So, nowadays every news of a movie or a review of a movie seems to begin on it’s status as a remake, sequel, a remake of a sequel, a sequel of a remake, or it’s lack of being a remake or a sequel. Then normally a bump is given if the movie falls into the latter category, because after all Hollywood is devoid of really good ideas, and can only fall back on old TV shows, old movies, or slaps together another sequel to a long dead franchise. (The only exception being Die Hard. The fact remains that Die Hard will exist as long as Bruce Willis exists. Remaking this movie will go against God’s ultimate plan for humanity, and making another one without Bruce Willis will bring His Almighty wrath down on us. Fact.)
But did you know that Shakespeare only wrote one play from his own imagination? It’s true! The Tempest is believed to be the only play written without the aid of a previously written story or a historical figure, and is not a sequel to one of his works, or did not feature a spinoff for a character like John Falstaff. (Although you can see The Tempest’s influences in the Die Hard series. But that's a post for another day.) In fact it is believed that the Tempest was his final play, and Prospero’s speech at the end reflects a man out of his time, much as Shakespeare was seeing the world change around him. (Even that contains some elements seen in many other Shakespearean works, like Russell Brand and Helen Mirren.)
So, the next time someone complains that there’s nothing but a dearth of unoriginal ideas in Hollywood, blame William Shakespeare.
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