Original ideas are risky. Sequels, prequels, and spinoffs are safe. Why create a new universe when you can make a live-action Lilo & Stitch or a Harry Potter TV series? This trend has peaked, however. Audiences are beginning to groan at "legacy sequels" (e.g., The Marvels box office disappointment). The next wave will be "mid-budget originals" returning via A24 and Neon.
Remember when you paid one bill for 200 channels? Now, you pay $15 for Netflix, $10 for Disney, $15 for Max, $10 for Peacock, $10 for Paramount+, $10 for Apple, $12 for Spotify, and $15 for YouTube Premium. The industry is quietly trying to re-bundle via aggregators like Amazon Channels or Verizon's +play. blackedraw181119miamelanowannachillxxx+best
But with this power comes a cost. We risk losing the ability to be alone with our thoughts, the joy of anticipation, and the shared rituals of a monoculture. Original ideas are risky
Generative AI (Sora, Midjourney, ChatGPT) is terrifying and thrilling the industry. Studios are using AI to de-age actors (Indiana Jones) and generate background scripts. However, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes of 2023 were largely about AI—specifically, whether a studio can scan a background actor's face and use it forever without pay. Expect the "uncanny valley" to get much shallower. This trend has peaked, however
In the span of a single generation, the way we consume entertainment content and popular media has undergone a seismic shift. What once required a trip to a movie theater or a weekly appointment with a television schedule can now be summoned instantly from a device that fits in our pocket.
The future belongs not to the companies with the biggest budgets, but to those who can navigate the paradox of choice. The perfect piece of is the one that makes you feel something—joy, terror, laughter, or tears—and then prompts you to turn it off and go live your own life.