TV, Film & Media Industry News Roundup, Tuesday 4 June 2024

Skydance eyes Paramount, MLK Jr. Estate partners with P3, new Greek Studio Galazio, record Rio2C, WGA & SAG strikes, Suits on Netflix, Swiss pay-TV woes, Globo Filmes at 25, AI fears, Crossing trailer

Today’s Highlights:

• Skydance Set to Pay $8 Billion to Gain Control of Paramount David Ellison is finalising a deal to acquire Paramount, fending off Sony.

• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Estate Announces New Media Partnership The estate partners with P3 Media to protect and enhance King's legacy in film and TV.

• Studio Galazio Banner Launches with Focus on Greek Stories Studio Galazio and Christopher André Marks launch to bring Greek-themed stories globally.

• Brazil’s Biggest Industry Event, Rio2C, Hits Record Attendance. Rio2C gathers 50,000 participants and features speakers like Carlos Saldanha and Ron Leshem.

• WGA and SAG Unions Hope IATSE Deal Will Spur Production ATX TV Festival panel discusses the impact of WGA and SAG strikes on production.

• ‘Suits’ Sets Season 9 Netflix Release and Announces New Podcast Stars gather at ATX TV Festival to celebrate and discuss the show's success.

• How Switzerland is Fighting Back on Sustained Pay-TV Losses Swisscom, and Sunrise face significant customer losses in the pay-TV sector.

• Brazilian Industry Champion Globo Filmes Turns 25 Globo Filmes celebrates 25 years, having backed over 500 movies.

• Australian Actors Fear AI Will Take Their Jobs Survey reveals concerns about AI among Australian media and creative workers.

• ‘Crossing’ Trailer: A Queer Odyssey Through Istanbul Directed by Levan Akin, the film stars Mzia Arabuli and premieres on MUBI.

PLUS: Insights, Executive Moves, In Development, Deals & Renewals

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NEWS

Skydance Set to Pay $8 Billion to Gain Control of Paramount

The deal still needs to be finalised, but David Ellison appears to have fended off Sony.

From: IndieWire

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Estate Announces New Media Partnership to Protect Legacy and Intellectual Property Across Film and TV

The Estate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has announced a new partnership with P3 Media to enhance and amplify the civil rights leader’s legacy in the film and television industry.

From: Variety

Studio Galazio Banner Launches With Focus on Greek Stories, Sets Heist Comedy With Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Improbable Media

Studio Galazio and filmmaker Christopher André Marks (“King Otto”) have launched a new production banner to bring internationally minded stories with Greek themes to global audiences.

From: Variety

Brazil’s Biggest Industry Event, Rio2C, Hits Record Attendance With Carlos Saldanha, Ron Leshem Among Speakers 

Latin America’s largest creativity event, Rio2C, will gather over June 4-9 at the Cidade das Artes complex in Rio de Janeiro; about 50,000 participants, up from 44,000 last year, including some 1,600 speakers and representatives of about 1,100 companies.

From: Variety

INSIGHTS

After Strike Wins, WGA and SAG Unions Hope IATSE Deal Will Spur Production: ‘There’s a Lot Being Held Up’

Speaking at the ATX TV Festival, Dulé Hill, Greg Iwinski, and Beau Willimon discussed how the successful WGA and SAG strikes are helping members and what remains to be done.

From: IndieWire

‘Suits’ Sets Season 9 Netflix Release and Announces New Podcast at ATX TV Festival Reunion Panel

Stars Patrick J. Adams, Sarah Rafferty, and others gathered to celebrate their show's success—in the present and the past—in an extended discussion about what it takes to make TV that lasts.

From: IndieWire

How Switzerland is fighting back on Sustained pay-TV Losses

The country’s top pay-TV operators, Swisscom and Sunrise, were the main drivers of this decline, with the former losing 10,000 and 6,000 customers. Blue TV operator Swisscom’s subscriber decline was more significant than in the previous quarter (with a loss of 3,000 customers previously).

From: TBI

Brazilian Industry Champion Globo Filmes Turns 25, Drives Industry Resurgence

Few companies in the world have had such an impact on their local film industry as Globo Filmes, the feature co-production arm of Brazilian giant Globo, Latin America’s biggest communications conglomerate. Over the last 25 years, Globo Filmes has backed more than 500 movies, almost all through co-production.

From: Variety

Australian actors are scared AI will take their jobs, and not without reason

According to a survey of members of the Media, Entertainment, and Arts Alliance released on Monday, more than half of Australia’s media and creative workers are “extremely concerned” about the rise of artificial intelligence, and almost all believe the government needs to take a more vital role in regulating its use.

From: The Sydney Morning Herald

‘Crossing’ Trailer: ‘And Then We Danced’ Director Levan Akin Takes a Queer Odyssey Through Istanbul

The MUBI release and Berlinale winner bridges the gap between generations. It stars Mzia Arabuli as a teacher looking for her trans niece.

From: IndieWire

The sounds of Silo

Icelandic composer Atli Örvarsson reflects on his Bafta-winning work creating the soundtrack for Apple TV+ drama Silo, enhancing its themes of loneliness and isolation, and returning to the studio for its upcoming second season.

From: Drama Quarterly

Jodie Foster & Robert Downey Jr. — Actors on Actors

Jodie Foster and Robert Downey Jr. have a long history. Their careers have intersected, starting when Foster directed Downey in her 1995 Thanksgiving comedy “Home for the Holidays,” where he played the family's sweet-natured but rebellious black sheep.

From: Variety

‘Just For Us’ Star Alex Edelman On How The Lessons He Learned At The Edinburgh Fringe Festival Evolved Into An HBO Hit — Fresh Face

Just For Us launched on HBO in April but was incubated in London and Scotland. In the 90-minute special, Edelman goes from telling jokes about Koko the Gorilla’s love for Robin Williams to tales of his Winter Olympian brother and his unconventional childhood Christmas, as well as a centrepiece about attending a meeting of White Nationalists.

From: Deadline

‘Loot’ Star Maya Rudolph Finds Her Groove As A Philanthropic Billionaire And Looks Good While She Does It: “She Gets To Be Everything”

In Loot, Molly Wells has what Maya Rudolph describes as an “unrelatable amount” of wealth. While that may seem enough of a draw for an actor looking for a role promising incredible outfits, Rudolph's genuine interest was in the character’s drive to use the money for good while still wearing fantastic costumes.

From: Deadline

‘The Freshly Cut Grass,’ Executive Produced by Martin Scorsese, Debuts Trailer Ahead of its World Premiere at Tribeca Fest

Celina Murga’s “The Freshly Cut Grass,” executive produced by Martin Scorsese, is debuting at the Tribeca Festival. Here is its first trailer and poster before its world premiere on June 8.

From: Variety

The 1% Club’s Patton Oswalt

Patton Oswalt on his first time hosting a game show and what allows The 1% Club to connect with audiences everywhere.

Shirine Boutella: changing your mind about romantic comedies 💘 | SERIES MANIA 2024

Shirine Boutella discusses today's "romcoms" and returns to "Christmas Flow," a Netflix romantic series in which she plays the leading role.

Joachim Rønning on Directing Disney's Young Woman and the Sea and Tron 3 | Interview