By far, the most watched movie of 2025 is not Disney’s live-action role, a reimagining of classic Snow White, nor is it Marvel’s star-studded crossover Thunder* or a recent sequel A simple busyCaptain America, and even Bridget Jones’s diary.
No, it’s the mysterious vampire horror/music/social allegorical sinner continues to dominate the conversation.
Since its release last month, the film has become one of the biggest box office success stories of the year, winning the critics’ victory, but it’s the audience that matters.
Thank you very much for your reputationSinners have made $247 million (about £186 million), a figure that not only surpassed the expectations of trade publishers, but also continues to climb as more of us discover the film, with an enviable audience score of 97%. Rotten tomatoes and 4.2 stars Letterboxd.
Similarly, if you used it on social media last week, you might be faced with a meme about Cendave, a Catholic melodrama that went to the cinema late last year, but for obvious reasons, now back to the times.
Beyond that, the substance and the likes of Anora were released last year, both of which were on their own release and won movie fans in the recent awards season and led to movie fans’ firm support for Demi Moore and ultimate Oscar winner Mikey Madison.
The success of Sinners, cendave, material and Anora shows that at present, there is still a great interest in Hollywood’s original storytelling, potentially waving a lot (they are all in their own unique ways), and that there are dangerous filmmaking that can be cut with the photographer.
So it’s frustrating that the studio’s tendency to tilt sequels and movies based on existing IPs seems to be just deepening.
Only in the last week, it was announced that the sequel to Cult Classic Magic and 10 things I hate were over 25 years after the original release of both films.
From a business perspective, yes, it’s easy to understand why such movies are green. The practical magic follow-up will see the return of Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, reunited nearly three decades later, which will surely cause a lot of appeal (it is worth pointing out that it is also the basis for another novel in the series that inspired the first film).
Meanwhile, 10 things I hate are still one of the most popular romantic comedies made in the genre, filmmaker Gil Junger said he hopes the film will honor the original master Heath Ledger, who died in 2008 and nine years after its release.
Warner Bros./Kobar/shutterstock
But when I think of my own comfortable watches – those without already There are middle and unsatisfied sequels – I have a hard time thinking about a lot (if there is!) I’m really happy to hear it gets the “part 2”.
True, the novelty of getting the old gang back together is often an appealing one, but that same sense of nostalgia can still be achieved through reunion specials (like HBO’s for Friends and Harry Potter in the last few years), without making fans sit through lukewarm retreads where it’s obvious that most people are only in it for the pay-cheque and/or exposure.
And, even if when the magic I hate and the 10 things I hate are on the seat, curiosity does put the seat on the seat, won’t these classic fans see these actors reunited with other creators to create something new and fresh, not to create the old ground?
I should add that all this is not to say I’m totally anti-remake. There is definitely a sequel and a place for revival when there is a story worth telling, which is why I think the boys of the recent Bridget Jones movie Mad are more effective than their predecessors (2016’s Bridget Jones’ kids).
Top Gun: Maverick cuts a lot, too – being the highest box office for Tom Cruise’s decades career, even earning a best-picture nomination at the 2023 Academy Awards – because it’s the same as introducing new characters and stories, rather than just introducing the same ground and hitting the same beat 40 years ago.
Apparently, the sequel trend isn’t gone, and the next few months offer us a new mission: 28 days later, the John Wick Universes, plus a reboot of Fantastic Fours, and a Disney reality remake from Lilo & Stitch.
I just hope the course of the success of Sinners is a whole studio aware of, and still has a bold storytelling and innovative filmmaking (candal-fair–can-make money) interest. Otherwise, we can expect Sinners 2 to be released in 2027…
