UK Riots & Disney Destroy Feature on International Insider

Hello Insiders, Max Goldbart here as the week draws to a close. Read on to get all the insight. Register here.

UK Riots Reckoning

Being kind: We’re supposed to be in the middle of the sleepy summer months, yet the combination of the Paris Olympics and the turmoil in London has made this week feel like nothing in Europe. Here in London, the riots have shown the worst of humanity, and the best, and given us an opportunity to reflect on how the latter can overcome the former while the ripple effects, as ever, affect the sides of the TV and film industries. . The riots were sparked by the tragic stabbing in Southport, which left three teenage girls dead, and the wave of disinformation that followed, unfairly placing the blame on a Muslim working for Islamic causes. In fact, the perpetrator was not a Muslim and there was no connection. Elon Musk has been a part of all of this, posting unrelenting misinformation on his site and reinforcing it to others, leading to this angry reaction from Armando Iannucci. Riots broke out in pockets of the UK earlier this week and four were planned in London on Wednesday. Meanwhile, we began to get a whiff of serious concern from employers and broke the news that Sky had sent its West London staff home early because of a planned ‘protest’ near its packed centre, while ITV and the BBC sent out emails to all staff pleading. or anyone who has trouble staying at home. However, a series of counter-protests aided by thousands of anti-fascist protesters took place instead, resulting in a sea of ​​dramatic front pages across the political spectrum and a sense that the best of humanity had triumphed. I was at one, in Walthamstow, and ‘heart warming’ was the word. There was no problem and the crowd of thousands joined in the wave of singing for hours.

Calculation: The TV and film industry is not immune to this fraud and riots are no exception. We have been talking to producers over the past few days who see this as a reminder that the industry has a responsibility to protect minorities and speak up. LinkedIn posts from Meet the Richardsons Producer Sohail Shah, a former BBC executive of South Asian descent, said “it’s our job in the arts industry to highlight what’s happening and stand up together.” One indie manager I spoke to is concerned that TV commissioners continue to be interested in the likes of Nigel Farage, who was beamed to millions every day last year on ITV. I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and since he became an MP for the breakaway Reform UK party, it’s a problem. This situation will hopefully make people sit up and listen.

Quick cancellation: As counter-protests finally put smiles on people’s faces, the news in Vienna for Taylor Swift fans was not so good. The world’s biggest bar has had to cancel three of its Austrian shows after learning there was a terrorist plot targeting the Eras tour. Two were arrested and imprisoned. The news is shocking when you consider how close things are to disaster. As it stands, Swift’s UK dates at Wembley continue with the police on high alert, and we hope these go off without a hitch. Here at Deadline Towers, we spread the ‘be kind’ message loud and clear.

Disney ❤️ Europe

Content dash: Following a strong set of financials, Disney is ready to spend money in Europe. EMEA boss Jan Koeppen sat down for a rare FT interview published this morning where he revealed a planned $5B investment over the next five years in TV and movies from the continent. Given the context, this figure is not as attractive as it first appears, as Koeppen revealed a few weeks ago that Disney spent $ 4.5B in five years in the UK alone. But the splashy number, however, comes as Deadpool and Wolverinewhich was filmed in the UK, broke through the world box office. And it’s been a great week for Disney. Revenue was rising and Disney+ turned a profit ahead of schedule, a fact that Mouse House CEO Bob Iger and his entire C-suite were not willing to forget.

A mixed bag: It was certainly a week of earnings in the States (and some European countries) and it was a mixed bag from some of the US majors, which will no doubt have dire consequences for their global hubs. The feud continued at Warner Bros. Discovery, where shares fell sharply due to disappointing quarterly earnings that included a hefty $11.2B writedown and a charge after David Zaslav’s outfit lost the NBA. It was the same old story at Paramount owned by Skydance soon, with another part of the layoffs revealed in the Q2 results that will also have workers in the US and much more to fear for the future. The ‘buying’ period in which Paramount is technically still for sale is coming to an end and Skydance’s $8B deal closes on August 21. Meanwhile, in Germany, one of the most troubled companies of 2023 is showing green shoots. , with ProSiebenSat.1 saying “efficiency measures are working” after profits rose 14% and profits grew slightly. And in Luxembourg, where Fremantle-headquartered RTL is based, the super-indie’s half-year revenue was down by €55M as it continued to grow upwards. that €3B target. RTL Group’s figures were a mixed bag, but TV ad market revenue is improving, finally. It’s all happening in the lead world and we’ve got it all for you at deadline.com.

