tech
February 23, 2026
Post-American Hollywood: Hegemony in Transition
Hollywood has never been just an industry; it has been an apparatus of cultural hegemony. In the sense defined by Antonio Gramsci, hegemony rests not solely on economic domination, but on the ability to present one's own worldview as universal and natural.
TL;DR
- Hollywood's cultural hegemony, as defined by Antonio Gramsci, is based on presenting its worldview as universal, supported by a strong domestic economic foundation.
- The industry is transitioning from a national industry with global reach to a global industry dependent on the world outside America.
- The traditional studio system and the blockbuster era relied on the U.S. market as a stable base, but the pandemic disrupted this, particularly affecting mid-budget films.
- Streaming platforms have changed the nature of film consumption, making it less of a shared collective experience and more of a fluid media landscape.
- The U.S. domestic market's contribution to film revenue has stabilized, while international markets have tripled in significance.
- Films increasingly depend on global audiences for profitability, with a growing percentage of revenue generated outside the U.S.
- Production costs in California are rising, leading to a geographical fragmentation of filming locations.
- Hollywood's future success depends on its ability to resonate simultaneously across diverse cultural contexts, indicating a shift in the center of global cinema's gravity.
- In Serbia, cinema attendance is stable, with family and animated films dominating the top-grossing lists, demonstrating their universal appeal across cultures.
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