The film industry likes to behave as if the problems it faces were unforeseeable. Executives point to macroeconomic volatility, shifting audience behavior, content saturation, and the fragmentation of attention across digital platforms. Creatives point to a cultural decline, political shifts, and supposed audience exhaustion. Analysts point to streaming disruption, shifting window strategies, and global market unpredictability. None of these explanations confront the truth. T

In the intricate realm of entertainment, where aspirations meet financial realities and creative visions grapple with market demands, a damaging misconception persists about consulting. This negative perception is an artificial construct, sustained by emotional comfort rather than factual grounding. By 2025, it has solidified into a default mindset, labeling any outside advisor promoting structure as exploitative, any practicality check as exclusionary, and any budget limit a

“Survive till ’25” was the line repeated across Hollywood for more than a year. Executives treated it as a realistic path forward. Finish the strike recovery. Clear the backlog. Release a stronger slate. Stabilize the streaming sector. Profitability would return once the market corrected itself. What the industry discovered instead is that 2025 was not a recovery year. It was the reckoning. Every deferred cost, every distorted incentive, every sequel-first strategy and budget