Franchise fatigue? Why box office fumbles won't cure Hollywood's addiction to sequels

If you're heading to the multiplex this summer, there's a heady whiff of djvu mixed in with the smell of popcorn.

In the moviebusiness, where originality seems to be an endangered species, sequels are a growth industry.But a litany of recent franchise fumbles suggests we've reached a new level:Peak Sequel.

In 2015, Hollywood released roughly 30 sequels.This year? We've got 39 and counting.While the number of sequels is rising, however, box office performance figures are suggesting audiences are growing weary of that familiar feeling.

In 2012,Snow White and the Huntsman earned $155 million (all figures in U.S. dollars) in North America. This year's sequel earned less than half that $47 million.

When Tim Burton introduced Alice in Wonderland in 2010, it pulled in $334 million domestically and more than $1billion worldwide. But this year'sAlice Through the Looking Glass eked out just $51 million in North America apainful shortfall for a film with anestimatedbudget of$170 million.

From the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to arepeattripdown the aisle forMy Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, audiences aren't returning instrong numbers.

Yet the upcoming film calendaris crammed with continuationsof everything fromIndependence Day toBridgetJones's Diary.

Part of the problem is Hollywood's tendencytowardsrush jobs, according to EmilyGagne, film writer andeditor of Cinefilles.ca.

"They're being turned out really fast or just aren't quality," she said of many sequels.

Also, unlike the arc carrying through the various Marvel Avengers movies, many of today's franchisesaren't followinga larger storyline.

"It depends on how it's being told and if [audiences]know there's a future to the series," Gagne explained.

With something like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, for instance, "if you don't know if there's going to be another one," you don't feel the need to watch each instalment.

A changing market

Taking what might have been standalonefilms, such asNow You See MeorNeighbors,andchanging them into franchises demonstrateshow the moviebusiness has changed.

Call it "the Harry Potter effect." Increasingly,studios are looking for film properties that will keep audiences coming back for more. In an eraofballooning budgets for blockbuster hopefuls, sequels typically have brand recognition with audiencesmaking iteasy for marketing and merchandising.

The other factor at play is theincreasing importance of the international audience, including Russia, Europe and China, in particular.

While North Americanticket sales have remained relatively flat forthe past few years,the movie bizin China is exploding, with its box office increasing 40 per cent from2009 to 2014.

Let's take another look atNow You See Me. In 2013, themagician heist film made $117 million at home, but abracadabra! it scored$234 million in foreign markets, including nearly $23 million in China alone.

When it came time for a followup, producersset a significant portion of the film in the Chinese peninsula ofMacauand includedsupporting roles for Taiwanesepop star and actorJay Chou and The Joy Luck Club'sTsai Chin.

Earlier this week, the CEO of Lionsgate(the studio behind the fledgling franchise) alsoannounced that work on Now You See Me 3has already begun.

So, while western audiences appear to be tiringof cinematic retreads,the growing importance of the international box office has Hollywood shifting its focus.

With new versions of Pirates of the Caribbean, King Kong and more slated for 2017, the trend shows no sign of fading.By the time audiences sit down to watch those films, China could be the biggest movie market in the world.

Plus, with Chinese cinema chainsconstructing a mind-boggling 15 new movie screens a day, the film forecast appears to indicate more of the same, with an increasing Eastern flavour.