TV, Film & Media Industry International News Roundup, Tuesday 21 January 2025
Gustavo Fernandez modernises Renascer. Unscripted TV thrives in 2025. Kunay Film globalises Turkish cinema. The Table Read empowers writers. Berlinale gets $2M boost. Netflix unveils Black Hawk Down.
Today’s Highlights:
Gustavo Fernandez Reflects on Remaking Renascer - Fernandez shares insights on adapting the 1993 Brazilian telenovela for modern audiences, exploring themes of family tension and love while balancing nostalgia and contemporary storytelling.
Unscripted Market Trends for 2025 - A comprehensive analysis of nonfiction TV’s success across platforms, highlighting scripted IP-based formats like The Traitors and Squid Game: The Challenge.
Kunay Film’s Push to Globalise Turkish Cinema - Karina Mia Satlykova leads Kunay Film’s ambitious efforts with Son of the Rich, blending Turkish and international storytelling for global appeal.
The Table Read Podcast: Amplifying Emerging Writers - Shaan Sharma and his partners offer writers a platform to showcase their scripts, featuring collaborations with Hollywood talent and a revenue-sharing model.
Brady Corbet Addresses AI Use in The Brutalist - Corbet clarifies AI’s minimal role in refining dialogue and design, preserving artistic integrity in the $10 million project.
American Primeval: A Gritty Exploration of U.S. History - Peter Berg’s Netflix miniseries examines the violent realities of 19th-century Westward expansion, balancing history and storytelling.
Alessandra Poggi on Tackling Racism in She’s the One - Poggi explores sexism and racism in Globo’s period telenovela, blending family drama with historical significance.
TV Drama Vision 2025’s Record Lineup - Göteborg showcases over 50 Nordic and European series, including The Cruise and Paradis City, for its largest programme yet.
Netflix’s Surviving Black Hawk Down Docuseries - The three-part series revisits the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu through immersive storytelling and firsthand accounts.
Berlinale Secures $2M Boost for 75th Anniversary - Germany’s Culture Ministry provides critical funding to strengthen the festival under new leadership, ensuring its legacy.
Plus: Insights, Festivals & Markets, In Development, Deals, Cancellations, Opportunities & Jobs with Paramount, BritBox, Viaplay & WBD.
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INSIGHTS
Gustavo Fernandez Reflects on Remaking Renascer for Modern Audiences
Artistic director Gustavo Fernandez discusses his work on Renascer (Rebirth), a modern remake of the 1993 Brazilian telenovela. Airing on Globo from January to September 2024, the 197-episode series, adapted by Bruno Luperi, revisits the story of José Inocêncio, a cocoa farmer whose pact with a mystical tree shapes his life and legacy. Themes like father-son tension and love are updated for today's viewers, with a cast including Marcos Palmeira, Humberto Carrão, and Sophie Charlotte. Fernandez shares insights on balancing nostalgia with contemporary storytelling ahead of the Rose d’Or Latinos Awards. Read More
Unscripted Market Trends for 2025: A Platform-by-Platform Overview
Nonfiction TV is thriving with unscripted shows spanning reality, competition, and documentaries, despite a creatively cautious market driven by consolidation, debt, and executive turnover. Hits like The Traitors (Peacock) and Squid Game: The Challenge (Netflix) prove scripted IP-based formats can succeed in unscripted formats. Networks like ABC (The Bachelor), NBC (The Voice), and CBS (Survivor) dominate traditional platforms, while cable channels like Bravo excel in niche reality programming. Fox remains a notable linear buyer with MasterChef and Lego Masters. Read More
Kunay Film's Ambitions to Redefine Turkish Cinema for Global Audiences
Kunay Film, a newly established Turkish production and distribution company led by Karina Mia Satlykova, is making waves with its debut project Son of the Rich. The $5 million feature, an adaptation of a Russian box-office hit, blends universal storytelling with Turkish cultural elements. With a star-studded cast, international collaborations, and tailored marketing strategies, Kunay Film aims to elevate Turkish cinema on the global stage. Future projects include Mirror and White Nights. Read More
The Table Read Podcast: A Lifeline for Emerging Writers
The Table Read podcast offers emerging writers a platform to showcase their scripts through live-read sessions featuring Hollywood actors. Created by Shaan Sharma, a SAG-AFTRA board member, alongside partners Jack Levy and Mark Knell, the podcast brings scripts to life with authentic table read elements—flubbed lines, laughter, and asides—combined with scoring and sound effects. Since its 2022 debut, Table Read has produced 60 episodes, including collaborations with names like Mark Hamill and Fred Armisen. The podcast also charts a new revenue-sharing model where actors and writers receive a share of advertising revenue, aligning with SAG-AFTRA’s Independent Podcast Agreement, offering protections against AI misuse and contributing to healthcare benefits. Creators Levy, Knell, and Sharma also hold a 5% back-end stake in projects sold following their podcast production. By offering writers a chance to breathe life into dormant scripts, Table Read has become a beacon for showcasing creativity and amplifying voices in the industry. Read More
Brady Corbet on The Brutalist and AI Controversy
Brady Corbet addressed criticism of AI use in The Brutalist, clarifying its limited role in refining Hungarian dialogue for Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones without altering their performances. Editor Dávid Jancsó used Respeecher technology to tweak specific vowels and letters for authenticity, preserving the actors’ work. Generative AI also inspired architectural designs for Brody’s character. Corbet emphasised the manual and respectful process, maintaining the film’s integrity amid its $10 million budget. Read More
American Primeval: Unveiling History’s Brutality
Peter Berg's American Primeval explores the brutal realities of America’s 19th-century Westward expansion, centering on the Mountain Meadows Massacre and the chaos of the era. Released on Netflix, the six-episode miniseries examines how violence shaped U.S. history. With input from Indigenous Consultant Julia O’Keefe, the show aims to balance historical accuracy with creative storytelling, avoiding Hollywood’s nostalgic portrayals of the West to reflect the harsh truths of survival, conflict, and power struggles. Read More
Alessandra Poggi Explores Racism and Sexism in Globo’s Period Telenovela She’s the One
Alessandra Poggi, showrunner of Globo's She’s the One, discusses tackling racism and sexism in family-friendly telenovelas. Set in 1958, the period drama follows Beatriz (Duda Santos) as she uncovers family secrets involving her mother (Carol Castro) and a villainous duo (Lilia Cabral, Fábio Assunção). Poggi, known for Dark Days and A Trick of Fate, highlights Brazil’s rich history, framing 1958 as a culturally significant year of optimism. Read More
Writer Roundtable Excerpt: Halina Reijn, Jesse Eisenberg & More on Challenging Film Scenes
With Halina Reijn ('Babygirl'), James Mangold ('A Complete Unknown'), Jason Reitman ('Saturday Night'), Jesse Eisenberg ('A Real Pain'), Justin Kuritzkes ('Challengers' and 'Queer') and Payal Kapadia ('All We Imagine as Light').
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