TV, Film & Media Industry News Roundup, Weekend 22-23 June 2024

Sundance considers Boulder; Atlas, Dune top streaming; Shanghai winners; Critics Choice settles; 'Blade' delays; 'Exorcist' satire; ABC's focus; 'Emilia Pérez' star's challenge; French film success.

Today’s Highlights:

• Sundance Film Festival Relocation: The Sundance Film Festival, traditionally held in Park City, Utah, is considering Boulder, Colorado, as its new host city.

• Nielsen Streaming Top 10: "Atlas" debuts at No. 5 with 795 million minutes watched, while "Dune: Part Two" has a strong opening on Max.

• Shanghai Film Festival Winners: "Friday, Funfair" won the top prize, and "In the Name of Fire" garnered the best director and actor awards.

• Critics Choice and Hollywood Creative Alliance Agreement: They settle their legal dispute and agree to work together again.

• Marvel's 'Blade' Development Challenges: The film faces delays due to strikes and shifting studio strategies.

• 'The Exorcist' Director's New Satire: Joshua John Miller, son of the original "Exorcist" actor, directs a satire on a cursed remake.

• ABC's Programming Priorities: Kim Williams emphasises more documentaries, dramas, comedies, and arts programming.

• Karla Sofía Gascón's Role in 'Emilia Pérez': Gascón shares her intense experience preparing for her role in Jacques Audiard's crime musical.

• The film A Silence Explores Complicity: The movie examines the silence surrounding a celebrated lawyer's crimes in France.

• The success of the French Film 'A Little Something Extra': The debut feature has grossed €55 million in France, promoted like an American blockbuster.

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NEWS

Sundance: Boulder Emerges as Strong Candidate for Film Fest’s New Home

The Sundance Film Festival, which has been held in Park City, Utah, since 1981, is considering proposals from other cities across the country — and another one in the Mountain West has made a compelling case for itself.

From: The Hollywood Reporter

Nielsen Streaming Top 10: ‘Atlas’ Debuts at No. 5 With 795 Million Minutes Watched While ‘Dune: Part Two’ Has Solid Max Opening

According to Nielsen, two movies were among the most-streamed titles of the May 20-26 viewing window. “Atlas” and “Dune: Part Two” landed among the measurement company’s weekly Top 10 rankings—unusual, as series with longer running times have an advantage on the chart.

From: Variety

Shanghai: China’s ‘Friday, Funfair’ Wins Asian New Talents Top Prize

The Chinese festival also honoured the Indian film 'In the Name of Fire' with the best director and best actor honours.

From: The Hollywood Reporter

Critics Choice Association, Hollywood Creative Alliance Settle Their Legal Dispute and Agree to Work Together

The Hollywood Creative Alliance has ended its defamation lawsuit against the Critics Choice Association, as both sides announced Friday that they had reached an “amicable agreement.” In a joint announcement, CCA CEO Joey Berlin and HCA CEO Scott Menzel said that the Critics Choice Association will again allow its members to join the Hollywood Creative Alliance.

From: Variety

INSIGHTS

Why ‘Blade’ Can’t Cut Through Development Hell

Hampered by strikes and a changing studio strategy, Marvel’s Mahershala Ali-starring vampire thriller is a case study in stops and starts.

From: The Hollywood Reporter

‘The Exorcist’ Priest Was Haunted While Filming the Horror Classic. Now, His Son Has Directed an Ambitious Satire About a Cursed Remake

Joshua John Miller and his personal and creative partner, M.A. Fortin, never set out to make a movie about an exorcism because, as Fortin says to Miller, “Your father stars in the greatest one of all time.”

From: Variety

More Docos, Drama, Comedy, Arts: Kim Williams outlines programming priorities for ABC

"It is through our actors and filmmakers and artists and writers that the world knows us, knows our values," says ABC Chair.

