Established franchises and sequels are boosting box offices with more are on the way

Movie theaters saw a boost in attendance recently, but when you look at which films are leading the way, one thing is obvious: established franchises and sequels are dominating the competition. Looking at domestic box office numbers as of July 10, "IF" is the only film that does not have established roots. And at No. 10, it could very easily get bumped down by a newer film like "A Quiet Place: Day One," the third installment in the franchise. "Inside Out 2" has crushed the competition and is the only film to cross $1 billion worldwide this year, with no other competition in sight. So what does the second half of the year look like? "Twisters" is coming July 17. That's a sequel to the 1996 film "Twister." "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" opens Sept. 4 and returns much of the cast from the 1988 movie. "Joker: Folie à Deux" comes out Oct. 4. Unlike the 2019 film, this one is a musical. "Gladiator II" is due out Nov. 15.  There is also "Deadpool & Wolverine," "Moana 2" and "Wicked," the prequel to "The Wizard of Oz." Are any of these Oscar-worthy films? Or will the movies that ultimately dominate awards season get little fanfare at the box office and land quickly on streaming services? Contact us! We want to hear from you! Email questions to [email protected] and we'll answer your question on a future episode! About the show Streamed & Screened is a podcast about movies and TV hosted by Bruce Miller, a longtime entertainment reporter who is now the editor of the Sioux City Journal in Iowa and Terry Lipshetz, a senior producer for Lee Enterprises based in Madison, Wisconsin.