Why Does the Entertainment World Love Ancient Cultures?
It’s hard to explore any part of modern entertainment without finding yourself thrown back in time in some way, or perhaps have the world of yesterday flung forward into modern times. Time and again, we see the ancient worlds of the past created and recreated in all kinds of media, often including the same stories reimagined and brought to life in different ways.
So what exactly is it that keeps us coming back for more?
A Collection Of Cultures
In theory, there are hundreds of ancient cultures that could be tapped into for stories and characters – although we tend to see the same few brought up again and again. Ancient Egypt, the times of the Vikings, Ancient Greece; even those who have never studied a single line of history seem to know at least something from these sources.
If you need proof, you can take a look at the extensive catalog of TV shows, movies and games based around them. Take iGaming, for example – Eye of Horus, Vikings Unleashed, and Zeus Lightning are just a handful of the ancient-themed slot titles we found with a quick glance through the Paddy Power Bingo slot games library, and we’d expect to see hundreds of titles like these at whatever online casino we go to.
What’s The Appeal?
As mentioned, most people in the Western world know at least some part of these stories and legends, and in many cases that’s the main reason that studios and producers love to draw on them so much. There are few things as bankable in Hollywood as they are easy to sell while also having the vagueness of history to allow a lot of creativity – this is a combination only an ancient epic can offer.
While not an ancient story in quite the same way as the examples above, just a look at a list of all the Robin Hood movies that have been produced in the last 100 years will show you how much a story can be adapted and retooled. Cleopatra, Hercules, Thor and many more have seen the same treatment and people have always responded well to having something familiar to latch onto with any new media.
A New Era Of Historical Pieces?
It’s easy to think that we’re in the middle of something of a historical film revolution as so many new productions have started coming out with a distinctly ‘realistic’ feel to all of them. One that immediately comes to mind is the recent Vikings TV show which takes the saga of Ragnar Lothbrok, a semi-mythical story, and applies real characters from history in an effort to ‘rationalize’ the mystical parts with modern interpretations.
It’s important to remember, though, that these interpretations of ancient cultures have changed a dozen or more times in the last few hundred years. While interest is at an all-time high, there’s no guarantee that we won’t have a completely different view again in years to come.
In the meantime, though, the entertainment industry shows no signs of slowing down. Outside of the classics, more and more ancient cultures are being dusted off for new projects and there’s no telling which one might come up next.
About the Author
Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.
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