For over 120 years, the global cinema industry has been an important segment of the world economy which has had a significant impact on the economy and culture of countries. This article analyzes the world film industry, with a close up focused on the U.S. movie market, utilizing SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) as a strategic tool to consider the internal and external challenges and opportunities facing the film industry today including the remnants of the studio system and box office winners and flops. In addition to the methodical approach of SWOT analysis, the author, an attorney admitted to practice in the State of New York and licensed to appear before the U.S. Supreme Court, will highlight some of the legal issues facing the film industry today, particularly in the United States, such as corporate mergers and acquisitions of businesses to acquire their copyrighted content, patentable technological advances such as virtual reality, digital streaming and subscription services along with the problem of piracy.

 

Key words: World film industry, global cinema, business analysis, legal challenges.