07/02/26 Hotline Feature – Germain Lussier: Siren Head, Hollywood's YouTube Horror Trend, and The Odyssey Arrives

Germain Lussier of Gizmodo joins Dave Weekley and Ryan Nicholson ahead of the Fourth of July weekend to cover a packed entertainment slate. Following the massive opening of The Backrooms, Lussier breaks down Hollywood's accelerating rush to acquire viral internet horror properties — including Warner Brothers' eight-figure purchase of Siren Head and Steven Spielberg's Amblin acquiring The Mandela Catalog for Amazon. Ryan offers context on where Siren Head fits in the timeline of internet horror, from Slender Man to the Backrooms. Lussier also shares an exclusive on Toy Story 5's upcoming in-theater director's commentary via the Theater Ears app, which syncs audio commentary through a viewer's earbuds in real time. The conversation closes with a preview of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey — now two weeks from release — including a breakdown of how early screening embargoes work and what happens to a critic who breaks the rules.