Kristen Stewart has said that cinema is in “capitalist hell” at the moment, arguing that it is “too hard to make movies right now that aren’t blockbuster-y”.
The star, who is directing her first feature film The Chronology Of Water, lamented the state of the film industry in a new interview, saying that the current structures have created “unbelievable barriers” for artists.
“We’re at a pivotal nexus because I think we’re ready for a full system break,” she told The New York Times. “And I mean that across the board, and also specific to the world I live in, which is very exclusively the entertainment industry.”
Stewart suggested that they needed to “start stealing our movies”, adding that while she is “appreciative” of unions, some of the terms, rules and structures “have created unbelievable barriers for artists to express themselves”.
“I think that, without being unfaithful [or] ungrateful, we need a little work-around,” she suggested.
“I think having it be so impossible for people to tell stories, and having it be such an exclusive and rarified, novel position to find yourself doing so, is capitalist hell, and it hates women, and it hates marginalised voices, and it’s racist. I think that we need to figure out a way to make it easier to speak to each other in cinematic terms.
“It’s too hard to make movies right now that aren’t blockbuster-y, whatever, proven equations. What does that mean? I’m not sure, I’m trying to figure it out.”
Stewart went on to say that she wanted to make her next film for no money, adding: “I want it to be a smash hit, do you know what I mean? It’s just so difficult to make movies, it just doesn’t need to be.
“So yeah, I’m just trying to think of some weird Marxist, communist-like situation, that other people can definitely think, ‘Of course, this psycho is saying that,’ but I think it’s possible… The system has barred people and made it too difficult, to be honest.”
It comes after a UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report earlier in 2025 found that opportunities for people of colour and women had dropped last year following previous highs in 2023, with people of colour losing ground in all key areas of employment, and fewer women writing, while white women directors were more likely to be attached to projects with lower budgets.
Last month, Stewart criticised Hollywood’s gender inequality during a speech at Chanel’s 2025 Women’s Luncheon.
“We can discuss wage gaps and taxes on tampons and measure it in lots of quantifiable ways, but the violence is silencing,” she said. “It’s like we’re not even supposed to be angry. But I can eat this podium with a fork and fucking knife, I’m so angry.”
She further called the backsliding “devastating”, noting that “such a pitiful number of films from the past last year have been made by women”.
“Our business is in a state of emergency, man,” Stewart added. “I am thankful to you. I am not grateful to a boys club business model that pretends to want to hang out with us while siphoning our resources and belittling our true perspectives.”
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