Franchising is not inherently a bad thing. Take, for example, the world of Walt Disney, whose classic stories are adapted and rereleased for each generation. The original Sleeping Beauty was a 1959 animation, updated in 2014 with a live-action remake told from Maleficent’s perspective. Remaking the film serves to keep the tale relevant, by ensuring it is up-to-date with technological and cultural changes.
However, Maleficent then had a 2019 sequel, which is on top of a 1987 musical version of the story, a 2016 horror interpretation, a series from the 1980s, another series from the 2010s, and an ongoing reimagining of the tale set in Mexico. At some point, the Sleeping Beauty market becomes oversaturated, and audiences start wanting something fresh.
It is easy for a franchise to turn into a transparent cash-grab, where the quality of the film is compromised for reliable profit. Film companies stop searching for originality and creativity, instead falling on the safety net of ‘tried-and-tested.’ There is a reason the Fast & Furious franchise has expanded to 12 films, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe spans a whopping 35 films.
In the face of overdone retellings, prequels, and sequels, an original film stands as a beacon of hope that art is still valued in an overwhelmingly capitalist industry. The recent release of Project Hail Mary proves this.
Project Hail Mary was immediately successful in theatres, delivering the biggest domestic debut this year with $80,500,000 at the U.S. box office in its opening weekend. Since, the film has remained popular in cinemas: its estimated global gross at the beginning of April was over $420 million.
Based on the novel by Andy Weir, the science-fiction film has a strong narrative rooted in the nitty-gritty reality of space travel (equations and all). Despite its technical core, the story really focuses on the development of a friendship between a human and non-human entity. It is this genuine, emotional, humorous relationship that attracts audiences otherwise hesitant to the genre.
Ryan Gosling brings a realness and charisma to the story that carry the audience seamlessly through the film, with such engrossing charm that it is easy to forget he is the only person on screen for the majority of the runtime. The creature, Rocky, is somehow just as personable. Rocky is a masterclass in puppetry, demonstrating that just because filmmakers can use CGI, doesn’t mean they should.
Similarly, many of the space effects were achieved through old-fashioned camera and lighting trickery rather than digital assistance. So, for many filmgoers, Project Hail Mary represents not just a new and refreshing narrative, but also a love for the human creative process that goes into filmmaking.
In a world of franchises, standalone films are a breath of fresh air. The twists and turns of the story are entirely unexpected, and the introduction to new characters – when they are as well-crafted as Gosling’s scientist – is always a delight. It is no surprise that Project Hail Mary, as an original film, has appealed to so many people.
Photo by Guillermo Ferla on Unsplash