I think this year is actually the final nails in the argument that people are desperate for "original" films. The top ones this year are Spider-Man and an adaptation of a literal ancient story. Followed by a fifth Toy Story, a Michael Jackson biopic, a Mario film, the Devil Wears Prada 2 and Project Hail Mary. Only Michael and PHM are arguably non-franchise films, and PHM wasn't one of the ones that grossed over a billion.

And the next expected major films this year that will pull in audiences are Dune 3 and Avengers: Doomsday.

It's looking like franchises are what are reliably bringing people in. They just want quality stories and not a deluge of committee-designed experiences. The new Spider-Man film was good because it gets Spider-Man and what audiences like about the character.

Last time I heard this much discussion about movies in theaters was Barbenheimer, which was three years ago.

I agree with this. I used to go to the theaters at least 4 or 5 times a year with my wife. Nowadays we rarely see anything come out we're interested. Maybe one big movie a year between 2020 and now.

This year maybe three times

We're a bit pickier because it's much more expensive to go now, but it feels like not much is worth seeing these days

It isn't. It's about convicting generational groups, particularly the younger ones that don't know any better, that they have specific preferences.

> why is everything always about gerational preference shifts? I noticed that too, it’s usually pushed to create a herd mentality, then a trend about something, and obviously there’s a direct or indirect outcome, here, it’s movies revenue. So if you are a xyz gen, you will fear to miss out what all of your other peers are doing.

> movies have sucked, so no one went to see them?

This is why I haven't gone to see as many in the past few years, for sure

People are tribal, and these days the tribes seem to be generational

The biggest movie releases like The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day drive huge turnout, including domestic US moviegoers.

When we compare with flops like the Moana remake it really demonstrates that people who love going to the movies are discerning and demand authentic films, which often includes practical effects.

When a movie mostly consists of actors standing around motionless in front of a 360 degree screen stage or a green screen with cheap, rusher AI, people notice and they don’t recommend the movie to their friends.

Unrelated, I wonder if there’s still potential for movie rental shops in more dense urban areas. I think the concept could be more reimagined and focused on a third space, events, maybe involve a coffee shop or similar routine-worthy purchase.

I think the main barrier is that many people don’t have players anymore.