Film and TV Briefing: Friday 1 August 2025
Welcome to this week’s round-up of news, commentary and industry announcements that you may have missed from the past week.
If you are looking for advice in relation to any of the issues mentioned, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
In the news
‘Bend It Like Beckham’ sequel in development (The Guardian)
Amazon invests in start-up Fable – the “Netflix of AI” (Variety)
Profit warning issued by STV Group (Broadcast)
Netflix to tie with Middle East’s MBC Group (Broadcast)
Trey Parker makes joke apology to Trump over ‘South Park’ opening episode (BBC)
Christopher Nolan receives criticism for filming ‘The Odyssey’ in Dakhla (The Guardian)
Warner Bros Layoffs: Studio Cuts 10% Of Movie Division (Deadline)
South East Asia sees increase of 1.5 million subscribers across premium VOD in Q2 (Deadline)
Hamilton Hodell Agents exit with clients to join B-Side Management (Deadline)
£446m revenues for Canal+ in first London Stock Exchange report (ScreenDaily)
Red Bull Studios and IPR.VC strike documentary financing deal (Deadline)
Sarah Jessica Parker in possible conflict of interest as Booker judge (The Guardian)
Features and commentary
Streamer growth down In UK, Says Ofcom Media Nations Report (Deadline)
YouTube now second most popular media destination in the UK (BBC)
How has reality TV has changed the way we think? (BBC)
BlackStar Film Festival honours film-makers of colour (The Guardian)
Superhero movies showing signs of revival (The Guardian)
An oral history of the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show' (The Guardian)
Industry announcements
Equity call for urgent government action (Equity)
Kent filmmaking scheme launches (BBC)
LMU Film School partners with Sony Electronics on filmmaking lab (Hollywood Reporter)
Moldova joins Creative Europe programme (ScreenDaily)
Rebecca Fons named head of cinema at the Barbican (ScreenDaily)
Resources
Ofcom’s annual Media Nations Report published (Ofcom)
2025 film festivals and markets calendar (ScreenDaily)
Legal updates
Ofcom announces the end of the UK’s Video-Sharing Platforms Regime (Ofcom)
