Do any original movies perform well at the box office?

Horror movies consistently do well because they have dedicated fans and lower production costs. Some mid budget films like The Drama and Marty Supreme also find success, though they tend to hit a certain financial ceiling.

How has streaming affected theatrical runs?

Audiences often skip the theater to save money on tickets and snacks. They prefer to wait a few weeks to watch new releases at home through their existing subscriptions.

Are movie stars still able to sell original films?

The idea of the movie star is mostly dead today. Audiences care more about established intellectual properties than they do about specific actors.

What is the current trend for original movies in the 2020s?

The decade shows a concerning lack of original hits. Only one original movie from this decade, the Chinese film Hi Mom, made it into the top 20 highest-grossing original movies of all time.

Why Original Films Struggle at the Box Office

Original movies face massive hurdles in theaters today. In 2024, every single one of the top 20 highest-grossing domestic films was a sequel, prequel, adaptation, or remake. Audiences prefer spending money on familiar properties rather than unknown entities.

Streaming services pose a major threat since people would rather wait a few weeks to watch a movie at home as part of a subscription they already pay for. The decline of a unified monoculture also makes marketing these new stories incredibly expensive and difficult. The traditional movie star can no longer guarantee ticket sales either.

Key factors

Streaming competition Viewers wait to watch films at home to save money.
Audience fragmentation Many entertainment options make marketing new concepts difficult.
End of the movie star Famous actors no longer guarantee box office success.
Desire for familiar properties Franchises and sequels dominate the highest grossing charts.

Why Original Films Struggle at the Box Office — infographic

Original films, especially non-horror titles, face significant challenges at the box office in 2026, often struggling to recoup their budgets due to fragmented audiences and increased competition from streaming services.

The Declining Success of Original Films

Lack of Box Office Dominance: In 2024, Users observed that every single one of the top 20 highest-grossing domestic films was a sequel, prequel, adaptation, or remake, highlighting a stark absence of original tentpole successes. "Every single one is a sequel, prequel, adaptation, or remake."

2020s Trend: The current decade shows a concerning trend, with only one original movie from this decade (Hi Mom, a Chinese film) making it into the top 20 highest-grossing original movies of all time. "The 10th movie of this list is Hi Mom which a is a chinese original movie,it is the only movie from this decade on this list."

Impact of COVID-19: The pandemic significantly impacted the theatrical performance of original films, with some, like Encanto, potentially missing out on higher box office numbers due to these conditions. "Encanto definitely would have been on this list if not for covid."

Factors Contributing to Struggle

Competition from Streaming: The rapid transition of movies from cinemas to streaming platforms severely undercuts theatrical runs, as audiences prefer waiting to watch at home as part of existing subscriptions. "Why would I spend my hard earned money on tickets, snacks, and travel when I know I can just wait a few weeks and watch it at home as part of a subscription I’m already paying for?"

Marketing Challenges: Marketing original films is increasingly difficult and expensive due to fragmented audiences and the decline of a unified "monoculture," making it hard to make new films widely known. "I think it's more that there are so many entertainment options nowadays (YouTube, Twitch, Netflix, TikTok, videogames, etc) that it's hard to convince people to spend money on an unknown entity they're not sure they will enjoy, which then goes to your point about sequels/remakes/reboots."

Erosion of "Movie Star" Power: The traditional pull of a movie star to guarantee box office success for an original film has diminished, with audiences now prioritizing established IPs over individual actors. "The idea of the "movie star”, sans a few exceptions, is mostly dead."

Exceptions and Dissenting Views

Horror Genre Success: Original horror films continue to be a notable exception, frequently breaking out at the box office due to their dedicated fanbase and lower production costs. "Horror has always been a genre that overperforms with originals."

Mid-Budget Original Successes: Some Users point to recent mid-budget, non-horror original films like The Drama and Marty Supreme as examples of continued success, albeit with a certain ceiling. "There’s still quite a few well performing original films, I think there’s just a certain ceiling that they have."

Defining "Original": There's a debate on what truly constitutes an "original" film, with some arguing that movies based on books or lesser-known online lore, like Project Hail Mary or Backrooms, should not be considered fully original. "But people sometimes use "original" to describe movies that are not part of a franchise or a well-known IP, even if they are based on a book."

Are studios likely to continue investing in original films across various genres given these challenges?