Max Goldbart, Afternoon subscriber, is here. It’s been a busy week but International Insider has you covered. Continue reading for an in-depth analysis on the top international headlines this week.
BBC in Bad Times
Licence (Fee to Kill) It all started with one tweet. Negotiations over the BBC’s future licence fee appeared to be plodding along and then suddenly they weren’t. In one of the more outrageous moves by a member of Boris Johnson’s cabinet (and that’s saying something), UK Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries took to Twitter last Sunday to not only announce she had frozen the licence fee for the next two years, costing the corporation hundreds of millions of pounds, but also plans to scrap it entirely from 2027. “This licence fee announcement will be the last,”Dorries were grandiose. “The days of the elderly being threatened with prison sentences and bailiffs knocking on doors, are over.”
Lighting a Fire: Twitter erupted. There are many things you can do to help. High-profile figures including Hugh Grant, Armando Iannucci and Lucy Prebble rushed to the corporation’s defence as the notion of arch-BBC enemy Dorries taking away its established source of funding hit home. Grant branded Johnson’s government “spittle-flecked nut jobs.” Remember, second to the NHS, the BBC is arguably the nation’s most beloved, most talked-about public institution. Dorries was doing what she was supposed. Set the license fee deal to parliamentWith a noticeable rowing back of some of her harsher speech. Instead of the “days of the licence fee being over,” she announced a review into the BBC’s funding model to kick off soon. Commentators pointed out that with the UK government having an average of one Culture Secretary per annum for the last decade, it is unlikely she will be still in her post in 2027. I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!.
Inside the deal: With the future of the licence fee in doubt but not completely done for, the BBC’s more immediate problem is surviving the coming years. The fee being frozen at £159.50 ($216.30) for the next two before returning to rising with inflation will cost the corporation around £1.5BN ($2BN) across six years, which is more than BBC1’ s entire annual programming budget. The BBC’s negotiating team wanted an inflationary rise for the next six years. The BBC’s negotiating team is now planning redundancies and cost cutting. All eyes will be on Director General Tim Davie who will likely use his upcoming Annual Plan to announce more drastic measures. Television channels like BBC2 and radio services of smaller genres are all under fire. On Tuesday morning, Davie said “nothing is off the agenda”And politely intimated that he was “surprised”The way Dorries handled it. Early candidate for Understatement of The Year.
You might be interested in Channel 4!: Since Dorries took over in September, the government’s ire has turned towards the nation’s largest broadcaster but seemingly away from its third largest: Channel 4, whose proposed sale was her predecessor John Whittingdale’s baby. I disclosed Tuesday that Channel 4 privatization, which seemed to be a done deal six months ago, was delayed again, most likely until spring. The UK government’s hotly-anticipated Broadcasting White Paper, which will include the final decision, was initially expected last Autumn but Dorries’ department is understood to be grappling with an overload of work.
World Mourns Gaspard Ulliel
“He was shaping the future of French cinema”: On Wednesday, the world was shocked by the news. tragic deathThis is Moon KnightGaspard Ulliel was just 37 years old when he was injured in a ski accident. Ulliel’s tributes were overwhelmingStarred in the movie with, Hannibal Rising, It’s Only the End of the WorldChanel’s face was Xavier Dolan. The news was described by Xavier Dolan, a filmmaker. “implausible and insane” and celebrated Dolan’s “discreet laughter, watchful eye, talent, listening, whispers and kindness.”Jean Castex, French Prime Minister, stated Ulliel “grew up with cinema and cinema grew with him,”Thierry Fremaux, Cannes Film Festival director, wrote: “Gaspard was part of the young generation that is shaping the future of French cinema. He always knew how to choose his films and determine the direction of his career.”These are beautiful tributes. The actor had one son with French model and singer Gaëlle Piétri.
Berlin Competition Bonanza
It’s almost thereIt was a difficult situation for a while but the 2022 Berlin Film Festival is almost certain to take place. This week, the International Competition line-up was unveiled, and it’s a typically high-end arthouse affair. Highlights include Claire Denis making her first appearance in Berlin’s Competition, withBoth Sides of The Bladestarring Juliette Binoche and Vincent Lindon, and new pics from Hong Sang-soo and Rithy Panh. The Berlinale Special Programs feature photos from Dario Argento, Sophie Hyde, and Peter Strickland.
It’s worth talking it through: After the program announcement, Tom Grater sat down with Berlinale chiefs Carlo Chatrian and Mariette Rissenbeek to go over plans for the fest’s 72nd edition. One interesting tidbit from our interview, Rissenbeek told us that the festival is planning to put on a series of industry-only screenings, so that attending delegates don’t have to enter the scrum with general audiences for tickets, particularly with all cinemas strictly limited to 50% capacities at present.
