Hollywood studios: How they fund, distribute, and control movies today

When you think of Hollywood studios, major film production and distribution companies that dominate global cinema. Also known as the major studios, they’re the engines behind most big-budget movies you see in theaters or on streaming platforms. These aren’t just old-school studios with lots of money—they’re complex systems that decide what stories get told, who gets paid, and how films reach audiences worldwide.

Hollywood studios rely on film financing, the process of raising money to produce and market films in ways most people don’t see. They use presales, foreign distribution deals, tax credits, and studio advances to fund projects before a single frame is shot. That’s why you see films shot in Georgia or Hungary—not because of the scenery, but because of the cash incentives. These studios also control movie distribution, how films are released across theaters, TV, and streaming services. They decide if a film gets a wide release, a limited run, or goes straight to streaming. And they don’t just push their own titles—they buy indie films at festivals, rebrand them, and slap on a studio logo to maximize profit.

The studio system isn’t what it was in the 1950s. Today, they’re fighting Netflix, Amazon, and Apple for attention. But they still hold the keys to theaters, awards campaigns, and global markets. They spend millions on trade ads, advertisements aimed at industry insiders and Oscar voters to push films into awards season. They use foreign sales, pre-selling rights to international markets to secure funding to bankroll films before production even begins. And they’ve learned from indie films that bypass them—like self-distributed hits that outperformed blockbusters—so now they’re copying those tactics, too.

What you’ll find here isn’t just fluff about star salaries or box office numbers. These are the real mechanics behind the curtain: how studios fund art-house films with brand deals, how they use virtual production to cut costs, how they decide which sequels live or die, and how they fight for Oscar wins with PR campaigns that cost more than some indie movies make in total. You’ll see how the same studios that backed Avatar also fund microbudget docs on Netflix. How they use geo-targeted ads to reach niche audiences. How they turn surprise festival films into award contenders. This isn’t about glamour—it’s about control, cash, and the quiet decisions that shape what you watch.