Many of us grew up with iconic entertainment airing on our screens. Whether it was the movies our parents told us we “had to watch” or even quoting iconic lines from sleepover movies with our friends, the media we consume shapes who we are and how we grow up. Not only that, but global pop culture is heavily influenced by film and TV. Yet, with its boundless capacity to shape the cultural sphere, a concerning trend has begun to pop up: each new piece of media is either a reboot, a remake, or a sequel. While this trend began as a welcome honourific, with each new release, nostalgia has now become an industry-wide dependency that can’t be stopped.
Kicking off in late 2014, a slew of ‘90s television reboots went off the air. From Twin Peaks to The X-Files to Fuller House, the industry reminisces about the rose-coloured media of their childhoods and treats us to newer, shinier, updated versions of sequels and remakes. These revivals, though, dim in their glow the more we receive them. As the entertainment industry repackages the past into something profitable, viewers are left to nitpick and condemn updated versions that don’t live up to their predecessors.
Only recently was the Harry Potter reboot announced. As generations were raised on the world of Harry Potter, the movies became their own cultural milestones. Even now, with its controversy, its legacy is deeply embedded in global pop culture. The nature of rebooting reinforces a pattern the industry relies on heavily, where they constantly return to what they already know will succeed.
The recent HBO series is no isolated case. Whether it be live-action remakes of Disney classics or unnecessary franchise extensions, there’s a prioritization of familiarity over innovation. Audiences now compare and contrast “new” stories against the originals that are elevated beyond reach.
This trend of recycling cultural moments instead of shaping new ones is a disservice to audiences worldwide. When viewers are asked to relive movie magic, nostalgia becomes a concept that is manufactured on demand. What once relied on originality, risk, and emotions has been destroyed through industry shortcuts that focus on the commercialization of successful content. Authenticity, which once shaped culture, has been replaced with shallow production.
Nostalgia isn’t necessarily the issue. Viewing our childhood classics with a hazy, dreaminess to them is inevitable, especially when they shaped us and what we like. Yet, when the industry keeps coming back to constant repeats of stories that have been done many times, the tribute gets lost in its meaning.
The comfort and ease of maximizing existing stories has lessened the art of storytelling. It’s not that these stories shouldn’t be retold; it’s how often we should retell them? When every story is a remake, we risk defining the current cultural landscape as one lacking imagination, preventing the discovery of what comes next. As we cling so tightly to the past, then comes the risk of losing the ability to imagine new, iconic stories that could be definitive for generations to come.
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