TV, Film & Media Industry International News Roundup, Thursday 19 September 2024
Upriver Studios closes; YouTube revamps TV app; MrBeast lawsuit; Screen Australia funds pilots; Creative BC grants; Steve McQueen’s Blitz; Thai Netflix series; HBO's The Franchise.
Today’s Highlights:
Upriver Studios Closure: The New York production facility that hosted Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin has closed.
YouTube's Connected TV App: YouTube revamped its connected TV app with new features for organizing content into episodes and seasons.
MrBeast Class Action Lawsuit: A class action lawsuit against MrBeast and Amazon by Beast Games contestants over injuries and unsafe conditions.
Screen Australia Fresh Blood Initiative: Three comedy dramas received funding for pilots through the ABC and Screen Australia's Fresh Blood program.
Creative BC's $600,000 Grant: Twelve British Columbia production companies were awarded $600,000 for project development.
Steve McQueen's WWII Film, 'Blitz', Inspired by a WWII photograph, will premiere in October 2024.
Netflix's Thai Sci-Fi Series: Tomorrow and I is a Thai sci-fi series that was announced as part of Netflix's Southeast Asia expansion.
HBO's The Franchise satirizes the chaotic making of superhero movies, drawing inspiration from real-life film industry challenges.
Thomas Vinterberg's New Show: Families Like Ours, a series depicting Denmark's environmental collapse, premiered in Venice.
Creative BC Development Support: The organization selected 12 production companies for development support, focusing on diversity and inclusion.
Plus: News, Insights, Executive Moves, Festivals & Markets, In Development, Deals, Renewals, Opportunities and Jobs with Amazon MGM+, Disney, ITV & Paramount.
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NEWS
New York’s Upriver Studios Closes, Once Home to 'Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin'
Upriver Studios, a production facility in New York that hosted the Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin series, has officially closed its doors. The facility was a key player in the regional film and television industry, offering space for several notable productions. Read More.
YouTube Unveils New Connected TV App Featuring Episodes and Seasons
YouTube is overhauling its connected TV app with new features and a fresh design to maintain its edge against platforms like Netflix and Disney+. Announced at the Made on YouTube event in New York, the revamp introduces tools allowing creators to organize content into episodes and seasons, similar to subscription services. Additionally, YouTube is launching "immersive previews," cinematic trailers that automatically play when users visit a creator’s page, enhancing the browsing experience. Read More
MrBeast and Amazon Sued in Class Action Over 'Beast Games' Contestants' Injuries
A lawsuit was filed on September 16 in Los Angeles Superior Court against YouTube star MrBeast and Amazon by five unnamed contestants from the reality show “Beast Games.” The suit alleges chronic mistreatment, sexual harassment, unpaid wages, and unsafe conditions during the production, which involved over 1,000 participants competing for a $5 million prize. The lawsuit seeks class-action status, demanding punitive damages and compensation for unpaid wages and expenses. Read More.
Three Teams Selected for Fresh Blood Production Funding by Screen Australia
Three comedy dramas, Going Under, Urvi Went to an All Girls School, and Westerners, set in Western Sydney, Melbourne, and a town on the brink of destruction, have been greenlit for production under the ABC and Screen Australia’s Fresh Blood initiative. Each project will receive $400,000 to produce a pilot, following $50,000 grants to create comedy shorts and participate in workshops. The pilots have the potential to become an ABC series. Read More.
CMF to Inject $1 Million Annually Into IPF Production Program
The Canada Media Fund (CMF) has announced plans to invest $1 million annually into the Independent Production Fund (IPF) production program. The funders have previously partnered on development funding for short-form series. Read More.
Creative BC Selects 12 Production Companies for Development Support
Creative BC has awarded $600,000 to 12 British Columbia production companies through its Slate Development Program, part of Reel Focus BC. The funding helps these companies advance multiple scripted or feature film projects in various development stages, aiming to attract national and international investment. Notably, 67% of the funding goes to companies with majority ownership by individuals from systemically excluded groups, supporting diversity and inclusion in the industry. Read More.
