{"id":5031,"date":"2026-08-06T23:09:56","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T23:09:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uspropertymoves.com\/?p=5031"},"modified":"2026-08-06T23:09:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T23:09:56","slug":"how-many-of-this-centurys-top-100-films-have-a-nepo-baby-creative-your-guess-will-be-too-low","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uspropertymoves.com\/?p=5031","title":{"rendered":"How Many of This Century\u2019s Top 100 Films Have a \u201cNepo Baby Creative\u201d? Your Guess Will Be Too Low"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n<\/p>\n
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\n\tThere was no shying away from uncomfortable truths and hotly debated issues as the\u00a0Locarno Pro industry program\u00a0kicked off on a similarly hot Thursday in the Swiss lakeside town.<\/p>\n

Read more Giorgia Whigham Joins Kevin Bacon in Amazon MGM Horror Thriller \u2018Summoner\u2019 (Exclusive)<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tThe 15th edition of the industry strand, taking place in parallel with the\u00a079th edition\u00a0of the\u00a0Locarno Film Festival, runs Aug. 6-11.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe 2026 version of the annual StepIn: Out of the Box introduction session lived up to its billing as a thought-provoking kick-off event, as film industry data analyst Stephen Follows raised eyebrows with various data points and hard truths in a presentation entitled \u201cFear, Lies, and the Illusion of Control.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe surprise, or shock, of the audience was audible when Follows unveiled new data he has compiled on how many of this century\u2019s top-grossing films have had a \u201cnepo baby creative.\u201d He detailed that he had looked at the top 100 films for the 2000-2025 period and calculated when a director, writer, or one of the top three actors of a film had at least one family member already working in the industry. Want to take a guess at what he found?<\/p>\n

If your guess is 70 percent, you are right! If you are shocked, know that the analyst emphasized that access plays a key role here. \u201cIt\u2019s not always nepotism in a terrible way,\u201d he explained. \u201cIt might be that they grew up around the industry. \u2026 I\u2019m not saying they have no merit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tFamily ties get you into a good industry spot younger, with a first feature at age 33, rather than 35, and up the ladder faster \u2013 eight years to a top film, instead of 10, Follows also highlighted other findings. And people with family connections in the sector have more second features and more films per career.
\u201cBut the films themselves are no bigger and no better,\u201d he shared, citing the \u201csame\u201d box office and ratings. All in all, access via your family has one key benefit, the expert mentioned as a key takeaway: \u201cFamily ties get you in and keep you in the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tMeanwhile, Follows\u2019 research also shows that an experienced producer can make all the difference for a first-time director, even though that correlation disappears after the first film. Three out of four directors don\u2019t make a second feature, at least not within five years of their first, he cited key data. Among the ones that do, however, \u201cone of the biggest predictors\u201d is whether they have worked with an experienced producer on their first, he also highlighted. And he has found that \u201ceven a brilliant debut loses to an ordinary one with a better producer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tIf you wonder about the impact of education decisions, Follows also emphasized that \u201cfilm school is really an accelerator ramp.\u201d After all, films directed by film school graduates outgross the rest, while quality ratings are identical. \u201cFilm school gets you in younger, and more film school debutants reach the top 100\u201d film list, he concluded.<\/p>\n

Read more \u2018Tiger King\u2019 Filmmaker Reveals His \u2018Monsters of God\u2019 Title Is a Bait & Switch<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tAnother chart that Follows showed on Thursday that may not have surprised the crowd but was still not happy news focused on the percentage of indie films that generate a profit. Data up until 2018 shows that number at 3.4 percent. \u201cEconomics have changed a bit,\u201d but the direction of travel is still the same, and small changes make no real difference, the analyst shared. How many of the 10 percent of indie movies that made it into cinemas were profitable? Around 33 percent. In comparison, 51 percent of studio films made a profit, he noted.<\/p>\n

\n\tFollows emphasized that this all has to do with a phenomenon people knew about, but may not always have in mind: \u201cpower laws.\u201d He explained what that means this way: \u201cA small number gets really all of the riches.\u201d<\/p>\n

One key theme that Follows emphasized repeatedly on Thursday was that the film business doesn\u2019t allow you much control, even if many people will tell you otherwise. \u201cThe business of film is unpredictable, unknowable and unfair,\u201d he summarized.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn a part of his presentation that had the audience in stitches, Follows shared that among the things that provide an \u201cillusion of control\u201d are the industry\u2019s focus on stars, test screenings, franchises, formulas, algorithms or other factors designed to limit risk. \u201cMaybe these things move the dial a bit,\u201d but they don\u2019t fundamentally change the sector\u2019s underlying unpredictability. To people subscribing to various services promises risk-free salvation, Follows suggested: \u201cIt\u2019s a little bit like you have a house in an area that has earthquakes, tornadoes and Godzilla and they are selling you little bars to go on the window and go, \u2018Look, we\u2019ve made your house safer.\u2019 This is not dealing with the fundamental risk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tIn a summary at the end of his presentation, he doubled down on that, emphasizing: \u201cYou are not in control of almost anything.\u201d His suggestion for finding success in the industry: concentrate on what you can control. Among key recommendations to focus on here are: make people want to work with you;
make a truly original film; be a person with taste or a perspective \u2013 because \u201cthe algorithms are not great. Fundamentally, curation is much more important;\u201d recognize that the unknown is commonplace and rewarding; and enjoy the journey.<\/p>\n

\nMarkus Duffner, director of Locarno Pro in his sixth year, recently told THR<\/em> that he was expecting around 2,000 accredited industry guests to attend this year, with around three-quarters of those coming from Europe. Among the attendees are an estimated 800 producers, 350 buyers, about 100 sales agents and 300 film festival programmers.<\/p>\n

Read more \u2018Gentle Monster\u2019 Scared Most Actors Away. L\u00e9a Seydoux Embraced the Challenge<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Locarno Pro 2026 started with film industry data analyst Stephen Follows sharing how many of this century's top 100 films have a nepo baby creative.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5030,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2,904,905,906,115,1329],"class_list":["post-5031","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting","tag-international","tag-locarno-2026","tag-locarno-film-festival","tag-locarno-pro","tag-paramount","tag-warner-bros-discovery-2"],"yoast_head":"\nHow Many of This Century\u2019s Top 100 Films Have a \u201cNepo Baby Creative\u201d? 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