Re-Porter Blog: Summer Movie Season Special Report

 

Last year at the movies was an eventful one, to say the least. Sporting one of the most stacked lineups of the 2020s, fans had plenty to be excited about. But looking back, it is clear while there was much to celebrate, there is plenty to be concerned about. For every triumph that came with some genuine fanfare, the industry came out limping as recent events have put the state of things in flux. From below-average box office returns to the ongoing industry strikes, 2023 ended up with so much concerning baggage that drastically impacted this year and the ones following it. In this post, I want to give a retrospective on last year’s film releases, the reaction of the industry and pop culture in general, and how it has reshaped my relationship with the industry and those who claim to be its sacred gatekeepers. 

The release of Barbie and Oppenheimer
 was truly the last time that the box
office saw any significant returns.

Let me start this off on a positive note by saying that last year’s SMS was a whirlwind of fun movies from beginning to end. The sheer bevy of content was immense and kept me going to the cinema in some cases every week. It was great to always have something to look forward to at the movies. From seeing the final installment of the Guardians of The Galaxy series to the long-awaited return to the Spider-Verse, summer was a great time to be a cinephile. The pure joy I felt knowing that every week was a new adventure to get lost in on screen is why I love movies so much. However, after the Barenheimer phenomenon, things took a sinister turn, to say the least. The SAG/AFTRA strike just months after the WGA strike effectively shut down the entire industry in a shockwave in Hollywood not felt since the COVID pandemic. Productions were put on indefinite hiatus and a multitude of potential box office juggernauts were removed or pushed back 1 or 2 years. Some of those films were just released this year and will be released during this year's summer movie season. This hit several studios rather hard because, without the marketing to boost awareness and anticipation, a lot of films suffered greatly at the box office regardless of their quality. Superhero films like Blue Beetle or The Marvels became instant afterthoughts soon after release with word of mouth almost non-existent. The lack of a studio presence at SDCC can be looked at as a key culprit in a lot of pop culture movies never really gaining traction. The reliance on that community showing up really put those types of films in financial jeopardy. 

Once a hallmark of Hollywood film marketing, the strikes 
left SDCC a shell of its former self with some of the big-time
studios pulling out due to the inability to market upcoming 
releases

Needless to say, it was a trying time for the industry and those that followed it. So many "industry experts" and content creators voiced their opinions about the situation. Some gave genuine criticism to the industry and supported the WGA/SAG-AFTRA members. Others took this as an opportunity to blatantly spread misinformation and put all their exhaustive emotional baggage online in an attempt to rile people up and sow discourse. For me, it was incredibly tiring seeing these types of people create such a hostile environment. The Marvel fandom became a real pain to deal with as the levels of entitlement and hostility reached a level I haven't seen since Star Wars fans post-Rise of Skywalker. It seemed like the studio couldn't do anything right with so many demonizing things being said about actors, directors, producers, and writers. While I believe the franchise is experiencing some growing pains Post-Endgame, I still don't think the amount of backlash is warranted, especially given that so many fans are asking for something impossible to replicate. The strikes made it very hard for me to continue to want to be affiliated with pop culture fandom. I supported both strikes 100% but what I didn't support was the prospect of a collection of people just being downright despicable in how they react to things they don't like and go out of their way to damage the self-esteem of others who don't share their viewpoints. It made for some very exhausting periods of stress and frustration that really had me questioning if the idea of fandom was actually worth it. 

Despite the strikes ending, the fight continues as
so many strive for better pay and representation 
amongst the rise of AI-generated content

All that aside, my support for actors and writers in the industry is still strong. As someone who is an advocate for equal pay in Hollywood, I would call myself an extreme hypocrite if I championed actors' and writers' mental health yet in the same vein told them they should take less money than they deserve. With the rise of AI, I am even more motivated to advocate for human creators and performers for it is through them that we get content that is for lack of a better word..."human". In no way will I advertise or even entertain the idea of AI being a tool for creativity because I have a strong desire to have something that feels real. I advise anyone who truly supports the creative side of entertainment to advocate for non-AI-generated art. Some of the best work comes from a real place of emotion and realness. The more we put that at the forefront, the better the industry becomes as a whole. 

Despite all of the baggage from last year's strikes, I am still on fire for what the industry has to offer moving forward. Hopefully, studios take the lessons of these strikes and course-correct in terms of respecting those who bring the content they finance to life. Both parties are essential to creating things that truly matter. Writers give characters their voices but actors give characters their souls. Without them, what do you have? If you take nothing else from this post, I hope you come away with an understanding that you shouldn't take these industry contributors for granted. It is through them that these forms of fiction feel real.