Why do some Hollywood studios insist systemically on racism and discrimination when inclusion, diversity and multiculturalism are more profitable?
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(NYSE: LGF) are learning the hard brick wall way, lessons that were learned long ago were hard earned. Multi-culturalism, inclusion and diversity pay handsomely and are rewarded by the marketplace.
With the release of the controversial non-diverse Kings and God’s of Egypt, 2016’s first flop, Lions Gate Entertainments stock price has nose-dived nearly 30% since 2015.
However, a close look at recent industry reports, show Lions Gates executives as CEO Jon Feltheimer have known better and had a first hand bitter taste with its 2014 release of Exodus: Gods and Kings, also produced for $140M but earning a meager $68M at the box office. So, why not correct course and create market place winners? Hollywood is not a industry known for high risk tolerance… at least by the major 12 studios and their exemplary leadership.
In it’s 2014 theatrical market statistics report, MPAA found that global box office receipts for all films released in the 2013 reached $35.9 billion, up 4% from 2013. MPAA Chairman and CEO Senator Chris Dodd, further reported that the international market had increased by 33% since 2015.
Disney (NYSE:DIS) owned Buena Vista studios and Universal Studios (owned by NYSE: GE)- Hollywood “case studies” have already shown vision, multi-culturalism and inclusion are the pathways to the future. Two of the top grossing films of 2015 were #1) Star Wars: The Force Awakens and #3) The Furious 7 domestically grossing nearly $1,273,043,438.
These films were “diverse” in front and behind the camera with not only actors but multi-cultural teams of producers, production set designers, art directors, cinematographers, soundtrack technicians, script writers that accurately reflect the demographic of not only America but the world. These same movies, globally, grossed $3.6B- more than the total production of The Man from U.N.C.L.E, Cinderella (2015), Spotlight, Mad Max Road Fury, Black Mass, Tomorrow Land and Exodus: Gods and Kings combined.
But if you take a closer look at smaller films like Straight Out of Compton (LA Castle Studios, Cube Vision, New Line Cinema et. al.) or Creed (again, New Line Cinemas), they are genius because their independent production costs are far less and their yield far higher, maximizing net revenues or IRR (Internal Rate of Return) for their parent companies.
Straight Outta Compton’s estimated budget of $28M grossed $161M—that’s nearly 5X. Creed was made for $35M, grossing nearly $110M- again, 3X. 2014’s Selma? Budgeted at $20M and grossed $52M- 2.6X Perhaps, in 2016 Nate Turner’s Birth of a Nation will continue to eclipse records. Fox Searchlight already signed a record $17M deal for the film from Sundance Festival. Also, someone seem to have gotten the equation and production DNA right with the forthcoming 2018 Black Panther which will star Chadwick Boseman with Ryan Coogler at the helm.
Let’s get back to the blockbusters—Star Wars? +4.61X. The Furious 7? +1.84X Let’s also include Disney’s 2015 The Avengers: Age of Ultron which onscreen included those talents of Idris Elba, Don Cheadle and Anthony Mackey, their multi-cultural stunt doubles and make up artists. These 3 movies, multi-cultural, global grossed over $3B and are amongst the all time highest grossing films.
Milton Bowen’s Artist in Resident for Twin Rivers Unified School District Artist and Residence Program said in an interview for this article, “Fine art is no different than any other form of art. Just like film, dance, painting, writing, or theater, movie making is the preservation of culture. So when I see a movie s like Exodus or Kings and Gods, the colors simply do not match.” (Mr. Bowen’s artwork is included for this article).
“Fine art is no different than any other form of art. Just like film, dance, painting, writing, or theater, movie making is the preservation of culture. So when I see a movie s like Exodus or Kings and Gods, the colors simply do not match.”
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Reginald Hudlin directed two of the most successful black films in Hollywood history, Boomerang ($131M, produced for $42M) and House Party. In Harvard professor’s Henry Louis Gate’s 2004 “America Beyond the Color Line”, Reginald Hudlin, Executive Director of this year’s Academy Awards said, “If a black movie is number 1, it is an invisible success, it is a tree that fell in the forest that no one heard. That is what is maddening. In Hollywood, black is only used in the negative…The problem is all the cultural gatekeepers.” Is Lions Gates executive CEO Jon Feltheimer one such gatekeeper?
In 2014, Disney report $7.2B in revenues. It is clear Disney leads with its 2016-2018 releases intends to continue to lead the pack with such multi-cultural film as April 15th Jungle Book, May 6 Captain America: Civil War or 2017, May 5th Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Are the so-called big 12 going to leave the innovation for the daring leadership of Kickstarter, Vimeo, GoFundMe, Vision Cube, New Line Cinema, Indegogo? Which of the 12 major studios will build on the formula from Disney and Buena Vista and be the first It is no accident that the most profitable studios with the largest shareholder return, NBC Universal, Walt Disney Studios and Warner Brothers Entertainment (Time Warner), are also renowned for their diverse programming on the small and silver screens.
It is clear Disney leads with its 2016-2018 releases intends to continue to lead the pack with such multi-cultural film as April 15th Jungle Book, May 6 Captain America: Civil War or 2017, May 5th Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Are the so-called big 12 going to leave the innovation for the daring leadership of Kickstarter, Vimeo, GoFundMe, Vision Cube, New Line Cinema, Indegogo?
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Why do some Hollywood studios insist systemically on racism and discrimination when inclusion, diversity and multiculturalism are more profitable? To borrow parlance from a certain reality star turned politician, are Hollywood executives, “money losers”?
Perhaps, there is a silver lining for Lions Gate Entertainment. In “Beyond the Color Line,“, New Regency Production’s Arnold Milshan (net worth over $5.1B), Hollywood producer of this year’s Best Picture, The Reverent (with Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu) said, “I would say 3 out of 10 are profitable; maybe 3 or 4 break even; 3 or 4 lose money. That’s what you need to stay alive and build. And if you have less, you’re dead.”
Maybe, Lions Gate Entertainment is just slow but what does that have to do with Joe Investor? Nothing, absolutely 0.
Yep—It’s that simple in the zero sum game of Hollywood. Results are binary—either something is or it is not—#ProfitabilityMatters
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Artwork Credit: Milton Bowens with permission