Global TV, Film & Media Industry News Roundup, Friday 11 July 2025
Paramount-Skydance merger nears close; Netflix expands in NJ; Black Mirror creators exit; YouTube at 20; Akiva Goldsman ramps up; Virgin River renewed; Brandon TV surges.
Today’s Highlights:
Paramount-Skydance Merger Nears Finale – Paramount’s $28B merger with Skydance is close to finalising, with David Ellison set as CEO and Jeff Shell as president amid legal and industry hurdles.
Netflix Breaks Ground on $848M New Jersey Studio – Netflix has started construction on a major production hub in New Jersey, with local officials promising strong support.
Black Mirror Creators Exit Broke & Bones, End $100M Netflix Deal – Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones have left Broke & Bones, concluding their high-profile Netflix-backed production deal.
Range Media and CAA Legal Battle Escalates – Range Media has filed motions accusing CAA of duplicating legal claims in both arbitration and court over former agent departures.
YouTube at 20: Pedro Pina on Creator Power Shift – YouTube VP Pedro Pina says the platform’s 20th anniversary marks a shift in creative power from legacy media to digital creators.
Akiva Goldsman’s Expanding Film & TV Universe – Akiva Goldsman is simultaneously developing major TV series and film sequels, including new entries in the I Am Legend and Constantine franchises.
Brandon TV Surpasses 250K Subscribers – Reality-led streaming platform Brandon TV has hit 250,000 subscribers, marking rapid growth since its October 2023 launch.
Netflix Renews Virgin River for Historic Season 8 – Virgin River has been renewed for an eighth season, becoming Netflix’s longest-running live-action scripted series.
The Bear's Runtime Spurs TV Format Debate – Season 4 of The Bear exemplifies a growing trend of extended runtimes in half-hour TV formats, blurring genre definitions.
Cocaine Comedy Surge Sparks Real-World Concerns – Comedic depictions of cocaine use in shows like Hacks and The Studio are drawing criticism amid a rising global drug crisis.
Plus: Insights, Executive Moves, Festivals & Markets, In Development, Deals, Renewals & Cancellations.
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INSIGHTS
Sibling Detectives Shake Up Small-Town Crime Comedy
In Good Cop/Bad Cop, Leighton Meester and Luke Cook play sibling detectives navigating quirky locals, scarce resources, and family drama, including their police chief dad (Clancy Brown), in a small Pacific Northwest town. Creator John Quaintance, star Cook, and EP Jeff Wachtel explore the show's heartfelt humour, indie-style production, and hope that it becomes a cult favourite. The ensemble cast includes Devon Terrell and Blazey Best. Read More
New Jersey Courts Hollywood as Netflix Breaks Ground on $848M Studio
At Netflix’s May 13 groundbreaking for its $848 million production hub in Central New Jersey, local officials pledged smooth collaboration. “We will make this easy for you,” said Commissioner Thomas Arnone to co-CEO Ted Sarandos. Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom acknowledged that the state had become complacent, even as it increased its annual production incentives to $750 million. Read More
TV’s Runtime Creep Is Out of Control and The Bear Proves It
Debates over The Bear’s genre aside, its fourth season highlights a growing trend: half-hour shows are now stretching well beyond. Once labelled a comedy based solely on its runtime, The Bear now runs episodes from 31 to 71 minutes. It’s not alone, Too Much and Stranger Things have followed suit, with bloated runtimes that blur format lines and test viewer endurance. Read More
The Real Chef Behind The Bear: Courtney Storer’s Crucial Role
While Christopher Storer helms The Bear as creator and director, his sister, culinary producer Courtney Storer, is instrumental in ensuring its authenticity. A seasoned chef, she ensures all on-screen food is real and delicious, but her role goes far beyond the plate. She trains the cast and guides storylines, drawing on her own kitchen experiences to shape key moments, such as Carmy’s burnout and Sydney’s professional doubts. Read More
Brandon TV Tops 250K Subscribers, Driven by Reality Hits
Since launching in October 2023, Brandon TV has surpassed 250,000 subscribers, TheWrap exclusively reports. The subscription-based platform from Brandon Studios founder Brandon Stewart features reality stars like Abby Lee Miller and Dianna Williams. Its hit series Encore sparked a 13.54% spike in sign-ups after its March 2025 debut. With over 60 channels and 120 million+ daily users, Brandon Studios reports an average quarterly growth of 40.36% since its launch. Read More
‘Fallout 76’ Teases Updates Tied to Prime Video’s Upcoming Season 2
While Amazon hasn’t announced a release date for Fallout Season 2, Fallout 76 creative director Jon Rush confirms the game team is planning content inspired by the show. Speaking at Summer Game Fest, Rush noted the game’s timeline is far earlier than the series, allowing both to coexist without heavy overlap. Still, coordinated updates and story nods are in development, with both teams in active communication. Read More
Range Media Accuses CAA of Legal ‘Double-Dipping’ in Ongoing Dispute
