Remember when most new movies were original, not just follow-ups or reboots? Those good old days are gone, and now it’s all about making money, not about the art of filmmaking. Sequels are acceptable because they have the potential to expand and be better than the previous film, but reboots, especially masterpieces? Allow me to explain why that’s a terrible idea.

Did you know that Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings are having a reboot treatment, except the former will be an HBO Max series? That’s just lazy. There is no originality and creativity. They rely on established concepts instead of making new ideas. It’s like drawing the same drawing, but just a bit differently. Not just for the better either. Have you watched Oldboy (2003) and Spike Lee’s 2013 reboot? If you haven’t, save your time by not watching the latter.

Reboots will cause people to compare it with the original, but not in a good way. In fact, the film will create higher expectations, and that is to be better than the first. If it’s not better, then the audience will be disappointed. But how many reboots can you name that is better than the original?

Nostalgia can be good, but relying too much on it can overshadow the need for a fresh storyline, potentially lacking new content. Nostalgia is eventually a crowd-pleaser, and that is to evoke something of old rather than new. But this would underline the reality that reboots still depend on the original film to be successful. For instance, I believe that Spider-Man: No Way Home wouldn’t have made almost 2 billion dollars during the COVID-19 era if Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield didn’t show up.

But why do film companies make reboots? It’s just to make money because it’s easier to copy more than to create something up to fund themselves. The film industry overemphasizes commercial success. It is important because it pays off thousands of workers, and success can lead to more movies that can created to watch. But films are more than money-making schemes. They provide entertainment and unrealistic experiences, stimulating our creative bones. Stories are powerful, but if retold, it doesn’t become as impactful.

Reboots have nothing new, and that’s the problem. It may have worked before and got the money the industry wanted, but I’m pretty sure the audiences are tired of watching something similar all the time. Maybe it’s time to watch more original films so that more fresh stories can be on screen.