DC Studios Chief Says Movie Industry Is 'Dying,' Claims Disney 'Killed' Marvel With Output Mandates

DC Studios co-head James Gunn argues that the movie industry is 'dying' primarily because productions begin before screenplays are complete, while also delivering a sharp critique of his former employer Marvel Studios, which he claims Disney has 'killed' through output mandates.

Gunn dismissed common explanations for Hollywood's struggles like declining theater attendance or improved home viewing experiences, telling Rolling Stone that 'the number one reason is because people are making movies without a finished screenplay.' The filmmaker has implemented a strict rule at DC Studios requiring finished scripts before production starts, recently scrapping a project because its screenplay wasn't ready.

The director, who previously helmed three 'Guardians of the Galaxy' films for Marvel, said Disney's corporate directive to increase output destroyed the studio's creative process. 'They were under a corporate mandate, yeah. That wasn't fair. It wasn't right. And it killed them,' Gunn said, referring to Marvel's mandated production quotas for movies and television shows. By contrast, Gunn said DC Studios operates without numerical mandates. 'We don't have the mandate to have a certain amount of movies and TV shows every year. So we're going to put out everything that we think is of the highest quality,' he explained.

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