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- The Institutional Rot Spreads From the Top Down
- The Disney Problem Is an Industry Problem
- Who Is in Charge of the Billion-Dollar Conglomerates?
As a long-time movie enthusiast and critic, I find myself deeply troubled by the current state of Hollywood. Having grown up watching the magical transformation of reels into stories that captivated me, it breaks my heart to see the industry churning out subpar content at an alarming rate.
2024 may still be in full swing, but I can’t help but label this as “The Year of the Flop.” This year has certainly been a tough one. A new term has emerged from the social media landscape to encapsulate the situation even more harshly: “slop.
As a passionate movie-goer looking back, it seems we’ve reached this point quite unexpectedly. The release of Morbius by Sony, despite the clear signals of public disapproval, feels like a turning point. It was almost as if they misunderstood the playful sarcasm and released a dud a second time.
As a movie enthusiast, I can’t help but roll my eyes when subpar films like “The Acolyte,” “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” or that recent Indiana Jones sequel whose name I already forgot, hit the screen. Each misstep only strengthens the argument of those who claim that big studios are clueless about what audiences truly want today.
The Institutional Rot Spreads From the Top Down
Over the past two years, there have been some massive hits that were warmly received by audiences, but films like “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Barbie,” and “Oppenheimer” are exceptions rather than the rule. When I learned that “The Crow” and “Madame Web” were slated for release in 2024, it became evident to me and many others that they would struggle to attract an audience large enough to turn a profit; much like “Morbius” and “The Marvels,” the odds seemed stacked against them.
The shift from big-budget films was already in motion several years back, as expected. Given that low-cost horror movies have consistently been the most financially successful genre, there has been a surge of them, with hundreds being released since 2020, saturating the market. However, it can be challenging to separate the high-quality films from the mediocre ones. This trend was foreseeable. In a 2022 interview with the LA Times, horror screenwriter C. Robert Cargill lamented that the film industry had grown overly reliant on the horror genre.
Horror films are unique in that they can thrive without established intellectual properties or famous actors, and they can still achieve success even with smaller budgets. My main worry is that the studios might overdo it and ruin this wonderful phenomenon that has unexpectedly emerged.
Horror movies are typically formulaic, but it’s unusual for such a genre to foster experimentation, largely because production companies like A24 back unconventional filmmakers such as Robert Eggers. Unlike other genres, this one carries relatively low risk.
The Disney Problem Is an Industry Problem
In the ’90s and early 2000s, Disney was renowned for creating culturally impactful films that appealed to both adults and children. However, its reputation has been waning lately, with a constant trend of transforming old cartoons into live-action versions, seemingly just to exploit its vast library. The adaptations of Mulan, Aladdin, and The Lion King failed to offer any substantial improvements by using real actors, often diluting the original magic, and resulting in content that felt like mere commodities rather than works of art. This is the epitome of mediocrity.
In summary, as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Infinity Saga concluded (spanning from 2008 to 2019), it seemed that their successful superhero formula had run its course, rather inconveniently coinciding with the launch of Disney+. The predicament was that they needed to populate their streaming service with content to attract subscribers, leading to the creation of numerous shows of mediocre quality. Bob Iger admitted that Disney flooded the market too quickly with Star Wars-related media. His solution was to produce even more content, which ultimately diminished the long-term worth of these productions.
The competitive spirit among all streaming platforms has led each media company to introduce their unique app, often without substantial original content. This has resulted in a vast ocean of similar imitations, long-running series that lack depth, and spin-offs that fail to meet demand. Unfortunately, the streaming market seems destined for consolidation, with many of these services possibly disappearing within the next five years. However, Disney appears well-positioned to turn a profit and survive in this challenging landscape.
Who Is in Charge of the Billion-Dollar Conglomerates?
Presenting a large number of sequels and spin-offs for popular series in one go, rather than releasing them individually, can lead to viewers regarding each film as an episode in a longer story. This shift in perception might dilute the impact of key plot developments and climactic moments, making them seem less significant. In essence, audiences are being accustomed to treating films more like parts of an extended series. Creative professionals such as writers and directors may caution against this trend, while Hollywood executives should be mindful of this potential bloat. It’s worth noting that many decision-makers in the film industry lack a creative background, having never engaged in writing, directing, editing, or adapting any work themselves.
It’s clear they are struggling to understand some fundamental aspects of their content – why specific IP resonates, what makes a story unique, when to end production, who should lead the team, and so forth. Not every company can be like HBO or Netflix. The fact that there’s an abundance of content today means consumers no longer feel compelled to watch every blockbuster due to fear of missing out (FOMO). CEOs have let go of their most potent psychological marketing tools, but it doesn’t seem to have yielded the desired results.
Even more terrifying for big studios, these same former paying customers have turned mocking box-office bombs into a sport, ready with a funny quip to take advantage of the carnage. Petty or not, the blood is in the water. You can now tell when a hyped sequel, spin-off, remake, or adaptation will implode weeks before it launches. Misguided films like Argylle, Black Adam, and Borderlands are piling up, their planned sequels never to arrive. This has happened before, and the trend is reversible. It better be, or some of these companies will be sold off or filing Chapter 11. When CEOs like David Zaslav are forced to explain away the expensive flops and years of bad decisions to irate shareholders, expect better films in the next five years. If that means a dozen A24 clones, we’ll take it.
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2024-11-21 02:32