Think of the best recent movie that you’ve seen. Chances are that the film you just had in your mind was either part of a franchise or based on a true story, with few other options in between apart from the occasional animation treat. To say that these two genres have dominated the movie industry recently would be a gross understatement. In fact, out of the nominees for Best Director at this year’s Academy Awards, only one director, Lenny Abrahamson for his work in Room, was honored for a project that can’t be classified under either category. This isn’t to criticize the Academy or any of these outstanding directors; this is to wonder about what has happened to the film industry. Put simply, in today’s cinematic verse, movie franchises dominate the box office, while biopics dominate the awards season; consequently, the room for variety has dwindled considerably. In other words, while these genres have a distinct and loyal backing among moviegoers, the market is crying out for something more, something different.
A look at box office revenues adjusted for inflation certainly backs this up. Bar the exception of the war-ravaged 1940s, every decade from the 30s onto the 90s has at least one movie that places among the top ten highest grossing movies of all time, once inflation is taken into account. This might very well be a mere correlation that doesn’t prove any causation. After all, movie lovers nowadays have different streaming avenues to watch movies that don’t always show up in firm data. Nevertheless, the once mystical and uniting experience that going to the movies has always had appears to be gradually diminishing. Whether that’s because of the movies on offer or not is open to debate, really.
In the midst of said downward spiral, it is imminently understandable why biopics, and especially franchise-based movies, seem to be the flavor of the decade, so to speak. Production studios like nothing more than to make money, and these projects, despite their relatively limited artistic value, do just that. There’s a reason why Marvel productions have routinely dominated the box office over the last few years. The spectacle of comic books, with their loyal fan base, on the big screen is a seemingly full proof method to make money. As evidence, even the horrendously inept Fantastic Four made over $160 million worldwide compared to its $120 million budget. Let that sink in. That’s almost like printing money in an industry that struggles more than ever to do so. Comic book based movies are so profitable, in fact, that Marvel currently has over 20 movies planned within the next five years, including a second installment of the Fantastic Four series!
As for movies based on true stories, the lack of unbridled creativity in their creation hasn’t affected them much either. With a generally higher level of production value, as well as a nearly endless array of worthwhile stories, these pictures have generally been better received by critics and audiences alike. For proof, one only needs to look at the positive reception garnered recently by films such as The Big Short, Straight Outta Compton, and this year’s Best Picture winner, Spotlight. Notwithstanding, by and large, the box office numbers achieved by these movies usually pale in comparison with the ones posted by franchise films. In addition, the continued increase in their number means that their long-term impact is minimized; marginalized by other compelling, reality-based pictures in a continuous cycle. In that sense, the heightened frequency of biopics is certainly decreasing their impact. After all, the more that anything is done, the less special it begins to feel.
In many ways, what the box office is missing the most these days are continuous innovation and ambition. Now there are certainly exceptions to every rule as any Christopher Nolan movie would surely indicate. With every passing year, however, these exceptions seem to be fewer and further in between. Compounding the problem is that, recently, many of Hollywood’s biggest names have preferred TV roles over film projects, with A-list names such as Kevin Spacey and Mathew McConaughey chief among them. Indeed, the continuously rising number of TV shows goes hand in hand with the deteriorating variety and innovation in movies these days. At a time where the movie industry is on a nadir, its TV counterpart is at its peak, even after the conclusion of numerous acclaimed shows such as Breaking Bad and Mad Men. Evidently, the linkages between both prisms are undeniable, as directors and actors continuously move between them. TV’s recent superiority is notable though, for presenting the first era where its more elaborate setting seems to be more popular than the traditionally favored big screens.
Based on the available evidence, and with the continued hype engulfing franchise-based movies such as Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, the industry’s downward spiral looks set to continue over the next few years. With limited dosages of creativity on offer, the issues that Hollywood faces won’t be easy to overturn. What’s important to consider, though, is that most of them were self-inflicted and primarily borne out of a firm desire to make money above all else. Art doesn’t work that way, though. In its effort to churn out sell outs, the industry itself might’ve sold out.