White-Collar Workers Are Getting Squeezed. Even Oscar-Winning Producers.

Reporter Noah Scheiber explores how Hollywood producers, once well-compensated figures in the entertainment industry, are back in “survival mode” as cost-cutting demands hollow out the profession’s middle tier. The traditional model, where producers receive a fixed fee and a share of the movie’s revenue or profit, has eroded, with many producers working years without pay until a project gets greenlit. This financial strain has made it nearly impossible for newcomers to enter the field unless they are independently wealthy, raising concerns about diversity and innovation in the industry. In response, over 100 producers have formed a group called Producers United to negotiate better terms with Hollywood studios.