Jodie Foster

For as long as there’s been a film industry, there have been warnings of its imminent demise. The latest to ponder Hollywood’s future is Jodie Foster, fresh off directing an episode of “Black Mirror,” who tells Radio Times in a new interview that studios are “ruining the viewing habits of the American population and then ultimately the rest of the world.”

 

“Going to the movies has become like a theme park,” the two-time Oscar winner says of the current state of affairs.  “Studios making bad content in order to appeal to the masses and shareholders is like fracking — you get the best return right now but you wreck the earth.”

 

“It’s ruining the viewing habits of the American population and then ultimately the rest of the world. I don’t want to make $200 million movies about superheroes.” Sometimes she even finds herself questioning her career choices and asking herself, “Why didn’t I go into law school? Why didn’t I pursue the path of academia?”

It’s not all bad, though. Foster genuinely enjoyed her experience on “Black Mirror,” largely because she found Charlie Brooker so pleasant to work with: “I like the way Charlie says, ‘It might be nice if…’ or ‘Perhaps we could?’ We’re having a conversation, as opposed to somebody being bossy.”