Has Hollywood run out of ideas?

Has Hollywood run out of ideas?

Author: The Times August 30, 2022 Duration: 29:48

The traditional summer blockbuster season is drawing to a close but in a world of prequels, sequels and remakes, independent films are finding it increasingly hard to break through. So why are we deluged by all these spin-offs?

Guest: Kevin Maher, chief film critic, The Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producer: Olivia Case

Clips:

Thor: Love and Thunder. © 2022 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Director: Taika Waititi.

Suicide Squad. © 2016 Warner Brothers Pictures. Director: David Ayer.

Minions: The Rise of Gru. © 2022 Universal Pictures. Director: Kyle Balda

Nope. © 2022 Universal Pictures. Director: Jordan Peele

Spider-Man: Far From Home. © 2019 Sony Pictures. Director: Jon Watts.

Nomadland. © 2021 Searchlight Pictures, Walt Disney Company Nordic. © Director: Chloe Zhao.

Kramer vs. Kramer. © 1979 Columbia Pictures. Director: Robert Benton.

Hit the Road. © 2021 Director: Panah Panahi.

The Matrix. © 1999 Warner Bros. Pictures, Roadshow Entertainment Directors: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski.

Thirteen Lives. © 2022 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; Bron Creative; Imagine Entertainment; Magnolia Mae; Storyteller Productions. Director: Ron Howard.

The Matrix Resurrections. © 2021 Warner Bros. pictures. Director: Lana Wachowski.

Black Widow. © 2021 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Director: Cate Shortland.

Elvis. © 2022 Warner Bros. Pictures; Bazmark Films; The Jackal Group. Director: Baz Lurhman.

The Godfather. © 1972 Paramount Pictures, Alfran Productions. Director: Francis Ford Coppola.

Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. © 1980 20th Century Studios, 20th Century Studios Home Entertainment Director: Irvin Kershner.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife. © 2021 Columbia Pictures; Bron Creative; Ghost Corps; The Montecito Picture Company; Right of Way Films. Director: Jason Reitman.

Iron Man. © 2008 Paramount Pictures, MORE. Director: Jon Favreau.

Everything Everywhere All At Once. © 2022 Directors: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert

Bullet train. © 2022 Sony Pictures, Sony Pictures Releasing. Director: David Leitch

Bande à part. © 1964 Columbia Pictures. Director: Jean Luc-Godard.

Captain Marvel. © 2009 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Directors: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck

Doctor Strange main theme. © 2019 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Composer: Michael Giacchino

Top Gun theme - Danger Zone. 1986 ©Paramount Pictures. Composer: Giorgio Moroder. Lyricist Tom Whitlock.

The Matrix Awakens - Main Theme. © 2021 Warner Bros Pictures. Composer: Don Davis

Jaws theme tune. © 1975 Universal Pictures. Composer: John Williams.

Ghostbusters theme tune. © 1984 Columbia Pictures, Fórum Home Entertainment Hungary. Composer: Ray Parker Jr.

Jurassic Park theme tune. © 1993 Universal Pictures, FilmFlex. Composer: John Williams

League of DC Super Pets theme tune (Superman theme tune). © 2022 Warner Bros. Pictures © Composer: John Williams

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace theme tune. © 1999 20th Century Studios, 20th Century Studios Home Entertainment. Composer: John Williams

Iron Man theme tune. © 2008 Paramount Pictures, MORE. Composer: Ramin Djawadi

Sweet Child of Mine, Thor: Love and Thunder film trailer version. © 2022 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Composers: Steven Adler Saul Hudson, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan, Axl Rose.

Marvel opening theme. © 2016 Marvel Entertainment. Composer: Michael Giacchino.

Godfather theme tune. © 1972 Paramount Pictures, Alfran Productions. Composer: Nino Rota.

Reviews: Mojo.com; Clipped Coin; Looper; Karsten Runquist.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Each morning, The Story arrives with a clear purpose: to move beyond the headlines and explore the forces and people shaping our world. Guided by the experienced reporting of Manveen Rana and Luke Jones, this daily podcast from The Times delves into the most significant political developments and news events with a level of depth and context that only their global network of journalists can provide. You’ll hear more than just summaries; you’ll get a nuanced understanding of why a story matters, who it impacts, and what might happen next. The analysis is sharp and the storytelling is compelling, designed to fit into your morning routine seven days a week. It’s a direct line to the frontline reporting and editorial expertise of one of the world’s most respected news organizations. This consistent, in-depth approach makes the podcast a reliable resource for anyone looking to truly comprehend the day’s events. Supported by readers of The Times and The Sunday Times, the production maintains a commitment to journalistic integrity and thorough exploration, ensuring every episode provides substance and clarity.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 108

The Story
Podcast Episodes
Young, French, and voting hard-right [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:39
French president Emmanuel Macron has called a snap election after his party was soundly defeated by the hard-right opposition in Sunday’s EU elections. The National Rally has been boosted by young voters, personified by…
Why are more young people getting cancer? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:35
It's one of the world's biggest killers but cancer is usually more associated with people in the later stages of life. While that's still largely the case, increasing numbers of younger people seem to be getting the dise…
Tracing the origin story of Taylor Swift [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:21
From Pennsylvania to New Jersey to Tennessee, The Times’ Megan Agnew spent three weeks on the Taylor Swift trail, discovering the origins of the supersonic star. How does someone go from teenage guitarist to pop phenomen…
France’s #MeToo moment [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:04
When the #MeToo movement first emerged in America in 2017, women in France spoke out about their own experiences, but it’s taken until this year to feel things might be changing. Is France’s glittering cinema industry, a…
What the polls teach us about modern Britain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:19
Is Labour as safe as it seems? Why do some of our votes matter ‘more’ than others? And what do polls tell us about who we really are? We take a deep dive into it all from the man behind the concept of the ‘red wall' - in…
Nigel Farage is standing. Are the Tories in deep trouble? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:41
Nigel Farage has promised to lead a “political revolt” as he announced his return to frontline politics as the new leader of Reform UK - and as a candidate in the Essex seat of Clacton. The Conservatives are already well…
Trump is guilty. Will anything change? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:23
He's the first ever former president in American history to be a convicted felon. Found guilty on 34 separate counts, Donald Trump could now face jail. So what does the verdict mean for him personally, for the presidenti…
Sir Keir Starmer, the man who could be Prime Minister [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:21
A week into the election campaign, Labour is leading the polls by around twenty points. If Labour do win on 4th July, Keir Starmer will be moving to No 10. So, what do we know about the party leader? And, after a week of…