Hollywood is Dying

This week we’re doing a special edition. I’ve been holding this one off for a few weeks but ready to ship.

Some see it coming a mile away and some don’t know what I’m talking about. A recent study by the National Research Group showed that the top 20 actors responsible for drawing viewers to the box office are all over 40, with the exception of one (who will turn 40 this year). The average age of the top 20 actors is actually 58 years old (I did not bother to calculate, I just took the number from the NRG). If we want to talk about the top 100 actors, only 4% of them are under 30.

Here's the list (ages are based on IMdB data):

1. Tom Cruise (60 years old)

2. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (50)

3. Tom Hanks (66)

4. Brad Pitt (59)

5. Denzel Washington (68)

6. Julia Roberts (55)

7. Will Smith (54)

8. Leonardo DiCaprio (48)

9. Johnny Depp (58)

10. Kevin Hart (43)

11. Keanu Reeves (58)

12. Sandra Bullock (58)

13. Ryan Reynolds (46)

14. Adam Sandler (56)

15. Harrison Ford (80)

16. George Clooney (61)

17. Robert Downey, Jr. (58)

18. Angelina Jolie (47)

19. Morgan Freeman (85)

20. Chris Hemsworth (39)

21. Saurabh Suri (36)

Are you paying attention?

People are obviously consuming more screentime now than ever before so where is everyone’s attention going?

Enter Youtube. Youtube has more than 2 billion active monthly users (with more than 30 million paying subscribers). That’s just about a quarter of the worlds population.

I love images with data. Here’s another:

Let’s dive a little deeper with some more stats because I love cold hard numbers. Let’s take the most successful solo youtube channel of all time and compare him amongst Netflix. Most (atleast some?) of you have heard of Mr. Beast by now.

Mr. Beast is a household name for the younger generation. If we were to stack Mr. Beast amongst the Top 10 Netflix TV shows, he can definitely compete. Below, we have the top 15 netflix shows, sorted by completion rate. If you were to break Mr. Beasts channel down into 3 completion rate categories (25%/50%/75%), he appears at 3 different stages.

Yeah, I guess he’s sort of a big deal.

There’s no doubt that when you have a following, a community, or just diehard fans - you’re going to have some power. As an example, we’re going to talk about Logan Paul. Known for various controversial pieces of content that I’m not here to get into.

With his Youtube channel blowing up more than half a decade ago, he’s been able to do alot with that fame - such as having an exhibition boxing match with Floyd Mayweather which is rumoured to have netted him $20m. Late last year, Logan teamed up with another Youtuber named KSI and launched an ‘energy’ drink called Prime. Prime’s immediate success (based on hype more than quality in my opinion) has done insane numbers. The hype behind it has been so crazy that fights have been breaking out all over the world when lining up at stores.

But how successful is Prime? Launching in 2022, Paul claims the drink had done $250m in revenue in its first year.

Going back to Mr. Beast + products, here are some facts that come from this level of success

• Mr. Beast turned down $1Billion for his channel

• Opened a burger joint in his hometown of South Carolina, and it was so popular that at one point the lineup in vehicles was over 20 miles long. It probably would have been longer if not for the local PD to show up and shut it down

• Launched a chocolate bar called Feastibles late last year with a current valuation of $50m. Reddit’s co-founder Alexis believes this specific brand will rival multi-billion dollar competitors due to his organic reach and the fact that is now in every single Wal-Mart in America

Where to go from here? There are many forms the newage creator-preneur can take in other forms. Blogging, Twitter/IG, Podcasts & Newsletters. There are tons of more examples of each which I’ll dive deeper in future editions. But for now, go create.

Founders’ Toolbox: A Spotlight: CREATOR EDITION

Every week, I play with dozens and dozens of new tools and I’ll derive a few that are worthy of your experimentation.

• Descript - Take your longform videos, edit by text, cut them into short videos, add catchy subtitles

• Adobe Podcast Enhancer - I use this. Upload dirty audio and watch it make magic

• Move.ai - Turn your physical motions into digital avatars and videos

The Renegade Explorer

Every week I post an image from my backpacking journey across the globe in hopes of motivating you to get out of your comfort zone. As we all know, life can be overwhelming at times, and it's important to take a break and nurture our sense of curiosity. Each week I feature a breathtaking destination alongside some beautiful photography that will inspire your next adventure.

Caught in the warm embrace of twilight, a singular monument rises, a stoic silhouette against the flaming tapestry of the setting sun. This isn't just a tower—it's an unwritten haiku where the past converses with the present, illustrating the heartbeat of an ever-evolving city.

This architectural titan, stoic and strong, watches over the cityscape as a lone samurai silhouetted against the twilight. Life buzzes around in an incessant rhythm, yet here, it finds a moment of stillness—a silent shogun amidst the city's tidal rush.

Further away, gentle mountains wear the sunset hues, and a river weaves through the land, mirroring the day's last light. They carry whispers of old—silent tea ceremonies, bamboo forests rustling like ancient secrets, and Zen gardens in meditative slumber—yet, bend graciously to the winds of change.

Thus, to behold this tower is not simply to witness a scene, but to sip from the cup of this city's essence—to partake in a story spun from ancient threads, yet ever new with each setting sun.