NEW YORK: This summer has witnessed a significant increase in the trend of leaving audiences hanging with a “to be continued” ending in films, turning the movie experience into a semi-serialized art form. From “Fast X” to “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” to “Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning,” 2023 has become the summer of anticipation and cliffhangers.
In an industry dominated by sequels and blockbuster franchises, the notion of splitting movies into multiple parts serves practical purposes. With the business model revolving around exploiting successful titles, why bother pretending that anything is concluding when it’s evident that more installments are on the horizon? Ending a film with a cliffhanger, akin to popular TV series, becomes an additional incentive for audiences to eagerly await the next chapter.
This approach has proven successful with films like “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Endgame,” which divided the Thanos saga into two parts, resulting in a combined global box-office gross of over $4.8 billion before the pandemic struck.
Films with Complete Stories
However, historically, movies, even those within these aforementioned franchises, have typically offered complete stories, providing audiences with a satisfying experience for their time and investment. The “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, for example, concluded its battles before moving on to the next chapter, while “The Empire Strikes Back” reunited the principal characters after an arduous ordeal, highlighting the dangers posed by Darth Vader and the Empire. Even “Infinity War” ended with the heroes facing defeat before embarking on their journey to undo the damage in the sequel.
In contrast, films like “Fast X” and “Across the Spider-Verse” leave their protagonists hanging, leaving the audience in a state of suspense. It’s the distinction between closing a chapter and abruptly ending things mid-sentence.
Another example is “Dune,” which concluded somewhat arbitrarily, leaving audiences feeling that the story was unfinished. This frustration was exacerbated by the delayed confirmation of a sequel, which was announced after the film’s simultaneous release in theaters and on HBO Max.
In this context, “Dead Reckoning” deserves credit for establishing a story with the scope to support the two-part structure, while providing a logical break before transitioning to the next chapter.
These developments coincide with the film industry’s efforts to navigate the streaming age and the enduring impact of the pandemic, which have disrupted traditional business models. The shift towards major theatrical events and limited opportunities for titles that fail to meet the high expectations set by audiences outside the home is evident.
Amidst these challenges, filmmakers and executives are experimenting with various strategies to entice and re-engage audiences. The summer box office has already shown that even highly anticipated titles like “The Flash” and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” can fall short of expectations given their substantial production budgets.
