Kate Hudson appeared at AT&Ts Shape conference over the weekend. It is listed as a Tech & Entertainment Expo but Kate still seems like kind of an odd choice to speak at a tech event, doesn’t she? During Kate’s panel called “How Direct-to-Consumer Technology Is Transforming Celebrity,” Kate admitted that the reason we haven’t been seeing her on the big screen of late is because mid-range films, which are her preference, are going the way of the Dodo. Mid-range are films that are made on a $20-$60 million budget. Rom-coms tend to fall into this slot. Now that everyone is investing in major franchises, Kate’s struggling to add to her resume.
New technology not only reshapes entertainment content and distribution, but the role of performers as well, and sometimes in ways as distressing as they are promising, said actress Kate Hudson and others at today’s AT&T Shape conference.
“There’s a lot of talent out there,” said Hudson, part of a panel titled “How Direct-to-Consumer Technology Is Transforming Celebrity” at the conference on the Warner Bros. lot, “but it’s more about what is the next big thing instead of making the best version of that content.”
She said the studios focus on big branded franchises while the tech companies create platforms that make actors a commodity.
“I don’t work that much anymore,” admits Hudson, “because the movies I want to be doing are much harder for me to get. The movies I could be in, I don’t want to be doing. I might do a big comedy but artistically I want to be doing different things.”
Today multiple content platforms and social media deliver the content and drive the narrative about what, and who, is hot.
Hudson does social media as a way to relate to her audience, promote her movies, TV appearances, books, clothing line and more.
“I never wanted anyone in charge of what goes out for me on my social media channels,” says Hudson. “I wanted to be in control of that. To me, as my brand grows, it’s really important to be authentic, even if it’s a lot more work for me.”
“Technology makes it so hard to catch up,” adds Hudson. “The movie industry still lives in an antiquated system and I still struggle, as an artist, to catch up to technology.”
I can’t remember the last big screen rom-com I went to see. It didn’t really occur to me that they aren’t in the theaters anymore (and also explains why I have so much trouble finding a movie in a theater when I just want to turn my brain off). I have only remedial knowledge on movie making but I think the caveat here is ‘the big screen’. Haven’t mid-range films and programming found new life on paid channels like Netflix, Hulu and HBO? Why can’t Kate get in on that? I’m also confused by how much more work Kate wants. She has her Fabletics activewear line going and has averaged two projects per year for the last several years. Regardless, I do agree that those films are leaving the theaters but I don’t think they’re disappearing. As for technology transforming celebrity, this has always been the case. The most obvious example is when sound came to film and the silent film stars who couldn’t deliver lines faded from the spotlight. Technology is always going to change, changing the game which changes the players. It’s the player’s job to keep up. I like Kate and I’ve enjoyed several of her films, light as they may be. I’d welcome her getting more work but I think she probably needs to open her mind to new ways of finding it.
Her comments about social media ring true, though. I can see Kate wanting full control of how she appears on social media. And yes, it is a lot of work. So maybe that’s her silver lining – she may not be getting any work but now she has all this free time to better manage her brand on social media.
Photo credit: WENN Photos
Kurt Russell was my first crush. He’s still so damn hot…
OMG he looks wonderful. That salt and pepper hair!
he’s a hard-core republican
Goldie Hawn was my first crush! Weird.
that’s funny because i also associate her with words like middle and budget
LOL!! I nearly choked on my coffee when I read that 😀
I’m all for a good romantic comedy (see almost anything from the 1930s) , but those horrible movies of the aughts starring Hudson, Hegel, Lopez, etc. were not romantic, and they were never comedies.
Flimsy story lines, second rate leading men, lazy scripts and worst of all, stars with no comedic ability. Kate Hudson may be cute and perky, but she’s not funny. Maybe it skips a generation and her sons will be hilarious.
+1
Heigl and Lopez have a lot of charisma though. Their movies are my guilty pleasure and they were box office hits so clearly others thought so too.
I think Heigl now does movies on Netflix. Hudson could do that.
