There’s no question that franchise films such as Harry Potter and The Hunger Games have become box office hits, but are these the way forward?
It has become one of Britain’s best loved films with people camping days just for the premieres. J.K.Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books, was rejected 12 times by publishers yet it has become the highest ever grossing franchise film with 8 titles under its name and a huge legion of fans frantically following it. Marvel the Avengers was the highest grossing film in 2012 and is also apart of a series of films, but what is it that makes them so appealing to watch?
As a fan of many franchise films I have my own views on why they are so successful. My first ‘theory’ is the idea that having several films allows the audience to connect with the characters and feel as though they actually know them. The audience can understand each individual characters background, story and learn what makes them tick. These films also tend to like leaving us all on a cliff-hanger, desperately wanting to find out what happens next. Take Harry Potter as an example. At the end of each film we are left wondering, will he ever defeat Lord Voldemort? This is only revealed in the last film. Continuing to use Harry Potter as my example, I notice that many of its fans have probably grown up with it. The first Harry Potter (the philosopher’s stone) was released in 2001 making it 12 years old. Those that watched it from the start probably followed it until the end. I certainly did.
Many franchise films also began their journey as a book. As a keen book reader and English student, I tend to get overly attached to certain characters and want to stay with them until the end of their quest. Is this another reason as to why they are so popular? I needed to see how much the books changed to become a successful film and to also see if my best bits from the book were in there. I’m sure that I’m not the only one that craves this information.
The film industry is becoming increasingly powerful and popular as are franchise films. The question is, do you embrace them or reject them?