LISTEN: How Gen Z and Gen Alpha are Saving Moviegoing; 10 Questions With Colin Hanks and Ryan Reynolds
On today’s episode of “Daily Variety” podcast, we hear from top movie marketers who discuss the uptick in Gen Z and Gen Alpha moviegoing that is helping to drive this spring’s strong box office. And Variety’s Michael Schneider brings us a bonkers “10 Questions With” Colin Hanks and Ryan Reynolds, who collaborated on the 2025 Amazon MGM Studios documentary “John Candy: I Like Me.”
The movie marketers assembled April 22 at Variety‘s Entertainment Marketing Summit in Beverly Hills. The group touched on key trends that are playing out in this spring’s surprisingly buoyant activity at the multiplexes. Blair Rich, chief marketing and commercial officer for Legendary Entertainment, cited the company’s experience last year with “A Minecraft Movie.” The fandom response to the film taught her a lot about how to reach Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
“We’re dealing with the swipe before you wipe generation. It’s the first generation that grew up never being off a screen and the need for connected social experiences,” Rich says.
“What the research shows is they’re choosing movies as social experiences, as opposed to choosing it as something else to do. And that’s a notable change in terms of how we have to reach them, what they’re going to seek out in these experiences, the types of movies and entertainment we’re all kind of part of making now. It really shows the importance of of kind of speaking to an audience where they are. You can’t just decide like, something’s interesting and they will come. This generation is wired completely differently. They they like different things. They have their own vocabulary. Like every generation does, we have to speak to them in completely different ways,” she says.
The conversation, moderated by Variety‘s Matt Donnelly, also features Dwight Caines, president of domestic marketing for Universal Pictures; Josh Goldstine, president of global marketing and distribution for Paramount Pictures; Rebecca Kearey, executive VP and head of international marketing, distribution and business operations for Searchlight Pictures; and Shauna Spenley, global chief marketing officer for direct-to-consumer at Warner Bros. Discovery.
Separately, Hanks and Reynolds romp through a fairly bonkers “10 Questions With” session with Variety‘s Michael Schneider in a clip from “Daily Variety’s” sibling podcast “Awards Circuit.” The show, hosted by Schneider, Clayton Davis, Jazz Tangcay and Emily Longeretta, is back for Emmy FYC season and is published Fridays.
Listen to Daily Variety on iHeartPodcasts, Apple Podcasts, Variety’s YouTube Podcast channel, Amazon Music, Spotify and other podcast platforms.
The movie marketers assembled April 22 at Variety‘s Entertainment Marketing Summit in Beverly Hills. The group touched on key trends that are playing out in this spring’s surprisingly buoyant activity at the multiplexes. Blair Rich, chief marketing and commercial officer for Legendary Entertainment, cited the company’s experience last year with “A Minecraft Movie.” The fandom response to the film taught her a lot about how to reach Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
“We’re dealing with the swipe before you wipe generation. It’s the first generation that grew up never being off a screen and the need for connected social experiences,” Rich says.
“What the research shows is they’re choosing movies as social experiences, as opposed to choosing it as something else to do. And that’s a notable change in terms of how we have to reach them, what they’re going to seek out in these experiences, the types of movies and entertainment we’re all kind of part of making now. It really shows the importance of of kind of speaking to an audience where they are. You can’t just decide like, something’s interesting and they will come. This generation is wired completely differently. They they like different things. They have their own vocabulary. Like every generation does, we have to speak to them in completely different ways,” she says.
The conversation, moderated by Variety‘s Matt Donnelly, also features Dwight Caines, president of domestic marketing for Universal Pictures; Josh Goldstine, president of global marketing and distribution for Paramount Pictures; Rebecca Kearey, executive VP and head of international marketing, distribution and business operations for Searchlight Pictures; and Shauna Spenley, global chief marketing officer for direct-to-consumer at Warner Bros. Discovery.
Separately, Hanks and Reynolds romp through a fairly bonkers “10 Questions With” session with Variety‘s Michael Schneider in a clip from “Daily Variety’s” sibling podcast “Awards Circuit.” The show, hosted by Schneider, Clayton Davis, Jazz Tangcay and Emily Longeretta, is back for Emmy FYC season and is published Fridays.
Listen to Daily Variety on iHeartPodcasts, Apple Podcasts, Variety’s YouTube Podcast channel, Amazon Music, Spotify and other podcast platforms.