Is the Hollywood filmmaking formula outdated?

According to Variety, the spectacular comeback of YouTubers making low-budget films is highlighting a reality: Gen Z audiences are willing to turn their backs on established Hollywood franchises in search of something groundbreaking.

The 70% drop in revenue for a nearly 50-year-old franchise like Star Wars shows that younger audiences are gradually turning away from formulaic filmmaking.

Photo: Reuters

The film world has just witnessed an unprecedented phenomenon as A24's horror film Backrooms swept the box office charts. Created by Kane Parsons, a 20-year-old YouTuber, the film raked in $81 million domestically and $118 million globally in its opening week. This achievement not only set a record for the most impressive opening weekend in A24 history (three times the box office success of Civil War in 2024), but also made Parsons the youngest filmmaker to have a film top the global box office. According to an analysis by the prestigious film magazine Variety, the explosion of Backrooms has left five valuable lessons that force Hollywood's major players to seriously reconsider their approach.

1. Gen Z audiences are 'dominating' movie theaters.

During the pandemic, Hollywood worried that young people would forget the habit of going to the movies. But reality proved otherwise; Gen Z not only went to theaters, but they also set unprecedented records. Last weekend, two horror films made by YouTubers, Backrooms and Obsession , made history by not canceling each other out but instead raking in money together. Statistics show that nearly 85% of the audience for Backrooms was under 35, and half of them were under 25. Young people are now willing to spend money, as long as the film resonates with their tastes.

2. Tired of the same old things in new bottles.

Generation Z isn't turning its back on big brands, but they're incredibly discerning. They're willing to queue for Toy Story 5 or a new Spider-Man movie , but they'll flatly ignore spin-offs and remakes simply because their parents loved them. The clearest example is Disney's "million-dollar blockbuster" The Mandalorian and Grogu . Despite having an overwhelming number of theaters, this Star Wars blockbuster saw its box office plummet by 70% in its second week. Clearly, the iconic Grogu character no longer holds the same appeal outside of its loyal, older fanbase.

3. The Road from YouTube to Hollywood: No Longer a Dream

Kane Parsons is proof that YouTube is becoming a new "gold mine" for Hollywood to hunt for the next generation of talent. Previously, digital content creators like Markiplier with Iron Lung (which grossed $50 million despite a budget of only $3 million) or the Philippou brothers with Talk to Me have demonstrated formidable commercial potential. Jason Blum (founder and CEO of Blumhouse Productions, the studio behind numerous blockbuster horror franchises) believes Hollywood needs to be more open and nurture talent emerging from the internet. While the small screen was once considered a threat to theaters, it is now acting as a cradle providing original, unprecedented cinematic material.

4. Tastes for horror films have changed.

Gone are the days when horror films relied solely on loud noises or violent, gory scenes to startle audiences, only to suffer a box office slump in the second week. Today's audiences demand a more sophisticated, subtle, and metaphorical aesthetic. Backrooms was a huge success because it exploited the haunting psychological fear of undefined "transitional spaces," a theme that's incredibly popular on Reddit and TikTok. Independent filmmakers are now delving deeper into the storyline, transforming the horror genre into an ambitious mirror reflecting the hidden aspects of psychology.

5. The powerful return of the Blumhouse 'horror empire'

After a difficult 2025 marked by a series of low-profile projects like M3GAN 2.0 and Wolf Man , Blumhouse's horror studio has officially experienced a strong resurgence through recent collaborations with Atomic Monster and Chernin Entertainment. With a host of big-name releases set to hit theaters in 2026 and 2027, including Insidious: Out of the Further, Other Mommy , and a sequel to The Exorcist , Blumhouse is proving that low-budget, creative films are what keep box office life alive today.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cong-thuc-lam-phim-hollywood-loi-thoi-185260602144242564.htm