Snapshot · Pivot
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.
Where this was said
At 59:30 · 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.
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.
A novel called 'Call Me, I'll Hide the Body' triggered a 14-publisher bidding war and sold for $2.4 million before critics alleged it was predominantly written by AI.
John Mulaney cold-texted Robby Hoffman out of nowhere to offer to produce her Netflix special, which became Wake Up.
Robby Hoffman posed as a courier to hand-deliver her spec script directly to the president of HBO Canada early in her career.
Robby and Mulaney filmed two shows in one night for the Netflix special; after the first they knew they had it, so the second was a victory lap.
Jimmy Carr performs up to 300 shows a year, often doing two shows per night, which he says reduces nerves rather than increasing them.
Jimmy Carr says that speaking at roughly 92 beats per minute is the optimal cadence for comedy and public speaking, including political speeches like Obama's.
The oldest recorded joke appears in a Roman book called 'The Lover of Laughter' and is still funny — a barber asking how a man wants his haircut, who replies 'in silence'.
Jimmy Carr argues that comedians like George Carlin, Richard Pryor, and Dave Chappelle have permanently expanded the conversational Overton window on sex, politics, and taboo topics.
The Lion King musical has grossed over $11 billion in its 30-year run, making it the single highest-grossing piece of entertainment in history across any medium.
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.