Sequels, Remakes, Reboots and Re-adaptations

The same origin story twice within 10 years

Every time I read an article on the Internet discussing an impending remake of a beloved classic from 80s cinema, I scroll down to see comments like 'Hollywood has run out of ideas.' With all respect to the comment author, this is simply not true.
I totally agree that current film is overcrowded by sequels, remakes, reboots and re-adaptations. But a lack of originality is not to blame for the derivative and cyclic nature of the film industry. We are.

There are thousands of original ideas and potentially groundbreaking screenplays out there waiting to be adapted into films, but they never get made. From the perspective of a film producer, who is investing millions of dollars in the production of a film, it's much safer to throw money at something that already has an established name, and therefore an existing audience and a guarantee of revenue. Think about it. Even if you're disgusted that your favourite cult movie is being given a fresh coat of paint, you'll go and watch it anyway out of curiosity, therefore selling a ticket that another original movie won't.

Therefore the only 'original' films that get off the ground nowadays are usually funded by independent investors, and although these producers have a much more limited budget, they have a more artisitic agenda and are more likely to support up and coming filmmakers. But unsurprisingly, these films rarely do well at the box office, suffering from a low marketing budget and lack of commercial exposure.

With all things considered, it's worth remembering that although the Hollywood machine delivers an abundance of terrible movies, the franchise/remake mentality has also generated material like Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight and James Cameron's Terminator 2. But franchise films of this quality are few and far between, and usually the product of a master director with a good footing at the studio.
But money is still the driving force here, as although many big name directors started out as artistic independents, they soon became household names and reliable marketing tools for the studios to sell their films with (Tim Burton I'm looking at you). Think of how many movies you've been to watch because the director was responsible for another film you already like, and think of the motive behind the slugline on the poster that reads 'From the Director of...'
When it boils down to it, there are many consistent ways that Hollywood markets it's films nowadays, such as with a big name director or producer, a big name star, or by selling us a sequel or a remake of something we already like. But it's all about selling a product, not high art.

The latest pointless prequel

So essentially, it's quite simple. The film industry supports films they think will fill seats, and refuses to support those that don't. So if you're so fed up with all the reboots and remakes, don't watch them, and instead spend your hard earned money watching a lesser known film from a more deserving director. It's us - the viewers - that decide the popular trends in this massive industry, but we all seem so obsessed with seeing the same material reinvented over and over again.