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Sequels Are Like Bad Exes: Why Can’t We Just Move On?
On this episode of The Spin Cycle Podcast, host Kiara McKinney goes full “enough already” on Hollywood’s obsession with sequels, remakes,and franchise cash grabs dominating the 2025 film slate. She laments the creative bankruptcy of the industry, contrasting it with the innovation still thriving in music and Broadway. Kiara skewers streaming algorithms, relentless brand integrations, and soulless press tours, urging listeners to stop feeding the IP recycling machine. Her advice? Skip the nostalgia reboots and support original indie films or new musicals—because art shouldn’t just be content engineered for quarterly profits.
Introduction & Hollywood’s Situationship Problem (00:00:32) Kiara kicks things off by dragging Hollywood for its obsessive ex-calling habit — aka endless sequels — and wonders if originality has filed a restraining order.
Other Art Forms Are Out Here Thriving (00:00:32) While film is stuck in a toxic loop, music and Broadway are out here living their best lives, experimenting, and dropping bangers/plays that don’t smell like mothballs.
Hollywood’s 2025 Dating Pool (00:02:03) Personal confession: 80% of the movies coming next year are sequels or franchises. Spoiler alert — your options are Marvel, Marvel-adjacent, or nostalgia bait.
When Movies Become Walking Ads (00:03:27) Pulls back the curtain on brand deals in TV and film — because nothing says “cinematic magic” like being sold a golf club mid-scene.
The Franchise Problem & Algorithmic Clinginess (00:04:56) How streaming algorithms, SEO, and studio execs with commitment issues keep shoving the same familiar faces in our queue.
Algorithm Hacks & Soul-Free Sequels (00:06:35) Breaks down why remakes are algorithm catnip… and why they feel like your ex texting “U up?” at 2 a.m.
Press Tours on Repeat (00:07:59) Calls out the endless, soulless PR circuits — where every interview sounds the same and the main plot twist is which late-night host they bore next.
Comedy & Podcast Overexposure (00:09:13) How a stand-up special gets ruined before you even hit play thanks to 47 podcast appearances and 10,000 TikTok clips.
When Brands Steal the Show (00:10:32) Once upon a time, brands were in the background. Now they’re basically the lead actor — and they want top billing.
Music & Broadway, Our Chaos Queens (00:11:54) Shouts out the industries still giving us originality — from pop stars who color outside the lines to Broadway shows that aren’t just Mean Girls in a new outfit.
Pop & Broadway’s Risky Business (00:13:21) Celebrates the artists and productions who take big swings and get rewarded for it. Looking at you, Chappell Roan.
The Thirst for Newness (00:14:40) Yes, audiences still crave fresh ideas — when we’re actually given the chance to see them.
When Art Becomes “Content” (00:14:40) Hot take: social media, AI, and algorithms have blurred the line so much you can’t tell if you’re watching a movie or a branded TikTok.
Studios’ ROI Addiction (00:16:22) Explains why executives can’t quit their old flames — it’s all about predictable returns, even if it kills the spark.
How to Break the Cycle (00:18:01) A plea to swipe right on originality and start supporting new voices before we drown in Marvel Phase 47.
Final Provocation (00:19:23) Leaves you with one last question: Are we consuming art… or just funding the remake industrial complex?
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By Kiara McKinneyOn this episode of The Spin Cycle Podcast, host Kiara McKinney goes full “enough already” on Hollywood’s obsession with sequels, remakes,and franchise cash grabs dominating the 2025 film slate. She laments the creative bankruptcy of the industry, contrasting it with the innovation still thriving in music and Broadway. Kiara skewers streaming algorithms, relentless brand integrations, and soulless press tours, urging listeners to stop feeding the IP recycling machine. Her advice? Skip the nostalgia reboots and support original indie films or new musicals—because art shouldn’t just be content engineered for quarterly profits.
Introduction & Hollywood’s Situationship Problem (00:00:32) Kiara kicks things off by dragging Hollywood for its obsessive ex-calling habit — aka endless sequels — and wonders if originality has filed a restraining order.
Other Art Forms Are Out Here Thriving (00:00:32) While film is stuck in a toxic loop, music and Broadway are out here living their best lives, experimenting, and dropping bangers/plays that don’t smell like mothballs.
Hollywood’s 2025 Dating Pool (00:02:03) Personal confession: 80% of the movies coming next year are sequels or franchises. Spoiler alert — your options are Marvel, Marvel-adjacent, or nostalgia bait.
When Movies Become Walking Ads (00:03:27) Pulls back the curtain on brand deals in TV and film — because nothing says “cinematic magic” like being sold a golf club mid-scene.
The Franchise Problem & Algorithmic Clinginess (00:04:56) How streaming algorithms, SEO, and studio execs with commitment issues keep shoving the same familiar faces in our queue.
Algorithm Hacks & Soul-Free Sequels (00:06:35) Breaks down why remakes are algorithm catnip… and why they feel like your ex texting “U up?” at 2 a.m.
Press Tours on Repeat (00:07:59) Calls out the endless, soulless PR circuits — where every interview sounds the same and the main plot twist is which late-night host they bore next.
Comedy & Podcast Overexposure (00:09:13) How a stand-up special gets ruined before you even hit play thanks to 47 podcast appearances and 10,000 TikTok clips.
When Brands Steal the Show (00:10:32) Once upon a time, brands were in the background. Now they’re basically the lead actor — and they want top billing.
Music & Broadway, Our Chaos Queens (00:11:54) Shouts out the industries still giving us originality — from pop stars who color outside the lines to Broadway shows that aren’t just Mean Girls in a new outfit.
Pop & Broadway’s Risky Business (00:13:21) Celebrates the artists and productions who take big swings and get rewarded for it. Looking at you, Chappell Roan.
The Thirst for Newness (00:14:40) Yes, audiences still crave fresh ideas — when we’re actually given the chance to see them.
When Art Becomes “Content” (00:14:40) Hot take: social media, AI, and algorithms have blurred the line so much you can’t tell if you’re watching a movie or a branded TikTok.
Studios’ ROI Addiction (00:16:22) Explains why executives can’t quit their old flames — it’s all about predictable returns, even if it kills the spark.
How to Break the Cycle (00:18:01) A plea to swipe right on originality and start supporting new voices before we drown in Marvel Phase 47.
Final Provocation (00:19:23) Leaves you with one last question: Are we consuming art… or just funding the remake industrial complex?