Last week it was The Little Mermaid. The week before that, the tenth Fast and Furious movie. Soon, it will be Spider-Man and then Barbie's turn. Until the next comic book movie shows up. Reboots, remakes and familiar characters can sometimes feel like the only things on screen. They're not, of course. They just get all the marketing money.

What began as a profitable sideline for Hollywood has come to consume the entire industry in a search for intellectual property. It's not about a lack of ideas, though, it's just about one thing: The hunger for more. This is the story of how the venture capital mentality is destroying movies.

GUEST: Jacob Oller, movies editor, Paste Magazine

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at [email protected] 

Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky