Producer Jason Blum

MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images / Contributor

Like so many other industries, the pandemic annihilated the film world, shutting down big-budget films, closing movie theaters, and causing streaming to take off higher than ever. The top minds in show business did what they do best — get creative.

The Abstract Podcast

Werner Herzog and Jason Blum on how 2020 changed movies forever

On this episode of 'The Abstract', as Covid-19 rocks the entertainment industry, we discuss what filmmakers reveal about the future of movies.

Updated: 
Originally Published: 

Movie producer Jason Blum, CEO of Blumhouse Productions, predicts the short-term theatrical release of his recent horror flick, Freaky, could forecast movies' “new normal.” And through his latest documentary, Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds, legendary film director Werner Herzog offers a look at the future of sci-fi filmmaking.

While we have yet to find out how the film industry will fare after the coronavirus, leading filmmakers in the business are certain “going to the movies” will never be the same.

On this episode of The Abstract, as Covid-19 rocks the entertainment industry, we discuss what filmmakers reveal about the future of movies.

Our first story is about how Covid-19 is changing the way movies get made — adding extra cost and complications. In an interview with Inverse, Jason Blum, CEO of Blumhouse Productions, explains how the pandemic could profoundly change movies — and the way we watch them — forever.

Our second story is about how director Werner Herzog’s new documentary, Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds, uses sci-fi filmmaking to explore what meteorites reveal about the universe. In a conversation with Inverse, Herzog discusses how asteroids have shaped human history — as well as the mysteries we’ve yet to solve.

Read the original Inverse stories:

Where to find us:

Right now, facts and science matter more than ever. That's part of the reason for The Abstract, this all-new podcast from the Inverse staff that focuses exclusively on science and innovation. Three new episodes are released a week, and each covers one theme via two related stories. Each features audio of original Inverse reporting, where the facts and context take center stage. It's hosted by the Tanya Bustos of WSJ Podcasts. Because we're Inverse, it's all true but slightly off-kilter. It's made for people who want to know the whole story. Nick Lucchesi, executive editor, Inverse

This article was originally published on

Related Tags