Hollywood, especially behind the scenes has had a long history of being a “boys club.” While this isn’t uncommon for various professional fields, there is a spotlight given to these artistry fields, especially during awards season. In recent years and notably this award season, once misogynistic and racist barriers of entry are now being demolished by women and people of color dominating every field in Hollywood.
One actress turned producer has been dominating lately with her production company releasing various series and films. Reese Witherspoon, iconically known for her role as Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde,” has girl-bossed Hollywood in every way. Her production company, Hello Sunshine, which was co-founded by Lauren Neustadter, has perfected its business model. By emphasizing the importance of supporting female storytelling and artistry, the company takes popular books often associated with Witherspoon’s popular book club and works to produce those books into various media pieces like films or series. Through this, their company is able to create book adaptations and stories that are meant to inspire change, human connection and spark conversation. Hello Sunshine most recently has been the mastermind behind the hit Amazon Prime Video series “Daisy Jones & The Six” which stars Riley Keough and Sam Clafflin.
The series, which is an adaptation of the novel written by Taylor Jenkins Reid, is oddly similar to the story of the real-life band Fleetwood Mac. “Daisy Jones & The Six” follows a fictional 1977 band that rose to fame and would later explain their band break up due to struggles with fighting, drug abuse and affairs. The iconic Fleetwood Mac is definitely the inspiration behind the story as there are various links between the drama that occurred behind the scenes leading to the band breaking apart. The masterminds behind the iconic hits of “Rhiannon,” “Dreams” and “The Chain” made headlines for their similar struggles with drug addiction and in-group romances such as the one with Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham.
Hello Sunshine is one of the various female-led production companies paving the way for other women to support their bodies of work that are meant to be shared with the world. While capitalizing on media giants such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime, Hello Sunshine is able to shop around to pair with these streaming platforms that will best support the work they are trying to cultivate. Companies such as Hello Sunshine remind the business minds of Hollywood that integrity must be upheld both in front of and behind the scenes working to end gender inequality pay gaps and the silencing of the creative minds that are at the origin and masterminds behind the work that is put on screen and beloved across the world.
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