Big Studio Backing

At the gym last night, I was watching the making-of doc about the production of Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing (1989). In it, he mentions that the film was originally with Paramount, but that the studio got nervous as the production date got closer, and pulled the plug. Fortunately, Universal picked up the project and carried on getting it made.

It hit me how much things have changed in the film industry that a unique, provocative, and personal film like Do the Right Thing could get big studio backing.

It reminds me of a good article published in Flavorwire a few years ago, "How the Death of Mid-Budget Cinema Left a Generation of Iconic Filmmakers MIA":
https://www.flavorwire.com/492985/how-the-death-of-mid-budget-cinema-left-a-generation-of-iconic-filmmakers-mia

The article cites directors like David Lynch and John Waters as examples of the really distinctive, personal filmmakers who are finding it increasingly difficult to get their projects off the ground given the shifting expectations of mid-budget cinema.

Thankfully, things have improved somewhat since that article was published in 2014, largely due to new opportunities afforded by streaming platforms like Netflix and independent studios like A24.