Film Development
THe following information is curated from various outlets and Mailing lists I am on. I do not claim nor take any credit for the information that lies within. Therefore if you have a problem with one of the articles or something within contact THAT Company/writer not me.
Netflix’s untitled Newfoundland thriller adds Kaleb Horn, Ruby Stokes and Willow Kean as filming begins. (more)Michael Peña joins Chris Hemsworth and Lily James in Amazon MGM’s submarine thriller ‘Subversion.’ (more)‘A Quiet Place Part III’ will be written, directed, and produced by John Krasinski, hitting theaters July 9, 2027. (more)Mark Ruffalo will reprise his role as the Hulk in ‘Spider-Man 4,’ joining Tom Holland’s next MCU outing. (more)Charlize Theron and Channing Tatum will star in and produce family comedy ‘Dance Parents,’ which landed at Universal after a bidding war. (more) Topher Grace has joined Cristin Milioti in Casper Kelly’s horror indie ‘Buddy.’ (more) Netflix will release Richard Linklater’s Cannes-hit ‘Nouvelle Vague’ in U.S. theaters on Oct. 31 before streaming on Nov. 14. (more) Lee Isaac Chung is in talks to direct a new ‘Ocean’s’ prequel for Warner Bros, following the success of ‘Twisters.’ (more) Lily James joins Chris Hemsworth in Amazon MGM’s ‘Subversion,’ a ‘Die Hard’-style submarine thriller directed by Patrick Vollrath. (more) Jim Parsons joins true-crime thriller ‘The Leader,’ inspired by the Heaven’s Gate cult, now filming with Tim Blake Nelson and Vera Farmiga. (more) Briarcliff Entertainment acquires animated feature ‘Stitch Head,’ set for U.S. theatrical release on Oct. 29. (more) Jim Jarmusch’s ‘Father Mother Sister Brother’ lands global deals ahead of its Venice premiere. (more) Bend It Like Beckham sequel in the works more than 20 years after the original ‘Bad Apples’ starring Saoirse Ronan will open the New Directors section at this year’s San Sebastián Film Festival. (more) Timothée Chalamet and director James Mangold are revving up a motocross heist film, ‘High Side,’ based on an unpublished short story. (more) Matt Smith will play the villain opposite Ryan Gosling in Lucasfilm’s ‘Star Wars: Starfighter,’ directed by Shawn Levy and set for a May 28, 2027 release. (more) Ben Kingsley, Andy Serkis and Joel David Smallbone join presidential origin story ‘Young Washington,’ set for release July 2026. (more) David Tennant and Robert Carlyle star in ITV’s ‘The Hack,’ a drama about the News of the World phone hacking scandal(more) Netflix is developing a ‘T.J. Hooker’ movie with Jarrad Paul and Andy Mogel writing a modern, meta reimagining of the ’80s cop series. (more) Mel Gibson will release ‘The Resurrection of the Christ’ in two parts, hitting theaters March 26 and May 6, 2027. (more) Molly Shannon joins Will Ferrell’s Netflix golf comedy as co-creators Ramy Youssef and Josh Rabinowitz exit over creative differences. (more) Spider-Punk animated feature is in the works at Sony, co-written by Daniel Kaluuya and Ajon Singh. (more) KJ Apa will star as Jimmy Stewart in ‘Jimmy,’ a biopic chronicling the Hollywood icon’s life and WWII heroism. (more) Djimon Hounsou and Halle Berry will star in Africa-set trafficking thriller ‘Red Card,’ written by George Gallo and Nick Vallelonga. (more) Lee Chang-dong will direct ‘Possible Love’ for Netflix, his first film in eight years, reuniting with stars of ‘Secret Sunshine’ and ‘Peppermint Candy.’ (more) |
TV Development
‘South Park’ will leave HBO Max Aug. 5 and stream exclusively on Paramount+ worldwide. (more)‘The Holiday’ is being adapted into a limited series at Apple TV+ with new characters and a fresh cast. (more)Justina Machado joins S2 of ‘Matlock’ in a recurring role, reuniting with her ‘Jane the Virgin’ showrunner. (more) ‘King & Conqueror’ starring James Norton and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has sold to Prime Video in the U.S. and HBO Max in multiple territories. (more) Jacob Soboroff is joining MSNBC as senior political correspondent amid its upcoming split from NBC and move to Versant. (more) Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells will star in a Hulu series adaptation of ‘Stay Tuned,’ about a couple trapped inside binge-worthy TV worlds. (more) Robert Carlyle will play Sherlock Holmes in S2 of ‘Watson,’ opposite Morris Chestnut’s modern-day Dr. Watson. (more) Andrea Savage is set to write, executive produce, and star in Fox multi-cam comedy ‘Perf.’ (more) Boyd Holbrook will star opposite Omar Sy in Netflix’s new 8-episode action series ‘Extraction.’ (more) Dan Levy’s Netflix comedy ‘Big Mistakes’ begins filming in New Jersey and rounds out its cast, including Laurie Metcalf and Rachel Sennott. (more) Bloodaxe: Prime Video Announces Additional Casting for New Viking Dramav |
