Global TV, Film & Media Industry News Roundup, Monday 23 June 2025
Alcon’s $417M library deal, UK’s $75M screen fund, AI’s creative disruption, CAA lawsuit, Tron reboot, Mindhunter revival & Marvel’s Punisher reshape global film & TV.
Today’s Highlights:
Alcon Media Acquires Village Roadshow Film Library for $417.5M – A major film library sale reshapes global content ownership, involving iconic IP and fallout from a bankruptcy and legal battle with Warner Bros.
U.K. Government Launches £75 Million Screen Growth Package to Boost Film and TV Industry – A government-backed funding initiative with long-term implications for the U.K.’s position as a global production hub.
Midjourney’s New Video Tool Raises Eyebrows with Copyrighted Character Clips – A critical legal and technological flashpoint for AI’s future in media creation, involving major IP holders like Disney and Universal.
CAA’s Use of Writer Lists Under Legal Scrutiny – A landmark lawsuit that could affect talent agency practices and transparency in the representation of writers across Hollywood.
NAB Show Highlights AI’s Role in the Future of Storytelling – Industry consensus on the inevitable integration of AI into content creation, localisation, and global media workflows.
Jon Bernthal Returns as Punisher in Sony and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day – Reflects Marvel’s broader strategy to unify IP across platforms and strengthen continuity between its cinematic and streaming universes.
Disney to Reveal Tron: Ares at San Diego Comic-Con Following CinemaCon Debut – A strategic reboot of a legacy franchise, aiming to blend classic IP with current cultural relevance despite reputational risks.
Mindhunter Revival Could Come as Three Movies, Says Holt McCallany – Signals the potential return of a high-prestige Netflix property, with implications for content format strategies.
King Charles and Idris Elba Collaborate on Netflix Documentary Celebrating The King’s Trust 50th Anniversary – A significant public-private partnership, reinforcing Netflix’s role in socially driven content and U.K. cultural diplomacy.
Kyrgyz Film Black Red Yellow Wins Top Honour at Shanghai Film Festival – A culturally important win for Central Asian cinema with symbolic value in global festival circuits.
Plus: Insights, Festivals & Markets, In Development, Deals & Jobs with Netflix, Flying Bark, ILM & Fremantle in Tokyo, Sydney & London.
Our subscribers receive one clear, concise daily bulletin that distils the latest global TV, film, and media headlines, deals, exec moves, and job listings.
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, Kanal D, UKTV, Ceská Televize, FOX.
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, Bad Wolf, Mediapro, Bron.
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, BAFTA.
INSIGHTS
Amazon’s We Were Liars Series Rekindles Emotional Impact of E. Lockhart’s Hit Novel
There are two kinds of people: those forever haunted by E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars and those who haven't read it yet. For many fans, the emotional gut punch of the 2014 novel has lingered for over a decade. Now, with the Amazon Prime Video adaptation premiering June 18, following its Tribeca Festival debut, the story is back to stir up old feelings and reach a new audience. Read More
Midjourney’s New Video Tool Raises Eyebrows with Copyrighted Character Clips
Midjourney has launched V1, its new AI video tool, capable of turning images into animated clips—but it’s already sparking controversy. According to WIRED, the tool has produced videos featuring copyrighted characters from Disney and Universal, including a clip of Pixar’s Wall-E holding a gun. The release follows a lawsuit filed earlier this month by both studios, accusing Midjourney of copyright infringement for generating content using their intellectual property. V1 currently requires image inputs, not text prompts, to create videos. Read More
Pixar’s Elio Pays Tribute to Sci-Fi Classics, Including Close Encounters
Pixar’s upcoming animated feature Elio follows a young orphan boy who longs to be abducted by aliens—a setup that allows directors Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian to honour sci-fi classics. While nods to Alien and The Thing are present, the filmmakers drew most heavily from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. “We loved the mystery and ambiguity of the aliens’ intentions,” Shi said, noting that the film’s tone inspired Elio’s own sense of wonder and suspense. Read More
Inside Carlos López Estrada’s Screenwriters Camp: Crafting Debuts in the Mountains
Each summer, filmmaker Carlos López Estrada and his Antigravity Academy team host Screenwriters Camp, a weeklong retreat at UCLA’s Lake Arrowhead Lodge. Far from a rugged outdoors experience, the camp offers cozy accommodations, Wi-Fi, and peer-led sessions where emerging writers from around the world refine scripts intended as their feature directorial debuts. It’s a space built for creativity, collaboration, and launching the next wave of storytellers. Read More
CAA’s Use of Writer Lists Under Legal Scrutiny
A lawsuit from screenwriter John Musero has brought internal CAA documents, labelling some clients “underperforming” or slated for removal, into the spotlight. Musero alleges being placed on such lists without his knowledge led to his dismissal and harmed his career. While the court dismissed claims of idea theft, it will allow a jury to decide if CAA breached its duty. The agency denies systemic use of these lists, calling them isolated and outdated. Read More
Alcon Media Acquires Village Roadshow Film Library for $417.5M
Alcon Media Group has acquired the Village Roadshow film library for $417.5 million, securing rights to 108 titles, including The Matrix, Mad Max: Fury Road, Joker, Ocean’s Eleven, Sherlock Holmes, and Wonka. The films stem from Village Roadshow's long-standing co-financing deal with Warner Bros., which began in 1997. The sale follows Village Roadshow's bankruptcy and ongoing legal disputes over Warner Bros.'s decision to release The Matrix Resurrections simultaneously on HBO Max and in theatres. Read More
Lena Dunham’s Too Much Brings a Transatlantic Rom-Com to Netflix July 10
Lena Dunham returns to TV with Too Much, a rom-com series debuting July 10 on Netflix. Starring Megan Stalter and Will Sharpe, the show follows Jessica, a heartbroken New York workaholic who flees to London to start over—only to fall for Felix, a charming but chaotic Brit. At a Tribeca Festival panel, Dunham offered sneak peeks and shared how the ex-pat love story explores emotional messiness and cross-cultural miscommunication. Read More
Kevin Williamson on Burnout and Stepping Away From TV: “I Was Making Shows I Wouldn’t Watch”
By late 2019, Scream and Dawson’s Creek creator Kevin Williamson was ready to walk away from television. After a string of projects he felt disconnected from, including The Following, Williamson told IndieWire he had reached his limit. “I was making shows I wouldn’t watch,” he said, reflecting on the pressures of studio deals. Burnt out and uninspired, he quit TV altogether, declaring, “No more TV.” Read More
Lucky Chow Season 7: Danielle Chang’s Culinary Homecoming to Taiwan
PBS’s Lucky Chow returns with host Danielle Chang exploring Taiwan’s rich food culture in a five-part season that blends tradition, innovation, and identity. From indigenous hunting practices to bustling night markets and artisanal soy sauce, the series offers a heartfelt look at how cuisine connects past and present. Chang calls it a love letter to her homeland, celebrating food as a universal language of resilience and community.
Ocean with David Attenborough: A Cinematic Call to Protect Our Seas
In Ocean with David Attenborough, the legendary naturalist returns to the spotlight to highlight the ocean’s fragility and resilience. Directed by Keith Scholey and Toby Nowlan, the 95-minute film blends visceral imagery, including unprecedented footage of bottom trawling, with stories of marine recovery, offering both urgency and hope.
Full THR Drama Actor Roundtable: Diego Luna, Cooper Koch, Walton Goggins, Adam Scott & More
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Further&Better to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.