Global TV, Film & Media Industry News Roundup, Tuesday 24 June 2025
Paramount faces legal heat, Apple inks Chernin deal, Crowe joins Highlander, Netflix backs Dawn, and Australia’s Two Years Later headlines global production boom.
Today’s Highlights:
South Park Creators Threaten Legal Action Amid Paramount Merger Tensions – Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s company, Park County, has accused RedBird Capital’s Jeff Shell of sabotaging licensing talks with Netflix and WBD to benefit Paramount.
Paul Harvey Estate Sues Paramount Over Landman Audio Use – The Harvey estate is suing Paramount for unauthorised use and alteration of a 2008 radio clip in the Landman season finale.
Apple TV+ Signs First-Look Deal with Chernin Entertainment – Apple has inked a multi-year deal with Chernin Entertainment to boost its premium scripted content pipeline.
Netflix Developing Apocalyptic Thriller Dawn – Netflix is adapting Neal Shusterman’s story Dawn into a survival thriller about deadly solar flares.
Russell Crowe Joins Highlander Reboot as Ramirez – Russell Crowe will take on Sean Connery’s iconic role in the Highlander reboot alongside Henry Cavill.
Paramount+ Begins Filming Romantic Dramedy Two Years Later in Brisbane – Paramount+ has kicked off production in Brisbane on Two Years Later, starring Brenton Thwaites and Phoebe Tonkin, highlighting the growth of Australian originals.
Peter Chan Eyes Global Projects After She’s Got No Name – Peter Chan is developing international co-productions, including a London-set martial arts fantasy, following his latest film’s success.
Tandem Pictures Launches Game-Film Hybrid Great Northern – Tandem Pictures is developing a dual-format project that functions as both a video game and a feature film.
Coupang Play Renews Boyhood for Season 2 – Korean streamer Coupang Play has greenlit a second season of its 1980s-set coming-of-age drama Boyhood.
Tai Hanson-Shin Wins Banijay Launch for The Exchange – Tai Hanson-Shin’s unscripted format The Exchange won the 2025 Banijay Launch for its global franchise potential.
Plus: Insights, Executive Moves, Festivals & Markets, In Development, Deals & Jobs with Screenwest, ITV, BBC, Sky & Channel 4 in Perth, London & Manchester.
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INSIGHTS
Peter Chan Eyes Global Projects After She’s Got No Name
Following She’s Got No Name, director Peter Chan Ho-sun is diving into bold new territory with upcoming projects spanning from martial arts fantasy in London to personal dramas about marriage. Speaking at the Shanghai International Film Festival, Chan noted that he has been working in Los Angeles to develop passion-driven international co-productions aimed at global audiences. Read More
China’s Viral Vertical Dramas Fuel U.K. Production Boom
The wildly popular Chinese vertical dramas, ultra-short melodramas, such as A Flash Marriage with the Billionaire, are creating jobs for U.K. film and TV crews. Designed for vertical viewing on smartphones, these bite-sized series, delivered in one-minute episodes, have become a cultural phenomenon in China and are now driving unexpected global demand for production support. Read More
Kenneth Branagh Compares Jodie Comer to Young Meryl Streep
Kenneth Branagh praised Jodie Comer after directing her in The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde, likening her talent to a young Meryl Streep. “I wish I had shares in her future,” Branagh told The Times, calling himself lucky to work with her as she continues rising, now starring in 28 Years Later. Read More
Yvonne Strahovski’s Complex Turn as Serena Joy in The Handmaid’s Tale
Yvonne Strahovski delivered her most compelling work in The Handmaid’s Tale when portraying Serena Joy’s internal conflict. As a key architect of Gilead’s brutal regime and a woman trapped by its very rules, Serena’s duality left fans torn. Was she irredeemable or a victim of her own making? Strahovski thrived in this moral grey zone, where light and darkness collided. Read More
Ramón Rodríguez Finds Purpose and Visibility with Will Trent
