The state of Germany’s film industry, most notably its proposed new film funding laws, has been a worrying issue for their entertainment landscape. A last-minute clarification has made for many happy faces in the industry, but what’s the core deal? Our Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment attorney, Brandon Blake, has the full story for us.

Brandon Blake

The Film Funding Law

As with most European film industries, Germany’s depends heavily on governmental subsidies. The current film funding legislation is set to expire at the end of December 2024. This could have left the entire country’s industry at a standstill without a clear deal. 

Alas, the deal isn’t everything that was hoped for, with considerable election campaigning (most of it fractious) interfering on all fronts. So, the new deal isn’t without controversy, especially among more progressive members of the industry. 

However, there are considerable changes that should make projects easier to approve, including pre-approval for those with a proven track record in the country and more. This should help increase Germany’s competitiveness on a global scale. 

Good News Overall 

However, the German film industry is happiest to have clarity going ahead into the new year. As we noted above, this has been a difficult period to get any sense from governmental institutions, as they focus more on campaigning than getting the job done. 

It also represents one of three key reforms the industry hopes for. The others are a new tax incentive model to make Germany more competitive on that front and a potential law that will push streaming platforms to invest in local productions. However, these will have to wait for the new government, whatever form it takes. 

Perhaps the most exciting development for those in the industry is automatic approval for funding from the German Motion Picture Fund (GMPF) and German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), which mostly work with higher-end productions. This will allow German producers to claim up to 30% of local production costs back. 

Overall, it looks like there’s extra reason for the German film industry to celebrate over this festive season, and plenty more to come, too.

There’s some more good news for indie producers to round out the year. With the backing of RedBird Capital, 3 talented entertainment industry stalwarts have announced the formation of Prologue Entertainment, a new studio focused primarily on indie film and TV. Brandon Blake, our entertainment lawyer on the ground from Blake & Wang P.A., unpacks what we know so far. 

Brandon Blake

Premium Scripted Content

Prologue Entertainment will bring together Lloyd Braun, Noah Oppenheim, and Sarah Bremner at the helm, each well-established industry veterans. Jeff Zucker will oversee RedBird’s investment in the new entity. 

To begin with, the studio will focus mostly on scripted fiction for both the film and TV markets and already has three projects lined up for production. The Root of All Evil is a psychological thriller based on real reporting from a Mexico City exorcism, while Trapped is being billed as a “female survival thriller.” An unnamed project for Netflix directed by Kathryn Bigelow is now also in post-production.

A Familiar Crew

Many in the industry will recognize Braun from his time as ABC Entertainment Television Group’s chairman, where he helped bring popular projects like Desperate Housewives, Lost, and Grey’s Anatomy to life. He most recently served as the Head of Yahoo! Media Group and as Chairman of WME.

Meanwhile, Bremner oversaw the TV and film slate as President of ARRAY Filmworks, including Oscar nominee White Tiger, alongside other key projects. She also spent 5 years working with the Netflix Original Film Group that brought us Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Oppenheim served as President of NBC News, overseeing their business and editorial operations alongside their global bureaus and digital platforms. He’s perhaps best known as the co-creator of Netflix’s Zero Day. His chops as a writer speak for themselves, too, with a win for a screenplay (Jackie) at the Venice Film Festival, and a co-writing position on the team for the immensely successful Maze Runner trilogy.

It’s always exciting to see a new indie studio launch, especially as demand for smaller films is on the rise at the box office. Let’s hope to see many more exciting new projects from this stable.

AMC, despite some noted successes over the last few years, simply can’t seem to catch a break. Possibly as AMC seems to have repeatedly failed to learn its lesson on clear communication with stockholders. After AMC again took a significant beating on the stock market this week, our Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment lawyer, Brandon Blake, takes a look at what lessons AMC needs to learn— and what sparked the sudden downturn this time.

Brandon Blake

Stock Drop After SEC Filing

Overall, AMC shares dropped by 9% in the wake of news revealed from a recent SEC filing. This filing revealed that the company intends to sell off roughly 50M in stock shares, primarily to strengthen its balance sheet and reinvest in its core business. These proceeds are also earmarked to fund its ambitious “GO Plan,” which it announced last month.

