Movies are back to kicking boring TVs ass

We’re halfway through the summer and here’s a previously unthinkable proclamation: The movies are back, baby!The big screen’s obituary has been written so many times — even by the people who make films.TV, everybody long thought, was supposed to be the victorious usurper.When “The Sopranos” and “The Wire” were airing on HBO (Home Box Office, lest we forget) in the aughts, viewers said, “Wow, the acting and writing are just as good as in any prestige movie.”Of the series “Game of Thrones” and “Lost,” they cooed, “Man, the cinematography and special effects rival the blockbusters I could pay $15 to see at the cinema.”And after COVID hit and theaters closed, streaming appeared to be the obvious way of the future.

Big companies such as Disney, Apple and Warner Bros.bet that audiences would never leave their couch again.

Theatrical was over.The inevitable migration was complete.Oops.

That has turned out to be a hugely expensive unforced error.Because in 2026 the movies have returned to their previous cultural dominance, while poor TV’s relevance has hit rock bottom.Underestimated younger generations are mobbing the multiplex, and the box office is on track to hit $10 billion for the first time since 2019.And that’s not just owed to Christopher Nolan’s gargantuan “The Odyssey,” which has grossed a staggering $346 million in its first week of release — 54% ahead of “Oppenheimer” at the same point.Yes, the Matt Damon mythology epic is top dog in terms of buzz.But this year, there has been a steady and varied offering of box-office hits: Dramas and comedies, biopics and animated family fare, originals and IP, science fiction and period romance, Davids and Goliaths.Movies — creative and smart ones — are making money again and have wrestled back the conversation.There is an unshakable feeling that you’re the odd man out if you miss “Obsession,” the $750,000 independent horror flick directed by a 26-year-old that’s...