[righttackle44]

Where, pray tell, do you think most screenplays come from? They come from book and short story line rewrites and adaptions. Hollywood is and has been run by corrupt and diseased scum since it's inception. There are few among all of them with enough character and integrity to chance something new. Therefore, the powers there virtually always want to try something that already has a success. My screenwriting professor said that he's in meetings all the time when a television episode will be discussed in terms of a predecessor. "Okay, so we're playing "Starwars" in "Mike and Molly?" Or, in the case of movies, he says the discussion will be, "Lessee. So this is "High Noon" meets "Close Encounters of the Third Kind?"

Casting decisions are often made, for women, in terms of the casting couch, or whether this girl or women is more F**kable than that one.

As I said, most of the people in the industry are diseased scum.

[Mr. Bird]

The fact that most movies may originate from books and/or short stories does not negate my point.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

There are few among all of them with enough character and integrity to chance something new. Therefore, the powers there virtually always want to try something that already has a success.

An average movie these days costs $100 million to produce and market. Now, if you have $100 million to invest, would you rather invest it in an unknown property that has a 50% chance (if that) of turning a profit, or a known property with an 80% chance?

My screenwriting professor said...

Ah, that explains it. Hollywood fail to see your genius?

...he's in meetings all the time when a television episode will be discussed in terms of a predecessor.

And over a hundred years ago Georges Polti wrote a book saying that there are only 36 plots. Yeah, development execs use a shorthand and a familiarity with what works and doesn't work.