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’s fourth season will be its last
All about the Friday Night Lights reboot — and what the original cast has said about returning
CANCLED
‘And Just Like That…’ will end for good after its S3 finale drops August 14 on Max. (more)
‘Fubar’ has been canceled by Netflix after S2. (more) Fubar: Cancelled by Netflix; No Season Three for Arnold Schwarzenegger Action Series
Disney+ canceled shows in 2025: See which series got the axe, from Goosebumps to Extraordinary
San Diego Comic Con
The Biggest News From San Diego Comic-Con 2025
Posters and Stills
Photos We Love: San Diego Comic-Con 2025
Renewed
| Business🤝 |
| Nielsen and WPP Media have partnered to integrate audience insights across TV, streaming, and ads via Nielsen ONE.(more)Fox One will launch Aug. 21 at $19.99/month, offering live Fox, Fox Sports and Fox News programming. (more)Amazon is cutting 110 jobs as it folds Wondery into Audible and a new “creator services” team amid a podcast-to-video pivot. (more)Roku launches Howdy, a $2.99/month ad-free streamer offering library titles from WBD, Lionsgate and more. (more) |
News and Articles
Comedian Matt Rife buys home of couple who inspired The Conjuring, becomes ‘guardian’ of haunted Annabelle doll
Anne Rice’s Talamasca: AMC Reveals Teaser and Premiere Date, Eric Bogosian to Crossover
21 TV shows that brought back dead love interests, from Grey’s Anatomy to Teen Wolf
| CLOSEUP 🎞️ It’s a Kodak moment of truth… |
 |
| Digital didn’t kill film, but Chapter 11 might. The 133-year-old company just warned it might not survive its current debt crisis. |
| The iconic camera company is drowning in nearly $500M of short-term debt, plus another $200M in pension obligations. After posting a $26M quarterly loss (down from a $26M profit this time last year), Kodak’s stock nosedived 26% this week. |
| Kodak is Hollywood’s primary film supplier for motion picture film stock after Fujifilm exited the marketDirectors like Nolan, PTA, and Tarantino have championed celluloid as high art, with studios backing expensive 70mm and IMAX film releasesThey’ve pivoted before: Kodak survived 2012 bankruptcy by ditching cameras and doubling down on film and commercial printing |
| The cruel irony: Film is experiencing its renaissance right now. ‘Oppenheimer’ and ‘Sinners’ both dominated in IMAX 70mm. And Ryan Coogler’s viral Kodak collab video explaining his format choices proved audiences actually care about the medium. Processing labs have even reported increased volumes, and theaters have been reinstalling projectors to support the format. |
| Looking ahead… Despite the doom and gloom, Kodak says it’s “confident” it can figure out ways to pay off its debts. The company’s trying to stay afloat by ditching its pension plan (freeing up ~$300M) and pivoting to manufacturing pharmaceuticals (yes, really). But if that fails, studios might need to collectively subsidize film manufacturing. |
European creators blasted the EU’s implementation of its landmark AI Act, claiming the bloc “sold out” creative industries that contribute 7% of EU GDP in favor of GenAI giants like ChatGPT and Deep Seek. The coalition of writers, actors, musicians and producers warns that the new rules fail to stop AI companies from scraping protected content en masse without proper compensation.
Untamed: Season Two; Netflix Renews Drama Starring Eric Bana
SAG-AFTRA has renewed its deal with Nielsen to keep using its data for measuring streaming viewership and guiding union negotiations. (more)Fox Corp. has acquired a one-third stake in Penske Entertainment and extended its ‘Indycar’ media rights deal with Fox Sports. (more) |
Bill Cosby pays tribute to TV son Malcolm-Jamal Warner following his death
3 Body Problem: Season Two; Claudia Doumit & Ellie De Lange Join Netflix Sci-Fi Series
Sony’s ‘Social Network’ sequel is circling Mikey Madison and Jeremy Allen White to play Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen and WSJ reporter Jeff Horwitz. Jeremy Strong’s the frontrunner for Zuckerberg after Jesse Eisenberg passed, with Aaron Sorkin writing and directing this deep dive into the 2021 Facebook Files scandal.
