GOODBYE TO A YEAR OF UPS AND DOWNS–THE STORY OF 2023 IN HOLLYWOOD

2023 is truly a year full of turmoil and challenges for the US film industry. Amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Hollywood has faced many major difficulties and movements, from inflation to wars and strikes.

Issues such as inflation may have impacted the production budgets of films and television projects, causing financial pressure for producers and investors. War and global threats may also have made international projects more difficult to produce and release.

Two major strikes may have caused disruptions in the production and release schedules of many projects, affecting the supply of films and related services.

The rise of artificial intelligence may also have created a series of new challenges and opportunities for the film industry, from creating new content to optimizing production and marketing processes. .

Although there have been many challenges, these upheavals may also have spurred innovation and growth in the film industry, helping Hollywood move forward in recovering and adapting to a new environment.

TWO HISTORIC STRIKES
On May 2, after six consecutive weeks of unsuccessful negotiations, the Hollywood Screenwriters Association (WGA), representing 11,500 film, television and other entertainment writers, launched a strike against Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). The group collectively negotiates on behalf of employees from top studios and Hollywood streaming giants such as Apple, Disney, Netflix, Sony, Warner Bros, Amazon, Paramount, NBCUniversal. In July, the Hollywood Actors Association (SAG AFTRA) – the largest union in the entertainment industry, representing 160,000 actors and artists – also agreed to participate, marking the first double strike in Hollywood’s history. since 1960.

The double strike lasted more than 6 months and brought with it many consequences

Among the labor disputes between the two sides include concerns over contracts, inflationary pressures, profit distribution as well as the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in the streaming era.

Accordingly, movie screenings were canceled one after another, the festival’s red carpet was gloomy and a series of projects were left open when more than 11,500 employees refused to work. In addition, the two major movie seasons of the year, Halloween and Christmas, both face poor revenue, leading to a “domino effect” with a series of escalating failures from stagnant film promotion and TV shows. Evening chats had to be rebroadcast again and again, giants like Disney, Warner Bros, Paramount or NBCUniversal lost hundreds of millions of dollars…

In early November, the film capital finally found light when it officially escaped the dark prospect of more than six months of strike. However, the immediate reality is still a bucket of cold water when the total damage to the economy reaches 6 billion USD. Even so, the historic suspension is still considered a “green sprout growing from the desert” when it brings a new hope that can change the face of the entertainment industry in a more positive and equitable direction.

THE ERA OF “THE SNAKE LORD” TAYLOR SWIFT
Taylor Swift’s nearly two decades of work include the rapid growth of the Internet, which saw social networks degrade the golden age of CDs by diversifying the way modern people entertain themselves. Still, Taylor’s place in the mainstream of popular culture recalls an era when the whole world listened to the same hit singles, watched the same things on television, and dressed and coiffed the same hair. … That was the vibrant, spirited era of Beatlemania (the Beatles fan phenomenon in the 1960s of the 20th century) or Michael Jackson’s Moonwalk dynasty with passionate fans crying, laughing, “Let’s sit in the dark, let’s step into the light.”

At the height of the post-pandemic concert fever, the Blank Space vocalist made The Eras Tour the highest-grossing US tour of all time, setting a Guinness World Record with a total revenue of up to 1.04 billion USD; breaking the previous achievement of legendary singer Elton John with the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour. How long did Elton travel to reach that highest position? Five years! And at that time he was 76 years old. But Taylor is only 34, nine months into her record-breaking tour, and she has a long future to continue conquering big milestones in her career on the mic.

According to statistics from Billboard, the pop star’s series of Billboard music awards this year include: top female artist, top Billboard 200 artist, top Hot 100 musician, top Radio Songs artist , top song sales artist, top Billboard Global 200 artist, top Billboard Global artist Excl. U.S., top female country music artist and best-selling song for Anti-Hero…

Along with the tour of the century, the theatrical film of the same name has once again extended the record of the “king snake” by becoming the highest-grossing concert film of all time. In addition, Taylor Swift was honored by Times Magazine as Person of the Year 2023, and Forbes rated her as one of the five most powerful women in the world. In addition to her artistic and economic achievements, the female singer also nurtures a community of Swifties (the name of Taylor Swift’s fan community) with a spirit of dedication and kindness, activities that bring values. positive for society.

