> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://adjacent.media/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Why Hollywood Greenlights Sequels Over Original Ideas
- URL: https://adjacent.media/signals/why-hollywood-greenlights-sequels-over-original-ideas/
- Published: 2026-06-09T23:07:37.000Z
- Updated: 2026-06-09T23:07:37.000Z
- Description: The shift toward franchises reflects a deliberate choice by studios to optimize financial models around predictable returns and presold audiences.
- Author: Jonathan Greene
- Tags: #signal, theme-culture, media production, creative risk, franchise strategy

Source: [Phil McKinney's Studio](https://www.philmckinney.com/ideas-arent-getting-harder-to-find-theyre-getting-harder-to-approve/?ref=adjacent.media)

The shift toward franchises reflects a deliberate choice by studios to optimize financial models around predictable returns and presold audiences. This creates a cultural monoculture where approval gates systematically filter out novelty—not because new ideas are scarce, but because gatekeepers have prioritized certainty over discovery. The bottleneck is institutional, not imaginative.