Dakota Johnson recently voiced her frustration over the state of the film industry. She said it’s currently “a bit of a mess.” The actor, known for her role in Fifty Shades of Grey, is promoting her new film Materialists. It co-stars Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans and is directed by Celine Song.
“It’s All Just a Bit of a Mess,” Says Actress
Johnson was asked why Hollywood seems afraid to take creative risks these days. “I think it’s hard when creative decisions are made by committee and it’s hard when creative decisions are made by people who don’t even really watch movies or know anything about them, and that tends to be what’s occurring a lot,” the 35-year-old actor said.
She criticized the industry’s repetitive nature and lack of originality, noting that while studios are focused on remaking past successes, audiences are actually craving something new.
“When something does well, studios want to keep that going so they remake the same things, but humans don’t want that. They want fresh, they want to feel new things, experience new things, see new things, so I don’t know, I guess it’s all just a bit of a mess right now, isn’t it,” Johnson added.
Studios Prioritize Franchises
Johnson’s comments perfectly summarise Hollywood today. It has become a place where studios and streaming services prefer to invest in established franchises over original content. The industry is constantly revisiting successful titles like Harry Potter and Twilight for remakes or spin-offs.
Franchise expansions have been widespread—House of the Dragon continues the Game of Thrones legacy. Also, shows like Young Sheldon build off popular series such as The Big Bang Theory. Studios see remakes as “safe bets” because of built-in fan bases.
But Dakota Johnson thinks this can’t last forever. Her next film, Verity, with Anne Hathaway, arrives in 2026. She’s hoping Hollywood finds the courage to try something new.
