Do you remember the2023 summer movies before Barbenheimer? The string of films that big studios thought would be huge hits but didn’t have the desired impact on audiences? Audiences are starting to become a bit more savvy about what they are being offered, and it is having a strange effect on the entertainment industry. This is leading to a newer phenomenon known asstreamshrugging.
The entire concept of how we view movies has changed, and the studios have been feeding right into it. Now, they’ve realized the amount of apathy they have created about the movie-going experience, and they are getting worried. Let’s look at this a bit closer and talk about what stream shrugging means for the world of entertainment.
Sometimes, It’s Just Not Worth It
We all go through the same thought process when attempting to decide what is worth watching. The first thing is to hear the hype about an upcoming film. Then, we are subjected to endless trailers that often give us way more of the film than we actually want.And then the movie hits theaters. It is at this point that things used to end. We would either see the movie or wait what seemed like an endless amount of time for it to hit the DVD market.
But now, we have streaming. We have an almost immediate step from theaters to our television sets in the comfort of our own homes. Because of this, many of us have become quite a bit more picky about what we decide to see in an actual theater. This choice, this “who cares, I’ll wait” mentality, is stream-shrugging.
This Summer Was the First True Test
In many ways, the summer of 2023 showed studios exactly how prevalent stream shrugging has become. Studios like Disney and Warner Bros. put some of their most anticipated films into theaters only to have them tank spectacularly. The Disney/Pixar filmElementalwas given a fanfare as the next big animated movie. A look at elements the same way thatInside Outgave us insight into emotions. People didn’t care.
Disney also releasedIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which people hoped would be an antidote to the previous Indiana Jones movie and a farewell for the character. They touted just how impressive the film’s action would be and the wonders of CGI to de-age Harrison Ford in ways we had never seen before. People didn’t care.
Finally, Warner Bros.releasedThe Flash. This was a film that had levels of controversy behind it that could only work to bring curious fans back to theaters and provide the Zack Snyder DCEU fans with a huge tapestry of heroes, including the return of Michael Keaton, the original Tim Burton Batman. People didn’t care.
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But each of these movies has since seen more traction on streaming than they ever did in theaters.Elemental, in particular, has seen immense success on Disney+. This speaks volumes about what studios assume people want and what lengths they’ll go to see them. The truth is that if you look at the summer as a whole, the stream shrugging did not affectMission: Impossible,Barbie, orOppenheimer. These films were also given plenty of hype. They were also a mix of sequels and stand-alone films. So, studios can’t just claim that just one type of movie belongs in theaters and others don’t. They need to look at what audiences actually want to see and what theater-going means now that this accidentally experimental summer is over.
Events Bring ‘Em In
Barbenheimer was an immense success. People love the fact that it was something unique. The studios realized what the public was saying and went along with it. It helped. It helped so much that everyone saw a lot of money. Everyone wanted to say they took part in the event. They dressed up, created themed cocktails, and proved that the people will tell you what they want. It also proved that sometimes, just throwing money at audiences won’t bring them in.
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Something that is also happening that seems to be getting to studios is the fact that an upcoming event is blowing away all their scripted films. A true event that has theaters thrilled by a non-feature film idea.Taylor Swift, the biggest name in entertainment, will have her concert movie in theaters next week. Presale numbers have nearly surpassed numbers seen from Barbenheimer and will no doubt continue to rise. This event will bring people in for multiple viewings. People who want to be a part of something. It is also the most anti-stream shrugging, must-see in-theater experience. It is meant to be a concert for those who could not make it to see Taylor in person. It’s just not the same on your television.
Studios are learning a very valuable lesson right now. People have been given a platform to watch nearly whatever they want in the comfort of their own homes. Studios have been feeding this content machine for years now and should, therefore, not be surprised when it is the option that most people choose.
Stream shrugging is a very real phenomenon, and it is the end result of studio cash grabs. The hype machine only works if people get hyped.The summer of 2023has proven that studios need to change direction and attempt to understand what audiences want and what options they have at their fingertips. Otherwise, they will drive people to stream shrug theaters right out of business.
