Global TV, Film & Media Industry News Roundup, Friday 6 June 2025
AI sparks global debate; Concord buys RKO; Clooney goes live; Blumhouse revives Saw; Sweeney rises; Tatum races; YouTube pivots; Aster opens Fantasia; Dublin drama set; Aussie guilds act.
Today’s Highlights:
Hollywood’s Quiet AI Revolution Sparks Ethical Debates – Major studios' covert integration of generative AI is reshaping production, raising legal, union, and ethical concerns that could transform the industry.
Concord Originals Acquires RKO Library – The acquisition of over 5,000 iconic film titles, including Citizen Kane, gives Concord major remake and exploitation rights, reshaping the future of classic IP.
AI and Creator Rights Clash in Australian Screen Industry Submission – Australian guilds demand urgent legal reforms to protect creatives from unlicensed AI use, marking a pivotal national stance on global IP issues.
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan Outlines Platform’s AI Content Strategy – YouTube's AI-driven future, including content creation tools and video generation tech, signals a shift in how creators and platforms will operate.
Blumhouse Acquires Partial Rights to Saw Franchise – Blumhouse's acquisition reunites the studio with one of horror's most lucrative franchises and its creator, opening new pathways for revival.
George Clooney’s Good Night and Good Luck to Air Live on CNN – Clooney merges Broadway with live TV in a bold move to revive politically conscious entertainment in a live broadcast format.
Fantasia International Film Festival to Open with Ari Aster's Eddington – A major North American genre festival opens with a Cannes favourite, showcasing continued strength in auteur-led storytelling.
Amazon MGM Secures Channing Tatum-Led Isle of Man TT Film & Docuseries – Amazon’s dual-format investment in a high-risk motorsport story shows its expanding ambition in sports and celebrity-driven nonfiction.
BBC and RTÉ Adapt Dublin Trilogy into Tall Tales & Murder – A major co-production bringing dark comedy crime drama to international audiences, leveraging Irish literary IP and strong talent.
Sydney Sweeney Premieres Echo Valley and Films Christy Martin Biopic – The rising star balances prestige and commercial appeal with back-to-back roles, further cementing her position as a bankable actor.
Plus: Insights, Executive Moves, Festivals & Markets, In Development, Deals, Renewals & Jobs with Channel 4, BBC, WBD, Disney & Yellow in Leeds, Glasgow, Manchester, LA & Helsinki.
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INSIGHTS
Heist Fallout Deepens in Season 2 of The Gold
As The Gold returns, DQ visits the set to explore how the Brink's-Mat aftermath shapes both police and criminals in season two. Writer Neil Forsyth blends fact and fiction, while Charlotte Spencer and Emun Elliott, who play detectives Jennings and Brightwell, reveal their on- and off-screen banter mirrors real life. The drama continues to centre on flawed characters navigating the ripple effects of the infamous £26m gold heist. Read More
Screenwest Seeks New Film Locations Across Western Australia
Screenwest is calling for nominations of "grand old mansions," "charming country pubs," and "unique outback sites" to expand its WA Locations Gallery, which already features 1,900 listings. With TV drama production on the rise and Perth Film Studios set to open in Malaga next year, the agency aims to support filmmakers with fresh options. Anyone can submit a location, subject to review by Screenwest's production attraction team. Read More
Aussie Creative Guilds Demand AI Penalties to Protect IP
Australia’s leading screen industry guilds are urging the government to impose penalties and compensation measures on AI companies that infringe on creatives’ intellectual property. In a joint submission to the Productivity Commission, the guilds stressed the need for updated copyright protections. AWG chief Claire Pullen emphasised the need to apply existing laws to stop the "blatant theft" of creative work, calling it a vital step for Australia's cultural and economic future. Read More
Hollywood Created the Attention Economy — Now It’s Losing Control
Hollywood once dominated attention, turning premieres into events and posters into cultural signals. However, in the age of TikTok and infinite scrolling, the spectacle it perfected has become so commonplace that it has lost its impact. Decades before influencers and autoplay, Hollywood industrialised our gaze, crafting blockbusters as national obsessions. Now, in a world saturated with spectacle, the industry that engineered attention is struggling to reclaim it. Read More
Industry Creators Once Pitched Tarantino-Style Series for Cinemax
