Rise (and fall?) of Trilogies David Goerz Com 329 Dr. Neuendorf

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.

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

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.

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)

Middle-Era Trilogies: Star 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.

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.

Modern Trilogies: The 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.

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])

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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