to escape the patent lawsuits of Thomas Edison’s Motion Picture Patents Company . The region’s diverse terrain and year-round sunshine made it a perfect production hub.

Often overlooked due to Disney’s dominance, Universal has quietly become the most consistent box office performer. Its strategy is diverse, ranging from high-brow auteurs (Christopher Nolan, Jordan Peele) to low-brow horror and family animation.

After years of "spend at all costs" to acquire subscribers, studios are now cutting costs. Netflix is licensing legacy content from Sony and Warner Bros. Disney is removing shows from Disney+ as tax write-offs. The result: fewer series orders, shorter seasons (8-10 episodes instead of 22), and a return to weekly release schedules to build "watercooler" moments.