Piece by Eddie on 17/04/2028

Recently during his busy press and marketing campaign for his newest box office smash Project Hail Mary, Hollywood star Ryan Gosling made some remarks about the movie industry that have struck a chord with me, and I am sure many others.

Visiting a packed auditorium in a surprise appearance to welcome guests to the film they were about to see, Gosling made the following remarks.

“Six years ago, I got the manuscript,” Gosling said, referring to “Project Hail Mary.” “[It’s] the most ambitious thing I’ll ever make; it seemed impossible. It was too good not to give it a shot. Six years later, we did it. Here we are, we’re all back in theaters. It’s not your job to keep them open, it’s our job to make things that make it worth you coming out.”

Since the Covid-19 pandemic shattered traditional cinemagoing and Hollywood filmmaking in general, the industry has been trying to understand the new normal as traditional cinema habits rapidly changed and the age of home streaming was ramped up to warp speed, never to be the same again.

As many around the world now struggle with a cost of living crisis, certainly something that is prevalent to many in my home country of Australia, things like going to the movies are no longer as affordable and common as they once were, as everyday punters try their best to keep their heads above water and prioritize what they have at home instead of the prospect of paying for cinema tickets, that have suffered like all commodities, major cost increases in a small amount of time.

Gosling however has shone the light on a whole different side to the equation that Hollywood often forgets, if you make it people will still come and rehashing, remaking and adapting isn’t solely what viewers want any more, with a desire to partake in original content and worthy content front of mind when they make informed decisions about how best to spend their hard earned money or gift their valuable time.

As people bemoan modern generations attention spans, an argument that needs far more debate with younger audiences on the up in the case of cinema admissions in many areas, ticket costs, lazy Hollywood filmmaking and the shortened cinematic window that supposedly makes people just wait the extra few weeks to watch films at home, the likes of Gosling’s Project Hail Mary showcases there’s still a willingness and a want for people to enjoy movies on the big screen the way in which many of them are intended to be seen, given the right motivations and incentives.

Prior to Project Hail Mary’s box office success around the globe there’s been recent features such as Oscar winners Sinners and Weapons, F1, Marty Supreme and Materialists, all original films that bucked the trend of reported box office failings of original I.P and the thing that stands out the most about these features is they harbor a certain quality and understanding about what type of films they are and what people want from them.

Comic book films, adaptations of high-profile property, animated movies, sequels and reboots will always be a dominate force in Hollywood but if we wanted to bring back concerns in the industry back to the basic level, it’s all about quality content.

Treat audiences with respect, give us films that deserve to be given our money and time and a large portion of problems real and perceived will be alleviated.

Give us something worthy and it will be thumbs up (or down) much like Gosling’s most recent project showcased.

Have your cinema habits changed over recent times? What makes you not want to go or go to the movies? Let me know in the comments below!