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Film
New Heights for R-Rated Content: Deadpool 3’s Summer Success
Ryan Reynolds teamed up with Disney to market Deadpool & Wolverine, despite the Mouse House’s cautious approach to R-rated content. The campaign kept its edgy humor and expanded the audience with partners like Heinz and National Geographic, making it the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever.
International
Media Growth: India’s Streaming Landscape
The Ormax OTT Audience Report: 2024 shows India's streaming audience grew 14% to 547 million, based on a sample of 12,000 people. Despite this growth, paid subscriptions remain stable, as most users still prefer free content on platforms like YouTube due to cost concerns.
Industry
Residuals in the UK: Directors Push for Streaming Negotiations
Directors UK, representing 8,000 British directors, is demanding royalties from major streaming platforms. DUK has requested compensation similar to the enhanced residuals recently secured by writer, actor, and director guilds in the US.
Film Festival
Honoring Exiled Filmmakers: Oldenburg Film Festival Returns in September
The 31st Oldenburg Film Festival in Germany will honor dissident Myanmar filmmakers Na Gyi and Paing Phyo Thu, who have been in hiding since opposing the 2021 military coup. The festival will screen their films as a tribute and collect donations for The Artists Shelter.
Streaming
Content and Chicken: Chick-fil-A To Launch Streaming Platform
Chick-fil-A is launching a streaming platform focused on family-friendly, mostly unscripted content, partnering with Hollywood studios. A 10-episode game show is already in production, with additional scripted and animated projects in development, following other brands into the streaming space.
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