I find J-Lo to be a comforting presence in romantic comedies. She has this reputation as a diva, but then you see her in a movie and it’s, well, comforting.
I will admit to indulging in a few JLo romcoms or even Heigl.
Sometimes after a long hard week I just want something flimsy and light. But Hudson (and the others) have aged out of that to a degree. I mean sure they can still do romantic comedies but it doesn’t work if Hudson is trying to still be the ingengue or less innocent hot young thing or whatever. Too much competition from younger or more talented actresses.
She could try TV but everyone’s trying television.
Kate should expand her horizons (Hulu , Netflix) and try something like an ensemble outside her comfort zone so the heavy lifting will not depend on her alone. She’s not a strong actress but lots of mediocre actresses and actors do well in ensembles.
She did Almost Famous eons ago but I think she can manage a small to moderate recurring role in a dramedy or a dark comedy ensemble.
But I think she’s gotten stuck in her comfort zone.
She could have produced to have access to her dream projects. As a second generation Hollywood celebrity,like goop she seems less tenacious on keeping a steady career.
But contrary to goop she takes great care of her fit body.
Love old films! I’ll have to check out those 30’s romantic comedies : )
She should follow everyone else and do TV.
I think I’ll watch Swing Shift again.
That….is actually quite true and honest? I’m no fan but she’s right.
The mid-budget rom com is dead and she’s not really able to compete with the top women in her age bracket for the prestige films. And then the women in the prestige films (many with Oscar noms) do franchise films for the money so they can keep doing prestige fillms (See: Jessica Chastain, Felicity Jones, Katherine Waterston, Bryce Dallas Howard). So she’s kind of on the sidelines with Sienna Miller playing the supportive wife and/or mother) which is commonly a nothing role. She’d do well in a sitcom though. Worth a shot?
Your comment is spot on. I would also add that she’s not as talented as someone like Sienna Miller so I don’t see her heading for a good theater role for exemple.
Doesn’t Kate have an Oscar nom for Almost Famous? I’d like to see THAT Kate Hudson’s career…the one where she made good movies…..
I also loved her in Le Divorce.
+1 I don’t think she realizes she’s aged. RomCom’s are for the younger ‘up and comer’s’.
The midrange stuff has gone out of “films” and moved to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc.
She should focus on those avenues, because there is a LOT of quality writing staff, and they are allowed to cater to niche markets.
Agreed. It’s not even as if the romcom thing is an excuse – Reese Witherspoon’s career was equally built on romcoms but she had the talent and the savvy to do well at dramatic roles and to produce (which paid off with Big Little Lies).
I think Kate Hudson just isn’t talented enough to compete with most of the women in her age group, and isn’t interested in diversifying. Like you said, unless a break comes along, she’s stuck with Sienna Miller in wife/gf roles. And as pointed out above, Sienna is arguably the better actress of the two.
Reese’s career was built on solid drama fioms with good notices. She switched to romcoms and hit the jackpot, but she was already known and respected for her drama roles.
Her current career is a return to her early career roles.
I think Rom Com can have a revival. When I see a movie like The Big Sick, I can see the ressemblance. I think it’s just need a new formula, something that does not involves two bland white people falling for each other and maybe those Rom Con don’t need to be so light anymore. Considering the context in the US right now.
Does she REALLY want to be doing those kind of films? or is just that shes typecast herself into those roles and producers cant envision her in anything else? And this her way of “saving face”?
Maybe the truth is both. I think what she said about technology makes sense. At the same time, I can’t picture her in anything else either.
This is a conversation the industry has been having for over a decade. Mid- range budgets are a tough spot. Just about the only person financing those is Megan Ellison and she doesn’t do comedy or romance. She’s interested in drama and has assembled a narrow field of players whose projects she finances.
Her brother goes the other way and is financing every big budget studio film out there that isn’t being financed by the Chinese or Indians.
Isn’t it also a case of people like Hudson not being considered relatable anymore, that is, the bland blonde mediocre actress is not longer of interest in a world where Rihanna and Beyoncé are the new image of sexy? Where we lost, in a way, a bit of our innocence and started realizing that there are mixed couples, brunettes, gay couples? When the drama and thus the comic are no longer in the romantic comedy but elsewhere? The Big Sick is a hit now but wouldn’t have been a few years ago.
