Happy Thanksgiving one and all. To us international folk still on the daily grind, here’s Max Goldbart taking you through another busy week of news and analysis. Read on. And sign up here.
Microdramas Reach Europe
Shogun Films
“On the cusp”: “When a petty corner-shop robbery lands three young men in possession of a mysterious, high-stakes package, they become targets of a ruthless criminal network and the streets of south London become a deadly chessboard.” So reads the synopsis not of the latest BBC 9 p.m. thriller but of a British microdrama, Swipe!, starring Lock Stock and Harry Potter actor Nick Moran (pictured). Microdramas started out gaining traction in Asia, Hollywood then jumped on the bandwagon and this week it was Europe’s turn to get involved. We’ve had a string of stories about microdramas, or vertical videos, coming from this side of the pond, including our exclusive on ex-Netflix EMEA content chief Kelly Luegenbiehl launching a vertical video studio with a former CBS exec and the boss of one of Turkey’s biggest production companies. Shorties Studios will make vertical originals for subscription streaming and social media platforms, along with ad-supported branded content. This followed major microdrama investments in the U.S. from traditional players including Fox. For those not in the know, microdramas are only a few minutes long and while they tend to be a little schlocky (titles include Revenge of the XXL Wife and My Secret Agent Husband), they are all the rave at present. Viewers can watch several for free before paying for further access, with numerous micropayments offering a fuller suite of content. Speaking of access, Access Entertainment is also thinking hard about the space, boss Danny Cohen revealed at an event in London. “There are a huge amount of microdrama startups on the cusp at the moment,” he said. “One or two are already making very good money.” Reminder: microdrama revenues are set to exceed the box office in China this year. This is not just a fad, but a serious trend shift that appears to be offering real opportunity for finance and investment in an industry desperate to land on the next big thing. If the likes of Cohen and Luegenbiehl are taking notice, others in Europe will follow suit.
China Box Office
Disney/20th Century Studios
Reading the tea leaves: It always pays to keep an eye on goings-on at the China box office and luckily this week we had a fantastic run down from Nancy doing just that, as Zootopia and Avatar: Fire and Ash launch in the world’s second-most populous country. These two potential box office bangers are being seen as true yardsticks of Hollywood’s current relationship with China, writes Nancy, who notes their performances will determine whether China has completely switched off of Hollywood or if it can still be relied upon when properties for which it has shown a predilection are offered on local screens. Zootopia 2 is tracking off the charts at present, while we will have to wait a bit longer to read the tea leaves on Fire and Ash. China’s box office is currently running about 16% ahead of last year, but 9% below 2023, according to Gower Street Analytics; the difference being fueled by the blockbuster success of local title Ne Zha 2, which grossed more than $2BN in early 2025. This all matters as Hollywood comes off the back of one of the most disappointing box office periods of recent times, with studios desperate for improvement as we move into awards season proper. Universal’s Wicked: For Good appears to be helping. That one, which has been paired with noticeably less marketing firepower than the previous Wicked movie, opened with an estimated $226M global debut last weekend.
Hunting For Plagiarism
Apple TV
Aw, shoot: Everyone loves a good old-fashioned plagiarism dispute. This week it was Apple TV’s The Hunt that was in the spotlight. The Gaumont series starring Mélanie Laurent had its launch delayed and for several days no one was much the wiser until reports emerged about perceived plot similarities to Shoot, a 1973 novel by American author Douglas Fairbairn. According to sources, Shoot, which has had its own screen adaptation with a 1976 U.S./Canadian movie of the same name, had not been brought up as possible source material and was not on Gaumont or Apple TV’s radar until recently. Release plans have, for the time being, been halted. The team behind the show will be hoping not for too long. The series is set to be one of the buzziest to come out of Apple France and stars Benoît Magimel alongside Laurent. They are among a group of longtime friends who hunt together, and are one weekend targeted by another group they encounter for no apparent reason. Gaumont is now on its own hunt for the truth, and if the Apple series gets scrapped entirely, it would be disastrous all round.
The Essentials
Alex Fountain/Courtesy
🌶️ Hot One: Netflix and Adolescence‘s Philip Barantini are developing a TV version of buzzy Fringe play Eat the Rich (But Maybe Not Me Mates X).
🌶️ Another Hot One: The creator of Warrior Nun is in development on detective series Time of Death.
🚞 Set visit: New Zealand PM Christopher Luxton journeyed to A Remarkable Place to Die, which has landed a second season.
🤝 Done deal: Canada’s Blue Ant Media bought Thunderbird Entertainment for C$89M ($63.2M).
🏕️ Festival latest: Our festival in focus this week was Marrakech, which is set for A-listers, Gen-Zs and its biggest ever industry strand.
🏆 Awards latest: Jafar Panahi’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner It Was Just an Accident (Un Simple Accident) won Best Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards last night.
🍿 Box office: Japan’s Kokuho is now the country’s top-grossing live–action movie of all time.
🎥 Trail: For The Voice of Hind Rajab, Kaouther Ben Hania’s award winner.
🖼️ First look: Breaking Baz at The BFG, which revealed epic pics ahead of first performance.
🕯️ A fond farewell: To Will Daws, the British producer known for producing programs for James May and George Clarke. Tributes were flooding in.
International Insider was written by Max Goldbart and edited by Jesse Whittock.
