From Viral Shorts to Theatrical Hits: Hollywood's Internet Gold Rush
After producer Scott Glassgold stumbled upon a lo-fi sci-fi short by Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell fourteen years ago, he encountered resistance from studios regarding their participation. This spring, internet films surged in popularity: Kane Parsons' Backrooms became A24's top-grossing film; Curry Barker's Obsession attracted a strong word-of-mouth following; and Markiplier's self-funded Iron Lung earned over ten times its production cost. Hollywood is now working on adaptations of Siren Head and Cartoon Cat, inspired by Trevor Henderson's artwork, as well as The Mandela Catalogue from Alex Kister's YouTube series, which ignited a bidding frenzy. Producer Aaron B. Koontz remarked on the heightened interest, while Shawn Levy warned against the industry's tendency to homogenize internet content into a single genre.
Key facts
- Scott Glassgold discovered a Vimeo short by Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell about 14 years ago.
- Backrooms, directed by Kane Parsons, became A24's highest-grossing movie.
- Obsession, by Curry Barker, became a word-of-mouth hit.
- Iron Lung, self-financed by Markiplier, grossed at least 10 times its budget.
- The Mandela Catalogue led to an 11-studio bidding war, with Steven Spielberg as producer.
- Shawn Levy of 21 Laps calls the rush to adapt internet content 'a predictable sort of frenzy.'
- Jane Schoenbrun says the industry flattens internet work into one genre.
- Kyle Edward Ball advises creators: 'Don't chase Hollywood. Have Hollywood chase you.'
Entities
Artists
- Scott Glassgold
- Zeek Earl
- Chris Caldwell
- Kane Parsons
- Curry Barker
- Markiplier
- Trevor Henderson
- Aaron B. Koontz
- Shawn Levy
- Dan Cohen
- Jane Schoenbrun
- Lucas Ford
- Alex Kister
- Brian Duffield
- Zach Cregger
- Kyle Edward Ball
- Steven Spielberg
Institutions
- Vimeo
- A24
- YouTube
- 21 Laps
- Lifetime
Locations
- Hollywood
- Wisconsin
- Canada
- United States