Exclusive: Lena Waithe says Hollywood feels like "Walmart"
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Lena Waithe. Photo: Jonathan Heisler for Axios
Actor, writer and producer Lena Waithe is questioning Hollywood's pursuit of mass-market entertainment as consolidation leaves creators with fewer places to sell original projects.
Why it matters: Hollywood's retreat from the streaming-fueled content boom is forcing independent creators to rethink how they develop and distribute their work.
What she's saying: Asked about the new Skydance-led Paramount, where she spent eight seasons making "The Chi" for Showtime, Waithe offered a blunt assessment of the entertainment industry.
- "A lot of entertainment now feels like Walmart, feels like McDonald's," she said at Media Trends Live in New York City on Tuesday.
- Waithe said there are fewer places to pitch projects as Hollywood consolidates, and many studios have lost their distinctive identities.
- "The question becomes: Who do you even pitch an idea to? Who was this idea good for? The truth is it's really just a bunch of shooting in the dark and seeing what sticks," she said.
Zoom in: Waithe's own production company, Hillman Grad, has evolved into a smaller, boutique creative operation.
- Asked about the state of celebrity-led studios, following the recent sale of Hello Sunshine, Waithe said some have struggled to establish recognizable brands, particularly as the definition of celebrity changes.
- "A lot of times celebrities and their production companies have a big PR problem where a lot of people can't even tell you the name of the production company of a particular celebrity," she said.
Zoom out: Waithe is expanding her work to live theater. She made her playwriting and stage acting debut with "Trinity" earlier this year.
- "I'm not completely bored with Hollywood and film and TV, but I am a little," she said. "I'm just not as impressed or not as excited by what's going on over there. And so, in theater, there's a lot of conversation happening."
- Waithe said she's in conversations with several off-Broadway theaters about bringing "Trinity" to New York.
- She said she prefers smaller venues where tickets are more affordable and productions can appeal to specific audiences.
What's next: Waithe is seeking outside financing to continue her "Legacy Talk" podcast for a third season.
- Waithe said she personally financed the first two seasons of the podcast, which features in-depth conversations with influential Black entertainers.
