Between Saving Private Ryan, Will Hunting and the Jason Bourne saga, Matt Damon has successfully established himself in Hollywood in his many facets as a screenwriter and actor. Having thrived in the sector for over 30 years, he has had the opportunity to work with Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, Steven Soderbergh, Martin Scorsese and the Coen brothers – to name a few.
But even after decades in the industry, one of his most beloved films is one of his first: Gus Van Sant’s 1997 drama, Will Hunting, which he co-wrote with Ben Affleck. Considered one of the most iconic films of the 1990s, Will Hunting As well as representing the drama that Hollywood was known for at the time, the film industry has changed significantly since then.
So, when the question “Why we don’t make movies like before” was asked to the actor in 2021 when he participated in the YouTube show Hot, he expressed his opinion on the subject and acknowledged this radical change while revealing his thoughts on this development.
“What happened was DVD was a big part of our business, our revenue stream“, he said Matt Damon. “Technology has made that obsolete, and so with the movies we used to make, you could not win everything at the box office because you knew you had a future DVD release behind you.“
Indeed, the loss of DVD sales significantly reduced the film’s maximum profit, making it the only key to the film’s success at the box office. As Damon further explained, “It was almost like re-releasing the movie, and when that went away, it changed the type of movies we could make.“
A specific example
The actor further contextualized his answer with the example of one of his own movies, namely the movie. Steven Soderbergh 2013’s My Life with Liberace, a biographical drama that follows the lives of megastar singer Liberace (Michael Douglas) and his young lover Scott Thorson (Matt Damon ).
“I spoke to a studio executive who explained that it was a $25 million movie. I would have to invest that money in advertising to put it into marketing… so now I’m at $50 million. Everything I get, I have to share with the exhibitor and the theater owners, so I have to make a hundred million dollars before I can make a profit, and the idea of making a hundred million dollars on the story is love in between. Two people… it’s suddenly a huge gamble.“
Listen to Matt Damon talk about it:
Many of us ask ourselves, “Why aren’t they making movies like they used to?” – or – “They don’t seem to make movies for me anymore.”
Matt Damon gives us his take on why.
— Michael Warburton (@TheMonologist) May 28, 2024
According to Matt DamonThis explains why “we don’t make movies like we used to” and why small dramatic films are no longer produced in Hollywood with the same confidence as in the 90s, but with many risks for producers and studios.
In recent years, it’s been streaming services that have tried to support these kinds of original films that have returned to the small screen, but we’re still a long way from the creativity that flourished in the film industry until the 2000s.
If you want to go back in time and watch Will Hunting for example, the film is currently available to stream on Netflix.
Check out the full interview with Matt Damon in the video below:
Source: Allocine

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.