Let’s be honest—2025 is over. It didn’t go the way a lot of us hoped. And that’s okay. What matters now is what we do next. If you’re in the movie business, or you want to be, this is the moment to reset and focus on a real film business turnaround in 2026.
I want to talk to you about something simple, but powerful. It’s not a trick. It’s not hype. It’s how things actually start moving again.
2025 Is Done. Don’t Drag It Into 2026
I remember when 2024 was ending and people were saying, “Just wait until 2025.” Then reality hit. Fires, shutdowns, fewer jobs, fewer deals. For a lot of people, 2025 felt worse than 2024.
But here’s the thing—talking about how bad it was doesn’t help you now. All it does is keep you stuck. If you carry that mindset into 2026, you’re already starting behind.
At some point, you have to say: That chapter is closed. Not because it didn’t matter, but because it doesn’t get to decide what happens next.
Why How You Talk About the Film Business Matters
This might sound basic, but stay with me. The way people talk about the economy affects what they do. If headlines say things are good, people spend more. They invest more. They take risks.
It’s not magic. It’s belief turning into action.
The same thing happens in the film business. When everyone keeps saying, “There’s no money,” or “Nothing is happening,” people stop trying. Projects stall. Investors hesitate. Momentum dies.
But when the language changes, behavior changes too.
A Film Business Turnaround Starts With Belief
If filmmakers start saying, “This is the year things turn around,” something shifts. Jobs start opening up. People go back to theaters. TVOD and AVOD start moving again. Markets feel alive again.
Why? Because belief spreads.
A producer talks to a financier and says, “This is a strong year to get something going.” The financier hears that same thing from three other people. Suddenly it feels real. And once it feels real, money starts moving.
That’s how a film business turnaround in 2026 actually begins. Not with one giant deal—but with enough people believing it’s time to move again.
The Film Industry Is a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
I truly believe this: the film industry runs on momentum. When enough people believe things are turning around, they do.
You don’t need everyone on board. You just need enough people saying it, repeating it, and acting like it’s true. That’s how projects get greenlit. That’s how crews get hired. That’s how films get made.
If we all start treating 2026 like the year things come back, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
What I’m Asking You to Do in 2026
Here’s my ask for you this year: speak positively about the film business. That doesn’t mean ignoring reality. It means choosing where you put your focus.
Say this is the year things start moving again. Say there are opportunities. Say the business is opening back up. Because the more that gets said out loud, the more it turns into action.
And once action starts, everything else follows.
