George Clooney Says Hollywood Is Getting ‘Eaten Up by Big Walmarts and Amazons Around the World’ When Asked About Paramount Being Sold

As a lifelong admirer of Hollywood and its storied history, I find myself reflecting on George Clooney’s words about the ever-changing landscape of the film industry. Having been part of this world for decades, I can attest to the transformation from the golden age of studios to the current streaming era.


George Clooney was recently questioned about the potential sale of Paramount Pictures to Skydance by GQ magazine. The two companies finalized a deal back in early July, with a reported value of $8 billion. Over the years, Clooney has had a significant association with the studio. His 2017 directorial project “Suburbicon” was distributed domestically by Paramount, and the studio also played a part in some of his other films like “Up in the Air,” which earned him an Oscar nomination for best actor.

George Clooney remarked about Paramount, “It’s one of the top original studios,” he said when the subject of its sale was brought up. “However, certain aspects are beyond your control. The business is being swallowed up, much like everything else – it’s becoming a global trend for big retailers like Walmarts and Amazons to take over. Paramount serves as our small-town equivalent of mom-and-pop shops.” (Paraphrased)

According to EbMaster’s report, Skydance and its associates plan to inject over $8 billion into revitalizing various aspects of Paramount. Skydance stated that the deal is worth approximately $28 billion in total, with Skydance being valued at around $4.75 billion within this figure.

Paramount’s sale to Skydance represents another significant shift in the structure of the Hollywood film industry. Just as George Clooney points out, Amazon currently owns MGM Studios, while Walmart has not yet entered the bidding for a studio. In an interview with GQ magazine, Clooney suggested that these changes at studios have also diminished Hollywood’s ability to cultivate movie stars.

In Hollywood nowadays, “they no longer cultivate stars as they used to in the studio system,” George Clooney noted. “We were almost at the end of that era where an actor could work consistently at a studio and complete several films within a structured plan. I don’t believe that arrangement persists today, making it more challenging for actors to persuade producers based on their fame alone.”

“Clooney noted that this is an excellent period to be a young actor. When he started out, if you looked at the LA Times on Mondays, there were only 64 shows being produced. Being in one of those was already a big deal, and you’d aim to be among the top 20 to ensure your show stayed on air. But that was the extent of it. The studios used to make just five films each year. Now, however, there are over 600 shows being produced, creating more opportunities for actors.”

Coming soon for Clooney is the crime thriller “Wolves,” helmed by Jon Watts. In this film, Clooney and Brad Pitt are pitted against each other as opposing troubleshooters tasked with the same mission. The movie will make its global debut at the Venice Film Festival before streaming on Apple TV+ from September 27. It is set to have a limited cinema release from September 20, lasting one week.

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2024-08-16 21:16