17-Jan-05
Movie Sequels
Love them or loathe them 2005 is set to be another bumper year for movie sequels
A new report from media researchers, Screen Digest, analyses the market for movie sequels between 1980 and 2004.
If you thought you'd had enough of movie sequels and series then think again, because 2005 will be another year dominated by sequels. Three of this year's most anticipated films include: Star Wars Episode 3 - Revenge of the Sith, Batman Begins (5th in the Batman series) and the fourth Harry Potter film - The Goblet of Fire.
It should come as no surprise to moviegoers that sequels are now more popular than ever and this decade has been the most successful ever seen for movie sequels. Sequels are designed to build on the recognition of a previous film or films and this is best done quickly whilst the first film is still fresh in the mind.
2002 was a record year for sequels - with 15 being released. 2003 and 2004 have each seen 14 sequels or series being released.
Between 1980 and 2004 the average time gap between sequels was 3 years. During the 80s and 90s, the general rule for a sequel was: Don't wait too long otherwise the recognition will have dissipated. In general the lag was a year or a maximum of two.
The situation has changed more recently - with the last two Matrix films coming out in the same year. The Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings franchises had a regular release pattern – building up consumer interest over time. Conversely though, a sequel can take twelve years to arrive - witness Terminator 3, or 8 years in the case of Bad Boys 2. The fourth instalment in the Star Wars series followed 16 years after the third.
Of the top five performing films at the UK box office in 2004, only one (The Incredibles) was not part of a series:
1. Shrek 2 - £48m
2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - £46m
3. Bridget Jones - The Edge of Reason - £36m
4. The Incredibles - £29.7
5. Spiderman 2 - £26.1m
Source: Nielsen EDi
David Hancock, Senior Analyst at Screen Digest and the author of the report states: "Movie sequels have been a key driver of recent sustained box office growth, with some of the highest grossing titles being part of a franchise. Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Spiderman and Shrek are all examples of how creatively strong a sequel can be, proving that it is no longer a cynical option but a clever marketing strategy to build on a good idea (and an audience base) rather than exploit it. While the numbers made may come down as popular franchises come to an end, it looks as though the sequel is here to stay."
Other key findings from the report:
In terms of US box office numbers, the highest grossing series of films ever is Star Wars, the five movies earning $1.4bn. The Lord of the Rings trilogy follows this with earnings of $1bn.
The best performing sequels by genre have been Sci-fi films. In the case of Star Trek, the series extends to 10 films.
The highest number of movies in a series between 1980 and 2004 is the Friday the 13th series, with 11 titles.
The most successful performing series in terms of average box office is Spider-Man, whose two titles have earned an average of $376m each.
Editor's Notes
The data, forecasts and analysis contained in this press release are taken from the new Screen Digest report: "Movie Sequels." The report is a unique and original analysis of the increasingly popular area of movie sequels at the US box office between 1980 and 2004.
