\u201cGo woke, go broke\u201d is a movie catchphrase du jour, loved by rightwing culture warriors, who take aim at mainstream films judged to have adopted progressive values, and therefore are worthy of boycott and complaints. Films as varied as The Marvels, Charlie\u2019s Angels, Ghostbusters (the 2016 reboot) and Pixar\u2019s Elio have been attacked for their perceived commitment to inclusiveness and diversity, and in some cases their box office revenue appears to have been affected as a result.<\/p>\n
But is it actually the case? Film data analyst Stephen Follows, an adviser to Guinness World Records and author of The Horror Movie Report, has published research<\/a> on how audiences actually respond to \u201cwoke-adjacent\u201d content in current cinema. First presented at the Zurich film festival on Saturday, Follows\u2019 research suggests that there is no blanket rule for the success or otherwise of progressive-themed mainstream cinema, and adds that for some genres \u2013 horror, sports and music films in particular \u2013 diverse casting and identity-driven stories can have a substantially positive effect on commercial success.<\/p>\n Conversely, however, Follows concludes that big-budget blockbusters face considerable risks if they indulge in \u201cheavy-handed politics\u201d, incurring a backlash if \u201caudiences feel political messaging overrides story or character\u201d. Moreover, weakening well-established characters or narratives \u2013 in films such as the James Bond<\/a> series \u2013 carries what Follows describes as a \u201cmassive financial risk\u201d. He claims: \u201cRewriting legacy canon or characters is one of the strongest negative signals for commercial performance.\u201d<\/p>\n