Peter Chernin on ‘Backrooms,’ Sequel Fatigue, and Hollywood Mergers
6/15/20261 hr 2 min
The low-budget horror film ‘Backrooms’ is the surprise hit of the summer so far, netting more than $200 million globally in its leap from YouTube to the big screen. But among the film’s producers is a Hollywood heavyweight: Peter Chernin. As the former president and COO of News Corp. and chairman and CEO of the Fox Group, Peter greenlit huge hits like “Titanic” and “Avatar,” before moving on to found both North Road and The Chernin Group. Kara and Peter talk about why “Backrooms” appealed to young audiences, how Hollywood has played it too safe over the last decade, and what it needs to do to get back to making the kinds of movies people want to see. They also talk about how AI could impact the movie-making business and why he’s not opposed to Paramount’s merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. A note to listeners: This episode was recorded before the Justice Department approved Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery late Friday. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsPeter Chernin· Guest0:00
I have no legacy. I'll be dead, and, you know, that'll be that.
Kara Swisher· Host0:02
Sir, you green lit Ti- Titanic and Avatar. You did.
Speaker 30:07
[upbeat music] It's on.
Kara Swisher· Host0:07
Hi, everyone, from New York Magazine and the Vox Media podcast network. This is On with Kara Swisher, and I'm Kara Swisher. The indie horror movie Backrooms is one of the big surprise hits of the summer. The film is directed by 20-year-old YouTube creator Kane Parsons. It so far grossed more than $135 million domestically and more than $200 million worldwide. For context, it had an opening weekend on par with the last Star Wars installment, despite costing a fraction of the price to make. But behind Backrooms is someone with a well-established reputation for making things people want to see, Peter Chernin. He's one of the producers on the film, and his production studio, Chernin Entertainment, co-financed the film. Chernin was Rupert Murdoch's longtime second in command at News Corp, which is where I met him a long time ago. He was also the head of Fox Movie and TV divisions, where he green lit major blockbusters like Titanic and Avatar. You might have heard of them. In 2010, he founded his own private equity firm, The Chernin Group, to invest in digital media companies. He also recently sold the global content studio he founded, North Road, to the French entertainment giant, Mediawan. I love Peter