Unattainable’ Rant; Vaccine Hope; John le Carré Bows Out – .

Hello international insiders, I hope you get in the Christmas spirit. Tom Grater delivers a sack full of attention-grabbing headlines from this week of movie and television news.

Insure the future

World’s best lifeline: . hears other nations look jealously of the UK’s coronavirus production insurance scheme for £ 500 million ($ 665 million), so it’s no wonder UK producers want more of a good cause. Led by John McVay, CEO of Pact, the film and television industry is in talks with the government to extend the initiative to cover filming through next June rather than the current February deadline. Given the ministers’ willingness to take part so far, it will be a surprise if the discussions are unsuccessful.

International Insider: BBC Analysis Special; Disney News Dump; Netflix is ​​the most watched; Berlin jitters

Why enlargement matters: The hope is that it will capture a rush of productions that get the cameras rolling during the longer daylight hours of spring and early summer 2021. Given the pandemic that should be pushed back, more film activity than usual is expected to take place next year, as McVay put it: “Unbeknownst to there will be no cover as of March, all of these productions will fall off a cliff. “

Hundreds of uses: 200 applications have already been made for the so-called film and television production restart program, and a number of applications have also been submitted. All you have to do is look at the stop-start nature of high profile shoots like Sky’s A Discovery Of Witches to find out why intervention is required for some who cannot rely on the deep pockets of studios or streamers to insure themselves . above. “It brought a lot of confidence back into the market,” added McVay. Go deeper.

light at the end of the tunnel

Vaccine rollout: Finally, some positive headlines related to Covid-19. Britain is leading the vaccination campaign. 137,000 people were vaccinated for the first time last week, with priority being given to those in vulnerable categories. Well-known people who have received the vaccine to date include Ian McKellen, TV stars Pure Leith and Michael Whitehall, and Paul McCartney.

Cruise starts

Tom Cruise mission impossible

Serious on the set: Don’t worry, Tom Cruise takes the regulations for Covid-19 on set very seriously. The actor may have crossed the mark when he was covertly taped disguising the crew on Mission: Impossible 7 for failing to adhere to distance protocols. The chatter, laden with explosions, provoked mixed reactions. On the one hand, Cruise received praise for people not being negligent in preventing the virus from spreading, as interrupting production can be costly. On the flip side, some had issues with Cruises’ aggressive tone and the way he addressed colleagues in a professional setting. George Clooney was a high profile figure who spoke up saying he understood Cruise’s position but had taken a different approach.

The Bows Out Square

Farewell to a literary giant: Sad news on Sunday when it was confirmed that prolific British writer John le Carré had died at the age of 89 after battling pneumonia. From Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy to The Night Manager, the author’s work has inspired numerous high-profile film and TV adaptations. Read our obituary here.

Davey is retiring

Gary Davey

On to the farm: A happy resignation from Gary Davey, CEO of Sky Studios, who this week announced plans to spend more time on his Sicilian farm from 2021. Davey is a great beast of the Rupert Murdoch era of broadcasting who has held several senior roles at News Corp and Sky in Europe. Most recently he was hired to set up Sky Studios, where Sky originals are commissioned and produced. Davey can boast hits like Chernobyl and I Hate Suzie, while the ambitious new Elstree studio complex has been approved by Sky Studios on his watch.

Shake the tree: After years of stability at the top of the UK TV executive tree, the winds of change are blowing. Davey’s departure comes just days after ViacomCBS quietly announced that international boss David Lynn (the ultimate boss of Channel 5) is leaving with immediate effect. There are major structural upheavals in other countries. As we researched in depth last week, after decades, the BBC ditched TV channel controllers to focus on streaming. ITV and Chanel 4 have also announced plans to restructure for a digital future. Expect other leaders to say goodbye.

Emily Beecham

🌶️ Hot of the week: Cruella actress Emily Beecham will star in Netflix’s Horror 1899. The project comes from the German creators Baran Bo Odar and Jantje Friese, whose Dark was a hit on the streamer.

🌶️ Hot of the week: Kate Atkinson’s best-selling and award-winning novel Life After Life is set to be reinterpreted as a four-part BBC series by Tessa Ross and Juliette Howells House Productions.

🌶️ Hot of the week: Lars von Trier returns behind the camera for a third season of his hospital series The Kingdom, which returns after its first two-season run in the 1990s.

🍿 International box office: Wonder Woman 1984 launched in international markets this week, although many cinemas around the world remain closed for pandemic reasons. The film is slated to start overseas at around $ 60 million.

🏆 Awards news: At this year’s European Film Awards, Mads Mikkelsen swept the board with Another Round.

🚚 On road: Changes at BAFTA, where the awards organization is merging its New York and Los Angeles offices into BAFTA North America.

In retrospect: Here’s Todd McCarthy on Christian Petzold’s Undine, Germany’s Oscar entry for this year.

Jake Kanter contributed to this newsletter.

Comments are closed.