As independent movies struggle to attract audiences at the box office, Ben Affleck believes movie theaters will soon be reserved only for Marvel blockbusters and franchise films.
Movies have struggled to succeed in the box office ever since the Covid-19 pandemic began. In 2021, except for ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ and the 007 film ‘No Time to Die’, most independent films released in theaters failed to make any profit or had seen below-average numbers.
HIGHLIGHTS —
- Ridley Scott Blames OTT-culture and millennials for ‘The Last Duel’s’ Box Office failure
- Ben Affleck’s Grim Prediction for The Future of Movies
- Martin Scorsese Thinks Marvel Movies Are ‘Not Cinema’
The shocking part is that all the movies that managed to profit were based on pre-existing intellectual property (IP), which made them stand apart.
Ben Affleck, who was last seen in Ridley Scott’s medieval drama ‘The Last Duel’, recently voiced his concern about the future of independent, original films in theaters.
Movie theaters will soon be exclusively reserved for Marvel blockbusters and other event-based films.
Ridley Scott Blames OTT-culture and millennials for ‘The Last Duel’s’ Box Office failure
The Oscar-nominated director Ridley Scott pointed at millennials and the growing demand for OTT for the poor performance of ‘The Last Duel’ in theaters.
During a podcast interview with WTF with Marc Maron, Scott said that the bombing of ‘The Last Duel’ at the box office had nothing to do with the 20th Century’s failure in promoting.
He blames “the audiences who were brought up on cell phones. The millennials do not want to be taught anything unless through their cell phone”. It is clear that Scott’s indication is toward the OTTs.
However, Ben Affleck has a different take on the failure of ‘The Last Duel’.
Ben Affleck’s Grim Prediction for The Future of Movies
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ben Affleck said, “A seismic shift” in moviegoing habits led to the film’s poor performance. “One of the fundamental ways it’s changing is that the people who want to see complicated, adult, non-IP dramas are the same people who are [now] saying, ‘You know what? I don’t need to go out to a movie theater because I’d like to pause it, go to the bathroom, finish it tomorrow”, he said.
The actor believes that the audience prefers uncomplicated storylines for pure entertainment over thoughtful narratives. ‘The Last Duel’s’ theatrical failure proved his theory. While talking to Entertainment Weekly, Ben Affleck said, “I’m really proud of it [The Last Duel]. So, I was really confused. And then to see that it did well on streaming, I thought, ‘Well, there you go. That’s where the audience is'”.
Ben is concerned over movie theaters’ shift toward franchises, sequels, reboots, and interconnected universes. This is leading independent films to OTT platforms, changing the definition of box office profit. Affleck’s predictions are seemingly valid since out of the top 10 highest-grossing movies of 2021, only one film, Ryan Reynolds’ video game parody ‘Free Guy’, was a non-IP, original movie.
In the same interview, Affleck predicted, “I think movies in theaters are going to become more expensive, event-ized. They’re mostly going to be for younger people, and mostly about ‘Hey, I’m so into the Marvel Universe, I can’t wait to see what happens next’. And there’ll be 40 movies a year theatrically, probably, all IP, sequel, animated”.
Affleck didn’t name any Marvel movies, but he referred to ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, which is currently the sixth highest-grossing motion picture in United States history.
Martin Scorsese Thinks Marvel Movies Are ‘Not Cinema’
This is not the first time someone has voiced the growing concern about how Marvel movies impact cinema culture.
Martin Scorsese has spoken out about superhero movies. He told Empire Magazine that he’s failed to keep up with current efforts. “I tried, you know?” the director responded when asked if he had viewed Marvel’s films. “But that’s not cinema.”
He added, “Honestly, the closest I can think of them, as well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks. It isn’t the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being”.
It will be interesting to see how the movie industry changes in the coming years. Do you think Marvel and DC movies are the future of movie theaters? Let us know in the comments below.
