TV, Film & Media Industry International News Roundup, Monday 7 October 2024
Ryan Murphy overload, streaming prices rise, Mike Leigh's "Hard Truths," layoffs hit media, AI licensing debate, Nicole Kidman’s female gaze, Paris Backlot opens, Lionsgate flops, AI in film.
Today’s Highlights:
Ryan Murphy Balances Six Shows on Air, Raising Concerns of Overload - Ryan Murphy's vast TV empire, including "Monsters" and "Doctor Odyssey," sparks concerns over creative dilution and overextension.
Cable TV's Decline and Streaming Price Increases—As traditional TV subscriptions fall, streaming services like Netflix raise prices, leading to higher costs for viewers despite dwindling quality.
Mike Leigh Reflects on His Career and New Film 'Hard Truths'. Oscar-nominated director Mike Leigh promotes his critically acclaimed film "Hard Truths," potentially positioning actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste for another Oscar nod.
Hollywood and Media Layoffs Continue Amid Industry Shifts - The media sector, hit by two strikes, layoffs, and AI disruption, faces job cuts at companies like Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount.
Generative AI's Emergence in Content Licensing and Legal Concerns - With licensing deals and copyright challenges, a new market for AI training data opens, signalling a legal grey area for the tech and media industries.
Nicole Kidman's Influence and the Female Gaze in Film - Nicole Kidman's work promotes discussions on the female gaze in cinema, advocating for female-led narratives that challenge traditional male-dominated perspectives.
TSF Backlot Paris Opens for Major Productions with a Sustainable Focus - The €98 million TSF Paris Backlot attracts international projects like "The Walking Dead" and supports sustainability initiatives.
Lionsgate's Struggles Following the Flop of 'Megalopolis' - Francis Ford Coppola's expensive "Megalopolis" underperforms, contributing to Lionsgate's struggles after other recent box office failures.
Zurich Summit Discusses AI's Transformative Role in Media - Hollywood executives debate AI's impact on the industry, discussing ethical challenges and the potential for AI-driven film stars.
Netflix Expands Korean Film Slate for 2025 - Netflix reveals an upcoming slate of Korean films for 2025, including various genres such as sci-fi, romance, and animation, showcasing its continued focus on Korean content.
Plus: Insights, Festivals & Markets, In Development, Events, Opportunities and Jobs with Fox, Kickstarter, Disney, Sky, WBD, Paramount, Amazon, FX, Mediatoon & Filmhouse.
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INSIGHTS
Ryan Murphy Balances Six Shows on Air, Raising Concerns of Overload
Ryan Murphy's creative trademarks persist across his vast empire but now feel like the result of dwindling resources. "Monsters" is a hit but buries serious themes under sensationalism. Of the six current Murphy shows, none exceeds the level of distraction, like "Doctor Odyssey" or the respectful reenactment of "American Sports Story." Fifteen years after "Glee," are we experiencing Ryan Murphy overload? Read More. Read More.
Cable TV’s Decline and the Rise in Streaming Prices
As cable TV declines, fewer households pay for traditional TV services, with only about half now subscribing compared to 85-90% just 15 years ago. Meanwhile, streaming services like Netflix are also raising prices. With old TV dying and new "TV" not thriving, viewers face rising costs and declining quality. The recent merger that created the largest TV company might have worsened the situation. Read More.
Mike Leigh Reflects on His Career and "Hard Truths" in Filmmaking
Mike Leigh, 81, is promoting his new film "Hard Truths," which has earned rave reviews and will premiere at the New York Film Festival. Leigh, an Oscar-nominated director, struggled to fund projects after the box office failure of "Peterloo" in 2018. "Hard Truths" faced pandemic delays but was made with a modest budget. The film stars Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Pansy, whose complex character might earn her a second Oscar nomination for her unforgettable performance. Read More.
Writers Guild of Canada Addresses Challenges in Mini-Rooms
The Writers Guild of Canada's 2024 equity, diversity, and inclusion report highlights a decline in TV episodes ordered by Canadian networks and streaming platforms and continued use of "mini rooms." These small writer teams, producing full-sized series, mirror practices that contributed to the 2023 Hollywood writers' strike. With shrinking domestic production budgets and fewer WGC members working, the Canadian TV industry faces challenges despite recent series launches like Murder in a Small Town and Little Bird. Read More.
