Nine of the 10 highest-grossing domestic 2025 films were some form of intellectual property: live-action remakes, sequels or game adaptations, with Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” being the one exception. All 10 of the highest-grossing domestic films in 2024 were IP, eight of the 10 in 2023, and 10 of the 10 in 2022.

The last time a non-franchise film was the highest-grossing movie of the year was 2009 with James Cameron’s “Avatar,” which, of course, created an entire franchise. It’s challenging for original, non-IP entertainment to achieve massive financial success anymore; the majority of popular media consists of some form of sequel or remake. Mediocre cash-grab projects often take precedence over bold and original ideas, which has created a few significant problems in the entertainment industry.

The industry of film and television itself has become more of a business than an art form. When artistic, fresh media is overshadowed by corporate-made fan service, it’s hard for artists to get their product made anymore. This significantly impacts the quality of the media; the majority of the top box-office earners are objectively poor films, while far smarter and bolder films receive limited releases to empty theaters and are available on Netflix within 18 days.

Netflix, in general, has been a massive contributor to this epidemic of shallow media. For example, the first season of their smash hit “Stranger Things” was a huge success, receiving massive praise for both its nostalgic aesthetic and its originality. The finale of the show premiered on Dec. 31, 2025, and was considered lackluster, even by many diehard fans. The quality of the writing and production went steadily downhill with each of its five seasons, until it eventually concluded in this disappointing culmination, despite, or perhaps because of, its increased budget.

Like “Stranger Things,” the aforementioned first “Avatar” film was beloved, both financially and (relatively) critically. Although “Avatar: The Way of Water,” its over-a-decade-long follow-up, is generally considered a worthy successor, the third and most recent film “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” is a stale retreading of the first two installments. In short, after being forced to overinflate by corporate overlords, it’s tough for once-promising projects to resist turning into business-first blockbuster events.

Junior Axel Pearson believes that large-scale franchises have led to a decline in product quality.

“Some negatives of mass franchising include the need to please a wider audience that ends up pleasing no one,” he said. He also thinks that movies should be more fan-oriented. “Keep films focused on what fans want,” he said.

Sophomore Francis Hanna shares Pearson’s negative view of franchising, believing it leads to a lack of originality.

“Poor management of a single movie can leave a sour taste in people’s mouths when watching others,” he said. Hanna also found that the lack of original stories in movies is because it becomes more difficult to grow franchises. However, he thinks that franchising in entertainment has some positives.

“They keep going until they become super oversaturated and boring,” he said.

While addressing the positives, he recognized the large fanbases that franchising creates: “Mass franchising brings a lot of hype when it releases new installments, which creates a sense of community among fans in the franchise.”

Mass franchising in entertainment can have a few positives: bigger audiences, more recognition and opportunities for their creators, but there are an overwhelming number of negatives, like a decrease in quality and a lack of artistic integrity.

As it becomes harder for original projects to be successful and large franchises rake in billions of dollars, it’s important to value the quality of the entertainment one consumes, not just the recognition it receives.