Hollywood has seen many changes throughout the various eras that it has gone through. From silent and black-and-white films, we have seen the evolution of film to color. The format of shooting films has also changed over the years, from proper film roll to digital filmmaking. The 2010s have seen the boom of streaming and the possibilities that it provides.
In recent months, there were reports of studio heads removing chunks of content from their streaming services to optimize taxes and restructure their brand. While this move has concerned filmmakers, industry insiders predict that a greater threat might be imminent for Hollywood.
Industry Insiders Predict Decaying Digital Files Will Lead to a Hollywood Crisis
The current state of Hollywood has been seen as a bleak one as the pandemic and the recent strikes severely affected the business. The advent and rise of streaming have become both a reason to celebrate (in the way filmmakers get to experiment with genres and storytelling) while also being a subject of concern as many feel it affects the theatrical nature of films.
Now, a new report by The Hollywood Reporter states that the industry may face a danger of losing a significant amount of digital and archival files as they get decayed and corrupted. Many feel that this will cause many filmmakers and their works in the current era to lose their work, similar to how many copies of older films like Alfred Hitchcock‘s The Mountain Eagle have ceased to exist.
Through the changing times, files get improperly transferred and stored hard drives fail to work as they get damaged with time. Linda Tadic, an archiving expert describes the situation as a ‘silent fire’. She pointed out that she finds problems in preserving certain films and shows because of the various problems that arise in storing digital files. She said,
“It’s a silent fire. We find issues with every single show or film that we try to preserve.” So, what exactly has gone missing? “I could tell you stories — but I can’t, because of confidentiality.”
Indie films especially are more prone to this danger according to Leonard Maltin, a board member of the National Film Preservation Foundation. He states that many independent films throughout the years have been lost in oblivion because the major studios did not pick them up and put their money and effort into their preservation in their library. He said,
“Those films were not attended to at the time — not archived properly because they weren’t the products of major studios,”
It remains to be seen whether the major studios take preventive and important steps to control the situation. It will be a nightmare for the industry if this situation becomes rampant and it will lead to its total dissolution if proper storing and preservation of digital files are not enforced.
Bong Joon-ho’s Next Hollywood Film Set to Release Three Days Early in Korea
Bong Joon-ho has already finished shooting his next directorial venture Mickey 17 in December 2022. It was supposed to be released in January of 2024, but the Hollywood strikes led to its postponement to a year later. The film is now scheduled to release worldwide in theaters on January 31, 2025.
A recent report by The Hollywood Reporter claimed that the film will be released three days early in Bong’s home country Korea on January 28, 2025. Warner Bros’ president of international distribution, Andrew Cripps told in a statement that Mickey 17 will be another thrilling and unpredictable film from the maverick director, boasting an exciting original story and great production qualities. He said,
“Director Bong’s creativity, vision, and imagination always exceed expectations. Mickey 17 will surprise audiences with its original story and characters, unpredictable plot development and humor, as well as great production qualities”
Audiences are hyped about the film following director Bong’s historic wins at the 2020 Oscars for his film Parasite. Mickey 17 stars Robert Pattinson, Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo and is based on the 2022 novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton.
