“It’s a weird year for movies”

Kendall Phillips, professor of communication and rhetorical studies in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, was interviewed for the Deseret News story “It’s a weird year for movies.” Phillips, an expert on popular culture and the film industry, says that box offices in other countries have made up for low numbers in the U.S. due to the pandemic. “At the moment, the overseas box office is really crucial, and we are seeing foreign companies — Chinese and, to some extent, Japanese — filling in where Hollywood would have been,” says Phillips. However, Phillips says that unless there are major changes with the pandemic, many studios may decide to release movies only via streaming services.