Hollywood and Media Layoffs: A Growing List
After the pandemic, two Hollywood strikes, and the rise of streaming and A.I., the media landscape continues to shift, as Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav predicted. His company has faced waves of layoffs, including over 300 jobs lost with the closure of Newshub in New Zealand. Paramount also cut 3% of its workforce, while the media sector, including the Los Angeles Times and Time, has seen over 500 journalist layoffs in 2023 alone. Read More.
ABC and Hulu's Restructure: What It Means for the Industry
Ross Benes, a senior analyst at eMarketer, explains that Disney’s decision to fold Hulu into its operations makes sense, especially after buying out Comcast’s share. Disney has integrated Hulu into its ad server and app, and a complete merger with the Disney brand could be next. This reorganisation allows Disney to cut costs through layoffs, while companies like Disney and others in legacy media focus on content production efficiency and adapt to changing consumer demand. Read More.
Generative AI: The Future of Content Licensing
Since mid-2023, a new licensing market for AI training data has emerged. AI companies secure deals with media rights holders to access content for text, image, music, and video training models. Over two dozen deals involving news publishers, stock image firms, and platforms like Reddit have been confirmed. However, this market operates in a legal grey area, with ongoing lawsuits accusing AI companies of copyright infringement as licensing, lawsuits, and policymaking advance amid uncertainty. Read More.
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Nicole Kidman and the Female Gaze: A New Perspective in Film
Nicole Kidman’s work, both in front of and behind the camera, has sparked discussions about the "female gaze" in cinema. In this opinion piece, Kidman’s impact on the industry is explored through the lens of how women view and create films differently than men. The piece argues for a broader acceptance of female-led narratives that challenge traditional male-dominated perspectives. Read More.
TSF Backlot Paris Hosts Major Productions Like ‘The Walking Dead’ with Sustainable Focus
The TSF Paris Backlot, a €98 million ($107.6 million) project, officially opened this week, offering an outdoor cityscape built to scale 38 miles east of Paris. Part of the France 2030 plan, it aims to attract international productions. Featuring 57 facades and five interconnected streets, the set mimics Parisian architecture and can be customised for various films. French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati highlighted the facility's growing importance for productions like Emilia Pérez and The Substance. Read More.
Gang Dong-won Reflects on 'Uprising' and His Hollywood Career
Korean actor Gang Dong-won, star of the Busan Film Festival hit 'Uprising,' opens up about his journey in Korean cinema and Hollywood. With an expanding international career, Gang is poised to take on new challenges as a producer, blending his acting talents with behind-the-scenes work. He discusses his vision for future projects and the evolving landscape of global film production. Read More.
Can Lionsgate Recover from the Costly Failures of ‘Megalopolis’ and Other Mega-Flops?
Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis opened to just $4 million domestically on a $120 million budget, following mixed reviews at Cannes. Despite a standing ovation, the film’s reception was more a tribute to Coppola’s legacy than the film itself. Lionsgate, which distributed Megalopolis, has faced a series of flops, including Borderlands, The Crow remake, and The Killer’s Game, a sharp contrast to last year's successes with John Wick: Chapter 4 and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Read More.
Welsh TV Production Company Aims to Retain Creative Talent Amid ‘Brain Drain’
Tŷ’r Ddraig, a TV production company in Wrexham, aims to support young Welsh talent and curb the creative brain drain. Established by Wrexham-born producer Ben Smith, the company has gained momentum, fueled by the local buzz from the Wrexham AFC takeover by Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds. With backing from the Workerbee Group and Banijay UK, Tŷ’r Ddraig has secured commissions and is in talks with major platforms like Netflix to further its mission of boosting Welsh creatives. Read More.
Cable TV’s Strategy to Survive: Forcing Subscribers to Pay for It
Many cable TV customers remain locked into contracts through partnerships between cable companies and apartment complexes or homeowners' associations (HOAs), making cancelling difficult. Deals bundling cable TV with rent or HOA fees keep millions subscribed despite a declining cable industry. With around 355,000 HOAs in the U.S., potentially 10 million households are tied to cable and millions more in apartments. Hotels and restaurants support cable survival, even as many customers quietly pay for services they don’t use. Read More.
Inside Ryan Kaji’s Business Empire: The Journey from YouTube Star to Media Mogul
Ryan Kaji’s YouTube channel, Ryan’s World, started in 2015 when he was three and now has over 37 million subscribers and 58 billion views. Initially focused on toy reviews, the content has expanded to include science experiments and animation as Ryan has grown. His empire includes a Nickelodeon show, licensed toys, multiple YouTube channels, and a movie, Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure, which struggled at the box office but is now available on streaming platforms. Read More.
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