Variety: Inde Navarrette Says Gen Z Wants Movies Without Product Placement

A note to Hollywood from a breakout

Obsession star Inde Navarrette says young audiences want films that do not feel like a sales pitch, Variety reported. Speaking on The Kyle Buchanan Show, she said Gen Z is tired of ads in movies and product placement, and wants original stories instead.

She allowed that advertising is fundamental to the business and that her generation still quotes favorite commercials. Her point was narrower: on the big screen, they do not want to be sold.

Why her view gets a hearing

Obsession, a Focus Features horror release, earned about $522 million worldwide this summer on a budget Variety put at under $1 million. A breakout from a film that kept growing on word of mouth tends to get listened to.

Variety also pointed to a Fandango study from earlier this year that found Gen Z the most active moviegoing group.

Opinion, not policy

This is one actor's view in an interview, not a studio announcement or a survey of Gen Z tastes. No studio has said it will change how it handles product placement.