Everything is Rigged… Until You Hack It
Posted February 19, 2025
James Altucher
In 1999, a few film school grads with a camcorder broke Hollywood.
They had a tiny budget, no stars, and no real industry connections. So they got creative.
They convinced the world that a witch murdered a group of students in the Maryland woods.
They listed the actors as “missing, presumed dead” on IMDb. They made fake news reports about the “real” Blair Witch legend. They put up wanted posters for the missing students.
And the internet—just barely becoming a thing—did the rest.
By the time The Blair Witch Project hit theaters, people actually thought they were watching real found footage.
Total cost? $60,000.
Box office? $248 million.
It was one of the highest-ROI movies of all time—not because it was the best film, but because the filmmakers understood one thing:
If you can make people believe in your story, you don’t need permission.
That’s also the secret behind Will Packer’s success.
His first movie wasn’t backed by a major studio. It wasn’t supposed to work. But, it didn’t matter—because he understood the same fundamental truth: You don’t wait for permission. You create momentum.
Best part? Anyone can use his playbook to dominate in any industry. Which is exactly why I just had him on my podcast this week.
Everything is Rigged… Until You Hack It
If you don’t know Will, he’s the producer who cracked the code on making box office hits for audiences Hollywood ignored.
He’s behind Girls Trip, Think Like a Man, Ride Along, and Straight Outta Compton—movies that don’t just make money; they make a lot of money.
In fact, his films have grossed over $1 billion at the box office.
But here’s what makes Will different:
He didn’t start with connections.
He didn’t start with a big budget.
He didn’t even start with a plan.
When Will set out to make his first film, he didn’t know what a “producer” was. He didn’t know how to raise money.
He just did it.
Then Hollywood ignored him.
So he ignored them and went direct to audience.
He sold his indie movie by driving it around and physically handing it to people. And suddenly, it started making money.
Will calls this the power of naivety—if he had known how hard Hollywood was, he never would have tried.
Which means the best strategy in life? Start before you’re ready. And then once you have momentum, manufacture more momentum.
Everything is rigged until you hack it. That includes, says Will, your own mind.
AI Is Coming… But Will It Kill Movies?
Of course, I had to ask what he thought about AI.
Because if you can make an entire film on a laptop in your bedroom, do we even need Hollywood anymore?
Will’s answer: Yes, AI will take jobs. (Production, sets, background extras, you name it.)
Yes, it will make movies cheaper.
But no, it won’t replace human storytelling.
Because AI doesn’t know why you care.
It can generate dialogue, sure. But can it make you feel? Can it tell the definitive story of your life?
(Well, unless you’re a robot, in which case… congratulations on reading this far.)
Confidence Is a Muscle—Here’s How to Build It
Will brought up something crucial.
Most people wait until they feel confident.
That’s a mistake.
Confidence comes after action.
Not before.
So how do you build it?
- Manufacture wins—Set tiny goals. Don’t climb the whole mountain. Just put on your hiking boots.
- Control your input—Stop giving away your power. Just because someone in authority tells you no, doesn’t mean you stop.
- Hack your own brain—Every morning, tell yourself what you need to hear.
And just like that, you’re training your mind the way an athlete trains their body.
Listen to the Full Episode
Honestly, I can’t do justice to everything Will said.
We covered how Hollywood really works, why some actors keep getting jobs while others disappear, and how anyone can use this playbook to dominate in any industry.
Listen to the full thing at the link below.
Right here: Will Packer on The James Altucher Show.