Global TV, Film & Media Industry News Roundup, Weekend 3-4 May 2025
UK production surges, Foxtel restructures, streamers shift indie, Roku expands, BBC faces reform, and new star-led films head to Cannes and beyond.
Today’s Highlights:
UK Production Spend Nearly Triples in Q1 2025 – Production spending in the UK surged to £632m in early 2025, nearly tripling the previous year’s figure and marking the third-highest Q1 spend since 2003.
Foxtel Group Announces Structural Changes and Job Losses Under DAZN Ownership – Foxtel is restructuring its management team under DAZN, with around 100 job losses and a new focus on subscription and advertising revenue.
Lisa Nandy Rejects Streaming Levy, Explores BBC Funding Reform – Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy rejected a streamer tax and proposes new governance models to replace the BBC licence fee.
UK Producers Urge BBC Film and Film4 to Prioritise Local Talent – Over 200 UK producers have criticised public broadcasters for funding international titles and called for renewed support for homegrown filmmakers.
Echo Lake’s Doug Mankoff Sees Streaming Shift Toward Indie Film Model – Doug Mankoff predicts streamers will increasingly adopt indie film principles like creative freedom and global co-productions to drive diverse content.
Roku Acquires Frndly TV for $185 Million to Expand Streaming Services – Roku has purchased Frndly TV to boost its internet-delivered pay-TV offerings amid rising competition from major streamers.
Create London 2025: Shaping the Creator Economy – Industry leaders at Create London urged producers to embrace direct-to-consumer strategies as TV commissioning slows.
Paris Unscripted Showcase Highlights Fresh TV Formats & Local Appeal – PUSH spotlighted regional unscripted formats and confirmed demand for local, community-focused programming beyond celebrity-driven concepts.
Gal Gadot and Matthias Schoenaerts Set for WWII Thriller Ruin – Gadot and Schoenaerts will co-star in Ruin, a post-war revenge film directed by Niki Caro set to shoot in early 2026.
Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock Reunite for New Romantic Thriller at Amazon – The longtime screen duo will star in a new Amazon MGM Studios romantic thriller by Noah Oppenheim.
Plus: Insights, Executive Moves, Festivals & Markets, In Development, Deals, Renewals, Opportunities & Jobs with Paramount, Netflix, ITV, Prime, Disney, Unimas & France Télévisions in Sydney, London, LA, Miami, Seattle, NYC, Frankfurt & Paris.
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Our subscribers include executives from:
Streamers: Netflix, Apple, Viaplay, SkyShowTime, Amazon Prime, Marquee TV, Paramount Television International, MTV Entertainment Group, BET, Cineverse.
Broadcasters: NBC Universal, France Televisions, Sky, ABC, Channel 4, ITV, A+E Networks, CBC, TV2, SVT, ARTE, RTBF, SBS Play, TCL FFalcon, RTL, TVNZ, SRF.
Producers: Fifth Season, Sony Pictures Television, Banijay, Fremantle, Endemol Shine, Gaumont, Pathé, Warner Bros Television Productions, Universal Pictures International Australasia, UFA Fiction, Vivendi, Entertainment One, BBC Studios, Warner Bros Discovery, Talpa Studios, Keshet, Tiger Aspect, Wild Bunch TV, Red Planet Pictures, Go Quest Media, Eureka Productions, The Ink Factory, Nordisk Film, Reel One Entertainment, Bunya Productions, Beach House Pictures, Beyond, The Global Agency, Esha Bargate Productions, blue Entertainment, Paper Plane Productions, Paprika Studios, Playmaker, Off the Fence, Goalpost Pictures, Spin Master, Stand By Me, Halcyon Studios, DPG Media, Envision, Rive Gauche, Blue Ant Media, Squareone, Great Southern Studios, Collective Media Group, New Dominion Pictures, RAW TV, Optomen, Magpie Pictures, KOJO, ShinAwiL, WildBrain, Nine Daughters, Amazon/MGM Studios, October Films, Legendary Entertainment.
Also: Aarhus Series Festival, The Wit, Norwegian Film Commission, New Zealand Film Commission, IMDA, MIA, Getty Images, Ottawa Film Office, Simkins, Harbottle & Lewis, Screen Brussels, Sheffield DocFest, FilmChain, Documentary Business, Zero Gravity Management, SXSW, MEA, DOC, Attraction Distribution, Kaplan Stahler Agency, Passion Distribution, Audible, Screen Queensland, Canada Media Fund, My Smash Media, Artists First, Grey Seal Media, Screenforce Finland.
