Are movies back to their pre-pandemic popularity? Box office juggernauts like “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way Of Water” may indicate that’s the case, but 2022 was still a challenging year for the film industry. Overall, the grosses for films remain lower than they did before COVID-19. And there have been a few huge flops this year, with Damien Chazelle‘s “Babylon” being the latest.
So, leave it to Danish enfant terrible Nicolas Winding Refn to diagnose Hollywood’s woes. In Refn’s eyes? Hollywood is a “system that’s falling apart desperately” that must reinvent itself to survive. IndieWire reports that Refn shared his thoughts on cinema’s current theatrical market on the latest episode of Deadline‘s “Crew Call” podcast while promoting his upcoming Netflix series, “Copenhagen Cowboy.” In short, Refn thinks Hollywood needs a real shot of life: “any film with a heart,” in his words, like his 2011 film, “Drive,” which he thinks would be hard to make today.
“Hollywood is very seductive and intoxicating, but it’s also a system that’s falling apart desperately,” Refn said during his interview on the podcast. “And I think they’re doing it to themselves more than anything else. Who knows? I would love to make something grandiose and big, but I would want to maintain my freedom, my impulse and creative control.” Refn believes the best remedy for Hollywood lies in reinvention, i.e.: challenging itself to make movie that compete with streaming platforms.
“The theatrical market is in its own redefinition of existence,” Refn continued. “For cinema to survive, we need to go back and make films again. There also needs to be an ecosystem that reflects the opportunities. Streaming has forced the theatrical market to reinvent themselves as well. I don’t think theatrical will ever go away. I think theatrical will always exist, but it needs to be challenged in order to become better, more sufficient and more meaningful.” In the interview, Refn also confirmed that he “thinks” he’ll make a new film in 2023.
As “Copenhagen Cowboy” approaches its January 5 premiere on Netflix, Refn’s name returns to the public eye. American audiences know the Danish filmmaker best for his 2011 film “Drive” with Ryan Gosling, a film Refn think would be tougher to make now. “Of course, I just think it would be very difficult to finance, because the ecosystem is in such freefall,” Refn said. “But absolutely I think you could make any film with a heart nowadays. In a way, it will probably be good for the system. It will probably be something that moves things forward again.” Refn’s other work includes his “Pusher” trilogy, shot in his native Denmark, 2016’s fashion-horror film “The Neon Demon,” and 2019’s criminally underseen series “Too Old To Die Young.” “Copenhagen Cowboy” is Refn’s first project in four years.
While Refn laments the current state of Hollywood, he vows he’ll never make a mainstream film. “I’ve always cherished my independence,” Refn said. “I think waking up in the morning and going to work and paint the way you want it to look and go home, is still the most satisfying experience ever. For me, if you don’t have the power of control at the end of the day or the ability to manipulate into your favor, it is committee. You have to spend your entire day struggling to get a compromise across, then what example am I to my own kids?” It’s worth noting here that Refn’s daughter, LizzieLou Winding Refn, has a starring role in “Copenhagen Cowboy.”
So, is Refn’s diagnosis of the theatrical film industry right now correct? A little bit. But Refn’s definition of a “film with a heart” is much different than what general audiences usually want to watch. This writer is all for Refn making a new movie that packs enough adrenaline to amp up Hollywood. But at this point, there need to be several filmmakers with enough cultural cache as Refn doing the same thing to shake things up adequately. Moviegoers everywhere would welcome a cinematic wake-up call like that. Check out a trailer for “Copenhagen Cowboy” below.