From: TV Tonight

‘Emilia Pérez’ Star Karla Sofía Gascón Jokes That She Had to Get Out of Character ‘Through Exorcism’: ‘I Didn’t Know Who I Was’

Karla Sofía Gascón, who delivered a breakthrough performance as a ruthless narco gangster transitioning in Jacques Audiard’s crime musical “Emilia Pérez,” has revealed how she fought to get the part.

From: Variety

His crime shocked France. This film reveals why his wife stayed silent

A Silence unpacks the complicity that allowed a celebrated lawyer to commit horrific acts. For its director, it was also a reckoning.

From: The Sydney Morning Herald

Behind the success of France’s ‘A Little Something Extra’: “We promoted it like an American blockbuster”

A debut feature made for just over €6m has grossed an enormous €55m in France so far.

From: Screen Daily

Are location incentives good bang for buck or a sugar hit?

Why do politicians support rebates like location offsets, and could funding be better invested in Australian rather than Hollywood stories?

From: TV Tonight

Cancelled out

In a TV studio in west London, Douglas is Cancelled, stars Hugh Bonneville, Karen Gillan, and writer Steven Moffat discuss the timely themes and issues behind this ITV comedy-drama in which a news presenter falls foul of cancel culture.

From: Drama Quarterly

Max Is Focusing on “Ambitious” Storytelling in Latin America: “We’re Fighting for Relevance”

On Thursday, Max executive Mariano Cesar dived into the streamer's mission at Conecta Fiction & Entertainment's international networking event in Toledo, Spain.

From: The Hollywood Reporter

Disney’s Latin America Execs Did Not Expect Robert De Niro to Love Argentina’s ‘Nada’ Script

At Conecta Fiction & Entertainment's conference in Toledo, Spain, The Hollywood Reporter spoke with The Walt Disney Company's Latin America producers Leonardo Aranguibel and Mariana Pérez: "We sent the script to Mr De Niro... was thinking [it was going to be] 'probably no.'"

From: The Hollywood Reporter

How the Netherlands Became the TV Testers of the World With Their Prolific Format Exports

Maarten Meijs, CEO of Talpa Studios, spoke at Conecta Fiction in Toledo, Spain, about the company's unscripted shows that top bosses in the U.S. and U.K. cannot resist adapting.

From: The Hollywood Reporter

SkyShowtime’s Spanish Content Has “Resonated Globally” Despite Demand For Local Audiences

"We’ve understood that to operate successfully as a streaming service, it is also key to speak to our local audiences and engage with them," said content chief Kai Finke in Toledo on Thursday.

From: The Hollywood Reporter

Jude Law on Why He’s “Proud” of How He Handled Fame and Scrutiny in Hollywood

The actor rose to fame following his role in 1999's 'The Talented Mr. Ripley,' alongside Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow.

From: The Hollywood Reporter

Krysten Ritter Says Fans Shouldn’t Compare ‘Orphan Black’ With ‘Echoes’ Spin-Off

“Orphan Black” may have ended in 2017, but its new spin-off “Orphan Black: Echoes” picks things up over three decades later in the year 2052 — and that’s not the only significant difference between the sci-fi sister series.

From: The Wrap

Netflix Won the Streaming Wars, and Now It’s Entered the Popcorn Wars

For a company that hates movie theaters, it sure likes concessions.

From: IndieWire

How Billy Bob Thornton’s ‘Sling Blade’ Lit An Auteur’s Path For ‘The Bikeriders’ Jeff Nichols: The Film That Lit My Fuse

Today, Jeff Nichols launches The Bikeriders, a drama he wrote from a book of photographs by Danny Lyon. Inspired by the emotions that a generation of motorcycle riders found in the ’60s, Nichols created a narrative around that and a three-character struggle among Austin Butler, Tom Hardy and Jodie Comer, surrounded by an excellent ensemble featuring Norman Reedus and Michael Shannon, a fixture of Nichols films.

From: Deadline

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