This is Cast & Crew’s Friday Five, an audio edition of our weekly Friday Five blog. Listen in your car, at your desk, and anywhere you take your podcasts. To subscribe, visit our profiles on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Podcast Spotlight
Beyond the Budget: What Running Production Finance on 'Ted Lasso' Actually Looks Like
This week's episode of Beyond the Budget features production controller Ann-Marie Fitzgerald, who's spent 30 years in freelance production finance and never once been out of work. She joins host Bishop Porter to break down the real differences between a production accountant, a financial controller, and a production controller, and why reading scripts matters as much as reading budgets.
International
Bangkok's New Content Market Debuts With $65 Million in Deals
The inaugural Bangkok International Content Market wrapped its three-day run with more than 1,200 business meetings and over $65 million in deals across film, TV, and animation. More than 600 participants from Thailand and abroad took part, positioning Bangkok as a growing hub for regional co-productions.
Streaming
HBO Max Launches AI-Powered 'Shorts' and Conversational Search
HBO Max is testing two new AI-driven features: "HBO Max Shorts," a vertical scrollable feed of clips and trailers, and "Ask HBO Max," a conversational search tool. The move makes Warner Bros. Discovery the last major streamer to roll out both types of AI-powered discovery tools.
Theater
'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' Marks 10 Years in the West End
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child celebrated its 10th anniversary at London's Palace Theatre, cementing its place as the longest-running two-part play in modern West End history. More than 2.5 million people have seen it there, and the original two-part version runs through September 20 before a reimagined one-part production takes over.
Television
TV Academy and NATAS Open Talks on Possible Reunification
The Television Academy and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences are exploring reunifying, nearly 50 years after their 1977 split. If it happens, the merger could eventually bring the Primetime, Daytime, and other Emmy Awards back under one roof.
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