Leonardo DiCaprio raises alarm over cinema's future amid streaming boom

Leonardo DiCaprio is voicing his growing concerns over the future of movie theatres as streaming continues to reshape the industry.

In a new interview with The Times, the Oscar-winning actor questioned whether audiences still have the appetite for theatrical films amid shrinking box office returns and rapid industry change.

DiCaprio, 51, noted that the pace of transformation has been impossible to ignore. “It’s changing at a lightning speed,” he explained. “We’re looking at a huge transition.” 

He pointed to the gradual disappearance of certain genres from the big screen as a warning sign. “First, documentaries disappeared from cinemas. Now, dramas only get finite time and people wait to see it on streamers. I don’t know.”

While the Titanic star remains optimistic that films will always matter to devoted movie lovers, he worries the shared cinema experience could slowly drift out of the mainstream. “Do people still have the appetite?” DiCaprio asked. “Or will cinemas become silos — like jazz bars?”

Despite the uncertainty, the actor hopes studios will continue to back bold storytelling and visionary directors. “I just hope enough people who are real visionaries get opportunities to do unique things in the future that are seen in the cinema,” he said. Still, he acknowledged the outcome is far from guaranteed. “But that remains to be seen.”