Where Do Movies Go From Here?
There is a show on Twitch that streams animated, AI-generated Seinfeld episodes. It’s called “Nothing, Forever” and uses artificial intelligence and old 90’s sitcoms to create an infinite stream of episodes about nothing…forever. Twitch, however, put a ban on the show after one episode had Larry (a character inspired by Jerry Seinfeld) say transphobic jokes during a standup bit.
It’s hard to grasp the enormity of the moment. Nuclear fusion breakthroughs, AI generative art, and autonomous cars. We are at the edge of the future. But this moment also frightens me. Infinite scrolls, echo chambers, and Andrew Tate. Something is happening.
It’s generally accepted that we are the content we consume—be it books, podcasts, news outlets, or movies. So, if I want to better understand this current moment, it seems natural to look at content: the entertainment we value and the way we go about consuming it today. And as a Business of Cinematic Arts major at USC, it seems natural that my curiosity has led me to Hollywood and the movie industry as my point of focus.
The movie industry is at a pivotal moment. A waning pandemic, the rise of streaming platforms, and superhero franchises have redefined what a movie is, how it is viewed, and the sense of community attached to it. Many believe that movies are now content—simply meant to be binge-watched on a tablet or laptop. On the other hand, a waning pandemic, the rise of streaming platforms, and superhero franchises have re-lit a love for a Hollywood of a different time. Audiences are craving to be back in theaters watching original movies with a bunch of strangers. People are longing for the community that comes from movies.
Forbes writer Scott Mendelson sees this shift in the industry—the rise of streaming and the decline of movie theaters—leaving “every major company in Hollywood fac[ing] some version of the same question: What is the best way to release a movie?” I believe that it is through the lens of the viewer—the individual—that the answer is clear. For the individual, movie theaters are not just a place to watch movies on a silver screen. They are a place of community—a way to bring people together. And in this digital, post-pandemic age, theaters (or something like them) are needed now more than ever.
Before the rise of streaming, the decline of theaters, and a global pandemic, the film industry had already been fighting over the idea of what a movie should be. It’s been a longstanding clash between filmmakers who want to create “cinema” and Hollywood executives who want to make money. In 2006, UPenn released a study on the state of the film industry, offering predictions about its future. The big takeaway was that people will watch movies they are familiar with. “Studios will increasingly pursue 'Hit Franchises' based on established intellectual properties in an effort to reduce risks.” Marvel released Iron Man in 2008, and according to director Martin Scorcese, the era of “worldwide audio-visual entertainment” exploded—“perfect product[s] manufactured for immediate consumption.”
“The simplest way that I can describe it” according to director Steven Soderbergh, “is that a movie is something you see, and cinema is something that’s made.” Soderbergh believes that in cinema “you can almost achieve that thing that’s impossible which is entering the consciousness of another human being – literally seeing the world the way they see it.” It’s empathetic, it’s immersive, and it’s even spiritual.
But Netflix isn’t in the business of spreading cinema. Their goal is “to entertain the world” according to Netflix’s VP of Original Films Marketing. For them, movies are content and content is about user acquisition, incredible algorithms, and maximizing screen time. And the best way to predict what someone will watch is to give them something they are familiar with—copies of copies. You combine Hollywood’s desire for franchises that use movies as a product in trans-media pipelines of shows, parks, games, and merchandise with tech’s growth at all-cost mindset, and cinema is left out to dry, their respect robbed, their value belittled.
The shift to streaming has also changed how audiences interact with movies. When played in theaters, movies hold the power. People can’t press pause when the lights go down. “It’s an experience,” according to Eliana Yeager, an aspiring stage actress. “It’s immersive, seamless, and much easier to get wrapped up in the drama compared to watching a movie in bed.” It puts viewers at the mercy of the movie instead of the other way around. It invites people to witness the magic of movies. And, as Martin Scorcese notes, theaters allow people to watch movies the way they were intended to be watched: “I don’t know a single filmmaker who doesn’t want to design films for the big screen, to be projected before audiences in theaters.”
Unfortunately, people are simply out of the habit of going to the theaters. “We trained consumers that they could get all they want on streaming.” Kyle Davies, the President of Distribution at Bleeker Street also admits, “No matter what you [theaters] have also lost audience.” Today, movie theaters have reopened, are all open yet the 2022 Domestic Box office is running at 67% of what it was in 2019 according to a report by Wall Street Journal’s John Wilson. A global lockdown, the adoption of streaming platforms, and the changing perception of movies as content leave movie theaters and movie-going as symbols from a different time. SA self-described movie-lover, Zach DeZee’s number one reason for not going to the movies more: ”I know it will be on a streaming service.”
But in spite of changing consumer behaviors and misaligned agendas within the industry, people still like going to the movies. Minions: The Rise of Gru, Everything, Everywhere, All At Once, Top Gun: Maverick, and other recent box-office successes prove this to be true. “The tentpoles [can] still pull tentpole grosses.”
However, the future is a world where “Nothing, Forever,” Oculus Quests, and complete immersion exist. Movies will probably become a thing of the past and storytellers won’t need a screen to “enter the consciousness of another human being” and “see the world the way they see it” (Soderbergh). Maybe not, though. Maybe the shift from dinner and a movie to “Netflix and chill” is the furthest movies will stray from the theaters. Either way, what won’t go extinct, is our fundamental need for community. It might not be a movie theater that brings people together, cultivates community, and starts conversations. But it will be something.
