Global TV, Film & Media Industry News Roundup, Tuesday 4 March 2025

BBC revives Towards Zero, Sony rethinks Spider-Man, Fox launches streamer, IPR.VC expands, Bible stories trend, The Testaments casts Daisy, The Assassin thrills, Max hires Beohm.

Today’s Highlights:

• BBC’s 'Towards Zero' Offers Fresh Take on Agatha Christie Mystery – The BBC's new miniseries Towards Zero updates the classic Agatha Christie story with a fresh approach, including a unique structure that delays the first murder, keeping audiences in suspense.

• New Sony Pictures CEO Faces Challenges Amidst IP Underperformance—Ravi Ahuja, who takes over Sony Pictures Entertainment as CEO, faces difficulties with underperforming Spider-Man spin-offs like Kraven the Hunter and Madame Web, prompting a potential strategic shift.

• Lachlan Murdoch on Fox's New Streaming Platform—Fox is set to launch a new streaming service targeting cord-cutters. The service, led by Pete Distad, will focus on Fox Sports and Fox News content and is planned to roll out by the end of the year.

• Slate Financier IPR.VC Tunes Into European TV – Finnish investment firm IPR.VC continues its expansion in European TV, committing over €100m in its third fund, supporting large-scale content investments without equity stakes.

• Streaming Platforms Turn to Bible Stories for New Hits—Following the success of The Chosen, Amazon and Netflix are investing in biblical adaptations, including House of David and Nobody Wants This, signalling a new trend in faith-based storytelling.

• Nkechi Okoro Carroll: From 'All American' Showrunner to 'Found' – Showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll discusses leading All American through Nexstar’s shakeup of CW and the importance of creating content that finds a home despite industry volatility.

• The Handmaid’s Tale Sequel 'The Testaments' Casts Lucy Halliday as Daisy—Hulu’s sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale adapts Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments, continuing the dystopian saga of Gilead.

• Prime Video’s ‘The Assassin’ Blends Thrills and Family Drama in Greece – Amazon’s The Assassin, starring Keeley Hawes and Freddie Highmore, mixes action and family drama in a six-part thriller filmed in Greece, set for a 2025 release.

• David Flynn’s Plegazoid Secures First Commission with ITV’s ‘Time Is Money’ – ITV commissions Time Is Money, a daytime quiz show from David Flynn’s new production company, where contestants must keep their prize money by answering questions correctly.

• Warner Bros. Discovery Hires John Beohm to Lead Content Planning for Max in Australia – Former Binge content director John Beohm joins Warner Bros. Discovery to oversee content planning as Max expands its presence in Australia.

Plus: Insights, Executive Moves, Festivals & Markets, In Development, Deals & Jobs with ABC, BBC, Fox & Banijay.

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INSIGHTS

BBC’s 'Towards Zero' Offers Fresh Take on Agatha Christie Mystery

The BBC’s latest Agatha Christie adaptation, Towards Zero, may surprise viewers. Set in 1936, it follows Nevile Strange (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), his ex-wife Audrey (Ella Lily Hyland), and his new wife Kay (Mimi Keene) spending a summer at Gull’s Point. With high tensions and a variety of intriguing characters, the miniseries delivers a classic Christie mystery. Uniquely, the first episode lacks a murder, keeping viewers guessing who will be the next victim. Read More​

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Song vs Dance Format

TV Asahi’s Takaaki Kitano and Smart Dog Media’s Craig Plestis and Clara Plestis introduced their new talent competition, Song vs Dance, at MIP London. The show, in production in Japan for TV Asahi, pits singers against dancers in non-stop battles and features social media stars. The format aims to attract a global audience, combining American and Japanese elements. The show is designed to be simple, economical, and adaptable for traditional networks and streaming platforms. Read More

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Slate financier IPR.VC tunes into European TV

