During its opening weekend, Kane Parsons’ “Backrooms” broke a record for A24, earning $81 million at the box office. During the same weekend, Curry Barker and Focus Features’ “Obsession” crossed the $100 million mark with both movies beating a $165 million Star Wars movie from Disney.
Hollywood is a predictable industry. When something is successful, everyone in the biz piles on. Right now that means creators are getting more industry interest than ever before. Max Reisinger, the CEO of the creator-led production company Creator Camp, told me that this week has been the busiest in the history of the company.
“All the bigger studios came back to us this week. We just had a meeting with Blumhouse. They were obviously involved in both of those films and want to find more creators,” Reisinger said. Creator Camp released its first feature, “Two Sleepy People,” earlier this year, an independent film that was made entirely outside of the Hollywood ecosystem and has made back more than four times its budget.
But from the conversations I’m hearing, a lot of people are already starting to take away the wrong lessons from this creator-led one-two punch. Anyone in the middle of this mad rush needs to remember:
- Not every creator has a guaranteed hit movie
- Most creators don’t need Hollywood
Not to be a Debbie Downer, but for every “Obsession,” “Backrooms” and “Iron Lung,” there’s been a creator-led theatrical flop. “Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure” and “Dude Perfect: The Hero Tour” bombed, and Chris Stuckmann’s much-hyped “Shelby Oaks” and Kris Collins’ “House of Eden” underperformed. Part of why those films flopped has to do with independent films figuring out the complex theatrical landscape, part of it has to do with what does and doesn’t translate to a big screen. It’s no coincidence that Barker and Parsons — two directors with distinct styles — are steering this vibe shift.
But the major point people in Hollywood seem to be missing is that, for many creators, having a theatrical movie is a nice dream, not the end-all be-all of their careers.
I’ve heard a lot of dismissive remarks around Parsons saying he will continue to create on YouTube. That reaction misses the fact that the creator era is different than any other “future of film” trend. These creators have already independently built an audience and made a career from their art on their social media feed. Not only do they have financial and creative independence, but they’re also used to having full ownership of their work.
You can see that mindset in how both Barker and Parsons have approached their projects.Barker intentionally wrote “Obsession” so that it could be made on a cheap budget. The backup plan was if producer James Harris passed on the script, he could make it himself like he did with his first movie, “Milk & Serial,” which was made for $800. As for Parsons, he’s been making videos about the backrooms for four years now. If that leads to several movies and a TV show, great. But Parsons has been clear that no matter what happens, he’s still going to be exploring this unsettling world.
Simply put, partnering with Hollywood isn’t a need for creators. It’s a want. That means anyone on the hunt for the next big creator sensation needs to be prepared for a partnership instead of a creative voice to shoehorn into the latest exec-approved project.
Now onto the rest.
Kayla Cobb
Senior Reporter
kayla.cobb@thewrap.com
What’s New
Fox Creator Studios partners with Tom Segura
Fox has found its first celebrity collaborator for its creator studio. Comedian Tom Segura and his company, YMH Studios, will develop, finance and produce a slate of originals alongside Fox Creator Studios. These projects will be released through YMH Studios’ direct-to-consumer platforms. The slate includes a standup comedy showcase, a horror comedy animated series and a live-action comedy set in an airport bar. Segura has long supported up-and-coming comedic talent through the podcasting division of YMH Studios, and Fox has always had a strong comedy footprint. Pretty good fit.
“Celebrity Substitute” is adding KATSEYE, Tom Holland and Millie Bobby Brown to its guest list
Season 3 of “Celebrity Substitute,” Julian Shapiro-Barnum’s show that follows different celebrities surprising students with classroom takeover, is going to be packed. Guest stars include KATSEYE, Tom Holland, SZA, Millie Bobby Brown, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, Maluma, Quinta Brunson, Alex Warren, Ziwe, Idris Elba, Latto and Charlie Puth. The show, which YouTube is campaigning for an Emmy nomination, returned yesterday, weeks ahead of Shapiro-Barnum’s late night show.
Roblox is connecting brands to its creators
Roblox is the latest platform to create a system that better connects its creators to brands. Brand Link will pair brands with a vetted directory of creator partners. YouTube and TikTok have similar offerings. It’s all part of Roblox’s plan to pay creators more. Last year, the company paid its creators over $1.5 billion through its DevEx program.
