A1531
Title: The economic superpower: Analyzing the impact of superhero movies on the U.S. business cycle
Authors: Alessia Paccagnini - University College Dublin (Ireland) [presenting]
Abstract: The relationship between the growing popularity of superhero movies and the U.S. business cycle is investigated. Building on the observation that superheroes gain popularity during economic downturns, quarterly U.S. box office revenues are analyzed from 1978 to 2023 alongside key economic indicators such as GDP, inflation, unemployment, and monetary policy. Using a proxy-structural vector autoregression (Proxy-SVAR) model and a novel movie-based variable as a proxy for uncertainty, the findings suggest that the rise in superhero movies may have negative impacts on macroeconomic indicators, comparable to traditional uncertainty shocks like the VIX and the economic policy uncertainty index.