It’s likely this focus on upgrading their facilities was sparked by news that Regal, too, is looking at a luxury overhaul for 425 of its theaters to revitalize them for the new face of exhibition. While AMC has taken great strides in addressing the balance sheet issues that have plagued it since the COVID lockdowns, it still needs to address its outstanding debt burden as well. AMC currently has about 375M shares outstanding.

Anger from Investors

AMC has, however, incurred the wrath of many of its stockholders on the back of the announcement. AMC netted some publicity in the early post-COVID era as it became a core focus of the short lived “meme stock” movement. While this was its salvation at a particularly rocky time, it does mean that AMC has drifted away from private asset companies as its major shareholders into an individual investor-controlled situation since 2021. This means that its current shareholder base is not always the most experienced in the ups and downs of the stock market itself.

Current investors reacted poorly to the news, fearing that this stock divestiture would dilute their investment positions. Others feel that the move will dilute the many gains the theatrical industry has seen over a bumper Thanksgiving period. While ups and downs are the nature of the market, AMC’s stock value has dropped 21% over 2024. Clearly, it’s time to take a different approach to communicating its financial needs to its unique stockholder base, or market punishment will continue to follow.

For those following Nielsen’s struggles over the last few years, you will already know that the limited access to first-party data makes tracking streaming ratings with the same efficacy we once could cable difficult. However, that lack could now be behind us. Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment attorney, Brandon Blake, has all the facts on this new breaking news.

Brandon Blake

A Shift in Audience Measurement

Last week, the Media Rating Council formally approved Nielsen’s plan to incorporate streaming platforms’ first-party data into its national TV ratings. This could be the boost that truly comprehensive audience measurement needed to stay meaningful in a fast-changing entertainment landscape.

The initial implementation of this “panel plus big data” measurement system has been limited, but it is promising. Amazon’s Thursday Night Football has served as the test case to date. Intriguingly, it showed an 8% increase in viewership when streaming data is included, or a jump from 13.2M to 14.26M viewers per game.

A Repeating Pattern

Nor is Thursday Night Football the only case where this has happened. In fact, NBC’s Sunday Night Football showed even more dramatic gains, with streaming on Peacock and other digital platforms boosting average viewership from 18.9M to 21.3M — a 13% increase. Other major networks, including Fox, ESPN, and CBS, have reported comparable streaming-driven audience increases for live sports events.

That’s live sports, however. There’s limitations still to face for non-live events, as most regular programming doesn’t stream simultaneously with its broadcast airings. Despite these constraints, integrating streaming data into traditional ratings will be a big step forward for the industry overall. Networks and streaming platforms increasingly rely on verifiable quantitative evidence of their total reach, primarily to woo advertisers to their service in an ad-supported era.

It seems that a more accurate representation of true audience numbers is, if not here, then at least a whole lot closer than it once was— and that’s definitely something to celebrate.

If you’ve noticed old favorites, like the ever-popular Bob’s Burgers adult cartoon, having something of a revival, thank Fox and Hulu. The two companies have had a streaming arrangement in place for a while now and, due to its many successes, will be extending the deal further over the coming years. Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment lawyer, Brandon Blake, has all the details for us.

Brandon Blake

Multi-Year Partnership

In March 2023, Fox and Hulu announced a multi-year deal that gave Hulu in-season streaming rights to Fox’s primetime programming. This agreement included Fox Entertainment and Fox Alternative Entertainment shows and has worked out incredibly well for them.

The network has now signed a new, multi-year content partnership agreement with the Disney-owned streamer. The details will stay pretty much the same. Fox’s primetime shows, including Bob’s Burgers and The Simpsons, will still head to Hulu the day after they premiere on Fox. Additionally, the two services share marketing, with both brands appearing on relevant promotional material.

The Fox Streaming Question

Fox, shockingly, still needs a major SVOD service of its own. While it does own the FAST service Tubi, it doesn’t carry all its programming, nor is there any next-day streaming to the platform. However, this isn’t the first rodeo for Fox and Hulu together. Fox was actually an early Hulu partner, subsequently selling its share to Disney when they acquired 21st Century Fox. However, this does mean that both Bob’s Burgers and Family Guy, two of the most-watched shows on streaming domestically according to Nielsen data, are technically owned by Disney after the merger.

It seems Fox, at least, is keen to keep Hulu as their default home for next-day streaming of their titles across scripted, non-scripted, and animated alike. The joint marketing campaign has also worked well for them, so there’s little surprise in the extension of this deal, although series fans will no doubt be glad to know their favorite hits will keep on playing for years to come.

