Year Ender: A Slant In The Entertainment Industry
The year 2023 has been filled with unforeseen twists hidden behind every corner. When Hollywood along with Warner Bros. and Disney turned 100 years, the year was a little tainted for the entertainment franchise’. After the Covid-19 pandemic, 2023 witnessed a direct jump of technology from the science fiction fantasy with the emergence of Artificial Intelligence. Though it is still too early to decide on whether the AI poses more challenges or benefits, artists including actors found themselves grappling with AI.
The major news that happened in the entertainment field in 2023, is the Hollywood strike right over the year when it turned 100. For the first time since 1960, writers and actors of Hollywood went on strike at the same time. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike on May 2, which was followed suit by the Screen Actors Guild, which went on strike on July 14. The unions’ demanded for certain safeguards in relation to the use of Artificial Intelligence, which is another ground breaking news that happened in 2023. The unions also sought for the Alliance of the Motion Pictures and Television Producers for sharing the streaming revenue and minimum wage increase. When studios refused to meet all the demands claiming not to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic shutdowns, talks stalled. After several talks on the issue, writers settled on September 27th and the actors reached their conclusion on November 9. However, the months of strike caused the loss of billions of dollars for the industry.
In 2023, Hollywood witnessed a visible shift of tastes in cinemas. For decades, superheroes reigned the box-office, but in 2023, the uber-pink Barbie called check mate by garnering more than $630 million on domestic level and another $800 million internationally. 2023 was particularly bad for sequels and superheroes. Another film that made the heads turn in Hollywood was, The Super Marios Bros. Movie, an animation, which is an adaptation of video game franchise. But whatever may be the changes, Christopher Nolan cemented his position up there and made sure he gave his signature panoramic magnificence to the theatrical physics through his latest movie, Oppenheimer.
It is pointless to argue on whether Disney owns world’s most valuable entertainment brands. Apart from its own animation studios, it owns, Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm, some of world’s most expensive brands in the entertainment field. But, amusingly, 2023 turned the table around for Disney. The entertainment franchise has been making headlines through out the year but not for its glory, but beside its political and economic foes with latter having upper hand. Not only did the company faced bleak financial year, it failed to lure audience to the magic of fantasy. Many believe that the loss of audience might find its roots over the staleness of the never-ending sequels and the superhero movies. Why Disney India came to a block is still a frequently asked question.
Taylor Swift was another news of the year. The star became the biggest brand name with her The Eras Tour, celebrating her 17 years of career. The tour was one of the most expensive and ambitious till date. 2023 was Taylor Swift’s. she had five different albums on Billboard. She was the most streamed on Spotify. She was hit at the box office too for the film she made of her concert tour. She made the movie without any studios. The music sensation struck a deal with AMC theatres for the release of her concert film as it became the biggest concert movie in the history of domestic box office.
