TV, Film & Media Industry International News Roundup, Friday 17 January 2025

WGA honours top screenplays; Netflix's XO, Kitty grows up; LA film rebounds; Outlander prequel teases; Berlinale unveils lineup; Pact challenges AI plans; Scream 7 casts Joel McHale.

Today’s Highlights:

• WGA Screenplay Nominees Announced - The Writers Guild Awards 2025 nominations include standout films like Dune: Part Two, Hit Man, and Wicked for adapted screenplays, alongside original nominees such as Challengers and My Old Ass. TV contenders include Fallout and Shogun, with delays due to Los Angeles wildfires.

• Film Independent Launches Residency for Ukrainian Filmmakers - Film Independent, in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, supports Ukrainian filmmakers through a new residency during When East Meets West in Italy, mentoring projects like 533 Days - Separated by the Bridge.

• Czech Audiovisual Fund Expands Scope - Rebranded Czech Audiovisual Fund now supports series, animation, and video games, boosting production incentives to 25%-35% and enhancing global appeal. Its first presentation will debut at Berlinale 2025.

• L.A. Film Production Shows Recovery Signs - Los Angeles film production rose 6% in late 2024 despite hitting historic lows. A $750 million annual tax credit initiative aims to revitalize the industry.

• Pact Raises Concerns Over UK’s AI Plan - Pact criticised the UK government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan for risking copyright protections and urged transparency on using creative content for AI training.

• Berlin Film Festival Unveils 2025 Panorama Lineup - The Berlinale Panorama features 34 films addressing societal themes, including Welcome Home Baby and Silent Sparks. The program highlights global diversity and innovative storytelling.

• Netflix’s XO, Kitty Returns for Season 2 - Season 2 explores a matured Kitty Song Covey, with Anna Cathcart reflecting on filming in South Korea and a freer production process post-COVID restrictions.

• BBC One Adds Two Factual Crime Series - New daytime crime shows Back Seat Cops and Doorbell Detectives use innovative formats like ride-alongs and security footage to engage viewers in solving crimes.

• Scream 7 Casts Joel McHale as Sidney Prescott's Husband - Joel McHale joins Scream 7 as Mark Evans, Sidney Prescott’s husband, alongside returning stars Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox. Filming is underway in Atlanta.

• Outlander Prequel Teaser Released - Outlander: Blood of My Blood delves into Jamie Fraser’s family history, spanning World War I to 18th-century Scotland, with Matthew B. Roberts as showrunner.

Plus: News, Insights, Executive Moves, Festivals, In Development, Deals, Renewals, Cancellations, Opportunities & Jobs with Netflix, Paramount, WBD, TriBeca, Wondery & Disney.

---

Subscribe to our daily news roundup for exclusive insights, early access to industry news, and the convenience of having the latest TV, Film & Media updates in one bulletin.

Our subscribers include executives from:

• Streamers: Netflix, Apple, Viaplay, SkyShowTime, Amazon Prime, Marquee TV, Paramount Television International, MTV Entertainment Group, BET.

• Broadcasters: NBC Universal, France Televisions, Sky, ABC, Channel 4, ITV, A+E Networks, CBC, TV2, SVT, ARTE, RTBF, SBS Play, TCL FFalcon, RTL, TVNZ, SRF.

• Producers: Fifth Season, Sony Pictures Television, Banijay, Fremantle, Endemol Shine, Gaumont, Pathé, Warner Bros Television Productions, Universal Pictures International Australasia, UFA Fiction, Vivendi, Entertainment One, BBC Studios, Warner Bros Discovery, Talpa Studios, Keshet, Tiger Aspect, Wild Bunch TV, Red Planet Pictures, Go Quest Media, Eureka Productions, The Ink Factory, Nordisk Film, Reel One Entertainment, Bunya Productions, Beach House Pictures, Beyond, The Global Agency, Esha Bargate Productions, blue Entertainment, Paper Plane Productions, Paprika Studios, Playmaker, Off the Fence, Goalpost Pictures, Spin Master, Stand By Me, Halcyon Studios, DPG Media, Envision, Rive Gauche, Blue Ant Media, Squareone, Great Southern Studios, Collective Media Group, New Dominion Pictures, RAW TV, Optomen, Magpie Pictures, KOJO, ShinAwiL.

• Also: Aarhus Series Festival, The Wit, Norwegian Film Commission, New Zealand Film Commission, IMDA, MIA, Getty Images, Ottawa Film Office, Simkins, Harbottle & Lewis, Screen Brussels, Sheffield DocFest, FilmChain, Documentary Business, Zero Gravity Management, SXSW, MEA, DOC, Attraction Distribution, Kaplan Stahler Agency, Passion Distribution, Audible, Screen Queensland, Canada Media Fund, My Smash Media, Artists First, Grey Seal Media.

NEWS

‘Hit Man,’ ‘My Old Ass’ Among WGA Screenplay Nominees

The 2025 Writers Guild Awards nominations include A Real Pain, Anora, Challengers, Civil War, and My Old Ass for original screenplay, and A Complete Unknown, Dune: Part Two, Hit Man, Nickel Boys, and Wicked for adapted screenplay. Notable TV nominees include Fallout, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Shogun with three nods each. Announcement delays due to Los Angeles wildfires have impacted several awards-season schedules. Read More

---

Film Independent, WEMW, and EAVE Launch Residency for Ukrainian Filmmakers

Film Independent has partnered with the U.S. Department of State to launch the first Global Media Makers (GMM) Residency for Ukrainian filmmakers during When East Meets West in Trieste, Italy, from January 16-22. The program supports 16 filmmakers with fiction and documentary projects in early development, offering mentorship from industry experts like Mollye Asher and Ruth Atkinson. Ukrainian teams include creators behind 533 Days - Separated by The Bridge and Reconstruction. Read More

