Jared Leto vs. Jason Segel: How To Do Fan Fiction Right
Header Image Source: Walt Disney Pictures
While features like The Idea of You and Fifty Shades of Grey are feature-length movies explicitly based on fan fiction, many modern franchises have been criticized for feeling like they were written as fan fiction. Legacy sequels and nostalgia-driven sequels like Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Terminator: Genisys have especially come under fire for feeling like two hours of relentless fanfiction. When this term is used as criticism, it’s meant to suggest a motion picture is simply wish-fulfillment for die-hard devotees. They get the fan service they want, but not the interesting art they need.
Not all projects assigned the fanfiction label have toxic reputations, though. 2011’s acclai