Global TV, Film & Media Industry News Roundup, Weekend 24-25 May 2025
Netflix faces YouTube’s rise; live events dominate streaming; Minecraft nears $1B; Armstrong satirises tech; Disney sues over exec exit; Blanchett backs displaced filmmakers at Cannes.
Today’s Highlights:
Netflix vs. YouTube: The Streaming Battle Intensifies – As YouTube dominates connected TV viewing and diversifies revenue, Netflix faces rising pressure in a new phase of the streaming wars.
Streaming Live Events Becomes Industry Game-Changer – Soaring demand for sports and spectacles like Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson has made live digital events the fastest-growing frontier in streaming.
Hollywood and Gaming Converge as Minecraft Approaches $1B at Box Office – With Minecraft nearing $1B, industry leaders discuss gaming’s growing influence on Hollywood amid delays and global tariff concerns.
Streaming Originals Drop Sharply—Except at Netflix – While most streamers scaled back originals post-‘Peak TV,’ Netflix stood out by increasing output and doubling down on proven franchises.
Justin Connolly Exits Disney Amid Legal Clash, Joins YouTube as Media Head – Connolly’s move to YouTube triggered a Disney lawsuit alleging contract breaches tied to ESPN streaming negotiations and competition.
Jesse Armstrong’s ‘Mountainhead’ Targets Tech Elites in Satirical Film Debut – Succession creator Jesse Armstrong’s first feature skewers tech CEOs with a darkly comic take on AI and power, premiering on HBO and Sky.
Starz Accelerates Originals Post-Lionsgate Split with Four Series in Development – Starz unveils four original series, including Fightland and All Fours, focusing on ownership and creative expansion after splitting from Lionsgate.
Cate Blanchett Celebrates Displacement Film Fund at Cannes – Blanchett honoured five global filmmakers whose short films explore displacement and conflict, backed by IFFR and the Hubert Bals Fund.
Australia’s Light Entertainment Spending Surpasses Sport and Drama – Aussie networks spent more on Reality TV than on sport or drama in 2023–24, indicating a shift in audience demand and network strategy.
Charlotte Ritchie Breaks New Ground with ‘Code of Silence’ After ‘Ghosts’ Exit – Ritchie plays a detective in ITV’s Code of Silence, reflecting on her emotional exits from Ghosts and You and embracing darker, high-stakes roles.
Plus: Insights, Executive Moves, Festivals & Markets, In Development, Deals, Renewals, Cancellations & Jobs with Netflix, Disney, Moonbug & Mediacorp in Sydney, London, LA & Singapore.
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INSIGHTS
Charlotte Ritchie on Tackling Crime and Saying Goodbye to Ghosts
Charlotte Ritchie takes on her first detective role as DS Ashleigh Francis in ITV’s Code of Silence, a thriller centred on a deaf woman’s secret recruitment into a dangerous undercover mission. Ritchie reflects on the emotional departure from Ghosts and the intense experience of filming Netflix’s You, crediting both for shaping her as an actor drawn to complex, high-stakes storytelling. Read More
Maid Creator Molly Smith Metzler on Wealth and Inspiration in Martha’s Vineyard
While working at a Martha’s Vineyard yacht club after college, Maid creator Molly Smith Metzler was struck by the island's ultra-wealthy women in pastel outfits, calling their world “a cult.” Fascinated yet excluded, she recalled thinking, “Their life looks way more fun than ours, and they’re having gimlets on super yachts.” The experience deeply influenced her perspective on class and belonging in America. Read More
Hollywood and Gaming Collide as Minecraft Nears $1 Billion
With A Minecraft Movie close to hitting $1 billion globally, the latest Strictly Business podcast dives into gaming’s growing ties to Hollywood. Kaare Eriksen, author of a new Variety report, discusses industry trends—from potential Trump-era tariffs affecting Nintendo’s Switch 2 launch to the delay of Grand Theft Auto 6 to 2026—highlighting how the gaming world is reshaping entertainment. Read More
Streaming Live Events Is TV’s Hottest New Trend
Streaming live events is booming, driven by soaring demand for sports content. Live streaming has evolved fast from a 1993 internet concert to today’s global spectacles. Netflix’s Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight drew 65 million concurrent viewers, while Tubi broke records streaming the Super Bowl. As traditional TV shifts, live digital events are becoming the industry’s most talked-about frontier. Read More
Starz Moves Fast Post-Lionsgate Split With Four New Original Series
Fresh off its May 7 split from Lionsgate, Starz is ramping up original content with four fully owned series in development. Writers’ rooms are now open for Kingmaker, a DC Black elite drama; Masquerade, a Venice-set female-led thriller; and Fightland, a British boxing story from 50 Cent’s G-Unit. Also in the works is All Fours, based on Miranda July’s novel about self-discovery and sexual awakening. Read More
Light Entertainment Tops Aussie TV Spending in 2023–2024
Australian commercial networks spent more on Light Entertainment—mainly Reality TV—than on Sport, Drama, or News in 2023–2024. According to a report by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, $571.8 million was spent on this genre, up from $556.6 million the year before. Sport followed with $517.4 million, a significant drop from $635.1 million, signalling a shift in audience and network priorities. Read More
Meet Georgina Harrop, the Powerhouse Behind Celebrity Casting in Australia
With over 35 years in the industry and two decades in casting, Georgina Harrop is the go-to for networks and stars alike. Her credits include Dancing with the Stars, The Real Housewives of Sydney, and Take 5 with Zan Rowe. Currently, she’s casting I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, the Logie Awards, and three upcoming shows in development. Read More
