With 'It Chapter Two,' 'Terminator: Dark Fate' and 'Maleficent,' Hollywood's sequel game gets creative

LOS ANGELES - Studios call them reimaginings, reboots, revamps - anything to prevent an upcoming movie from sounding like a dreaded rehash.

At a time when it's increasingly difficult to attract Americans to movie theaters, even Hollywood sequels need to feel somewhat original to succeed. Forget the cynical cash grabs of old. If your sequel doesn't have a compelling reason to exist - a "big idea," as a studio executive might put it - good luck drawing crowds to the multiplex. That's especially true for well-worn franchises such as "Terminator" and "Rambo," both of which have new installments coming soon to theaters.

After a sequel-heavy summer that ran the gamut from surefire hits ("Toy Story 4") to overachievers ("John Wick: Chapter 3") to massive flops ("X-Men: Dark Phoenix," "Men in Black: International"), the film business will unveil a varied fall lineup that will once again prove that not all