Obsession breakout Inde Navarrette has a message for studios chasing younger audiences: skip the sales pitch. IGN reports that, speaking on The Kyle Buchanan Show, the actress was asked what Gen Z wants from cinema, and her answer centred on originality and fewer ads.
Navarrette said Gen Z is tired of ads and product placement in films. She acknowledged that younger viewers grew up with commercials they still quote, naming State Farm and Aflac, and understand that placement is part of how films get made. Her line was clear, though: “We don’t want to be sold. We want original stories.” She added that living in a technological age doesn’t mean people have stopped having human experiences, and said she’s glad Obsession reflected that.
She speaks from a position of some weight. IGN describes Curry Barker’s Obsession as one of the most profitable indie films ever made, and says it drew plenty of younger viewers to cinemas. IGN also points to the success of 21-year-old Kane Parsons’ Backrooms, which it says set off a studio scramble for internet horror properties, including The SCP Foundation and Siren Head. Together, IGN argues, the two films show young audiences will back original work and new talent.
The attendance data supports the idea that Gen Z is turning up. Variety reported on a Fandango study that found 87% of Gen Zers and 82% of millennials saw at least one film in cinemas over the past 12 months. The figures for Gen X and baby boomers were 70% and 58%.
Gen Z and millennials also visited most often, at about seven times a year, ahead of Gen X on 6.1 and baby boomers on 5.7. Fandango executive vice president Jerramy Hainline said the data counters the perception that Gen Z is less engaged with theatrical moviegoing, and that younger viewers value the shared, communal side of the experience.
Navarrette’s own career is now moving into franchise territory. Variety reported that Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige announced her as Rogue at D23, in a reboot directed by Jake Schreier. We’ve covered her meeting with Schreier before the casting news. Her interests also stretch beyond superheroes: she has said she’d like to voice a Resident Evil character and that anime such as Jujutsu Kaisen taught her screenwriting.
Her comments land as Hollywood leans heavily on existing franchises, including video game adaptations. Whether studios read her argument as a call for new ideas or simply fewer logos on screen is up to them.
What did Inde Navarrette say about Gen Z and movies?
She told The Kyle Buchanan Show that Gen Z is tired of ads and product placement in films and wants original, authentic stories that let audiences feel something. She said younger viewers understand the commercial side of filmmaking but don’t want to feel sold to.
Is Gen Z actually going to the cinema?
According to a Fandango study reported by Variety, 87% of Gen Zers saw at least one film in cinemas over 12 months, the highest share of any generation surveyed. Gen Z and millennials each averaged about seven visits a year.
What is Inde Navarrette doing next?
She’s been cast as Rogue in Marvel’s X-Men reboot, directed by Jake Schreier. Variety reported the cast announcement at D23, and the film is dated 5 May 2028.
