The Lesson Hollywood Should Learn From 'Minecraft'

I was at the AMC Century City on Sunday afternoon, and suddenly, the lobby was filled with people. I mean, filled in a way where you felt like it was a sea of swaying bodies. The crowd was primarily children, and they were tossing popcorn into the air and cheering and laughing. I looked for where this tsunami came from and realized that the Minecraft movie had just let out and that another showing was about to start around the same time. As a 38-year-old guy without kids, I totally did not see Minecraft coming. In its opening weekend, the movie made $157 million domestically, beating prognosticators by around $100 million. Everyone is scrambling to figure out a lesson Hollywood can take from all this, and I have one. Let's dive in. Minecraft Movie Lesson: The Youth Are Not NostalgicIn recent years, Hollywood has become obsessed with intellectual property, because they were sure that nostalgia was driving box office success. they were rebooting old TV series and movies to try to tap into what brings families and people to buy tickets. But the unprecedented success of Minecraft should get every development execs attention across town. This is a movie that drove kids (and the adults who pay for their tickets) to the theater because it was a title children recognized. This was not some retro series aimed to get parents' attention, but a thing kids played with. It is still IP, but it was NEW IP, not old and based in nostalgia. It engaged with things kids were obsessed with as many parents just watched because their kids knew the movie existed and wanted to see it. I mean, there were kids getting so rowdy in theaters they got arrested. And viral videos show the screenings are closer to Rocky Horror than to anything else. Shawn Robbins, director of movie analytics at Fandango and founder of Box Office Theory, told CNN, “Pre-sales and interest accelerated in a remarkable way during the run-up to opening night." “We’re just thrilled that audiences are responding and that everyone’s going to the theater,” said Pamela Abdy, the co-chair and CEO of the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group.How Can Hollywood CapitalizeHollywood has traditionally marketed their four-quadrant films to parents to bring their kids, but I think we will see a pivot toward adapting the things the kids are into, even if it means making new IP. And to find this stuff, we have to talk to a lot of kids! What are the titles and toys and games kids are engaging with online? What are the things they play with or have fun with during the day that could get them back to the box office? Get these ideas and start option the movie and TV rights, because the sky is the limit here in terms of marketing to them. Kids have a ton of free time and they can tap into their parents' money. If we can get them to go to the movies while they're young and get them to love the communal experience, we can create a whole new market of people to grow with cinema. And in the meantime, making a new IP also opens up ways to make money right now. Titles like Minecraft are flexible enough to be explored in different ways (prequels, spin-offs, different genres) without feeling forced or repetitive. Build universes, not just sequential stories. Allow the IP to adapt and grow organically.Summing Up the Minecraft Movie Lessons To me, the creation of new IP that meets kids where they are is a great way to spark the box office and to help kids get accustomed to going to the movies. We should always be planting seeds in new generations to keep them spending money and to keep them coming to the movies. It's time to look past nostalgia and stay current. Let me know what you think in the comments.

Apr 8, 2025 - 03:03

The Lesson Hollywood Should Learn From 'Minecraft'

I was at the AMC Century City on Sunday afternoon, and suddenly, the lobby was filled with people. I mean, filled in a way where you felt like it was a sea of swaying bodies. The crowd was primarily children, and they were tossing popcorn into the air and cheering and laughing.

I looked for where this tsunami came from and realized that the Minecraft movie had just let out and that another showing was about to start around the same time.

As a 38-year-old guy without kids, I totally did not see Minecraft coming. In its opening weekend, the movie made $157 million domestically, beating prognosticators by around $100 million.

Everyone is scrambling to figure out a lesson Hollywood can take from all this, and I have one.

Let's dive in.

Minecraft Movie Lesson: The Youth Are Not Nostalgic

In recent years, Hollywood has become obsessed with intellectual property, because they were sure that nostalgia was driving box office success. they were rebooting old TV series and movies to try to tap into what brings families and people to buy tickets.

But the unprecedented success of Minecraft should get every development execs attention across town.

This is a movie that drove kids (and the adults who pay for their tickets) to the theater because it was a title children recognized.

This was not some retro series aimed to get parents' attention, but a thing kids played with. It is still IP, but it was NEW IP, not old and based in nostalgia.

It engaged with things kids were obsessed with as many parents just watched because their kids knew the movie existed and wanted to see it.

I mean, there were kids getting so rowdy in theaters they got arrested. And viral videos show the screenings are closer to Rocky Horror than to anything else.

Shawn Robbins, director of movie analytics at Fandango and founder of Box Office Theory, told CNN, “Pre-sales and interest accelerated in a remarkable way during the run-up to opening night."

“We’re just thrilled that audiences are responding and that everyone’s going to the theater,” said Pamela Abdy, the co-chair and CEO of the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group.

How Can Hollywood Capitalize

Hollywood has traditionally marketed their four-quadrant films to parents to bring their kids, but I think we will see a pivot toward adapting the things the kids are into, even if it means making new IP.

And to find this stuff, we have to talk to a lot of kids!

What are the titles and toys and games kids are engaging with online? What are the things they play with or have fun with during the day that could get them back to the box office?

Get these ideas and start option the movie and TV rights, because the sky is the limit here in terms of marketing to them.

Kids have a ton of free time and they can tap into their parents' money. If we can get them to go to the movies while they're young and get them to love the communal experience, we can create a whole new market of people to grow with cinema.

And in the meantime, making a new IP also opens up ways to make money right now. Titles like Minecraft are flexible enough to be explored in different ways (prequels, spin-offs, different genres) without feeling forced or repetitive. Build universes, not just sequential stories. Allow the IP to adapt and grow organically.

Summing Up the Minecraft Movie Lessons

To me, the creation of new IP that meets kids where they are is a great way to spark the box office and to help kids get accustomed to going to the movies.

We should always be planting seeds in new generations to keep them spending money and to keep them coming to the movies.

It's time to look past nostalgia and stay current.

Let me know what you think in the comments.