# "Hollywood's like Egypt, full of crumbled pyramids" with Laura Friedman & Ron Falzone | The Movie Racket

An episode of [Filmspotting](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/73330112), 12 Oct 2026, 47 min.

Audio: https://podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/d28227f8-56d8-46d9-b2c5-b3d3012db5ab/f62246a4-75c8-4ffa-8b2d-b4e000d680b5/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=83c52568-54c6-438a-8751-b3d3012db5c3

Hollywood has been dying for more than a century. At least, that's what people keep saying. This week, Michael Phillips explores one of the industry's favorite prophecies of doom: producer David O. Selznick's famous comparison of Hollywood to ancient Egypt, "full of crumbled pyramids" destined to disappear into the sands. Joining Michael are Rep. Laura Friedman, whose congressional district includes many of the major studios and who helped author the bipartisan Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act, and film historian Ron Falzone. Together, they examine Hollywood's latest existential crisis: runaway production, empty soundstages, corporate consolidation, and the fight to keep movie-making in the United States. Is Hollywood facing a uniquely perilous moment, or just its latest near-death experience? Join the conversation by emailing themovieracket@filmspotting.net. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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