Actor Dakota Johnson recently criticized the current state of the film industry. While promoting her upcoming film Materialists, she called Hollywood "a bit of a mess." The film stars Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans and is directed by Past Lives filmmaker Celine Song.
She Points Out the Problem With Creative Control
During an interview, Johnson shared her views on why Hollywood avoids creative risks. She explained, "I think it’s hard when creative decisions are made by committee and it’s hard when creative decisions are made by people who don’t even really watch movies or know anything about them, and that tends to be what’s occurring a lot." She believes this lack of real creative leadership has hurt originality in filmmaking.
Johnson Says Audiences Want Fresh Stories
Johnson also criticized the industry's tendency to recycle ideas. She noted that studios often remake past hits instead of supporting original stories. However, she said this approach doesn’t align with what audiences truly want.
She said, “When something does well, studios want to keep that going so they remake the same things, but humans don’t want that. They want fresh, they want to feel new things, experience new things, see new things, so I don’t know, I guess it’s all just a bit of a mess right now, isn’t it.”
Studios Keep Betting on Franchises
Right now, Hollywood studios continue to pour money into established franchises. They’re focusing on series like Harry Potter and Twilight for remakes and spin-offs. Similarly, House of the Dragon extends the Game of Thrones universe, and Young Sheldon follows the success of The Big Bang Theory. These projects are considered “safe bets” because of their loyal fans. However, Johnson believes this model isn’t sustainable forever.
She Hopes for Change
Dakota Johnson remains hopeful that Hollywood will eventually take more creative chances. Her next project, Verity, co-starring Anne Hathaway, is scheduled for release in 2026. Through bold projects like this, she hopes the industry will start valuing originality over safety.