TV, Film & Media Industry International News Roundup, Wednesday 23 October 2024
CAA’s agent evaluations spark interest, TelevisaUnivision's revenue rises, AI pitches Hollywood, UK inclusivity stalls, Sweetpea debuts, Japan’s streaming grows, Gladiator 2 and Skybound expand.
Today’s Highlights:
CAA Begins Year-End Evaluations, Expected to Lead to Agent Departures CAA has initiated its annual evaluations, with potential agent departures being closely watched.
TelevisaUnivision Reports 6% US Revenue Gain for Q3 2024 TelevisaUnivision's US revenue grew by 6%, driven by strong ad sales and political spending, and their streaming business reached profitability.
Death Valley: Timothy Spall Stars in New BBC Comedy-Drama Set in Wales A six-part BBC comedy-drama follows a retired TV detective solving real murders in Wales.
Momentum Lost for Black and Global Majority Voices in UK Film and TV UK creatives voice concerns about the industry's stalled progress on inclusivity in Black and Global Majority representation.
Sweetpea Premieres on STARZ with Ella Purnell Leading as Darkly Comedic Antihero The STARZ series Sweetpea stars Ella Purnell as a woman who spirals into violence.
AI Companies Woo Hollywood, But Major Partnerships Remain Elusive AI firms pitched Hollywood studios on production tools, but major partnerships have yet to materialize.
Japan's Online Video Sector Sees Major Growth with Increased Local Content Japan's online video sector is predicted to grow significantly, driven by local content and streaming platforms.
Julianne Moore, Kevin Bacon, and More Sign Open Letter Calling for Regulation of AI in Entertainment Hollywood stars signed an open letter opposing AI's unlicensed use of creative works.
Skybound Animation Hires Alex Teslik as VP of Production Technology Skybound Animation hired Alex Teslik to oversee production technology, signalling expansion in animated content.
Pedro Pascal & Paul Mescal on 'Gladiator 2' and Working with Ridley Scott Pedro Pascal and Paul Mescal discuss their roles in Ridley Scott's upcoming Gladiator 2 film.
Plus: News, Insights, Festivals & Markets, In Development, Deals and Jobs with ITV, Ofcom, Disney, Hulu, SAG-AFTRA, Virgin, Netflix, Canal+, France Télévisions & Leonine.
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NEWS
TelevisaUnivision Reports 6% U.S. Revenue Gain for Q3 2024, Streaming Business Achieves Profitability
TelevisaUnivision reported a 6% revenue increase in the U.S. to $852.4 million for Q3 2024, driven by a 5% rise in U.S. advertising revenue and record political ad spending. The company also announced its streaming division, which ended 2023 with over 7 million subscribers, achieved profitability after just two full years in the market. Vice Chairman Wade Davis called this milestone the "last critical" step in the company’s multi-year turnaround. Subscription and licensing revenue grew 1%, with U.S. gains offsetting a decline in Mexico. Read More
CAA Begins Year-End Evaluations, Expected to Lead to Agent Departures
CAA has initiated its year-end performance reviews, which may result in several agents being let go in the coming months, sources tell Deadline. While these evaluations are routine, this year’s process is attracting heightened attention, with rumours circulating about potential departures, including long-standing agents with established client rosters. However, decisions are still in the early stages, with final outcomes expected in the coming weeks. Notably, CAA motion picture agent Bryan Diperstein recently left to join Adventure Media as a partner, reflecting the industry's high year-end mobility. Read More
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INSIGHTS
Death Valley: Timothy Spall Stars in New BBC Comedy-Drama Set in Wales
Death Valley, the upcoming BBC comedy-drama, follows retired TV detective John Chapel (Timothy Spall), who collaborates with ambitious detective sergeant Janie Mallowan (Gwyneth Keyworth) to solve real murders. The six-part series, filmed at Cardiff's Insole Court, sees the eccentric duo tackle crimes at a murder-mystery party, a wedding, and more. The cast includes Steffan Rhodri as DCI Clarke, Alexandria Riley as pathologist Baxter, and Melanie Walters as Janie’s boundary-pushing mother. Death Valley mixes intrigue and humour as Chapel’s fictional detective skills are put to real-world use. Read More
Is Europe Going FAST While the U.S. Goes FASTer?
