One step forward, three steps back.
Millennials + Gen Z aren't about to start heading out to the movies in droves
+
the blockbuster event/shared universe movie model isn't sustainable
+
AI looming
+
whatever Washington still has in the pipeline
All of that equals peoples' priorities taking a hard shift away from entertainment as a whole, never mind just moviegoers.
You tell me what you see coming.
I see people going to theaters to see movies they think are expected to be good, familiar, or are 'big events'.
The blockbuster event movie has been working since JAWS and is not really related to the shared universe trend.
Millenials and Gen Z are a large portion of people who went to go see lilo and stich, sinners, and the horror movies which have done very well in boxoffice lately. They might be more particular but if something connects they will go.
Sequels will do well, nostalgia will do well, horror will do well, and movies with good word of mouth will do well.