Before creating Industry, Mickey Down and Konrad Kay were former finance professionals testing TV ideas. One early project was Highway, a Tarantino-inspired series for HBO-owned Cinemax about a Black female highwaywoman in Regency England. Described as a “gothic idea” with echoes of Pulp Fiction, they wrote a pilot episode before the project stalled. “Lots of ideas fell apart,” Down said, “and we basically ended up with this one called Highway.” Read More
George Clooney’s Good Night and Good Luck to Air Live on CNN
George Clooney’s play Good Night and Good Luck will air live on CNN this Saturday, aiming to amplify its message and spotlight Broadway. Clooney stars as journalist Edward R. Murrow, who challenged Senator McCarthy’s fearmongering in 1950s America. Clooney, who co-wrote the play, pushed for the broadcast, with producer Sue Wagner noting his deep connection to the story and its call to action against unchecked power. Read More
Jason Blum Defends Sinners as Horror, Despite Genre Debate
Blumhouse founder Jason Blum insists that Ryan Coogler's Sinners is a horror film—vampires and all—despite debate over its genre classification. The period folk fable about blues music has grossed $350 million worldwide, proving the original horror's box office potential. Though not a Blumhouse production, its success helps the genre Blum thrives in. Still, Blum notes rising budgets, like Sinners’ $90M, are making it harder for studios to keep horror profitable. Read More
John Wick Creator Chad Stahelski Plots the Franchise’s Future Without Its Hero
With John Wick: Chapter 4 killing off its iconic hero, director Chad Stahelski faces the challenge of keeping the franchise alive without John Wick himself. Despite the character’s death, the world Stahelski built is thriving—with spinoffs like Ballerina, a Donnie Yen-led project, a prequel anime, and even John Wick: Chapter 5 in the discussion. As Stahelski tells The Hollywood Reporter, he’s deeply involved—and has strong opinions—on where it all goes next. Read More
Kevin Smith’s Dogma Returns to Theatres After Long Hiatus
Kevin Smith’s cult classic Dogma returns to theatres on June 5, now featuring a recorded Q&A from the film's recent tour. The 1999 satire, starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon as rogue angels, had been out of print and unavailable to stream for years, mainly due to Harvey Weinstein's control of the rights. Its dramatic return via Iconic Films marks a long-awaited and unlikely resurrection for the controversial fan favourite. Read More
Pierce Brosnan Reflects on MobLand Season 1 Finale
After completing five films and starring in Guy Ritchie’s Shakespearean gangster series MobLand, Pierce Brosnan relaxed in Kauai following the bloody Season 1 finale on Paramount+. Tired but pleased, Brosnan described the show as “a toxic mess of pure mayhem and great shenanigans,” noting how he and his wife Keely Shaye Smith enjoyed watching it unfold, commercials and all. Read More
Thai Drama Mad Unicorn Tops Netflix Charts with Global Reach
Netflix's new Thai limited series, Mad Unicorn, debuted on May 29 and quickly reached #1 in Thailand, also ranking fourth worldwide among non-English shows, with 1.6 million households watching across 190 countries. The high-stakes drama follows Santi, an ambitious entrepreneur from Chiang Mai, who partners with a wealthy tycoon only to be betrayed. Determined to reclaim his dream and seek revenge, Santi’s story is resonating with audiences both locally and internationally. Read More
Three TLC Hits Return This July: 90 Day Fiancé, My Big Fat Fabulous Life, and Welcome to Plathville
TLC favourites 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After, My Big Fat Fabulous Life and Welcome to Plathville are all set to return this July. Kicking off the lineup, My Big Fat Fabulous Life premieres its 13th season on July 1 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, following Whitney Thore’s bold moves to find love, reignite her passion for dance, and explore new beginnings in Salem, Massachusetts. Read More
Antonia Gentry Embraces a Bold New Ginny in Ginny & Georgia Season 3
Antonia Gentry, who grew up as a "couch potato" loving all kinds of TV, credits theatre for preparing her for her breakout role as Ginny in Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia. After three seasons, she says playing a more mature, “cutthroat” Ginny in season 3—amid her mother’s murder trial—was “so fun.” Gentry hopes season 4 will explore this fiercer side, where Ginny demands loyalty with serious consequences. Read More
YouTube’s AI Revolution: Neal Mohan’s Vision for the Future
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan is pushing for AI-driven content creation, declaring that YouTube will remain the epicentre of culture and that AI will make it easier for creators to produce videos. The platform is already seeing AI-powered channels like Yes Neo gain massive traction, while Google’s Veo 3 video generator promises to transform filmmaking. Read More
The Purple List: Elevating Emerging Filmmakers
