Global TV, Film & Media Industry News Roundup, Tuesday 10 June 2025
WBD splits in two; Disney takes full Hulu control; BFI warns on AI; Netflix boosts Canada; Chopra exits Paramount; ReelShort rises; Snoop biopic; Sony's Goat; Polish doc debuts.
Today’s Highlights:
Warner Bros. Discovery Splits into Two Companies: Streaming & Studios, Global Networks – WBD will divide into two separate publicly traded entities in 2025 to better focus on streaming and global network strategies.
Disney Finalises Hulu Deal with $439M Payment to Comcast – Disney has resolved its valuation dispute with Comcast, gaining full control of Hulu with a final $439 million payment.
BFI Warns AI Training with 130,000 Scripts Threatens Screen Sector – The BFI cautions that unlicensed use of scripts to train AI could damage the UK screen industry’s economic foundation.
Netflix Canada Expands Local Content Strategy – Netflix is partnering with local producers on regionally resonant projects, including Indigenous comedies and queer thrillers, to strengthen Canadian storytelling globally.
Paramount CFO Naveen Chopra to Join Roblox; Andrew Warren Steps In – Naveen Chopra exits Paramount to become CFO at Roblox as Andrew Warren takes on the interim CFO role.
Microdramas Surge as ReelShort Expands and The Adjuster Premieres – ReelShort’s booming microdrama platform is generating $1 billion annually and launching new content like The Adjuster.
Netflix Promotes Julio Bonet to Lead Series Animation in UK & EMEA – Julio Bonet will oversee Netflix's adult animation slate across the UK and EMEA following his work on The House and Captain Fall.
Stephen Curry, Caleb McLaughlin Lead Voice Cast for Sony’s Goat – NBA star Stephen Curry and actor Caleb McLaughlin headline Sony's animated sports comedy Goat, revealed at Annecy Festival.
Jonathan Daviss Cast as Snoop Dogg in Universal Biopic – Jonathan Daviss will portray Snoop Dogg in a Universal Pictures biopic produced by Snoop and directed by Craig Brewer.
SkyShowtime Unveils First Polish Original Documentary “Krychowiak: One Step from the Top” – SkyShowtime’s first Polish original spotlights footballer Grzegorz Krychowiak’s life beyond sport.
Plus: Insights, Executive Moves, Festivals & Markets, In Development, Deals, Renewals & Jobs with Apple TV+, Channel 4, NBCUniversal & ITV in London, Leeds, Glasgow & Manchester.
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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.
INSIGHTS
Unravelling Truths in My Dear Mother
In My Dear Mother, a six-part Estonian-Ukrainian drama, a woman becomes the prime suspect in her mother’s murder after a body is found on a beach. Inspired by real events, the series explores addiction, abuse, and trauma beneath its crime-thriller surface. Writer Raoul Suvi and director Doris Tääker say the story hinges on whether Alina is a killer or a victim shaped by a lifetime of pain. Read More
BFI Warns AI Training with 130,000 Scripts Threatens Screen Sector
More than 130,000 film and TV scripts have been used to train generative AI models, raising alarms over copyright and industry impact, according to a new BFI report. The study warns that this practice could undermine the economic foundation of the screen sector, as the UK government considers opt-out legislation for copyright holders, sparking concern among producers and rights owners. Read More
TV Ad Rates vs. Creator Revenues: A Growing Divide
While YouTube CPMs average £4–£12 and TikTok often pays even less, creators are still building thriving businesses. In contrast, TV ad rates remain steep: a 30-second linear spot can range from £1,000 in daytime to over £35,000 in primetime. For instance, a daytime hour on Channel 4 might generate around £48,000 in ad revenue, highlighting the stark disparity between digital creator earnings and traditional TV income models. Read More
‘Murderbot’ Delivers Dual Sci-Fi Worlds with 1,800 VFX Shots
The 10-episode Murderbot series blends sci-fi comedy and parody, following a rogue security robot (Alexander Skarsgård) on a covert mission while obsessively watching the campy space soap Sanctuary Moon (starring John Cho). VFX supervisor Sean Faden oversaw nearly 1,800 shots, including helmet mechanics, POV interfaces, a giant alien worm, and detailed spaceship effects, crafted by teams like DNEG and Pixomondo to bring both worlds to life. Read More
Microdramas Surge as ReelShort Expands and The Adjuster Premieres
Microdramas, short-form vertical dramas, are booming, with ReelShort CEO Joey Jia predicting a $5 billion industry. The platform, now generating $1 billion annually, is premiering The Adjuster on June 14, a fictionalised take on Luigi Mangione’s story. Non-union actors, such as Kasey Esser, are earning six-figure incomes, signalling new opportunities in Hollywood’s evolving digital landscape. Read More
Netflix Canada Expands Local Content Strategy
Netflix Canada is partnering with independent producers to boost regionally resonant content, inspired by the success of Netflix UK. Upcoming projects include North of North, an Indigenous comedy from Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, Wayward, a thriller starring Mae Martin, and a Montreal Expos documentary. This strategy aims to strengthen Canadian storytelling while appealing to global audiences. Read More
Amanda Seyfried & Adam Brody | Actors on Actors
Using Lighting & Lenses to Send Ellie to Space in 'The Last of Us' Season 2
'Industry' Stars Myha’la and Marisa Abela Chart Season 3's Guilt-Ridden Boat Ride
Jesse Armstrong on Mountainhead | BFI Q&A
Sam Cable on Emotional Storytelling in Games
Sam Cable, Co-Founder and Game Director of Spoonful of Wonder, specialises in bringing humanity and emotion into games. Her debut title, Copycat, won Best International Game at the SEA Game Awards 2024. Cable explores scripting, branching narratives, and audience impact, emphasising how games create deep emotional connections.
Mara Brock Akil & Karen Pittman Reunite for Netflix’s Forever
Mara Brock Akil and Karen Pittman reflect on their decades-long friendship and collaboration on Netflix’s Forever, a modern adaptation of Judy Blume’s novel. Pittman plays a successful Black mother, inspired by Akil, navigating parenting in 2018 Los Angeles. The series explores love, identity, and racial realities, with Akil emphasising that the only way out is love.
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