The $30 million lesson from The Return of the King

Peter Jackson's The Return of the King, the final chapter of The Lord of the Rings saga , has been criticized for lingering too long, but a closer look reveals a series of deliberately arranged scenes that each could have served as the ultimate farewell.

By focusing on the intimate, everyday life that continues after the epic, the film underscores why the world is worth saving in the first place and gives the audience a gentle, hopeful exit.

According to the report, Jackson chose to spend the final minutes showing Samwise returning to a quiet Shire, surrounded by his family, and then lingering on the closed door of their modest cottage.

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The animated world of Toy Story provides another illustration of a trilogy that knows when to say goodbye. Toy Story 3, while leaving the door ajar for potential future adventures by handing the toys over to a new child, ends with a powerful visual metaphor: the camera lifts from the toys to the sky, where clouds echo the whimsical wallpaper of the original film.

This simple image brings the story full circle, suggesting that the characters have completed a generational journey and that the emotional arc is complete, even as the franchise later returned with a fourth installment.

The closing shot reaffirms the idea that a well-executed ending can honor a story's beginning while still allowing for future reinterpretations.

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The Before trilogy, directed by Richard Linklater, offers a very different , yet equally compelling, approach to ending. The first film, Before Sunrise, concludes with a nostalgic montage of the locations where the story unfolded, reminding viewers of the fleeting nature of the moment.

The third film, Before Midnight, ends with a quiet, lingering shot of the central couple, Céline and Jesse, standing amid a bustling crowd after a heated argument.

The decision not to pursue a fourth chapter was deliberate; both the actors and the director felt that the narrative had reached its natural terminus, allowing the final scene to resonate as a realistic, bittersweet farewell.

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Even horror franchises can demonstrate the value of a definitive close. When Scream 3 arrived in 2000, it was marketed as the conclusion of the original trilogy, wrapping up the meta-commentary that had defined the series.

The film's self-aware characters discussed the very nature of trilogies and sequels,a rare moment of introspection for a genre known for endless continuations.

Although the series was revived years later, the original third film succeeded in providing a moment of narrative closure, reminding audiences that even the most sensational plots benefit from a clear, purposeful ending.

Broader context

The trend of endless franchises has led to a rare gift that most long-running franchises cannot provide: a true ending. Movie trilogies give us a chance to experience a story from start to finish, with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

This is in contrast to most franchises, which are designed to be ongoing and never truly conclude.

Open questions

Can other franchises learn from the example of these iconic trilogies and provide a satisfying conclusion to their stories?

What would be the impact on the audience and the franchise as a whole if more franchises were to follow this approach?

Would this lead to a more satisfying viewing experience, or would it limit the potential for future storytelling and expansion?