Meagre turnout for West Side Story shows that these days, the way to cash in on intellectual property is via sequels and rebootsSo far, Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story hasn’t had audiences pirouetting and finger-clicking their way to cinemas.
There are plenty of reasons why; the main one relating to a certain global pandemic.
But one explanation that keeps being proffered is that viewers are simply sick of remakes – and it’s not entirely wrong.
Hollywood still has no qualms about bringing back its vintage franchises, of course.
But as the imminent returns of The Matrix, Scream, Top Gun, Indiana Jones, Hocus Pocus and Legally Blonde demonstrate, the fashionable way to cash in on a venerable intellectual property is to hire as many of the original cast members as you can and to pick up where you left off.
Sequels are in; remakes are out.Remakes, lest we forget,
Read full article