James Cameron outlines concern that “cinema may cease to exist”
Director James Cameron has shared his growing concerns that the film industry is crumbling before our very eyes.
At the premiere of Avatar: Fire and Ash, Cameron told Empire Magazine, “You see more and more people just settling for the habit of watching things as it comes to them on their streaming service.”
He went on, “I’m concerned that cinema may cease to exist… and I don’t want that to happen. I want to continue to make the films that I like to see on the big screen.”
The Titanic director insisted that we must re-engage with film the way it is meant to be consumed. He praised Paris, where the premiere took place, for doing this.
On stage, he stated, “We need to honour the nation that has more cinephiles per capita than any other country in the world; The thing that I love about France is that in this country, it is a moral obligation to support the arts.”
These comments came just before Netflix released a public statement that confirmed an agreement had been reached to acquire Warner Bros Discovery for $72billion. As part of the deal, they have also acquired HBO Max and HBO.
This move means cinematic releases are likely to shorten, and streaming is set to increase. Hollywood has deemed the deal a “disaster”.
Nodding towards the shift, Netflix sent an e-mail to subscribers, stating, “This unites our leading entertainment service with Warner Bros’ iconic stories, bringing some of the world’s most beloved franchises like Harry Potter, Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Casablanca, Game of Thrones and the DC Universe together with Stranger Things, Wednesday, Squid Game, Bridgerton and KPop Demon Hunters.“
Despite his worried comments, Cameron did admit that he is a fan of the record-breaking animated movie, K-Pop Demon Hunters.
Cameron also recently admitted that he believes that the practice of using generative AI in films is “horrifying to me”.
Despite this, Cameron has faced some of his own controversies in relation to the film industry, after he recently admitted in a separate interview that he could possibly see himself working with Elon Musk in the future after becoming friends with him, despite differences in their political opinions.
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