Santa Monica, CA — The record haul for the worldwide opening for Jurassic World sent ripples through Hollywood this week: Sequels. Sequels. Sequels.
The big studios are in the Event Movie business, and those Jurassic-type films are exactly what audiences can expect to be fed in the next five years from the majors. And by “audience,” I mean Men and Boys, age 9-59 who return again and again to see these movies.
Women are being targeted with the recent announcement of additional chapters of Pitch Perfect (#3) and Maleficent. Women, however, clearly love dinosaurs just as much as acapella songfests. And, Chris Pratt. Magic Mike XXL looms on the horizon, too.
Terminator: Genesys has targeted this demo, as well. We shall see, tho.
Hopefully, indies likes Me And Earl And The Dying Girl will still connect with filmgoers searching for stories that are merely terrific and not super.
Don’t get me wrong, though! Me loves some big franchise films.
This year, Hollywood has treated us to Fast & Furious 7, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and a successful re-boot of Mad Max. The remainder of 2015 has some big movies on tap, and I’m ready to punch my ticket for MI:5, Spectre, and Mockingjay Part 2.
The sequel I am most excited to see, though, is The Incredibles 2, and it won’t be in theaters until late next year. Thank you, Brad Bird.
Oh, and there’s that little indie film Star Wars: The Force Awakens in December. Fingers crossed it can somehow find a connection with an audience.
Meanwhile, this summer marks the 4oth Anniversary of the film that started The Big Summer Movie craze: Jaws. Expect another Sequel.
Next year, 2016 features the following Sequels and/or Continuations of Franchises:
- Batman vs. Superman
- Captain America: Civil War
- X-Men: Apocalypse
- Star Trek 3
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2
- X-Men: Gambit
- Star Wars: Rogue One
- Avatar 2
Up Next: Costa Rica, Surfing, Torrid Love Affairs
SURFING Hollywood... 