---

Czech Audiovisual Fund Expands to Support Series and Animation

The Czech Audiovisual Fund, rebranded from the Czech Film Fund, has expanded to support series, animation, video games, and workforce training alongside feature films. Backed by the new Audiovisual Act effective January 2025, it increases production incentives to 25% (35% for non-live-action projects) with a cap of $18.4M per project. The changes aim to attract global productions while nurturing local talent, with the first international presentation set for Berlinale 2025. Read More

INSIGHTS

Prime Video’s Sebastian Fitzek’s Der Heimweg Adapts Thriller with a Focus on Domestic Violence

Premiering globally on Prime Video, Sebastian Fitzek’s Der Heimweg (The Calendar Killer) stars Sabin Tambrea as Jules, a telephone support volunteer helping Klara (Luise Heyer), a woman pursued by a serial killer. Directed by Adolfo J Kolmerer, the film adapts Fitzek’s novel to spotlight domestic violence while maintaining the core themes of the book. Produced by Ziegler Film, it follows their successful collaboration on Die Therapie. Read More

---

Film Production in Los Angeles Shows Signs of Recovery Amid Historically Low Levels

Film production in Los Angeles saw a 6% year-over-year increase in the last quarter of 2024, totaling 5,860 shoot days, driven by gains in most categories except reality TV, which faced its ninth consecutive quarterly decline. Despite this, 2024 ended with 23,480 shoot days—the second-lowest on record. Governor Gavin Newsom approved a proposal to raise California’s film and TV tax credits to $750 million annually, aiming to revitalize local production. Read More

---

Future of TV in 2030: Evolving Models, AI Impact, and the Rise of the Creator Economy

By 2030, the television landscape could see independent financing, AI-driven production tools, and the creator economy reshaping content creation. High-budget dramas will persist, but AI will lower costs for mid-tier content, while creators gain control of IP and adapt flexible models. Streamers may offer adaptive content personalized to viewers, though traditionalists favour singular creative visions. Industry leaders urge embracing these shifts to sustain relevance amid shrinking traditional ecosystems. Read More

---

AI's Transformative Impact on Hollywood's VFX Industry

Generative AI programs, like Runway, are poised to revolutionize Hollywood's visual effects (VFX) processes in 2025, according to industry experts. These advancements could streamline production pipelines and reduce costs but may also significantly impact the global VFX workforce. While tools currently operate below cinematic resolution standards, rapid advancements suggest full-scale integration into major studios’ workflows is just months away, signalling a new era for blockbuster filmmaking. Read More

---

‘XO, Kitty’ Matures in Season 2

Netflix's XO, Kitty returns for Season 2, showcasing a grown-up Kitty Song Covey, played by Anna Cathcart, who began portraying the character at 14. Now 21, Cathcart reflects on the series' evolution, filmed in South Korea. Showrunner Jessica O’Toole highlights the shift to a freer production environment without strict COVID protocols, allowing the teen romantic dramedy to expand its narrative and deepen its storytelling. Read More

---

‘An t-Eilean’: The First High-End Gaelic Drama

An t-Eilean (The Island), BBC Alba’s first high-end Gaelic drama, premiered with four 50-minute episodes. Starring Sorcha Groundsell and Sagar Radia, the series follows Family Liaison Officer Kat Crichton returning to Lewis and Harris to investigate a tycoon’s wife’s murder. Set against the backdrop of a dysfunctional family, the drama delves into buried secrets. Produced by Black Camel Pictures, the £1 million-per-episode series is streaming weekly on BBC iPlayer. Read More

---

Pact Raises Concerns Over U.K. Government's AI Plan

Pact, representing the U.K. production community, criticised the government’s proposed AI Opportunities Action Plan, which suggests creating a copyright-cleared British media training data set for international licensing. Pact warned this could weaken copyright protections and urged transparency on unauthorized use of creative content for AI training. The organization also cautioned against adopting the EU’s AI Act, citing its unresolved implementation issues, and emphasized the importance of upholding U.K. copyright laws. Read More

---

'Severance' Creators Explain Season 2 Delays

"Severance" creators Dan Erickson and Ben Stiller revealed their meticulous approach caused delays for the Apple TV+ hit’s second season, in addition to WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. They refused to proceed until every detail felt perfect, even halting production upon realizing some scenes needed reworking. The show returns in 2025 after a nearly three-year wait, fuelled by the creators' commitment to delivering a flawless continuation of the acclaimed drama. Read More

---

Unifrance Unveils 10 to Watch 2025

Unifrance celebrates a new generation of talent driving French cinematic and audiovisual creativity worldwide. The 10 to Watch 2025 include Adam Bessa, Ludovic and Zoran Boukherma, Julien Colonna, Louise Courvoisier, Sayyid El Alami, India Hair, Lou Lampros, Jonathan Millet, Megan Northam, and Agathe Riedinger. Selected by international journalists, these talents represent bold artistic choices, ambition, and a global outlook, highlighting the vibrancy and innovation of contemporary French cinema.

---

Share Further&Better with your network, and if one of your contacts subscribes, you’ll receive a 30-day upgrade to your subscription.

---

The Traitors Controversy & AI’s Revolution in TV

TellyCast dives into key 2025 TV shifts in a two-part episode. Peter Strachan exposes The Traitors' failure to meet Ofcom’s local talent quotas, spotlighting systemic issues in Scotland’s production sector. Meanwhile, Jason Mitchell and Katharina Gellein Viken explore AI’s transformative impact on TV, from video creation to personalised ads, discussing its benefits, ethical challenges, and future implications for the industry.