According toSlashfilmandBox Office Mojo, the 10 highest-grossing films in the U.S. this year were almost exclusively sequels.

The sole exception was a prequel, underscoring Hollywood’s persistent aversion to risk.

However, even those three films weren’t entirely “original.”

2024’s 10 top-grossing US films were all sequels and prequels

The global box office tells a slightly different story, thanks to the success of Chinese blockbusters.