Joe Russo, co-director of Avengers: Endgame, has pointed the finger at Harvey Weinstein for shifting Hollywood’s awards landscape and sidelining mainstream blockbusters from major Oscar wins. In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, Russo claimed that Weinstein’s aggressive Oscar campaigns for independent films in the mid-’90s changed the perception of what an “award-worthy” movie should be.
“He vilified mainstream movies to champion the art films he pushed for Oscar campaigns,” Russo explained. “Popular films were winning Oscars before the mid-’90s, then Weinstein started mudslinging campaigns.”
Before Weinstein’s influence, crowd-pleasing films like Titanic and Forrest Gump were celebrated at the Oscars. But as Weinstein’s Miramax empire grew, his prestige-driven strategy shifted Academy voters’ focus toward indie dramas, often at the expense of high-grossing blockbusters.
Beyond award season politics, Russo also addressed the broader struggles of the film industry, including financial instability and the impact of AI. He believes Hollywood’s biggest issue today is its increasing divisiveness.
“Like everything, the film space has become divisive,” Russo said. “Everything is about who can be the loudest, who can clickbait the most.”
As one of the most commercially successful directors of the modern era, Russo continues to champion mainstream cinema. With upcoming MCU films Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, he aims to keep blockbuster storytelling alive—whether the Oscars recognize it or not.
Visit Dan Lalonde Films For All Technology And Entertainment News
Source: Variety
Photo Credit: Marvel/Getty Images
Comments