Friday Five

In this week's Friday Five, Greece is named country of honour at the 2027 Cannes Marché du Film (Screen Daily), the Directors Guild of America reaches a tentative four-year deal with major studios (Variety), “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” crosses $1 billion at the global box office (The Hollywood Reporter), NIVA launches a fan-facing tool to fight deceptive ticket resale as 20 states advance price cap legislation (Billboard), and “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” announces its final performances on Broadway and London's West End (Variety), alongside other key developments shaping the entertainment industry.

In this week’s Friday Five: The Academy launches a global cinema recognition program (Screen Daily), Hasbro debuts an AI studio for licensed character experiences (The Hollywood Reporter), sports continues to dominate the TV upfront market (Variety), ad-supported streaming approaches half of all US subscriptions (The Hollywood Reporter), and Martin Scorsese joins an AI company as an adviser (Variety), alongside other key developments shaping the entertainment industry.

In this week’s Friday Five: Western Alliance Bank’s Melanie Krinsky unpacks what makes indie films bankable (Media Services), Lionsgate adds its library to Movies Anywhere (Deadline), “Stranger Things” leads the 2025–2026 TV season rankings (Variety), Germany boosts production incentives and moves toward investment obligations (ScreenDaily), and “Obsession” delivers a record-breaking second-weekend box office surge (The Hollywood Reporter), alongside other key developments shaping the entertainment industry.

In this week’s Friday Five: Spain celebrates a historic three-film presence in Cannes competition, Lionsgate’s “Michael” moves toward $1B worldwide, and we cover other key developments shaping the entertainment industry.

In this week's Friday Five: UK and Ireland box office is forecast to rise 10%, UK and French unions launch a joint campaign at Cannes against long working hours, and we cover other key developments shaping the entertainment industry.

In this week’s Friday 5: SAG-AFTRA reaches a tentative four-year agreement with studios, and thousands of filmmakers call on the EU to safeguard cinema funding. We also cover other key developments shaping the entertainment industry this week.

In this week's Friday Five: “Michael” sets a new box office record with a $218.7m opening weekend, The CW announces major streaming deals with ESPN and Roku, and more key developments shaping the entertainment industry.

In this week’s Friday Five: FilmLA launches a low-cost permit pilot for indie filmmakers, CinemaCon reports a 23% box office rebound with renewed focus on original storytelling, and more key developments shaping the entertainment industry.

In this week's Friday Five: The Producers Guild rolls out a new Sustainability Toolkit, the “Malcolm in the Middle” revival sets streaming records on Disney+ and Hulu, and other key developments shaping the industry.

In this week's Friday Five: The WGA announces its record $321 million health plan deal, Cannes 2026 features an auteur-heavy lineup, and other key developments shaping the entertainment world.