Leonardo DiCaprio is publicly questioning how much runway movie theatres still have as streaming and consolidation keep reshaping release strategies. In a recent interview, the actor said the business is “changing at a lightning speed” and asked a blunt question: “Do people still have the appetite?” He added that cinemas could end up serving a narrower crowd, “like jazz bars,” if audience habits keep drifting away from the big screen.
DiCaprio framed the shift as something he has watched happen in stages. He said documentaries “disappeared from cinemas,” then dramas started getting limited runs while viewers waited for streaming availability. He said he hopes “real visionaries” still get chances to make films meant to be seen in theatres, while acknowledging he can’t predict how that fight plays out.
The timing lands as year-end numbers show a market that remains fragile even when a few tentpoles hit. North American box office revenue in 2025 fell short of the $9 billion target many analysts had projected, and it stayed well below pre-pandemic highs, with family titles and premium formats carrying more of the load than adult dramas. IMAX chief Rich Gelfond said premium screens have gained share as audiences chase “more premium experiences.”
Exhibitors argue the answer is less about “appetite” and more about access. Cinema United has pressed studios to keep movies exclusive to theatres longer, calling for a 45-day baseline window and urging studios to stop advertising home-viewing dates while films are still playing.Forecasts from theatrical analysts still point upward for 2026 on the strength of a franchise-heavy calendar, with Gower Street projecting global box office of $35 billion and North America nearing $9.9 billion—growth that would test DiCaprio’s worry against consumer behavior in real time.
