Let sleeping dogs lie; a phrase we’ve all heard before. It essentially means to let something resolved stay resolved. There’s no need for more.
The same thing can be applied to big brands. Recently, corporations have had an obsession with rehashing old franchises for no reason at all. An example of this would be “Star Wars”. The esteemed title has had a resurgence in the last year, but the majority of fans think the writing is lazy and tedious.
Self-proclaimed Critic and YouTuber Drew Gooden shared his opinion in a video. “They found a formula that worked,” he said “Now in every new Star Wars show they have to have a younger version of one of the characters.”
However, this doesn’t just apply to the Star Wars franchise. It seems like every brand likes to bring back their hit money-makers in one way or another.
Another good example of this would be Scooby Doo’s “Velma” show; which got a terrible audience score overall. While this show does technically introduce new concepts and characters it fails to understand their fanbase.
The franchise built itself up on a repetitive formula – a children’s show that has an episode-by-episode antagonist where they find the bad guy at the end.
Taking a franchise like this and turning it into a raunchy comedy just doesn’t seem like a good idea from both a business and writing standpoint.
But then why do companies keep rehashing old breadwinners with lazy writing?
Well, to keep it simple Reviving old names draws attention to the once-beloved franchise once again. Whether that be through fan or hate-watching.
However, the only way to have consistent viewers is to put love and care into the work; try and make something the fans will fall in love with. With new concepts or elaboration on old ones, it bring a sense of familiarity as well as curiosity. Expanding on the past of the world you’re writing about as well as the future.
This can be applied to Sonys’ “Into the Spider-verse” trilogy. It takes a well-known and beloved franchise such as Spiderman and brings new characters and concepts to the table. It even pokes fun at the repetitive formula Spiderman stories take in the process.
Along with Spider-Verse, Scooby-Doo also had a successful revival too at some point. The show “Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated” saw great success and an average audience rating of 98% percent. Like Spider-Verse it also poked fun at the repetitive formula and brought a new story to the table.
Yes, it still revolved around solving mysteries but there was an overarching story to it.
With reboots like “The Boondocks”, “Wonka”, and a “Harry Potter” TV show fans all over are on the edge of their seats praying that the reboots are any good. Though for the latter many people’s hopes aren’t exactly high.
When will franchises ever let sleeping dogs rest?
