Whether you're part of the entertainment industry or not, you might understand that business, let's just say, hasn't been great. It's not as though creativity is gone or viewers are completely disinterested. This year alone, Dune: Part 2 grossed more than $700 million worldwide and close to $300 domestically, yet we also just saw the worst box office Memorial Day weekend in over 40 years (adjusted to inflation).
So what gives? Is the sky falling for the movie biz, so to speak? Not necessarily. On LAist 89.3’s public affairs program AirTalk , Larry Mantle spoke to Deadline business editor Dade Hayes , who helped contextualize what's behind this and why there could be signs of hope.
Recent strikes in Hollywood put film distributors in a weird position, lacking the ability to finish and promote many films. This resulted in films like Dune: Part 2 and Challengers moving to less-coveted parts of the theatrical calendar, with studios jumping to promote them as soon as possible. It also meant that a number of films slated for summer release had to be rescheduled.
“A couple of really big movies — Captain America and Mission Impossible — had to move out of 2024," Hayes said. "So those are two biggies. Deadpool & Wolverine also moved into July.
It was going to kickstart the summer in May. So those are all important to note.” Although the streaming wars are hitting a major turning point, there's a lot of interest in getting more original films onto streamers.
Major studios now.
