---
title: This Week's Handful of Must-See Headlines
description: "So much news, so little time. Take five with our #FridayFive. Don't miss the top headlines from February 12-16."
---

[Cast & Crew Blog ](https://blog.castandcrew.com)

# [This Week's Handful of Must-See Headlines](https://blog.castandcrew.com/fridayfive_february12)

 Written by [Cast&Crew](https://blog.castandcrew.com/author/castcrew) | 02/16/2024

****

**Awards**

**Celebrating Casting: Academy Awards Introduces New Category   
**The inclusion of an Oscars category for casting highlights the crucial, often underrated work of casting directors. This recognition brings well-deserved encouragement to industry professionals who meticulously match actors to roles, showcasing their dedication. Advocacy for this addition to the awards ceremony has been ongoing for several years. 

 

**Movie Theaters**

**Viral Popcorn Buckets: Making an Impression With Elaborate Snack Accessories   
**The film industry is abuzz with a trend of intricate popcorn buckets linked to movie debuts. The surge began in 2019 with AMC's R2-D2 bucket for *Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker* and gained momentum with the viral sandworm bucket for *Dune*. Filmmakers, such as Ryan Reynolds, are now teasing unique buckets for their upcoming releases, like the latest *Deadpool *installment. 

 

**International**

**Germany Plans Film Reform: New Tax Incentives and Streaming Investment   
**Germany's Minister for Culture, Claudia Roth, proposes a film funding revamp with a 30% tax incentive and investment obligations for streaming platforms, aimed at boosting domestic production. Pending approval, this restructuring is set for 2025, requiring streamers to reinvest in European audiovisual production. 

 

Industry

Shorter Working Days: U.K. Screen Industry Supporting New Working Model   
A proposal for shorter working hours in the U.K. screen industry, backed by Bectu Vision and Timewise, is gaining traction. An in-depth study by the two organizations reveals that reducing working hours from 10 to 8 in scripted drama production would only incur a 4% increase in overall costs. This move aims to address sustainability concerns and alleviate crew shortages in the industry. 

 

**Video Games**

Hollywood Gaming Collabs: Latest Industry Deal Sparks Interest   
Acknowledging the media preferences of younger demographics, Disney has invested $1.5 billion in Epic Games to develop a gaming universe featuring Disney IP. Major entertainment players such as Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix, and NBCUniversal are also emphasizing gaming as a key growth avenue, recognizing the substantial consumer spend among Gen Z and Gen Alpha. 

 

*High five! Another Friday** **Five is going live next **week**—**sam**e** **time,** same place. **We know what caught our eyes, b**ut w**e’re all ears. Tell us **what you’d like to learn more about in our upcoming editions by **following us on * [*Facebook*](https://www.facebook.com/CastCrew/)*, *[*Twitter*](https://twitter.com/CastAndCrewNews/)*, and * [*LinkedIn*](https://www.linkedin.com/company/castcrew/)*. Be sure to **tag **#FridayFive in your comments. *

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*See you next Friday at 10 a.m. (PT).*

[View full post](https://blog.castandcrew.com/fridayfive_february12)

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