‘A process to learn something’: Pearl Harbor and the Producer's Game in contemporary Hollywood

Abstract

This paper uses a case study of Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer's involvement in the production of Pearl Harbor (2001) to argue that political economic analyses of Hollywood filmmaking must take into account the influence and opinions of powerful individuals such as producers and executives in combination with economic pressures. It adapts Rick Altman's Producer's Game to provide a model for such analysis.

Keywords:

• contemporary Hollywood
• film production
• audiences
• blockbusters

Acknowledgement

Many thanks to Peter Krämer, James Russell and Rich Glanville for comments and ideas during the writing of this paper.

Notes

1. Unless otherwise stated, all box office figures in this paper are taken from www.boxofficemojo.com

2. Although it must be noted that, in Pearl Harbor, Kate Beckinsale plays an American.