Good morning: In today's edition of The Industry, we look at:
Disney’s investment, Apple’s teacher, and a skinny dip.
Let’s go!
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Disney is licensing 200+ of its characters to OpenAI (creator of ChatGPT).
Next year, Moana, Yoda, Mickey Mouse, and Elsa from Frozen will be available for anyone with Sora, their video-generating app, to re-create.
Terms
3-year licensing deal
Disney invests $1bn into OpenAI
Disney+ will feature some of the AI-generated videos on its platform
No talent or voices will be used
Immediately, this seems like a bad idea on multiple levels.
From Disney’s POV, there’s a first-mover advantage in getting into the flywheel of AI-user-generated content. Potentially, folks who make Sora-generated Disney character videos will want to run to Disney films, Disney+, or Disneyland.
But social feeds may be flooded with images of Mickey Mouse porking Porky Pig. Or a beheading video of Yoda. Or Elsa doing shots. Whatever is the most contentious floats to the top.
Disney will likely have some guardrails on this, but who’s to say those can’t be easily hacked or hallucinated away?
On a societal level, Disney is tilting the balance of engagement away from its platforms. More hours spent forming an unhealthy (parasocial) relationship with Cinderella, who is “yes-and-ing” you into a psychotic break from reality, is less time spent binging Disney+.
Who this hurts the most, of course, is the creatives.
Imagine your neighbor drops acid and creates a 90-second Homer Simpson/ Luke Skywalker Sora-generated short that goes viral and gets licensed by Disney in a development deal because that’s cheaper than hiring someone from DGA, SAG, or WGA. Not to speak of the countless animators and VFX artists.
And if people can generate their favorite characters themselves, what’s the joy in going to the movies?
For More:
For my full AI-rant on the risk of a culture flooded with AI videos, click here: https://theindustry.co/p/the-matrix-and-a-fake-ostrich
Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter to Google, alleging that they’re taking a “free ride off Disney’s IP.” So they’ve chosen their horse in the AI race.
THE INDUSTRY TLDR
Frieda McFadden’s The Teacher sells to Apple.
Amanda Seyfried stars in Amazon’s Skinny Dip, adapted from Carl Hiaasen’s novel.
Dr. Ronald Mallett’s memoir Time Traveler is being adapted into a feature film.
47 Ronin director Carl Rinsch convicted of defrauding Netflix out of $11M.
Jennifer Garner stars in Netflix comedy One Attempt Remaining.
The Good Wife creators Robert and Michelle King renew their CBS Studios deal.
Paramount+ adapts Mo Willems’ Pigeon and Elephant and Piggie books into series.
Hugh Laurie joins Amy Poehler in Peacock comedy Dig from creator Mike Schur.
Voice actor Jim Ward (Fairly OddParents) dies at 66.
Spike Fearn joins Renée Zellweger in David Yates thriller Phantom Son.
Charades boards worldwide sales for Sundance’s The Incomer starring Domhnall Gleeson.
HanWay boards worldwide sales for Sundance’s Lady and Extra Geography.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle EP Sundance Cookie Queens documentary.
Hope Runs High acquires US theatrical rights to The Mountain, produced by Taika Waititi.
Film4 names Mubi executive Cate Kane as Senior Commissioning Executive.
BBC Film names Katie Ellen head of film finance.
THE INDUSTRY NEWS
Modern mystery author Frieda McFadden’s The Teacher is sold to Apple by Spencer Cohen and Anna Halberg, the filmmaking duo behind the surprising horror hit Tarot (2024).
McFadden’s 2022 thriller novel The Housemaid (trailer), by Lionsgate, is a week out from theaters, making this a pretty eventful holiday season for the hit genre author.
An instant bestseller, The Teacher explores a scandalous and secretive relationship between a high school teacher and their manipulative student that only continues to escalate.
Amanda Seyfried (Peacock’s Long Bright River, Hulu’s Dropout) continues her spree of prestige TV with Amazon Prime Video’s adaptation of satirical crime caper Skinny Dip, written by the hilarious Carl Hiaasen (Bad Monkey).
With ABC’s Once Upon a Time co-creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis attached as writers and producers alongside Seyfried, the action romcom tackles both murder and revenge in sunny California.
Skinny Dip has been housed before, originally developed by HBO; it was then piloted by the CW, never making it to series, before Quibi and Max both began adapting a version of the 2004 novel.