Cineverse’s Terrifier 3 has achieved remarkable box office success, generating a staggering $80M globally with just $500,000 in marketing spend. The secret? Well… wise marketing spend, honestly. CEO Chris McGurk and President Erick Opeka leveraged their unique media assets to create a highly targeted release strategy. While we know all too well that there’s no such thing as a true formula to success, there are certainly great lessons to be learned here for the indie industry, where marketing budgets are scarce on the ground. Entertainment attorney Los Angeles Brandon Blake of Blake & Wang P.A. shares some of those lessons with us.

Brandon Blake

Using What You Have

Building on the unexpected success of Terrifier 2 ($15.7M), Cineverse used a diverse media portfolio, including horror blog Bloody Disgusting, podcast networks, and the Screambox FAST channel, to push up those numbers for Terrifier 3. Oh, and a little technology, too. Their proprietary c360 ad technology enabled precise fan targeting across platforms, achieving what McGurk estimates as $5-10 million in marketing value from their modest budget.

This unconventional approach skipped reliance on pricey traditional national media advertising in favor of hyper-targeted marketing to their exact audience — horror enthusiasts. As an independent distributor, Cineverse also had room to take creative risks major studios wouldn’t consider, such as releasing the movie with an unrated status and capitalizing on the hype generated from the many viral stories about audience reactions.

Knowing Your Market

Notably, their marketing efforts also focused on emphasizing scares over gore. This strategy achieved something notable for them—successfully expanding the franchise’s female audience demographic. It wasn’t a particularly novel or difficult-to-come-by strategy, either. They simply embraced the publicity around teenagers sneaking into screenings and reports of extreme viewer reactions. Then, they let social media go to work for them, with no ad spend needed.

It seems simple. It is. However, sometimes simple really is the answer. Today, we have a media landscape where targeted digital strategies and “leaning in” can outperform traditional advertising methods, particularly for genre films with dedicated fan bases. Indie producers take note.

While 2024 has taught us not to count our box office eggs before they hatch, everything is aligning for a spectacularly positive Thanksgiving weekend. With Moana 2 already looking set for a strong opening, there’s plenty to be positive about. Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment lawyer, Brandon Blake, shares the good news.

Brandon Blake

Moana 2 to Rule the Box Office Waves

The sequel to Disney’s Moana is already tracking for the best 4-day opening we’ve seen over the Thanksgiving weekend. It is currently expected to clear $135M through the Wednesday to Sunday period, which could well beat both Frozen 2’s $125M Thanksgiving takings and its precursor, Frozen’s $93.5M 5-day opening. 

Interestingly, Moana 2’s presales have already surpassed Incredibles 2 and Inside Out 2, which also promises good things for the Thanksgiving box office. The film is attracting significant interest from the Millennial demographic targeted by the first film and its target childhood audiences. Could it eclipse Inside Out 2’s lofty position at the 2024 box office? It’s certainly possible. 

Other Strong Contenders

Nor will Moana 2 be alone in its attempts to power up the Thanksgiving box office. With both Wicked and Gladiator 2 looking to open strongly ($80M and $65M projected, respectively) and play well throughout the holiday, we have a strong slate on offer to take advantage of this key holiday period. Historically, Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) is one of the best-grossing days at the box office. 

Looking beyond individual film performances, this Thanksgiving weekend could signal a broader renaissance in holiday movie going if its slate lands well, potentially setting new benchmarks for seasonal box office success. The varied slate offers something for every demographic, and it would be wonderful if the anticipated promising end to 2024’s theatrical calendar actually happens. Let’s hope to be able to share a positive report in the coming weeks.

While all market data indicates that the viewing public still has plenty of appetite for indie films, and several recent releases have performed excellently (for their class) at theaters, one thing is becoming ever more apparent. The difficulty of effectively marketing and releasing smaller film content in theaters has grown exponentially in ways that mainstream movies simply don’t face. One rising potential way to address this is micro-distribution. Today, our Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment attorney, Brandon Blake, examines the potential of this model for the indie industry.

Brandon Blake

Distributor Difficulties

One key hurdle for many smaller products lies in securing a distributor. We’ve seen this recently with The Graduates, which was hoping to build interest before its 2025 streaming debut. Small but good movies are struggling to sell on the current festival circuit, too, and limited resources create marketing issues. A more bespoke release strategy could be key to offsetting this.

