Lights, camera, industrial action: Hollywood's on strike but the blockbusters are back

In turbulent times for the industry, this summer's slew of blockbusters will make waves that could benefit smaller films including Irish-made movies, writes Esther McCarthy

Cork actor Cillian Murphy embodies the dichotomy that is the hallmark of cinema this summer: Starring in 'Oppenheimer' but also stating his support for the biggest screen actors' and writers' strike since the 1960s. Picture: UniversalPictures.com

IN THE new Mission: Impossible movie, Tom Cruise features in stunts that are audacious even by the movie star’s daredevil standards. From an epic train crash to a scene where he rides a motorbike off a cliff, the actor has left collective audiences mesmerised at the sheer scale of what is unfolding on the big screen.

Ever since Cruise’s Ethan Hunt came perilously close to setting off an alarm system while dangling from a ceiling in an iconic scene from the first Mission: Impossible movie, he has upped the ante when it comes to making us believe our eyes.

Cruise — who remains one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars, four decades after he first shot to fame in Risky Business — has always embraced the big-scale blockbuster. But this year, he has some competition.

Stuart Townsend, Fiona Glascott, and Matthew Modine ahead of The Martini Shot's world premiere at Galway Film Fleadh — the first festival to be impacted by the SAG-Aftra strike. Picture: Andrew Downes/xposure.ie

In one of the busiest periods in recent years for new summer movies, Cork actor Cillian Murphy is very much in the mix. Murphy has been earning rave early reviews for his performance in Oppenheimer, the story of American scientist J Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.

Christoper Nolan’s historical thriller couldn’t be more unalike another highly anticipated film which is released, along with Oppenheimer, on July 21.

Barbie stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling playing the famous dolls Barbie and Ken, in a movie that has drawn enormous interest since its first trailer was released. Barbie is directed by Greta Gerwig, whose previous films include Lady Bird and the latest adaptation of Little Women.

Ironically, one of the biggest release periods at the movies comes at a time when Hollywood is facing a crisis. This week, the unions representing actors in the US voted to take strike action.

Margot Robbie, who is playing the title role in 'Barbie' has voiced her support for the strike by screenwriters and actors. Picture: Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros/PA

The Galway Film Fleadh became the first film festival in the world to feel the early effects of the strike, with US actor Matthew Modine — a guest at this year’s Fleadh — voicing his support for his peers at SAG-Aftra from the west of Ireland.

The impacts of the strike will be huge.

SAG-Aftra, the labour union which represents members of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists counts more than 160,000 film and TV actors, including many household names.

The action marks the first time since the 1960s where both SAG-Aftra and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) have walked out of their jobs and taken to the picket lines for a fairer deal.

In the coming weeks, we will likely see A-list stars walk away from movie sets and film premieres as strike action takes effect. Actors including Barbie star Robbie and Oppenheimer’s Matt Damon have already voiced their support for the action, following a breakdown in talks between the unions and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers this week.

Among the many issues involved are pay, safeguards against the use of actors’ images through artificial intelligence, and residual payments, given to actors when a show is repeated.

“It’s unbelievably important,” said Damon in an interview prior to the strike being announced.

We’ve got to protect the people who are kind-of on the margins.

"Twenty-six thousand bucks a year is what you have to make to get your health insurance. There are a lot of people [for who] residual payments are what carry them across that threshold. If those residual payments dry up so does your healthcare and that’s absolutely unacceptable.”

Amid such turbulent times, the anticipated success of Mission: Impossible, Oppenheimer, and Barbie will be a welcome boost to both the movie industry and cinema owners in Ireland.

While Hollywood will be the main beneficiary from the release of three cinematic juggernauts, a high-profile run of films has a knock-on effect for Irish cinemas and even Irish movies, according to some of those who work in the film industry here.

Far from fearing being swamped by massive Hollywood hits such as Mission: Impossible, many smaller filmmakers and distributors Ireland see blockbusters helping to broaden the market. Picture: Christian Black/Paramount Pictures

It’s a case of a rising tide that lifts all boats, as prolific films generate broader interest in going to the cinema and in other releases.

“Absolutely. Christopher Nolan has spoken this week about this,” according to Tracey O’Brien, southwest regional manager at Gate/Arc Cinemas in Cork.

“We’re used to and want a crowded market in the summer, lots of choice. People generally have more free time.

Going to the cinema can often be a habit so the more titles people are going to see, the more they’ll think of coming back to the cinema during quieter times.

“It absolutely helps in the bigger sense though in that coming to see movies, any movie, means that your local cinema stays open for longer hours, but it also means that if the cinema has revenue from bigger titles, it allows space to be created for smaller Irish or arthouse titles.

“We’re better positioned to be able to show Irish titles that may not have the big budgets but deserve to be seen on the big screen.”

