Thanks to the long-term fandoms they’ve built online, many YouTubers are breaking into making mainstream entertainment—and they’re bringing their subscribers with them. MrBeast’s Beast Games on Prime Video reached 50M viewers in just 25 days last year, becoming Amazon’s biggest unscripted series ever. Salish Matter and her father’s Netflix series quickly turned into a top-performing title on the platform. Ms. Rachel and her Netflix show ranked among the most-watched titles in early 2025. The entertainment industry has gone from wondering how to compete with YouTubers to actively recruiting them as stars—and now, directors. Ever since YouTuber duo RackaRacka’s breakout horror hit Talk to Me in 2022, YPulse has been tracking a growing trend: YouTubers are actively shaping what makes it to the big screen. Through creator-led feature films, adaptations of viral IP, and direct-to-theater storytelling rooted in existing YouTube fandoms, the pipeline from YouTube uploads to box office has never been more defined. And with more films being inspired and driven by YouTube creators and their content (like...
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