Time Travel is possible. That’s a belief I share with the theoretical physicist Dr. Ronald Mallett.
His memoir Time Traveler: A Scientist’s Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality is being adapted into a movie. It involves his obsession with making time travel a reality, with an emotional core of reuniting with his father, whom he lost at a young age.
Time travel is best when it’s emotional, not technical, so this should work well. Not convinced, check out my deep dive into the genre: https://theindustry.co/p/a-brief-history-of-time-travel-films
Supergirl drops a new spacefaring trailer, building off James Gunn’s claim that the whole film “nearly” takes place off planet. The world Kara (Milly Alcock) wanders drunkenly through is indeed very alien as she battles seedy bounty hunters with laser rifles as she protects Ruthye (Eve Ridley) on the duo’s planet-hopping adventure.
Piggybacking off the hype of Superman and the brief cameo of Supergirl at the end of that film, comic fans are getting excited about this Woman of Tomorrow adaptation. The comic is considered one of the best standalone series; it’s weird and dark and seems like a perfect fit for Gunn’s more risk-taking approach to the DCU.
Tidbits:
Federal prosecutors have declared 47 Ronin director Carl Rinsch guilty of defrauding Netflix of $11M meant for his $55M sci-fi series Conquest, which was never completed. Instead, Rinsch spent the funds on luxury purchases, crypto speculation, and legal battles. Rinsch claimed the payments covered his own production costs, but testimony from former Netflix execs undermined his defense. He was convicted of wire fraud, money laundering, and unlawful monetary transactions. Sentencing is set for April 17, 2026, and Rinsch could even face many years in prison.
Jennifer Garner’s number of collaborations with Netflix (Family Switch, Yes Day, The Adam Project, etc.) is about to hit double digits, adding comedy film One Attempt Remaining to the list. From Blockers (2018) director Kay Cannon, the film takes an unexpected turn following a separated couple who, after years of putting up with egregious divorce proceedings, find themselves struck with luck when they learn some cryptocurrency they won is now worth millions. Garner is set to star and produce with Netflix regulars Shawn Levy and Dan Levine producing for their 21 Lap (Stranger Things).
Prolific husband and wife duo, Robert and Michelle King (co-creators: The Good Wife), loyal to CBS Studios since 2009, have renewed their overall deal with the studio. The award-winning team has worked together for nearly three decades, creating series like The Good Wife (2009-16), spinoff Elsbeth (2024-), supernatural horror Evil (2019-20), and the Bryan Cranston-led legal drama Your Honor (2020-23). Next up, the King’s will serve as co-showrunners on the CBS Silicon Valley-set legal series Cupertino next year.
Mini Tidbits:
Nacelle Company (The Movies That Made Us) has lost its longtime president of production, Cisco Henson. With more than 300 credits to his name, Henson primarily produced stand-up specials for major names like Dave Chappelle, Ali Wong, and Tom Segura. His wife shared, “His legacy is the comedy he gave the world.”
The prestigious talent and production company Artists First (clients: Zach Cregger, Michael Showalter, John M. Chu) has promoted founder Peter Principato to Chairman and longtime company partner E. Brian Dobbins to new CEO.
Paramount+ is adapting Mo Willems’ children’s books into two animated series: The Pigeon Show! and The Elephant & Piggie Show. Produced with Willems’ Hidden Pigeon Company, the shows adapt his popular characters, from the chaotic Pigeon to best friends Elephant Gerald and Piggie.
Rising revenue couldn’t stop the Motion Picture Association from slipping into a 2024 deficit. MPA brought in $83M in revenue, but with a nearly $1M shortfall, the fiscal strain is evident in even the top companies due to the massive surge in expenses, reported by the trade association.
Trailers:
Apple TV’s Hijack (S2)
Release: Jan 14
A24’s The Moment
Cast: Charli XCX, Kylie Jenner, Rachel Sennott, Alexander Skarsgård
Release: Jan 30
Prime’s The Night Manager (S2)
Release: Jan 11
Netflix’s His & Hers
Cast: Jon Bernthal and Tessa Thompson
Release: Jan 8
Prime Germany’s Der Tiger
Release: Jan 2
Picturehouse’s The King of Color
GKIDS’ Kokuho
Japan’s International Oscar Entry
Release: Feb 6
Paramount’s Street Fighter
Trailer. SO CRAZY.
