„The Idea of Making Films is Dead.” Star of Altered Carbon on Streaming
Anthony Mackie apparently doesn't believe in the future of cinema. Star of Altered Carbon season 2 recently stated that currently producers do not work in the movie industry, but for streaming services like Netflix.
The premiere of Altered Carbon season 2, which was quite warmly received by critics, is behind us. Thus, Anthony Mackie, the lead actor, can already think about his next projects, as he mentioned in an interview for Daily Beast. However, the most interesting statement did not concern the role of the Captain America, the production of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier or the future of Takeshi Covacs. At one point in the conversation, a question was asked about the reason why Mackie decided to try his hand at a production for the streaming platform. In response, the actor expressed his conviction that real filmmakers no longer make traditional movies in studios, but work for streaming services:
"To be frank about it: filmmakers don’t work in film anymore. If we look at the movies we grew up loving, that we think are the best movies of all time, those movies won’t be made now by studios; they’ll be made by streaming services. So if your movie isn’t an event—if you’re not in Avengers or Suicide Squad or Star Wars—it’s very hard to get people to go to the movie theater, for many different reasons.
Among these "causes", financial issues are quite important. It's not just about filmmakers, although Mackie admits that the film industry is using "the worst business model of all time", making it virtually impossible to produce productions with an average budget ("Either you can make a movie for $2 million or for $100 million."), and while it's possible to make money, nobody in the industry has the idea how to make that money. Also for viewers, a traditional screening in a cinema is now a much bigger expense than a monthly subscription to a streaming platforms like Netflix:
"I have kids, and for me to take my kids to the movies, it’s $115. So we watch movies at home. [...] And if you take a girl to a movie theater now, it’s $20 for each ticket, and she’s going to want popcorn and nachos, and then you add two sodas, and you’re out $70 [...] So now you can pay $7 [for streaming], or you go on two dates a month, and that’s $150 just to see a movie."
The actor also mentions the reluctance of contemporary viewers to "hide" in movie theatres (young people, he says, want to be on the move and watch movies on a smartphone or tablet). Interestingly, Mackie also had something to say about big corporations:
"As soon as Fortune 500 companies bought all the film studios, the idea of making films was dead. So that being said, the only place you can go and work with the filmmakers you adore is streaming services."
Apparently Mackie, although himself engaged by Disney, does not have a flattering opinion about the influence of these giants on the traditional film industry. Nevertheless, the actor admits that good films are still being made, although - in his opinion - "not for cinemas". Perhaps he's a bit right, since even the Scorsese's Irishman was created with Netflix's support and has only made it to the cinemas to a limited extent.
