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Why not all Hollywood stories need a sequel
There’s been a dramatic development in the past years: Leaving things on cliffhangers
In recent years, ending stories on cliffhangers has become a notable trend in movies and series as well.
After watching Brad Pitt starrer F1 and, in recent times, Squid Game, one question remains: Why are these movies and series being left with cliffhangers when they already have a potential ending.
With the rise of streaming platforms, many shows are designed to be binge-watched, with each episode ending in a way that keeps viewers hooked for more.
Series such as The White Lotus, and Big Little Lies, these series were supposed to be a limited one, however, due to popularity and immense fame, they were extended.
Since we have touched upon the topic popularity, getting recognition is good but dragging the series ain't. A similar situation happened with Netflix’s Umbrella Academy and Squid Game.
Both started off well but at one point these were being stretched due to its popularity. The Umbrella Academy, which concluded with 4 seasons, should have been ended with its third installation.
Likewise, Squid Game, it came with one of the greatest concepts; could have been concluded with the original season or maybe with season 2, however, ending it with so many loopholes with season 3 was indeed a baseless decision.
It a fact that leaving room for sequels or spin-offs allows studios to prolong successful stories and build a loyal fan base, but the makers need to undersatnd that in most cases, the sequels do not live up to the expectations of the audience.
We get it that cliffhangers in movies and series are generated to attract the new viewers, but the makers need to understand the formula should be applied to specific audience or genre and not in every case.
Moreover, new formats, way of storytelling and allowing for more dynamic and flexible narrative structures have also been changed in the recent times; allowing the filmmakers to explore more in movie franchise.
In the end, sequels which are loved by the audience can often fall short of expectations due to multiple reasons; which kills the reliance of nostalgia of the original parts.
