With the recent releases of films such as A Minecraft Movie and TV shows such as One Piece and The Last of Us, it appears that Hollywood continues to be obsessed with making live action re-interpretations of popular franchises. Because the movies already have an established fanbase, they often are met with solid box office success. However, is it possible that these adaptations hold some artistic value as well, or do they merely exist as cash grabs?

One main issue of live action remakes is their lack of understanding of what made the original great in the first place. The most recent example can be seen in Warner Bros.’ A Minecraft Movie. As Minecraft is the biggest gaming franchise in the world, it already had a huge following before release, with memes on social media of scenes in the trailer. “I found out about [the Minecraft movie] on TikTok,” said junior Armaan Singhal. “But halfway through I was already kind of bored of the story.” This reaction was shared among many other viewers; many adaptations fail to capture the success of the original. Key elements like the interactive experience of a videogame or the surrealism of an anime’s art style are crucial factors in the user’s experience and, consequently, the success of these works. Therefore, when shifted to a real-world setting, the story can lose its emotional impact.

Moreover, for those who have not seen the material from which the adaptation is based, their experience of the original is fundamentally altered. Junior Vivann Khanna expressed his thoughts after watching the Wicked movie: “I feel like if I saw the Wicked musical, I’d be disappointed. Because I liked the cast and the story of the movie so much I’m gonna miss what isn’t in the original.” In his opinion, the movie had elements that the musical would not be able to recreate, which would severely impact his experience as an audience member. Even if the adaptation brings in new fans to the story, any type of adaptation will lead to comparisons that draw attention away from the originality of each work.

Although these movies may attract new and old fans alike, it ultimately leads to prioritizing a marketable story in lieu of respecting the source material. While the profits from the movie and its associated merchandise can be lucrative, it is not worth the risk of sullying the franchise’s reputation and dividing its fanbase.