Leonardo DiCaprio is opening up about whether audiences still want the traditional movie-theater experience as streaming platforms and changing viewing habits continue to reshape the film industry.
The Oscar-winning actor shared his thoughts on the future of cinemas and filmmaking during a recent interview with The Sunday Times.
“It’s changing at lightning speed,” the 51-year-old said. “We’re in the middle of a massive transition. First, documentaries stopped playing in theaters. Now dramas only get a short window, and people just wait to watch them on streaming platforms. I don’t know — do people still have the appetite? Or will cinemas turn into silos, like jazz clubs?”
He added that his hope lies with filmmakers who still believe in the theatrical experience. “I just hope enough true visionaries get the chance to do unique things that are actually seen in cinemas,” DiCaprio said. “But we’ll have to see how that plays out.”
Despite his concerns, there are signs that audiences still enjoy shared moviegoing moments. The viral “Barbenheimer” craze — sparked by the simultaneous releases of Barbie and Oppenheimer in 2023 — led to huge box office success for both films.
More recently, the “chicken jockey” trend had moviegoers tossing popcorn and snacks during screenings of A Minecraft Movie in April, proving that theatrical experiences can still spark excitement.
Streaming platforms are also finding success with limited theatrical runs. Netflix saw strong results with sing-along screenings of KPop Demon Hunters, which pulled in $19 million during its initial August run, according to Deadline. Variety also reported that the Stranger Things finale earned between $25 million and $28 million at the box office.
In a separate interview with Time last month, the One Battle After Another star touched on artificial intelligence, saying it can be creatively useful but lacks a crucial human element.
“It could be a tool that helps a young filmmaker create something we’ve never seen before,” he said. “But anything truly considered art has to come from a human being.”
DiCaprio pointed to AI-generated mashups, like Michael Jackson singing a song by The Weeknd or a track by A Tribe Called Quest done in the style of Al Green.
“They get their 15 minutes of fame and then fade into the ether of internet noise,” he said. “There’s nothing grounding them. There’s no humanity to it, no matter how impressive it is.”
