Why the trend is emerging: Studio saturation (franchise fatigue) → creator-led belief (fan-powered turnout) Theatrical success is no longer owned exclusively by studios with massive pipelines and marketing spend. Audiences are showing up for projects that feel personal, risky, and visibly made outside the system. What looks like a box office anomaly is actually a trust transfer from platform to theater. The real story isn’t scale — it’s belief. What the trend is: Creator-led, self-financed…
