Follow up: Hollywood cutting the chaffe
Time for a little physics lesson: For each action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This bares true in the movie biz too, as you’ll soon see.
Premise: The box office slump of (summer) 2005
Cause: People began to notice that most movies were complete and utter shit.
Effect: Hollywood collectively claims that they will begin making less shit, more good films, in about as many words.
Most might say “yeah, right,” but in a Variety article, we see that effect already begining. Sony, and others, have announced that they will be making significantly fewer films next year, thus cutting the chaffe from the B.O.
Sony believes a cutback in production is vital to clear the clutter in the marketplace. Disney is intent on pushing further resources into animation, ESPN and ABC to create new content for newly expanding digital platforms. Warner Bros. wants to focus more on big “event” movies and cut back those discomfiting “middle” films. So it goes across the board.
Ah, yes. It all makes sense. Spending more effort on box office smashes and “Oscar” films, getting rid of the glut of crap in the middle (Duece Bigelow 2? White Noise???) . It almost makes too much sense for the movie industry.
Oh, and Disney has purchased Pixar, (or maybe it’s the other way around?). Smartest move Disney ever made. Releasing Bambi III and raising the ticket prices at Disney Hong Kong was not going to cut it next year without the next “Incredibles.” And now, Steve Jobs is one of the most influential board members at Disney. Couple that with most of the major figures at Pixar gaining important roles in creative capacities at Disney and you have damn near a renaissance in the works. I have high hopes for the next few years.
UPDATE: Pixar bigwig Lassater has already canned the potentially awful and brand-diluting Toy Story 3.