The Town with Matthew Belloni

Episode: "Why Gen Alpha Prefers the Big Screen Over Their Phones"

Date: September 5, 2025
Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Fergus Navaratnam Blair (VP, National Research Group)

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into a surprising new trend: children aged 14 and under—Gen Alpha—are showing a strong preference for the traditional movie theater experience, despite (or because of) their upbringing around smartphones, tablets, and endless on-demand content. Matt Belloni is joined by Fergus Navaratnam Blair, co-author of a pivotal National Research Group (NRG) study, to uncover why Gen Alpha is being called “the savior of movie theaters,” and what this shift means for Hollywood. The episode also discusses how studios can leverage these insights, the nature of Gen Alpha’s fandoms, and what this could signal for the future of the cinematic experience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Gen Alpha’s Surprising Preference for Theaters

• NRG Study Highlights:
  • 59% of Gen Alpha surveyed prefer watching movies in theaters—a higher percentage than any other demographic.
    • (Belloni, 03:39)
  • Gen Alpha is “the only demo where that’s the case.” (Belloni, 01:55)
• Underlying Logic:
  • Having grown up completely embedded in the digital world, these kids surprisingly crave moments to disconnect and connect with others in real life.
  • Fergus: “The amount of time that they spend on their devices has led them to really value those moments that they get to disconnect.” (Fergus, 05:22)
  • The theater is “exotic and alluring” to a generation that considers home screens the default. (Belloni, 02:10)

Generational Shifts: Not Just a Phase?

• Common Skepticism: Some argue that all young kids like theaters and age out of it. Fergus admits it’s hard to get longitudinal data (07:12), but emphasizes Gen Alpha’s context is fundamentally different due to:
  • No memory of a pre-digital/streaming world.
  • An entrenched need to find offline communal experiences and tangible events, as opposed to the constant “algorithmic social media bubbles.”
• "They are really going to be looking for a rebalancing… away from dependency on digital media." (Fergus, 07:58)

What Gen Alpha Wants From Theaters

• Minimal Desire for Phones In Theaters:
  • Only 20% are interested in using their phone as part of the theater experience, countering theories that theaters must cater to “phone culture.”
  • “When these kids go to the movies, they are looking for something that they can't get at home.” (Fergus, 10:32)
• Preference for Unique, Communal, Sensory Experiences:
  • Premium large format screenings (moving seats, wind, etc.)
  • Special event screenings (sing-alongs, fan gatherings)
  • "The stuff that you can't offer in the living room.” (Fergus, 11:09)

Power of Fandom and Events

• Movies as Cultural Events:
  • Gen Alpha wants to “feel like I'm taking part in a cultural event… spend time with friends and family… go before spoilers are on social media.” (Fergus, 17:18)
  • Case Studies:
    • K Pop Demon Hunter sing-along rewatch: big box office from repeat group attendance.
    • Minecraft movie: kids want to “point at the screen and say, oh, that’s Steve’s Lava chicken.”
    • Hamilton and other re-releases: doing well as group events, not just for content.

Fandoms: Identity, Ownership & Co-Creation

• Gen Alpha’s fandoms are rooted in video games, collaborative play, and digital creation:
  • Top-drawing fandoms: Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, Grand Theft Auto—Hollywood’s first on the list is Avengers (#6). (Belloni, 13:22)
• Four Key Strategies for Studios (from the NRG study):
  1. Facilitate Co-Creation: Franchises should invite fans to contribute (fan art, cosplay, etc.). Wicked highlighted as a non-gaming example that does this well (Belloni & Fergus, 14:47).
  2. Leverage Communities: Tap into fan groups and online communities to drive real-world attendance.
  3. Offer Ownership: Make properties feel like they “belong” to young audiences (“They understand that older people don’t get it, but we do. This is part of our culture.” – Fergus, 15:36).
  4. Unique Live Experiences: Events, mall activations, thematic set-ups outside theaters enhance appeal.

