Original films

I've been watching a lot of films lately, because we got this 'unlimited' cinema card for a generous discount, and that has made me visit the cinema more often than I would usually do (and also watch films in the cinema that I generally wouldn't have paid any money for). One of the things that struck me, both in the story lines of the films themselves and in the trailers, is that there are hardly any original stories left. In film, that is.
The films trending in the Netherlands over the past few months have been: The Book Thief (based on a novel), Divergent (same), The Hundred-Year-Old Man who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared (again), X-men: Days of Future Past (comic), Captain America: Winter Soldier (ditto), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (again), Maleficent (arguably a somewhat original story, but based on Disney's own version of the fairy tale and the fairy tale itself), and the umpteenth Godzilla film. I've also watched The Railway Man (based on true events) and seen trailers for Grace of Monaco, The Fault in our Stars, 22 Jump Street, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and countless other sequels (Transformers, Star Wars, the Hobbit, The Hunger Games, etc).
Why is this? Is it impossible to think of a new, fresh storyline, with new, fresh characters? Also, all the books-made-into-films are based on not-very-literary examples of novels, or generally even popular young adult stuff (not counting The Hobbit, of course). Non-literary, but selling like hot cakes. Must a story prove its worth before a movie can be made out of it? And what's with all the super hero movies? Don't get me wrong, I love watching those, but it's really really hard to come up with any original storyline there (although it was nice to see that someone finally put the Gwen Stacey thing in a Spider-Man film). It's not that I don't like another X-men film, or that I won't go to see them, but I'm lamenting the fact that somehow originality seems to have gone out the window, and only safe, already-proven stories are getting produced.

As I see it, there are two proper exceptions to this rule, one of which I've already seen, and one which is yet to come out: Edge of Tomorrow and The Philosophers (also known as After the Dark). Edge of Tomorrow, even though it is yet another 'super hero will save the day' film, has a great plot, and great characters, and great acting. It is truly original, borrowing some elements from some other films, but never copying outright, and giving them original twists. I haven't seen The Philosophers yet, but I'm looking forward to it.
So I'm hoping that lots of people go to see these films, and will rate them positively, and that film makers (and mostly those giving film makers the money to make films) will realise that there is an audience out there waiting for original stories, not copies of real life, novels, comics, or other films. As I see it, films are an escape into another world, and if that other world is already known, the escape is less powerful. It can be a friendly immersion into familiar waters, but sometimes you just want to be pulled out of your comfort zone into a whole other world. Which is what Edge of Tomorrow will do for you. Go watch it, and spread the word.