One of the most common things you’ll see, depending on the box office climate, is that there are too many films based on previous IP, sequels, or reboots, and not enough original films in the marketplace. Movie theaters are undoubtedly overrun by easy cash grabs because studios believe that the return on their investment will be much easier with a product that is familiar to audiences rather than an untested original idea.
That being said, critics of this trend are just as vocal, complaining that originality is lacking. What’s becoming harder to stomach about this argument is that original content is out there, but it’s not being supported enough to turn these films into substantial hits. 2025 has had some original gems for moviegoers to seek out, but they’re not making much of an impact, even though audiences claim they’re craving more original material.
Original Ideas Have Been Present and Accounted for at The Box Office
Back in January, audiences were greeted with the science fiction thriller Companion. This film came with considerable goodwill before reviews dropped because it was produced by Zach Cregger, who turned 2022’s Barbarian into a sleeper hit when it grossed $45.4 million worldwide on a $4.5 million budget. The marketing for Companion seemed intriguing enough to generate interest. Once the film landed at a stellar 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, it appeared that the Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher endeavor could break out as a surprise hit, similar to what was seen with Barbarian in 2022.
Unfortunately, Companion opened behind the film Dog Man with just $9.3 million, then it tumbled 67.7% at the box office in its second weekend. The film is successful relative to its slim $10 million budget ($20 million domestic, $36.7 million worldwide), but it’s a shame audiences didn’t come out to support this one more. Perhaps the subject matter of a weekend descending into chaos when a young woman learns she’s a companion robot was too niche for general audiences. However, Companion‘s 89% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes indicates that those who did see it enjoyed the film.
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When Companion opened in January, Deadline tried to speculate on why the film didn’t resonate with audiences more, despite its positive exit polling and strong “B+” CinemaScore from opening day moviegoers. The trade put some of the blame on Warner Bros., believing that even though some marketing was clever, not enough was spent on the campaign to reach a wider audience.
There was a lot of buzz for Companion, but the studio didn’t seem to capitalize on it with a marketing campaign as sharp and creative as what NEON pulled off for Longlegs and The Monkey. Perhaps the studio is to blame for this, but shouldn’t some responsibility fall on audiences for not seeking these movies out? The awareness was there, and the marketplace wasn’t flooded with content, so Companion should’ve been an even bigger hit.
‘Black Bag’ and ‘Novocaine’ Bombed at the Box Office
The weekend that Novocaine debuted, it opened at number one, but it did so with a minuscule gross of $8.8 million. The result was a weekend that registered as the lowest-grossing weekend of 2025, despite Novocaine being well-received (82% on Rotten Tomatoes, 85% Popcornmeter). Novocaine blends shades of a Jason Statham action film with the “meet-cute” sensibilities of a romantic comedy. It’s an original idea that seemed fresh enough to be embraced by moviegoers, but that wasn’t the case. By its second weekend, the movie tumbled 58.2% and crashed another 59.9% in weekend three. To date, the film has grossed a total of $34,208,050 at the box office against its $18 million budget. It wasn’t a total disaster, but the film likely needed to make somewhere around $45 million to be profitable.
Perhaps heightened action rom-coms aren’t your bag. The same weekend Novocaine opened, Steven Soderbergh gave audiences the spy thriller Black Bag, a film starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender that seemed right up the alley for older audiences seeking something more sophisticated at the box office. Black Bag was loved by critics, registering a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, but it debuted right behind Novocaine with $7.6 million.
Given its $50 million budget, Black Bag didn’t turn a profit at the box office, and it represents yet another missed opportunity for audiences to throw their weight behind original films. The argument behind Black Bag not performing strongly was blamed on this kind of fare being easily accessible on a streaming service from the comfort of one’s home. It was also speculated that Focus Features simply didn’t market the film enough and hoped strong word of mouth would carry it to profitability.
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While this is certainly an action comedy, it brings fresh ideas to the table that set it apart from other movies in the genre.
Another valid argument is that when audiences choose to go to the movies, they want to spend their hard-earned money on something they’re likely to love. This is easier when the subject matter is familiar to moviegoers because the risk of it being disappointing to respective audience members is a bit lower. Studios think this way when greenlighting established IP because the return on investment tends to be higher than banking on an original idea with no proven box-office muscle. Everyone is a bit more careful with their dollar nowadays, including going to the movies.
Given that some of these films are available at home soon after they debut to so-so numbers, it is just another incentive for moviegoers to wait it out. It’s up to the studio to make these original ideas feel like must-see events, similar to a sequel or reboot. It might be difficult, but it can be done (look no further than NEON’s brilliant marketing for Longlegs).
‘Sinners’ Proves Originality Can Lead to Box-Office Success
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners made waves when it was in development as a hot original idea that every studio was clamoring for. Warner Bros., which has seen its share of dismal returns with films like Mickey 17 and The Alto Knights, finally saw a massive hit with Sinners, as it broke several records and recorded one of the highest box office totals for an original film in the last few years. According to the New York Times, the film is on pace to reach $330 million in worldwide ticket sales against a $90 million budget. Clearly, Sinners found an audience, but, unfortunately, many other original films haven’t been able to do the same in the first half of 2025.
The marketplace hasn’t been all doom and gloom with original ideas tanking (look no further than the buddy comedy One of Them Days turning into a sleeper $51.3 million hit on a $14 million budget). The industry needs to see more films like this succeed, or studios will continue to think the only solution is to bank on established IP, reboots, and sequels. Rumors have swirled that Warner Bros.’ David Zaslav wants to focus more on well-known IP to turn their box-office fortunes around, and that would be a sad turn of events.
It becomes a double-edged sword at a certain point. A Minecraft Movie is the highest-grossing film of the year, which can be seen as both a positive and a negative. As movie fans, the industry needs wins like this, but with its success comes the notion that it’s time to double down on familiarity rather than originality. Just know this, there can’t be complaints about a lack of original content in the marketplace if it isn’t supported. If the numbers aren’t there, studios will believe these ideas should be pushed aside for a perceived guaranteed hit from something we’ve all seen before.