International Insider: Turmoil at Netflix

Welcome once again. This week, Insiders, it’s Jesse Whittock taking you through seven days of international film and TV, covering everything from major corporate layoffs to Italian festivals. We go ahead, and sign up for the newsletter here for the full insider experience.

turmoil on netflix

International light shines in the darkness: The crisis engulfing Netflix led to the departure of global content chief Bela Bajaria and film boss Dan Lim and the arrival of former Fox and Disney TV studios topper Peter Rice. Although the company is still throwing away bundles of cash, profits aren’t enough for Wall Street, and 1,000 employees have been hemorrhaged as Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters attempt to turn records around. However, amid the ongoing troubles, the international side of the Netflix business has quietly boosted its reputation. While Netflix’s stock took a hit due to soft quarterly results and the lack of a true US-made hit in 2026 has been a big problem, the streamer talked up local breakouts like Japan plastic beautyDanish secret womanMexican el chapo And perfect lie Out of the Netherlands. Netflix executives said the success of carrying France’s TF1’s channel suite should lead to more deals of a similar nature. It should be noted that none of the non-US titles referenced this week can be considered global hits yet, but no doubt regional managers and regional owners will be delighted that they have been singled out for praise. Bajaria was popular among them and his legacy will include huge growth in international Netflix centers over the last six years. As far as Rice, Netflix’s new chief content officer, is concerned, there’s an international story to tell, too. Born and raised in the UK, he attended the University of Nottingham before starting his media career at Twentieth Century Fox in 1989. Although his career has been almost entirely working for American studios, he has been known to attend the Edinburgh TV Festival and other European events, raising hopes that his strategy will continue the local-to-global model that has fueled investment in many markets. Read Nelly Andreeva’s excellent report on her career and prospects here.

when in Rome…

From MIA to you: The latest edition of Rome’s MIA Market is taking place this week, and I traveled to the Italian capital for the first part of the five-day event. Edward Berger, whose Pope Selection film conclave Set within the walls of Vatican City, the conference and market opened with a fascinating look at their filmmaking process and how the film business has evolved. Berger put forward the theory that the arrival of Netflix was needed to “wake up” American studios from slumber, but given the current circumstances, it may be the turn of Skydance, Disney and NBC Universal to inspire the streamer. MIA also heard a lot from Banijay Entertainment boss Marco Bassetti, speaking publicly for the second time in a week after MIPCOM in Cannes, and Domingo Corral, the widely respected former content boss of Spain’s Movistar Plus+, who argued passionately that gatekeepers should take risks – their version of which got the green light for people like these. la bola negra And Sirat. Elsewhere, we got a snapshot of the Italian entertainment (‘audiovisual’) market, where inward investment has declined for the first time since 2018. MIA has transformed itself into an important co-production and financial market – this year’s launch of the European Investment Hub track was indicative of this – and apart from the fact that you can eat superbly in Rome (my new recommendation is Francesco Panella’s Antica Pesa in Trastevere), the content on offer makes it a worthy addition to the entertainment player’s schedule. There are more MIA here.

Deadline Interview: Patrick Bramall

When Deadline spoke to Patrick Brammall about his Apple TV thriller series, he was in reflective mood last seen. The Australian actor and Harriet Dyer – his real-life wife and on-screen partner – said goodbye to the romantic sitcom over the summer call from accounts and considering their next move while raising a young family in Los Angeles. Bramall explains what attracted him to the dramatic role last seenHow he feels about abandoning an injured dog in an Australian comedy, and what’s his role in it the devil wears prada 2. He also gave his thoughts on the changing shape of the Australian production landscape and sent love to the late Binge Commissioner Brian Walsh, who supported Colin In first place. >>>Read the Interview

Goodbye, BBC Three… again

‘Fleabag’ trap on the scrapheap: How many TV channels have been removed twice in 10 years? There may not be many, but BBC Three is now one of them. The youth-skewing network is the highest-profile casualty of the BBC’s massive cost-cutting operation. Deadline first suggested the plan last month and it became reality this week, as the ruling was also announced on BBC Scotland and Radio 4 Extra. There are many who claim that BBC Three does not need a linear identity to survive, as most of its target audience prefers online content, but this is still disappointing for a channel that has produced genre-breaking shows such as Fleabag And gavin and stacey. In another disappointing week for the UK public broadcaster, more cuts have been made, talk of even more cuts and programs have been cancelled, as the BBC’s desperate attempt to get things off the books continues under former Google EMEA head Matt Brittin.

is mandatory

🌶️ hot one: JA Bayona, Javier Bardem and Laurent Bouzereau are teaming up NestorA feature doc about the life of renowned Spanish cinematographer Nestor Almendros.

🌶️ one more: Gianni Nunnari, producer of films including 300 franchise, bringing Brian Selznick’s young adult novel run away with me On screen, as the author adapts his novel.

🔥 Hot, hot, hot: Kari Skogland will direct attentiveA crime thriller based on the novel by Scully Sigurðsson and adapted for TV. separation Star Olafur Darri Olafsson.

🤝 New job: Carol Choi replaced the retiring Luke Kang as president of The Walt Disney Company in Asia Pacific.

⛺ Utsav Latest: Walter Thompson-Hernandez’s buzzy indie feature will they miss me if i go It is one of 10 titles screening in the international competition at this year’s Thessaloniki Film Festival.

🏆 Interview: The Story of How, starring Olivia Colman Wicker As told by the producers behind it, it was transformed from an unpublished short story into a big-screen feminist romance story.

⚖️ legal: The latest from the Russell Brand trial in London. The brand denies all allegations.

🌐 YouTube: Amelia Demoldenberg’s manager, Rebecca Dowell, leads the entertainment and new media division at her international management organization Three Six Zero.

🇯🇵 Quarrel Talk: Liz Shackleton sets the scene for next week’s Tokyo International Film Festival through a conversation with its leaders and an interview with TIFFCOM CEO Yasushi Shiina.

😊 Madchester: Dates for the first TV festival in Greater Manchester after Edinburgh have been announced.

🪧 Oppose: Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones signed an open letter in support of him normal people Author Sally Rooney, whose books are banned in Britain.

👀 First Look: Minnie Driver on Paramount+ heist drama Day.

photo of the week

Claymation – Naomi Ackie and Tom Rice at the European premiere of Harries clayface At Curzon Mayfair in London.