certainly nearly all of us have seen these movies before, so why are we seeing them again?-vanessa schulte 6th grade lit arts
2023 was an amazing year to check out and go to the movies. It was the summer nicknamed Barb-enheimer featuring Barbie and Oppenheimer. They were two of the most common movies people went to see that year. Three years later, we see all shows that look so…familiar. Like 1999’s Scream Ghostface mask on movie posters. Or maybe Moana on the billboard. But certainly nearly all of us have seen these movies before, so why are we seeing them again?
First of all, over the years as more movies have seen development in graphics and CGI, would be a way to enhance a movie's originality with better pictures. Stylist Magazine has similar insights on this matter. “Sequels can be fun, but we need new narratives” wrote Shahed Ezaydi on Stylist. The article, which was written 2 years ago now, described continuations as a ‘trend’ that was a less risky way to produce because it already ensured a crowd.
When I surveyed people on this matter, I asked if an adaption would ever live up to the original movie, or in other instances if it were an adaption of a book or game at first. Seventh grade Literary Arts student, Wesleigh Stone had a pretty common insight many people have, saying that a movie usually didn’t live up to its original. “Maybe, usually they don't but there is a first time for everything.”
There is in fact a first time for movie adaptations when we see them as nominees at the Oscars. For instance, the broadway show adaptation Wicked won last year's Academy Award for production design, as well as 2026 nominee Frankenstein, which is not an original either. The Academy Awards is one of the hardest awards to win, and many continuations and adaptations continue to take home awards. This does prove that adaptations can be very likeable amongst the crowd even if they aren’t original.
Or even this year's nominee Hamnet which is not original but rather based on the novel by Maggie O'Ferrel .
First of all, over the years as more movies have seen development in graphics and CGI, would be a way to enhance a movie's originality with better pictures. Stylist Magazine has similar insights on this matter. “Sequels can be fun, but we need new narratives” wrote Shahed Ezaydi on Stylist. The article, which was written 2 years ago now, described continuations as a ‘trend’ that was a less risky way to produce because it already ensured a crowd.
When I surveyed people on this matter, I asked if an adaption would ever live up to the original movie, or in other instances if it were an adaption of a book or game at first. Seventh grade Literary Arts student, Wesleigh Stone had a pretty common insight many people have, saying that a movie usually didn’t live up to its original. “Maybe, usually they don't but there is a first time for everything.”
There is in fact a first time for movie adaptations when we see them as nominees at the Oscars. For instance, the broadway show adaptation Wicked won last year's Academy Award for production design, as well as 2026 nominee Frankenstein, which is not an original either. The Academy Awards is one of the hardest awards to win, and many continuations and adaptations continue to take home awards. This does prove that adaptations can be very likeable amongst the crowd even if they aren’t original.
Or even this year's nominee Hamnet which is not original but rather based on the novel by Maggie O'Ferrel .
oscar award shown above the classic knight holding a sword standing on a film reel with 5 spokes.
Other movies we go to see often are Marvel and DC continuations. There are at least 13 Batman movies, 10 Spiderman movies, and 11 superman movies. The reason is, because Marvel and DC had so much financial success through these original movies that they have the means and the budget to make more of them. Expecting similar success and buy in from loyal fans. Marvel currently has 37 films and it’s thanks to these originals which draw people to the theater. These movies keep progressing thanks to computer advancements and CGI, so at this rate superhero movies and Marvel will continue to draw back to the theaters due to their success and stay in the movie industry for at least the next hundred years.
marvel studios logo filled in with a series of marvel characters
Another type of adaption is from video game to movie. Though they seem to be popular and evolve from games people love, they aren’t as intriguing. “Do you think video games turned into movies are interesting or not interesting to watch? Why?” Sixth-grade Lit arts student Sofia Gonzalez agrees on the topic, saying, “[I don’t like video game movies] because you're more used to playing them than watching them.”
There have been popular attempts in the past, such as The Minecraft Movie and The Super Mario Bros Movie but people couldn't really relate to it as well as we did to the game. This meant they were exciting to watch but also odd because they were different and unrelatable. But still they continue as a popular adaptation to this day.
compare and contrast between the Mincraft movie and video game graphics
Another contituation that has many people excited is Haymich’s backstory in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. From the original series The Hunger Games by Suzane Collins, we introduce a backstory, which Collins did make a book for, but is indeed a backstory.
Sixth grade Literary Arts student, Violet Hirsh, says “I love backstories because if you want to know more about a character, you can deep dive into their world and not disrupt the main story's plot.” However, backstories can be a hard thing to succeed with in the movie industry when it's a make or break subject where you have to keep it in the perspective of the original. Though they tend to introduce new characters which can lead to many failures in this whole experiment.
It’s also hard even when people aren’t doing backstories and just adaptations in general. The original content needs to be in perspective but also stand out for people to even consider watching them. But that leads to the question why this trend is so popular? Though this is a hard concept Hollywood seems to be making more and more every year.
The reproduction of continuations and adaptations continue in the movie industry mostly because it’s an easier shot and the plot is already made. Maybe the mindset of the 1st ever sequel or adaption was “if the people loved the first one, maybe we will be cautious and give them more of what they like!” At first it sounds smart, but when people get to movies like Scream 7 the thrill starts to fade. At this point it’s about money conservation more than the idea of taking the original and only leaving like 2 people from the original one.
We continue to see more movie adaptations in our time and will probably continue to see them in future years. They are one of the cinema’s continuous trends that come into theaters, though we still continue to see some of the films arne’t great. For a series, an adaption is always a make or break. In this year, as our films progress, continuations and adaptations will always be there. Especially now in 2026, because as CGI and graphics get better, they stand a chance to improve the original and draw more eyes. This year, when you visit the theaters and the billboard is filled with adaptations or continuations, maybe try it. It always has a chance to be better than the original.
It’s also hard even when people aren’t doing backstories and just adaptations in general. The original content needs to be in perspective but also stand out for people to even consider watching them. But that leads to the question why this trend is so popular? Though this is a hard concept Hollywood seems to be making more and more every year.
The reproduction of continuations and adaptations continue in the movie industry mostly because it’s an easier shot and the plot is already made. Maybe the mindset of the 1st ever sequel or adaption was “if the people loved the first one, maybe we will be cautious and give them more of what they like!” At first it sounds smart, but when people get to movies like Scream 7 the thrill starts to fade. At this point it’s about money conservation more than the idea of taking the original and only leaving like 2 people from the original one.
We continue to see more movie adaptations in our time and will probably continue to see them in future years. They are one of the cinema’s continuous trends that come into theaters, though we still continue to see some of the films arne’t great. For a series, an adaption is always a make or break. In this year, as our films progress, continuations and adaptations will always be there. Especially now in 2026, because as CGI and graphics get better, they stand a chance to improve the original and draw more eyes. This year, when you visit the theaters and the billboard is filled with adaptations or continuations, maybe try it. It always has a chance to be better than the original.
