I'm Sensing a Trend Here

Don’t tell me what it is — it will come to me eventually:

● “Hollywood makes 2013 the year of the sequel” — the London Telegraph.

● “Reboots of 2012: The Cinematic Sequels, Remakes, and Adaptations Coming Next Year” — Slate.

● “2011 will be the year of the sequel in Hollywood” — the London Telegraph.

● “The 10 Must-See Sequels of 2010” — Ace Show Biz.

● “Hollywood is playing it safe with remakes, sequels, and licenses” — 2009 article at Cinema Soldier.com.

● “Thanks, Hollywood! The joy of unneeded sequels” — Global Comment, 2008.

● “Orgy of Sequels Climaxing in 2007” — LA Weekly.

● “This year’s slate of high-profile movies will be bloated with 40 sequels, spinoffs and big-budget remakes.” — USA Today, January 22, 2006.

● “2005 Movies — Sequels, Prequels, Remakes That Didn’t Work” — About.com.

● “2003: Attack Of The Hollywood Sequels” — CBS.

● “2002: The Year of the Sequel” — Fox News.

Oh, and while I couldn’t immediately track down a “The Year of the Sequel”-esque headline for the year 2004, the beginning of the Wikipedia page titled “2004 in film” is the next best thing:

The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Fahrenheit 9/11, I, Robot, Ocean’s Twelve and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed.

Clearly, what makes Hollywood work is its unparalleled originality. Wouldn’t the real breaking news occur when there isn’t a year that’s the year of the sequel?