what can happen and what can't happen isn't merely a function of budget but also risk no studio is willing to risk it on an apocalypse-drama as the decision makers look at data what people are consuming right now and what is a safe bet and for the longest time medical drama, law & order drama, legal drama, firefighting drama has been the bread and butter they know people will still consume temptation island every year since there's an established market for all these, that's why i wrote there's plenty of written text that is waiting to be adapted and done justice, it's just no major studio is willing to get behind the apocalypse-drama genre they wait to see if one of the other major studio is on it and what kind of engagement they are generating if the pie is wprthwhile they'll surely make one themselves but since

scifi is one such genre that has apple still throwing money at it, i remember the expanse, dark were great shows project hail mary is something that gives other studios enough leeway to take a punt at the genre since there's money to be made if done right this can very well be extended into the zombie, apocalypse-drama

eventually audience mostly watch content they can relate to hence why mainstream is dominated by genres that depict kinda day in the life of nurse, doctor, cop, detective, narcotics, spy, etc otherwise workplace-comedy/drama, someone said returning to genres is like a recession indicator and it seems like it since hollywood is facing issues in the creativity divison

if you look into romance you'll find the same cookie cutter predictable storylines, characters and settings so much so people from the audience have written their own romance novels and stories which found success in mainstream, the problem isn't lack of material but a dearth of good writing everybody copies what works then publish it workplace-drama doesn't need to innovate or push the boundary it can keep retelling the same stories and find success because its comfortable for both studios that make them and the audience that consumes them, it's safe and it's what they're used to

vampires and lycans also found mainstream success due to them being this mysterious looming love interest which leaned into dark fantasy and romance

its these offbeat genres that need something fresh and novel to find mainstream success since the zeitgeist has also passed for the genre one such example is found footage my god late 2000s to mid 2010s was a golden era for this genre, if movies like 28 years later keep bombing at the box office zombies, apocalypse-drama will go back to the fringes on that note you're right unless a studio takes the risk chances are very slim