Archive · 17 Nov 2025
Aaron Sorkin Believes 'The American President' Wouldn't Be Made Today
Imagine a movie from a long time ago about a president who fell in love.
This movie talked about important grown-up topics like guns and protecting nature.
The writer of the movie thinks that today, movie studios would be too scared to make a movie like that.
He says this is because people today have very strong opinions about these topics, and studios worry that if they pick a side, half of the people who might want to watch the movie would decide not to go.
The writer also compared some political groups today to cults because of how devoted people are to certain leaders, saying it's like people are blindly following someone who doesn't deserve it.
He also mentioned that in his old TV show, the opposing political party was shown as reasonable, but he doesn't think that would seem believable to people watching TV now.
Aaron Sorkin believes 'The American President' would not be made by studios today.
He cited the film's political themes, specifically gun control and environmental issues, as reasons for potential audience alienation.
Sorkin suggested that studios in 1995 were more willing to tackle such topics compared to the current polarized climate.
He drew parallels between modern political devotion to certain figures and cult-like behavior.
Sorkin also commented on the perceived lack of reasonableness in current political opposition parties compared to his past work.
- Who
- Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin
- What
- Stated that his film 'The American President' would likely not be made today due to audience alienation over political themes.
- When
- For the 30th anniversary of 'The American President'
- Where
- In an interview with Rolling Stone
- Why
- Sorkin believes contemporary studios would avoid making a film with explicit political stances on issues like gun control and the environment, fearing it would alienate half of the potential audience, unlike in 1995.
- Film
- The American President
- Filmmaker
- Aaron Sorkin
- Year of Release
- 1995
- Key Issues in Film
- Gun control, environment
- Sorkin's Current Project
- The Social Reckoning (sequel to The Social Network)
- Social Reckoning Release Date
- October 9, 2026