Updated every Friday 12:00 PM
May 1 - May 7

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Apple TV announced that the new three-part docuseries, "The Dynasty: UConn Huskies," featuring the legendary University of Connecticut (UConn) women's basketball team, will premiere globally on Friday, August 21, 2026. Spanning 40 years of the program's historic run under Hall of Fame head coach Geno Auriemma, "The Dynasty: UConn Huskies" is directed by Emmy Award winner Matthew Hamachek under his first-look deal with Apple, and Emmy Award nominee Erica Sashin...

The Golden Globes has set its timeline and new guideline rules pertaining to the use of AI. The new AI guidelines state: "The use of artificial intelligence (AI), including generative AI, does not automatically disqualify a work from consideration, provided that human creative direction, artistic judgment, and authorship remain primary throughout the production process. All submitted work will be evaluated based on the extent to which creative direction, artistic decision-making, and execution originate from credited individuals. AI and similar technologies may be used as part of the production process in the manner described below, but may not replace the core creative contributions of human talent. With any use of AI, Golden Globes Eligibility Committee will review the submission and eligibility determination process and may request additional information or materials to assess the role in the creation of the work. Failure to provide requested information in a timely manner may result in ineligibility." For performances and non-performance categories, the eligibility states that "Performances submitted for acting categories must be primarily derived from the work of the credited performer. Submissions in which a performance is substantially generated or created by artificial intelligence are not eligible. The use of artificial intelligence in connection with a performance does not automatically render a submission ineligible, provided such tools are used only to enhance or support a performance that remains fundamentally human-driven and under the creative control of the credited performer, and that any such use is authorized by the performer. Additionally, submissions may not include performances generated through the unauthorized use of a performer's digital likeness, voice replication, or biometric data, whether or not the performer is otherwise credited."...

Paramount Pictures and Warner Music Group are partnering under a multi-year, first-look deal to produce theatrical films based on the recording label's vast catalogue of artists and songwriters. There aren't any projects in development, though WMG's roster includes legends like David Bowie, Cher, Phil Collins, the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, Led Zeppelin, Madonna, Joni Mitchell, and Frank Sinatra, as well as contemporary stars such as Charli xcx, Coldplay, Dua Lipa, Bruno Mars and Cardi B. Music biopics are nothing new, but Hollywood has leaned in after the success of 2018's "Bohemian Rhapsody." Since then, all kinds of artists including Elvis Presley ("Elvis"), Amy Winehouse ("Back to Black"), Bob Dylan ("A Complete Unknown"), Bob Marley ("One Love") and Bruce Springsteen ("Deliver Me From Nowhere") have gotten the cinematic treatment across various studios. That's not to say all have been embraced with equal fervor at the box office. Most recently, Lionsgate's "Michael" has been a sensation with nearly $200 million domestically and $450 million globally after two weekends of release. Meanwhile Madonna, one of WMG's artists, has attempted for years to make a movie about her life. She was supposed to co-write and co-direct a biopic (and even put a number of young actors through a rigorous bootcamp) before the project was ultimately scrapped at Universal...

AMC Theatres and Arena One will partner on a new concept that will see the exhibition giant showcase live concerts on its screens. The series will debut in June and feature performances from Bebe Rexha (June 17), Paris Hilton (June 18), Kim Petras (June 19) and Maren Morris (June 20), which will all be simulcast live in more than 300 AMC locations nationwide. Additional artists will be announced in the coming weeks. The program will be dubbed Arena One at AMC and was announced during the movie theater chain's earnings call on Tuesday. It comes as cinemas have leaned more heavily into alternative content as a way to offset post-pandemic box office declines, as well as cuts to the number of films major studios are releasing. Arena One at AMC will be pricier than an average movie ticket (the national average is around $16), with costs ranging from $40 to $75, along with taxes and processing fees. But they are cheaper than attending a concert, which typically cost upwards of $140 a ticket. The shows are one-night-only events, with pricing set by market and not adjusted based on demand, AMC said...

Poland's Millennium Docs Against Gravity, the documentary film festival that takes place simultaneously across seven Polish cities, returns for its 23rd edition from May 7 – 17 with a focus on the audience-facing attitude that has helped it evolve from a scrappy local affair into the country's largest film festival. "Our main goal from day one has been to build up a documentary mass audience," says festival director Artur Liebhart. "It was a very ambitious goal, and I think we are on our way to achieving that." Last year's edition racked up more than 180,000 admissions, bolstered by a wide-ranging program that's not afraid to shy away from the controversial or political — the event opened with "Coexistence, My Ass!," director Amber Fares' probing documentary about Israeli comedian and activist Noam Shuster Eliassi — while also unabashedly striving to put the "festive" back in "festival."...

In the run up to the Cannes Film Festival, French entrepreneurs Emmanuel Lipszyc and Thomas Cohen have launched IPFC, an ambitious new startup aiming to protect and monetize creative IP consumed by generative AI systems. Their model draws inspiration from rights management orgs such as SACEM, the French society of authors, composers and publishers which collects royalties and distributes them to creators. Positioned as a "one-stop shop" for rights management, IPFC is targeting sectors including film, music, publishing, sports and influencer talent, with plans to expand into luxury and fashion before opening the model more broadly in 2027. The company allows creators, brands and public figures to register key attributes – including their name, image, voice and visual identity — and define how they can be used. IPFC then monitors AI-generated and social media content, flags potential infringements and can trigger takedowns or pre-litigation action. By focusing on the use of the identity, rather than the work, the banner will be intervening upstream, before content is even generated. "The name is the only marker that allows you to know, with certainty, that a creative universe has been used," explains Lipszyc. "It's the only reliable entry point for protection and remuneration."...

Going forward the Oscars are allowing submissions from individual directors, not just entries designated by selection committees in different countries. The new rules that will go into effect for the 99th Oscars set for 2027 state that there are now two ways to submit a film for consideration. In addition to a film being submitted as an official selection by a country or region via the Academy-approved selection committees in each country, a non-English language film can now be submitted by winning a qualifying award at selected major international film festivals. The qualifying festivals ad wards for the 99th Oscars are: the Berlin International Film Festival (Golden Bear for Best Film); Busan International Film Festival (Busan Award – Best Film Award); Cannes Film Festival (Palme d'Or); Sundance Film Festival (World Cinema Grand Jury Prize); Toronto International Film Festival (Platform Award) and Venice International Film Festival (Golden Lion)...

Francis Ford Coppola, Juliette Binoche, Sandra Hüller, Stellan Skarsgård, Joachim Trier, and Vicky Krieps are among the more than 4,700 film professionals who have signed an open letter calling for the European Union to protect film funding on the continent. The letter, titled "Europe needs cinema, Cinema needs Europe," calls on the EU to "future-proof" support or cinema under Europe's MEDIA program, which has provided funding for thousands of films in the 35 years of its existence. The open letter comes as EU Member states are discussing plans to combine funding for culture, media and civil society into a single pot. The so-called AgoraEU plan would see the MEDIA program merged with a new Media+ division, which would include EU funding for video games, news media and journalism. The European Commission has proposed a budget of €8.6 billion ($10 billion) for AgoraEU over its initial 2028-2034 funding period. The European Parliament has called to bump that up to €10.7 billion ($12.6 billion). With so much money at stake, the film, TV and media industries in Europe are fighting over how the budget gets divided up...