Movie Industry Disruption

The movie industry roared back to life last year after a weak 2017, powered by the box office success of Black Panther and other blockbuster superhero films. But Hollywood faces a tide of challenges that already are loosening the grip that established studios have exerted for more than a century on the production and delivery of movies. Rapidly growing streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon are creating and distributing their own movies — and winning acclaim for films such as the Netflix drama Roma, nominated this year for 10 Oscars. Under pressure to compete, Disney and WarnerMedia, the parent of Warner Bros., are preparing to launch their own streaming services to reach audiences more inclined to watch films at home or on their devices than in theaters. Meanwhile, as Hollywood reels from allegations of widespread sexual harassment and gender-based pay inequity, some studio executives are pledging to hire more women and minorities for key roles in front of and behind the camera.