Global TV, Film & Media Industry News Roundup, Thursday 15 May 2025
AI reshapes creation, streamers fight EU taxes, YouTube dominates TV, Neon targets sixth Palme, Lockerbie drama revisits history, and Lionsgate returns to Russia with Ballerina.
Today’s Highlights:
AI Becomes Essential in Creators’ 2025 Workflows, Says New Report – A Wondercraft survey finds AI tools are now embedded in daily creative workflows, with most creators relying on them for content production.
Netflix and Disney Belgian Streaming Tax Challenge – Netflix’s legal fight against Belgium’s 9.5% streaming tax may reshape EU audiovisual policy and streamer obligations.
YouTube's Upfront Evolution: From Desktop Platform to TV Powerhouse – YouTube now accounts for 11.1% of TV viewership, having paid $70 billion to creators and reshaped the advertising market.
Neon’s Cannes Dominance Continues as Tom Quinn Eyes Sixth Palme d’Or – Neon enters Cannes 2025 with four major films, aiming for a sixth consecutive Palme d’Or win under Tom Quinn’s leadership.
Jonathan Lee Explores Lockerbie Tragedy in New BBC Drama – British novelist Jonathan Lee adapts the 1988 Pan Am 103 bombing into a BBC drama exploring its legacy on global terrorism.
BBC Studios–Channel 4 Merger Floated Amid Industry Funding Concerns – A potential merger between BBC Studios and Channel 4 was informally raised as the UK industry confronts severe funding challenges.
CNN Films Faces Challenges but Prepares for New Chapter – CNN Films retools its strategy after market shifts and corporate changes, with EVP Amy Entelis hinting at a new direction.
Aspiring Screenwriters Face Industry Challenges Amid AI Disruption – The post-strike writing landscape sees fewer entry-level jobs and increased pressure from AI tools, making breaking in harder than ever.
Lionsgate Set to Resume Film Distribution in Russia with Ballerina Release – Lionsgate plans to release Ballerina in Russia, signalling a cautious return to the market after a three-year hiatus.
Closer Media Courts Global Auteurs at Cannes – Closer Media, led by Zhang Xin and Jonathan King, seeks to build a prestige slate with international auteurs at Cannes 2025.
Plus: Insights, Executive Moves, Festivals & Markets, In Development, Renewals, Opportunities & Jobs with Netflix, Nine. WBD, Stan, BBC, Starz, & Amazon in Singapore, Sydney, Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Finland, London, LA & Paris.
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INSIGHTS
Jonathan Lee Explores Lockerbie Tragedy in New BBC Drama
British novelist-turned-screenwriter Jonathan Lee brings The Bombing of Pan Am 103 to the BBC, a drama delving into the investigation of the 1988 Lockerbie disaster. Drawing from his fascination with the turbulent 1980s, previously explored in his novel High Dive, Lee believes the time is right to examine this pivotal moment in modern terrorism, which claimed 270 lives and shaped today’s global security landscape. Read More
Sonoro’s Creator-First Strategy Powers 100M Monthly Podcast Downloads
Founded in 2020 by former Disney executive Joshua Weinstein, Sonoro has rapidly become a leading podcast network, focusing on the underserved U.S. Hispanic and global Spanish-speaking audiences. Sonoro has built a diverse slate of shows across various formats by emphasising quality storytelling and cultural authenticity. Beyond traditional podcast monetisation, the company expands its intellectual property through adaptations for Hollywood studios, merchandise lines, live events, and publishing ventures. This multifaceted approach has resulted in over 100 million monthly downloads and a robust creator ecosystem. Read More
Closer Media Courts Global Auteurs at Cannes
Exclusive: New York-based Closer Media, in Cannes with The History Of Sound and Orwell: 2+2=5, is meeting partners to build a slate driven by global auteurs. Led by billionaire Zhang Xin and producer Jonathan King, the company aims to produce three to five films annually. Upcoming projects include works from Spotlight’s Tom McCarthy and Israeli director Joseph Cedar. Read More
AI Becomes Essential in Creators’ 2025 Workflows, Says New Report
AI tools have become deeply embedded in content creation, from scriptwriting to voice generation. A new report by Wondercraft, based on a survey of 514 creators mostly in North America, highlights how generative AI now streamlines daily workflows. While some advertisers remain cautious, most creators find AI indispensable. “Unless it’s a journalist on Substack, AI likely plays a role,” says CBIZ analyst Allison Harbin. Read More