Finnish investment fund IPR.VC, known for partnerships with A24, XYZ Films, and MK2 Films, seeks more strategic allies. Since its 2015 launch, IPR.VC has raised over US$200m, becoming one of Europe’s largest content-focused private investment funds. The Helsinki- and London-based company invests in larger slates of projects, allowing long-term collaborations without equity investments. IPR.VC’s third fund, launched in late 2023, has committed over €100m and aims to close at €120m-€140m by March 31. Read More​

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New Sony Pictures CEO Faces Challenges Amidst IP Underperformance

Ravi Ahuja's appointment as CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) comes at a pivotal moment, as the company faces challenges related to its intellectual property portfolio and a heavy reliance on the Spider-Man franchise. Historically, SPE's film rights to Spider-Man have been a cornerstone of its cinematic endeavours, leading to the development of various spin-offs and related projects. However, recent ventures like "Kraven the Hunter" and "Madame Web" have underperformed critically and commercially, prompting a strategic shift. Reports indicate that Sony is reconsidering its approach to the Spider-Man universe, potentially moving away from villain-centric narratives and focusing more on Spider-Man variants and multiverse storylines. ​ Read More​

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The TV Dumbbell Theory: Shifting Trends in Commissioning

JB Perrette, the International CEO of Discovery, taught a valuable lesson about content investment. He likened it to a dumbbell with equal weights on each side, representing monetary value. You can spend $1 million on four premium shows at $250k each or 100 ultra-cheap videos at $10k each. Both ends drive the same revenue, but anything in between doesn’t work. He believes Perrette was right—go big with fewer high-cost shows or go ultra-cheap with high-volume content. Read More

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Exploring the Role of the Creator in Modern Media

The world's largest companies are heavily invested in the Creator-sphere, which is set to become a trillion-dollar industry over the next decade, while traditional Corporate Media is expected to contract. There's no need to choose between the two, as both can be pursued simultaneously. Read More​

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Nkechi Okoro Carroll: From 'All American' Showrunner to 'Found'

Nkechi Okoro Carroll settles into the writers room, sipping a cherry Coke Zero, to hear a pitch. Her writers-assistant-turned-staff-writer is leading his first episode. Early in Season 7, new characters are introduced as the original cast exits. As the only surviving scripted series on CW after Nexstar's acquisition, "All American" faces a volatile landscape. Okoro Carroll emphasises the importance of creating TV shows she loves, trusting they will find a home despite industry uncertainties. Read More​

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Lachlan Murdoch On Fox's New Streaming Platform

Lachlan Murdoch announced that Fox is targeting a fall football season launch for its new streaming platform, led by Pete Distad, with modest initial subscriber projections in the “mid-single-digit millions.” The streamer will launch by year-end and feature Fox Sports and Fox News content. Murdoch emphasised that the goal is not to cannibalise linear television but to capture cord-cutters and those who have never subscribed to cable. More details, including the name and price, are yet to come. Read More​

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Prime Video’s ‘The Assassin’ Blends Thrills and Family Drama in Greece

Prime Video’s The Assassin, a six-part thriller from Two Brothers Pictures, stars Keeley Hawes as a retired assassin and Freddie Highmore as her investigative journalist son. Filmed mainly on location in Greece, the production navigated extreme heat and intricate action sequences. Executive producer Daisy Mount and Amazon’s Hannah Blyth emphasise its gripping, high-stakes narrative. The series is set to premiere in 2025. Read More​

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Streaming Platforms Turn to Bible Stories for New Hits

Following the success of The Chosen, Amazon and Netflix are adapting biblical stories with modern twists. Amazon’s House of David reimagines King David’s rise with Game of Thrones-style drama, while Netflix’s Nobody Wants This blends faith and romance in a Kristen Bell-led romcom. With high production values and broad appeal, streamers are betting big on religious narratives. Read More

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Oscar winners for 'Anora,' Sean Baker and Mikey Madison, on fine-tuning the comedy, action and drama