The Studio System Needs to Die.
- Laurel Walls
- May 29, 2019
- 2 min read
In the 1930s the Studio System was developed in Hollywood. This consisted of the Big 5 studios, 20th Century Fox, Metro-Goldwyn Meyer, RKO Pictures, Paramount Pictures, and Warner Brothers, four of which are still around today. The studio system is gigantic big-budget studios that have all the resources in the world and monopolize on the industry.
I think that it's time for the studio-system to meet its end. Sure, we all love a good blockbuster, but it can be done a different way without these huge corporations capitalizing. It's unfair to filmmakers that have a vision but won't achieve the success that they deserve because they're unable to get around this exclusive system. There is no room for the actual important stories to be made in these big studios. All they want is a money grab, that's why you see sequels, prequels, and 3rds and 4ths to every movie coming out of these studios. Just because the movie comes out with a big budget and mass marketing and "smashes" the box office doesn't make it a quality movie. I think that the studio system needs to dissolve and make it a level playing field. Movies can still be made with big budgets but shouldn't be handed that from a big Hollywood studio just because they have a notable name, they should also have to have a solid and actually good idea. There's tons of incredible movies out there that the general population will never have the privilege of seeing because the filmmaker couldn't afford wide release due to studio capitalization.
The recent box office numbers only prove this point further. Booksmart, an incredible movie that should be seen by all opened up with a near $7 million, while Aladdin, a remake of an already existing movie opened up with $91.5 million. There's no room for original ideas to come in and break the box office and there's no way for them to be given the recognition they deserve when they're stacking up next to a remake of a Disney movie. It's ridiculous how the industry runs its' studio system and it needs to be resolved before other incredible films, actors, and directors go to waste.
Leave a comment below with your thoughts!
Some movies are made to see on the big screen, others are not. That’s one of the reasons that Aladdin had a much bigger opening than Booksmart. I’m sure Booksmart is an entertaining movie, but I can wait for it to come out on demand or Netflix and watch it on my big screen TV. I’m going to see Aladdin in the theatre tomorrow and I’ve already seen the animated movie and the play, so I have a pretty good idea of how the story goes. There are more options today for someone who wants to make a movie than there has ever been, just call Netflix.