Hollywood Turns to TikTok for Inspiration as Fan Edits Shape New Trends

Hollywood studios are rethinking how they promote movies—and this time, they’re turning to TikTok for inspiration.

Fan-made edits on the app, often filled with colorful filters, flashy text, and popular songs, have proven to grab millions of views. Now, major studios are trying to capture that same magic.

These edits are usually created by fans who remix scenes from movies and shows into short, high-energy clips set to trending songs. They’re not official trailers, but they often go viral, sparking new interest in older films and TV series.

Some edits even imagine relationships or storylines that never existed in the original works. Hashtags like #SydCarmy, based on characters from The Bear, have drawn millions of viewers, showing how strong fan communities can be.

Hollywood marketers have noticed. Streaming platforms like Hulu and Paramount+, along with studios such as Lionsgate, are now using fan edit-style videos in their own promotional campaigns.

Briana McElroy, Lionsgate’s head of digital marketing, says her team aims to approach TikTok as fans, not as advertisers. “If we’re trying to have a conversation with fans online, we need to be able to speak their language,” she said.

To make that happen, Lionsgate has started working directly with fan editors who already have large followings on TikTok. Felipe Mendez, who manages the studio’s TikTok account, has reached out to hundreds of editors and built a small group of creators to make official content.

“We’re going to the artists that fans are already obsessed with and saying: ‘We want you to create what you’re already doing; we just want to work together,’” Mendez explained.

Mendez believes that success on TikTok means letting go of traditional marketing ideas. “To do well on TikTok, your videos have to be so divorced from what your brand is,” he said, adding that studios need to be comfortable laughing at themselves.

One example: Lionsgate once shared a cheeky Hunger Games edit paired with a song by Flo Rida, showing how far studios are willing to go to blend into TikTok culture.

The influence of these edits isn’t just about views. Mendez points to how TikTok edits helped Suits, a decade-old TV show, become the most-streamed series of 2023. In another case, a viral Creed edit reached nearly 200 million views and reportedly boosted the film’s online viewership by almost a third. Fans even commented things like, “Guess I’m watching Creed today.”

Now, Lionsgate plans to use this strategy for the upcoming Twilight rerelease. The studio says fan-made edits reignited interest in the vampire romance, especially among younger audiences who weren’t around when the films first came out. McElroy says the goal goes beyond selling tickets. “Our goal was just to make sure we’re creating a community and sustaining it,” she said.

Hollywood’s new TikTok-inspired approach shows how traditional marketing is changing fast. The fans who once made these videos for fun are now shaping how big studios reach audiences.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!