As theaters continue releasing sequels, reboots, and live action remakes, more people are speaking up online about wanting movies that feel more fresh, surprising, and actually new. 74% of people around the ages of 14-40 prefer to watch original content instead of franchises or remakes, as shown from a streaming insights survey conducted by Tubi, a free-streaming platform. Over the past couple  of years, many of the major Hollywood films have been released as sequels, reboots, or adaptations such as live action remakes. This significantly exceeded original movie concepts, which is driven by studios relying on movies that fans have previously enjoyed without risking any new ideas. Some reports suggest that all top-grossing films, such as ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ and ‘Avengers: Endgame’, fall into the category of nostalgic categories, showing Hollywood’s reliance on familiar stories and characters, which is used to attract audiences.

But even though audiences make it clear that they love nostalgic films, it’s also obvious that people want more variety than what Hollywood keeps offering. 96 % of streaming audiences claim they want nostalgic comfort shows such as “The Office,” “Gilmore Girls,” or “Friends,” but that doesn’t mean they only want remakes of the same stories repeated over and over again. Out of all movie viewers, younger viewers are pushing for change the most, since 71% of young kids also want content produced by independent and small-time creators, and not major film studios like Warner Bros., Walt Disney Studios, or Sony pictures. The younger viewers state that they want to feel like they’re actually supporting the people behind the projects, proving that they prefer authenticity. A similar percentage of viewers say they value diversity and representation among the creators on streaming platforms, and 89% of them say they would like  a wider selection that includes genres from true-crime to classic films.

This shows that while people are still wanting to enjoy similar content to what has been produced in the past. There’s an increasing demand for original and creative ideas that don’t rely on nostalgia and previous viewers’ opinions on past films to be successful. Hollywood has mostly relied on familiar stories instead of taking risks with new ideas, as seen through data. Audience data shows that many viewers are interested in movies and shows that offer fresh concepts, diverse creators, and a wider variety of content, rather than just remakes or sequels