Major Hollywood Studios Release Statements After Chauvin Conviction: ‘The Battle for Racial Equity Continues’

Major Hollywood studios released statements following Tuesday’s conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, committing to use their platforms to “advance racial equity and social justice” moving forward.

“While this verdict doesn’t bring back those we’ve so wrongly lost, we know that it brings us closer to significant change,” WarnerMedia said in a statement following the verdict. “We reaffirm our commitment to be part of the solution by using our platforms, content, and resources to advance racial equity and social justice.”

HBO Max described George Floyd’s death as “another chapter in the history of police brutality against Black people,” adding that while Chauvin’s conviction is  “just,” the result is “not the norm and the battle for racial equity continues.”

“We remain committed to the Black community, especially our Black colleagues, storytellers, and fans, in this fight. We must continue to raise our voices and speak out against racism in all forms,” HBO Max added, using the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter.

Tony Vinciquerra, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, also released a statement, describing Chauvin’s conviction as a “resounding victory for everyone who has spent the last year trying to heal from the terrible events of last summer and fighting for accountability and justice.”

“As a company firmly committed to diversity and human rights, it is my hope that today’s decision will be a harbinger of greater unity and lasting change,” he added.

Other major studios, such as Lionsgate, Disney, Netflix, Universal Pictures, NBCUniversal, and ViacomCBS, at the time of this reporting, had not posted statements in the same way, despite many of them playing an outspoken role in supporting protests over the last year.

Last May, following the death of George Floyd and the emergence of violent riots, Netflix, Amazon Studios, Prime Video, and Hulu signaled support for the controversial Black Lives Matter movement, with Netflix likening silence to complicity.

Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all three charges — second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.