So I thought The Creator was brilliant. I watched it in the cinema, thoroughly enjoyed it and was gobsmacked when I learned it’s budget was only $79 million. It looks better than some films I’ve seen that cost three times that.
But apparently, while it may make that back, it’s unlikely to even earn $100 million globally.
So the answer to the question of why Hollywood churns out the same shite over and over is that, currently, tragically, that is what the masses want to spend their money on.
And that makes me sad.
movies, at the most fundamental level, are investments.
Before anything else can happen, somebody needs to put up the money, often hitting nine digit figures, to get it made.
They want to get their money back. They want sure bets.
If it isn’t going to be a sequel, it had better carry some powerful names like Tom Cruise or Christopher Nolan or Margot Robbie + Ryan Gosling
Yay for being a powerful name!
Also, too add to this, I don’t think big names really have that much of an effect any more. Both “Amsterdam” and “Babylon” were filled with big names, yet neither of them did very well in theaters.
Maybe the “death of the movie star” is true after all, and I don’t think Hollywood knows how to deal with it.
Amsterdam was brilliant, I really liked that film.
It’s important to note that the same is essentially true for theater goers. As a viewer, I am investing my time and money in a movie experience. With tickets being $15+, a theater date can easily cost $50. When a trip to the theater costs that much, I sure as hell don’t go every other weekend, and I definitely don’t want to see something batting 57% on Rotten Tomatoes.
So it ends up being a vicious cycle where studios only greenlight established IP or “surefire” bets and viewers only see the big hits. I don’t know anyone anymore who just casually goes to the theater because it’s so expensive, so in turn, casual movies have died. The only thing I can think of that’s weathered this are genres with dedicated fan bases, like horror.
Walking out of an unsatisfying, crap movie after dropping $50 hurts, and staying at home is the easiest way to avoid it.