Disney’s Two Record-Making New Trailers Prove The Biggest Hollywood Problem

It’s been a while since the world of movies and TV has been facing serious issues, from delayed season releases to massive franchises struggling to figure out what audiences actually want. But among all these challenges, one of the biggest complaints lately has been Hollywood’s reliance on nostalgia: remakes, reboots, live-action versions, and sequels. Original content still pops up here and there, but for years, the majority of releases have followed a formula that was already starting to feel overdone — at least, in theory. What Hollywood is facing right now is a massive contradiction: tons of comments from viewers tired of old stories, but in practice, the exact opposite keeps happening.

Disney announced two sequels coming next year and recently dropped their teaser trailers — both of which broke single-day viewership records. No one can resist the familiar, even when they say otherwise. It’s that classic scenario where everyone says, “enough with repeating formulas,” but hits play the second they see a familiar face or brand. People claim they want new things, but they love comfort. It’s predictable, almost manipulable behavior, and the industry knows it.

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Take the two examples: the teaser for the fifth Toy Story movie and the teaser for The Devil Wears Prada 2. One hit 142 million views in 24 hours, while the other reached 185 million in the same period. One is a sequel to an animated franchise that everyone grew up with, and the other is the return of a classic that mixes fashion, power, and sarcasm, originally released nearly two decades ago. The reaction was immediate: social media exploded, memes, and clips from the first films resurfaced. Everyone wants to see Woody, Buzz, or Miranda Priestly back in action, calling the shots and defying expectations. The message here is clear: nostalgia sells — and it sells big.

So, what are we supposed to take from this? The numbers reveal that audiences are at war with themselves. On one hand, they complain about repetition; on the other, they rush to see exactly what they already know. And Hollywood is a master at exploiting this dilemma, because sequels and reboots aren’t just creative safety nets — they’re guaranteed engagement. Data, likes, and views make it impossible to ignore: revisiting old franchises delivers immediate impact and box office returns. Original ideas might be brilliant, but they rarely offer that instant payoff. That’s why the industry will keep doubling down on the past as long as audiences keep applauding — and it’s painfully obvious. But is the blame really on the audience for this obsession with nostalgia? Maybe not entirely.

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Studios quickly learn that if nostalgia works, there’s no reason to risk a completely new story nobody knows, right? But with that, you get a sense of a marketing cycle that’s not great for audiences, because it leaves them stuck in a loop they don’t even realize they’re being guided through.

Sequels and reboots are practically pre-packaged products with familiar characters, established conflicts, and visuals that defined a period of everyone’s life. So audiences respond emotionally, and are guided by the campaign design that familiarity drives engagement, engagement drives record views, and record views drive more investment in nostalgia. It’s a self-feeding cycle that seems endless since the studio keeps pushing this cycle in a calculated manner. But continuing like this without breaking the loop kills exactly what making movies is supposed to be: creating, experimenting, innovating, learning, and surprising.

How Hollywood And Audiences Need To Act Now

Hollywood is at a critical point, and pretending otherwise won’t cut it (even with all this audience support), because nothing lasts forever, and eventually, it could get worse. They need to start balancing nostalgia with creative risk. Audiences clearly still respond to the comfort of the familiar, but that can’t be an excuse to stagnate. Studios should invest some of this attention and marketing power into original stories that challenge viewers while still exploring old franchises. The idea isn’t to abandon sequels or remakes entirely, but to create a diverse portfolio where innovation and familiarity coexist. Relying solely on the past makes the industry predictable, and audience interest could eventually fade.

Supporting bolder scripts, new directors, and experimental projects is also essential, even if they don’t guarantee immediate success. Cinema can stay relevant and culturally impactful if studios dare to innovate instead of recycling old formulas that, while successful short term, limit the industry’s evolution over time. Disney itself had issues years ago before managing to lean into this nostalgia trend. Was the strategy smart at the time? Absolutely. But will it risk declining again? It seems like they’re willing to wait and see.

At the end of the day, these record-breaking trailers aren’t isolated successes: they’re symptoms of a structural problem. Hollywood doesn’t want to take risks, and audiences keep enabling that choice. Every click is basically a green light to repeat formulas, and every share reinforces that comfort trumps narrative boldness. And it’s not like these films are bad — they can be great, charming, even creative within what’s already established. But the industry continues prioritizing safety over risk, and that’s not a good look.

How can we call this modern cinema if innovation is increasingly marginalized? Studios keep betting on what has already worked, and as long as audiences respond so quickly, the industry will keep recycling the past. Bottom line: both sides are wrong, but someone needs to break the cycle. Who’s going to do it?

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