Former Disney exec on the state of Hollywood today

[ALIASd]

Former Fox and Disney studio chief Bill Mechanic delivered a gloomy forecast for the U.S. movie industry -- studios and indies -- in his keynote speech Tuesday at the Independent Film & Television Alliance Production Conference in Santa Monica.

"Hollywood in the broadest sense of the word is much like Detroit," said Mechanic, a producer and CEO of Pandemonium. "It's a manufacturer's mentality that reigns, seemingly indifferent to the consumers it serves."

Mechanic said that since shifting from being a studio boss to indie production, he has seen that "the independent world was no more concerned with the consumer than the studios."

He said that while attendance was declining and revenue growth was a function of inflation, the number of movies made jumped as a result of an influx of hedge-fund money creating a glut of product, "most of it with no idea of who it was for or how it could be sold."

He added, "Whether some of these movies had artistic integrity or not, there is no question there was no audience appeal."

Mechanic said that since 1990, the number of movies made increased by half and since 2000 by 25% again, with most coming from nonmajors whose output rose from 150 pictures in 1990 to 450 in 2008. "That, my friends," Mechanic said, "is insanity."

full story at:
Exec gives dim industry forecast

Bill Mechanic says lack of consumer regard dents studios

Exec gives dim industry forecast

[ALIASd]

Re: Former Disney exec on the state of Hollywood today

Bill Mechanic's company has produced Terrence Malick's 'The New World' (2005 Worldwide box office:$30,536,013)and Disney's Touchstone Pictures release, 'Dark Water' (2005 Worldwide box office:$49,483,352). His most recent film was Henry Selick's 'Coraline' from Laika Studios for Universal's Focus Features (2009 Worldwide box office:$120,154,106).

While running Twentieth Century Fox he sailed James Cameron's 'Titanic' to 14 Academy Award nominations, winning 11 including Best Picture and gained the all-time worldwide box office champion title.

[Dustysage]

Re: Former Disney exec on the state of Hollywood today

Interesting commentary. And might indicate why Disney perhaps made the right move by giving Dick Cook the axe. Does the world really need another talking hamster movie?

[ALIASd]

Re: Former Disney exec on the state of Hollywood today

Does the world really need another talking hamster movie?

And yet the world seems to be buying tickets for it, it's inexplicably brought in over $93 million internationally with more markets yet to open the film and over $118 million in the U.S. While 'G-Force' probably won't be getting a go-ahead for a sequel (it cost over $150 million to produce) however Disney is not out of the live-action/CGI talking animal movie business yet.

'Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2' is in production because the first one hauled in close to $150 million worldwide last year at a fraction of the 'G-Force' production cost and did very well for the home entertainment division.