For decades now, Hollywood has been considered the center of entertainment as a result of the long-time successes of its movies and artists. But now, things are changing. In recent years, new forms of entertainment have become more amusing to viewers over classic Hollywood movies. Now, viewers consider Hollywood movies boring and not worth paying a movie ticket or a streaming platform subscription for. Along with this, the increasing amount of backlash against its artists, spanning from cultural to political anger, has resulted in the downfall of Hollywood’s reputation.

“Sometimes they have really good movies but most of the time now, it’s boring,” FHS freshman Gracie Padilla said.

These days, people do not go to the movie theaters to watch films. Most people, especially kids, teens and young adults, watch movies at home through streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+ and others. People enjoy fast paced, endless content that they can stream on their TVs and their phones from the comfort of their homes. Some even enjoy spending their time playing video games or scrolling through social media rather than watching movies at all. This shift means fewer people purchasing movie tickets and streaming platform subscriptions that support Hollywood. When people are given more options with their type of entertainment, it makes it harder for Hollywood to produce something that will grab everyone’s attention. In the past it was common for everyone to be excited about newly released movies, but now, it is much harder to create one film that will grab everyone’s attention in a way that is not short-lived.

“Recently, […] they’re just less interesting and entertaining. It feels like all the movies are the same now,” FHS freshman Alison Simms said.

Another big problem that Hollywood is facing right now is that many people are unhappy with the controversial stories that are being shown in Hollywood films today. Recent films focus on topics that often divide people, rather than bringing them together. Many believe that these films focus too much on political messages or try too hard to be socially correct. For example, some viewers criticized “The Little Mermaid” remake for being more about diversity than the authentic story that everyone knows. However, others often argue that Hollywood still does not do enough to show diversity and tell different kinds of stories. The public wants to see films that show different lives from different backgrounds and experiences. As a result of all of these controversies, many people have begun to feel that Hollywood does not understand what audiences actually want.

The days of Hollywood are not completely over yet, but it is definitely facing challenges. Not only have they been producing more controversial movies in recent years, but consumers have many other ways to watch shows and movies. To obtain more viewers, many people have suggested that Hollywood should create more films that revolve around certain ideas or topics that the audiences would like to see. Hollywood still has a chance to reclaim its fame again but to do that, they need to change and grow with the times.