Ray Winstone dishes out on Marvel, Cultural Films, social media

Oscar-nominated British actor and frequent collaborator, Ray Winstone, shared his thoughts on the state of Hollywood while speaking at a masterclass during the 31st edition of the Sarajevo Film Festival.

On Tuesday, August 19, The Departed star received the honorary Heart of Sarajevo award in recognition of his “remarkable acting career and exceptional contributions to the art of cinema.”

During the session, when asked about the state of the movie business in the social media era, Winstone admitted that the industry has shifted its approach.

“Because it’s all about selling tickets, isn’t it? It’s like anything today, it becomes a business,” he said. “We see what’s happening in Hollywood with Marvel and all that kind of stuff, the franchises. And we love watching those films.”

Winstone noted that while they are entertaining, blockbuster franchises often overshadow cultural films, which he believes “are the best for the actors.”

“It’s probably getting more and more difficult to do that,” Winstone asserted, adding his take on social media: “If you’re not on social media now, you’re sometimes not even considered to be in a movie, because they want the fan base to come with that. ‘You have to go on Instagram,’ you know. But it’s part and parcel of the job that you do now.”

The actor didn’t go into detail about whether this trend is good or bad, but he acknowledged that if social media is drawing more people to cinemas, creating more jobs, and driving film production, then he sees it as a positive.

“But I’d like to see much more, I guess, cultural films being made. I think it’s where the best cinema is,” Winstone concluded.

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