Everybody's having a tough time at the moment, but recessions have traditionally been good for the entertainment industry. Box office takings were up last month as punters flocked to the cinema to cheer themselves up, and more people with time on their hands mean more more people watching films. But if we can't yet see it at ground level, the economic downturn is still hitting film at the top level, where decisions are made.
"People aren't taking as many risks," said Sienna Miller, speaking at the US launch of her new film, The Mysteries Of Pittsburgh. "The financial crisis is very much prevalent in this industry as well. People don't have the money to invest in the more artistic movies."
As studios get nervous about possible flops, everything is concentrated on guaranteed big earners, which means we can expect to see a lot more sequels and remakes over the next few years. Even though audience polls suggest that people are bored with this sort of thing, the truth is that we keep paying money to see them. It's getting harder than ever to raise the funds for independent productions.
