Welcome to a refreshed International Insider, folks. We’ve updated the newsletter with some new sections that make your weekly read more dynamic and exciting. What better time to roll it out than Cannes Film Festival week one? Lots on that and the other major happenings in the TV and film world to follow. Jesse Whittock here to guide you through. You won’t see the full extent of the updated Insider here, so there’s not better time than today to sign up for the newsletter.
Cannes Underway
Ready, Croisette, go!: There may be no big Hollywood titles in Cannes this year, but Tuesday night’s opening ceremony on the Croisette still provided some star-soaked intrigue. Reporting from inside the opening night screening and private reception, Deadline’s Baz Bamigboye chatted with James Franco. The controversial actor told Baz he’s wrapped his first big studio film in over a decade, and it will be released next year. Check out Baz’s full piece on the opening night here. Elsewhere this week in Cannes, red carpet glamor was on show at the 25th anniversary screening of The Fast and the Furious, while high-profile premieres have included Paweł Pawlikowski’s Fatherland, Asghar Farhadi’s Parallel Tales, and Jane Schoenbrun’s Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma. So far, there’s been no critical breakouts; Reviews have been balanced, but there’s no consensus. Even so, premieres still to roll out on the Croisette include James Gray’s Paper Tiger, Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Sheep in the Box, and Hope by Na Hong-jin. All three are highly anticipated and, curiously, have all been picked up by the American distributor Neon, which has won the last six Palme d’Ors. I know where I’d put my money if I were a betting man. Over at the Cannes Market, the biggest deal so far is Amazon’s $70M pact with Miramax for Supermax, an action-thriller starring Will Smith. The film is said to follow two FBI agents investigating a murder in the world’s most secure prison. David Gordon Green is directing. Follow along with our coverage in Cannes here, including news, reviews, galleries, features and interviews. And why not read a digital copy of the Deadline Disruptors + Cannes Film Festival magazine here? We’ve got you covered.
From Local To Global Debuts
New track: Don’t say we don’t spoil you. This week, Deadline International launched our latest editorial strand, From Local To Global. This will shine a spotlight on creative players from a specific region who are making an impact on the international stage, in both written and video formats and additional short-form social content. The first edition, held in association with Screen Ireland, sees a group of top Irish screenwriters discuss their work. >>>Watch The Video
Corden Corrals Comedy Commissioners
Think big: The great and the good of British comedy gathered in Liverpool for the BBC Comedy Festival yesterday. In panels from the most senior gatekeepers behind the camera, plus some of the most famous names in front of it, one throughline kept emerging: comedy talent needs to be properly backed in the age of fragmented viewing. James Corden found himself in full flow as he argued passionately for commissioners to greenlight shows in bulk, like with Gavin & Stacey 18 years back. “How do platforms today crack comedy?,” he questioned. “I feel like the only way is to commission two series and say, ‘We believe in this and it’s going to take time and you can’t rely on overnight ratings.’” Akemnji Ndifornyen, co-creator of Black Ops, gave a shout to the BBC commissioning team who “had that confidence” in his just-renewed series. The man making these decisions, BBC comedy chief Jon Petrie, celebrated being the “biggest backer” of British comedy but was stark in his assessment of how “scripted comedy is “going through a tough patch and has been for a long time.” This has been a theme in his Comedy Festival addresses at least since 2023, in what has become one of the most crucial dates in the British comedy calendar. It proves the comedy genre is far more than just for laughs.
The Insider Interview
When Barry met Baz B: Reviews for Barry Keoghan’s Cannes pic Butterly Jam haven’t been the best, but the Irish actor remains one of the most intriguing acting personalities out there right now. No wonder his chat with Breaking Baz made for compelling reading, as they touched on his new pic, playing Ringo Starr in Sam Mendes’ upcoming Beatles films, and whether he’ll turn his hand to directing himself one day. >>>Q&A
Deadline’s Global Breakout: ‘The Magic Faraway Tree‘
British box office boomer: Our latest Global Breakout went to the UK’s film biz for the first time since we profiled I Swear to hear about the box office success of The Magic Faraway Tree, which has grossed close to $20M+ locally. With a cast including Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan and Baby Reindeer‘s Jessica Gunning, the pic looks set to spawn sequels as its producers turn to British children’s film franchises such as Harry Potter and Paddington for inspiration. >>>Read The Report
The Essentials
🌶️ Hot One: Florence Pugh is set to star in and produce fantasy drama The Midnight Library, which will be directed by Lion filmmaker Garth Davis.
🌶️ Hot One: Aimee-Lou Wood’s well-received BBC comedy-drama Film Club won’t be returning for a season run, Jake revealed.
🔥 A third One: It was an online phenomenon in the early 2010s, and now Moshi Monsters is being rebooted for the late 2020s as an animated series.
😲 Best of enemies: The team behind Disney+’s saucy series Rivals explain how Season 2 pays homage to Jilly Cooper.
🇮🇷 Spotlight on Iran: Damon Wise spoke to four Iranian directors about filmmaking in their troubled homeland.
⚽ Golaccio!: Ted Lasso star Cristo Fernandez is swapping AFC Richmond for El Paso Locomotive after signing a real-life contract with the USL Championship team.
🖋️ Signed: Belgian and French actress Virginie Efira inked with United Talent Agency for representation.
🏃🏻♂️➡️ Wasting no time: José María Caro was named Chief Content Officer at Zorro maker Secuoya Studios a day after his exit from HBO Max Spain was announced.
⚖️ Sua Lipa: Samsung Electronics was forced to deny illegally using an image of popstar and Barbie actress Dua Lipa to help it flog TV sets in States.
🐦 A Bird in the hand is worth two in Cannes: Former Prime Video UK chief Chris Bird was in France launching a pair of AI ventures, one with documentary director Dan Hartley.
🎥 Trail: For Dear England, the adaptation of James Graham’s Olivier-winning play about Gareth Southgate’s time as the England national team manager.
International Insider was written by Jesse Whittock and edited by Jake Kanter. Zac Ntim and Max Goldbart contributed. Send any tips, comments or ideas for international coverage to [email protected] and [email protected]
English (US) ·