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Has Hollywood run out of ideas?
The traditional summer blockbuster season is drawing to a close but in a world of prequels, sequels and remakes, independent films are finding it increasingly hard to break through. So why are we deluged by all these spin-offs?
Guest: Kevin Maher, chief film critic, The Times.
Host: Manveen Rana.
Producer: Olivia Case
Clips:
Thor: Love and Thunder. © 2022 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Director: Taika Waititi.
Suicide Squad. © 2016 Warner Brothers Pictures. Director: David Ayer.
Minions: The Rise of Gru. © 2022 Universal Pictures. Director: Kyle Balda
Nope. © 2022 Universal Pictures. Director: Jordan Peele
Spider-Man: Far From Home. © 2019 Sony Pictures. Director: Jon Watts.
Nomadland. © 2021 Searchlight Pictures, Walt Disney Company Nordic. © Director: Chloe Zhao.
Kramer vs. Kramer. © 1979 Columbia Pictures. Director: Robert Benton.
Hit the Road. © 2021 Director: Panah Panahi.
The Matrix. © 1999 Warner Bros. Pictures, Roadshow Entertainment Directors: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski.
Thirteen Lives. © 2022 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; Bron Creative; Imagine Entertainment; Magnolia Mae; Storyteller Productions. Director: Ron Howard.
The Matrix Resurrections. © 2021 Warner Bros. pictures. Director: Lana Wachowski.
Black Widow. © 2021 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Director: Cate Shortland.
Elvis. © 2022 Warner Bros. Pictures; Bazmark Films; The Jackal Group. Director: Baz Lurhman.
The Godfather. © 1972 Paramount Pictures, Alfran Productions. Director: Francis Ford Coppola.
Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. © 1980 20th Century Studios, 20th Century Studios Home Entertainment Director: Irvin Kershner.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife. © 2021 Columbia Pictures; Bron Creative; Ghost Corps; The Montecito Picture Company; Right of Way Films. Director: Jason Reitman.
Iron Man. © 2008 Paramount Pictures, MORE. Director: Jon Favreau.
Everything Everywhere All At Once. © 2022 Directors: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
Bullet train. © 2022 Sony Pictures, Sony Pictures Releasing. Director: David Leitch
Bande à part. © 1964 Columbia Pictures. Director: Jean Luc-Godard.
Captain Marvel. © 2009 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Directors: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Doctor Strange main theme. © 2019 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Composer: Michael Giacchino
Top Gun theme - Danger Zone. 1986 ©Paramount Pictures. Composer: Giorgio Moroder. Lyricist Tom Whitlock.
The Matrix Awakens - Main Theme. © 2021 Warner Bros Pictures. Composer: Don Davis
Jaws theme tune. © 1975 Universal Pictures. Composer: John Williams.
Ghostbusters theme tune. © 1984 Columbia Pictures, Fórum Home Entertainment Hungary. Composer: Ray Parker Jr.
Jurassic Park theme tune. © 1993 Universal Pictures, FilmFlex. Composer: John Williams
League of DC Super Pets theme tune (Superman theme tune). © 2022 Warner Bros. Pictures © Composer: John Williams
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace theme tune. © 1999 20th Century Studios, 20th Century Studios Home Entertainment. Composer: John Williams
Iron Man theme tune. © 2008 Paramount Pictures, MORE. Composer: Ramin Djawadi
Sweet Child of Mine, Thor: Love and Thunder film trailer version. © 2022 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Composers: Steven Adler Saul Hudson, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan, Axl Rose.
Marvel opening theme. © 2016 Marvel Entertainment. Composer: Michael Giacchino.
Godfather theme tune. © 1972 Paramount Pictures, Alfran Productions. Composer: Nino Rota.
Reviews: Mojo.com; Clipped Coin; Looper; Karsten Runquist.
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