The Big Picture The Juiceless Fall Movie Season, ‘The Running Man,’ and ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’
12 snips
Nov 14, 2025 
Cultural commentator Van Lathan joins acclaimed filmmaker Edgar Wright to dive into the disappointing fall movie season. They discuss the mixed reception of Wright's adaptation of Stephen King's The Running Man, analyzing its uneven tone and memorable action sequences. The conversation shifts to the magic of the sequel, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, as they highlight Rosamund Pike's standout role and speculate on its box office potential. Wright shares insights on filmmaking challenges and his approach to creating thrilling action while staying true to the source material.
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Why The Fall Movie Slate Feels Off
- Fall 2025's movie slate feels off because quality and distribution decisions misaligned with audience habits.
- The shift to quicker streaming windows and changing star power meaning reduces theatrical urgency.
Movie Stars Don’t Ensure Big Opens
- Movie stars no longer reliably open wide theatrical releases the way they used to.
- Studios and indies misjudge which stars count as box office anchors in a streaming-first era.
Wide Releases Harm Small Films
- Distributors releasing small, star-driven indies widely destroys the traditional platform rollout that grows word-of-mouth.
- Instant 2,500-screen openings hurt mid-tier films' ability to find an audience gradually.
