Will “Snow White” escape conservative backlash?
Marc Webb didn’t ask this for this, but somehow, his live-action version of Disney’s classic animated “Snow White” has become a political powder keg. Before filming even began way back in March 2022, there was controversy over Rachel Zegler, a Latina, being cast as the title character. Later, Zegler remarked in an interview, stating the obvious – that aspects of the story needed to be updated for a modern perspective, sparking more outrage. Then, there was drama over the idea of dwarf actors being cast as the seven dwarfs (Peter Dinklage referred to it as “backward thinking”). When Disney revealed that was not the case, that the production was going in a different direction, conservative voices were upset that the movie was too politically correct. Moreover, some dwarf actors were upset there were no roles for them in the film (there is one dwarf actor among the seven). It turns out CG dwarfs are in the movie. But wait, there’s more. Israel’s invasion of Palestine saw Zegler and Israeli co-star Gal Gadot on very different sides of the political spectrum. After Zegler voiced her displeasure over the presidential results, MAGA voices demanded a boycott of the movie. The film will now arrive in theaters on March 21, 2025, three years after production began. Whether Disney’s marketing and publicity team can avoid more controversy on the road to opening day may be one of their biggest challenges this century. Oh, and did we mention the cost of the project ballooned to at least $240 million? At least there are new Pasek and Paul songs, right?
Will Hollywood “resist”?
Eight years ago was a long time ago in pop culture. The pandemic may have made it feel even further away, but when Donald Trump took office in January 2017, Hollywood was at the forefront of vocal resistance. You couldn’t watch an awards show or red carpet for years without entertainment industry activism showing its teeth. That was a common occurrence through COVID-19 and the events of January 6, 2021. Something changed after the guild strikes last year. Make no mistake, Hollywood is overwhelmingly a Democratic town and one of the parties’ major fundraising sources, but the industry has looked inward as the fall of Peak TV has affected the gig economy. There are other priorities when friends and families can’t get acting, writing, or accounting gigs. To be clear, there were many loud voices supporting Kamala Harris, and Trump is not popular in the business. And yet, since the election, there has been a chill from those wanting to make sure they aren’t cut off from gigs for being too politically active. The blowback from Palestine supporters over the past 12 months was a wake-up call of what can happen for many. Moreover, the popular bro podcast community, which turned super-right for the election, is seen as a massive influencer to young men by media company CEOs. Hollywood wants their dollars. Change was in the air for a while, though. When Iger signaled a less political stance last spring, it was a major flip from his position during the social justice movement in the summer of 2020. Settling a defamation case with Trump, which ABC News likely would have won? With a formal apology, no less? Many saw that as taking a knee to an authoritarian leader. Effectively, Hollywood is biting its tongue…for now. It may only take one or two acts by the returning President to open the floodgates of protest from the Left Coast. Will that happen before or after the Oscars ceremony on March 2? Ponder.
Can MUBI expand upon its “The Substance” success?
The American theater machine has needed another significant indie distributor since “the company that shall not be named (cough, The Weinstein Company) fell apart in 2017. NEON has picked up some of the slack, as has A24, with significantly wider releases in the post-COVID era. But as both of those distributors slightly broaden their efforts, there has been room for a significant player for breakout indie fare to fill the gap. MUBI was already doing that in the U.K. and did some piecemeal releases in the U.S., but that all changed with “The Substance.” Working off an almost entirely social-media marketing and publicity plan, the acclaimed Coralie Fargeat body horror thriller exceeded expectations, earning $16.4 million domestically. Up next is a TIFF pickup, the thriller “Bring Them Down” with Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbott, going “wide” on February 7. The distributor also acquired “Magic Farm,” starring Chloë Sevigny, Alex Wolff, and Simon Rex, before its Sundance Film Festival debut later this month. Will they make more moves in Park City? Every sales agent and filmmaker with a movie available is certainly hoping so.
Will “Michael” save Lionsgate?
To suggest Lionsgate had a very rough 2024 is something of an understatement. At best, they had two “singles down the line,” to use a Baseball analogy, in terms of box office successes. Horror flicks “Imaginary” and “The Strangers: Chapter 1” were likely breakeven or minor moneymakers at best. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” has been a double, a clear winner the mini-major needed before Jan. 1. The rest of the year? An utter disaster with one flop after another and a money pit in the long-delayed “Borderlands,” which cost $115 million and earned just $31 million globally. Granted, like many smaller players, Lionsgate will say their financial situation risk was alleviated by international pre-sales. Sure, but not with these many bombs. The studio has two movies it hopes will shake it out of its funk in 2025. The first is another long-delayed player, “Ballerina,” a “John Wick” spin-off starring Ana de Armas. The studio even changed the title to “From the World of John Wick: Ballerina” in hopes of boosting its appeal. In October, it has a real chance to return to form with Antoine Fuqua’s Michael Jackson biopic, “Michael.” The movie is pricey – reportedly a $155 million budget – but Lionsgate is hoping for somewhere between a “Bohemian Rhapsody” ($910 million gross) and “Elvis” ($288 million gross) success. Even with the controversial allegations against him, Jackson is still massively popular around the world. And just look at the success of “MJ the Musical” on Broadway and the Cirque Du Soleil spectacle “Michael Jackson: One,” which has been going strong in Las Vegas since 2013. If Fuqua can fashion a movie that just presses the obvious buttons, that might be enough to give Lionsgate an impressive lifeline.
Will “Survive till 2025” pan out for unemployed creatives in LA?
The end of the guild strikes in November 2023 did not put a majority of the industry back to work. Media companies continued layoffs, and streamers, outside of Netflix in particular, cut down on television production. Even reality TV was hit by the slowdown. One excuse was media companies were compensating for a backlog of projects either in production or about to be filmed before the six-month work stoppage occurred. A common phrase heard around town was “survive till 2025,” when spending was expected to increase, and more TV shows and films would go into production. The good news is there are signs the industry may be percolating again with pilot and script pickups over the past few months. The problem is many of these projects are being shot not just outside of Southern California but overseas. CA Governor Gavin Newsom plans to formally double the state’s yearly tax credit to $750 million. Unfortunately, it won’t have an impact until 2026. Will there be enough of an upswing over the next 12 months, or will “survive till 2026” be the next mantra?