NYU’s Purple List, modelled after Hollywood’s Black List, spotlights production-ready screenplays from graduate film students and alumni. Recent success stories include Hasan Hadi’s The President’s Cake, which won the Camera d’Or at Cannes 2025. Filmmaker Cathy Yan, now the Purple List’s first president, aims to mentor and amplify new talent. The initiative has helped launch the careers of Chloe Zhao and Ash Mayfair. Read More
The Diplomat Season 2 Finale Dreadnought Delivers a High-Stakes Twist: Read the Script
Debora Cahn’s The Diplomat Season 2 finale, Dreadnought, escalates tensions between the U.S. and UK, following a London car bombing and a Persian Gulf attack. As Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) and Austin Dennison (David Gyasi) uncover the truth, Vice President Grace Penn (Allison Janney) enters the fray, leading to a shocking political upheaval. Read More
Hollywood’s Quiet AI Revolution Sparks Ethical Debates
Hollywood studios are increasingly integrating generative AI into their productions, utilising it for visual effects, storyboarding, and creating synthetic actors, often without public acknowledgment due to legal uncertainties and union constraints. The rise of AI has led to the establishment of new studios, such as Asteria Film Co., founded by Bryn Mooser and Natasha Lyonne, which aims to be Hollywood’s first “ethical” AI studio by utilising licensed data for its model, Marey. Read More
Seth Rogen & Jason Segel | Actors on Actors
Seth Rogen and Jason Segel first met while making 'Freaks and Geeks', the beloved but short-lived 1999 comedy series. Now they're reuniting to celebrate their latest projects, Rogen's 'The Studio' and Segel's 'Shrinking.' They reminisce about working together as teenagers, discuss 'The Studio's celebrity cameos, and how 'Shrinking' managed to cast Harrison Ford.
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Star Charlie Cox and Creators on Daredevil & The Punisher’s Fight Scene
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Star Charlie Cox, Directors Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson, and Supervising Stunt Coordinator Philip J Silvera break down the emotions and technical blocking of The Punisher and Daredevil fight sequence.
The Pitt Team Unpacks Filming Robby’s ‘Devastating’ Loss in Episode 13 | How I Did It
"The Pitt" star Noah Wyle, director of photography Johanna Coelho and production designer Nina Ruscio tell TheWrap how the show’s commitment to realism informs their work behind the scenes.
Hacks Season 4’s Wildest Scene: Paul W. Downs’ “Fake-Out Bite”
In Hacks Season 4, Episode 9 (A Slippery Slope), Paul W. Downs, Megan Stalter, and Julianne Nicholson deliver a chaotic dressing room rescue mission, featuring purse snatching, water dunking, and Downs’ hilariously committed fake-out bite. Co-creators Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky break down the physical comedy mastery behind the scene, filmed as part of USG University’s TV craft showcase.
Kathryn Hahn on ‘Agatha All Along,’ ‘The Studio’; how ‘Étoile’ creators won over the dance world
Kathryn Hahn explains how she brought her inner "class clown" to "Agatha All Along" and "The Studio," and Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino discuss the making of their transatlantic dance comedy "Étoile."
TRANSFORMING MEDIA WITH AI: From Personalisation to Performance
David Rudnick, CTO of LG Ad Solutions, explores how AI is reshaping connected TV, from creative optimisation to real-time personalisation. He discusses whether AI is replacing jobs or simply removing tedious tasks, and how marketers can engage viewers at key moments. Rudnick’s insights highlight the balance between automation and audience trust, shaping the future of ad targeting and content strategy.
Breaking Into Hollywood: Tepper’s Journey Through Strikes and Setbacks
Writer’s assistant Tepper shares her Hollywood survival story, navigating Covid, industry strikes, and pullbacks while balancing a marketing sideline. In conversation with Richard, she discusses Hollywood’s struggles in marketing to her generation and offers insights on leveraging social media in today’s complex entertainment landscape. Despite challenges, she remains hopeful for the industry’s future.
Questlove’s Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music Celebrates Five Decades of Iconic Performances
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and co-director Oz Rodriguez meticulously crafted the opening montage of Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music, ensuring it captured legendary musical moments from Taylor Swift to Busta Rhymes. The six-minute sequence took 11 months to perfect, with rights clearance proving a major hurdle. The documentary, which premiered on NBC and Peacock, delves into SNL’s rich musical legacy.
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