Natalie Portman says the film industry is in “decline”
Actor Natalie Portman has claimed the film industry is in a state of “decline”. Portman strengthened her point by positing that YouTubers are now becoming more famous than movie stars.
Although this state of affairs is sobering for most industry figures, Portman manages to find the positives in the situation. After all, the world is an ever-evolving place.
Speaking to Vanity Fair in a new interview, the Oscar-winning actor noted a cinematic overhaul among the younger generations. “The striking thing has been the decline of film as a primary form of entertainment. It feels much more niche now,” Portman says.
“If you ask someone my kids’ age about movie stars, they don’t know anyone compared to YouTube stars or whatever,” she claimed.
“There’s a liberation to it in having your art not be a popular art,” Portman pursues. “You can really explore what’s interesting to you. It becomes much more about passion than about commerce. And interesting, too, to beware of it becoming something elitist. I think all of these art forms, when they become less popularised, you have to start being like, OK, who are we making this for anymore?”
Portman continues, noting that Hollywood is a “two-sided coin” that presents new opportunities, allowing “incredible talents” to receive their dues. “[It’s] amazing, too, because there’s also been this democratisation of creativity, where gatekeepers have been demoted, and everyone can make things and incredible talents come up,” she says.
“And the accessibility is incredible. If you lived in a small town, you might not have been able to access great art cinema when I was growing up. Now, it feels like if you’ve got an internet connection, you can get access to anything. It’s pretty wild that you also feel like, at the same time, more people than ever might see your weird art film because of his extraordinary access. So it’s this two-sided coin,” Portman adds.
In January, the British director Guy Ritchie announced his new project, Fountain of Youth, which will star Portman alongside John Krasinski, Eiza Gonzalez, Laz Alonso and Domhnall Gleeson. The movie is still in the early stages of production but will be distributed by Apple TV when it arrives.
Ritchie previously collaborated with Alonso on the 2021 movie Wrath of Man, watch the trailer below.
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