The Town with Matthew Belloni A ‘Minecraft’ Megahit and the Studios Best Suited for Gen Z and Beyond
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Apr 7, 2025 
Lucas Shaw, a Bloomberg reporter focusing on the entertainment industry, joins to dive into the surprise success of the 'Minecraft Movie,' which raked in $163 million domestically. They discuss how social media has propelled the film's popularity and the shifts in Hollywood's approach to intellectual property. Shaw highlights the potential of video game adaptations as a goldmine for engaging younger audiences, while addressing the challenges studios face with balancing new ideas and established franchises in an ever-evolving cinematic landscape.
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Minecraft Movie Success
- Matt Belloni and Lucas Shaw discuss the success of the Minecraft movie, which Lucas predicted in their draft.
- Despite negative early reviews, the film overperformed, highlighting the disconnect between traditional tracking and Gen Z/Alpha audiences.
Tracking and Social Media Momentum
- Tracking services struggle to capture the momentum of films on social media, especially among younger audiences.
- This leads to significant discrepancies between predicted and actual box office performance.
Nostalgia-Driven Box Office
- The Minecraft movie's success demonstrates the power of IP that resonates with Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
- This younger audience views movie theaters as a nostalgic experience, driving interest in adaptations of familiar properties.