"Kids are basically behind a giant corporate garden": 'THE LEGEND OF OCHI' director Isaiah Saxon claims kids movies have become "corporatized" by Hollywood

Isaiah Saxon, who made his feature film debut with The Legend of Ochi (A24), describes a "giant corporate garden" that independent filmmakers find difficult to enter as one controlled by a few mega-studios over the modern children's film business. He avoids the pitfalls of big-budget blockbuster filmmaking. 
He develops a tactile fantasy that speaks to children directly using puppets, animatronics, matte paintings, and practical effects in his six-year, low-budget approach. Saxon's comments highlight the tension between the commercial needs of current Hollywood and artistically inspired passion projects.

The Legend of Ochi's director, Isaiah Saxon claims kids' movies have become "corporatized" by Hollywood

Isaiah Saxon directed The Legend of Ochi, which had its global debut at Sundance in January 2025 and U.S. theatrical opening on April 25. The plot follows Yuri, played by Helena Zengel, as she opposes her monster-hunting father, portrayed by Willem Dafoe, to reunite a famous primate called Ochi with its family. The look of the movie mixes 1970s Soviet Union features with Eastern European fairy tale components.
"Kids are basically behind a giant corporate garden." 

Saxon said as he reflected on his decade-long campaign to attract younger viewers. It took a long time to create this because it's hard to produce an independent film that appeals to children. He made it clear that Hollywood has "corporatized" children's fantasy films, meaning that they no longer rely on creative, hand-crafted narrative but rather on preexisting intellectual property, massive merchandise tie-ins, and blockbuster marketing tactics.

Sometimes the marketing costs of modern Hollywood blockbusters equal or surpass the production costs. It is usual for a $100 million film to spend $50-150 million on marketing alone to ensure global exposure via trailers, tie-in goods, and cross-platform advertising. 

The animated sequel arena is a perfect illustration of the corporatized paradigm in action: Inside Out 2 (Pixar) grossed $155 million at the box office and $140 million globally in its opening weekend. This was due to identifiable characters, plenty of merchandise, and an efficient marketing effort. Such success strengthens studio reliance on established brands, hence narrowing the time for imaginative independent imagination.

Filmmakers like Saxon lack six- or seven-figure marketing budgets, which makes their work more difficult. Social media, grassroots community screenings, and collaborations with educational or children's groups can reach families. 
Reaching young audiences, who are often inundated with corporate-sponsored material, toys, and branded experiences, without significant studio support calls for different approaches. The quest for self-sufficient creative invention.

Isaiah Saxon's "giant corporate garden" metaphor reveals that big-budget intellectual property and marketing dominate the children's cinema business, leaving little room for individual passion projects. By producing The Legend of Ochi with little corporate participation, plenty of hands-on craftsmanship, and test screenings with actual kids, Saxon has shown a different approach to producing a blockbuster movie.

Divya Burman is a journalist at Primetimer 

She has completed her graduation in English Literature, which fuelled her interest in writing. A curious learner, Divya isn't scared to move out of her comfort zone and reviews her work from a critical point of view.

Divya has multiple years of work experience, including at companies like TechWhoop and Vimana. She also worked as a programme facilitator at MyCaptain.

Divya is also fond of research and keeping herself up to date on the latest trends in the world of fashion. In her free time, she indulges in music and reading and loves to watch films.