How 2024 Will Determine The Future Of Sci-Fi
2023 was not a good year at the box office for sci-fi movies, between superhero fatigue hitting the public and original stories, like The Creator, failing to find an audience. To make it worse, there will still be no Star Wars or Star Trek coming this year. Will original films and smaller franchises be able to fill in, or are we doomed to a future of the same franchises?
Dune: Part 2 Is The Biggest Sci-Fi Release Of The Year
Delayed due to the SAG-AFTRA strike from its original release date of October 20, 2023, to March 1, 2024, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part 2 is the biggest sci-fi movie on the calendar. Despite being released on Max when it debuted in theaters, the first film was a surprise hit, considering how dense the Frank Herbert novel is. If the general public shows up, this could be the start of the next big sci-fi franchise,
Damaged Franchises Trying To Roar Back To Life
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes are all following up on well-received prior films in franchises that, at one point, were thought to be dead. If, and going by the 2023 box office for larger franchises, including Fast and Furious and Transformers, that’s a big if, any one of these three can stick the landing, it will do wonders for the future of franchise variety. In a year with both blockbuster sci-fi franchises sitting out, it’s the perfect time for any of these three to step up.
A Make Or Break Year For Marvel
When you think of sci-fi movies, you might not think of superheroes, but they count, and sadly, that means this year could see the death of the franchise that has defined the genre for almost 20 years. If Deadpool 3, the only Marvel movie of 2024, isn’t a massive hit, and we’re talking about $1 billion in total box office revenue, the MCU will be forever altered. We’ve argued that Thunderbolts, which was kicked out of 2024, serves no purpose moving forward, but at this point, Disney might start to soon cut down on projects.
Are Video Games The Next Big Thing?
On August 9, Borderlands is coming to theaters, and unlike The Super Mario Bros. Movie, it’s a live-action sci-fi action-adventure movie for adults (or, if the games are anything to go by, edgy teens). If you don’t think every single studio is going to be watching the audience reception to this movie, think again. Directed by Eli Roth and with an all-star cast including Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis, Arianna Greenblatt, and Gina Gershon, the success or failure of this film will influence how studios move forward with other gaming franchises.
Alien: Romulus Has To Be A Success
Fan reception to every Alien movie since Alien 3 has been mixed, at best, and an entire generation now thinks of the classic sci-fi movie franchise as a disappointing video game franchise. With a tv series in the works, it’s clear that 20th Century Studios is trying to salvage Alien, and Alien: Romulus, featuring Madame Web star Isabela Merced, looks like a return to form, but fans are going to be a little gun shy. Again, add another franchise to the pile this year that needs a hit to keep them relevant.
A Lack Of Original Sci-Fi, Again
Every movie mentioned so far is part of a franchise, so what happened to the original sci-fi movies? The most promising of them, Mickey 17, directed by Boong Joon-Ho, the man behind Parasite, and starring Robert Pattinson, has been delayed. Originally supposed to be released in March, the film is now off the release calendar, taking the hopes of original sci-fi with it.
If 2024 is as bad for studios as 2023 was, then that might, ironically, drive studios to take a risk on something original in the future. Sci-fi movie franchises struggling to survive will, if they don’t turn a profit, be put out to pasture, joining the likes of Jupiter Ascending, Men In Black, and Bloodshot. This is going to be a pivotal year for the genre, and all we can say for sure is that we’re going to be spending a lot of time at the movies.
