Podbit · Pivot
Hollywood's 2026 domestic box office of $4.46 billion is the highest since 2019 and it's being driven by a barbell: premium IMAX experiences (up 45% in stock price) and cheap streaming at $0.30 an hour. The mid-tier multiplex is getting crushed.
Where this was said
At 25:19 · chapter starts 24:00
Kara opens the Hollywood segment with a pointed 'You predicted this, didn't you?' — and she did. Toy Story 5 opened to $312 million globally, and the 2026 U.S. domestic box office is on track for $4.46 billion [1] — Kara Swisher "Domestic box office $4.46 billion — highest since 2019: Total domestic U.S. box office in 2026 is estimated at $4.46 billion, the highest f…" 25:19 , with the recovery powered not by Avengers-style tentpoles but by a diverse slate including mid-budget horror films like Backrooms and Obsession alongside prestige pictures. Scott frames the structural shift in terms of the cinema market bifurcating like airlines: IMAX is Emirates and Cinemark is Southwest — luxury experience versus budget efficiency [2] — Scott Galloway "Cinemark & IMAX up 40–45% in 12 months: Theater stocks Cinemark and IMAX rose 40% and 45% respectively in the last 12 months, outperforming…" 26:48 . The middle-tier multiplex, like United or Delta, is getting crushed. He credits the IRL trend: post-COVID consumers have developed a visceral need to be around other humans, and the gag-reflex over social media isolation is driving them back to shared spaces. A brief tangent explores how Anthropic, SpaceX, and OpenAI IPO wealth is inflating VIP concert and travel prices as newly minted millionaires abandon the idea of saving for a home.
Total domestic U.S. box office in 2026 is estimated at $4.46 billion, the highest figure since 2019, driven by diverse titles beyond superhero blockbusters.
Theater stocks Cinemark and IMAX rose 40% and 45% respectively in the last 12 months, outperforming broader media stocks amid a bifurcated cinema market.
Robby Hoffman isn't fearless — she's terrified all the time. The difference is she does it anyway, because not doing it feels worse than the fear itself.
John Mulaney texted Robby Hoffman out of nowhere saying he'd been a fan for a while and wanted to make a Netflix special with her. Robby called it 'shocking, horrifying, anxiety-inducing, surreal and thrilling' — and said yes.
Mulaney is buttoned-up, suit-wearing, classy. Robby is gritty, raw, and undefined. Together they made the collab nobody expected. Batman and Robin. Eminem and Dido.
Music had Pope Gregory forcing notation. Comedy has had 'magical thinking' — he's just got funny bones. But jokes work through discoverable, teachable mechanics. Writing down the rules doesn't kill the magic; it gives more people access to it.
Howard Ashman had one insight nobody else had: animated Disney films should be Broadway musicals. The third song of every great musical is the character sitting alone explaining what they want. That's 'Part of Your World.' That structure — combined with Alan Menken's compositions — generated Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King, and turned Disney Animation into the most profitable creative engine in entertainment history.
The Lion King musical has been running for 30 years across Broadway, London's West End, and global touring companies. It has grossed over $11 billion in total revenue — more than Avatar, more than Avengers: Endgame, more than any album, more than any video game. It generates an average of $350 million in revenue every single year. Disney owns it outright.
The anonymous French artist Invader has hidden 1,500 pixelated mosaic artworks across Paris alone, with thousands more scattered across 80+ cities — affixed to the Eiffel Tower, the Hollywood sign, and even sent to the International Space Station. He might be even busier than Banksy.
The Flash Invaders app turns city streets into a treasure hunt, letting players scan Invader's hidden mosaics for points. Players have collectively logged over 47 million flashes. Unlike most mobile games that glue you to a screen, this one forces you to look up and engage with your surroundings.
New York draws thousands of young, talented performers every year chasing Broadway stardom — but the hard truth is that most of them never make it. Zelig Williams was one of the rare exceptions.
We use essential and analytics cookies to run Vuci. To understand how the site is used: Privacy Policy.
Install Vuci on your phone
Add it to your home screen for a faster, app-like experience.
Install Vuci on your phone
Tap the Share button, then “Add to Home Screen”.
A new version is available
Reload to get the latest Vuci.