This year, it’s felt like blockbuster movies have been flying at us from all directions, and with new movies, of course, comes high profile press tours. Seemingly every day, there’s a new red carpet pairing to win us over, from Dakota Johnson and Pedro Pascal’s charming Materialist run, to Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson confirming their real-life romance while spruiking The Naked Gun.

But while the press tour banter is clearly going from strength to strength, there’s another entertainment industry staple that’s gotten totally out of control. Of course, I’m talking about the on set paparazzi epidemic that’s spoiling just about every production I hold dear.

It all started innocently enough a few years ago, when Sarah Jessica Parker was increasingly photographed while filming And Just Like That. As someone who regularly writes about the style seen in film and television shows, I was grateful for easily accessible images that I could include in my stories. And anyway, the original Sex and the City show was papped just as often, so it didn’t feel like too much of departure.

NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 07: Timothee Chalamet is seen on the set of “Marty Supreme” in Chinatown, Manhattan on October 07, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

But as we moved from 2024 to 2025, I stopped quietly being grateful for the heads up over Carrie’s increasingly outrageous outfits, and behind the scenes shots of Timothée Chalamet looking cute while running through New York City in retro tailoring. Instead, I started to feel like my daily Getty Images scroll was riddled with spoilers.

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 08: Pedro Pascal and Dakota Johnson are seen on the set of ‘Materialists’ in Downtown, Manhattan on May 08, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

This became extra apparent in the past few months. First, it was Dakota Johnson kissing Pedro Pascal on a sidewalk while on the set of Materialists. It wasn’t a catastrophic spoiler, and in fact, I can say it wasn’t a spoiler at all after watching the film. But after the latest updates from the set of The Devil Wears Prada 2, I’ve changed my tune.

At first, glimpses of Anne Hathaway’s Andy Sachs racing through the bustling New York City streets while looking harried and holding a Runway bag merely hinted to something we probably already knew about the sequel: that she would be returning to the hallowed halls of Miranda Priestly’s (Meryl Streep) fashion magazine. But today, photos emerged of Streep and Stanley Tucci filming what were unmistakably Met Gala scenes with castmate Simone Ashley, and Ashley Graham in attendance. And this is when I finally decided the film’s creators had gone too far.

Simone Ashley filming Devil Wears Prada 2

To be clear, I’m not entirely against set photos, as proven by my voracious appetite for grainy photos from the Twilight movie set, circa 2008. But once, fans were forced to dig deep through Twitter and Tumblr archives to uncover a truly heinous photo of Kristen Stewart in the hopes of discerning whether Bella Swan’s headband was navy or black (it was the latter). Now, we’re receiving spoilers for major plot points from the moment we start scrolling, and in my opinion, it’s taking some of the fun out of movies.

We’ve reached a point where the immediacy of social media demands a scene-by-scene breakdown of any upcoming film or show, a full year before it hits screens. Gone are the days of gasping with glee over Carrie’s ridiculous hats in real-time. Now, by the time it lands on our TVs, we’ve seen whole thing play from all angles, in motion, and even caught the mundane moments between scenes. We know who each character was talking to, how they felt while doing so, and on what street they’re standing a full year before we ever see the final cut.

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 20: Sarah Jessica Parker is seen on the set of the “And Just Like That” TV series on May 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

I’ve found myself wondering whether it’s a ploy by production companies or the work of over-dedicated paparazzi photographers, and the answer I’ve come up with is both. I get the allure of being the first to capture photos of a film like The Devil Wears Prada 2, which is reuniting characters for the first time in 20 years. But do we really need a complete view of how the movie will play out?

My ask to the photographers is that they play it a little cooler, and get the shot and move on, rather than chasing a production every single day. And as for the studios either commissioning or condoning the photography, can’t you leave us wanting… just a little?

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