Can Hollywood make a comeback?
Make Me Smart
Marketplace
4.6 • 5.5K Ratings
🗓️ 13 March 2026
⏱️ 23 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On today’s show, we’re preparing for the Oscars by checking in on the state of the film industry. Marketplace’s Amy Scott sits down with Wall Street Journal entertainment reporter Ben Fritz to discuss what slumping ticket sales means for the future of movies, why the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger has Hollywood workers worried, and what it would take for the industry to make a comeback. Plus, movie watchers weigh in: subtitles on or off?
Here’s everything we talked about today:
- A look at how the Oscar best picture nominees have fared at the box office from AP News
- "Disney’s Surprise Box-Office Champion is ‘Zootopia 2,’ Thanks to China" from The Wall Street Journal
- "The Movie Theater Comeback That Wasn’t: Why 2025 Was Such a Dud for Struggling Cinemas" from Variety
- "Teamsters Call on DOJ to Stop Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger: “We’ve Seen What Happens When Corporations Consolidate Power'" from The Hollywood Reporter
- "Paramount Wins, Everybody Loses" from Vulture
- "Hollywood Jobs Are Disappearing" from “The Journal”
- Amy’s documentary film: ”Saving Etting Street”
We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey everyone, I'm Amy Scott. Welcome back to Make Me Smart, where none of us is as smart as all of us. |
| 0:14.0 | I'm stepping in for Kimberly Adams today. She's actually stuck in St. Paul, Minnesota, because of some bad weather and a canceled flight. |
| 0:21.6 | So thanks, everyone, for joining us, whether you're watching the YouTube live stream or listening to the podcast. |
| 0:27.7 | This is Economics on Tap, our weekly happy hour episode. |
| 0:32.7 | And, you know, there's a lot of news that maybe some of us would like to stop thinking about for the weekend. |
| 0:38.7 | So since the Oscars are this weekend, we're going to check in today on the state of the movie business. |
| 0:44.9 | And here to make us smart about this is Ben Fritz. |
| 0:47.8 | He's an entertainment reporter for the Wall Street Journal and author of The Big Picture, The Fight for the Future of Movies. |
| 0:55.3 | Welcome to the show, Ben. |
| 0:56.9 | Thanks for having me, Amy. |
| 0:59.1 | It's great to talk to you. |
| 1:00.4 | So before we get into the state of the film industry, we've got to talk about drinks. |
| 1:04.7 | So, Ben, what do you happen today? |
| 1:07.1 | I have a weird drink since I'm going to some Oscar parties tonight, since I'm an extremely important person. |
| 1:14.4 | Lucky you. |
| 1:14.9 | I don't want to drink yet. |
| 1:16.1 | Yeah, right. |
| 1:16.8 | So, but we have a, we had a random sample of corn milk, which I've never tasted before, which is I guess some other weird kind of, you know, plant-based milk. |
| 1:26.7 | So it's nice and cold. It's hot out. So that's what I'm going to try. Oh, my gosh. Okay. Corn milk. I've heard of almond milk and oat milk, of course, soy milk. This is not, you're in L.A., so no surprise. It's come to you before it's arrived here in Colorado. So have you had a taste yet? |
| 1:45.1 | I'm curious. |
| 1:49.7 | Yeah, it's all right. |
| 1:51.5 | It's a little, little, like, thicker. |
... |
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