AR Rahman argues that the standard rectangular movie screen is an outdated model. To compete with high-quality home entertainment, theaters must offer experiences that cannot be replicated, such as the massive, multi-sensory, immersive environments pioneered by venues like the Las Vegas Sphere.
Hollywood's current crisis is self-inflicted, stemming from a decades-long failure to adapt its business models and economics. Instead of innovating to compete with tech-driven services like Netflix, the industry persisted with inefficient structures and is now blaming disruptors for inevitable consumer-driven changes.
As AI drives the marginal cost of digital content to zero, unique, in-person events become increasingly valuable. This is a strategic bet on the enduring human need for social connection and status, which cannot be digitally replicated. Value shifts from the digital to the physical.
As major studios pull back from theatrical releases, a new opportunity emerges for cinemas. They can pivot from showing new blockbusters to becoming "revival houses" that program classic, niche, and cult films. This caters to audiences seeking curated, communal experiences beyond at-home streaming, as seen with the rise of anime screenings.
The media industry's economics have inverted. The greatest career and financial opportunities are no longer in big-screen cinema but on the smallest screens (mobile). This mental model suggests that professionals' returns on human and financial capital are highest when creating content for mobile-first platforms, not traditional film.
Apple's failure to provide immersive, 3D spatial video for its new F1 partnership is a major missed opportunity for the Vision Pro. Live sports are a primary driver for VR/AR adoption. Offering only a standard 2D broadcast in a virtual environment fails to create a differentiated experience that would justify the hardware's cost for hardcore fans and drive platform adoption.
The OpenAI team believes generative video won't just create traditional feature films more easily. It will give rise to entirely new mediums and creator classes, much like the film camera created cinema, a medium distinct from the recorded stage plays it was first used for.
When COVID-19 shut down theaters, professional actor Sam Crane discovered an empty theater within Grand Theft Auto V and decided to stage Hamlet, casting other players he met in-game. This constraint-driven innovation led to an award-winning documentary filmed entirely within the game world, demonstrating how virtual spaces can become legitimate performance venues.
Sam Altman suggests AI will create a new form of entertainment on the spectrum between passive movies and intense games. Experiences will be more interactive than a film but less demanding than a typical video game, allowing users to lean back while also having moments of creative input.
Katzenberg views drone light shows not as mere spectacles but as a revolutionary, multidimensional storytelling platform. He believes their potential to transform entertainment is as significant as the impact CGI and Pixar had on filmmaking, creating entirely new, immersive experiences.
People are actively seeking real-world experiences beyond home and work, leading to a boom in specialized "third spaces." This trend moves past simple bars to curated venues like wellness clubs, modern arcades, and family social houses, catering to a deep desire for physical community.