Interesting thought. I try to add my two cents… Maybe Kate Hudson is caught in two dealbreakers: the blonde bubbly woman, who seems to be out of touch with big part of the audience. The other dealbreaker: single mother of two, who is not looking for a man to ‘complete’ her life. She is a single mom of two kids from two fathers and she is not married to either of them (anymore). She even seems to enjoy her single life! The Jennifer Garner fanbase, for example, is probably not to thrilled about her ‘lifestyle’. You know what I mean?
The hot blonde has always had currency in hollywood and i suspect always will. The problem is that the genre that supports the idea of hot blonde is dead. Therefore the hot blonde needs to figure out how to endure – see Jennifer Lawrence.
Yeah, Jennifer Lawrence immediately came to mind. I actually thought part of her popularity, aside from starring in the right franchises, stemmed from the fact that the population is changing and she’s like some kind of throwback when everybody thought blonde was the only way to be gorgeous (thus, her popularity in a way could be kind of reactionary to the diversity of the population). In the early 90s you had people like Julia Roberts, who is beautiful but more unconventional looking. Then came Sandra Bullock, whose features are also unconventional. I can’t imagine someone like Lawrence breaking through back then. In general, people seemed more interesting looking in the 90s and, even, the 2000s.
To be fair though, Lawrence can act….and Hudson probably can’t reach her level. I also think it’s easier for me to see Lawrence transform in a part than for me to see Roberts do the same, but part of that stems from the boringness of her appearance. I would consider Roberts more interesting looking. Of course, any time I hear Roberts laugh, it’s hard for me to forget I’m watching Julia Roberts. Lawrence doesn’t have any trademark mannerisms that stand out like that on film.
beyonce is not sexy at all
Ellison likes awards bait movies, and romantic comedies are definitely not awards bait even when done well. so I can see how she’s not financing them. Though I wonder if those movies actually do make much $$ anyhow, even if they have a more ‘respectable’ facade. It’s just so expensive to go out to the movies nowadays, it’s no wonder that we’re seeing far more flops than successes in general.
I’m not sure that she cares about returns. Awards are what she is after and that’s where she finances movies. Financially, she can afford not to care since Oracle is a bottomless licence to print money and daddy is a generous provider of funds.
Yes, I agree. I think its a matter of re-inventing the genre for a broader appeal. People will always want to see other fall in love, tied to a good story so you don’t feel patronized (See: George Lucas and Awful Star Wars sequel #2).
To me ’40 year old virgin’, ‘Sausage Party’ and ‘Knocked up’ were stealth Romantic comedies. You need to raise the laughs, make them a bit bawdier, include the fellows and your ‘in’.
My favorite in recent years was ‘The Proposal’. Sandra Bullock / Ryan Reynolds. Sooo funny.
I’m still obssessed with HEARTBREAKER a french romcom released in 2010 starring Romain Duris and Vanessa Paradis.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Dszl1YoH68M
She’s not wrong about the industry, and I do find her comments thought provoking, but the real reason she specifically doesn’t get “other” work is because she’s simply not that talented.
+1
I have to agree. If she were more talented, or had better proved her talent over the years, she’d have more opportunities. It’s true there are less mid-range movies being made (which is a shame), but that’s why you see a lot of “movie stars” working on cable, streaming channels, limited series, etc.
I think she was smart to start a separate business.
If I have to hear one more mediocre actress/singer/hollywood-wannabee talk about their “brand” I’m gonna lose it.
I hear ya. Whenever I hear one of these folks talking about their “brand” that immediately says to me that they aren’t spending enough time working on their “craft.”
She’s not a talented actress and she’s aged out of the ‘hot young thing’ category. Therefore, no work.
Putting aside the ‘hot young thing’ aspect of her career, the fact remains that no decent romcom (her specialty) has been written for decades. Most of them, from the past 10-15yrs were written to showcase ‘hot young thing’ as opposed to romance AND comedy which shouldn’t predicate on ‘hot young thing’.
