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Netflix Chases YouTube, Meta's AI Photo Grab, and Disney Fights the FCC
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The Odyssey, Obsession, and Hollywood's Box Office Renaissance
At 55:49 · chapter starts 52:30
Kara and Matt preview two films. The Odyssey's first-day Fandango sales are running 10x ahead of Oppenheimer's [1] — Kara Swisher "The Odyssey: first-day ticket sales 10x Oppenheimer: Fandango reported that first-day ticket sales for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey were…" 53:00 , AMC's app crashed under ticket demand, and the online backlash orchestrated by Elon Musk is dismissed as right-wing noise that won't affect the film. Then the conversation broadens to the genuine story of the summer: low-budget Gen Z films Obsession and Backrooms each hitting $300–400 million [2] — Matt Belloni "Obsession cost less than $1M to make: The Gen Z phenomenon film 'Obsession' cost less than $1 million to produce yet reached $300–$400 mill…" 59:30 , films that cost almost nothing but had deep pre-existing IP fanbases online. Matt notes what Kara observed during the pandemic — that young people don't go to movies — has been thoroughly disproven. Gen Z likes theaters. The lesson is that Hollywood's challenge is not distribution or format; it's making content that speaks to each audience, whether that's 60-something Nolan fans or Gen Z horror-romance fans.
The Odyssey is tracking 10x Oppenheimer's first-day ticket sales. Meanwhile, Obsession cost under $1 million and hit $300–400 million. Both films prove that when Hollywood makes things people actually want to see, the audience shows up — in theaters, in person.
Fandango reported that first-day ticket sales for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey were 10 times higher than those for his previous film, Oppenheimer.
Amazon greenlit a Luca Guadagnino film about Sam Altman's firing, then dropped it the moment they signed a $50 billion OpenAI deal. The damage isn't just to one movie — it's a signal to every Hollywood agent and filmmaker that Amazon's AI business will always come first.
Even after dumping 'Artificial,' Amazon committed $15 million to market and release the film theatrically through Neon, receiving no licensing fee in return.
The Gen Z phenomenon film 'Obsession' cost less than $1 million to produce yet reached $300–$400 million at the box office, proving low-budget IP-driven films can be blockbusters.
Young people are not only going to theaters for Obsession and Backrooms — they're leaving their phones behind too. Kara Swisher sees her own kids going to church, going out more, and wanting real experiences. The 2025 social media exodus may already be underway.
