Global TV, Film & Media Industry News Roundup, Thursday 27 March 2025
Zendaya, Majors, and Mulligan lead new films; Netflix expands Heartstopper and Scooby-Doo; Whitesell pivots; DiCaprio backs doco; Amazon adapts Murdle; Delpy, Jenkins take bold swings.
Today’s Highlights:
Patrick Whitesell Launches Sports and Investment Empire – After exiting WME, Patrick Whitesell is building a $250M investment platform and NFL management firm to create a new sports and media empire.
Jonathan Majors Headlines Action Thriller 'True Threat' – Jonathan Majors stars as a Special Forces operative seeking justice in True Threat, a film blending action and fatherhood themes.
Zendaya to Star in Barry Jenkins' Ronnie Spector Biopic – Zendaya will portray Ronnie Spector in Be My Baby, a biopic directed by Barry Jenkins that explores the singer’s career and personal struggles.
Box Office Struggles in Early 2025 Spark Industry Debate – A 7% box office decline has sparked debate over content supply versus demand, with indie platform Attend launching to address distribution gaps.
Netflix Developing Live-Action ‘Scooby-Doo’ Origin Series – Netflix's new Scooby-Doo series explores the gang’s origin with supernatural twists and a darker tone set during their last summer at camp.
Amazon MGM Studios Developing Series Based on Murdle Puzzle Books – Amazon is adapting the bestselling Murdle books into a detective series featuring weekly whodunits with a quirky, mystery-comedy vibe.
DiCaprio Boards Native American Boarding School Documentary – Leonardo DiCaprio is producing Nine Little Indians, a documentary exposing abuse and unmarked graves at a South Dakota boarding school.
Heartstopper Season 4 Confirmed at Series Mania – Netflix confirmed Heartstopper Season 4 is in development, continuing the emotional journey of its characters following the Season 3 wrap.
Carey Mulligan Stars in Musical Film and Companion Album – Carey Mulligan stars in The Ballad of Wallis Island and will release a companion album featuring original songs by Laura Marling.
Julie Delpy Joins Ruben Östlund’s Airline Satire – Julie Delpy will star in The Entertainment System Is Down, a satire where airline passengers confront each other after in-flight entertainment fails.
Plus: Insights, Executive Moves, Festivals & Markets, In Development, Deals & Jobs with Netflix, BBC, Legendary, TikTok & Prime in LA & Madrid.
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INSIGHTS
Tayme Thapthimthong Balances Military Expertise with Comedy in ‘The White Lotus’
London-born Thai actor Tayme Thapthimthong, a former military veteran, found playing Gaitok, a hapless security guard in The White Lotus, a unique challenge due to his real-life military expertise. Initially working as a private bodyguard, he was encouraged to audition for the hit HBO series by his client, Thai rapper Way. Despite Gaitok's ineptitude, which contrasted with his military training, Thapthimthong secured the role after a memorable meeting with creator Mike White. Read More
Karina Sorelli Tackles AI and Social Media in Directorial Debut FollowMe: The End of Us / Byte Back
Former stuntwoman Karina Sorelli is directing FollowMe: The End of Us / Byte Back, a sci-fi thriller exploring the dangers of AI-driven social media. The film, backed by Epic Pictures and Screen Australia, follows two stories across parallel timelines as influencers and tech creators grapple with surveillance and digital manipulation. Sorelli aims to spotlight real-world issues through a genre lens. Read More
Instagram Adjusts Strategy to Compete with TikTok for Creators
Instagram is shifting its approach to creator partnerships, focusing more on monetisation tools and short-form video to regain ground lost to TikTok. Meta executives revealed a new suite of analytics, bonuses, and features to encourage content creators to stay on the platform. The update reflects a growing battle for engagement across Gen Z audiences. Read More
B&B Theatres Reinvent Moviegoing to Survive Post-Pandemic Era
