10 Reasons Why 2016's Blockbusters Are Failing

But it’s not just disappointment with a lack of creativity. For four decades, Hollywood executives have mined the concept of the sequel to create the ubiquitous movie franchise. In recent years they’ve spun that out into the prequel and the reboot, flogging that dead horse until it’s a bloody puddle on the ground.

This year’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sequel made half of what the first film did, and reviews were no worse than they were in 2014. The same held for The Huntsman: Winter’s War, bizarre and unwanted sequel to 2012’s Snow White And The Huntsman.

Kung Fu Panda 3 tailed off sharply compared to the first two movies. Star Trek: Beyond (either the third film following a soft franchise reboot or the thirteenth Star Trek film, depending on how you look at it) made a lot less in the all-important American market than expected.

We’re so used to a hit movie being followed by the law of diminishing returns that we’re beginning to lose interest in sequels before they get bad. That’s a whole new level of cynicism on the part of the paying public.

It’s a pervasive trend in cinema, and people can tell when a franchise is becoming a cynical cash grab. They don’t feel sorry for the poor dying horse anymore. They just want to see it put out of its misery so they can move on.