The Mothership: ‘Annihilation’ and why smart sci-fi is a hard sell

Annihilation appears to continue the hot streak of great science-fiction films. But will moviegoers watch?

On this week's episode of The Mothership, USA TODAY's geek culture podcast, we break down the latest sci-fi flick starring Natalie Portman and Oscar Isaac. It could join other movies such as Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival as critical hits that fell short of amazing hauls at the box office.

Why do we flock to theaters for films like Star Wars but not this wave of sci-fi films? Why does TV seem to have better luck with breakout sci-fi hits? Can the movie business do anything to bridge the gap?

Have thoughts about the podcast? Reach out to us on Twitter at @MothershipPod or individually at @klawls, @brettmolina23 or @briantruitt.

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The Mothership is USA TODAY's podcast that covers all things nerdy in pop culture. Hosted by tech reporter Brett Molina, film critic Brian Truitt and entertainment writer Kelly Lawler, each week our roundtable of experts dissects the latest in geek culture, from superhero movies to sci-fi TV shows to the latest and greatest video games. We're saving the world from bad comic-book adaptations every Friday on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud and Stitcher.