Michael Douglas has accused Silicon Valley of “dumbing down” the movie business.
The 80-year-old actor has enjoyed a hugely successful career in Hollywood, winning a host of accolades over the years — but Michael believes streaming services have had a negative impact on the film industry in recent times.
He said at the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: “The biggest change in my lifetime and career has been digital.”
Michael noted that in the 1970s, filmmakers had much more control over the production process.
The actor — who is married to movie star Catherine Zeta-Jones — reflected: “It’s gone the other way in terms of both studios or in this case streaming services and now this latest chapter is the advent of Silicon Valley dumbing down and just taking over what we thought was this big industry.
“Between Apple, Amazon and Netflix, the designs of their companies, they’re so huge, they can afford so much.”
Michael previously explained that he wants to have “some control” over his image after he passes away.
The legendary actor expressed some concerns about the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the movie industry.
Speaking to the Guardian newspaper in 2023, Michael shared: “You get to an age where you start thinking about your will and estate.
“Now I’m thinking I’m also going to have to license my name and likeness so the rights go to my family rather than to the metaverse.
“I see what AI is doing with pictures with text. It’s only matter of time before you’ll be able to recreate any dead person at any age with the voice and the mannerisms, so I want to have some control.”
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