If someone prepared the same delicious casserole every night but served it to you on slightly different plates, how long would it take before you asked for something new? Not long, I’m guessing.
So why is it that we seem content to settle for iteration instead of innovation when it comes to our entertainment?
In music, you can hear it in the work of Dr. Luke, the producer whose signature touch is immediately identifiable in the sound of pop superstars such as Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Jessie J, Rihanna and Miley Cyrus. All of these singers have charted material, even though much of it sounds similar, often embarrassingly so.
Cinema is no different. Since the new millennium, almost every mega-successful movie has been a sequel or remake. Box Office Mojo’s list of the 20 highest-grossing films of all time is packed with comic-book blockbusters and franchises such as “Harry Potter,” “The Lord of the Rings,” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
Only two films on the list — “Titanic” and “Avatar” — are standalone properties. Even so, a pair of “Avatar” sequels are in the works, and “Titanic” is basically a one-off by default unless James Cameron decides to rewrite history.