Nobody’s coming: what Hollywood’s box office meltdown means for attractions & entertainment marketers

When The New York Times reports that Hollywood’s biggest, loudest, most star-studded movies are collapsing at the box office, it’s tempting to see it as a film industry problem.

It isn’t. It’s an everybody problem.

Because if audiences won’t leave the house for a $200 million tentpole backed by A-list stars, global marketing firepower, and the cultural machine of Hollywood, what does that mean for theaters, museums, attractions, and experiences—none of which have Hollywood’s budget, scale, or global reach?

The answer is uncomfortable. But attendance is no longer a given. Gone are the days when “if we build it, they will come.”

To understand why, we have to look at the broader cultural forces at play and the role marketers must take in reshaping the future of the “getting people to leave the house” economy.

The blockbuster collapse is not about movies; it’s about behavior

The NYT reporting makes the pattern clear:

• Even the biggest releases are underperforming.
• Audiences are skipping films they likely would have shown up for five years ago.
• Marketing budgets aren’t moving the needle.
• Stars aren't driving attendance.
• Reviews and awards aren’t changing outcomes.

This is not a quality issue. It’s a behavioral shift.

Consumers are acting differently across shopping, dining, streaming, travel, and live events. They’re more selective, more value-conscious, more scheduleburdened, and more “default home” than ever before.

The forces working against Hollywood are the same forces all of us face: fatigue, screens, logistics, cost, childcare, weather, and the overwhelming mental load of modern life.

So, when arts leaders, attraction operators, venue managers, and marketers ask, “How do we get people to come?” we have to first understand what we are up against.

1: If Hollywood can’t convince people to leave home, legacy arts organizations can’t rely on brand equity

Museums, orchestras, theaters, and dance companies have long operated under a belief that legacy equals stability.

But as Tina Brown recently told The New York Times, we are living in a moment where “We’ve lost tastemakers. Nobody tells the culture what to care about anymore.”

This is a foundational shift. There is no more monoculture, no shared canon, and no “must-see” by default.

So if the biggest movies in the world can’t break through the noise, a season brochure isn’t going to do the job, a good review isn’t going to do the job, and an iconic brand isn’t going to do the job.

Audiences aren’t looking for institutional authority anymore. They’re looking for personal resonance and can’t-miss status.

2: Attractions can’t assume “broad appeal” will carry them

Attractions and destinations love to believe they are evergreen. “Fun for the whole family!” “A must-see!” “Top-rated destination!” But if Hollywood can’t rely on universal appeal anymore, neither can attractions.

Families are increasingly selective, and their calculus is sophisticated:

• Is it worth the cost?
• Is it worth the travel time?
• Is it worth the hassle?
• Will the kids/grandparents/friends/crabby uncles and aunts like it enough?
• Is it actually unique?
• And, my personal favorite, will we get good photos and stories to share?

The collapse of the movie audience reveals a deeper truth—broad appeal is not a strategy.

Attractions that rely on being “always there” risk becoming invisible.

3: Theater and live entertainment need more than stars or IP

If star power can’t save films, it won’t save live entertainment and experiences either.

Broadway is not immune to the forces crushing Hollywood. We’ve seen celebrity-led shows that fail to convert, IP-based productions that struggle, and limited runs with fabulous reviews that fail to build heat.

What succeeds? Unfortunately, there is no sure formula, but originality, specificity, and authenticity are the cost of entry. From there, it’s about Events with a capital E—events and experiences that feel made for this moment, for this audience.

4: Audiences will leave home—but only for the right reasons

This is the paradox. While Hollywood is collapsing, we’ve seen major concerts breaking historical records and the USTA estimating over $100 billion in visitor spending combined from the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics.

So it’s not that audiences don’t want to leave home. It’s that they need a reason.

Experiences must feel alive, communal, new, personal, “worth it” (see AKA’s previous articles about the Worth It Index!) and like a genuine can’t-miss moment. The once-in-a-lifetime events are thriving while the “might dos” are languishing.

So what do we do? Three mandates for today’s marketers

Stop assuming attendance. Start earning it.

We must build relevance, emotional truth, and urgency into everything.

Create “Why Now” moments, not just evergreen experiences.

Focus on programming, partnerships, special events, seasonal overlays, member exclusives, and time-bound experiences. How can you turn your experience or show into a once-in-a-lifetime event, even if on a modest scale?

How is each day/night/year different from the last?

Market for behavior, not for demographics.

If audiences are skipping blockbuster movies, why would they show up for you? Find the friction and solve for it.

The big shift: the experience economy must evolve

The collapse of Hollywood is not about movies; it’s about audiences. People now curate their time with ruthless precision. They don’t care about what the industry thinks should matter. They care about what matters to them.

As Tina Brown said, “Nobody tells the culture what to care about.” That’s the challenge—and the opportunity.

For those of us in live entertainment, attractions, arts, and sports, the job ahead is clear: We must create experiences worthy of the audience’s time, moments worthy of their memory, and stories worthy of their attention.

Nobody is coming automatically. But if we get it right, they will come to us.