Meg Ryan didn’t have to be hot or young to make WHEN HARRY MET SALLY work or any of her other romcoms.
Only Marilynn monroe’s romcoms predicated on her being ‘hot’ if not necessarily ‘young’ because they depended on the other characters reacting to the good looks and figure of her characters.
The over-emphasise on ‘hot, young thing’ killed off an entire genre.
That is a really interesting point! I wonder if it’s possible for those types of female leads to make a comeback, or it the HYT killed it forever. (God, I miss movies like ‘You’ve Got Mail’ and ‘Some Like It Hot’ *lets out a nostalgic sigh*)
Meg Ryan had a vulnerability and sincerity that was very appealing. The female leads in the cr@ppier romcoms of late are neurotic, whiny, manipulative and devoid of charm.
Being manipulative isn’t a dealbreaker, per se, as long as the female character is capable of recognizing their romantic counterpart’s worth (intellectually, romantically, etc.) fairly early in the interaction. For example, The Lady Eve. Jean was a card sharp out to relieve Charles of some of his wealth via ‘a friendly game of cards’, but throughout their initial interaction, Jean saw appealing qualities in Charles and decided that he wasn’t a sap to be clipped. Of course, things come off the spool, but there was love there early.
It’s really too bad that the actresses who c)cked up the genre was more in tune with the genre’s history. Aside from ‘women’s pictures’, romantic comedies were the genre that actresses usually received top billing and usually were paired with romantic counterparts who were interesting. Hell, even the Bellamys were pretty good. It’s pretty bad that today’s romantic comedy male leads couldn’t make an average Bellamy.
pwal, one of the biggest things you left out is the fact that those actors had TALENT! KH does not! Truly, would she have gotten *anything* that she did if it wasn’t for nepotism (ok, and possibly a few bjs) lol? And yes, the 30s and 40s produced some of the BEST comedies/screwball comedies, and the most talented actors. BIG fan here 😊
Pwal: yes and yes.
There are some lovely romcoms in recent years, but they are not in english. It’s hard to think of a good one in hollywood in the padt 15yrs. Definitely not on a par with 30s/40s screwball comedies.
Hudson may want to be doing other things, but she’s in the same boat as a lot of other actresses – many of whom proved that they could do drama or darker indie comedy during those years Kate cashed in on those rom coms.
She definitely needs to try TV…and probably in a supporting role. My guess is that’s the problem. She waited too long, and now she has to compete with the Nicole Kidmans of the world for the good lead TV parts.
She’s the best at ASMR, she might enjoy doing that, her channel would earn a lot
In a way, I am glad that the political and economical situation is pushing us into more diverse casts and less mediocre bland blondes. I know that sounds harsh but those comedies were just a waste of time and money whereas in other kinds of film you can have fun and still play with a few thought provoking ideas. I still don’t know what to think of Master of None, but at least it’s a change from those basic comedies.
Is she pregnant? That first picture sure looks like it.
Lol! I came to say the same. She is preggers. I’d bet on it.
While she isn’t wrong about most of what she said, the reality is that in creating her brand, she isn’t seen as an actress, but a socialite where we ask “what is she doing there” in events focused on acting. If it is a tight spot to get those roles, the way she carries herself (even from her social media presence) doesn’t scream “I’m a real actress” but more “I’m a celebrity who is capitalizing whatever notoriety I have to sell lifestyle/fitness stuff”.
Eeek, why is she dressed like a Kardashian in the white dress?
I know she gets a lot of hate on this site but I find her enjoyable and pretty harmless. I think she’d be fun to split a bottle of wine and gossip with one night.
I don’t mind her, she seems harmless and fun, if thirsty.
I don’t understand the hate either. I think she is absolutely delightful. I would love to hang out with her.
What if she tried making indie films? They usually have a pretty devoted fan base and there are some really interesting roles.
The Big Sick. Great movie, romconm
I’d like to see her do more horror movies. I thought she was great in Skeleton Key.
