What are the Most Famous Movie Genres of All Time?

According to Nielsen, 2013 was the year of action/adventure films, continuing a trend that has been going on in the last few years. It seems moviegoers can’t get enough of films that have them at the edge of their seats in excitement, and producers are only too eager to supply the demand. Comedy and sci-fi films ranked second and third, respectively, as they did in 2012. So, how did action/adventure films get to be this popular?

One explanation is that this genre offers interesting stories that deals with exotic locales and new experiences. While it’s true that it liberally uses action scenes, action/adventure movies primarily focus on travels, conquests, character conflicts, resolutions, and other literary devices that other movie varieties use sparingly.

Another explanation for its popularity is the genre’s beginnings as so-called Saturday serials: short, running films that always end in cliff-hangers, making the audience want for more. Movies in this genre also seem to spawn more remakes than any other: ‘The Three Musketeers’, for example, was remade in 1921, 1933, 1935, 1948, 1973, and 1993 since its first edition which was released in 1916.

Regardless of what makes up the genre’s popularity, there’s no denying that action/adventure films are here to stay. In May 2012, ‘The Avengers’ grossed $207.4 million on its opening weekend, which was easily the highest figure of all movies shown that year. It’s not a stretch to predict that the trend will continue for many more years to come.