Known for The Wire and The Affair, Ramón Rodríguez has reached new heights as star and executive producer of ABC’s Will Trent. Though initially hesitant about network TV, he embraced the project’s quality and broad reach. For Rodríguez, it’s especially meaningful to represent his Puerto Rican roots and spotlight Latino talent, including John Ortiz, Yul Vazquez, and Gina Rodriguez. Read More
Global Format Adaptations Decline Post-COVID, Says WIT
At the TV Formats Festival, The WIT’s Caroline Servy revealed that format adaptations have dropped to just 4.6% of new unscripted shows in 2024, down from 5.2% in 2023 and 8% pre-COVID. Servy noted a shift toward reboots and established IP, with 380 new adaptations from 249 formats—an average of only 1.5 adaptations per format. Read More
Netflix Bets on TF1 to Test Live TV Streaming in France
Netflix will stream French broadcaster TF1 live starting summer 2026, marking its first 24/7 linear TV deal. The move serves as a strategic experiment to gauge interest in non-sports live content on streaming platforms. Analysts suggest it could boost ad revenue and viewership for both Netflix and TF1 in France, though such a model isn’t expected to expand to the U.S. anytime soon. Read More
Tai Hanson-Shin Wins 2025 Banijay Launch with Reality Format The Exchange
After a competitive final in Paris, Tai Hanson-Shin has been named the 2025 Banijay Launch winner for The Exchange, a social and strategic reality concept praised for its innovation and broad appeal. Part of Banijay’s accelerator supporting women in unscripted formats, this cycle featured six finalists from around the world. Judges lauded the program’s impact and hailed The Exchange as a standout with franchise potential. Read More
Top Acting Schools Adjust to Post-COVID Realities with Focus on On-Camera Training and Affordability
As drama schools adapt to shifting audience habits, funding challenges, and rising education costs, many are revising curricula to emphasise on-camera skills and self-generated work. Some institutions are expanding or preserving tuition-free models, aiming to better prepare students for today’s industry. The Hollywood Reporter ranked top programs based on training quality, alumni success, cost, and industry ties, offering a clearer picture of the evolving landscape in arts education. Read More
Movie Trailers Compete With Ads as Audiences Skip the Start Time
Hollywood’s longstanding practice of showing trailers before movies is being disrupted by an increase in pre-movie ads, causing fans to delay their arrival at the theatre. With reserved seating now common, moviegoers realise the feature often starts 20–30 minutes after showtime, reducing the impact of trailers once key to a film’s marketing strategy. Read More
Dakota Johnson and Adria Arjona Score Again With Indie Comedy Splitsville
Fresh off standout turns in Materialists and Blink Twice, Dakota Johnson and Adria Arjona headline Splitsville, a critically praised comedy that premiered at Cannes 2025. Directed by Michael Angelo Covino, who co-wrote and co-stars with Kyle Marvin, the film features Johnson and Arjona as spouses navigating marriage alongside Covino and Marvin. Read More
Paul Harvey Estate Sues Paramount Over Unauthorized Audio Use in Landman
The estate of broadcaster Paul Harvey has filed a lawsuit against Paramount Global, alleging unauthorised use of a 90-second clip from Harvey’s 2008 “Gas Crisis” segment in the Landman season finale. The suit claims the excerpt was used without consent and was edited to fit a pro-oil narrative, misrepresenting Harvey’s original message. Filed in New York, the suit seeks accountability for the alleged misuse. Read More
Building YouTube Shows Without Legacy Budgets
Ben Odell of 3Pas Studios lays out a candid roadmap for legacy producers entering the creator economy. With traditional funding models faltering, Odell advocates for lean, fast, audience-first YouTube formats, built with creators, not gatekeepers. He highlights evolving investment models, from AI-driven content platforms to commerce-backed creator partnerships, and urges producers to think in systems, not one-offs, to survive the shift from prestige to platform. Read More
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