Hollywood Movies Reportedly Losing Money by Avoiding People with Extreme Political Opinions
Making a movie can cost millions of dollars. But several blockbuster movies in Hollywood never made their money back. In the world of Hollywood films, there is mounting evidence that avoiding opinions with radical political views may be costing film studios money. Audiences are becoming more politically involved and discriminating, looking for information that matches their own opinions and ideals.
One example is The Red Door, which earned $33 million from just 3,188 theatres for a $10,351 per theatre revenue, compared to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’s $26.5 million domestic haul from 4,600 theatres for a $5,761 per theatre gross. Sound of Freedom also outperformed Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in terms of per-theater gross. The picture grossed $18.2 million in only 2,951 theatres, for a $6,172 per theatre average.
Hollywood Blockbusters Struggle at the Box Office
In recent years, Hollywood has been accused of lacking creativity, with many films and television shows being sequels, reboots, or adaptations. As a result, there is an impression of creative stagnation, which may lead to a drop in audience interest and revenue. An examination of four representative science fiction films from the last four decades reveals the unexpected prevalence of anti-establishment undertones in popular cinema. The four films chosen are, in chronological order, Robocop (1987), Starship Troopers (1997), Avatar (2009), and In Time (2011). They confront topics like media, racism, capitalism, and privatization as a group.
Steven Spielberg has predicted a “meltdown” in the film industry as more Hollywood blockbusters fail at the box office, leading to higher ticket costs and fewer options for moviegoers. The director predicted that spectators will pay various amounts for each picture, possibly more than three times as much for a superhero blockbuster as for a political epic.
YouTuber WDW Pro commented on it, “Movie theaters used to enjoy the attendance of people of all political spectrums. And what has happened is that these studios have made the decision to push propaganda and divisive content in such a way that they have eliminated vast swaths of their audience“.
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How Major Studios Have Marketed Their Films?
It’s typical for publicists to advise clients to avoid difficult or divisive political themes because taking a stand can alienate a segment of the audience. To appeal to a wide spectrum of consumers, public leaders, and businesses frequently aim to maintain a neutral or inclusive image. The Hollywood Reporter then cites Juda Engelmayer, a founding partner at Emerald Digital and President of HeraldPR, who specifically claims that Disney caters to left-wing hate mobs. “I don’t know what people at Disney personally believe or don’t believe in terms of politics, but as a corporate entity, they want to stay as trouble-free as possible,” Engelmayer said.
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During a 2021 speech at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, former Marvel Studios CEO Victoria Alonso also discussed Marvel Studios’ marketing initiatives focusing on representation. Alonso further stated that the reason they have such consistent success is because their audience is global. “For the longest time, we were told that a woman-led film would never be released,” she concluded. “I tell them, “Please double-check, Captain Marvel made a lot of money. Then they always warned us that Black Panther would never be released and that no one wanted a completely black cast, yet it grossed $1.3 billion.”
Source: Bounding Into Comics
