In today’s cover story segment on the Daily Variety podcast, Variety’s Brent Lang joins Rebecca Rubin to break down a comprehensive report on the summer box office rebound and what Hollywood and box office companies must do to sustain it.
Lang, who is the editor-in-chief of Variety magazine, which oversees all film coverage, emphasizes that the change in reporting good news for the film industry is a good thing. This story includes insights and observations from all the major players in the world of theatrical film, including Sony Pictures President Tom Rothman, Disney’s Alan Bergman, and Paramount’s Josh Greenstein.
“What surprised me the most was the sense of optimism I heard from people, because that sense of optimism has really been missing since COVID-19,” Lang said. “There’s a lot of pessimism about the health of Hollywood as a whole, especially about the theatrical film business, but there’s a sense of the fact that film production is finally picking up again after the strikes and COVID-19. A lot of the films that have resonated with audiences are more unconventional, unexpected hits. They’re not the same old superhero movies. They’re not the same old superhero movies, like ‘Michael’ and ‘Obsession,’ ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Project Hail Mary.’ There’s an idea that, after being relegated to the margins of the cultural conversation, movies are once again defining the zeitgeist. ”
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The film industry is looking forward to this weekend’s reception of Universal Pictures’ Christopher Nolan’s latest film, The Odyssey. Lang predicts that the momentum built this summer will prompt studios to bet on a wider range of genres, including adult dramas and comedies, with more modest budgets.
“I think comedy will come back. I don’t really know why it hasn’t come back yet, but I think the success of ‘Scary Movie’ shows that there’s still an audience for comedy,” Lang says. “We like to get scared together. We like to laugh together. I wouldn’t be surprised if comedy stars also come from YouTube, TikTok, social media and not from comedy clubs like I did when I was a kid.”
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