Jason Momoa bursts with pride watching his son act in Dune: Part Three: ‘He’s gonna blow me away’
Long Story Short: Trailer and Season Two Renewal Revealed for New Netflix Animated Series
The Terminal List: Dark Wolf: Prime Video Unveils Trailer and Poster for Prequel Series
Jason Momoa shaves for first time in 6 years ahead of Dune 3 return: ‘Only for you, Denis’
🎬 Paramount won’t make movies for streaming… |
 Cindy Holland, Paramount’s new streaming chief |
| The Skydance-led studio is getting more specific about its plans. At an LA press conference this week, they revealed key parts of their strategy that break from industry convention: theatrical-only for movies, open doors for streaming TV. Some details: |
| The movie strategy… |
| No streaming films. Streaming chief Cindy Holland stated bluntly: “Made-for-streaming movies are not a priority for me.”Theatrical ramp-up is the goal, with Paramount aiming for a slate of 15 films ASAP, then 20 annually. Priorities include ‘Top Gun 3’ and new ‘Star Trek’ projects, plus original films like the just-acquired Timothée Chalamet-James Mangold biker heist movie ‘High Side.’Co-chair Dana Goldberg challenged reporters to name one live-action streaming film that’s had real cultural impact. |
| The streaming strategy… |
| Outside producers can now pitch to Paramount+. Historically, all of Paramount+’s original series have come from its own production units (CBS, Showtime/MTV, Nickelodeon) but will now buy from third parties to get the best content.Past relationships are paying off. The ‘Stranger Things’ creators, the Duffer Brothers, are reportedly considering jumping from Netflix to Paramount, reuniting with Holland who originally greenlit their hit series when she was at Netflix.Holland’s message is clear: Paramount+ wants bingeable TV shows, not forgettable streaming movies. |
| The bigger picture: Paramount’s making a contrarian bet. While rivals pour money into streaming-exclusive films, they’re betting theaters create cultural moments and streamers need series to succeed. |
Where is The Middle cast now? Here’s what’s new with the stars of the long-running family sitcom
Justin Timberlake reveals ‘debilitating’ diagnosis
Fubar: Cancelled by Netflix; No Season Three for Arnold Schwarzenegger Action Series
Avatar: Fire and Ash trailer shows new villain Varang and the volcanic Ash Clan
| Jason Momoa filmed Chief of War on lava fields — then, the volcanoes erupted: ‘You’re stirring up a lot of spirits’ |
📺 Amazon just threw cash at the “Netflix of AI”… |
 |
| Couch potatoes could soon be couch producers. Amazon has invested in the startup behind Showrunner, a streaming service that lets viewers create their own animated TV episodes. Dubbed the “Netflix of AI,” it’s got 100,000 people on the waitlist. Here’s the pitch: |
| Users type prompts to generate animated episodes up to 22 minutes long, with AI handling voices, dialogue, and character consistency.Users can make original shows from scratch or build new episodes using other users’ characters and worlds—they can even insert themselves into shows as a character.If someone remixes your creation, you pocket 40% of what they spend.It’s free for now, but not for long. The platform will eventually charge $10-40/month for credits to generate scenes and episodes. |
| It’s got some limitations, though. Showrunner can only handle animation for now (live-action would melt the servers). It works best for simple episodic stuff, not prestige TV with complex story arcs. Even CEO Edward Saatchi admits: “Maybe nobody wants this and it won’t work.” |
| Studios are listening: Fable claims they’ve locked down one studio partnership and are in talks with Disney about licensing IP for fan remixes. They’re selling studios on a simple idea—let fans pay to play with your shows while you collect licensing fees and keep ownership of everything they create. It’s basically monetized fan fiction at a time when traditional TV is bleeding viewers to gaming and social media anyway. |
| The bigger picture: While Hollywood debates whether AI belongs in writers’ rooms, Showrunner’s taking a different angle: just give it to the viewers. The company’s pitching it as a way for Hollywood to stay competitive with social media and gaming. |
| Looking ahead… The platform’s live now with two original shows—Silicon Valley satire ‘Exit Valley’ and Ikea rom-com ‘Everything Is Fine.’ Whether this becomes the future of fandom or the next Quibi is anyone’s guess, but 100,000 people are apparently ready to find out. |
🎬 The Problem with Hollywood |
| Armageddon Time James Gray On Why Studios Should Be Able To Lose Money On Art Specialty Divisions |
| The numbers don’t lie. Box office receipts are tanking, Oscar viewership has cratered, and audiences have stopped caring about movies. Here’s exactly what went wrong. |
| Hollywood is in full-blown crisis mode, and for once, we can pinpoint exactly when it all went sideways. The industry made a catastrophic bet on franchise tentpoles and comic book dominance—and it’s backfiring spectacularly. |