Why do people keep mentioning The Big Sick? 😞😩 It has bombed on wider release.
Part of why the romantic comedy is dying is because Kate is one of the people who helped to kill it (looking at you too, Heigl). So many terrible, charmless movies were cranked out, when they inevitably tanked because they were terrible it contributed to this myth that women don’t buy movie tickets. I miss the days of a great romantic comedy, or even of an actual funny comedy.
I also find it interesting that Kate doesn’t even seem to be considering TV. If it’s good enough for Nicole Kidman, it’s good enough for you.
Yes and yes.
I have to admit, I find Hudson grating. A huge part of her success came from this faux hippy dippy schtick that essentially only worked because it was reminiscent of her mother’s charm. Weren’t there rumors that she didn’t actually read any of the scripts she was offered, she just took whatever her agents suggested?
So true. If you want to watch a Rom Com there are so many classics of this genre to choose from. And none of them seem to star Kate Hudson. Except for Almost Famous her movies are forgettable. She’s left jumping on the TV bandwagon too late.
A lovely romantic comedy I saw last year was “Everybody loves Somebody” it’s partly in Spanish, subtitled and stars the Hispanic actress in How to Get Away with Murder. I loved it! Can’t wait to watch The Big Sick.
I’m enjoying the fact that more streaming sites like Netflix and Hulu are creating big budget shows because it feels like the actors/actresses on there are being picked more for their talent then name recognition. I loved Kate Hudson back in the 2000’s but she’s never really seemed like an actress invested in her work.
I wonder if her social media hurts her in getting the roles she wants.
It’s not like you’re going to be considered for prestige projects that Jessica Chastain gets if you’re posing in a bikini with a sprinkler on your front yard. (I do think she’s extremely fit though.)
Her social media is authentic to who she is, but I get the impression her dream job is fitness instructor and that she simply does acting for the money.
If Goldie Hawn weren’t her mother, I could see her preferring to go the way of being a fitness CEO mogul, except less painful to look at than Tracey Anderson. I’m surprised her mom never put her into some kind of sports like she did with the son who is into hockey — athletics seem to be where Kate Hudson’s passions seem to lie. Hudson looks like the type of person who actually enjoys exercising 20 hours a day.
I disagree and I want to dismantle the hype about her body: she is NOT extremely fit. She is ok, just ok, average ok. There are women with better bodies in Hollywood and most of them aren’t living out of a fake hype about how fit they are. Kate has build a side business based on this fake notion that she’s some kind of genetic freak. She’s not. Maybe said unreal overhype comes exactly because of this: it makes for a good headline for her clothing line. Which is basically a scam business but that’s a whole different issue. Or maybe just the same issue. I don’t care.
Going to a theater to see a movie isn’t cheap anymore. Many people like me just wouldn’t “waste” money seeing a rom-com at the theater. No special effects. Same as seeing it on my couch in my opinion. So I save the theater for movies that will LOOK great on the big screen. Maybe Kate could get work in network, cable or streaming TV.
Some movies look better on the big screen irrespective of special effects.
I enjoy the cinema at the BFI because they show old movies on the big screens. Granted i’ve watched the usual lists you get in film school, but it is mindblowing to watch them on a big screen rather than my tv or computer.
I thimk special effects have done a disservice to big screen in a way because people are convinced that only special effects laden movies are worth the trek to a cinema screen.
She sure looks preggers 😳
Disappointed by some of these ageist comments. A lot of women grow “hotter” not just with their looks but their confidence becomes stronger in their 40’s and beyond. She’s still hot. Young does not equal hot.
I just don’t think Kate wants to “work.” She was happy doing mid-budget rom-coms because they don’t require a lot of effort — a few weeks on set, easy hours, nice wardrobe, hair and make-up always perfect. I don’t think she was ever interested in building a reputation as a great actor — she just wants to be entertaining, make lots of money, continue to have the cushy life she grew up in, and have fun. More power to her — but in that business, you pay the price for not being more ambitious, and she’s tasting that now.