Range Media Partners is pushing back against CAA in their escalating legal fight, filing motions Wednesday night arguing that CAA is duplicating claims in both arbitration and a lawsuit. CAA is seeking equity and compensation from four former agents who left in 2020 to launch Range. Range contends the lawsuit mirrors the ongoing arbitration and is urging Judge Mark A. Young to dismiss the suit. Read More
Turkey Pulls Support for Gözde Kural’s Cinema Jazireh Despite Afghan Setting
Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism has withdrawn funding for Cinema Jazireh, a drama by director Gözde Kural, after viewing the film. Though set in Afghanistan, the ministry objected to its content. The film follows Leyla, who disguises herself as a man to survive after a Taliban raid, and her encounter with a child trapped in a culture where boys must dress as girls, mirroring the experience of another character, Zabur. Read More
Akiva Goldsman, Hollywood’s Master of Multitasking, Keeps Expanding His Universe
Oscar-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman continues to juggle a slate of major film and TV projects, earning his reputation as Hollywood’s “Master of Multitasking.” With $4.73B in global box office credits, including The Da Vinci Code and Batman Forever, Goldsman currently co-runs Strange New Worlds and is developing sequels to I Am Legend, Practical Magic, and Constantine. At Mattel, he’s also scripting a Major Matt Mason film for Tom Hanks and producing Monsters High starring Kim Kardashian. Read More
Michel Franco Opens Up About Personal, Painful Polish Documentary
Dreams director Michel Franco is currently filming a deeply personal documentary in Poland. The Mexican filmmaker, who comes from a Jewish family, revisits Holocaust-related sites he first saw as a teenager but didn’t fully grasp at the time. “It’s been a humbling experience,” Franco tells Variety. “You don’t want to see some of them, ever. But if you go with a camera, it’s worth the torture.” Read More
Cocaine Jokes Surge on TV Amid Real-World Crisis
Critically acclaimed streaming series like The Studio, Hacks, Your Friends & Neighbors, and The Righteous Gemstones are leaning into cocaine-fueled humour, featuring frequent scenes of characters cutting and snorting lines. While played for laughs, the trend comes as global cocaine use has surged, 25 million users since 2023, per a June UN report, raising concerns amid a deadly fentanyl-laced overdose crisis impacting communities worldwide. Read More
Done + Dusted’s Melanie Fletcher on the High Stakes of Live Event Storytelling
From esports to awards shows, live events are becoming key storytelling tools for streamers, networks, and artists. Melanie Fletcher, CEO of Done + Dusted North America, tells TheWrap that producing livestream events typically starts at $1 million, with annual budgets reaching up to $50 million. “It’s hard to conceive and stage and produce an event that’s also a livestream of any scale for under a million dollars,” she notes. Read More
Malta Eyes James Bond as Next Big Catch for Filmmaking
Denis Villeneuve hasn’t filmed in Malta yet, but the island nation’s film commissioner, Johann Grech, hopes that this will change soon, especially if Villeneuve directs the next James Bond movie. With a cinematic history that includes Ridley Scott and Steven Spielberg, Malta is eager to showcase its historic villages and striking seascapes. “It’s an ambition, it’s a dream,” says Grech, who also leads Malta Film Studios. Read More
Paramount-Skydance Merger Nears Finale Amid Industry Jitters
Paramount Global’s merger with Skydance Media has been likened to a soap opera, marked by delays, drama, and a $28 billion valuation. Despite legal tangles, FCC holdups, and industry unease, insiders expect the deal, which will install David Ellison as CEO and Jeff Shell as president, to close soon. As the second 90-day extension begins, Hollywood dealmakers remain wary, citing tough negotiations, stalled projects, and uncertainty about the future of Paramount’s leadership, assets, and streaming strategy. Read More
Indie Sports Docs Face Tough Game as Leagues Go In-House
As major leagues and athletes take control of their own storytelling, indie sports doc producers are being sidelined. With U.S. series orders dropping and access tightening, small creators are pivoting, using creative financing, genre mashups, and international co-productions to stay afloat. While big-budget docs on stars like Mahomes thrive, others focus on lesser-known athletes and clever archive use. “It’s brutal,” says producer Simon Lazenby, reflecting the uphill battle for survival in a saturated market. Read More
YouTube at 20: Pedro Pina on the Platform’s Evolution and Creator Power Shift
As YouTube turns 20, VP Pedro Pina reflects on its transformation from a video hub to a dynamic content ecosystem. In a candid Cannes Lions conversation, he explores how YouTube is bridging the gap between creators and legacy media, reshaping monetisation, and redefining value. From auction-based CPMs to theatrical crossovers, Pina sees this moment as a pivotal shift in the creator–brand dynamic, and a signal that media must follow where the audience leads.
Too Much's Will Sharpe and Megan Stalter Talk Andrew Scott and Afternoon Tea | BAFTA
Will Sharpe (Felix) and Megan Stalter (Jessica) chat about meeting for the first time, bringing Lena Dunham's writing to life and the Too Much celebrity cameos that left them most starstruck.
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