Do you think its possible to see another run like A New Hope/ET/Avatar in current movie going world?

[GOGODanca]

In terms of a movie with no pre existing fanbase to become the biggest movie ever or one of them, do you think thats feasible now post COVID or are those days gone?

[XXRptimus Primal]

I'd be shocked if we ever saw another top 10 (all-time) film that doesn't come from an existing IP, much less something on the level of Star Wars, ET, Avatar. 

[AniNate]

At the moment I don't see any up and coming filmmakers with the same combo of artistic ambition and keen business sense that would produce something like an Avatar phenomenon, but never say never.

[interiorgatordecorator]

sure

maybe people get really exited about the tom cruise movie in space

as long as filmmakers keep trying to innovate it can happen

[Eric Prime]

No. Studios don’t want it and audiences don’t want them either.

[Reddroast]

1 hour ago, I Am Eric said:

No. Studios don’t want it and audiences don’t want them either.

I HAVE to disagree here. Audiences do want original blockbusters. It's that the studios that don't market them properly and thus audiences don't know about them

[Reddroast]

If Nolan actually waited for as many theatres as possible ( meaning waiting for the worst of COVID to pass) Tenet would have had that run

[Claudio]

We would probably see the end of cinema first before this

[CloneWars]

Sorry to say this, but no. Streaming plus Covid has permanently trained a portion of audiences they can just wait. Long epic runs are over. 

[cannastop]

A New Hope and E.T.?

Absolutely not.

Avatar? Maybe.

[SchumacherFTW]

I think the industry as a whole definitely has work to do getting people back in the theaters. Improving exhibiting quality on all fronts will be a start, and recliners feel like an absolute must have now. 

I'm not going to say it's never going to happen, might not happen for a long time, but who knows. Let's start with getting people back in the habit of going to the movies that aren't blockbusters or horror. 

[Valonqar]

Only Avatar movies and whatever else Cameron makes. He has Midas touch with the audiences. 

[across the Jat verse]

The one who is capable of that run is going to make sequels for rest of his life

[DTP]

Of course it's possible.  Something original and fresh with mainstream appeal and incredible WOM has the potential.  

 

But I agree that there needs to be more done to make moviegoing worth it, since people can just wait to watch things at home.  More PLF screens, more recliner seats, more discounts, etc. 

[JohnnyGossamer]

14 hours ago, Reddroast said:

If Nolan actually waited for as many theatres as possible ( meaning waiting for the worst of COVID to pass) Tenet would have had that run

[cannastop]

On 5/13/2023 at 4:54 PM, Reddroast said:

If Nolan actually waited for as many theatres as possible ( meaning waiting for the worst of COVID to pass) Tenet would have had that run

...why

[jedijake]

On 5/13/2023 at 3:50 PM, Reddroast said:

I HAVE to disagree here. Audiences do want original blockbusters. It's that the studios that don't market them properly and thus audiences don't know about them

I agree. It's kind of a Catch-22 though. People really want something new and original (even if there are scatterings of nostalgia). But once something new does come along, people are reluctant these days to give it a chance because of attention spans. 

 

It is possible for something to come along that is based on a book or book series BUT no books have really caught fire in a very long time. We have Game of Thrones for TV. We also have super popular original TV series that caught on big time such as Stranger Things and Walking Dead. But if any of those had been proposed to a studio exec for a theatrical event, they'd probably never see the light of day. Studios just don't want to take any chances with new IP's. If they do, they will hand out VERY low budgets and the film would turn out poorly and be panned.

[El Squibbonator]

I suppose it's possible, but the stars would have to align in a lot of really unlikely ways. You'd need a director with a well-established reputation, a movie with enough of an all-new draw to make audiences want to see it in theaters as opposed to on a streaming service, a studio willing to spend lots of money marketing an unproven property, and a release date that's away from any meaningful competition. And it has to be all of those things. 

 

So the real question is, will we ever see a movie that meets all of the above criteria? 

[Noctis]

It's easy and tempting to say never, but when it comes to box office, you really never know.

 

The reason why I lean heavily no is not because audiences don't want amazing, original blockbusters. It's that for the past decade and especially since COVID, there has been a massive shift in the worldwide psyche of wanting even the biggest IPs to go the way of television. 

 

We'll be seeing much bigger phenomenons via television and streaming. 

 

Take the new Potter HBO series. As beloved as the original films are, watch the new series end up becoming the definitive, better adaptations from the perspectives of storytelling, action, and emotion. 

 

Even with new series, many fanbases prefer TV series for its ability to add more depth to the characters and story.

[El Squibbonator]

While I generally agree, I doubt the Harry Potter HBO Max series is a good example. The franchise doesn't really have the impact it did 15 or 20 years ago.