Here's the rub for me. I agree that original stuff doesn't sell as well as the built of franchises. It's because with each new installment of a franchise, for all of us that are losing interest in it, there is a new generation falling in love with it. Star Wars is a perfect example. You ask an average older fan and they'll say something along the lines of 'The Prequels suck!' But ask a younger fan and they wouldn't be a part of the fandom without the Prequels or Clone Wars or whatever. So for every one of us that is taking a stand against the nonsense, there are so many more joining the fray because of the new stuff.
We see it in video games to with Call of Duty and other franchises. It's safer to produce and guaranteed to make some money as long as there are little changes here and there. And in this environment, directors and writers are going to find it hard to sell their original ideas. So what do they do? They sign on for some of these big budget franchises and inject their ideas and their vision, make something new of it... and we complain. Why, because that's not the movie I grew up with! These aren't my characters! This isn't my universe! And the cycle continues.
We see it in video games to with Call of Duty and other franchises. It's safer to produce and guaranteed to make some money as long as there are little changes here and there. And in this environment, directors and writers are going to find it hard to sell their original ideas. So what do they do? They sign on for some of these big budget franchises and inject their ideas and their vision, make something new of it... and we complain. Why, because that's not the movie I grew up with! These aren't my characters! This isn't my universe! And the cycle continues.