Are the Gates Beginning to Crack?

Last week, the New York Times published a lengthy piece on the current state of #METoo and Hollywood's turn to a more "woke" posture. The gist of the article is that "woke" isn't working, but there still needs to be an openness to new storytellers and talent. Not simply write off gay comedies because "Bros" tanked, for instance. Also, I want to give kudos to Dan Lin for lending his name to the piece. Granted, he didn't say anything earth-shattering or offensive by the Twitteratti's standard, but most of those interviewed refused to give their names simply out of fear of being destroyed for saying the wrong thing. Richard Rushfield's Tuesday Ankler column touches on the fear aspect, and the fact that Hollywood is currently out of touch with the broader audience:

"Everyone in Hollywood has become so damn strategic, so fearful for their careers, for their brand, walking on eggshells around what they can say, can't say, what they are expected to say. They fear a wrong word that will bring them disgrace. And equally, they fear a misstep, an embarrassing flop, that will cast them out of the pack."

Rushfield also gives a shout-out to the Entertainment Strategy Guy's fantastic series on The American Viewer. As you regular readers of the Brew know, this has long been my position on the current state of Hollywood. This has been an issue for Hollywood for quite some time. It's only metastasized over the last decade. Since 2016, it has only worsened due to the inability of anyone to agree on anything anymore. So what's the solution?

I still think Hollywood is capable of creating crowd-pleasers. Look at Top Gun: Maverick and the forthcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Top Gun has grossed over $1.4 billion, and Wakanda Forever is forecasted to hit $175 million this weekend. The problem is that these types of movies are so few and far between. So again, what's the solution?

First and foremost, move the hell out of the coasts. New York and Los Angeles have so dominated the industry that's it not surprising that so many people get trapped in the bubble. This isn't just a living-in-the-bubble issue either. This is quickly becoming a recruitment issue as well. As LA and New York struggle to recover from the pandemic and quality of life issues continue to drag on both locales, one has to wonder who in their right mind would want to move to NY or LA, especially right now. I often said that LA is a great city to be young and single but given its current state, I doubt I would still say that. Plus, with the cost of living being so out of control in both locations, what young person would want to move to either city and make a garbage assistant salary when they have the potential to take a gig in Nashville with a much more promising quality of life? If we want to bring down those gates in which so many work and live behind, then we need to be able to draw people from all over. I, for one, do not want an industry filled with Hollywood kids who have never stepped out of the bubble except for the unexpected trip to Aspen. 

Now, moving out of the hallowed halls of LA and NY will be challenging, but there are other cities for the industry to grow. Austin has become a popular spot, as have Nashville and Atlanta. Atlanta has become a massive production spot, so moving to that neck of the woods might be a more accessible lift. I know that many of you have heard me say this before, but it is of utmost importance to the future of the business.

One last thought. Actor Chris Evans was recently announced People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive for 2022. While I often find most of these profiles slightly insufferable, there was one good nugget from this interview. 

"Now in his 40s, Evans is trying to prioritize a healthy work-life balance and spending as much time as possible at home and with his family in Boston.

"When it comes to seeking out the people I play it's more of an issue of where the movie shoots," he says. "I'm too old to be living out of a suitcase for six months and I've settled into a nicer phase where I'm just happy being at home."

Celebrities they're just like us, right? I like this quote and Evans in general because he gets it. Even if he's hanging in Boston, he's at least not in LA or NY. Yes, you could make the argument that Boston is NY North. Maybe from a city perspective but not from a Hollywood perspective. Either way, more of this, please, from everyone in the industry. Break down those gates and get out in the great, gloriousness of the good ol'USA or, as you'll find yourself, as Richard thoughtfully ends his Ankler piece, "...performing to a room full of empty chairs."

Black Adam Stays in the Red

Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam has had a decent run these past few weeks. This past weekend, it had a 33% drop to come in at around $18.5 million ($137 Million US/$319 Million Global.) Not too shabby, but given the complete lack of competition, you would think it would be doing slightly better. Unfortunately, with its nearly $300 million all-in production and marketing price, it doesn't look like Warner Bros will make any real money off this flick. Not something David Zaslav wanted to hear, especially with all the debt hanging around his neck.

Newly minted DC leaders Peter Safran and James Gunn have some big decisions to make. There will likely be a sequel if only to guarantee the appearance of success, but I can tell you the price tag on that film will be slightly less. Still, the bottom line is that if you're going to be spending that kind of money with an essentially competition-free calendar, you better be hauling in far more than Black Adam to be considered a financial and cultural success.

Pages from the Commonplace Book

This week, we return to modern times and a contemporary philosopher, J. Budziszewski. J. Bud (as I'll refer to him because my fingers can't keep typing that last name) is a Professor of Government and Philosophy at the University of Texas- Austin. The below quote is pulled from his latest book,  How and How Not To Be Happy, which I highly recommend:

"And the man who is ruled by his appetite for power is as much a slave as a man who is ruled by his lust, by his anger, or by his belly. Instead of riding the horse, he is letting the horse ride him."

This quote was quite relevant given the elections this past Tuesday. While this is an excellent thought on what we should look out for in our leaders, it is only something we should be mindful of in ourselves.

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