Hollywood's diversity issues have plagued the industry for decades — but the entertainment mecca took several decisive actions to address its ra

Producer: 'Bridgerton' success shows why diversity 'is good business' in Hollywood

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2021-05-23 16:00:05

Hollywood's diversity issues have plagued the industry for decades — but the entertainment mecca took several decisive actions to address its racial blind spots last year.

In the days and months that followed George Floyd's killing, “The Bachelor” (ABC) cast its first black male lead, while Paramount Network cancelled the long-time reality TV show “Cops” (VIAC). Meanwhile, HBO Max (T) temporarily removed (the re-added with disclaimers) the 1939 Civil War epic “Gone with the Wind” from its content library.

The social unrest following Floyd's death brought diversity and social justice "to the forefront of everyone's consciousness," James Lopez, film producer and president of Will Packer Productions, told Yahoo Finance in a recent interview.

Lopez's company produced Black-led hits "Think Like A Man" and "Girls Trip." He revealed that he's noticed a change in Hollywood's collective consciousness — and that "things are changing in terms of the corporate culture, and the types of content that a lot of the distributors, studios and streamers are wanting."