The Franchise Fatigue Phenomenon: Is it Real?

Over the weekend, the latest Hunger Games movie premiered. It's called The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. It's 8 years in the making.

It was number 1 at the box office, making about $44 million. While that's a ton to you or me, it's a massive disappointment to Lionsgate, who made the movie. $44 million on opening weekend is about $58 million less than any previous Hunger Games movie. That's a dramatic drop. And I think a couple things are happening here.

This is the latest in a series of signs of exhaustion of the movie sequel culture that has dominated the last 15 years or so. The movie studios have become so risk-averse that they plow hundreds of millions of dollars in the second, third, fourth, and 18th editions of films over taking chances on smaller movies and ideas that don't come from an already established actor, director, or Barbie. Film studios have become a Cranberries album. Everybody else is doing it, so why can't we? And after a while, we got tired of it.

Secondly, and most importantly, with inflation rising, streaming making movie watching easier at home, the theater experience decaying, and young people married to their phones. Barring some significant philosophical shifts, The future of movies will continue its long trajectory. I believe it will look like Broadway. An elite activity, made for and enjoyed by a few.

What do you think? And are you tired of movie sequels too?

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