INSIGHTS
Millie Gibson Returns as Ruby Sunday in Doctor Who Season 15
Fresh off filming Doctor Who Season 15 and The Forsyte Saga, Millie Gibson reflects on her whirlwind year. After debuting as Ruby Sunday in the 2023 Christmas special, her character returns in tomorrow’s episode, Lucky Day. Back in Manchester, Gibson marvels at how fast time flies in TV production as Ruby reunites with UNIT to face a new threat. Read More
Lewis Pullman Reflects on Growth Ahead of Marvel Debut
Lewis Pullman, 32, credits timing and experience for landing his latest role as villain Bob in Marvel’s Thunderbolts. The actor, son of Bill Pullman, laughs about his rocky college performances but says he wouldn’t have booked the part years ago. Lessons learned from industry veterans helped shape his craft and prepare him for this significant step in his career. Read More
Tina Fey’s The Four Seasons Challenges Comedy Vets with Its Grounded Tone
Despite their experience on fast-paced comedies like 30 Rock, Tracey Wigfield and Lang Fischer found writing The Four Seasons—a grounded relationship comedy—more challenging. Created with longtime collaborator Tina Fey, the Netflix series adapts the 1981 film, following three longtime couples over a year of seasonal vacations. With fewer jokes to hide behind, the writers focused on authenticity and tone to bring depth to the story. Read More
UK Producers Urge BBC Film and Film4 to Prioritise Local Talent
Over 200 UK indie producers have signed an open letter urging BBC Film and Film4 to recommit to supporting UK-based talent and safeguard the independent film industry. Organised by Producers Anonymous, the letter responds to concerns over the PSBs backing Cannes titles Sentimental Value and The History Of Sound—both lacking UK directors or production companies. Read More
Jeremy Renner Says Pay Cut Halted Hawkeye Season 2
Jeremy Renner revealed that Hawkeye didn’t get a second season because he was offered only “half” his original salary to return. The actor, known for playing Clint Barton across the MCU, starred in the Disney+ miniseries alongside Hailee Steinfeld and shared the pay dispute in a recent interview. Read More
Lionsgate Unveils Rats! Horror Film for Cannes Market
Lionsgate is partnering with Pitch Perfect producer Paul Brooks to launch global sales for Rats!, a survival horror film set in New York City during a deadly rat outbreak. Directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson and produced by Jason Fuchs, the film is written by Paul Sado and Strauss-Schulson. Executive producer Adam Fishbach (Smile) joins the team as the project heads to the Cannes market. Read More
Emmy Winner Julianne Nicholson Brings Unexpected Comedy to Hacks Season 4
Known for intense dramas like Mare of Easttown and Masters of Sex, Julianne Nicholson takes a surprising comedic turn in Hacks Season 4 as Dance Mom, a hyperactive influencer flown in to boost sagging ratings. Eager to break from her dramatic typecasting, Nicholson embraced the role’s absurdity. Her offbeat energy adds a fresh twist to the show’s cast, challenging viewers to decide whether they’re laughing with her or at her. Read More
UK Production Spend Nearly Triples in Q1 2025
According to the BFI, UK production spend soared to £632m in the first quarter of 2025, nearly three times the £211m recorded in Q1 2024. The number of films beginning principal photography increased to 37, up from 22 in the same period last year. This marks the third-highest Q1 production spend since records began in 2003. Read More
Lisa Nandy Rejects Streaming Levy, Explores BBC Funding Reform
UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has ruled out a levy on streaming services, arguing it could deter investment in creative industries. Despite backing from the Voice of the Listener and Viewer, she prioritises maintaining an attractive investment environment. Nandy also aims to reform BBC funding, calling the TV licence fee "deeply regressive" and opposing general taxation due to concerns over political interference. Instead, she is considering mutualisation, giving licence fee payers more direct governance over the BBC. Read More
Echo Lake’s Doug Mankoff Sees Streaming Shift Toward Indie Film Model
Echo Lake Entertainment CEO Doug Mankoff predicts a shift in U.S. television, with streamers embracing independent film principles—creative autonomy, flexible financing, and global co-productions—to foster diverse storytelling. Echo Lake, known for The Great and upcoming Sunny Nights, exemplifies this evolution. As streaming services look beyond traditional studio systems, Mankoff sees an opportunity for bold, unconventional narratives to thrive in a rapidly changing content landscape. Read More
'Cinema of Perception' | APRIL's Chilling Sound Design, POV Shots, & Uncanny Creature
Director Dea Kulumbegashvili reflects on cinema as a medium that embraces the irrational rather than seeking answers. Her latest film, April, examines women’s issues in Georgia while challenging cinematic conventions, questioning how sound functions and whether cinema unfolds dynamically during viewing. Kulumbegashvili’s thought-provoking approach positions her as a filmmaker to watch for years.
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