TheFutureParty
A Community-based Media Company
NBCUniversal and Disney have filed suit against the generative-AI platform Midjourney for committing copyright infringement on a mass scale. The Subtitles: This move marks the first major legal action taken by Hollywood studios against a generative-AI company. Previous lawsuits have mostly been restricted to individuals trying to preserve ownership of their name, image, and likeness — and usually, they were […]
Actor Jon Voight, who was named by President Donald Trump as a “special ambassador to Hollywood” alongside Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone, has revealed a detailed plan to bolster film and TV production in America. The Big Picture: President Trump threw Hollywood into a tizzy Sunday night when he announced a 100% tariff on all […]
A new report by the nonprofit FilmLA found that the occupancy of soundstages — the large, warehouse-like spaces where movies and shows are filmed — fell to their lowest levels ever (other than in 2020). The Big Picture: Film and TV production has yet to bounce back from the pandemic, two strikes in 2023, and […]
United Talent Agency has started to lean on AI to do market research, optimize dealmaking, and collect the currency that now makes Hollywood go round (real-time, complete viewership metrics) partly by using its own AI-powered app. The Big Picture: UTA has been investing heavily in its data and analytics division, the Joe Kessler-run UTA IQ. […]
Several Hollywood studios are organizing focus groups made up of super fans of particular IP to help guide how those stories are told and what marketing materials will be most effective for fandoms. The Big Picture: Hollywood both loves and fears the fandoms who create the foundational audiences for its biggest, IP-driven blockbuster movies and shows, so giving […]
Risky takes on well-known IP or existing franchises have been a success story for Hollywood this year, which offers an exciting path for bold filmmakers to play in a big-budget sandbox. The Big Picture: As the American film and TV industry contracts after years of unbridled spending in streaming, studios have focused their development dollars on […]
The Future. 4DX screenings — the immersive cinema format that utilizes 20 off-screen special effects to make audiences feel like they’re in the movie — had its two best weekends ever this summer with the releases of Twisters and Deadpool & Wolverine. If audiences continue to be drawn to the format, it’s possible that some […]
The Future. SAG-AFTRA approved a deal with AI startup Narrativ that will allow union actors to license their voices to commercial projects in an ethical way. Not every actor will be comfortable with their voice being cloned for gigs (they’ll stick with the recording booth), but at least this ensures that they’re protected if AI […]
The Future. C-suite execs at Universal, Paramount, and Disney are all signaling that they’re actively focused on making movies that can attract the widest audience and prioritize entertainment. To see if the strategy leads to a meaningful increase in theatrical ticket sales, the studios may make more mid-budget films over the next few years to […]
The Future. Former Paramount Pictures President Adam Goodman and renowned filmmaker Michael Bay plan to bring the Gen Alpha meme “Skibidi Toilet” to Hollywood in the form of a premium TV show or movie. Considering the outsized success of Gen Z’s favorite IP, Five Nights at Freddy’s, expect any potential big-screen adaptation of “Skibidi Toilet” […]