For years, the movie industry has seemed to have an especially heavy emphasis on one theme in particular: remakes. Even superhero movies – another major fad as of late – oftentimes fall under this umbrella, between the third Spiderman re-release and recent films like Superman (or Man of Steel) and Wonder Woman. Continuing the trend of refurbished old favorites, the trailers for both the Christopher Robin and Mary Poppins Returns have been released in the past week. Although Mary Poppins Returns is not a remake in the traditional sense, the general idea still applies – the revisiting of former concepts to be renovated with a new coat of paint. The culmination of this cultural phenomenon begs one question: what is it about remakes that has led to their booming popularity?

The major reason is simple: between nostalgia factor and lingering fanaticism, remakes are extremely profitable for movie-making industries. Patrons are more likely to buy what they already know they want. Simply put, it is similar to the reason why customers at bookstores buy old favorites instead of brand new, never-before-seen page-turners – it’s safer to invest money when the consumer has basic assurance of their own enjoyment. Especially in the age of pirating and questionable acquisition of movies, the theater is central to funding, and remakes draw in significant crowds more immediately.

Among profit-related reasons, however, writers have another rationale for renovating old films; starting from scratch is – simply put — far more strenuous. In an interview with the

Washington Post, senior media analysist Paul Dergarabedian said, “There is a reference point. There is a concept already built in; there is a way to describe the movie very quickly, and that is the easy allure of a remake. That’s why a lot of sequels get greenlit as well. On paper at least, you’re kind of ahead of the game theoretically.” Faster production means faster profit; remakes are an all-around win in the film-making industry.

Nonetheless, regardless of behind-the-scenes reasoning, remakes are fun for the public — reliving old favorites with a higher production value is visually pleasant, even if some believe the plot tweaks may fall flat. Although fresh ideas are undoubtedly crucial to entertainment production, for now, consumers can enjoy revisiting old favorites on the big screen.