What The Hell Is Happening in Hollywood Right Now?

I was at a party this past weekend, and like many parties, I stood in the corner talking with people who work in film and TV about the state of the industry.

There's no other way to say this: Hollywood is so weird right now. Nothing feels quite right, and as we get deeper into 2025, it's freaking people out about another down year.

I'm pretty tired of living in unprecedented times, but the only thing helping me through is dissecting just how we got here and putting some optimism about where we're going.

Let's dive in.

'The Skin I Live In'CREDIT: Pathe

What Does Hollywood Look Like in 2025?

A healthy Hollywood is very good for the movie and TV industry worldwide. It makes the box office money and trickles down into jobs for cast, crew, writers, directors, producers, and every other job on set.

Right now, Hollywood is still trying to figure out what 2025 will look like. but I'll give you a snapshot of what it is right now.

It's a plate of leftovers.

Let me explain.

When COVID hit in 2020, film and TV basically stopped production. It was too expensive for most projects to be done, so they just sat in development. Some companies bought scripts and IP at the time to give their execs something to work on and shoot when we came out of it.

Well, we came out of COVID in 2022, and productions were slow to come to fruition. Companies were not ready to spend big bucks after down years. And they knew production might be halted in 2023 because of the pending strikes.

So execs stopped acquiring things, and companies were told to just focus on all the projects they had internally. People who were afraid to lose their jobs, think 90% of the town, decided not to take any risks on new projects because the market outlook was so bad.

No one wanted to be unemployed.

Come 2023; everything stopped thanks to the strikes, which were prolonged because the AMPTP + Studios knew they could write off their losses from COVID and the following year's thanks to the strike.

Writers and actors paid a very steep price to get things fair in their contracts. It was a huge sacrifice.

And these companies who had not been buying new things and only eating their leftover projects didn't have a ton of work happening. In fact, lots of them didn't get movies into production, so they were strapped for new cash.

By the time we got to 2024, these production companies didn't have a lot of work left. So, instead of acquiring new projects to put these people to work and release a robust amount of movies, the year was spent firing people.

These execs, who came to Hollywood with the dream of working on film and TV, just like everyone, faced mass layoffs because the corporate overlords saw the past few years and decided they needed fewer people to do these jobs.

And this all happened because they were forced to eat leftovers again and again until all the projects that didn't get made spoiled.

That's the past. Now, we're in 2025.

'Babylon'CREDIT: Sony

2025 Hinges On More Consolidation

So far, the year feels stagnant. Everyone is waiting for the demarcation line, showing that we have escaped the shadow of COVID and a new normal has begun.

The industry has limped into 2025 under the mantra of surviving until this point. We did. We're here. So, what now?

This year feels like it's hanging on one big deal: Paramount and Skydance.

There are so few major studios now. Over the last couple of years, we've dealt with a bunch of consolidations. And now, we really need one more.

The Paramount and Skydance merger is a looming shadow over Hollywood. Sure, it may lead to more layoffs, which would suck. But when it's finished, it also marks the end of all the excuses I've heard for why we're here.

When this merger happens, the new Paramount/Skydance entity will be a huge studio with a young head who actually wants to make movies and TV shows.

They will be buying.

A buying market should trigger other places to shake off the dust and buy, too. That, to me, would mark a return to normalcy that would be a sigh of relief and a benefit to all.

'The Substance'CREDIT: MUBI

What Does Normal Look Like?

In my talks with people across the industry, everyone keeps saying one thing to me: "I want Hollywood to get back to normal."

A normal Hollywood is a place that employs a lot of people. Those people read and acquire screenplays. They develop packages around them and get them into production.

They release movies into theaters and shows on TV and streamers, and we have cultural touchstones built around the box office releases or big TV debuts.

Staffing on TV shows goes up because we're making more episodes and reenlighting more ideas. Those consistent shows provide crew jobs people can count on to raise a family while doing.

Money is spent, allowing creatives to follow their dreams.

That's normal Hollywood. But it also may be the past.

'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' CREDIT: Sony

The New Normal

I am not smart enough to know what the future of Hollywood will be. I have hope there's a return to some sort of the past, but I have to acknowledge how many changes have happened over the last five years that may not allow for these things.

The theatrical window is very short now. That neutralizes a movie's chances at the box office. If you don't open it big, you can't really expect to leg out, because it will be rentable at home very quickly.

It also costs too much to go to the movies. Even with programs like A-list, the cost for a family of four to get snacks and see a movie is nearly $100. It has become a luxury that many decide to forego during national economic uncertainty.

We also are seeing that Gen Z and younger generations do not see movies and TV as much. Hollywood's main competition is YouTube and other apps kids use to scroll on their phones.

How do we get their butts back in theaters? How do we get them to stop to watch TV?

We are creating a new normal every day, and my biggest worry is that we're creating it in the dystopian view of the world too close to COVID, and not close enough to the business boom we saw in 2019.

I do believe we can get back there if we just put populist movies in theaters and ideas on TV. If we hire enough execs to develop new ideas from a diverse array of the population that covers all four quadrants in niches and as a whole.

We have the chance to build back in a better way. I hope the powers that be put the effort into just that because I am hanging on for dear life. My future, the future of my friends, and the future of the friends I haven't met yet hangs in the balance.

I'm way too fucking tired of the way it's been.

'Nope' CREDIT: Universal

Summing It All Up

As they say in The Godfather Part II, this is the business we've chosen. We're here because we've dreamed the big dream. I don't want it to turn into a nightmare. Maybe it already has, but now, it's time to wake up.

If you have any insights on how we got here and where we're going, I'd love to hear from you in the comments.

For now, keep dreaming, keep creating, and keep inspiring.

The best is yet to come.