'Babylon': Damien Chazelle on the Need for Films to Play

Chazelle and producer Matthew Plouffe revealed their struggle to get ‘Babylon’ a theatrical release.

Damien Chazelle and Matthew Plouffe have spoken up about the difficulty of getting original pictures on the big screen and their journey in ensuring their film, Babylon, made it. The director and producer duo also revealed their struggle in getting the film, which seeks to accurately portray the “darkness” surrounding the industry in the 1920s, to Paramount.

In an interview with Deadline, Chazelle and Plouffe revealed the “fight” filmmakers face when it comes to preventing films from skipping theater releases and going straight to streaming. “If you want your movie to play on the big screen, you have to go grab it, you have to demand it,” Plouffe said, putting the onus on filmmakers to create works of art that will capture the audiences’ attention. “I think filmmakers embrace that: What is going to bring people to the big screen? How can I grab that audience? I hope that inspires them. It’s what inspired me when we were making this movie.” Chazelle agreed, acknowledging the difficulty faced in an industry now dominated by direct-to-streaming and day-and-date releases. “There is a fight to be fought. I’m an optimist, but there is work to be done,” he said. Both Chazelle and Plouffe echo statements made by directors and producers in recent months, including Steven Spielberg, who have criticised streaming services for their mistreatment of filmmakers.

Chazelle and Plouffe also revealed they had difficulty in getting Babylon to Paramount. Chazelle, Plouffe, and Chazelle’s wife and producer, Olivia Hamilton, required the help of then President of the Motion Picture Group at Paramount, Wyck Godfrey. “He responded to it and became that champion. He fought hard to shepherd the movie into the studio,” Chazelle revealed. “Without him, I’m not confident it would be a Paramount movie.” Previously, Godfrey had worked on Chazelle’s previous film, First Man, as a producer. Production on the film was delayed by over a year thanks to the pandemic, in which filming was set to take place in March 2020 but did not start in Santa Clarita until July the following year. Chazelle had first told Plouffe about his idea thirteen years ago.

Damien Chazelle and Matthew Plouffe have spoken up about the difficulty of getting original pictures on the big screen and their journey in ensuring their film, Babylon, made it. The director and producer duo also revealed their struggle in getting the film, which seeks to accurately portray the “darkness” surrounding the industry in the 1920s, to Paramount.

In an interview with Deadline, Chazelle and Plouffe revealed the “fight” filmmakers face when it comes to preventing films from skipping theater releases and going straight to streaming. “If you want your movie to play on the big screen, you have to go grab it, you have to demand it,” Plouffe said, putting the onus on filmmakers to create works of art that will capture the audiences’ attention. “I think filmmakers embrace that: What is going to bring people to the big screen? How can I grab that audience? I hope that inspires them. It’s what inspired me when we were making this movie.” Chazelle agreed, acknowledging the difficulty faced in an industry now dominated by direct-to-streaming and day-and-date releases. “There is a fight to be fought. I’m an optimist, but there is work to be done,” he said. Both Chazelle and Plouffe echo statements made by directors and producers in recent months, including Steven Spielberg, who have criticised streaming services for their mistreatment of filmmakers.

Chazelle and Plouffe also revealed they had difficulty in getting Babylon to Paramount. Chazelle, Plouffe, and Chazelle’s wife and producer, Olivia Hamilton, required the help of then President of the Motion Picture Group at Paramount, Wyck Godfrey. “He responded to it and became that champion. He fought hard to shepherd the movie into the studio,” Chazelle revealed. “Without him, I’m not confident it would be a Paramount movie.” Previously, Godfrey had worked on Chazelle’s previous film, First Man, as a producer. Production on the film was delayed by over a year thanks to the pandemic, in which filming was set to take place in March 2020 but did not start in Santa Clarita until July the following year. Chazelle had first told Plouffe about his idea thirteen years ago.