Harvey Weinstein’s second sex crimes trial began Monday in Los Angeles. “She Said,” about the journalist’s investigation that took him down and sparked the #MeToo movement, hits theaters Nov. 18. I thought about the man who sexually assaulted her enhancing her visceral performance as leader of an all-female group of African warriors.
This convergence is a reminder of how shocking #MeToo was for Hollywood.
It helped influence the entertainment industry’s broader considerations of diversity, equity, and inclusion on both sides of the camera: who makes the film and who is the subject of the film. Activists say the studio and set have changed for the better forever. zero tolerance Sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace is real.
But in recent months, Hollywood’s business culture has begun to recede in subtle ways.
New issues — widespread cost cutting as the box office continues to struggle, and upcoming union deal negotiations that producers fear will lead to film closures — are taking on a higher priority. I’m here. Media companies that were vocal about #MeToo and Black Lives Matter have kept quiet in recent political debates on cultural issues for fear of headwinds.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Executive they say they’re tired The women who were hired for big jobs and held up as the winning exemplars of the new age have been sidelined, and some of the men who had been sidelined by accusations of wrongdoing are working again. .
When asked to speak on record about their continued dedication to change, Hollywood executives either refuse or shudder toward the “we remain resolutely committed” talking point written by a publicist. But what they say in person is another story. Some go back to sexist and racist language. Indeed, much of the enthusiasm is gone.
This article is based on interviews with over 20 industry leaders including studio heads, agents, activists, marketers and producers. They ranged in age, race, ethnicity and gender.
“For three years, we were only hiring women and people of color,” said a senior film executive who, like many industry leaders, is white and male. He added that he didn’t think they could do the job they got.
Over lunch at Toscana Brentwood and quiet conversation over cocktails at the San Vicente Inn, some influential producers and agents questioned the commercial viability of inclusion-oriented films and shows. Some are starting.
They point to the terrible ticket sales of films such as “Bros,” the first gay rom-com from a major studio, and “Easter Sunday,” a comedy positioned as a turning point for the Philippines. “MS. Marvel” critically revered According to Nielsen’s measurements, Disney+ series about teenage Muslim superheroes were neglected.
“There was overcorrection,” said one studio head.
At another major studio, top production executives noted: Implosion of Time’s UpThe turning point was an anti-harassment group founded by an influential Hollywood woman. “That fear remains, but has been mitigated. There is more gray space and greater benefit to doubt when it comes to making hasty judgments that happened during the height of #MeToo.”
Is this a pendulum swing to the good old days?
Amy Baer, producer, former studio executive and president of the board said: women in movies, advocacy groups. “But there is fatigue. It’s hard to keep the momentum going.”
The entertainment company has not backed down from its strict sexual harassment policies introduced in recent years. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently renewed its diversification campaign. Despite years of aggressive efforts to invite women and people of color to become members, the Academy is now 66% male and 81% white.
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Studios continue to focus on inclusive casting, especially with Disney making live-action films.little mermaid‘ is in the works with a black actress in the lead role, and a ‘Snow White’ movie is in production with a Latino lead.
Nevertheless, the moment is unsettling, said Sarah Ann Masse, an actress who appears in “She Said,” based on the book by New York Times reporters Jodie Cantor and Megan Twohy, and serves on two sexual harassment prevention committees of the all-powerful actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA. increase. In 2017, Masse accused Weinstein of sexually assaulting him in 2008. he denies any wrongdoing.
“I’m not naive enough to think that an unequal and often oppressive system will change overnight,” Masse said. “At the same time, I find it incredibly frustrating. Especially those at the top of the food chain seem to be distracted by new concerns.”
In August, Warner Bros. Discovery shelved “Batgirl.” It is a near-finished film starring a Latina actress, with a transgender actress in a supporting role, written by a woman, produced by a woman, and directed by two Muslim men.Warner Bros. Discovery never publicly explained its decision, but said that “Batgirl” lack creativity.
Dan Lin, a producer with credits such as “Aladdin” (2019) and “The Lego Movie,” was among those who speculated otherwise.
“It’s no longer about optics,” Lin said. “I’m really worried that the recession is coming, budgets are getting tighter, and diversity will be the first thing we lose.”
Last week, Warner Bros. Television announced that as part of broader cost-cutting measures, Shut down the “New Voices” program It prompted a fierce reaction from the Directors Guild of America for the budding writer and director. The DGA will not just sit on the sidelines,” the Guild said in a statement.
Warner Bros. Discovery rushes to reveal that although the New Voices program is indeed coming to an end, it planned from the beginning to expand its talent pipeline program across diversity, equity and inclusion. rice field.
“The resolve remains to have more women and people of color in the writer’s room, the director, and the screen,” Lin said. “The problem is there’s very little training and support. They cost money.” Lin recently launched Rideback Rise, a nonprofit accelerator focused on emerging minority filmmakers and writers. launched.
There is no longer a blanket ban on men accused of cheating.Johnny Depp is movie director, which largely won a lawsuit filed by his ex-spouse, actress Amber Heard, who accused him of sexual and domestic violence. and apologized for “mistakes” that made some staff members feel “disrespectful or offensive”. He’s currently producing a big-budget movie for Apple TV+.James Franco’s acting career fell apart in 2018 allegations of sexual misconductFour years later, after a $2.2 million settlement in which he pleaded not guilty, he has at least three films in store.
Studios are also starting to take more risks with their content. For example, his 2018, at the height of #MeToo, or Black Lives Matter being at the forefront of culture, he backs up scripts that would have been radioactive in 2020.
An example is Netflix’s drama about Marilyn Monroe, Blonde, which has been derided by critics as exploitative and misogynistic. (It features a talking aborted fetus.) Paramount Pictures is working on a live-action musical comedy about slave trade reparations. It comes from Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the politically incorrect creative force behind ‘South Park’ and ‘The Book of Mormon’.
Two ride-along reality shows that praised police and were canceled after George Floyd was murdered in police custody, ‘Cops’ and ‘Live PD’, have both been remade. “Cops” was picked up by Fox News streaming service Fox Nation, and “On Patrol: Live,” a little disguise of “Live PD,” debuted over the summer on cable network Reels.
At the same time, some movies and shows that openly showcase diversity and inclusion have failed to struggle in the marketplace or make it off the runway. A lesson to at least some agents and studio executives: We’ve tried — these ‘woke’ projects just don’t work.
Of course, most of what Hollywood makes struggles for attention, and very few for a single reason. No one looks at the poor sales of tickets to Brad Pitt’s movies and concludes that they don’t want to see an older white man on screen. But entertainment is a passive business, chasing whatever works for the weekend. And the “I wake up and I’m broken” joke runs the risk of becoming entrenched in conventional Hollywood wisdom.
“The real question is whether comedy can be successful at the box office in general, but my concern is that the question becomes ‘Does Filipino comedy work’ or ‘Does gay comedy work? It’s about to happen,” Lin said. Easter Sunday” starred Joe Coy, and he raised $13 million in theaters before stalling. “Even if you’re a woman or a minority, you can’t get a repeat chance.”