The Town with Matthew Belloni · The Ringer

Are Movies Actually Getting Longer? We Found Out.

April 3, 2026·33 min·3 clips

Data reveals average movie length hasn't changed, but blockbusters are now 15 minutes longer—why?

The episode opens with Matt Belloni posing the question of why movies seem longer, referencing recent hits like 'Project Hail Mary' at 2 hours 36 minutes. He introduces data from film researcher Stephen Follows, who analyzed 36,000 films from 1980 to 2025, finding that average movie length has remained steady at 102 minutes. However, movies with wide releases grossing over $10 million have increased by 15 minutes over the past two decades, with action films lengthening while comedies and horror stayed the same. Guest Todd Garner, a producer with credits like 'Mortal Kombat 2' and former Disney executive, joins to discuss the causes. Garner explains that big-budget, IP-driven movies are now filmmaker-driven rather than producer-driven, citing examples like Christopher Nolan and James Cameron having more control. He notes that hardcore fans of franchises like Marvel enjoy longer runtimes due to Easter eggs and deeper lore, which casual viewers might not appreciate. The conversation covers how theater owners dislike long movies because they lose evening showings, though multiplexes help mitigate scheduling issues. Streaming services like Netflix are discussed, with Garner mentioning they track viewer engagement by the second but don't necessarily push for longer films. Data shows that films over two hours have risen from 16% to 40% of wide releases since the 1980s, and over 2.5 hours from 2% to nearly 10%. The '150-minute club' includes films by directors like Nolan, Cameron, and Quentin Tarantino. Belloni and Garner conclude that length is more about pacing than runtime, with good long films not facing audience backlash. The episode shifts to a preview of 'The Drama', starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, with predictions about its opening weekend box office tracking around $15 million.

As heard by us

A runtime complaint that turns into a clearer case about leverage, budgets, and who gets room to breathe.

The piece starts from a familiar complaint about movie runtimes, then gives it shape with Stephen Follows's analysis of more than 36,000 films from 1980 to 2025.

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Why you'd press play

Your complaint about long movies gets tested against the numbers, annoyingly enough.

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