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INSIGHTS
Casting the Net Wide
Lucy Hellier shares her journey as a British casting director working internationally on productions like Spain’s La Templanza and France’s Mort sur la piste. After starting in distribution at ITV Studios, she shifted to casting with guidance from her aunt, Debbie McWilliams, casting director for the James Bond franchise. Working on major series like Borgia and Knightfall, Hellier collaborated with global talent and agents, casting actors from the UK, Denmark, France, Spain, and Germany for these large-scale productions. Read More
Superhero Movies Face Criticism and Reflection in HBO's 'The Franchise'
HBO’s upcoming series, The Franchise, explores the chaotic process of making a superhero movie based on real-life experiences in the film industry. Creator Jon Brown, Armando Iannucci, and Sam Mendes researched behind-the-scenes chaos in superhero films, discovering script changes, last-minute casting, and on-the-fly scene rewrites. Mendes drew inspiration from his experience directing James Bond films, revealing the unpredictable nature of franchise filmmaking. Read More
Thomas Vinterberg Reflects on Family Themes and His New Film 'Families Like Ours'
Oscar-winning director Thomas Vinterberg, known for Another Round, has ventured into television with his new series Families Like Ours. Premiering in Venice, the seven-episode show depicts Denmark facing environmental collapse due to rising water levels. Featuring actors like Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Paprika Steen, the series explores the struggles of a family trying to escape a sinking nation—Co-written with Bo Hr. Hansen, Families Like Ours began development in 2018 and reflects Vinterberg's continued focus on human relationships despite its larger-scale environmental themes. The show is seeking a North American distributor. Read More
Steve McQueen Discusses His World War II Film 'Blitz'
While researching his Small Axe anthology, filmmaker Steve McQueen was struck by a faded photograph of a young Black boy among evacuees leaving London during WWII. This image inspired Blitz, McQueen’s new film set in 1940s wartime London during the relentless Luftwaffe bombings. The movie, produced by Lammas Park, Working Title, and New Regency for Apple, will premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on October 9, followed by the New York Film Festival. Blitz will hit select cinemas on November 1 before streaming globally on Apple TV+ on November 22. Read More
Netflix Introduces Thai Sci-Fi Series 'Tomorrow and I'
Netflix's upcoming anthology series Tomorrow and I set for release in 2024, explores science fiction in socially conservative Thailand. The four-part series, directed by Paween Purijitpanya, reimagines everyday scenarios, covering topics like cloning technology to revive loved ones, intelligent sex robots, AI-driven Buddhist teachings, and octopuses aiding survival in flooded cities. The cast includes Pakorn Chatborrirak and Violette Wautier. The series was first announced during Netflix’s expansion in Southeast Asia and was recently teased as part of its 'Geek Week' showcase. Read More
Josephine Letang on Meeting Buyers' Needs at TV France International
Josephine Letang, head of sales at TV France International, shares insights on the company’s strategy to respond to international buyers' needs quickly. Letang discusses the challenges and opportunities of selling French content globally and how the company adapts to the market's ever-changing demands. Read More
British Screen Forum's Five Actions to Revive UK Indie Film Sector
The UK independent film sector is in "crisis," according to research from the British Screen Forum. The Show Me the Money report, conducted by analyst Ben Keen, reveals that local film production investment has lagged behind high-end TV (HETV) over the past decade. The study, which analysed BFI certification data and consulted with the industry, covers trends up to 2023, just before the UK government introduced the Independent Film Tax Credit (IFTC) in March 2024. Read More
Squid Game Actor Anupam Tripathi On the Impact of Korean and Indian Film Industries
Anupam Tripathi, the India-born, Korea-based actor who gained international fame as Ali Abdul in Netflix’s Squid Game, has seen his career soar across continents. Following Squid Game, Tripathi played Prince Samir in the Korean drama King the Land, gaining public recognition. His success extends beyond Korea, with a recent role in the Netflix India series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, where he portrays a RAW operative. Tripathi reflects on how Squid Game has transformed his life and career. Read More
C4 Explores AI's Role in Enhancing Storytelling
Channel 4 is part of the Charismatic consortium, which has received £1.04m from Innovate UK to explore AI's potential in the creative industries. Led by Charismatic.ai, the project aims to develop AI tools for generating storyboards, scenes, and settings, benefiting underrepresented content creators and established producers. The consortium, including Aardman Animations and digital ethicist Lisa Talia Moretti, seeks to create business models that ensure fair compensation for creators and enhance storytelling efficiency in film and television. Channel 4 will contribute industry insights and audience testing. Read More
Ad-Free Netflix Boosts Viewer Watch Time, Study Shows
