Film & TV Briefing: Friday 31 July 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
Paramount pauses Warner Bros merger until after competition trial (Variety)
BBC cancels ‘Live At The Apollo’ as part of savings drive (BBC)
Potential acquisition of ITV Studios played down by Banijay chief (Broadcast)
BBC no longer UK’s top TV destination, survey finds (Radio Times)
Film bodies criticise lack of female directors in Venice Film Festival line-up (Screen Daily)
‘The Odyssey’ enjoys impressive second weekend at UK box office (Screen Daily)
Wildlife presenter and comedian Bill Oddie dies aged 85 (Variety)
Odyssey translator slams Nolan's new blockbuster (The Guardian)
Netflix and AMC sign $500 million streaming deal for ‘The Walking Dead’ franchise (Variety)
Canal+ proposes to invest $1 billion in French and European cinema (Screen Daily)
Features and commentary
Paramount-Warner Bros merger could be disastrous and must be stopped (The Guardian)
Can Netflix survive the end of the binge-watch era? (The Guardian)
Will Paramount’s sacrifice of Universal deal be enough to keep cinema safe? (Deadline)
Hertfordshire farm doubling up as Hollywood film set (BBC)
Industry announcements
UK film and high-end television spend rises to £6.8 billion (Cineuropa)
Plans emerge for new Edinburgh TV festival (Deadline)
Legal updates
Judge rules YouTube animation ‘Wolfoo’ infringed Peppa Pig copyright (BBC)
‘Black Panther’ star Chadwick Boseman’s family fight legal battle over estate (BBC)
