Nothing is more exciting in the entertainment industry than a successful franchise. Whatever the medium—movies, television shows, or books—there is something about the comfort and consistency of a franchise that piques our interest and compels us to keep watching and reading.

Nevertheless, despite how adored these franchises may be, they have a tendency to grow stale and repetitive over time, disappointing and alienating their audience. Few franchises are adept at the art of sequelization, and Star Wars is certainly one of them.

In this article, we're going to delve into the art of sequelization and give you pointers on how to create content that will keep your fans hooked.

Sequalization: The Concept and Its Importance

The process of making successful sequels to existing franchises is known as sequelization. Maintaining a franchise's freshness and excitement for audiences can be difficult, given the number of sequels that are launched each year. Any content producer or franchise developer who wants to keep their series current and interesting for years to come must understand the concept of equalization.

The significance of sequelization lies in its capacity to expand on the success of earlier iterations while bringing fresh, innovative ideas to the franchise. A well-written sequel may rekindle interest in a series, draw new viewers, and keep current viewers interested. However, making a successful sequel necessitates having a thorough grasp of the franchise's fundamental principles, themes, and characters.

Build Your Franchise and Create Content

A solid foundation is necessary for a successful franchise, and this demands cooperation and teamwork.

Building the Franchise

The development of an interconnected universe is necessary for franchise building. This can be accomplished by using visual storytelling. To create a realistic and engaging environment that people can relate to, consistency in the graphics, settings, costumes, and special effects is essential.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Star Wars franchise are two instances of popular franchises that have established solid bases.

Tips for Building Your Franchise

• Establish a unified universe: Construct a setting with visual, set, costume, and special effect coherence that spans all of the sequels.
• Create memorable villains: A memorable villain should be complex, relatable, and have an engaging backstory.
• Create a memorable soundtrack: Music can help the viewer connect emotionally to the story by establishing the mood and setting of a film. Additionally, a memorable soundtrack can evoke fond memories and boost fan involvement.
• Work together and as a team: Establishing a successful franchise demands cooperation and teamwork from numerous people and departments.
• Put quality first: Deliver high-quality content regularly to preserve the franchise's reputation and maintain viewers' interest.
• Be open to criticism: Consider fan and audience input seriously and apply it to expanding and improving the franchise.

IP Adaptation

To keep your franchise fresh, the original IP must be adapted in novel and interesting ways.

The development of villains is essential to this. A sequel's success depends on its memorable antagonist. A good villain should have a compelling past, be multifaceted and relatable, and be interesting to the viewer.

The Harry Potter franchise, which branched out from the novels to produce a profitable film franchise, and the Fast and Furious franchise, which transitioned from street racing to a world-traveling adventure series, are examples of successful franchise adaptations.

Tips for Better IP Adaptation

• Look beyond the source. In order to expand the franchise beyond its initial source material, look for possibilities to do so. This may entail developing new characters, investigating fresh plotlines, or transforming the property into new media (such as turning novels into movies).
• Maintain the franchise's basic components. While innovation and the exploration of novel concepts are important, it's equally critical to maintain the franchise's core components. This contains the tenor, themes, and characters that initially propelled the franchise to prominence.
• Focus on your villain. Create compelling, relatable villains because they can enhance a franchise and increase viewers' interest. Make sure your villains are interesting, relatable, and have a compelling past.

Create Content

The development of a great soundtrack is yet another crucial component of franchise development. A movie's tone and atmosphere can be set by the music, which also aids in the audience's emotional connection to the narrative.

Additionally, a memorable soundtrack can evoke fond memories and boost fan involvement. The James Bond and Rocky franchises are two examples of popular franchises that have produced memorable soundtracks.

Strategies for Innovation and Success

To keep a franchise fresh and engaging, it must be innovative.

Innovate

Introducing new characters is one way to keep a property fresh. To keep their franchise fresh and entertaining, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) launched a new group of characters, such as Black Panther and Captain Marvel.

Introducing new settings is another approach to innovation. The Star Wars franchise accomplished this successfully by introducing new planets, such as Jakku and Crait, in its most recent sequels.

Finally, offering new storylines can help a franchise stay relevant. With the introduction of a new story arc in Jurassic World, the Jurassic Park franchise accomplished this successfully.

