Leonardo DiCaprio has expressed concerns about the declining interest in movie theaters, wondering if audiences still have the appetite for the big-screen experience. In a recent interview, the Oscar winner suggested cinemas might become niche venues like jazz bars amid rapid industry changes. He emphasized the need for visionary filmmakers to have opportunities to showcase their work in theaters.
Leonardo DiCaprio, known for his role in "Titanic," voiced worries about the future of moviegoing in an interview with The Times of London. He questioned whether "people still have the appetite" for theaters, pondering if they would "become silos – like jazz bars?"
"It’s changing at a lightning speed," DiCaprio 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."
DiCaprio hopes that despite these shifts, innovative filmmakers will continue to reach audiences in cinemas. "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."
These comments follow the release of his latest film, Paul Thomas Anderson’s "One Battle After Another," which has grossed more than $205 million worldwide. Last month, DiCaprio told Deadline that preserving the theatrical experience would be "a fight." He described the current moment as "one of the most lightning-rod moments in cinema history," noting the growing challenges in drawing audiences to theaters.
DiCaprio also critiqued artificial intelligence in filmmaking during a separate interview with Time magazine. He argued that AI lacks humanity and cannot produce authentic art, though it could serve as an enhancement tool for young filmmakers. He illustrated this with examples of AI-generated music mashups, such as those mimicking Michael Jackson and The Weeknd or A Tribe Called Quest’s "Bonita Applebum" in an Al Green style, which gain brief popularity but lack lasting depth.
