The mid-September Emmy appointment marks the start of Hollywood's school year: the awards season kicks off with accolades for TV series and programs and culminates with the Oscars in early March. The 76th Emmy Awards edition has shown that the upcoming year is rather unusual. Firstly, the competing productions, those aired or streamed between June 2023 and May 2024, managed to dodge the strike that last year kept lights and cameras off for a total of six months. Additionally, the [...]

Hacks snagged the top comedy prize from the highly favored The Bear, which was expected to repeat its success from last season with its second installment. The HBO/Max show about a seasoned comedian trying to regain her audience and comedic edge also won for writing (with Italian screenwriter Lucia Aniello on the team) and for its lead actress, 73-year-old Jean Smart. No surprises, however, when the envelope was opened for Best Drama Series: Shogun took home the trophy as expected, [...]

“Yes! I see the light!” The scene unfolding between the studios and glass-walled offices high in Hollywood echoes the iconic moment in The Blues Brothers, where John Belushi, bathed in divine blue light, dances down the church aisle, touched by God. After a series of box office successes by Christian filmmakers, faith-based movies are now making a significant impact in Hollywood, attracting millions in investments. Key successes have turned this sector into a hotbed of activity. The Chosen, a multi-season [...]

A recent study reveals a surprising trend in Hollywood: only 10% of the over 500 movies released or scheduled for release by major studios and streaming platforms between 2022 and 2026 were developed internally. This revelation has sparked a debate about whether the industry's current approach is the new standard or a sign that it has become excessively risk-averse. Historically, Hollywood studios have been known for their ability to identify compelling stories, develop scripts, and cast talent, regardless of brand [...]

AI is starting to reshape Hollywood, though not in the way many anticipated. While much of the conversation focuses on software automating tasks such as scriptwriting, de-aging actors, filling backgrounds, or dubbing entire series, the real transformation may lie in how AI alters viewing habits altogether. Computer-generated content—and the platforms that host it—has the potential to further erode Hollywood’s once-steady grip on how people access their entertainment. On TikTok, the revolution has already begun. It goes without saying: TikTok revolutionized [...]

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is firing the opening shot in a brewing battle for dominance in the fall film markets, setting its sights on challenging the American Film Market (AFM) for indie film business supremacy. With TIFF set to introduce its formal market in 2026, bolstered by an eight-figure investment from the Canadian government, the race is on to see if Toronto can dethrone AFM, which has reigned for years as the leading platform for film deal-making. AFM’s [...]