For decades, cinema has played a crucial role in the evolution of diversity, advertising and entertainment. Since the world of film first gained popularity, there have been many inspirational hits that live on, even in today’s society. However, that world has changed dramatically. 

The new film “A Minecraft Movie” has sparked conversation surrounding the direction in which cinema is headed. The film, nostalgic for some viewers and unserious for others, was released on April 4, and it earned $313 million globally in just three days, according to Hollywood Reporter. Additionally, it surpassed “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” as the best film for a video game adaptation. 

However, there has been controversy. Within the movie, director Jared Hess has been criticized for his reaction to the viral “chicken jockey” trend. According to the Daily Mail, the trend has caused chaos in movie theaters due to viewers throwing popcorn along the floors and some even getting sick, causing extreme messes. Among many other examples, the integrity of film has been questioned. 

From a perspective of Hollywood repetition, several movies are repeated or remade that have become uninteresting to viewers. Some of them work, and others do not. For instance, the Harry Potter series is being rebooted into a television show on HBO Max. Due to the reboot, the show and actors have been receiving hateful commentary from fans of the original Harry Potter movies, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. 

Since these films are made up of actors and characters that the fan bases have come to love and adore through several movies, there could be resistance to new, remade films from the die-hard fans because they’re fond of the original, and they don’t want to see a different version. 

Hollywood is indulged in diversity, which is good, but some people are resistant to that. For instance, “Snow White” received negativity because of the actress. In several interviews, Rachel Zegler stated that she wanted the film to be interpreted as a means of women’s identity and being who they want to be, rather than the love story. Additionally, fans of the original movie were not fond of Zegler’s appearance, as they do not believe she looks like Snow White. 

The point of a remake is to deter from creating the same movie that has already been made; it gives a new insight to the story. It can be difficult to put prior biases aside and digest the film for what it is. “Footloose” is a great example, as the newer version is accepted by some, but it is not accepted by others. Next generation films are a come and go or a hit and miss. 

The issue with blockbuster movies is that they are not replacing the artistic and smaller films that upcoming directors are making; rather, they are casting huge shadows over the movies. The remakes of classics and movies that take a property and have been seen in other media will have their own dedicated following, and they will come to the theater to see if their favorite story was adapted well. 

Beyond those groups, the fear of missing out (FOMO) is more common than ever; people who want to be aware of movies will see them to understand the popularity and attention. Overall, the remakes of classics are beneficial for boosting the profits of the companies that own them, as the public — at large — cannot help themselves from seeing the newest version. 

Going back to the artistic and smaller films, the standard for those films for further recognition is pushed more and more each year. With a more limited budget and smaller, unknown casts, often, it can be difficult to compete with Hollywood putting large sums of money into their remakes. 

Going back to the previous topic and following “A Minecraft Movie,” the big movies and television that have been hitting the theater or gaining popularity have been adapted from video games. “The Last of Us,” season two, is incredibly anticipated because of the fan-base. Once the game carried on into a series, fans who have adored the game for years wanted to see it for themselves. 

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and “Barbie” are other examples of this phenomenon. Several individuals, globally, went to the theater with their friends, and for “Barbie,” it became a trend to dress in all pink to the theater. What is working for Hollywood, currently, is nostalgia. All of these themes result back to the feeling of nostalgia. 

Based on the current standing of Hollywood film popularity, it could be anticipated that in 10-20 years, the video game “Fortnite” could become a dramatically famous movie, since the game has accumulated popularity over time. Hollywood uses nostalgic feelings to make movies, as well as taking a large fan base and making it even larger with a film attached to it. 

With modern films, something different in cinema would be appreciated. At this point in the world of film, there are so many ideas that have already been done. As consumers, people want to see a different perspective that has not been taken before. It’s difficult to watch a film and be able to predict the ending within the first 20 minutes. 

Movies are the best and make impact most when they create surprise and the unexpected. Right now, Hollywood is lacking a shock factor, and that’s a large part of film-success. Viewers don’t need to laugh — they just want to gasp. To be caught off guard is one of the best parts of watching film. 

Film is, undoubtedly, a big part of the way that our society functions. Many inspirations come from watching and interpreting film; without it, global change would be difficult to spread. If cinema remains the way that it has been — remake after remake, entertainment and awareness will become minimal. 

And that’s the shock factor that we don’t want. 

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