Bosch: Legacy Actor Reveals 'It's A Nightmare' In Hollywood…

Summary

Amazon's cancelation of Bosch: Legacy underlies ongoing issues in the Hollywood industry.
Actors' and writers' strikes highlighted unacceptable treatment by streaming companies like Amazon
Los Angeles is struggling to retain productions, impacting the Hollywood industry's future.

Bosch: Legacy's abrupt cancelation back in September 2024 was yet another nail in the coffin for Los Angeles, which has seen productions departing the area at an alarmingly increasing rate. Amazon's cancelation of successful shows like Bosch: Legacy is very bad for the Hollywood industry as a whole, as its still reeling from the after-effects of the actors' and writers' strikes. Chris Browning, who played villain Preston Borders in Bosch: Legacy, opened up about the state of the Hollywood industry during an interview with The Best War Games, and he claimed the whole situation had been a 'nightmare'.

Hollywood actors and writers were forced to strike because streaming companies, like Amazon, were getting away with paying them little to no residuals for their work. Chris Browning was very candid about the effect it has had on his own career, and while things are significantly better than they were, it's far from perfect, especially in the Los Angeles area.

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By Callum Murray

Bosch: Legacy's Cancelation Was Announced After The 'Nightmare' Situation Of The Actors And Writer's Strikes In Hollywood

The Hollywood industry has experienced a lot of turbulence over the last few years, with the COVID-19 pandemic followed by the actors' and writers' strikes. The issues surrounding residuals needed to be addressed, with the streaming giants unwilling to reach a deal for a long time. Chris Browning summed up what it was like before and after the strikes in a recent interview with The Best War Games:

It's been a nightmare. The strike finally happened, and we started getting paid for all this streaming stuff. That was after they called it new media for 20 years. That's what it is today. There's nobody with an antenna on the roof. It's all streaming,

Streaming being called 'New Media' sounds like it was a convenient excuse to line the pockets of rich executives, at the expense of the hard-working actors and crew members in the Hollywood industry. Browning provided an interesting example of the differences in residual figures before and after streaming entered the equation:

I did the movie Bright with Will Smith. It's a $100 million movie for Netflix. Broke all their records. It had great numbers and I got a residual check for like $260. I was on that movie for over a month. If it were the old days when movies came out on DVD, I would have got a check for $60,000. That is a huge difference and I couldn’t understand how they didn’t realize this needed to change. You should still be getting residuals for streaming. It’s crazy. This is the business now.

Save Bosch: Legacy Key Points

Sign the petition to Save Bosch: Legacy HERE
Spread the word by visiting Bosch: Legacy's official Facebook and Instagram accounts, and tell other fans about the cancelation, and link to the petition.

Los Angeles Is Key To The Success Of Bosch: Legacy, But The Iconic City Is Struggling After The Strikes

Hollywood was trying to get back on its feet in the aftermath of the strikes, and it was vital to keep productions in the Los Angeles area. Once upon a time, everybody who wanted to be somebody would turn up in the city of angels to chase the American dream. However, the dream has become a 'nightmare' with Los Angeles no longer the vibrant central hub of the industry. Chris Browning is based in the Los Angeles area, and he summed up what he thinks has really happened:

It's unfortunate. They shot themselves in the foot because Los Angeles is one of the most expensive places to shoot, and it should be the cheapest place to shoot. Why are we encouraging Canada to get all our business? They do all the rebates, and if they don't go to Canada, they go to New Mexico, or Pennsylvania or wherever they have incentives. There's no incentive in California. Why not? There should be. I think there's been talk of something getting sorted out to have some incentives, but it could be too late by that point.

Streaming services like Amazon did reach an agreement with their actors and writers to pay them proper residuals, and the strikes came to an end back in 2023. The hard-working cast and crew of shows like Bosch: Legacy rejoiced in the knowledge that they could get back to work and feed their families. Of course, Amazon canceled Bosch: Legacy after the third season finished shooting over a year ago, and it plunged people back into despair. Here's the question: Did Amazon cancel Bosch: Legacy, so they could 'sweep everyone out' as Troy Evans claimed they did after the original Bosch series ended? No more residuals for those who fought the good fight on the picket lines during the strikes, and back to not working.

Michael Connelly's contract clause stated that every shot of Bosch and Bosch: Legacy needed to be filmed in Los Angeles, but as Chris Browning points out, 'it's one of the most expensive places to shoot'. Titus Welliver said he thought there were a 'myriad of reasons' why Bosch: Legacy was canceled. The increased residuals Amazon would have to pay the loyal Bosch: Legacy crew could be one of those 'reasons' for canceling it. In closing, Chris Browning lamented the current state of the Hollywood industry, but claims there's one thing that keeps him going:

Things have just not taken off. COVID-19 happened, and then we had a strike. Who isn't able to make money for five years at a time? It's a stressful business, but it's the only thing I know how to do. I just love this thing.

The juggernaut that is the Save Bosch: Legacy campaign is about so much more than just saving a television show. It's about holding Amazon to account for their cynical actions, keeping productions in the Los Angeles area, and most of all, making sure the next generation experiences 'sit forward' television and movies, as opposed to the current slate of blink, and you won't miss anything 'content'.