A new study by Digital i reveals that Netflix’s ad-free subscribers watch 40% more content daily than those on ad-supported plans, amounting to 34 extra minutes per day. This equates to 68 thirty-second commercials in viewing time. Although ad-free plans cost significantly more—2-3 times the price of ad-supported subscriptions—users tend to stream more content. In early 2024, Netflix captured two-thirds of total viewing time among major streamers in the U.S., though its dominance dipped 6% from late 2023. Read More
Megan Park Discusses New Film 'My Old Ass' and Career Journey
Megan Park didn’t have a defining moment that led her to transition from acting to directing. Known for her roles in The Secret Life of the American Teenager and Life with Derek, she initially thought directing wasn’t for her. However, over time, she observed what she didn’t want to do as a director. Now, with her second film, My Old Ass, a Sundance hit, Park brings her authentic and collaborative approach to filmmaking, focusing on easing the pressures often felt on set. Read More
Netflix Urges Competitors to Release Viewership Data
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has called on other streaming platforms to release their viewership numbers, addressing concerns raised by writers and actors during the strikes. Speaking at a Fast Company conference, Sarandos acknowledged that it was unfair for creators not to know how their shows performed. Netflix will release viewership data for its top shows as part of its biannual report. While Netflix will stop releasing subscriber numbers in 2025, Sarandos explained this is due to the platform's varied subscription tiers, making subscriber counts less indicative of financial performance. Read More
Onza Distribution Prepares for MIPCOM
Onza Distribution is bringing the second season of the thriller Flowers Over the Inferno to MIPCOM, set to premiere in October on Rai 1. Based on Ilaria Tuti’s best-selling series, the show follows criminologist Teresa Battaglia as she tackles unsolved crimes while confronting early Alzheimer’s symptoms. Onza has also added several documentaries to its slate, including Iberia and Savannah: One Wildlife, A Woman 24/7, Wine Outsiders, and A Gipsy King, each offering unique insights into wildlife, women's lives, wine culture, and the life of André Reyes from the Gipsy Kings. Read More
Danielle Pistotnik and Lisa Filipelli Discuss 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives'
The new reality series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has become a hit, breaking Hulu’s streaming records as its most-watched unscripted season premiere this year. Executive producer Danielle Pistotnik began managing stars Mayci Neeley, Taylor Frankie Paul, Whitney Leavitt, and Mikayla Matthews in 2020, recognizing their potential as TikTok influencers. Along with Lisa Filipelli and Georgia Berger, Pistotnik developed and sold the series to Hulu, successfully translating their social media success into compelling reality TV. Read More
Coralie Fargeat Talks Feminist Body Horror in 'The Substance'
Coralie Fargeat, known for her genre-bending films, has always forged her own path. Growing up in Paris with a love for American genre films like Star Wars and Mad Max, she was drawn to stories that took her beyond reality. At the Toronto International Film Festival, her second feature, The Substance, starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, won the TIFF People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award. Fargeat began pursuing directing at 17, studying political science before transitioning to working on film sets, determined to bring her cinematic vision to life. Read More
Craig Erwich on Disney, Hulu, and the Rise of The Golden Bachelor
Disney Television Group president Craig Erwich emphasises the importance of curation over volume in managing content for Hulu Originals, ABC Entertainment, Disney Branded Television, and Freeform. Erwich likens overseeing diverse programming across broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms to hosting a "potluck dinner," where the goal is to cater to subscribers' shifting moods and tastes. By focusing on quality and ensuring each brand stays in its own lane, Disney aims to deliver a wide variety of content, from The Kardashians to The Handmaid’s Tale, across its platforms. Read More
His Three Daughters: Azazel Jacobs Talks Family Drama and Working with Carrie Coon
Indie filmmaker Azazel Jacobs presents a powerful New York story with His Three Daughters, a drama about three sisters—played by Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, and Elizabeth Olsen—struggling with their dying father and years of unresolved tension. Jacobs' direction emphasizes long, unbroken takes, allowing the actors’ raw performances to shine. Set in a Lower Manhattan apartment, the film gradually uses its confined space to reveal its characters' physical environment and emotional layers. Jacobs wrote the script with the three actresses in mind and shot the film on 35mm with cinematographer Sam Levy. Read More
EXECUTIVE MOVES
Princess Pictures Appoints Katie Shortland as Commercial Director
Princess Pictures has appointed Katie Shortland as its new commercial director. Shortland joined after 14 years at CJZ, where she led affairs and business strategy. She has also held senior roles in business affairs and legal departments at companies like The Wiggles and Flying Bark Productions and co-owns RaRa ramen bars in Sydney. Her hiring follows the recent addition of Christopher Casanova as head of content as the company continues to strengthen its leadership team. Read More
CANAL+ Appoints Amandine Ferre to Group Management Board
CANAL+ Group has appointed Amandine Ferré to its Management Board, effective
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