Steven Spielberg Predicts ‘Massive Implosion’ for Film Industry

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas spoke at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts on Wednesday and they were all doom and gloom predicting the “implosion” of the film industry due to new business models, aka the Internet, dividing everyone’s attention.

Spielberg explained that Lincoln almost didn’t make it to the big screen and nearly ended up on HBO. Meanwhile, unestablished talent can’t get their projects greenlit because their ideas are “too fringe-y” for studios. Granted, I thought that was always the case.

That’s the big danger, and there’s eventually going to be an implosion — or a big meltdown. There’s going to be an implosion where three or four or maybe even a half-dozen megabudget movies are going to go crashing into the ground, and that’s going to change the paradigm.

Oh, thank god because I can’t take any more trash like After Earth. Less sleepy Jaden Smiths and more Robert Downey Jrs I say.

Lucas then offered his own prediction of a post-crash film industry. He expects fewer theaters with higher ticket prices. As much as $50 to $100 to maybe $150. Once again proving George Lucas may no longer be grounded in reality, “It will be more in line with sporting events, with films playing in these high-end cinemas for as long as a year. And that’s going to be what we call ‘the movie business. But everything else is going to look more like cable television on TiVo.”

Spielberg offered a saner perspective predicting a price difference between blockbusters and non-blockbusters. “You’re gonna have to pay $25 for the next ‘Iron Man,'” Spielberg said, while, ” you’re probably only going to have to pay $7 to see ‘Lincoln.'”

I’m not sure if Spielberg has been to the movies lately but $25 is pretty close to what people pay already. For special IMAX 3D smell-o-vision DBox leather seats or whatever theaters install to justify jacking up the ticket price. And not only that, but for only part 1 of a 3 part series of dwarves hiking up a mountain.

“I think eventually the Lincolns will go away and they’re going to be on television,” Lucas said. “As mine almost was,” Spielberg interjected. “This close — ask HBO — this close.”

“We’re talking Lincoln and Red Tails — we barely got them into theaters. You’re talking about Steven Spielberg and George Lucas can’t get their movie into a theater,” Lucas said. “I got more people intoLincoln than you got into Red Tails,” Spielberg joked.

Did Lucas just mention Red Tails in the same sentence as Lincoln? Yea, this guy is nuts because that was a terrible movie. Of course you’re going to have trouble getting that trash into theaters.

Anyway, the takeaway from all this is that the billion-dollar industry that is Hollywood is on a steep decline and a lot of rich people might lose their rich people toys. Won’t someone please think of the millionaires?!

Sources: HuffPo, THR, Verge