Sequels. When is it enough?
Hey Creators!
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been thinking long and hard about how I feel about sequels, especially with Moana 2, Toy Story 5, and the clips of Shrek 5 coming out in the same time frame. Nearly everything that is released is either a sequel or reboot. As a writer, I feel one way, and as a consumer, I have serious thoughts. And don’t get it twisted, this is not a Disney or DreamWorks slander event (cause y’all know we love both around here). So if you’re like me and have a myriad of ideas around the topic of sequels, let’s talk about it.
I try to live by the sandwich approach when giving feedback so that I don’t only have negative things to say. You can almost always find something positive to say about anything and anyone. But, looking at something critically and thinking about what the pros and cons are is what I’m going for and using it for my own writing journey.
With that said, I’ll start with my consumer brain. Sometimes I feel like we can just let things be great…alone. Chapters close and that’s ok. I see trailers or ads and think “Great. Another lazy money grab. A new writer could have a fresh idea that viewers like myself are craving.” I know I’m not alone. There are several films that years or even decades later have sequels that don’t do well cause for one, viewers have aged out and just kinda forgot about OR because the story just doesn’t make sense. Sometimes it’s cause the cast has changed. The Cheetah Girls sequel was just announced a couple days ago and I was so excited…until I saw that it was about the daughters. REMEMBER this is my consumer brain so don’t come for me. I’m sure they are lovely, talented actresses but seeing how Raven-Symone had left the franchise and now we have new people, I’m just like WHERE ARE YALL GOING WITH THIS? But I’m still gonna watch 🤭 other times, I’m pleasantly surprised. The Devil Wears Prada 2 was a delight. All the original players were there, funny, AND the message was wholesome. Did they need one? No, but did they give a full story that didn’t make you feel like you just wasted $20? Yes.
Now onto what Kimani, the writer, thinks. Listen, I’ve only been paid to write twice BUT I can say that there is job security in knowing ahead of time that there will be at least one sequel. Knowing that your next job will be to start working on the next feature right away will have your creative mind at ease. It’s also perfect to have more time to develop your story and characters. You can really round out the messaging and close all of the holes that you’ve opened in the first movie. Your audience will surely thank you. The idea of creating a big world that you can expand even more is what writers live for, which is why I find cinematic universes so cool and intriguing. I’d love to create one, actually, so that’s on the bucket list! All that to say, for writers, it can be a treat, but only if you are the original writer. I personally believe that there would be more pressure to come in to write a sequel for a story that’s already beloved. If it tanks, you will be hated for ruining the story. But, I’m always a “but what if it works out” kinda person so if this is ever you, go for it and give it your all!
It’s not that I hate sequels, cause the nostalgia definitely gets me most times. I just don’t think that they are necessary unless it was already a fleshed out story with multiple parts. Sometimes the story calls for it and sometimes it doesn’t. So when is enough enough? I guess it depends on how honest the writers are with themselves. Yes, the studios do whatever they want, but should they?! Writers should know what the end is. If you see that spreading the story out is a waste instead of making it a clean 90 minutes and you’re done, then you should be done. You can always do a fun fan fic and share the story with others. Maybe you’ll know if you get the audience feedback and they’re done. Once again, those studios will give you what they want to give you lol. These are just my thoughts and of course, I’m not the authority on sequels so you tell me.
When is it enough?
Go create your best life! -🔑
