Actor Rob Schneider has predicted that Hollywood’s major studio lots could be effectively shut down by 2030, arguing that the industry is in the midst of a rapid and self-inflicted collapse.
“We’re watching Hollywood dismantle itself,” Schneider said in a recent interview with Jan Jekielek on EpochTV’s American Thought Leaders. According to him, iconic studio properties such as Sony, Fox, and Warner Bros. may no longer function as production hubs within the next five years. Instead, he believes they will be converted into commercial real estate, with soundstages disappearing altogether. “I think it’s their own decline,” he added.
The Hot Chick star, who has publicly supported President Donald Trump, pointed to what he described as Hollywood’s long-standing exclusion of conservative voices as a major contributor to the industry’s downfall. Schneider claimed that actors who question or challenge Democratic political views often face professional consequences.
“If an actor like me says anything—or even dares to question the Democratic tribe—that’s it,” he said. “You’re out of Hollywood.”
Schneider also recalled an uncomfortable encounter with Robert De Niro during the final scene of Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary special. Describing the moment, Schneider said he accidentally bumped into the Irishman star and was met with what he perceived as a disapproving glare.
“He turned around and gave me that look—like, ‘How can you support that guy?’” Schneider said, adding that the situation seemed on the verge of escalating. He claimed he diffused the tension by simply telling De Niro, “I love you,” which appeared to catch the two-time Oscar winner off guard.
According to Schneider, political division is only part of the reason audiences—and particularly conservative members of the entertainment industry—are turning away from Hollywood. He also cited long interruptions in content production, caused by the pandemic and the 2023 strikes by the Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild of America, as damaging missteps.
“I thought it was completely irresponsible,” Schneider said of the strikes, arguing that prolonged shutdowns pushed audiences to seek entertainment elsewhere.
“People realized, ‘We’ll find entertainment somewhere else,’” he said, noting that platforms like Instagram now attract massive audiences. “I think more people are watching Instagram than traditional entertainment.”
Schneider compared this shift to changes in the news media landscape, describing podcaster Joe Rogan as “the Walter Cronkite of our time.” He argued that independent voices and digital platforms are increasingly replacing traditional Hollywood and legacy media institutions.
“You’re seeing a rejection of Hollywood right now,” Schneider said. “You’re watching an implosion. What replaces it? I don’t know—but what replaced the news was individual people talking, and Joe Rogan is the biggest example of that.”