Film and TV Briefing: Friday 16 October 2026
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
CNN launches streaming in Canada (BBC)
Netflix to cut 1,000 jobs, 6% of the workforce (Deadline)
Bay Theatre in the Pacific Palisades to be taken over by Paramount Pictures (Variety)
Skydance and Movistar Plus to launch local series under joint label (Hollywood Reporter)
Fox's $22 billion acquisition of Roku approved by shareholders (Deadline)
Skydance shares fall and Apple retains $5 trillion market cap (Deadline)
The best new films that premiered at 2026 autumn film festivals (Indie Wire)
‘Digger' forecast to lose about $245 million in one of Hollywood's biggest flops (BBC)
Skydance raises prices of Discovery + in one of first moves since merger (Deadline)
‘The Celebrity Traitors’ amasses over 14 million viewers over seven days (Broadcast)
‘Friends’ to return to Channel 4 (Deadline)
Netflix is now reporting box office data beginning with ‘La Bola Negra’ (Indie Wire)
Features and commentary
How South Africa's rebate program has helped the industry back from the brink (Variety)
Netflix executive discusses AI and how “human touch is critical” (Hollywood Reporter)
Despite doomsday fears, Hollywood is embracing AI tools (Variety)
What does the Paramount- Warner Bros. merger signal about the media industry's future (Variety)
France TV’s push to create original formats (Broadcast)
Industry announcements
Australian producers increase calls for removing the 20% cap on key tax rebate (Screen Daily)
Legal updates
Golden Globes foundation's legal battle faces new salvo (Hollywood Reporter)
Trump administration ordered by Judge to cease taxpayer funded ads (Deadline)
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