AEinhorn wrote:
It's far from unique to Hollywood - it's generally pervasive across entertainment. And the reason is that it's a business.
It is almost always a safer bet financially to go with the known quantity over the unknown new idea. That's why we see remakes in Hollywood, but it's also the reason that comics continue to promote Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, the Hulk and the X-Men instead of creating new characters.
Its not just that people prefer to go with a known quantity, its also because companies ALREADY OWN the likes of Mickey Mouse, Batman, Optimus Prime, Spider-Man, 101 Dalmatians, The Terminator, Bugs Bunny, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, etc, AND ALL THE LICENSING RIGHTS attached to those properties. Putting out new material with familiar characters not only serves to keep those properties in the public eye and consciousness, but it also introduces the characters to the new younger generations. Companies make A LOT of money selling Superman birthday cards, Mickey Mouse hats, C-3PO cereal, Optimus Prime toys, and Spider-Man scooters.
Its not just that putting out a new Batman movie or Spider-Man comic book is more likely to get a return on your investment than something featuring some new characters, but the owners would probably keep doing it even if they keep losing money on the project (Superman movies coughcough) because its in their best financial interests to keep their properties in the public eye as much as possible. The more well-known and well-liked a property is, the more they can charge for licensing fees for a pack of Lightning McQueen pencils.