Book adaptation
28. Mamma Mia! - Play adaptation
29. Casino Royale - Remake, sequel, book adaptation
30. War of the Worlds - Book adaptation, remake.
31. Quantum of Solace - Sequel
32. I Am Legend - Book adaptation
33. Iron Man - Comic book adaptation
34. New Moon - Sequel, book adaptation
35. Night at the Museum - Book adaptation
36. King Kong - Remake
37. Mission: Impossible II - Sequel, TV adaptation
38. The Day After Tomorrow - Original
39. Meet the Fockers - Sequel
40. Troy - Very old book adaptation