“BARBENHEIMER” EFFECT

More than four years ago, after Avenger: Endgame equaled Avatar 1’s record to become the highest-grossing film of all time, director Martin Scorsese wrote a letter predicting that one day the era would come. Superheroes will lose. His comments received a lot of criticism because he believed that this genre of film was not cinema, especially when superheroes are the film genre dominating the big screen.

However, time is the most accurate answer, proving the point of view of the father of Taxi Driver (1976), that all golden peaks are only temporary. Old film standards have changed dramatically since the independent cinema boom, modern audiences are in a different mindset, demanding stories that are human, thought-provoking, and resonant. emotionally and more artistically daring.

In no other year has a three-hour film about security issues during the Cold War earned nearly $1 billion in global box office revenue, won a series of prestigious awards at film festivals and become a “dark horse”. on the way to the top of Oscar. Released at the same time as Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece, Barbie is also a name that made waves on the screen with the story of a character familiar to the childhoods of many generations: Barbie doll. By combining elements of adventure and drama, the film caters to a diverse audience including individuals looking for stories that challenge stereotypes and reflect the complexity of real-life experiences.

The two films have two opposing nuances and atmospheres. On one side are classic colors and film noir sounds with a big message about the world tragedy of 1945 and the nuclear disaster; The great figures are scientists and physical theorists; a large scene running across the United States… On one side, there is a joyful, colorful atmosphere with the main pink tone, many entertainment elements, somewhat “childish”, a fantasy setting but carrying a big message about women’s journey of self-discovery and overcoming existential crisis.

Oppenheimer and Barbie have become two names that have changed the box office game. According to data from Box Office Mojo, both are in the top three highest-grossing films globally. First place belongs to Barbie with 1.44 billion USD. Oppenheimer ranked third with $952.7 million. Ranked second is The Super Mario Bros, a surprising victory because movies adapted from video games have never had a bumper record in the movie capital.

The Barbenheimer phenomenon shows, on the one hand, the complex interaction between cinema and socio-cultural values, and on the other hand, contributes to shaping the way audiences are viewing stories in an industry that is gradually saturated with series. franchise works.

A FAILURE YEAR OF “CINEMA MONOON” DISNEY
In early February, Ant-man and the Wasp: Quantumania brought Marvel into the fifth phase with a setback when it only grossed 476 million USD globally, far from the 600 million USD needed to reach the break-even point. Part two of The Marvels was no better, becoming the company’s final proof of this genre, helping to reaffirm a sad birthday year for the movie boss. The Marvels struggled to land with the lowest first-week sales record in series history. At the same time, Marvel’s miracle company, DC, cannot escape the same predicament. After a decade of dominating the box office, the film industry in general has had another year of witnessing the fracture of the superhero dynasty.

Meanwhile, the reboot of Haunted Mansion with famous actors such as Jamie Lee Curtis, Tiffany Haddish and Jared Leto is considered a great train wreck on Disney’s 2023 movie map. Even the final film hits the mark. Signing farewell from the famous Indiana Jones franchise with the name Harrison Ford could not save the tycoon from an average box office response. The live-action film The Little Mermaid was heavily promoted but was still completely underwhelming when it debuted in the international market, accompanied by a wave of intense controversy when it brought the image of the first black mermaid to the screen. wide.

In addition, the animation industry did not make much of an impression with its declining revenue. Following the trend of exploiting exile cinema – exploring the stories and hidden corners of immigrants, Elemental with a production budget of 200 million USD only earned nearly 500 million USD globally, a rather superficial figure compared to With a work released in 2015 called Inside Out, it became a box office phenomenon with more than 860 million USD.

Marking its centennial birthday, Disney finally ends 2023 by blowing out the candles with Wish. Sadly, the movie forced the company to face a huge loss when it only brought in 125 million USD. At the end of a year of struggling at the box office, the company did not even own a single movie that brought in $1 billion. Along with the consequences of the double strike, many predict that Disney’s gloom will last into 2024.