James Gunn Is Wrong About the Movie Industry’s Biggest Problem

James Gunn may be taking the DCU in the right direction, from the recent cancellation of a DC movie, for which he revealed valid reasons for dropping, to a focus on delivering quality over quantity when it comes to upcoming feature films and TV series. For DC fans, the overall viability of the various franchises finally seems poised to compete with Marvel at the box office.

However, in a recent interview with Rolling Stone, the head of DC Studios gave a take on the overall health of the movie industry that is, frankly, baffling. Stating, “I do believe that the reason why the movie industry is dying is not because of people not wanting to see movies. It’s not because of home screens getting so good,” adding, “The number-one reason is because people are making movies without a finished screenplay.” While there is some validity to this, as a competent screenplay is essential, it is a narrow-minded view when considering the movie industry as a whole.

James Gunn’s Views on the Movie Industry’s Struggles Are Easily Contradicted

The statement in the interview can be quickly dismissed by examining the box office performance of original films that do not fare well. Notably, Hollywood has always produced bad movies, but its current struggle lies in getting original films to succeed. Not all original movies can be Sinners, which broke box office records for an original film. Instead, original films that have earned critical praise and a dedicated fan following have been struggling. So far this year, Bong Joon-ho’s Mickey 17 has failed to break even on its production costs (before marketing) of $118 million, and Novocaine only made $34.2 million, contributing to one of the worst box office weekends in history.

Of course, other relatively recent original movies suffered for different reasons, such as the poor reception for The Alto Knights and Megalopolis. However, in all these cases, these films were fully conceptualized before their release, not relying on franchise popularity over producing a quality script. This is a straightforward contradiction to a cold take from Gunn, but upon breaking down the nuances, there are many more issues facing Hollywood beyond bad scripts.

James Gunn’s Take on Hollywood’s Decline Misses the Bigger Picture

While anecdotal, how many people know others or choose to forgo the movie experience themselves because they know it will soon be available on streaming? The window has become shorter than ever before, and many choose to wait a couple of months to watch it on one of many streaming platforms. Combined with the abundance of readily available content, FOMO at the theater is no longer as prevalent as it once was.

For many in a struggling economy, the view of the theater-going experience has also seen a shift. Given the high cost of ticket prices and concessions, many view the experience as more of a luxury. Generation Z has approximately 72% less purchasing power than Boomers would have had in their 20s (Consumer Affairs). Entertainment is a top priority for Gen Z, but if they don’t have the money, they are unlikely to attend.

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Finally, the way people consume media has undergone a significant change, with the immersion of a theater experience often seen as a deterrent when hooked on multitasking; 60% of teens use their phones while watching TV at home. Regardless of your age, ask yourself: How often do you stare at your phone while watching TV? Does it negatively affect your desire to go to the theater, even on a subconscious level? New trends, such as screenings of M3GAN with an interactive chatbot, are not intended to provide fans with something fun to do; instead, they are the industry’s attempt to address a problem.

These box office struggles highlight that the issue is not simply bad screenplays, but a confluence of market and cultural shifts. We hope that James Gunn can steer the DCU in the direction that the fans deserve, but his comments on bad scripts being the cause behind theater woes are short-sighted.