With the release of Mad Max: Fury Road, film buffs might be excused for experiencing a sense of déjà vu. The action movie set in the postapocalyptic future is the fourth instalment of a movie series that began in 1979 and launched Mel Gibson’s global acting career.
That feeling of familiarity this year is not restricted to the Mad Max story. Moviegoers have already been seen Furious 7, the latest edition of The Fast and the Furious series, and as the year progresses they will have the chance to see sequels to no fewer than 25 movies including Jurassic Park, Terminator, Mission: Impossible, Avengers, James Bond and – of course – the seventh Star Wars film.
What does this mean? Do audiences really prefer the familiar over taking the chance on something new? Are there no more stories left untold? One suspects the truth is more boring: the business plan for a sequel is easier to sell so they are more likely to get funding.
