Good morning Insiders, it’s Cannes lineup week, while tariff-shaped hell continues to break loose around the globe. Max Goldbart here penning your weekly mailer. Sign up here.
Cannes Lineup
Fresh vibes (and Tom Cruise): “We’re loyal to our auteurs,” Cannes head Thierry Frémaux said yesterday during the presser for this year’s official selection. The statement came as part of a curious defence of his decision to invite the Dardenne brothers in competition with their latest flick Young Mothers. The longtime fest head is clearly aware of Cannes’ reputation as one of the circuits most pale and stale events. That anxiety has perhaps fueled this year’s punchy and vibrant official selection. Alongside Cannes favorites like the Dardennes and Wes Anderson, there is an exciting crop of filmmakers in competition like Carla Simone with Romeria, Tarik Saleh with The Eagles of the Republic, and Ari Aster with Eddington. There is even a first-time opportunity for a debut feature to open the fest, with Amélie Bonnin’s Leave One Day kicking things off. In his must-read takeaways piece, Andreas writes that the lineup feels distinctly fresh but with plenty star power. The fest’s worst kept secret, Tom Cruise’s final Mission Impossible, was officially revealed two days before the lineup. Out of competition Spike Lee returns to the Croisette with Highest 2 Lowest and Chilean master Sebastian Lelio debuts The Wave in the Cannes Premiere sidebar. As always, Frémaux said titles will be added in the coming weeks. Lynne Ramsay, Jim Jarmusch, and Park Chan-wook are probably the names being discussed most by pundits and I’d say they’re strong bets. Ramsay’s latest, Die, My Love, would be a particular treat. It stars Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson and is said to be a horror comedy. Let’s wait and see.
UK Streamer Levy
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Lack of consensus: Lawmakers helming the 18-month long inquiry examining British film and high-end TV reported back this week and recommended what the industry had been expecting – a streamer levy similar to those in places in regions such as Scandinavia and France. Unfortunately, with Donald Trump stressing protectionism with a capital P, the timing couldn’t be worse. The Culture, Media & Sport Committee’s suggestion that the industry impose a 5% levy on streaming giants’ UK revs was even labeled as lacking consensus in the 126-page report, and Netflix and others were fast out the blocks to bullishly push back. The Adolescence and Toxic Town streamer claimed levies “diminish competitiveness and penalise audiences” and threatened price hikes if the measure is rubberstamped. Minister Chris Bryant virtually ruled out a levy weeks back and it is hard to imagine how it would be brought in at this point, but we wait to hear from the government, which I’m told will respond in depth in about two months. Wolf Hall auteur Peter Kosminsky, who is broadly seen as the levy’s brainchild, will keep banging on the door in the interim (he told Jake the UK is “terrified of poking the U.S. presidential bear.”). Elsewhere in the report, upgrades to tax credits were in the spotlight, along with artificial intelligence, the work of the BFI and anti-bullying body CIISA.
China Vs Hollywood
Tariffs week two: Hard to believe it’s only been eight days since “liberation day,” but the irony of that name sharpens by the hour. It’s been almost impossible to keep track of the twists and turns of the tariff saga these past days, but one area under the spotlight has been China and Hollywood. Three days ago, two influential Chinese bloggers posted an identical set of potential measures that China could take against the U.S. if their trade war continued to ramp up, which it duly did, and one such measure was reducing or banning the import of U.S. films. This was confirmed yesterday, with the China Film Administration saying it will reduce the number of U.S. films allowed to enter the country, hours after Trump imposed record tariffs on the nation’s products (currently at 145%). “The wrong action of the U.S. government to abuse tariffs on China will inevitably further reduce the domestic audience’s favorability towards American films,” said the administration. Currently, the Furious 7 re-release, alongside the box office smashing Minecraft Movie, are leading presales for Friday in China. But for how much longer? China just increased tariffs on American products to 125%. We await the next twist.
Lights, Qumra, Action
“Cinema being done by a family”: Before heading to France to speak with Thierry Frémaux, Mel spent the early part of the week at the Doha Film Institute (DFI)’s Qumra event. In the spotlight was I’m Still Here auteur Walter Salles, who took the fest back two decades by revealing he is keen to work again with The Motorcycle Diaries star Gael García Bernal. “I love the idea of cinema being done by a family, and Gael is certainly part of that family,” said Walter, who had touched down in Qatar for a whirlwind 48-hour stay as one of five Qumra Masters at the DFI’s annual project. The week was all about new projects, and later on Johnnie To revealed that he has been working on a Hong Kong-set drama entitled Hope for the past three years. With candor, he told Mel on the Qumra fringes that he is creatively blocked over how to finish the Hong Kong film. No such issue for Anas Khalaf and Rana Kazkaz’s tennis-themed feature Love-45, which was presented to potential production and sales partners. That buzzy pic revolves around an overweight Lebanese man who finds redemption when he is asked to help set up a tennis camp for Syrian refugee children traumatized by their experiences in the war. We hope the project does well. All Mel’s fantastic Qumra coverage can be found here.
Game On In French Unscripted
“Gamification”: TF1 is France’s largest commercial broadcaster with an unscripted output that includes local versions of Survivor, The Masked Singer and Dancing With The Stars. The next turn of the wheel is ‘gamification’, and it sounds exciting. Julien Degroote, TF1’s EVP and Head of Content Development, said this trend is “driving the entire industry” and his musings will certainly give format execs food for thought. Stewart writes that in an era of unlimited viewing choices and competition from deep-pocketed streamers, it is harder than ever to have big, glossy mainstream hits, as commercial broadcasters like TF1 struggle to command mass audiences. That’s where “gamification” comes in, according to the French net. Next up for TF1, Sea Battle, a ship-sinking board game format hailing from Arthur Essebag’s Satisfaction Group. If that one can’t ride some waves then we don’t know what will. Read Stewart’s piece here.
The Essentials
🌶️ Hot One: Did somebody say Adolescence Season 2? Brad Pitt’s Plan B did, and the team revealed it to Jake earlier this week.
🌶️ Another One: Singapore producer, director and showrunner Eric Khoo is putting together an anthology film, Kopitiam Days, with six local directors aboard.
🥵 Hot, hot, hot: JFK thriller 1963 has found its Jack Ruby and Lee Harvey Oswald.
🪓 Breaking Baz: Banger from Baz as he brought news that Ncuti Gatwa and Edward Bluemel are teaming on a West End play of Liz Duffy Adams’ Born With Teeth.
💵 Cash probs: The Bryan Cranston and Lily Gladstone thriller Lone Wolf, which wrapped its shoot in New Mexico at the end of February, has still to pay out dozens of crew members due to funding trouble.
🔏 Investigation: Jake returned to BBC News exec Richard Frediani, who has been accused by 11 more people of workplace bullying and misconduct.
🤝 Done deal: SNL UK is finally a goer.
🌎 Global Breakout: To Spain we headed to profile Series Mania winner Querer, which poses terrifying questions around consent.
⛺ Festival latest: Diana brought us the best from a buzzy Storyhouse in Dublin, where Aisling Bea, Nia DaCosta and Kenneth Lonergan explored the industry.
🎤 Big interview: British TV hard man Danny Dyer talked finding his range, confounding critics and industry elitism.
📖 Report: Australia’s video industry is set to grow nearly 3% a year over the next five to $12.3B.
🍿 Box Office: There’s Still Tomorrow, the Italian black-and-white drama, has grossed a healthy $6M in China.
🏪 Setting up shop: Fremantle opened a sports hub and AI label within the space of three days.
This week’s International Insider was written by Max Goldbart and edited by Jesse Whittock. Zac Ntim contributed.