Twenty-First-Century Hollywood looks into the contexts of studio film
production in the new century in order to understand what shapes the
style and content of present-day cinema. In an era dominated in
box-office terms by the franchise and the family film, this book
combines close textual readings and industrial analysis, illustrating
why these kinds of movies are favored in the contemporary climate by
producers and audiences alike. Neil Archer critically explores the
narrative and aesthetic strategies at work in Hollywood's most
high-profile films, from Harry Potter, to Marvel's Cinematic Universe,
to The Lego Movie. Along the way, the book answers some often
unexpected questions: Why is Hollywood nervous about flying saucers? Why
might the cinematic auteur be Hollywood's savior? And why are the most
grown-up movies those made for children? As this study shows, like the
films themselves, the answers to these questions are often complex and
surprising.