Examine the rising gulf between independent festival darlings as well as big-budget Marvel superhero blockbusters as the movie business grows more politicised.
I don’t know about you, however anytime I’m talking about movies with pals, it seems like there are two camps whenever it pertains to contemporary filmmaking. The first group is made up of people who want to make, work on, or just enjoy independent films. They are interested in film festivals such as Sundance, SXSW, and Cannes. They’re also always talking about just the latest A24 flicks that are due to be released.
The other group appears to be much more interested in superhero films. They’re always up to date on Marvel, DC, as well as other big properties such as The Fast and the Furious, James Bond, and Jurassic Park.
They’re well-versed in the lore and fanbase of these many brands, and they’re always on the lookout for new titles to debate how they can tie in, crossover, or play off one another in the future.
While there are some who do not fit into either of these categories—or who, like myself, strive to follow both equally—it looks that these are the two main paths in which film appears to be moving.
Those of you reading this right now, without a doubt, are feeling at least a tiny bit as though you might lean toward one over the other. Is this split, however, a real thing? And, more crucially, what does it indicate about cinema’s future?
Let’s look at the argument for both groups and see if these two very different approaches can coexist.
A24, an independent film firm founded in 2012, began as a film distributor for festival favourites like Roman Coppola’s A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III before breaking into the mainstream with indie blockbusters like Spring Breakers, Ex Machina, Room, as well as the Witch.
By 2016, however, A24 has expanded its film distribution and gone into production, with films including Green Room, A Ghost Story, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, and Moonlight, which received the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2016.
Nonetheless, A24 has become nearly associated with modern indie film as an independent film and entertainment firm, solidifying itself as a prominent presence across all major festivals and genres. Many cinema enthusiasts have begun to follow the firm as a producer, distributor, and curator of critically acclaimed independent films, and they’ve endeared themselves to their own fanbase. Overall, A24 has swiftly established itself as one of the faces of contemporary independent film, despite the fact that it has achieved it in defiance of most major Hollywood and movie trends. As we’ll see, the movie industry has been leaning heavily towards big-budget blockbusters for years, while mid-level and low-budget pictures have been dwindling.
A24’s popularity has defied industry expectations, serving as the final chance for non-studio movies to find fans and a life. A24 may be a major player now, but its annual roster of festival winners, passion projects, as well as disruptive indies provides basic mainstream viewers with more, often better, and would always more difficult alternatives to enjoy.
On the other hand, superhero movies from major companies such as Marvel and DC continue to grow in popularity.
Also Read: Why would it be bad to lose the Marvel franchise?
