Factually! with Adam Conover Ballet isn't dead, movies are.
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Mar 13, 2026 A sharp, funny take arguing that movies, not ballet, are struggling after the pandemic. A breakdown of a major studio merger and why consolidation threatens diverse storytelling. A look at corporate cost-cutting, shaky finances, and how media concentration can shape politics. Practical alternatives and small ways people can support independent cinema and keep films alive.
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Movies Are The Art Form On Life Support
- Movies, not opera or ballet, are the art form currently on life support in the U.S. after the pandemic reduced ticket sales to about half of pre‑COVID levels.
- Adam Conover cites studio sales, declining box office recovery, and Warner/Paramount turmoil as evidence movies face structural industry decline.
Merger Will Drive Consolidation And Layoffs
- The Paramount–Warner merger concentrates massive media properties under one owner and will likely drive cost cuts and layoffs to service debt.
- Adam points to Paramount's projected $79 billion debt and Larry Ellison's phrasing about 'boost cash flow' as signals of consolidation and job cuts.
Debt Makes Big Slate Promises Implausible
- High debt and downgraded credit ratings make Paramount's promise to release 30 films a year implausible.
- Adam highlights Wall Street downgrades and questions how a heavily indebted studio can sustain a large production slate.