Podcasts Galore
YouTube Premium users have watched more than 800 million hours of podcasts
Last month, YouTube Premium users watched more than 800 million hours of podcasts. Compared to the 1 billion people who watch podcasts on YouTube each month, YouTube Music and Premium subscribers are super-users. That’s why the platform introduced three new options for those users: an on-the-go mode, an auto speed option that automatically adjusts playback speed based on relevant moments (like information-dense segments) and a podcast finding option added to Ask Music.
The most ad-supported listening time comes from podcasts and radio
Over 80% of consumers’ ad-supported audio time came from radio and podcasts, according to a first quarter audio trends report from Nielsen and Edison Research. When it came to listeners between the ages of 18 and 34, 45% of their ad-supported listening time came from radio, and 30% came from podcasts. Those numbers jumped to 68% spent on the radio and 16% on podcasts when it came to adults aged 35 years and older.
Accurate podcast measurement remains a big problem in the industry. That’s why the Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting (AMP) was formed, a task force designed to address this headache with members from Spotify, UTA, SiriusXM, DraftKings, Libsyn and more. The organization plans to release a more unified measuring system later this year.
Spotify is letting listeners clip and share podcasts from within the platform
Spotify listeners will now be able to more easily clip and share segments from their favorite podcasts without leaving the platform. Clipping has become especially popular among podcasters and podcast fans, so this new feature seems like a no brainer.
Movers and Shakers
UTA signs Steven Rinella, creator and founder of MeatEater
UTA has signed Steven Rinella (1.4 million Instagram followers), the outdoor-focused creator who is the founder of the media company MeatEater. The agency will represent Rinella and MeatEater across digital video and audio, including The MeatEater Podcast, and will seek new opportunities connected to brand partnerships, TV and live touring.
Smith&Saint signs Charlie Scott, Kristin Johns, Lauren Vanessa and Stefana Avara
UTA isn’t the only one with some notable signings. Smith&Saint has signed “Dance Moms” alum Kalani Goodman alongside creators Charlie Scott (295,000 Instagram followers), Kristin Johns (629,000 followers), Lauren Vanessa (442,000 followers) and Stefana Avara (207,000 followers).
Glitch Productions is opening a gaming division
Glitch Productions, the creator-focused animation company behind “The Amazing Digital Circus,” will be opening a gaming division. The company announced the news through a LinkedIn post.
Speaking of new moves, Lyrical Lemonade TV will be releasing a slate of more than six original shows in the coming months. First up are the late night-style show “New York Nights” hosted by Father Steve; Sara K’s interview show “Call It a Day;” and the comedic educational series “Chloe Explains” hosted by Chloe Forero.
@parishilton PART 1: The most dangerous man on the internet could be hiding in plain sight. I’m teaming up with journalist @Laurie Segall to expose the disturbing reality of AI-generated deepfakes and why urgent change is needed now more than ever. 👊🏻⚠️ 1 in 8 teens report knowing someone targeted by deepfake p*rn. This issue is growing fast… and it could happen to anyone. 🥹 14-part series streaming TOMORROW MAY 27th on my TikTok channel 🔍 #Deepfake #OnlineSafety #DefianceAct #AI #ParisHilton @RAINN ♬ original sound – ParisHilton
Who to Watch
“Searching for Mr. Deepfakes”
Paris Hilton — yes, that Paris Hilton — has released a 14-part microseries (or microdrama) about deepfake abuse on TikTok, and it’s haunting. The celebrity teamed up with tech journalist Laurie Segall to create “Searching for Mr. Deepfakes,” an investigative series about exposing the realities of AI-generated deepfakes, specifically around the AI-generated adult content site Mr. Deepfakes. The series from Hilton’s 11:11 Media is an excellent example of how to create engaging, topical and necessary journalism in the digital age.
Bonus Content
- Why Gen Z Is Turning to Christian Influencers (via The Nation)
- TikTok’s New Music Strategy Has Record Labels Scared of Being Left Behind (via Bloomberg)
- How YouTube’s First Late Night Show Is Both an Ode to and an Evolution of the Medium (via TheWrap)
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This report provides a weekly deep dive into the creator economy. It highlights key trends, political and technological developments, data points and industry leaders all with the goal of making you smarter about this constantly evolving space.
