IP Dependence is Not the Problem. It's the Answer
IP Dependence is Not the Problem. It's the Answer
The data is clear that people love pre-sold ideas more than originals
The Entertainment Strategy Guy writes for The Ankler every two weeks. Subscribe to his standalone newsletter to unlock access to all of his weekly streaming ratings reports.
So far this year, I’ve been to my local theater to see Dune: Part Two, the latest Planet of the Apes and most recently, yes, Garfield. We plan on seeing both Inside Out 2 and Despicable Me 4 later this summer. At home, my family streamed Knuckles on Paramount+, and I’m looking forward to hosting a House of the Dragon season two watch party next month.
My biggest 2024 pop-culture accomplishment as a parent, though, was finally showing my daughter Return of the Jedi. To say I’ve seen this film a few times is an understatement, because I’ve probably seen the third film of the Star Wars series a few hundred times. (Not hyperbole.)
In other words, I unabashedly love films based on intellectual property.
That might not be a popular opinion among cinephiles, but I’m obviously not alone. Over the last few years, er, decades, you might have noticed Hollywood lean ever more heavily into producing sequels, spinoffs, franchises, reboots, remakes and other pre-existing IP.
There’s a really simple reason why:
Because they make a lot of money! On both TV and in theaters.
That’s what I want to explain today: Films and shows based on IP don’t just perform a little better than non-IP projects, they perform much better.
In a day and age when countless workers across Hollywood are struggling to find work or eke out a living, IP and franchises are the way to get people working again and make Hollywood profitable as well. IP isn’t the problem. It’s the solution for Hollywood.
In this article, you’ll learn:
The essential role IP and franchises have always played in entertainment
How franchises, IP, spinoffs and sequels grew the global box office
Just how much franchises dominate the U.S. box office
Why IP is not the problem depressing movie attendance right now
The important role IP plays in streaming as well
Why strong streamers like Netflix and Prime Video have the best IP
How laggards like Apple TV+ have no IP
Nine ideas for how to discover the next generation of IP
The one thing no one should forget while pursuing pre-sold ideas