Billy Bob Thornton: Streaming TV Is the New Indie Film
*By Conor White*
As a veteran of the indie film circuit, Billy Bob Thornton appreciates what streaming television has done to pick up the mantle of creative storytelling.
"The Amazons of the world have really taken over the spot that was held by the independent film renaissance of the late 80's through the early 2000's," said Thornton, the star of "Goliath" on Amazon Prime. "Because that's pretty much gone, the studios are mostly doing event movies, this is really a place where I can go in and do an eight-hour independent film."
Thornton rose from no-name character actor to star in 1996 with his own independent film "Sling Blade", which he wrote, directed, and starred in. He won an Oscar for best adapted screenplay, and nabbed a nomination for best actor.
The 62-year-old actor has received recent accolades for his performance as down-and-out lawyer Billy McBride in "Goliath," winning a Golden Globe last year for best actor in a drama series.
But the show's success is no guarantee it will continue to win viewers' attention when the second season is available for streaming on Amazon on Friday, June 15.
"You kind of feel the pressure of that a bit, it's like we kind of got to up the game, because there's so much good stuff out there these days," Thornton said. "I got to tell you, I think they did it."
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/billy-bob-and-goliath).
We are just one day away from what has been called the most influential tech event in the world. CES 2022 will officially kick off on Wednesday in Las Vegas, but the annual tech summit is being impacted by COVID-19, like so many other recent events. The Consumer Technology Association originally planned for a hybrid event to take place from January 5-8, with some in-person events and some virtual; however, a few big-name companies announced they will not be attending in-person, so the CTA decided to shorten the event by one day, with it now ending on Friday. Consumer electronics senior analyst Will Greenwald joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
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