What Will Millennial Movies Be Like?

[poofyhairguy]

It is very obvious that right now the mentality of Hollywood is dominated by Gen X sensibilities. Gen X is the most nostalgic generation since the Greatest Gen, and Hollywood accommodates by rolling out movies based on the tv shows (Baywatch, Power Rangers), movies (Star Wars, Ghostbusters, Jurassic Park) and even the toys (Transformers, Legos, Gi Joe) that Gen Xers loved as a kid.

It makes me wonder- in 20 years when Gen X is no longer the hot demographic and Millennials are, what sort of movies will they make for Millennials?

Will it be like the Warcraft and Assassin's Creed movies- ie movies based on the games THEY loved growing up? Or will people fill a movie theater to watch PewDiePie play new games on the big screen? Will Millennials reject the Gen X love of CGI for it not being authentic enough? Will the Chinese market take over by then and half the movies are like that Mermaid movie that was a huge hit there?

On the flipside, when Gen X is the primary focus for television series what will type of tv shows will be made? The Boomers are given long-running crime procedurals that they cuddle like a warm blanket, will Gen Xers get sitcoms in the style of Friends and Seinfeld but on CBS because that is where old people go for tv?

 

[pete6032]

I don't know, but something terrible almost certainly, because millenials are snake people.

 

[ImpulsE69]

It depends, can hollywood be run out of mom's basement?

 

[cbrunny]

Paw Patrol The Movie.

 

[cbrunny]

Serious answer: refine your definition of "Millennial" a bit I think. Do you mean people that are tweens now that for some reason people still think are Millennials, or people that fall into the "defined" millennial age groups (early 80s to late 90s birth dates)?

Everybody who is a millennial is at least 18 years old.

 

[IronWing]

A crowd will gather in a theater and spend two hours projecting selfies on the screen.

 

[vi edit]

I think it's going to be some cross between David Fincher and Woody Allen. A lot of social perspective movies with a heavy does of awkward reflection. Visually I think you'll see a lot more "found footage" style movies and more movies done like "A Scanner Darkly".

 

[poofyhairguy]

Serious answer: refine your definition of "Millennial" a bit I think. Do you mean people that are tweens now that for some reason people still think are Millennials, or people that fall into the "defined" millennial age groups (early 80s to late 90s birth dates)?

Everybody who is a millennial is at least 18 years old.

Defined Millennials. Right now most Gen Xers are mid-30s to 40s in age, so it lines up.

Hollywood goes after parents most of all, as big budget films have to be family friendly and at worst PG-13 rated to make back their huge budgets. Since Gen Xers are parents now, films target them to get them to bring their kids to the theater. I am wondering what will be in the box office when Millennials are parents (and I mean real parents not "dog parents").

I think by the time post-Millennials are parents Hollywood won't even be a big thing anymore, on demand will dominate.

 

[vi edit]

I think by the time post-Millennials are parents Hollywood won't even be a big thing anymore, on demand will dominate.

I think in 20 years you are correct. Netflix and their very high quality, direct to demand is breaking the model and I think that will continue to be a thing. I think we'll see a move away from advertising as a revenue source and stringing people along for the commercials and moving to a subscription based (AKA Netflix and HBO) for a majority of content. As the window between theatre and digital release diminishes, home theatre equipment continues to propagate and movie prices continue to go up, you'll see a gradual shift towards direct to digital release.

 

[ImpulsE69]

You're all wrong. Piracy will finally kill hollywood and only youtube videos will be around. Whatever you want to call this current generation, they LOVE to say look at me, so it will just be a bunch of yelling screaming look at me videos..and somehow they will make millions just filming themselves in their home. (because apparently adblock isn't a thing).

like a memberberry --

'joo look at me?'
'yeah, i look at j00, j00 look at me?'
'yeah man, I look at j00'

 

[Mayne]

fast & furious 30 will be released

 

[vi edit]

You're all wrong. Piracy will finally kill hollywood and only youtube videos will be around. Whatever you want to call this current generation, they LOVE to say look at me, so it will just be a bunch of yelling screaming look at me videos..and somehow they will make millions just filming themselves in their home. (because apparently adblock isn't a thing).

Piracy won't kill hollywood. Deathly clutching onto "what always worked" will kill Hollywood. The music industry went first with the slow drag of kicking and screaming to digital releases and streaming subscriptions. Eventually movies are going to go that way too and follow the Netflix/HBO model. You won't own much. You'll just borrow it for as long as you keep the subscription.