Release: Oct 16, 2026
First look:
Peacock’s Ted (S2)
Creator/showrunner: Seth MacFarlane
Release: March 5
Shoot dates:
What Happens at Night
Dir: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence
Shooting: Feb
THE ACTOR SPOTLIGHT
House goes comedic. Hugh Laurie is joining Amy Poehler in creator Mike Schur's (creator: Parks and Rec) new Peacock comedy series, Dig.
The series follows four women at a Greek archeological site who uncover a secret that sparks an international conspiracy. Laurie is playing a British professor who loves archaeology to his bones. And he’s a quasi-mentor to everyone at the site.
To me, this screams, Laurie, harnessing his wonderfully manic, megalomaniacal energy into something less intense, but equally domineering if a little sweet. Imagine him giving an impassioned speech about the distinctions between Greek columns.
Mini Tidbits:
Jim Ward, a voice actor acclaimed for his work on The Fairly OddParents, Ben 10, and Wolverine and the X-Men, has died at 66. Known for his improvisational brilliance and wide vocal range, Ward voiced dozens of iconic characters, including Doug Dimmadome. He will be missed.
Spike Fearn (Alien: Romulus) joins Renée Zellweger in David Yates’ psychological thriller Phantom Son. The story follows a runaway taken in by a grieving mother who thinks he is her kidnapped son. Developed by Zellweger’s Big Picture Co., the ACG Studios (The Secret Garden) backed film begins shooting in March 2026.
Lola Petticrew (Say Nothing) joins the cast of Netflix’s Assassin’s Creed series. We don’t know character or plot details, and the production team has claimed they will not be remaking the games. But she sure does have a similar vibe to the first series, Animus Operator’s Rebecca Crane.
Wanda Sykes joins Survival of the Thickest Season 3 as a guest star, with the series creator, Michelle Buteau, returning to direct an episode. Logline: Mavis Beaumont, a Black plus-size stylist rebuilding her life after a breakup while chasing love, confidence, and career success in New York.
ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy brings on Jamie-Lynn Sigler in a guest-starring role, marking the actress’s return to the network since the crime series Big Sky (2020-23). The actress who has faced MS for the past twenty years is playing a role specifically written for her and her return to TV.
FESTIVALS
Sales Reps are grabbing up Sundance films like pastries at Atticus Coffee:
The Incomer
Cast: Domhnall Gleeson
EP: Trevor Noah and Moby
Worldwide sales rep: Charades (Flow, Aftersun)
Gleeson plays an awkward official patrolling a remote Scottish isle who tries to relocate a brother and sister.
Hot Water
Prod: Josh Peters (prod: Didi, EP: The Last Showgirl), Max Walker-Silverman (dir: Rebuilding)
North American Sales Rep: Cinetic
International Sales Rep: Films Boutique (Peter Hujar’s Day, The Seed of the Sacred Fig)
Synopsis:
After he’s kicked out of his Indiana high school, an American kid and his Lebanese mom hit the road west.
Double HanWay films pick up:
Worldwide Sales Rep: HanWay (Shame, Carol)
Reminds me of Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Dir: Molly Manners (One Day)
UK Distributor: Film4
Worldwide Sales Rep: HanWay
Synopsis:
In an English girls boarding school, two teenage best friends grapple with the challenges of girlhood — friendship, boys, studies, and growing up — and embark on their school project, falling in love.
Also, Dogwoof (No Other Land) picks up worldwide sales on Sentient on the cruelty of lab research on animals.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will EP Cookie Queens. It’s a doc about the $800M Girl Scout Cookie season. Michael Dweck (Gaucho, Gaucho, The Truffle Hunters) produces.
Scripts:
Read A24’s Eddington, screenplay written by Ari Aster, and Searchlight’s Is This Thing On? written by Bradley Cooper and Will Arnett. Plus 1 more prospective Oscar script:
https://theindustry.co/p/prospective-best-screenplay-academy-dbf
INDIE FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT / INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Indie distributor Hope Runs High (Chronicles of a Wandering Saint) is giving TIFF title and the Taika Waititi-produced The Mountain (trailer), a theatrical release in the U.S.
A frequent collaborator of Waititi’s, the film marks…
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