Family-owned B&B Theatres, long a staple across the South and Midwest, has diversified beyond screenings to include bowling, pickleball, and bars, adapting to pandemic-era shifts and fewer studio releases. CEO Bob Bagby says the chain operates like a cruise ship to keep patrons engaged longer. While attendance and box office revenues remain below pre-COVID levels, industry leaders see potential recovery through content growth and strategic reinvention. Read More
Patrick Whitesell Eyes Third Act with Sports and Investment Empire
After stepping down from WME following Endeavor’s $25B deal to go private, Patrick Whitesell is launching a new chapter with a $250M investment platform and an NFL sports management company. At 60, the former super-agent reflects on the pivotal 2009 WME merger but avoids discussing his split from Ari Emanuel. Whitesell seeks to build a standalone sports, media, and entertainment empire. Read More
Apple Bets on Side Quest, a Spinoff Anthology From the Mythic Quest Universe
Apple TV+ launches Side Quest, a spinoff of Mythic Quest, as an episodic anthology series developed by Ashly Burch, John Howell Harris, and Katie McElhenney. Inspired by standalone “departure” episodes like Season 1’s “A Dark Quiet Death,” the show explores how a fictional video game impacts different lives. Read More
Inside the “Core Four” Behind Harlan Coben’s Netflix Thrillers
The creative team behind Netflix’s Harlan Coben adaptations—Daniel Brocklehurst, Richard Fee, Nicola Shindler, and Coben himself—discuss their long-standing collaboration, dubbed the “Core Four.” Together, they’ve delivered eight international series, with more in development. In a new interview, they reveal their shared process, the challenge of keeping stories fresh, and how British settings reshape the tone of Coben’s U.S.-based novels. Read More
Box Office Slumps in Early 2025 as Industry Debates Cause: Supply or Demand?
The 2025 box office has fallen 7% year over year, with March down 50%, sparking debate over whether poor ticket sales stem from shifting audience habits or a lack of compelling films. Flops like Disney’s Snow White and The Alto Knights fuel concern, though ex-theater lobbyist John Fithian argues that content scarcity—not changing consumer demand—is to blame, as his new platform Attend seeks to aid indie distribution. Read More
Dallas Eyes Global Production Surge Amid Shifting Industry Dynamics
Dallas is positioning itself as a hub for international film and TV production by leveraging competitive tax incentives, lower costs, and versatile infrastructure. With U.S. and global producers seeking alternatives to traditional centres, city officials and local studios are investing in sound stages, training programs, and incentives to attract long-term projects, including streaming series and co-productions. Read More
Carey Mulligan on Her Role in The Ballad of Wallis Island and Recording a Surprise Album
Carey Mulligan discusses her starring role in The Ballad of Wallis Island, a new musical drama from filmmaker Anne Sewitsky. The film explores love, legacy, and reinvention on a fictional British island. Mulligan, who performs original songs written by Laura Marling, also reveals she’ll release a companion album alongside the film’s debut. The project allowed her to reconnect with her musical roots. Read More
Extraordinary World’s Jeff Corwin & Josh Fox
Jeff Corwin has won multiple Emmy Awards for his work in wildlife and nature television, and now the wildlife conservationist is front and center in CBS’s Extraordinary World. Celebrating everyday heroes, the series highlights efforts to protect vulnerable people and animals everywhere. The series was produced by Hearst Media Production Group and debuted on the CBS WKND programming block earlier this year. It is presented by The Brady Hunter Foundation, with its founder, Josh Fox, co-starring.
Marlon James, Tamara Lawrance and Joe Dempsie on Get Millie Black | BFI Q&A
Booker Prize winner Marlon James introduces Get Millie Black, a gripping noir thriller. The story follows ex-Scotland Yard detective Millie-Jean Black (Tamara Lawrance), who returns to Jamaica and confronts past and present ghosts while solving a girl’s disappearance. Spanning Jamaica and the UK, this emotionally charged tale highlights Millie’s relentless pursuit of justice amid sinister family secrets and complex ties threatening her world.
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