Legendary “Coming To America,” “Animal House” and “An American Werewolf in London” filmmaker John Landis has lamented the state of modern-day Hollywood.
Speaking with Deadline (via Indiewire) at the Taormina Film Festival earlier this week, he says a combination of various factors including the long-term effects of the pandemic and the current industrial actions have caused ‘chaos’:
“Do you know it’s the first time in Hollywood history that the Directors Guild, the Writers Guild, and the IA are all united. The film industry is in chaos, and I hope the audience comes back to theaters.”
The comments come as the Writers Guild remains on strike, the Directors Guild reached a deal with the AMPTP to avoid one, and SAG-AFTRA contract negotiations are still underway, but an actor’s strike could take place in as little as a few hours.
However, Landis has put the blame on another culprit for the problems of the film industry – streaming services:
“The sentiment really is the sorrow for the pathetic state the business is in. You know, between streaming and the pandemic, it was like a stake through the heart. It really hurts the business and continues to do so. And there’s the strike now. The streamers really are the bad guys.
Motion pictures are meant to be seen in a large house, cinema, a big theater, on a big screen, with good sound and as many people as possible because it’s a communal experience.”
Thus streaming takes away from what he sees as a crucial aspect of cinema – the social experience. Landis adds everything is in “sort of limbo” due to the WGA strike right now, including several projects of his own that he’s “desperate to work on”.
His upcoming projects include an upcoming Broadway show, two feature films and a TV series.
