Ava DuVernay attends the “14th” Red Carpet during the 64th New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall on Oct. 9, 2026, in New York City. (Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images for FLC)
By Samuel Proctor October 14, 2026 at 2:47pm
On Monday, accomplished filmmaker Ava DuVernay stood before the BFI London Film Festival audience and declared, “Hollywood is over.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Oscar-nominated documentarian shared that the era of institutional control was coming to an end.
“It’s done. They’re buying each other, they’re collapsing. It’s all changed,” DuVernay said. “They’re selling studio lots. The idea of going to Sundance and getting a three-picture deal from Harvey Weinstein? He’s in prison.”
Instead of being financed by the major media companies, DuVernay suggested crowdfunding through different “kinds of apps and sites” as an alternative.
“Everything has changed,” said DuVernay.
The question she attempted to answer was, “What can we build now that’s new, that serves more kinds of people and kinds of stories?”
These comments come amid commercial success for low-budget independent releases in 2026.
Curry Barker’s $522 million hit “Obsession” and Kane Parker’s $400 million psychological horror “Backrooms” were two of 2026’s most successful films.
But these films were not products of established film companies. They were from small indie creators.
Shooting on relatively small budgets, selling directly to audiences, and sidestepping the usual Hollywood studios allowed them to produce very successful cinema.
They are not the only ones stepping away from traditional media.
Reporting from Politico in August 2026 revealed a large physical exodus from the 30 Mile Zone around Los Angeles’ studios. Film companies are moving operations to Illinois, Georgia, and New York.
Do you agree with Ava DuVernay’s statement that ‘Hollywood is over’?
Financial incentives to leave California have driven many successful filmmakers away from the Golden State.
A June investigation by The Hollywood Reporter found that many of these film locations have been taken over by small content creators or influencers.
DuVernay confirmed the decentralization of the industry.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, she shared that “more and more, it will be about artists and audiences connecting directly without a middle man or company that brings them together.”
DuVernay’s documentary “14th” has a limited theatrical release on Nov. 27, 2026, followed by its global streaming premiere on Netflix on Dec. 4, 2026.
The movie examines the 14th Amendment, the context behind its ratification, and the battles surrounding it today.
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Samuel Proctor is a first year student at Iowa State University, studying political science and writing for the Iowa State Daily. His specialization in political theory and philosophy led him to join The Western Journal in 2026. When not writing, Samuel can be found playing guitar and praising Jesus.
