For as long as Hollywood has been churning out movies, its executives have been seeking a formula for success. Because movie-making is a collision of art and business, finding a sustainable approach that leads to major box office returns is easier said than done. Sometimes, though, the answer is depressingly straightforward.
Jurassic World hit theaters on this day in 2015, more than a decade after the original dinosaur trilogy had ended. The movie broke box office records and remains one of the highest-grossing in Hollywood history, despite the fact that there is absolutely nothing remarkable about it. Jurassic World promised audiences that it would remind them of Jurassic Park, but it didn’t promise to be better in any way. It was the harbinger of a Hollywood era designed around reminding you that movies used to be good.