 

[cbrunny]

I think in 20 years you are correct. Netflix and their very high quality, direct to demand is breaking the model and I think that will continue to be a thing. I think we'll see a move away from advertising as a revenue source and stringing people along for the commercials and moving to a subscription based (AKA Netflix and HBO) for a majority of content. As the window between theatre and digital release diminishes, home theatre equipment continues to propagate and movie prices continue to go up, you'll see a gradual shift towards direct to digital release.

Can't wait for this to be propagated. This is definitely where things are going, and that makes me happy.

But I don't think it will be long before Netflix etc throws in commercials. The only reason they don't have them now is because they are a disruptor and don't need them. The demand for profit will force their hand. Once cable tv has gone the way of the do do, you can bet your life that Netflix will have the same ads at the same ad breaks. They'll just target you more accurately. This already happens now when you stream content from a network provider directly.

As for the OP's question, everyone is influenced by what is around them. Whatever is made in 10 years will be derivative of what was made 20 years ago.

 

[child of wonder]

"How Dare You Assume My Gender: Part IV - Revenge of the Pixie-Kin"

 

[IronWing]

Poor Generation Y, they don't even rate trash talk.

 

[deustroop]

Piracy won't kill hollywood. Deathly clutching onto "what always worked" will kill Hollywood. The music industry went first with the slow drag of kicking and screaming to digital releases and streaming subscriptions

Think the industry was antediluvian to resist digital ? Not sure about that. Seems to me the digital format was the worstest thing to hit the music industry since disco. Digital meant ripping which killed sales all over. I suspect they had to do the 90's again , the industry would stay analogue and be happy.

 

[cbrunny]

fast & furious 30 will be released

And it will be a pre-quel to when Vin Diesel turned 30

Think the industry was antediluvian to resist digital ? Not sure about that. Seems to me the digital format was the worstest thing to hit the music industry since disco. Digital meant ripping which killed sales all over. I suspect they had to do the 90's again , the industry would stay analogue and be happy.

how?

I can't even comprehend how that's possible. Demand drove them to digital. Digital didn't drive them to demand.

 

[vi edit]

Think the industry was antediluvian to resist digital ? Not sure about that. Seems to me the digital format was the worstest thing to hit the music industry since disco. Digital meant ripping which killed sales all over. I suspect they had to do the 90's again , the industry would stay analogue and be happy.

Digital didn't kill sales. Declining attention spans, better portability of music in the form of MP3, and the overall decline of quality albums killed sales. People have moved away from the album format and want essentially portable juke boxes. iPods and Pandora lead the charge. Napster was simply a symptom of a larger problem. People just wanted one or two songs and not the whole album. That ushered in the concept of iTunes and subscription services like Rhapsody.

 

[foghorn67]

And it will be a pre-quel to when Vin Diesel turned 30

how?

I can't even comprehend how that's possible. Demand drove them to digital. Digital didn't drive them to demand.

F&F 30 will be about how some rogue racers stole plans for the 23 speed gearbox.

 

[IronWing]

If F&F ever meet Speed Racer, I'm in.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Since we live in more or less a kafka novel and things appear to be on a downward trend, I think they will embrace and make similarly themed movies to Videodrome, Brazil, The Trial, The Tenant, or After Hours.

Or, because they have been thrown under the bus economically by the boomers, perhaps "The Grapes of Wrath" is more appropriate?

 

[Cheesemoo]

Hollywood ... sensibilities.

Umm what???? No way those two words should be in the same sentence.

But to answer your question, it has already been prophesied in the historical documents....

 

[BudAshes]

The millennial term makes no sense. Being born in the early 80's I have little to no relation to those born in the mid 90's. I would say I'm much close in terms of experience growing up my life was much close to that of kids born in the 70's than those in the 90's. Millennials really should be kids born in mid 90's through 2000's. These are the kids who never knew the world before internet and cell phones.

 

[Mayne]

Dank memes The Movie

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

I've heard about a dozen different timeframes for when millennials are. I'm 33, born in 1983, graduated in 2001, and I never heard the term Millennial referring to a person until around 2010. I was GenX, 90's twerps were GenY's, and anyone after 00's were Millennials. Now I see/hear people saying shit like 'anyone born after 1975 is a Millennial because they know how to program a VCR' and shit.

To answer the OP's question, they'll be the same rehashed garbage we've seen for the last 50 years, with a handful of works of art sprinkled in-between. There will probably be a shift from theaters to direct release, due to rising theater prices and lowering theater-quality home equipment (4k TV ubiquity, 8k >100'' for many/most, 3d/VR/whatever).