Drama is not selling

Naman Ramachandran reports on Variety that Sales Agents Shift Away From Drama Films Amid Market Challenges: ‘It’s Led Us to Diversify Our Slate’.

“The global appetite for drama films has significantly diminished, according to a panel of international sales agents at the BFI London Film Festival.”

He quotes Sophie Green, head of acquisitions and development at Bankside Films, as saying: “The big sort of takeaway at the moment from the market is anything but drama. That really is kind of like double underlined everywhere that we go.”

Drama has become increasingly difficult to finance and sell, leading to a shift toward genre films and comedies.

My take: the pendulum swings this way and then that way. Dramas will be back, but perhaps they demand too much empathy from audiences just right now.