By Gavin Boyle
While reflecting on his time in the entertainment industry, longtime Hollywood executive Barry Diller explained how times have changed as streamers have become the leaders of Hollywood.
“It certainly was a time of more flamboyance,” Diller told The Hollywood Reporter when discussing the industry’s past. “The business required big personalities, extremes, people who operated without restraint. That used to be the fun – and the engine – of entertainment. Now it’s different. Everyone is more cautious and conformist. Worried about being canceled or sued. The rough edges have been sanded off. We’ve gone from a town to a spreadsheet. And obviously that can’t help but impact the creative output as well.”
As the industry has sought to play it safe, creativity has certainly been subdued. Audiences have noticed how most tentpole movies now made are somehow related to an already established franchise – whether it be a sequel of a previous movie or an adaptation from a different form of media, like video games.
At the same time, the output of new content is so high, that what is popular is always changing. Diller laments this change, as it leads to content that is not as impactful on audiences, both because it is not as deep or new and also because its popularity does not last long enough to make an impact.
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“That’s the problem. Great work doesn’t sit in the culture anymore,” Diller said. “It’s gone in a flash. One hand clapping in a forest. We used to have shows that 50 million people watched on the same night. Now? If something gets 7 million, it’s a smash hit. There’s just too much. Too many options, too much noise. And streaming – while miraculous in its own way – has fractured everything.”
Nonetheless, Diller is more optimistic about the entertainment industry than others who have experienced this radical change. During the 2023 dual strikes, he was optimistic about how AI would impact the industry. Rather than buy into the doom and gloom narrative, he argued that the technology would never be able to replace human creativity – which is the most important part of media.
“I do not think [the studios] are going to replace A.I. generated actors. I don’t think you’re going to replace writers,” Diller said. “Yes, you can adjust all this stuff and spit out something that sounds like Shakespeare, but guess what, it is not original Shakespeare. And writers will get assisted, not replaced. Most of these actual performing crafts, I don’t think they’re in danger of artificial intelligence.”
As the industry continues to transform because of streaming, it is refreshing to hear someone who has seen so much of the industry continue to have a positive outlook.
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