Director Steven Spielberg arrives at the 83rd Academy Awards in Hollywood, California, February 27, 2011.LUCAS JACKSON/Reuters
Steven Spielberg predicted an inevitable "implosion" in the film industry this week, according to the Hollywood Reporter. He said he foresees a time when a few big-budget projects simultaneously flop at the box office, which will change the industry forever. What would follow, he said, is price variances at theatres, where people will "have to pay $25 for the next Iron Man," and "$7 to see Lincoln." He also said that Lincoln came "this close" to being an HBO movie instead of a theatrical release. George Lucas, who was speaking with Spielberg at the University of Southern California, agreed and predicted that the theatre experience would change somewhat into a Broadway play model: fewer movies will be released but stay in theatres longer, with higher ticket prices.