Fan culture of films – commonly called fandoms – dates back to the early 80s, with the creative and commercial aspects of Hollywood being utilised to the fullest. This utilisation resulted in the release of the Star Wars film series- the series usually credited with starting a trend of dedicated enthusiasts following a particular piece or aspect of pop culture in the first place.
Of late, the fan culture has exponentially grown bigger than where it started. This is mainly due to the introduction and subsequent saturation of major film franchises and series such as the Harry Potter series and it’s spin-off saga, Fantastic Beasts; the popular superhero films based on DC and Marvel comics; Star Trek, The Lord of the Rings, and as mentioned before, Star Wars, given its recent revival.
Fan culture has become an extremely positive aspect of filmmaking today, as they provide support to filmmakers, who are encouraged to go on with their craft as per the audience response.
Fans, in turn, support their franchise and collectively revel in the success of the respective film franchise they support, leading to a mostly positive environment, in addition to creating pieces of fan fiction, memes and jokes pertaining to the respective franchise, and giving their opinions on online media platforms like Instagram, Tumblr and Facebook.
I used the word ‘mostly’, because there is a flipside to fan following as well- a negative one. Frequent clashes on the basis of comparison or quality of two franchises, such as between Marvel and DC and Star Trek or Star Wars is always visible on both online and offline platforms, leading to hate comments and creating a very toxic atmosphere in the process.
Fans have showcased their outrage on several film franchises they support as well. Star Wars: The Force Awakens, released in 2015 was a long awaited entry in the series. However, it was criticized since it felt similar to the earlier films in the franchise. It’s sequel, The Last Jedi, released two years later was also criticized by fans, this time for deviating away from the familiarity of the series and betraying theories that fans had after viewing the previous film. A similar incident occurred in the case of DC films. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was criticized for its dark tone, as well as the jumbled plotline and the style of director Zack Snyder. The film was later positively received following the release of an extended cut of the film, after it was reported the film had undergone several editorial changes ordered by Warner Bros. Studios. Justice League, a follow up to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, underwent similar changes with regard to tone and plot, in addition to Snyder stepping down as director. Fans have since campaigned for a “Snyder Cut” of the film. J.J. Abrams also came under fire for his creative choices at the time of Star Trek Into Darkness‘ release. Such instances indicate that fandoms are a confusing element as well and we can not determine what they desire.
Film studios, in turn try to steer their franchises in a direction which would be appreciated by fans. Marvel has developed a successful franchise model with their cinematic universe- a model other studios are trying to imitate. However, it can result in both saturation of movies which might cause audiences to lose interest in the franchise as well as deprive filmmakers of the opportunity to bring creativity to the franchise. In my opinion, the Harry Potter and Star Wars series are suffering from the former and the DC franchise from the latter. Thus, film studios must offer creative control to filmmakers and also must have the sense as to when a franchise has run its course.
Fans need to realize the value of franchise filmmaking with regard to hard work by filmmakers as well as the cost that goes in making such a film and appreciate the content being offered to them, rather than blatantly criticising it. If the need to criticise does arise, it can be conducted in a positive manner, without the need to call out anyone who opposes their viewpoint. In such a manner, the fan bases can expand with more and more people engaging in discussions and enjoying these film franchises collectively.
Texts of A Pop Culture Buff 