Originally published January 3, 2017. Updated April 15, 2018.
Ridley Scott is currently producing a new show for the BBC called Taboo, which stars Tom Hardy and is set to get underway this coming weekend. During the press junket we spoke to the filmmaker about how television is now viewed with streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Scott stated that he thinks these streaming services are “mostly fantastic” and that people are more engaged with the content. Asked about the fact people tend to watch more TV shows than pay a visit to the cinema for their content these days, he responded that “cinema is mainly pretty bad”.
We followed up by asking him if he was concerned that streaming services threatened the film industry and whether the popularity of television now is a concern to film directors. “I’m concerned about the fact I want to keep doing cinema, and I hope it doesn’t stop,” he replied. “I hope it doesn’t stop for those of us who keep making smart films. I’m hoping it doesn’t affect me. But I think we have to watch it.”
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Scott went on to say that when big budget movies succeed it is good for the industry as a whole: “When anyone is successful it’s good for everyone. It was the Harry Potter spin-off, Fantastic Beasts, that opened to $270 million. I don’t know how much it cost. It is a great three-day weekend for whichever industry you’re in. It keeps the revenue flowing in terms of those who want to invest in these movies.”
Be sure to check back later for our full Taboo interviews.
Taboo gets underway in the UK on January 7th and in the States on January 10th.
