All Of It – "Hollywood’s Cruel Summer (So Far)" Host: Kusha Navadar (in for Alison Stewart) | Date: June 4, 2024 | Guest: Kyle Buchanan (Awards season columnist, The New York Times)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the uncertain state of Hollywood’s 2024 summer movie season with special insight from film expert Kyle Buchanan. They discuss why major releases like "Furiosa," "The Fall Guy," and "IF" are failing commercially, contrast the current climate with last year’s "Barbenheimer" phenomenon, and highlight buzzworthy films coming out of the Cannes Film Festival. The episode explores box office woes, changing audience habits, the effect of industry strikes, the role of streaming, gender dynamics in action franchises, and which upcoming films might break through the gloom.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Summer Box Office Slump

• Barbenheimer hangover: While last summer’s "Barbenheimer" combo (Barbie & Oppenheimer) was a boon, 2024’s offerings are "struggling." (00:34)
• Blockbusters not landing: Major films with big stars ("Furiosa," "The Fall Guy," "IF") are failing to generate enthusiasm or earnings. (00:34)

2. The "Furiosa" Problem

• Grueling Production: The intense, physical, stunt-heavy nature of George Miller’s Mad Max movies makes them difficult for actors and production alike.

  "You're seeing stunts and scale to a degree that you almost never see in a big tentpole film anymore... crashing these cars for real." (Kyle, 01:49)

• Box Office Bomb: Despite critical praise, "Furiosa" opened to a lackluster $49.6 million in the U.S., far below last summer’s "Barbie."

  "Let's not mince words. It's bombing." (Kyle, 03:14)

• Cultural & Economic Factors: Kyle attributes the decline to a "global retraction" – high moviegoing costs, economic uncertainty, grim global and political news, and the rise of streaming. (03:20)
• "Survive till 25": This phrase summarizes Hollywood’s hope to just get through 2024, with bigger releases promised for 2025 but no guarantee of recovery. (03:20, 06:24)

3. Changing Moviegoing Habits

• Audiences more selective: With higher ticket prices and abundant at-home options, audiences are increasingly choosing only a few must-see films per year.

  "People were already getting to a point where maybe they would see four movies in theaters a year..." (Kyle, 05:09)

• Streaming’s impact: Quick digital and streaming releases undermine urgency and incentive for theatrical attendance. (03:20)
• Lingering effects of strikes: Delays from the 2023 Hollywood strikes carried into this year, thinning out the summer’s film slate. A busier 2025 is likely, but not necessarily a better line-up. (06:24, 07:10)

4. Shifting Release Strategies

• Earlier releases for big films: Movies like "Dune 2," "Challengers," and "Civil War" released in the spring to secure IMAX slots and less competition.

  "In the case of Dune 2... spring was kind of the best opportunity for it to have those big ticket IMAX screens to itself..." (Kyle, 08:00)

• Counter-programming: Smaller, more character-driven dramas aim to break out by finding breathing room amid blockbuster noise ("The Bike Riders," "Sing Sing"). (08:40)

5. Gender & Franchise Fatigue

• Caller insight: Eric from Brooklyn posits that "knee-jerk sexism" is contributing to reluctance in embracing films like "Furiosa" and the recent Indiana Jones, which center female leads. (09:56)
• Kyle’s response: While sexism is visible online, Kyle points to decades of popular female-led action (e.g., Sigourney Weaver in "Aliens") and suggests franchise fatigue and the pitfalls of prequels (loss of character continuity and unsatisfying arcs) also drive audience disconnect.

  "Maybe they would have rather followed [Furiosa] from Fury Road into the future with Charlize Theron playing her, instead of doing a prequel..." (Kyle, 11:08)

• Prequel peril: Audiences prefer forward momentum over backstory; prequels often lack satisfying, self-contained arcs. (12:17)

6. Cannes Film Festival Highlights

• Polarized reception: Unlike last year’s near-universal acclaim for Cannes films, 2024’s buzziest movies are polarizing.

  "The films that everybody was talking about tended to be the polarizing ones." (Kyle, 13:41)

• Key titles:
  • Megalopolis (Francis Ford Coppola): Self-financed epic, very mixed reviews, no distributor yet. (13:41)
  • The Apprentice: A Donald Trump biopic starring Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong—potential awards contender, hampered by threat of lawsuits from Trump. (13:41)
  • Anora (Sean Baker): Winner of the Palme d’Or; a comedy about class and romance, distributed by Neon, likely Oscar contender.

    "It's a really great comedy, really sort of speaks to American class structures. And I do think that it's going to find an audience when it comes out in October." (Kyle, 15:21)

• Why Anora won: The jury responded to its "fun" and "fizzy" approach amid a sea of bleak films.

  "Sometimes when you're at a film festival... it's a delight to watch something that is as fizzy and exciting and... eager to make you laugh as Anora." (Kyle, 16:14)

7. "The Substance" & a Demi Moore Renaissance

• Premise: Demi Moore stars in a body horror about a washed-up actress who tries a substance that produces a younger version of herself, resulting in a surreal, gory tug-of-war.

  "She injects herself with this black market substance... the arrangement is that the younger self and the older self have to basically trade off weeks of living..." (Kyle, 17:15)

• Awards buzz: Moore is seen as potentially Oscar-bound; film praised for commenting on female representation and aging in Hollywood. (17:15)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Let's not mince words. It's bombing. It is bombing. Okay?" — Kyle Buchanan on "Furiosa" (03:14)
• "There's a motto that a lot of theaters, exhibitors, studios have. It's 'survive till 25.'" — Kyle Buchanan (03:20)
• "There is a tightening of purse strings. There is a conditioning to be able to watch a whole lot of things at home." — Kyle Buchanan (05:09)
• "If you've watched Fury Road, you know that she doesn't get there in this movie. That's not something that she's able to deal with until Fury Road. So the trailers are already selling by dint of it being a prequel, a sort of unsatisfying character arc..." — Kyle Buchanan (12:17)
• "It's a visually glossy, crazy, gory film that I think a lot of people will be talking about this fall. And there's a whole lot that I think people in Hollywood, Oscar voters in particular, will relate to when it comes to... female representation." — Kyle Buchanan on "The Substance" (18:20)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Box office blues, what gives?: 00:34–03:20
• "Furiosa" discussion – production & box office: 01:24–03:20
• Industry/Geopolitical context: 04:56–05:59
• 2025 hopes & strike effect: 06:24–07:10
• Spring blockbusters & release strategy: 08:00–09:49
• Caller on sexism & franchises: 09:50–11:08
• Prequel pitfalls: 12:17–13:09
• Older audiences, CGI fatigue: 13:09–13:41
• Cannes recap and buzz films: 13:41–16:48
• "The Substance" & Demi Moore's comeback: 16:48–18:35

Episode Tone & Style

The conversation is candid and lightly humorous, reflective of ongoing anxieties in Hollywood. Kyle Buchanan brings an insider’s perspective with a blend of industry analysis and cultural commentary, answering listener questions and synthesizing big-picture themes.

Conclusion

For anyone interested in the state of movies and Hollywood’s current crossroads, this episode offers an insightful, energetic rundown of industry woes, shifting audience behaviors, the impact of streaming and socioeconomic forces, and which buzzy new releases might turn the tide—even if real change may be a year or more away.