FAST (Free Advertising-Supported Streaming Television) and AVOD services like Fox’s Tubi, Paramount’s Pluto TV, Amazon’s Freevee, and The Roku Channel have seen major growth in the U.S. as the streaming market matures. In Europe, where free TV content has traditionally been more available, FAST is gaining momentum but has been slower to take off. Recent developments include Tubi’s U.K. launch, Pluto TV’s partnership with France’s M6+, and Sony Pictures introducing a 54-channel FAST package in Europe featuring popular shows like Seinfeld. Read More
Momentum Lost for Black and Global Majority Voices in UK Film and TV, Say Black Creatives
A panel of Black creatives at Bafta’s London headquarters agreed that the UK film and TV industry has lost momentum in commissioning stories representing Black and Global Majority voices. Following the 2020 rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, there was an initial push for inclusivity, but this introspection has been short-lived, with progress stalling in recent years. Read More
Sweetpea Premieres on STARZ with Ella Purnell Leading as Darkly Comedic Antihero
The six-episode adaptation of C.J. Skuse’s Sweetpea debuted on STARZ on October 10, with Ella Purnell (Fallout, Yellowjackets) starring as Rhiannon Lewis, a wallflower who transforms into a dangerous woman after a series of life setbacks. Overlooked at work and dealing with personal loss, Rhiannon spirals into violence and murder. Purnell, who also executive produces, discussed her behind-the-scenes role, how she shaped her character from the source material, and what she hopes viewers take away from the darkly comedic drama. Read More
AI Companies Woo Hollywood, But Major Partnerships Remain Elusive
Earlier this year, AI companies like OpenAI pitched Hollywood studios on tools to streamline film and TV production, offering to make the process faster, easier, and cheaper. In exchange, they sought access to intellectual property and footage to train their AI models. However, despite initial excitement, major partnerships have yet to materialize. The most notable deal so far is between AI startup Runway and Lionsgate, which is aimed at assisting with storyboarding. Major studios, however, are not expected to announce similar partnerships until 2025. Read More
'Anora' Highlights the Risks of Platform Releases for Independent Filmmakers
Sean Baker’s Cannes-winning dramedy Anora was impressed with its debut at six theatres this weekend. However, in today’s fractured and fatigued audiences, the question remains: can word of mouth still propel a film from limited release to broader success, expanding from a few screens to a few hundred? Read More
Japan’s Online Video Sector Sees Major Growth with Increased Local Content
A new consultancy firm Media Partners Asia (MPA) analysis predicts substantial growth in Japan’s digital entertainment sector. The report, The Future of Japan’s Video Industry, forecasts a 7% compound annual growth rate in the online video sector over the next five years. Total screen industry revenue is expected to rise from $31.8 billion in 2024 to $34.1 billion by 2029, with online video’s share increasing from 35% to 45%, reaching $15.3 billion. YouTube leads in user-generated content, while Netflix, Prime Video, and U-Next dominate the SVOD market. Read More
Disney+ Latin America COO Diego Londono Discusses Windowing Strategy at MIPCOM
At MIPCOM, Disney EMEA executives highlighted a shift toward greater flexibility in the international TV market. EMEA content chief Diego Londono shared that Disney is open to diverse models and deal structures, citing two examples: Whiskey on the Rocks, co-produced with SVT and set to premiere on the Swedish broadcaster, and the upcoming French remake of Ghosts with commercial network TF1. This marks a new era where Disney is not reserving all original content exclusively for its platform. Read More
Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist Unveils Awards Campaign with First Trailer
Following its stunning debut at Venice, Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist has kicked off its awards campaign by releasing its first trailer. The epic drama stars Adrien Brody as László Tóth, a fictional Hungarian Jewish Holocaust survivor and architect who comes to America to build a modern community centre. Spanning 30 years, the film explores László’s project, his relationship with his employer (Guy Pearce), and his troubled marriage to his wife (Felicity Jones). The cast also features Joe Alwyn, Alessandro Nivola, Raffey Cassidy, and Stacy Martin. Read More
New 'Yellowstone' Trailer Teases John Dutton’s Death in Final Episodes
Paramount Network has released the full trailer for the second half of Yellowstone Season 5, set to premiere on Sunday, November 10 at 8/7c. As the final part of the show’s last season, it promises intense drama for John Dutton, played by Kevin Costner, whose fate is uncertain. Following Costner’s off-screen falling out with series co-creator Taylor Sheridan, fans are left wondering how long Dutton will survive in the remaining episodes of the beloved series. Read More
Julianne Moore, Kevin Bacon, and More Sign Open Letter Calling for Regulation of AI in Entertainment
Kevin Bacon, Rosario Dawson, and thousands of Hollywood creatives have signed an open letter opposing the use of generative AI to train on their work. The letter, released Tuesday, calls out the “major, unjust threat” AI poses to creators' livelihoods, urging that unlicensed use of creative works for AI training must not be allowed. Read More
The Mediapro Studio Expands to U.S. and Canada Under CEO Laura Fernández Espeso
Laura Fernández Espeso, CEO of The Mediapro Studio (TMS), has led the company’s global expansion, now operating 52 offices in 31 countries. This summer, TMS launched offices in Los Angeles, adding to its presence in Miami and New York, focusing on creating, producing, and distributing English-language content worldwide. TMS’s credits include The Young Pope and The Famous Five for HBO/Max and the BBC, respectively. Read More
Pedro Pascal & Paul Mescal on 'Gladiator 2' and working with Ridley Scott
EXECUTIVE MOVES
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