Shih-Ching Tsou Steps Into Spotlight With Cannes Debut ‘Left-Handed Girl’
Familiar with the emotional grit of Sean Baker’s films? You’ll see echoes of it in Left-Handed Girl, the Taiwan-set solo directorial debut of his longtime collaborator Shih-Ching Tsou. Premiering in Cannes Critics’ Week, the film—co-written, co-produced, and edited by Baker—features vivid street energy, complex working-class women, and sharp class commentary, solidifying Tsou’s voice while honouring their shared creative legacy. Read More
Megan Northam Makes English-Language Debut in Urchin
French actress Megan Northam, known for Greek Salad and The Passengers of the Night, garnered critical acclaim and a César nomination for her role in Rabia. Now, she steps onto the international stage with Urchin, directed by Harris Dickinson. “As a French woman with an English father, I would love to continue shooting and thinking in English,” she says. “It’s a part of me that I can’t express in France.” Read More
BBC Studios–Channel 4 Merger Floated Amid Industry Funding Concerns
At a pre-Christmas lunch hosted by BBC Director General Tim Davie, top UK TV figures discussed the industry's future amid growing financial pressures. One guest floated the idea of merging BBC Studios with Channel 4 to better compete with global streamers. Though quickly dismissed by another attendee, Davie reportedly questioned why the proposal was so implausible, highlighting the urgency of finding bold solutions, even if the merger remains speculative. Read More
Charlie Berens, the Internet’s Ultimate Midwesterner, Keeps ’Er Movin’
If Jon Stewart had a Wisconsin accent and a knack for ice fishing, he might be Charlie Berens. Raised in the Midwest, Berens broke out with his viral Manitowoc Minute series, turning regional quirks into comedy gold. With catchphrases like “Keep ’er movin’” and sketches like Midwest Voice Translator, he’s built a loyal following that sees their own lives in his sharp, affectionate humour. Read More
Exclusive: Zou Jing’s A Girl Unknown Begins Filming, Pyramide Boards Sales
A year after winning Cannes Critics’ Week’s Next Step prize, Chinese director Zou Jing has started filming her debut feature, A Girl Unknown. Pyramide has picked up the project for French distribution and global sales. Starring rising talent Li Gengxi (Resurrection), the film follows a young woman who adopts new names as she moves between three families, exploring identity and transformation across time. Read More
Veronica Cartwright Returns to Horror in The Ruse with a Career-Best Performance
With a career spanning over 60 years, Veronica Cartwright, known for her roles in iconic horror films like The Birds, Alien, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, is back in the genre with The Ruse. Directed by Stevan Mena, Cartwright delivers a standout performance as a dementia-stricken musician whose home is filled with eerie mysteries. Her young nurse, played by Madelyn Dundon, is drawn into a terrifying web of unexplained events, unsure if it's the house, the patient, or something more sinister at play. Read More
CNN Films Faces Challenges but Prepares for New Chapter
CNN Films, known for impactful documentaries like Blackfish, The Hunting Ground, and Navalny, was built by Amy Entelis, EVP of CNN Originals, who launched the division in 2012. However, a shifting documentary market, corporate changes from parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, and the pandemic led to a period of hiatus. Entelis, with 13 years at the helm, hints that a new chapter is on the horizon for the division. Read More
YouTube's Upfront Evolution: From Desktop Platform to TV Powerhouse
When Brian Albert began leading YouTube’s upfront negotiations 12 years ago, cable TV still had over 100 million subscribers, and YouTube was mainly a desktop platform. By the end of 2024, cable subscriptions had dropped to 70 million, while YouTube accounted for 11.1% of TV viewership. Since shifting to content-focused upfronts in 2022, YouTube has paid out $70 billion to over three million creators and dominates Nielsen’s streaming rankings, with over a billion hours of content watched globally in 2024. Read More
Lionsgate Set to Resume Film Distribution in Russia with Ballerina Release
After a three-year hiatus due to the invasion of Ukraine, Lionsgate appears ready to resume distributing films in Russia. The studio plans to release the Ana de Armas-led John Wick spinoff Ballerina on June 5 through Russian distributor Atmosfera Kino. While Lionsgate declined to comment, sources reveal the studio is adopting a "case-by-case" approach, citing changing sentiment and the passage of time as factors in the decision. Read More
