Theatrical: Which Buyers and Films Are Getting Silver Screen Love Today
- Gato Scatena
- Oct 9
- 7 min read
Theaters Are Bouncing Back for [Some] Indies, But Teaching Lessons to the Studios
Not sure how many of you are paying attention, but the brief is this. Some studios have wins while others are still flopping at the box office, other distributors (*cough* A24) are climbing into new budgets and getting a spanking (I mean "learning lessons"), and yet and still, moviegoers are coming back to theaters and some indies are making money that's important for them [it just wouldn't get Warner Bros excited].
For some time now we've been hearing from AMC reps and our booking agents that the major exhibitors are actually wanting strong indies to take some screens, or at least some showtimes. Yes, there's a barrier to entry, but there's a big opportunity for forward-thinking indie distributors and filmmakers alike.
The Big Picture: Theatrical Isn’t Dead
Welcome back to the theater, apparently — but not in the way the studios were expecting.
For the past several years, the narrative in boardrooms has been clear: the theatrical experience is dying, young audiences are glued to their phones, and streaming is king. But something curious is happening. The numbers are turning, the momentum is shifting, and the indie theatrical window, long dismissed as a relic, is quietly clawing its way back. Not only is the in-theater experience making a comeback, it’s doing so in a way that should make distributors, buyers, and producers sit up and pay attention.
Gen Z Is Showing Up
Let’s talk about Gen Z. After all, this is a big audience with cash to burn, time to spend, and also happens to be a primary target for many streaming platforms.
This is the same generation that studios have spent millions trying to woo through 15-second TikToks and now they're going to the movies more than ever. According to Fandango and NRG, 90% of Gen Z saw at least one movie in theaters in 2024. And more surprisingly: they liked it. These aren’t just event film crowds turning out for Taylor Swift or Marvel titles. This generation is actively embracing the idea of "unplugging" as a feature, not a bug. The movie theater is becoming a rare escape hatch from the algorithm of modern life.
Studios + Exhibitors: The Relationship Is Healing
For a brief window, studios and exhibitors are finally learning how to play nice again. Once upon a time, moviegoers would head to the theater with no specific plan in mind. That was the golden era for both studios, and those indies who could sneak into theaters. Tentpoles would pull the crowds, but the indies would benefit from walk-by traffic, trailering, in-theater posters, and the shared halo of being "in theaters now."
That ecosystem collapsed when day-and-date strategies, streamers, and later COVID upended everything. But now, there are signs of healing. Studios are slowly cracking the code for rebuilding regular moviegoing habits—something that benefits all theatrical films.
Today, we're still seeing a studio-level struggle to get back to the good ol' days. Marvel's Fantastic Four starring Pedro Pascal (that's it) got beat in the BO by DC's Superman with a relative newcomer in the lead. DC needed the win for confidence purposes moving forward, but neither studio has likely recouped with all the expenses that went in. And while the Leo starrer, One Battle at a Time launched in first position, it too carried a budget way too high for what it is -- without having that old-school reliable theatrical foot traffic. Regardless, budgets are going to continue to get tweaked (AI is no doubt going to help more on this another time), and adjustments will be made until the ecosystem finds its new equilibrium.
My prediction? Studios will succeed in bringing back the idea of moviegoers seeing "a movie every weekend." And when they do, screen space for indies is going to shrink again. For now however, the opportunity is real, and the benefits don't stop at the box office (increases publicity, and chances for meaningful Pay 1 / SVOD licenses in addition to stronger international sales).
