The lack of studio backing on the film was its death blow. That’s my biggest worry as Disney gobbles up all the competition. Annapurna and A24 are beacons of light in the endless popcorn era. China dictating what is wanted and the average movie goer unwilling (or able) to watch anything outside formulaic fare is definitely concerning for film as an art form.

It’s frustrating being American for multiple reasons. Black Panther is your average comic book movie that is being propelled by social stigma, which is fine but films like Annihilation should do better but audiences are really dumb these days. I wish I was old enough to been a 70s movie goer. Arrival did better because it had studio backing and Villenueve has broken through the auteur barrier, except BR2049 lol another great movie that ? audiences didn’t see. Not going to change as long as the cinema is filled with lowest common denominator movies like Marvel and Melissa McCarthy/ Kevin Hart drivel.

Also, why on earth has Peter Rabbit done better than Paddington 2 over your side of the pond?!? (Yes, I know about the Weinstein thing, but one’s awful and the other’s brilliant)

Also anything with the most aggressive and expensive marketing (Marvel, Disney) will almost always win and leave anything else (new, original) scrambling for scraps.