Gladiator II The film has gained a lot of attention since its trailer was released in early June, quickly becoming Paramount Pictures’ most-watched first trailer since its release. Defender: Maverick. Ridley Scott’s sequel to a 2000s classic Gladiator The number of views reached 177 million within 48 hours, ranking second on Google’s US daily search trend list within 24 hours. The hot trailer for the long-awaited movie shows that traditional sequels have a place in the entertainment industry, which could be a sign you’re writing one.
What is a Legacy Sequel?
Hollywood has a long history of making sequels, starting over 100 years ago, and traditional sequels have soared in popularity over the past decade. Rather than continuing the threads of the previous film, a traditional sequel pays homage to the original film while offering an updated look at the world of the film.
With an established fan base, traditional sequels find the perfect balance between nostalgia and novelty. from Netflix Beverly Hills Detective: Axel F arrive tornado, Decades later, old and successful franchises are being tapped for new potential. Nearly 20 years later, Gladiator is about to receive a sequel to its long and highly anticipated legacy.
The Legacy sequel is almost a sure win
The Legacy sequel not only had great appeal for audiences, it also aroused serious interest from studios. Re-developing once popular and successful movies and franchises promises wins while being less risky for studios.
jurassic worldthe legacy sequel jurassic park The film sparked its own franchise and became a box office monster upon its release in 2015, grossing $1.6 billion worldwide. Even without Steven Spielberg, jurassic world There’s a lot of energy behind it, capturing an adventure story that’s equally IMAX-worthy and kid-friendly, with one of the biggest action stars taking the helm of the vast world with a new face nearly 15 years later.
although jurassic world shows how traditional sequels perform at the box office, Defender: Maverick cementing that these nostalgic stories remain relevant years later. The film, in which Maverick (Cruise) returns to the screen to lead a group of Top Gun pilots on dangerous missions, grossed $1.49 billion worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing film of 2022. Second only to “League of Legends”. Avatar 2 ($2.32 billion).
Even traditional sequels that are expected to underperform at the box office, e.g. tornadoThe film is expected to take in $40-50 million in its opening weekend, but it’s still generating buzz because of the foundation it’s built on. Audiences crave the same rush they felt in the original film, hoping this legacy sequel will give them more than just good-time nostalgia from the non-superhero blockbuster era.
Of course, there are some legacy sequels, e.g. Blade Runner 2049 and Matrix Resurrection While they bombed at the box office, the success of these stories continued to enrich the worlds of the films, proving they worked for audiences and studios alike. But what makes them work? There are three main factors to consider when writing your own legacy sequel, and we can learn from successful legacy sequels (and maybe even Gladiator II).
Read more: How to write a successful sequel like ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’
Should you write a traditional sequel like Ghost Warrior II?
3 reasons why traditional sequels are successful
Big-budget franchises are looking to embrace their past while trying to find their future. There are many ways writers can create exciting sequels to beloved franchises that bring new possibilities to the world.
Embrace the original concept
Richard Fink noted in Movieweb that many traditional sequels “adopt the concept of telling interesting, thoughtful stories” that “move the franchise forward” and “solve the problem” .[d] With nostalgic thoughts. They were able to do this by incorporating similar themes and tone from the original film.
Theme is vital to the narrative of the story, running through many events and guiding character development. It’s meaning and resonance that fuel the story. Traditional sequels are often centered around nostalgia, but they often borrow other themes from the original film.
This tone also had an impact on traditional sequels, as it shaped audience expectations and perceptions. The author conveys their attitude toward the subject and the audience through tone, guiding the audience through narrative and telling us how they feel in the moment.
Gladiator Focus on taking responsibility for your actions and the role you are given. As viewers, we have the pleasure of watching Maximus (Russell Crowe) overcome impossible odds and kill the murderers of his wife and child step by step. Maximus dies at the end of the movie, Gladiator II There is no choice but to move on in the post-Maximus Legacy world.
Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced into slavery and learns from the legend of Maximus, the young emperor Caracalla (Fred Heckinger) and Geta (Joseph Joseph Quinn) and General Marcus Acassius (Pedro Pascal) seek revenge. when pitch pushes Gladiator Onward is a dramatic revenge story, Gladiator II The tone is pure action, with bigger stunts and a fast-paced story that weaves through the events of Lucius’s life.
This allows screenwriter David Scarpa to set expectations by using a formula that has been proven to appeal to audiences. Of course, we could call it nostalgia bait, but audiences want that kind of resemblance. For that injustice, of course. . The feeling of cheering for the aggrieved person. Gladiator It’s an epic revenge story, so why not retell it on an even grander scale with a different cast?
Read more: How to generate great (and original) feature film ideas
Gladiator II (2024)
They stick to valid types
The best Legacy sequels usually fall into two genres: action and horror. These are big-picture movies that usually deliver on the promises made to audiences as genre films. The trailer is Gladiator II The Roman Coliseum is shown filling up with water, a joke the audience didn’t know in the first film. Beverly Hills Detective: Axel F Having Axel (Eddie Murphy) steal a helicopter takes the chase scene to the next level. In the horror film genre, scream 5 The promised bloody kills echo the first film’s deaths, with a modern twist.
Action movies take some unexpected and thrilling turns, often taking the action to an almost death-related moment, causing the audience to feel tense as they watch the fateful moment of the protagonist’s life or death. Of course, we know Maverick and Rust (Miles Teller) won’t die at the last moment. Defender: Maverickbut there is little hope. When they managed to escape, the audience erupted in cheers of relief. We know what happens when you say Candyman’s name five times, but we’re still scared of what will happen when the eponymous character returns in the sequel to Nina DeCosta’s Legacy.
Traditional sequels work best in these genres because of the established expectations that come with it. This is the baggage writers bring with them when they sit down to write any genre. But that expectation can also be a tempting challenge for writers who want to see if they can balance genre and nostalgia while telling new stories in an established world. If a writer needs help identifying these genre beats, ScreenCraft specializes in providing genre notes to help you create a great story that sticks to the trope.
Read more: Why specific genre notes are better
“Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” (2024)
Not looking back with nostalgic awe
Some of the best Legacy sequels still tell original stories while benefiting from elegant nostalgia. A traditional sequel needs to know what made the original film popular and respect the past while charting its own path forward.
When traditional sequels focus too much on their legacy, they quickly bog down the story with moments of fan service that distract from the plot and often make new characters seem inconsequential compared to the dominant presence of beloved characters. There’s also a tricky nostalgia-baiting trap that might feel too unoriginal for viewers who want to explore the world of the film more.
If writers bring original characters back for sequels, consider how time has changed them. exist Defender: Maverick and Axel Fboth protagonists are visibly older and nearing the end of their careers. In a culture dominated by young talent, the reckless living that made them icons would have been impossible for these men, who were confronting their age and status. However, that doesn’t mean they aren’t still the best at what they do.
A traditional sequel that departs from the original cast would be freer to break away from the characters that made the movie so beloved and find the pieces of the story that made it such a hit. jurassic world and Blade Runner 2049 Honoring the original film by recreating its tone and themes while boldly telling new stories within a familiar world. The reason why you want to tell this story is the screenwriter’s business. Just don’t forget what happened before and how it connects and shapes this new story.
“Warriors: Maverick” (2022)
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Sequels will always have a place in Hollywood, but traditional sequels have become a white whale worth a screenwriter’s time. Gladiator II It didn’t happen overnight; it took Scarpa a while to craft a story worth telling. Similarly, Defender: Maverick It took Cruise nearly 30 years before he was satisfied with the script. The lesson for the writers is that creating a good Legacy sequel takes time and many, many drafts to complete.
To help you continue your legacy journey, remember that the best sequels expand the world of a film while retaining the themes, tone, and genre that made the first film such a hit. That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to bring back characters from the original movie. Instead, focus on the parts of their journey that stand out and transfer those elements to a new character worthy of helming the series.
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