The film business is undergoing radical change, says Joe Russo
Joe Russo has suggested that the film business is set to undergo "radical change".
Joe Russo believes the movie business is on the cusp of "radical change".
The 53-year-old filmmaker - who has enjoyed huge success working alongside his brother, Anthony Russo - thinks the movie industry is in the midst of a transitional moment, because of the rise of streaming platforms and the ever-increasing influence of artificial intelligence.
Joe told The Hollywood Reporter: "We are in the biggest transitional moments in the history of linear visual storytelling.
"It’s very hard to say in this moment where it’s going because a lot of that is going to be dictated by the taste of Gen Z once they become the dominant consumers. And I don’t know that anyone knows what their taste is yet because they have been trained on a completely different model of consumption than we are used to.
"I expect radical change, I expect immersion, I expect a blending of virtual and linear, gaming and linear."
Despite this, Joe is convinced that executives and studios will continue to show "ambition" and take some financial risks.
The 'Avengers: Infinity War' director explained: "They ascribe the same algorithmic attention to something they spend a lot of money on as something they spend very little money on.
"By that model, you should probably just make everything for a medium number, right? Logically, it probably doesn’t make a ton of sense to continue to spend that way, but I think they might - because people still believe in ambition. Executives still believe in ambition.
"People still want the branding that comes with ambition. They still want that sex appeal that comes with ambition. So I still think you’ll see some of those pop through, but I don’t think it’s going to be a healthy part of the business model."
The Russo brothers enjoyed huge success with their 2019 Marvel movie, 'Avengers: Endgame', which grossed over $2 billion globally.
Joe acknowledges that the movie industry has changed markedly since 2019, with fewer and fewer people preferring to watch films in cinemas. Despite this, the recent trend won't alter his approach to filmmaking.
Asked if he plans to change his approach, Joe replied: "We can’t control the economic environment.
"We can’t control what’s happening in the world around the time of the release. We can’t control the audience’s desire to leave their homes or not. All we can do is make the best movie possible in the hope that it excites them."
Meanwhile, Anthony has suggested that AI can play a "valuable role in the creative process".
The director explained: "We have to approach AI the same way we approach all technological innovations.
"It’s potentially a valuable tool, but it’s the kind of tool that artists always have to remain in control of, but there’s going to be some valuable role in the creative process and the filmmaking process."