Hundreds of Beavers, a somewhat madcap silent black-and-white comedy release from 2022 that only opened in theaters this year, has managed to reinvent itself as a cult classic and net $700,000 worldwide without ever finding an official theatrical distributor. The production team instead retained theatrical rights and made an “event” out of its “road tour” style screening. It has never been on offer at more than 30 screens simultaneously but has had an immensely successful theater run all the same.

Micro-Budget is Neglected

With the current focus on big-budget IPs, many distributors are not interested in the kind of profit margins indie films can generate. Yet, the audience’s appetite for them is there, and it is becoming increasingly clear that new content is critical to the health of theatrical overall. Rejuvenating this market through these micro-distribution models may place more weight on the producers’ shoulders, but does seem to be rising as an acceptable alternative for the indie market.

Of course, no single strategy provides all the answers. However, investing in a stronger focus on these micro-distribution styles could well become an important part of helping keep indie movies in front of the audiences that want them.

Spain is having something of an entertainment renaissance at present. Both an attractive destination for location shoots as well as having fantastic success with local productions, its film and TV industry is thriving. Last week, the Spanish government announced plans to boost the sector further. Brandon Blake, our entertainment lawyer from Blake & Wang P.A., looks at what we know so far.

Brandon Blake

3 Years of Remarkable Growth

The Spanish production boom started in 2021, partially due to the launch of the Spain Audiovisual Hub, which offered $1.73B in backing for the industry. From there, we’ve seen considerable focus on local talent, compelling location tax incentives, key regulatory reforms, and a lowering of administrative barriers to help power the industry to new heights.

Spain, Where Talent Ignites

As MIPCOM’s 2024 Country of Honor and the EFM’s 2025 Country in Focus, the Spanish Government has now launched its ‘Spain, Where Talent Ignites’ campaign to further boost the recognition and marketability of the country’s entertainment industry.

It’s a smart move. 4 of Netflix’s Top 10 most-viewed non-English language films are of Spanish origin, and the same goes for its TV rankings. A report from Parrot-ICEX suggests that Spanish-origin content accounts for $5.1B in revenue generation over the last 4 years. Additionally, Spanish dramas, historical fiction, and crime genres are doing exceptionally well.

This is without even considering its appeal as a location shooting destination, where its diverse landscape, historic buildings, and simplified application processes have made it a good choice. Spain currently offers a 30% rebate on the first $1.08M of eligible spending, with 25% thereafter, and an even larger incentive specific to the Canary Islands.

With the planned further investment in developing local crews and infrastructure, Spain is poised to maintain its position as one of the most dominant non-US film and TV production markets.    

While Warner Bros. Discovery no doubt would rather forget the recent Joker: Folie à Deux fiasco, they are enjoying some successes with their theatrical properties. After an unusually short 32-day theatrical window, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is enjoying its own wave of SVOD streaming success. Entertainment lawyer at Blake & Wang P.A., Brandon Blake, takes a closer look.

Brandon Blake

Knocking Deadpool and Wolverine off the Charts

While the film is unlikely to unseat Deadpool and Wolverine from its cozy spot as this year’s second-highest-grossing box office release, it has managed to knock it down the SVOD charts after only one week. Interestingly, it’s in the No. 1 spot on Fandango, which purely counts revenue (unlike iTunes, which works by transaction volume and placed the film at No. 3). This is significant, as Deadpool and Wolverine cost 25% more to rent, making Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s victory remarkably clear. And all this came from a 5-day release alone.

Can it Keep the Crown?

However, its No. 1 spot may not be held for long. Alien: Romulus will be released this week, and after a generally successful theatrical run, it may have the power to knock it down the charts a rank or two. Reagan, which releases on the same day, may also attract some SVOD attention. 

There’s another unusual ‘glitch’ in the charting matrix this week. Despite a 4-month delay in moving to streaming, Sony’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die took over the No. 1 spot on Netflix’s release list and seems likely to stay in the Top 10 for quite a while, based on its performance in other VOD lists. Twisters has also moved to VOD, and Universal has been remarkably successful at maximizing streaming rental revenues to date.

While nothing is likely to take the sting out of the disaster that was Joker: Folie à Deux, Warner Bros. Discovery has reason to celebrate this week. Whether it can sustain its SVOD success is a question for another week.