Changes in the environmentWith only three weeks remaining, it is hoped that festival-goers will still be able to access the restricted areas. Covid presents an unpredictable set of challenges. Berlinale organizers are going to be closely watching as the number of cases continues to rise in Germany. Rissenbeek explained that she has daily contact with Berlin’s authorities to enforce restrictions.
Paradise On Pause
Tickets to America Covid is calming down but the film world was swiftly reminded of its power to frustrate after Universal’s upcoming George Clooney/Julia Roberts-starring romcom Paradise Ticket Was pausedAccording to Deadline sources, the virus was contracted by around 12 crew members and cast members. Roberts and Clooney are believed to have returned to the U.S. in order to avoid the Queensland spike. It is possible that Roberts and Clooney could return to the set next month. WHEN WILL THIS BE OVER?
David Kosse’s Masterplan
The big interview: The Must-Read Interview HereNancy met with David Kosse, Netflix International Film Vice President. Kosse is tasked with leading the charge on the streamer’s non-U.S. film output and has big plans, having dropped Pablo Sorrentino’s Oscar-shortlisted Hand of GodLate last year, J.A. Bayona’s Society Of The SnowThe Spanish feature spinoff Bird Box There is more to come. Go deeper as the former Universal and Film4 exec talks top talent, non-English language shows and Ed Berger’s All Quiet on The Western Front remake.
Africans: Elsewhere at Netflix, Tom had all the details of the platform’s $1M fund for budding film and TV students in Sub-Saharan Africa, which will cover the costs of tuition, accommodation, study materials and living expenses for the next generation of filmmakers. Read more.
Marc, the Man Who Called Himself Marc
The future is long and bright It’s been in the offing for a while but the hotly-anticipated U.S. adaptation of Swedish comedy Ove, the Man Who Calls Himself Ove Andreas announced this week that he had made another significant step forward World War Z: Finding Neverland The Kite Runner Marc Forster, director of SF Studios, will direct the pic. SF Studios will produce, and David Magee, a two-time Oscar nominee (Mary Poppins Returns to Life of PiThe project is being scripted by (), who reunites with Forster following their drama collaboration. Finding NeverlandBoth were nominated for BAFTA. This news was announced almost five years ago. He will be making room in a busy schedule that also includes Apple’s Masters of the Air Robert Zemeckis’ Pinocchio, Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City and Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic. Original Ove, the Man Who Calls Himself Ove The film was nominated two times for Oscars and became America’s most-watched foreign film in 2016.
Wallace & Gromit Are Back
Say cheese: They don’t come around very often so When they do one must get excited. In 2024, the sixth Wallace and Gromit film will be aired. It will be an untitled project that taps into current fears about automation. Gromit attempts to stop his master becoming too dependent on his inventions after he created them. “smart gnome.”Does this sound at all familiar? Good thing it’s not an Amazon project. The pic is the first Wallace & Gromit film to come from Aardman Animations’ mega-deal with Netflix and will premiere on BBC One in the UK. Meanwhile, Aardman/Netflix’s hotly-anticipated Chicken Run Continuation As it prepares for launch next year, Thandiwe Newton was announced as the lead and Zachary Levi was named as the co-lead.
The Essentials
🌶️ Hot one of the week: John de Mol and Stephen Lambert (pictured: l to r), two of the world’s best format creators, are For the first time, combining on UK and U.S. versions of de Mol’s Dutch format Million Dollar Island. As of now, there are no networks.
🌶️ Another one: Roger Michell’s final film, the Elizabeth Documentary about Queen Elizabeth II of England a picked up by Signature Entertainment and will air on the monarch’s Platinum Jubilee in June.
🌶️ Another one: HBO Max LatAm It has expanded its catalog ITV Studios packages that feature features are quickly followed by a fast-moving package deal The Bay, Bump Romulus.
🚚 You are always on the move: Veteran WarnerMedia Europe exec Barbara Salabè Is it leaving?After ten years, she was no longer the President of Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Her replacement was Quickly It has been revealed that Thomas J. Ciampa is the one.
🚚 AnothermoveXYZ Films It has promotedPip Ngo to Senior vice president of Sales and Acquisitions.
🏪 Opening a shopFederation Entertainment takes another step in its quest to be world domination. Glisk launches in GermanyTogether with veteran execs Philipp Steffens & Julie Link.
🏆 Award nominations:What’s Happening Annette won big at France’s Lumières Awards.
🍿 Box office: Spider Man has no way home becameThe film with the highest average grossing movieMexico’s most successful film of all time and has now surpassed the $900M mark at international box office.
🎦Trailer: Teaser has been dropped for Sky/Curiosity Stream’s Dean Reed doc Red Elvis: Cold War Cowboy.
Tom Grater contributed to this week’s International Insider.