Locarno helps to celebrate

“A Diverse World”: Zac is at Switzerland’s Locarno Film Festival this week, kicking off with a screening of Neapolitan filmmaker Gianluca Jodice’s latest feature. Flooda historical drama about the last days of the reign of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The film was a legend with audiences at Locarno but, don’t get us wrong, there is still a lot of buzz about the fest. Highlights throughout the packed program include Columbia Pictures’ centennial reimagining, awards honoring Alfonso Cuarón, Shah Rukh Khan and veteran producer Stacey Sher (Pulp Fiction), the latter of whom we spoke to here. In the competition, there are also new works by Hong Sang-soo and Wang Bing. Earlier this week, Zac sat down with CEO Giona A. Nazzaro, who talked about embracing a “diverse world” considering Bollywood star Khan’s fame. Locarno runs until August 17. The installation can be found here.

The Olympics are closed

Noah’s Ark: It was a highlight for us to watch Noah Lyles start to light things up in the closing week of the Paris Olympics, an athlete who took gold in the 100m, but failed in the 200m, won bronze before it was revealed that he had Covid-19. We wrote before the games started that there might be a lack of real stars going to Paris, but my god Noah tried to prove us wrong. See also Léon Marchand. Lyle’s racing may have been the highlight of another exciting few days in the French capital and I, for one, didn’t turn off the TV (speed riding is my sport of choice, for anyone who cares). At DeadlineLand, we’ve been on top of the Vatican’s reaction to the high-profile ‘Last Supper’ controversy, bringing you the latest from the line involving boxer Imane Khelif and predicting what you may or may not see during Sunday’s closing ceremony. Oh and read this – our business expert Dade Hayes is headed to NBCUniversal’s Olympics production center in Stamford. “As Stamford hits, the Paris Games have become a technological sensation, an internal communication and a powerful symbol of the strategy of NBCU and its parent company Comcast,” wrote Dade. Complete Olympics coverage here.

Prince Baz Meets Prince Philip

Born to play the role: “He’s someone I’ve been with for the rest of my life,” Welsh actor Jonathan Pryce told our man Baz while considering his role as Prince Philip in Netflix’s now-defunct royal saga. The crown. Pryce, a 2019 Oscar nominee Two Popes, told our International Editor-in-Chief that when the call came five years ago to take on the role of Queen Elizabeth she was very serious. He’s up for two Emmys, one The crown and the other is for Apple TV+’s Slow Horses. It makes for interesting reading to delve deeper into Philip’s role as it’s been a while since he’s been called into action. He discusses playing opposite Dominic West’s Prince Charles (“It was a lot of fun for him”), watching William’s struggles with his father, and starring alongside Gary Oldman. Slow Horses. Come on, you know you want to.

Important

🌶️ Hot: Queen Charlotte star India Amarteifio and This is Maxton Hall’s place Damian Hardung has had a romantic ride Into the Deep Sky. Sabrina Carpenter has exited the project.

🌶️ Other Hotties: Dwayne Johnson MMA fighter pic Milling Machine find weighty deals on A24.

🌶️ More heat: Sky is making a documentary on Hammer Films, the historic UK studio behind it Dracula.

🖊️ Register: UTA will now represent a new content division with Banijay’s name in an exciting European first for the US agency.

🏪 To set up a store: Journalists Jeff Bewkes, Howard Stringer and Jeremy Fox will be mining real life stories for podcasts through Thoroughbred Studios, per Stewart.

💵 Buyback: Geek Girl The airline’s owners returned to majority control, buying shares in Canadian property concern Corus.

🖼️ Slate: From Netflix in Argentina, where Oscar-winning director Juan José Campanella adapts the sketch comedy Mafalda.

🏕️ Recent festivals: Kate Winslet will be honored with the Golden Icon Award from Zurich.

🍿 Box office: Deadpool and Wolverine it has now reached $900M worldwide.

🎥 Trailer: Ye A froga Netflix Korea series that is, you guessed it, dark and disturbing.

Zac Ntim contributed to this week’s International Insider.