Gwyneth Paltrow has weighed in on the topic of superhero fatigue, reflecting on how the oversaturated genre can lead to low-quality action-hero films.
The YouTube talk show centers on host Sean Evans posing questions to celebrity guests as they move through 10 rounds of consuming chicken wings doused in increasingly spicier hot sauces.
Regarding superhero films, Ms. Paltrow, 51, is somewhat of a veteran in the genre herself, having portrayed the fictional character Pepper Potts in seven Marvel movies, including “The Iron Man” franchise, “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” and three “Avengers” films.
She told Mr. Evans that the oversaturation of these types of films is largely because studios are “always trying to reach as many people. This, she said, ”sometimes hinders quality or specificity or real point of view.”
Ms. Paltrow’s remarks were in response to comments made by Cord Jefferson at the 96th Academy Awards. During the ceremony, the writer-director won his first Oscar—taking home the award for “Best Adapted Screenplay” for his 2023 comedy-drama “American Fiction.”
The film, which is based on Percival Everett’s 2001 novel “Erasure,” marked Mr. Jefferson’s directorial debut. It features an ensemble cast of Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown, Issa Rae, Adam Brody, and Tracee Ellis Ross, among others.
During his acceptance speech, Mr. Jefferson, a former journalist, said “many people passed” on making his film. He also urged Hollywood execs to give more chances to budding filmmakers like himself by prioritizing small-budget films.
“It’s a plea to acknowledge and recognize that there are so many people out there who want the opportunity that I was given,” he said, adding that he’s aware the movie business is a risk-averse industry.
“But $200 million movies are also a risk, and it doesn’t always work out but you take the risk anyway,” he explained. “Instead of making one $200 million movie, try making 20 $10 million movies or 50 $4 million movies.”
The Case for Low-Budget Films
Ms. Paltrow was sympathetic to Mr. Jefferson’s call for green-lighting cheaper films.“I absolutely understand where he’s coming from,” she said. “It makes sense, right, you want to have the best chance of having a strong ROI [return on investment]. People put a lot of money into these things and they want them to be profitable.”
Later in the show, Ms. Paltrow—who made her film debut in 1991’s “Shout,” a musical romance featuring John Travolta and Heather Graham—reflected on her earlier roles in the entertainment industry.
“I grew up doing those [mid-level budget] movies,” she offered. “And I sometimes lament the fact, like, I look back at some of the movies that I made in the ‘90s and think that just wouldn’t get made now.”
The actress’s other film credits for that decade include “Malice” (1993), “Se7en” (1995), “Moonlight and Valentino” (1995), “Emma” (1996), “Great Expectations” (1998), “A Perfect Murder” (1998), “Hush” (1998), “Shakespeare in Love” (1998), and “The Talented Mr. Ripley” (1999).
Despite her many blockbusters, the New York Times bestselling cookbook author and entrepreneur affirmed her belief that low or mid-level budget films do leave more room for creativity.
“I do think that you get more diversity of art when there’s less at stake and people can sort of express their true voice and make a film the way they want to make it,” she said. “And then I think those are generally the more resonant ones.”