| Director James Gray recently laid out the brutal reality in an interview that should be required viewing for every studio executive. The diagnosis? Hollywood killed its own audience. |
| The MBA Death Spiral Here’s the fundamental mistake: Hollywood reduced filmmaking to pure spreadsheet logic. “This film did not make a ton of money, thus we don’t make that film. This film will make a ton of money, thus we make that one.“ |
| Sounds reasonable, right? It’s actually industry suicide. |
| When you only make “movies that only make a ton of money and they’re only one kind of movie,” you “begin to get a large segment of the population out of the habit of going to the movies.“ |
| The result: Cultural irrelevance. |
| The Superhero Stranglehold The numbers tell the story: |
| Superhero fatigue is hitting box office hard Theatrical diversity has vanished from multiplexes (Personally this blogger has not seen this) Academy Awards viewership is at historic lows (because the 2 most boring sports/games …Golf and baseball are more interesting!) Cultural engagement with cinema is collapsing |
| Hollywood forced audiences into smaller and smaller segments instead of serving the broad-based appetite that once made movies a universal cultural experience. |
| ARMAGEDDON TIME – Official Trailer – In Select Theaters October 28 |
| The Memory Test Failure. Want proof that modern blockbusters aren’t working? Try quoting a memorable line from Aquaman. You can’t. These movies are forgettable content, not lasting art. |
| Meanwhile, everyone can still quote lines from movies that “didn’t make a billion dollars” but “maintained broad-based interest“—films like The Ice Storm, There Will Be Blood, or No Country for Old Men. |
| The Oscar Mystery Solved. Academy executives sit around asking “Why is viewership going down?” The answer is staring them in the face: “We did not make the investment in broad-based engagement with the product.“ |
| You can’t build cultural relevance on superhero movies alone. |
| The Streaming Paradox. Even more damning: “The streaming movies that do the best are the movies that come out in theaters first.” Theatrical releases still matter—but only when they’re worth caring about. |
| The $300 Million Solution Nobody Wants to Hear The fix requires something that makes every MBA executive physically ill: Studios need to lose money on purpose. |
| They should “be willing to lose money for a couple years on art film divisions” because “in the end, they will be happier because it’ll come back.“ |
| It’s about rebuilding audience habits, broadening the customer base, and investing in long-term cultural relevance over quarterly earnings reports. |
| The question isn’t whether this analysis is correct. The question is whether Hollywood has the vision to act on it before it’s too late. |
Amazon’s going all in on young adult content…
| One platform’s trash is another’s treasure. While HBO Max cancels teen shows and linear TV abandons the genre entirely, Prime Video is going all-in on YA content. It’s a contrarian strategy aimed at Gen Z viewers who are notoriously hard to capture and even harder to keep. Some context: |
| HBO Max axed both its ‘Gossip Girl’ and ‘Pretty Little Liars’ reboots, plus Mindy Kaling’s ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’Linear TV has essentially abandoned the genre that once defined networks like CW and FreeformOnly 56% of Gen Zers pay for streaming (vs. 75% of all Americans), making them the toughest demo to crackNetflix currently dominates the 18-34 demo (23% of its audience) with Prime Video not far behind (16%) |
| But Prime’s bet is paying off. ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ just tripled its viewership from S1 to S3, pulling 25M global viewers in week one. The Jenny Han adaptation is now Prime Video’s #5 most-watched returning season, sitting behind only heavyweight franchises like ‘Reacher’ and ‘The Boys.’ |
| Meanwhile, Amazon’s got an advantage here: book sales data. They know what’s trending before anyone else. When ‘Fourth Wing’ flew off shelves, they pounced. This insider knowledge gives them confidence to bet big while others pull back. |
| The bigger play is building a ‘fan-led community.’ Prime Video is creating an ecosystem through live events and fan experiences. And they’re not trying to compete with TikTok—they’re making shows designed to be dissected, shipped, and obsessed over there. TikTok becomes free marketing instead of competition. |
| Looking ahead… The pipeline’s loaded with adaptations including ‘Fourth Wing,’ ‘Off Campus,’ a ‘Legally Blonde’ prequel series, and projects from ‘Gossip Girl’ veterans Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. Prime Video’s so confident, they’re already writing S2s for three new shows before even renewing them. |
Multiscreen MoTVision 