The Role of Actors

• Are Movie Stars Still Important?
  • For Gen Alpha, it’s not the individual actor that draws them exclusively, but rather whether the actor generates “conversation among their communities.” (Fergus, 22:17)
  • Jack Black, The Rock, and stars who align with beloved franchises have significant pull, but it’s collective excitement and word-of-mouth that drive attendance.

Attention Spans and Movie Length

• Despite media panic over short attention spans, Gen Alpha is fine with longer movies:
  • The “ideal” movie length for Gen Alpha is slightly over 2 hours (2:07), only a bit shorter than Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X.
  • “If you create the right contextual environment, they are willing to sit still to pay attention to a two hour movie.” (Fergus, 24:09)
  • They “associate movies in theaters with food that they like,” which helps attention (Belloni, 24:17).
  • Gen Alpha wants a “rewarding, rich, long experiences”—different from how they use TikTok and phones. (Fergus, 25:01)

Organic Virality and the Limits of Studio Control

• Studios can’t “force” viral fandom moments—the audience must shape them.
  • Minecraft worked because it “was rooted in that idea of community. The movie itself leaned into that idea… all these little Easter eggs, in-jokes” (Fergus, 18:31).
  • Some cultural moments walk the line between ironic and sincere (“Gentleminions” trend with Minions, Wicked press tour). (Belloni, 19:38; Fergus, 19:47)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“The amount of time that they spend on their devices has led them to really value those moments that they get to disconnect from that, to get to build community in the real world. And I think that's a really promising story for the future of our industry.”
– Fergus Navaratnam Blair [05:22]

“Only 20% of Gen Alpha expressed an interest in a theatrical experience that involved using their phone. So all of these theories about how the theater chains should…have separate screenings for, you know, whatever you want to do, phones, talking, whatever. Maybe that's not the answer.”
– Matt Belloni [09:56]

“I want to spend it on really meaningful moments. I want to spend it on events. I want to spend it on forms of celebrating the fandoms that I love in the real world, not just spending all my time on my screens.”
– Fergus Navaratnam Blair [08:50]

“This is my culture, not necessarily anyone else's.”
– Fergus Navaratnam Blair, on Gen Alpha’s sense of ownership of certain properties [15:29]

“What surprised you most about this study?
It was the attention span... There's so much kind of hand wringing in the media these days about the attention span of younger audiences… I don't think we see evidence of that in our data.”
– Matt Belloni & Fergus Navaratnam Blair [23:20–23:23]

“If you create the right contextual environment, they are willing to sit still to pay attention to a two hour movie.”
– Fergus Navaratnam Blair [24:09]

“They want to go because I want to feel like I’m taking part in a cultural event.”
– Fergus Navaratnam Blair [17:18]

Important Timestamps

• 03:39 — NRG study intro; 59% of Gen Alpha prefer theaters
• 05:22 — Gen Alpha values moments to disconnect from screens
• 09:56 — Only 20% want to use phones in theaters
• 13:22 — Breakdown of favorite fandoms among Gen Alpha
• 15:29 — Ownership and cultural identity among Gen Alpha fans
• 17:18 — Preferences: opening weekend, crowded theaters, communal feeling
• 18:31 — Studios can’t force viral moments; must build space for them organically
• 23:23 — Attention span surprises: Gen Alpha is willing to watch two hour movies
• 24:53 — Ideal movie length: Gen Alpha wants over two hours, too

Takeaways for Hollywood

• Gen Alpha craves real-life, group-based, event-driven moviegoing—not phone-centric distractions.
• Studios should focus on immersive, fandom-focused, and in-person experiences, facilitating co-creation and community rather than trying to manufacture hype or simply modernize with tech gimmicks.
• Conventional wisdom about kids’ attention spans is misleading: context and eventization matter more than length.
• There’s real cause for optimism about the future of theaters—as long as Hollywood listens to this generation’s unique preferences.

End of Summary