Has Hollywood run out of ideas?

This ESL worksheet focuses on the topic of movie franchises, sequels, remakes, and intellectual property (IP), exploring how Hollywood creates, recycles, and monetizes content.  It is most suitable for B2 level learners. Students build essential vocabulary related to the film industry and entertainment business. You might also like the following lessons “The Oscars” and “Barbie fever“.

Speaking: Lead-in and Discussion
The lesson begins with a discussion about students’ recent movie experiences and their viewing habits in cinemas and at home. Learners explore whether they prefer original stories or familiar franchises and reflect on their interest in upcoming films.

Vocabulary: franchises.

Students match vocabulary such as sequel, prequel, remake, franchise, spin-off, and book adaptation to their definitions, then give real-life examples of each (e.g., a sequel that was better than the original, a remake nobody needed, or a prequel that answered important questions).

Vocabulary: Intellectual Property and Monetization
Students read about 10 ways IP is monetized, such as merchandise, video games, theme parks, streaming rights, and soundtrack licensing, and discuss questions related to them. Then, they practise key expressions related to the business side of entertainment, including blockbuster, flop, fan fatigue, oversaturation, source material, known IP, and to recycle. They complete matching activities and sentence-based practice to reinforce understanding. 

Listening: Why Modern Movies Feel Like Franchises
Students watch a video titled “Why it feels like every movie is just another sequel” and complete comprehension tasks based on examples from major film franchises such as Marvel, DC, Toy Story, and video game adaptations. The listening focuses on understanding industry trends, box office dominance, and the shift from original films to franchise-based entertainment. Students identify key information, match examples to explanations, and answer detailed comprehension questions about film industry data and trends.

Speaking: Franchise Limits and Creative Thinking
In the final speaking tasks, students examine major franchises (Harry Potter, Avatar, Fast & Furious, Star Wars, Marvel, Toy Story, etc.) and discuss how many films are enough, whether the franchise should have already ended, and what would justify one more installment. Finally, in pairs or small groups, students invent an absurd sequel, remake, or spin-off (e.g., Titanic 2: Jack Returns), write a short plot description, and present it to the class.

For more speaking practice, you can use the printable discussion cards.