From TikTok to the Box Office: How Trends Are Changing the Way Movies Are Made and Marketed

In the past, filmmakers and studios shaped movies in the isolation of writing rooms, studio lots, and focus groups. Today, they have a new collaborator: the internet. Social media — especially TikTok — is changing how movies are marketed after they're made and it’s reshaping the way films are conceived, written, and produced.

Directors and studios now think ahead: What moments will trend? What scenes will people recreate online? What character will dominate memes? The goal isn't just to tell a great story anymore — it's to create viral moments that feel tailor-made for the social media generation.

The rise of short-form content has trained audiences to latch onto striking visuals, quotable lines, and quick emotional payoffs. In response, movies are adjusting their tone, pacing, and even genre choices. Horror films, musicals, and nostalgic reboots have thrived in this space because they offer exactly what social media loves: big reactions, aesthetic imagery, and immediate emotional hooks.

One striking example is Saltburn (2023), Emerald Fennell’s dark, twisted satire. While the film was praised for its writing and performances, it was particular scenes like the outrageous bathtub moment and Barry Keoghan’s dance to Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor” that exploded across TikTok. Memes, edits, and reenactments flooded feeds for months, turning Saltburn into a must-watch film. 

Similarly, Smile (2022) used a clever, low-cost strategy by planting actors with eerie smiles at baseball games and live TV events. Images and videos of these “smiling strangers” quickly went viral, helping transform a modestly budgeted horror film into a $200 million global hit.

Even prestige films are getting in on the strategy. Greta Gerwig’s Barbie (2023) campaign created dozens of instantly shareable moments, from the dazzling pink set designs to a viral meme generator where fans could insert themselves into the Barbie universe. Before the movie even opened, it had already won the internet and the attention of millions of potential ticket buyers.

It’s clear that movies are no longer made for the screen alone. They're made for the timeline, the "For You" page, and the group chat. In today’s Hollywood, success at the box office often depends on success online first. Filmmakers aren't just asking, "Will this scene move the audience?" — they're also asking, "Will this scene move the algorithm?" In a world ruled by scrolls and shares, a film’s legacy can be built as much through memes as through reviews.