Adrienne Barbeau on ‘Duster’ Cameo and Seeing Herself Portrayed On-Screen
Horror icon Adrienne Barbeau guest stars in Duster as the wife of an FBI agent, with Mikaela Hoover playing a younger version of her character in a 1972 flashback. The scene sees the younger Barbeau helping Josh Holloway’s Jim Ellis steal Elvis Presley’s blue suede shoes. The 79-year-old actress said she was “tickled pink” to be portrayed on-screen for the first time. Read More
Australian TV Networks Cut Local Content Spending by A$50 Million
According to ACMA, Australian commercial networks reduced their local programming investment by A$50 million in 2023–24, dropping from A$1.67 billion to A$1.62 billion. Overall spending on local and international content fell to A$1.84 billion from A$1.91 billion. The biggest decline was in overseas drama acquisitions, which dropped from A$211 million to A$191 million. However, spending on children’s programming saw a welcome increase. Read More
Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind Closes Cannes Competition with Quiet Rebellion
Kelly Reichardt returns to Cannes with The Mastermind, a 1970s-set anti-heist film focused more on emotional and social consequences than the crime itself. Known for First Cow and Showing Up, Reichardt explores themes of quiet rebellion and the balance between personal freedom and communal duty. Premiering Friday as the final competition title, the film will be released by Mubi in the Americas, the U.K., Germany, and more, with The Match Factory handling global sales. Read More
Adam DiMarco Embraces Frat-Bro Role in Benito Skinner’s Overcompensating
White Lotus alum Adam DiMarco takes a comedic turn as a “toxic college frat bro” in Overcompensating, created by Benito Skinner. Known for playing the sweet-natured Albie Di Grasso, DiMarco was initially hesitant but committed after reading the script. He drew inspiration from real-life encounters, including a hockey player who overused “daps”, a detail DiMarco leaned into while playing his character, Peter. Read More
Streaming Originals Decline Post-‘Peak TV,’ But Netflix Bucks the Trend
Digital i’s new report, Are You Still Watching? reveals a sharp drop in original series across major streamers, with 2024 seeing over 100 fewer new originals than in 2022. While second-season launches held steady, services like Prime Video, Max, and Disney+ leaned into existing IP. Netflix was the only streamer to increase its original output in the top 25, signalling a shift toward proven franchises over fresh concepts. Read More
Stellan Skarsgård Downplays Praise for Cannes Hit Sentimental Value
Speaking from a rooftop at Cannes, Stellan Skarsgård shrugged off praise for his role in Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, calling pride “a word [he's] not usually comfortable with.” In the film, he plays Gustav Borg, a faded arthouse director confronting personal and artistic failure. Hoping to reconnect, he casts his estranged daughter (Renate Reinsve) in a script about his fractured family and his mother’s suicide. Read More
Sundance Doc The Stringer Reignites Debate Over Iconic Vietnam War Photo
At its Sundance premiere, The Stringer cast serious doubt on the long-accepted attribution of the Pulitzer-winning 1972 photo “Napalm Girl.” Using archival footage, testimonies, and forensic analysis, the film reexamines who actually captured the image of Phan Thi Kim Phuc fleeing a napalm attack. Though not yet released or acquired by a distributor, the documentary has fueled growing controversy over the true authorship of one of journalism’s most powerful images. Read More
Kate Mara Tackles Absurdity With Sincerity in Andrew DeYoung’s Black Comedy Friendship
In Friendship, Kate Mara plays Tami Waterman, a neglected wife and cancer survivor trying to hold together her strained marriage with Craig (Tim Robinson), whose emotional cluelessness reaches surreal new heights. Though unfamiliar with Robinson’s signature cringe-comedy before signing on, Mara embraced the role with the same seriousness she brings to drama, even as her co-star eats soap in a moment of bizarre self-punishment. Directed by Andrew DeYoung in his feature debut, the film mixes deadpan sincerity with offbeat chaos, with Mara grounding its emotional core. Read More
Netflix vs. YouTube: The Next Streaming Battle
The streaming wars are shifting from Netflix vs. traditional networks to Netflix vs. YouTube. While Netflix dominates subscription streaming, YouTube leads in total viewership, particularly on connected TVs. Google’s strategy to position YouTube as a video super app—integrating advertising, subscriptions, and eCommerce—poses a major challenge to Netflix’s model. Read More
Jesse Armstrong’s Mountainhead Takes Aim at Tech Oligarchs
Succession creator Jesse Armstrong makes his feature film debut with Mountainhead, a satirical take on tech billionaires, starring Jason Schwartzman, Steve Carell, Cory Michael Smith, and Ramy Youssef. Set in a $59 million Utah mansion, the film follows four CEOs navigating an AI-driven global crisis. Blending sharp dialogue and absurdity, Armstrong critiques tech leaders’ political influence. Mountainhead premieres May 31 on HBO and Max, June 1 on Sky and NOW. Read More
'Severance,' 'Grey's Anatomy' and More Showrunners Reveal the Secrets to Making Great TV
8 TV creators and showrunners from "Severance," "Hacks," "Grey's Anatomy," "The Pitt" and more discuss the secrets to success, taking inspiration from their cast, and more.
Drama Roundtable: Billy Bob Thornton, Britt Lower, Sterling K. Brown, Kaitlin Olson, Noah Wyle & More
Jason Isaacs ("The White Lotus"), joins Allison Janney ("The Diplomat"), Sterling K. Brown ("Paradise"), Britt Lower ("Severance"), Kaitlin Olson ("High Potential"), Billy Bob Thornton ("Landman") and Noah Wyle ("The Pitt") on the LA Times Envelope Drama Roundtable.
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