Those Irish and independent titles are debuting at the Galway Film Fleadh this weekend. The prolific Irish festival showcases some of the most anticipated Irish and international films coming to cinemas in the months ahead. The Dublin International Film Festival, held in February, brings both prolific and smaller independent films to the city.

Tom Cruise and Vanessa Kirby in Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part 1 which is getting strong word of mouth. Picture: Christian Black/Paramount Pictures

Later this year, both Cork International Film Festival and IndieCork will showcase the films to watch out for through autumn and winter.

“We adore festivals here in Cork,” says O’Brien. “As the principal venue of the Cork International Film Festival and home of IndieCork, we see first hand the benefits across the spectrum of stakeholders from film makers, to cinemas to movie-goers.

We are such a talented country, and film-makers seeing their work on the big screen gives so much inspiration to keep going, to dream bigger and better.”

As well as the draw of blockbusters, many regard Ireland’s huge success at the Oscars this year — where Irish talent secured an extraordinary 14 nominations — as a driver of renewed interest in going to the pictures. It also showed how the concept of a mainstream success has broadened, with films like An Cailín Ciúin and The Banshees of Inisherin drawing huge audiences to cinemas here.

“The spotlight that awards season put on Ireland and Irish talent was fantastic, and I am sure the spin-off benefits will be felt for a long time,” said Patrick O’Neill of Wildcard Distribution, which has released such hits as The Young Offenders and Black ’47.

Catherine Clinch in 'An Cailín Ciúin'. Patrick O'Neil of Wildcard Distribution which handled films from 'The Young Offenders' to 'Black 47', points to the remarkable success of Irish movies including 'Belfast', 'The Banshees of Inisherin', and 'An Cailín Ciúin' last year: 'I believe there is no reason that success cannot be replicated on a more regular basis in the future,' he says.

“Ireland as a location, and the quality of Irish creatives being celebrated, will no doubt encourage future investment in the sector here.

“With the amount of Irish films produced every year, there is a good chance some will be on release, or leading up to release during this period,” he said of the current blockbuster season.

“The more people go to the cinema, the more trailers and posters they will see for upcoming films — so it can be a valuable marketing tool.

“Last year, there were three Irish films that really clicked with audiences, and delivered bumper Irish box office —  Belfast, The Quiet Girl [An Cailín Ciúin ], and  The Banshees of Inisherin — and I believe there is no reason that success cannot be replicated on a more regular basis in the future.”

Siobhán Farrell of Eclipse Pictures, whose recent hits include Debenhams picketers documentary 406 Days, agrees that the success of Irish talent in big international films has a knock-on benefit for storytellers here.

“The recognition of Irish talent, both at home and abroad, reflects an Irish film industry that is writing, acting and directing at the highest standards,” she said.

“It’s great to celebrate our culture and creativity — this success will only help to inspire future stories and encourage more talent into the ever-widening industry of shorts, features, animation and documentaries.”

This is helped further by a summer blockbuster run, she says, as audiences not only get to see Cruise, Cillian, and Barbie do their thing, but discover what other films are on the way.

"A boost at the box office is great for the entire industry and our colleagues in exhibition and distribution.”

'Oppenheimer' cast members Kenneth Branagh, Rami Malek, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, and Cillian Murphy at the British premiere. They staged a walkout of the screening in support of the Hollywood strike. Picture: Gareth Cattermole/Getty

The idea of a summer blockbuster is widely regarded to have started with Steven Spielberg’s iconic creature feature, Jaws.

Released in the summer of 1975, it became a huge collective viewing experience, featuring scenes, often-quoted lines and that soundtrack that resonate to this day. It was the first film to make over $235m at the US box office — an enormous figure given the much lower ticket prices of that time.

In fact, the term blockbuster was used in Hollywood many decades before — but Jaws is the movie which propelled its popularity and saw the term really resonate with audiences.

The concept of the summer hit has been driving release schedules and intriguing audiences since, and seeing Irish stars in big-budget blockbusters has become the norm.

Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie in 'Barbie', one of the movies shaping up to be the 'Jaws' of the summer of 2023 in terms of box office. Picture: Warner Bros

Cillian Murphy’s turn in Oppenheimer will be part of its big draw not only for Irish fans, but for his vast fanbase worldwide, as well as its other high-profile stars including Robert Downey Jr, Matt Damon, and Florence Pugh. It helps that his role in Christopher Nolan’s Second World War epic has been getting the Corkman some of the strongest early reviews of his career.

Cruise’s latest Mission: Impossible, too, is getting strong word of mouth and is expected to keep drawing audiences throughout the rest of the summer.

The fact that Barbie has been generating buzz for months in advance of its release, along with the presence of its A-list stars Robbie and Gosling, virtually guarantees its success at the box office at a time of diverse choices for movie fans.

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