Leonardo DiCaprio Questions Future of Movie Theaters as Streaming Reshapes Film Industry

Leonardo DiCaprio questioned whether people still want to watch films in theaters during a recent interview with The Times of London. The actor asked if cinemas would "become silos — like jazz bars."

"It's changing at a lightning speed," the actor said of the film industry. "We're looking at a huge transition. First, documentaries disappeared from cinemas. Now, dramas only get finite time and people wait to see it on streamers. I don't know."

The 51-year-old star shared these thoughts alongside director Paul Thomas Anderson. Both voiced concerns about streaming platforms drawing audiences away from theaters.

"Do people still have the appetite?" DiCaprio asked. "Or will cinemas become silos — like jazz bars?"

The Titanic star said he hopes filmmakers will continue to make work for the big screen. "I just hope enough people who are real visionaries get opportunities to do unique things in the future that are seen in the cinema," he added. "But that remains to be seen."

His latest film, One Battle After Another, earned rave reviews from critics and was hailed as a masterpiece by multiple outlets. But despite the acclaim, box office numbers told a different story. The film made $204.7 million worldwide, but needed around $300 million to break even, according to Variety. The production had a budget of $175 million plus marketing costs.

Further underscoring the conflict between streaming and traditional theater releases, Netflix aims to buy the studio behind One Battle After Another, along with HBO and its content library, via an $82.7 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos pointed to falling box office numbers as proof that viewers prefer watching at home. He called the theatrical experience an "outmoded idea for most people."

Anderson described the push toward streaming as "hand-to-hand combat." Film fans, movie-makers, and theater owners have fought against the deal.