Ben Fritz

What we've actually learned this weekend is they will go to theaters, but they're really interested in creators and story ideas that emerge from the Internet because that's what culture is to them.

People have worried that this generation, because they're growing up living in their phones, wouldn't be interested in going to theaters.

But what we've actually learned this weekend is they will go to theaters, but they're really interested in creators and story ideas that emerge from the Internet, because that's what culture is to them.

Culture is not so much these old franchises like Marvel and Star Wars and so on.

What it shows is that people are really seeking culture that feels authentic because that's what you get online.

You know, online people are used to a direct relationship with the creators of media.

And I think that's what they want from movies as well.

And when people can smell that the movie is corporately manufactured,

A lot of people, especially young people, are increasingly turned off by that.

Backrooms, the director is somebody who made online videos based on this internet meme.

He was already well known to his audience, so it felt really authentic.

Backrooms was made for $10 million.

Obsession was made for $750,000.

In the past, typically a bigger budget meant bigger box office because it was the kind of spectacle people wanted to see on screen.

But that connection is being lost.

Clearly, young audiences don't care as much about a big budget.

Combined with the fact that technology is getting better and better, so you can make something that looks pretty cool for less and less money.

So that's also exciting for Hollywood because, you know, the film business is tough.

It's always been a low-margin business.

So if you can make big box office on a low budget, that is very good news for Hollywood.