Innovative Strategy Ideas

Novel approaches to sequelization and franchise development are essential for keeping a series fresh and engaging. Consider the following suggestions:

• Spin-offs and prequels can serve to expand a franchise universe by introducing new characters and storylines. The "Star Wars" franchise, for example, includes multiple successful spin-off series, including "The Mandalorian" and "Rogue One."
• Crossovers and introducing new characters and stories while appealing to fans of both franchises can be exciting methods to introduce new characters and storylines. Characters from different movies appear in each other's films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is a great example of crossovers.
• Interactive storytelling allows fans to interact with a property in a novel and interesting way. For example, the Netflix film "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" lets viewers choose the story's direction, resulting in many ends and results.
• Transmedia storytelling entails telling a unified story across different platforms, such as movies, television shows, video games, and books. The "Harry Potter" franchise, which includes books, movies, and even a theme park, is a great example of transmedia storytelling.
• Reboots and remakes can help expose a franchise to a new generation while simultaneously appealing to fans of the original. The "Jurassic World" franchise, for example, is a reboot of the original "Jurassic Park" franchise.

Engage Your Fans

Using nostalgia to increase fan involvement can be a strong weapon. The Star Wars franchise accomplished this well by reintroducing classic characters such as Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia in their most recent sequels. In Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, the Jurassic Park franchise accomplished the same thing by reintroducing Jeff Goldblum's character, Ian Malcolm.

Social networking is another approach to improving fan interaction. Social media tools may help franchises interact with their followers and foster a sense of community. The Harry Potter franchise, for example, has a significant social media presence, with dedicated fan pages and online communities.

Learn From Successful Examples

• The Marvel Cinematic Universe
• The Star Wars franchise
• The Jurassic Park

These franchises are all examples of successful franchises that have used innovation and fan interaction tactics. These series have kept their followers interested by adding new characters and locales, as well as evoking a sense of nostalgia. They've also used social media to communicate with fans and create a community around their respective franchises.

Sequalization and Collaboration

Sequelization is a team endeavor, and having a good team in place is critical.

Sequalize Successfully

The practice of developing a series of sequels to a successful film or franchise is known as "sequelization." It is a delicate balancing act to maintain the spirit of the original tale and characters while incorporating new elements to keep the series fresh and intriguing.

Building a compelling narrative arc is one approach to achieving successful sequelization. Each sequel should expand on the previous film's events while presenting new difficulties and tensions. It is also critical to keep the tone and style of the original film while expanding on the plot.

When it comes to sequelization, timing is also crucial. Too many sequels produced too soon might cause audience fatigue and a drop in interest. It is critical to allow sufficient time between sequels to develop expectations and excitement.

An Example

The Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has released 23 movies to date, all interconnected with a strong narrative arc, and the Star Wars series, which has gone beyond the original trilogy to include prequels and sequels, are examples of successful sequelization.

Collaborate Suitably

Collaboration is essential for a successful sequelization. A solid team comprising the production staff, writers, directors, and performers, is required. Each team member brings a distinct perspective and skill set to the project, and working together can aid in identifying possible concerns and finding solutions before they become problems.

Creating a secure and open environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions is one way to boost collaboration. This has the potential to create new and fascinating tales and character developments.

An Example

The Harry Potter franchise, which had the same director, David Yates, for the final four movies, and the Fast and Furious franchise, which has had multiple directors, but a consistent production crew led by producer Neal H. Moritz, are both examples of successful teamwork in sequelization.

Conclusion

To summarize, the skill of sequelization is a critical component in developing a successful franchise. You can keep your franchise new and engaging while simultaneously preserving a sense of continuity and coherence by taking a unique approach to sequelization. A successful franchise requires collaboration, fan involvement, IP adaptation, and innovation.

Remember to take risks and explore new things while keeping your franchise's key aspects intact. You can establish a franchise that will endure the test of time and continue to engage and excite audiences for years to come by working with a good team, exchanging ideas, and embracing new technologies and storytelling styles.

Applying the art of sequelization can help you build a successful and profitable brand, whether you're starting a new franchise or revitalizing an existing one. So, research your target audience, determine what makes your franchise unique, and embrace the power of collaboration and innovation. Your franchise can reach new heights of success and become a cultural phenomenon if you use the appropriate approach and mindset.

If you need assistance with content development, Dibbly has a variety of writing packages that can assist you in taking your franchise to the next level. To learn more, feel free to contact us.