Hollywood is trying to appeal to red states and retreating from progressive messaging
Over the past few years, Hollywood has released movies with progressive values, often with little success, according to the New York Times. "Barbie" was a huge success," but "Strange World," "The Marvels" and "The Color Purple" did not do well. Ticket buyers are sending the message: "We just want to be entertained, no homework attached," The Times said.
Now Hollywood is retreating from progressive values. For example, Lee Isaac Chung, the director of the new "Twisters" movie, said he didn't want to mention climate change, which the Times said "served as a dog whistle to conservative ticket buyers. The movie is not condescending to rural values, said Mike Barstow, executive vice president of Main Street Theaters, which operates theaters in the midwest. People from the city are mocked when one guy says that "Kate's from New York. You can't trust a thing she says."
“We couldn’t afford to overlook any audience,” said Michael Moses, chief marketing officer at Universal. “With every decision, it was about how can we include and not exclude.”
Disney is also concerned about overt messages in its films. “We have to entertain first - it’s not about messages,” Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, said at a conference late last year. “I don’t really want to tolerate the opposite.” The switch has been going well for them, with the Times citing escapist movies like "Inside Out 2" and "Deadpool & Wolverine" as success stories.
Why are they going so hard after red states? "Ticket buyers in red states were the fastest to return to theaters after the pandemic, while those in coastal cities were the slowest. Some large markets, including San Francisco, have not fully recovered, according to studio distribution executives," the Times said.
Paramount is focusing on "all-audience" movies like "Gladiator II." “Many moviegoers don’t want agendas or Hollywood telling them what they should be thinking,” said Chris Aronson, Paramount’s president of domestic distribution. He cited the movie "IF" as a film that "resonated strongly" with moviegoers in the heartland.
Source
Now Hollywood is retreating from progressive values. For example, Lee Isaac Chung, the director of the new "Twisters" movie, said he didn't want to mention climate change, which the Times said "served as a dog whistle to conservative ticket buyers. The movie is not condescending to rural values, said Mike Barstow, executive vice president of Main Street Theaters, which operates theaters in the midwest. People from the city are mocked when one guy says that "Kate's from New York. You can't trust a thing she says."
“We couldn’t afford to overlook any audience,” said Michael Moses, chief marketing officer at Universal. “With every decision, it was about how can we include and not exclude.”
Disney is also concerned about overt messages in its films. “We have to entertain first - it’s not about messages,” Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, said at a conference late last year. “I don’t really want to tolerate the opposite.” The switch has been going well for them, with the Times citing escapist movies like "Inside Out 2" and "Deadpool & Wolverine" as success stories.
Why are they going so hard after red states? "Ticket buyers in red states were the fastest to return to theaters after the pandemic, while those in coastal cities were the slowest. Some large markets, including San Francisco, have not fully recovered, according to studio distribution executives," the Times said.
Paramount is focusing on "all-audience" movies like "Gladiator II." “Many moviegoers don’t want agendas or Hollywood telling them what they should be thinking,” said Chris Aronson, Paramount’s president of domestic distribution. He cited the movie "IF" as a film that "resonated strongly" with moviegoers in the heartland.
Source