On Wednesday, while speaking at the University of Southern California as part of the festivities surrounding the official opening of the Interactive Media Building, director Steven Spielberg predicted that an “implosion” in the film industry is inevitable, whereby a half dozen or so $250 million movies flop at the box office and alter the industry forever. What comes next — or even before then — will be price variances at movie theaters, where, he states, “you’re gonna have to pay $25 for the next Iron Man, you’re probably only going to have to pay $7 to see Lincoln.”

George Lucas predicts that film exhibition will morph somewhat into a Broadway play model, whereby fewer movies are released, which stay in theaters for a year, and ticket prices will become much higher. His prediction prompted Spielberg to recall that his 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial stayed in theaters for a year and four months.

For more, visit The Hollywood Reporter.