Is the Glut of Franchises Really Killing Cinema?

A quick peek at what's playing at the local cinema, or at the slate of upcoming releases, suggests a dearth of original content. While that's not entirely true, it does have merit. Screens are filled with franchise-related films. There's the MCU, the DCU, the Wizarding World, Fast and Furious, Transformers, James Bond, Minions, Lego, Jurassic Park World Galaxy... one could go on for quite a while listing franchises that have dominated cinema screens for some time now. Are they killing cinema, though? Well, there are two trains of thought. They are certainly capable of doing so, and films that purely exist to milk as much money as they can out of a dying franchise make it that much more difficult for original films to flourish. But a fresh take on a franchise has the power to reinvigorate the movie-going experience, the fallout of which benefits everyone.