By William J. Hawkins and Bonnie Lennon 4.21.25
Like tens of millions of adults in the U.S. and around the world, we have long been concerned about the degradation of theatrical films produced and distributed by the Hollywood system.
During the past two decades, we noticed dramas that were increasingly violent and a growing number of “comedies” that substituted vulgar acts, profanity, and endless mocking for authentic humor.
In 2021, we decided to explore the movie business to determine whether it would be worthwhile to get involved as screenplay creators and/or producers of independent films.
The first phase of our research involved reading trade publications which included Variety, Deadline Hollywood, Filmmaker magazine and others. We also learned valuable insights from entertainment reporters at the Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg News and the Wall Street Journal. Equally important, we read several books that focused on different aspects of the movie business. One author, a highly respected attorney, revealed many of the unethical business practices that have long existed in Hollywood.
We were fortunate to be learning about the film industry at a time of historic change. The competition from online streamers like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+ and others was making it increasingly difficult for the legacy film studios to compete in the marketplace.
For over a century, the major film production companies in Los Angeles relied on theatrical revenue; however, due to growing competition from streamers, box office income topped out in 2018 at $11.9 billion in the U.S.
Then Covid19 hit which caused theatrical revenue to fall to $2.28 billion in 2020. Although box office income improved to $7.36 billion in 2022 and $8.91 billion in 2023, it leveled off at $8.56 billion in 2024. So, we are still $3.3 billion lower than the pre-pandemic level.
The continuous flow of viewers to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+ and other streamers caused the corporate owners of the legacy Hollywood studios to realize a new business model was necessary — one that relied more on creating content for their own streaming platforms. Consequently, most of the major film studio CEO’s with knowledge and connections that were valued in the old system were fired. Tens of thousands of employees were laid off.
After researching and analyzing the movie business from 2021-2023, it became clear to us that the industry was in continuous financial trouble. Too much money was being spent on too many films that failed to appeal to the mainstream audience. We also learned that basing movie studios and streaming companies in Los Angeles was costly in many ways.
By the end of 2023, we created four commercial screenplays – the key component in film projects. We also developed material for an hourly series that would be suitable for a major streamer.
In 2024, we prepared research files and essays on different aspects of the movie business so potential production financiers from outside the Hollywood system could learn about the risks and potential rewards in the marketplace.
We also created prospect lists of producers, directors, and actors who we believe would be suitable for our projects. At the same time, we gathered information on possible production locations including the states that offer significant financial incentives.
This year (2025) we have been working on perfecting a business plan that would appeal to film project financiers and creative players. After years of industry research and analysis, including a recognition that the Hollywood system has lost significant investor support, we will be moving forward with a new film production, distribution, and promotion formula.
HAWKINS + LENNON/Tampa Bay, Florida/hawkinslennon@gmail.com/727-741-6144
HAWKINS + LENNON 