Matt Damon has an answer for angry fans who insult Hollywood for not making good movies anymore

“They don’t make movies like they used to” is a phrase that’s been thrown around a lot when it comes to recent offerings from Hollywood. There seems to be something missing from the big budget, the tested focus, the nostalgia fuel that seems to dominate every big weekend of the year, with its big budget showing nothing except empty spectacle.

Matt Damon spoke to The Hot Ones, and he had an insider’s opinion on why the movies don’t feel the same as they did back then, given that the actor has around 30 years of experience in the industry. Damon’s insider knowledge was able to shed light on why films nowadays take fewer risks and focus on appealing to a wider audience rather than presenting more personal stories.

Matt Damon explains that it’s all about the rise of streaming and the decline in DVD sales

Speaking on The Hot Ones, Matt Damon revealed why there is a greater risk for films that cater to more niche tastes. The actor talked about how DVD sales were a big part of the film’s revenue. There were other factors that contributed to the film’s revenue and budget, with the former becoming a huge hit with the advent of streaming. He said:

DVD has been a big part of our business, our revenue stream. Technology has made this obsolete.

And so, the movies that we used to make, you can’t make all your money, when they come out there, because you know you have a DVD that comes in behind the release, and six months later, you’ll get a whole sequel, which will almost be like reopening the movie. When that disappeared, it changed the kind of films we could make.

And with the proliferation of streaming and other types of subscription models, it’s becoming more and more important for films to earn back their revenue while running in theaters, which means the film has to work with a larger audience, because it won’t. You have half the time to double the amount you normally would.

More personal films are now a bigger gamble for movie studios

Damon talked about how a studio executive broke down the model for him, saying:

It was a $25 million movie, and I would have to put that much money into print and advertising to market it. We call it P and A, so I have to invest a lot, and now I have $50 million. I have to split everything I make with the bidder, so I have to make $100 million before I’m profitable.

Now, since this is the case, the plot of the film should cater to a wider audience even if it is a small film.

This makes the “personal touch” of the film much less important, as the main focus of the film then becomes catering to as wide an audience as possible to attract as many people to the theaters as possible, creating the need for stories that are more general than personal.