Big Picture: The Fight for the Future of Movies

A Los Angeles Times Bestseller Winner of the Best Non-Fiction Book Prize at the 2018 National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards "Ben Fritz crafts an electrifying and essential book that carefully chronicles how Hollywood tradition is collapsing and new models are fueling the future. A must-read."--Ava DuVernay, director of A Wrinkle in Time, Selma, and 13th The stunning metamorphosis of twenty-first-century Hollywood and what lies ahead for the art and commerce of film Ben Fritz chronicles the dramatic shakeup of America's film industry, bringing equal fluency to both the financial and entertainment aspects of Hollywood. He offers us an unprecedented look deep inside a Hollywood studio to explain why sophisticated movies for adults are an endangered species while franchises and super-heroes have come to dominate the cinematic landscape. And through interviews with dozens of key players at Disney, Marvel, Netflix, Amazon, Imax, and others, he reveals how the movie business is being reinvented. Despite the destruction of the studios' traditional playbook, Fritz argues that these seismic shifts signal the dawn of a new heyday for film. The Big Picture shows the first glimmers of this new golden age through the eyes of the creative mavericks who are defining what entertainment will look like in the new era.

A Los Angeles Times Bestseller "Fritz uses his skills as both a financial journalist and a natural storyteller to spin a narrative that is detailed, funny and a little terrifying. Anyone with a love for intelligent cinema made for discerning adults should be concerned."--The Globe and Mail "The Big Picture is a must-read. It's an informative, entertaining, often maddening look at how the film industry ended up where it is today . . . Pick up Fritz's book. I guarantee you'll likely power through it in one sitting, unable to put it down."--Slashfilm "Fritz offers fascinating tidbits in his unpacking, and argues that we're entering a new golden age of moviemaking."--Entertainment Weekly "Fritz's book is a fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse at the forces that determine what gets played at the local cineplex."--Publishers Weekly "The Big Picture holds the reader's attention by telling the stories of senior executives whose careers were destroyed or made by the changes in the entertainment industry. Mr. Fritz culled the fruits of the infamous Sony hack to paint a vivid portrait of life inside the studio as it struggled to respond to the structural challenges it faced."--The New York Times "A definitive history of the film business in the 21st century."--In Reel Deep "Ben Fritz crafts an electrifying and essential book that carefully chronicles how Hollywood tradition is collapsing and new models are fueling the future. A must-read."--Ava DuVernay, director of A Wrinkle in Time, Selma, and 13th "The best book on Hollywood I've read in a long time. Fritz explains how and why the invasion of the big buck comic book franchises crushed the Hollywood we once knew."--Peter Biskind, author of Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n Roll Generation Saved Hollywood "An absorbing and insightful chronicle of the massive upheaval in the movie industry over the past 10 years. Fritz uses his skill as a reporter to meld the financial and creative aspects of a business undergoing radical transformation into a compelling narrative. It's a great read not just for those of us who work in the industry, but for anyone with a passion for film." --Jason Blum, producer of Get Out, Split, Whiplash "A great read for anyone who loves movies or the movie business and eye opening for anyone who cares about the future of our industry, whether they agree with Ben's provocative analysis or not."--Ron Meyer, vice chairman, NBCUniversal and co-founder, Creative Artists Agency "For those looking for inside scoops on the hidden relationships among movie studios, movie development, and choosing actors, this book is a treasure house."--Kirkus Reviews --

Ben Fritz is an editor for the Wall Street Journal. He previously covered Hollywood for the Journal, the Los Angeles Times and Variety and is coauthor of the best-selling All the President's Spin. A graduate of Swarthmore College, he lives in Los Angeles.