How will "Hollywood" change after this pandemic?

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How do you think Hollywood will change after this pandemic? Will it go back to normal?

I believe, and the steadily decreasing revenue of Hollywood over a period of years now supports, that there were multiple factors prior to the pandemic that have been serious blows to "Hollywood".

In no particular order:

1) Hollywood sanctimony: TV and Film actors and celebrities for the most part used to maintain a neutral stance regarding politics. There were exceptions such as Jane Fonda, but again, entertainers used to focus on entertaining rather than preach and even admonish based on their ideologies, politics, etc. People have always loved the visual arts such as TV, film and theater because they've been escapes from reality. Having "reality" permeate entertainment is no escape from reality.

2) Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, Charlie Rose et al. People realized and the industry could not cover up the horrible, criminal and loathsome behavior of people in power within the entertainment industry. No longer could celebrities turn a blind eye and as such be complicit in the disgusting reality of what much of "Hollywood" was. Tying in with #1 above, the sanctimony from celebrities to the public not only rings hollow now, knowing what we know as to how they continued to let the crimes happen rather than report them, it's actually sickening and wrong. Hollywood has much to atone for. People have lost respect for Hollywood and rightly so.

3) The clamor and desperation of actors and celebrities to stay relevant during isolation. We're seeing actors and celebrities as the regular people that they are, without makeup, good lighting, professional scripts, etc doing youtube videos that are cringeworthy. Rather than being the collaborators of fantasy and escapism that was entertainment in its heyday, they're embarrassingly real. I say embarrassingly because there are scores of "regular" people who are far more entertaining on youtube than celebrities attempting to be entertaining and relevant in their homes.

4) Finally, the virus. After isolation and social distancing are lifted and governments tell people everything should go back to normal, will it? Will people go right back to movie theaters? Many say, no. If Covid-19 becomes a perennial problem people may never return to theaters anywhere near the numbers they used to.

Thoughts?

I just ordered popcorn, to watch with Netflix. Not that I ever watch Netflix. Or Prime. Or Disney. Or anything.

I agree with what you've said. I've never been into film or television. I also know Beverley Hills lifestyles, and I agree that most of their fame exceeds their talent. It's rare to see an actor I enjoy since the days of Donna Reed and Jimmy Stewart.

In fact, I doubt I can name a current famous actor at all, apart from the cast of SFU.

We will see.

Most said after 9/11 that culture would be fundamentally altered. Irony and snark were out, seriousness and appreciation of life, family, and patriotism would be the "new normal". Some films that were thought to traumatize audiences had delayed openings. And then for the most part we went back. Middle Eastern terrorists replaced the Russians as the bad guys in action flicks and lot things still got blown up in these films. An argument can be made that all films based on comic book heroes of recent years reflects a post 9/11 need for heroes, or it just might mean in people want heroes in an era of cynicism of distrust.

I can't see sex disappearing from movies despite how that activity is the most un social distancing thing there is.

I don't think it will change much at all:

1) Political views - actors/actresses and other celebrity types have been expressing political views for decades. Its never hurt Hollywood, or Hollywood has succeeded despite it in any case. I don't think they will stop during or after the crisis, and I don't think if they continue it will hurt them any more than it may have already.

2) Weinstein et al - this started way before the pandemic and I think we've already seen most of the changes that will result from this - hopefully more equal pay, people in positions of power not using it to harass people, or worse.

3) celebrities trying to stay relevant - true, but not sure why this will change anything? Once the crisis is over, production resumes and films are in theaters again and new TV episiodes are on Netflix/broadcast, they'll be just as relevant as ever. Meanwhile, we've become a culture that clamors for a behind-the-scenes peek at the 'real' lives of celebrities (see: Kardashian, Kim et al) , and sometimes at the lives of people who are celebrities merely because they share their lives (see: The Real Housewives of <whereever> and so many other shows).

4) The virus itself - this is the only one that may bring about change. Many people are going to be more cautious about crowded places now, like movie theaters. Coupled with the ever improving home-theater scene, there's less and less reason for people to go to theaters provided they can wait a few months for the movie they want to see to be released on streaming, Blu-Ray etc. Of course, that's been going on for a while but this whole thing will motivate people to avoid theaters and might provide the tipping point.

Dateline, Year 23 A.V.

Yeah, I 'member Hollywood afor the Change. Buncha cartoony people running around blowing up things. Funny how it all turned out. Usedtocould drive down to the theater to see explosions and nekkid folk doin what nekkid people do on a white wall biggern' most houses. We had cars back then. Cars. Those things over to the scrap yard that people live in, cept we usedtocould drive them everwhere and go places worth goin to like the store ta buy groceries. Store. Groceries. Buy.

You kids ... we used ta have big buildings with all kinda food and supplies and stuff in em atchoo could give people pieces of green paper and they'd letcha take stuff home. At's called "buying groceries"...

Don't look at me like at! I may be nigh on ta 85 year old, but what grampa Fnord tellsya issa truth! Anyway...

Stay calm and stay indoors.  Blessed be the regulations!

^ That’s the spirit!

I envision holographs of famous actors cast as their characters being beamed through every scene.

I doubt it'll change. No other catastrophe, disaster, pandemic, war etc has made any lasting change, and once things stabilize and things move on, I don't even think it should. I think it's okay to have art imitate even the bad once a little while has passed. At first it'll be too early, but after a while it's inevitable.

I'm sure we'll see plenty of movies and series about it after a while, and they will no doubt dedicate it to "the brave personnel risking their own lives in the face of adversity" or something similar. Imagine all the "based on a true story" openings

And I'll no doubt watch some of it too, I've always liked disaster movies. I just don't wanna live in one.

I doubt it'll change much at all.