Member-only story
What Do the Top 5 Highest Grossing Movies of 2024 ALL Have in Common?
You will likely be able to answer the question by looking at the list for 2 seconds, so…
Let’s take a moment to salute this year’s champions of creative recycling (AKA the highest grossing films of 2024):
- Inside Out 2
- Deadpool and Wolverine
- Despicable Me 4
- Moana 2
- Dune: Part 2
Notice a pattern? Of course, you do. These films didn’t just dominate the box office; they cemented the industry’s belief that audiences prefer nostalgia’s cozy embrace over the uncertain thrill of a new idea.
That’s right: The top five highest-grossing movies of the year are all sequels, franchise extensions, or as the industry likes to spin it:
“Beloved IP continuations.”
The cinematic landscape is beginning to feel like a Greatest Hits album on repeat.
Has Originality Left the Building?
Looking at the list, you might wonder: have we collectively decided that fresh ideas are overrated? It’s not just movies, either.
Television is a parade of reboots.