Film and TV Briefing: Friday 9 January 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
Warner Bros Discovery urges shareholders to reject Paramount takeover bid (The Guardian)
Martin Clunes to play former BBC newsreader Huw Edwards in new drama (BBC)
UK and Ireland box office ticket sales rise by 1% year on year (Screen Daily)
Claudia Winkleman to host BBC Friday night chat show (Royal Television Society)
Disney+ plans to move into microcontent formats (Variety)
Imax hits $1.28bn Global Box Office in 2025 as cinemas struggle (Hollywood Reporter)
Golden Globes 2026 presenters revealed (Hollywood Reporter)
TikTok announced as FIFA's 'Preferred Platform' partner for World Cup 2026 (Variety)
Brigitte Bardot's funeral takes place in Saint-Tropez (Guardian)
Features and commentary
Chaos and clear favourites: predictions for Oscars 2026 (Variety)
IndieWire picks the best films of 2025 (IndieWire)
Was the ‘Stranger Things’ finale really a hoax – and where did the theory come from? (The Guardian)
What lies ahead for UK film industry in 2026 (Screen Daily)
Inside ‘Marty Supreme’: How Timothée Chalamet and Josh Safdie made the box office hit (Hollywood Reporter)
Industry announcements
ITN Productions shakes up creative team (Broadcast)
Minimum fees for BBC screenwriters rise by 2.3% (WGGB)
Spanish television sector prepares for job cuts (Broadcast)
Ireland sets a precedent with Europe’s first ever tax credit for unscripted programming (Broadcast)
The Television Academy introduces new ‘Legacy Award’ at The Emmys (Variety)
ScreenSkills launches new Legal and Business Affairs training programme (Broadcast)
Legal updates
Nick Reiner’s lawyer withdraws from case amid arraignment postponement (Screen Daily)
