Producing : Gen Z is saving cinema? Let’s talk about the seismic shift in 2026 audience behavior! by Sandra Isabel

Sandra Isabel This is entirely contra to what I have been seeing across my Linkedin timeline by studio execs, who assert that Gen Z watches less theatrical and also leaves streaming features after about 20mins... I don't recall the articles right now.

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, I’ve seen those LinkedIn posts too, and you’re right; there’s definitely data out there showing Gen Z dropping off streaming features early and being selective with theatrical.

What’s interesting is that both sets of data can be true at the same time!

Gen Z is a fragmented audience: They leave streaming films after 20 minutes when the content doesn’t hook them. But they also show up in huge numbers when the theatrical experience feels worth it: Obsession, Backrooms, The Odyssey, Spider-Man: Brand New Day... all of those titles had unusually strong Gen Z turnout.

So from my perspective, based on what I've been reading, I don’t think the story is “Gen Z loves theatrical” or “Gen Z hates theatrical.”

It’s more that they’re forcing all of us—studios, streamers, producers and screenwriters—to raise the bar on engagement. They’re quick to leave what doesn’t resonate and quick to support what does.

For me, that’s the real producing takeaway: Gen Z isn’t passive. They’re decisive.

And that decisiveness is reshaping how we think about connection, pacing, and the value of the shared experience.

My 17 yr old son and friends have definitely contributed to this year’s box office bonanza. He’d been waiting years for Backrooms and saw it 3x in theaters. Odyssey and Spider-Man 2x. They already have 2am opening night tickets for Doomsday and plans to see Dune the same weekend. I feel like they’re enjoying the excitement of big and meaningful movie experiences the same way I did as a teen.

These kids grew up after the “television” and streaming model was already broken. They’re not about to log into 5 different apps to find something to watch. But they’re more tapped in to culture than we as adults ever could be. And smart marketers can and do find this generation and speak their language. (see Obsession success)

I’m not sure this alters how you package a project per se. See above list and you’ll see a wide range of genres and budgets that they’ve responded to. I see a theme of isolation and loneliness across this Summer’s hits and frankly that’s universal - hence all ages watching Backrooms, Odyssey, Obsession and Spider-Man in the theater. Perhaps it’s simply a focus on universal human themes and less of Hollywood shaping stories towards a subset of audiences.

I love reading your post.

Even though I don't have a background in production, I've noticed something about Generation Z.

I think their attention spans have become shorter because they grew up with short-form content like reels. At the same time, they also seem to be intelligent, they notice details more quickly and think differently than previous generations. That's probably why many of them can still enjoy long films, pay close attention, and even dissect complex stories like The Odyssey.

Maybe they're drawn in by the cinematography, the story, the performances, or a combination of all three.

I think that's the key: understanding what captures their attention and creating stories that truly engage them from the very beginning.

Sandra Isabel Yes they can both be true. I recall one report last week that says they buy cinema tickets but don't sit through... My observation though is that there are so many options for entertainment and most theatrical films are not particularly interesting... so why stay if you're bored when you have options? Meriem Bouziani Humans have not evolved just because short form social media exists (short form always existed, somewhere). "Younger people have shorter attention spans" was claimed when MTV popularized short music videos in the 1980s, again in the 1990s when video and computer games came out, then in the early 2000s when texting started, then in the 2010s when short-short videos started on other platforms, and now, when TikTok and others have been attempting (unsuccessfully) to monetize ephemerals and "microdramas" (I believe TikTok just deleted no less than 10,000 produced microdrama series because the average viewer watched just over 1 episode (1.2 to be exact) before leaving, and are now focusing on "well written stories" to replace them. No surprise to some of us). And while Gen Z certainly has many more options, some of the options they are choosing are traditional, old fashioned long form live theater and of course, music. Which by definition means it's not an attention span problem but implies its a quality problem. Historically, every commercial entity (and filmmaker) who has accepted the idea that "attention spans have gotten shorter" has paid the price in unsold products and unwatchable movies.

Thank you very much Shadow Dragu-Mihai

That's a really interesting perspective, and I think you're right that having more choices changes the way audiences behave. Maybe it's less about attention span itself and more about how quickly people decide whether a story is worth their time. That makes the opening of a film even more important. If we can give audiences a reason to care from the very beginning, they'll gladly stay for a long and well-written story.

Sandra Isabel I think the more interesting shift isn’t simply that younger audiences are going back to cinemas it’s what makes them decide a film is worth seeing theatrically.

We’ve spent years talking about the competition between theatrical and streaming, but perhaps that’s too simplistic. If audiences are willing to leave home for certain films while still consuming plenty of content at home, then the real challenge for filmmakers is creating something that feels like an experience rather than just another title in a library.

As a filmmaker and screenwriter, that makes me think differently about how I approach projects. The question isn’t only, “Who is the audience?” but also, “Why would this audience want to experience this story together?”

I also find the renewed interest in character-driven storytelling interesting. Spectacle can create an event, but emotional connection is often what makes people talk about a film afterward and recommend it to someone else.

I’m curious what producers here are actually changing because of these audience trends. Are you changing the kinds of projects you develop, the way you package them, or mainly the way you position them to buyers?

I'm like, at the tail-end of millennial/Gen Z so from my perspective I think it really comes back to good (REALLY good) storytelling, less so the actual format. Yes, there's certain genres that seem to 'work', and maybe more people want to go to theaters so they're not at home all day, but even I sometimes am watching something and then just lose interest, primarily because the writing just isn't...tight.

Contrarily, I've found some older movies (Law-Abiding Citizen for example) that within minutes had me toss my phone across the couch and watch the film start-to-finish. I think that kinda touches on your point on shows that lean into that early 2000s vibe a bit. So it might be less, "We need to follow this trend and get people in theaters!" and more "What kind of stories make a human being connect to the point where they're fully engaged in the experience of it?" It might help to look deeper and see which movies are driving people into theaters and which ones kind of aren't.