The Hollywood cinema studios are heavily focusing on nostalgia. Why are we such a receptive audience for remakes?
From Baywatch to Malcolm, nostalgia is the prevailing trend in cinema studios and streaming platforms are capitalizing on it.
The return of Malcolm to Disney+ confirms a significant trend: faced with financial risks, platforms and channels are more than ever relying on nostalgia by recycling the hits of the 2000s to attract an audience seeking familiar references.
Raphaëlle PELTIER, New York – AFP
Heroes of a successful sitcom from the early 2000s, Malcolm and his dysfunctional family return on April 10th on Disney+. A proven strategy for channels and platforms, minimizing financial risks by banking on the public’s nostalgia.
From the Trojan War to Superman, from literature to cinema, “we have been using characters and universes for a long time,” reminds Robert Thompson, a professor in media and popular culture at Syracuse University. The phenomenon has taken on an unprecedented scale with the proliferation of streaming platforms, for which “returning to well-established franchises is a way to protect against potential risks,” he adds.
Indeed, millions of dollars have already been spent on marketing, promotion, and branding. Aside from Malcolm in the Middle (2000-2006), the hospital sitcom Scrubs (2001-2010) was revived by the American ABC network and Hulu earlier this year. Prime Video will dedicate a series this summer to the high school years of Elle Woods, the heroine of the movie Legally Blonde (2001).
While Hulu dropped its Buffy the Vampire Slayer sequel project (1997-2003), Fox is working on a new version of Baywatch (1989-2001). Simultaneously, series launched in the 2000s and still in production (Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS) remain among the most streamed content each year.
[Context: The article discusses the booming trend of nostalgia-driven remakes in Hollywood studios and streaming platforms, focusing on successful shows from the early 2000s making a comeback.]
[Fact Check: The return of popular series like Malcolm in the Middle attests to the industry’s reliance on nostalgia to resonate with audiences and reduce financial risks.]