Rosie Fellner Shifts from Acting to Producing with Rosebud Pictures
Rosie Fellner, known for her roles in The Fast Show, The Trip, and A Small Light, has always been passionate about creating, leading her to independent production. After years of considering starting a production company, she launched Rosebud Pictures. Her first feature as a producer, The Uninvited, is a dark comedy from writer-director Nadia Conners, starring Elizabeth Reaser, Walton Goggins, and Pedro Pascal. Fellner is inspired by her uncle, prolific producer Eric Fellner, though she’s carving her own path in the industry. Read More
Paula Wagner Reflects on Tom Cruise's Star Power
In an exclusive interview, Paula Wagner, once a budding actress turned superagent and studio owner, shared her perspective on what defines a star. Reflecting on a past lecture to DePaul University students, she likened a star to one that "lights up the sky" but eventually burns out, citing Greta Garbo’s early retirement. As Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning premiered at Cannes, Wagner was asked where she places Tom Cruise in the realm of stardom. Read More
Historical Accuracy vs. Creative Freedom in Film and TV
Filmmakers often balance authenticity and artistic license, as in Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon, where NASA lenses helped achieve candlelit realism. Some productions embrace anachronisms, like the Starbucks cup in Game of Thrones or Converse sneakers in Marie Antoinette, which Sofia Coppola used to connect 18th-century themes with modern audiences. Read More
Netflix and Disney Belgian Streaming Tax Challenge
Industry experts believe the Netflix appeal in Belgium’s Constitutional Court against a new law imposing financial obligations of up to 9.5% on streamers in the Wallonia-Brussels region could lead to a broader challenge against the EU’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD). The law aims to support local French-language productions, but streamers argue it contradicts EU single market principles. Read More
The Evolution of Online Scripted Drama
The online scripted drama landscape is shifting, driven by changing user behaviours, the creator economy, and streaming industry shifts. Key trends include the rise of microdrama apps, new funding platforms, and streamers embracing vertical formats and short-form drama. Emerging development routes are also shaping the next generation of showrunners and filmmakers. Read More
Neon’s Cannes Dominance Continues as Tom Quinn Eyes Sixth Palme d’Or
Neon, led by Tom Quinn, has won five consecutive Palme d’Ors, most recently with Sean Baker’s Anora. The company enters Cannes 2025 with Julia Ducournau’s Alpha and Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value in Competition, alongside Raoul Peck’s Orwell 2+2=5 and Michael Angelo Covino’s Splitsville. Neon also expands into international sales, with Takashi Miike’s Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo and Mads Mikkelsen’s Sirius. Read More
Series Business FYC Showcase Highlights Interview with the Vampire
At the Series Business FYC Showcase, Mark Johnson and Sam Reid discussed AMC’s Interview with the Vampire, now in its second season. Johnson praised Rolin Jones’ adaptation, while Reid shared the challenges of playing Lestat, including acting in telepathic scenes twice. The show balances dark themes with humour, making it unexpectedly comedic. Read More
Aspiring Screenwriters Face Industry Challenges Amid AI Disruption
Breaking into TV and film writing has become increasingly difficult, with fewer entry-level positions and mentorship opportunities post-strike. The rise of AI-generated scripts adds complexity, raising concerns about job security for human writers. To navigate these shifts, aspiring screenwriters must focus on networking, skill development, and industry awareness. Read More
Tom Cruise on Mission: Impossible and a lifetime of learning from movies | BFI in Conversation
FX’s ‘Dying for Sex’: Series Business Showcase With Creators Elizabeth Meriwether and Kim Rosenstock
FX’s limited series Dying for Sex, created by Elizabeth Meriwether and Kim Rosenstock, explores mortality, agency, and trauma through a half-hour comedy format. Based on a real-life podcast, the show centres on a woman with terminal cancer embracing sexual exploration, while highlighting the deep friendship at its core.
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