Rise (and fall?) of Trilogies

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Rise (and fall?) of Trilogies

• David Goerz
• Com 329
• Dr. Neuendorf

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Background

• A Trilogy can refer to nearly any related set of
  three works, although they are often the product
  of the same creator.
• Trilogies themselves have existed for thousands
  of years, occurring in ancient theater
• Ancient Greek theater made extensive use of the
  trilogy format, including Sophocles' famous
  Oedipus trilogy, and Aeschylus' Oresteia trilogy.
• Trilogies in novels are quite common, though not
  quite as old as their theatrical counterparts,
  and often (though certainly not exclusively) fall
  into the Science Fiction and Fantasy genres.

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Background

• Film trilogies, of course, are somewhat more
  modern
• As with novels, film trilogies have a rich
  history in Science Fiction and Fantasy.
• Film trilogies are sometimes part of a longer
  series (which can create a degree of contention
  as to what is and is not a trilogy)
• Although they have always been a part of film,
  many of film's best-known trilogies can be
  grouped together by era.
• For the sake of poetry, let us organize these
  into a trilogy of groups Early Trilogies,
  Middle-Era Trilogies, and Modern Trilogies

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Early Trilogies Frankenstein

• Frankenstein (1931)Bride of Frankenstein
  (1935)Son of Frankenstein (1939)
• The trilogy follows the classic tale of Dr.
  Frankenstein and his undead monster.
• Although the third installment had a different
  director Boris Karloff's recurring role as the
  Monster, and arc of the stories, tie the films
  together
• As with many early trilogies, this was a trilogy
  of opportunity, wherein a film which did well is
  given a sequel, which then is given another if
  the market allows.

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Middle-Era Trilogies

• Roughly stretching from the 60's through to the
  early 90's.
• Characterized by an increased number of trilogies
  which wander more often from the bounds of
  Sci-Fi/Fantasy, and are intended to be trilogies.
• Included a significant number of action trilogies
  (The Dollars Trilogy, The Lethal Weapon Trilogy,
  The Indiana Jones Trilogy)

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Middle-Era TrilogiesStar Wars

• A New Hope (1977)The Empire Strikes Back
  (1980)Return of the Jedi (1983)
• Tells the pseudo-Arthurian story of a young man
  from a desert planet who discovers his destiny as
  a Jedi Knight.
• Not only originally imagined by George Lucas as a
  trilogy, but imagined as a sequence of trilogies.
• In many ways encapsulates the trilogy's ability
  to create a cohesive story arc.

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Modern Trilogies

• Marked by a further broadening of the
  possibilities of a trilogy.
• Coincides with a sharp rise in comic book films,
  creating a number of comic book trilogies.
• Coincides also with the advent of the reboot,
  allowing for trilogies like the Dark Knight to
  show a new take on established series.

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Modern TrilogiesThe Lord of the Rings

• The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)The Two Towers
  (2002)The Return of the King (2003)
• A young Hobbit sets out to save a magical land
  from a being of unspeakable evil. Aided by brave
  warriors, and a great wizard, he must navigate a
  perilous landscape filled with savage foes and
  a few treacherous friends.
• Re-kindled the trilogy's role as the home of the
  epic narrative, and tells a story in which the
  individual parts, while strong on their own,
  truly rely on each other for completion.

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The Death of the Trilogy?

• Many trilogies are finding themselves extended
  beyond three films.
• In some cases, this seems to serve to genuinely
  supplement the narrative of the existing trilogy
  (The Hobbit 2012)
• In others, this seems extraneous, and detracts
  from the overall experience (Indiana Jones and
  the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 2008)
• Still more trilogies are seeing reboots and even
  remakes of their stories, which (The Amazing
  Spider Man 2012, The Evil Dead 2013)

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The Death of the Trilogy?

• With more franchises seeing a fourth part, and
  the juggernaut that is the Summer Blockbuster
  Comic Book Movie, the prominence of the trilogy
  seems to be fading once more.
• Whether franchises will begin to trend toward the
  three-part format again in the near future is
  anyone's guess, but the potential remains.

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References

• http//dictionary.reference.com/browse/trilogy?st
  
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilogy
• http//www.huffingtonpost.com/quora/why-is-the-sec
  ond-movie-i_b_2370654.html
• http//www.imdb.com/title/tt0021884/?ref_sr_5
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_wars