What’s Wrong With Hollywood and How to Fix It?
A few weeks ago, we launched a contest inviting readers to submit personal essays about what’s gone wrong with the movie business—and how it might win back the audiences that seem to have largely abandoned it. We received many excellent entries, but five stood out as the best. We’ll be publishing one each day this week.
Here’s the fourth, courtesy of Mr. Mike O’Neil! (You can read the first right HERE, the second right HERE, the third HERE!, and the fourth HERE!)
Back in 2019, massive hits like Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, a live-action remake of The Lion King, and animated sequels to Frozen and Toy Story topped the box office and brought in huge audiences. But in 2020, movie theaters shut down due to the pandemic—and even though we’ve largely returned to normal, box office receipts are still far from where they once were.
While it would be easy to blame the pandemic or other obvious factors, the truth is more complex. Hollywood studios have been making poor decisions for much of the 21st century. Even without the pandemic, box office revenue might still be struggling to surpass past records.
So what are the biggest problems facing Hollywood—and how do we fix them?
It’s the Accountants, Stupid
Full disclosure: I work in motion picture production and have for almost 25 years. One of the biggest trends I’ve noticed is the increasing dominance of accountants in decision-making. This isn’t just an issue on individual productions—it’s happening across the board.
I’ve never been under any illusion that Hollywood was some kind of artistic utopia. In fact, several friends have often reminded me, “It’s show business, not show art.” But Hollywood’s greatest moments have come when there was a balance between art and commerce. Studios need to take risks in order to achieve real greatness.
Today, studios are too focused on churning out hit after hit, assuming the formula for one successful movie can simply be applied to the next. That’s how we’ve ended up with endless superhero films—most of which are starting to look and feel the same.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with making crowd-pleasers to drive revenue. But superhero movies are becoming more and more expensive, draining production budgets from other kinds of films that might actually strengthen the studios’ bottom line.
In the 1970s, you had a studio system that could make successful disaster films like The Towering Inferno, Airport, and The Poseidon Adventure, which in turn gave them the financial runway to take big risks on movies like The Godfather, Jaws, and Star Wars. Studios need to return to that model: spend modestly on the sure things, while reserving real resources for bold, innovative films with breakout potential.
That means fewer Bob Igers and David Zaslavs—and more Robert Evanses and Alan Ladds. We need studio executives who love movies, not those who just see them as line items on a balance sheet.
The Franchise Problem
Franchises have been Hollywood’s engine for most of the 21st century. From Nolan’s Batman trilogy to Marvel and Star Wars, franchises have ruled the box office for the last 25 years.
But returns are diminishing. Even when a film could succeed as a standalone story, studios often force it into franchise territory.
As someone who grew up reading comics, I’ve loved seeing my favorite superheroes brought to life on screen. As a lifelong Star Wars fan who once thought I’d never even get to see the Clone Wars, today’s Star Wars content—on both big and small screens—is more than I ever imagined. And yet, even though these franchises scratch some of my personal itches, I can see the problems clearly.
A big one is variety. Most franchises now chase the same trends, leading to creative stagnation. But another issue that gets less attention is today’s shortage of journeymen directors.
Most people can’t name the directors of The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, or most James Bond films. That’s because those directors weren’t flashy auteurs—they were skilled craftsmen hired to do a job and do it well.
Today, directors are often marquee names, with some as recognizable to audiences as the stars themselves. That’s not necessarily a bad thing—Hollywood is better for embracing strong creative voices. But auteurs don’t always fit well within franchise filmmaking, where consistency often matters more than personal vision.
Take Star Wars as an example. Creative differences have led to rushed productions and directors being replaced mid-shoot. Some of the series’ weakest entries—like the prequels and The Rise of Skywalker—were helmed by filmmakers with very specific visions that didn’t resonate with audiences. Meanwhile, creators like Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau have focused on simply making good Star Wars stories—and their work has not only been better received, it’s even helped people reevaluate the prequels.
The Price of Popcorn
Another major factor is cost. No matter how many novelty popcorn buckets or subscription services theaters offer, many audiences are hesitant to return.
It also doesn’t help that studios followed Netflix’s lead by launching their own streaming services. Now, audiences are used to watching new releases from the comfort of home—sometimes on the very same day they hit theaters.
People do want to go to the theater for big spectacles or films that generate buzz. But those kinds of movies are risky. While today’s studios excel at spectacle, they seem to have forgotten how to make the bold, audacious films that get people talking.
Refocusing on mid-budget, riskier films won’t always work—but if studios want people back in theaters, they need to embrace the possibility of failure. Without risk, there’s no reward—and no reason for audiences to leave the couch.
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