Good morning: In today's edition of The Industry, we look at:
Steven Spielberg’s Gold, Tim Burton’s Attack, and a Breaking Bad Bender.
Let’s go!
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Golden Globe Winners.
It’s easy to be cynical about this awards show, and for good reason. Their ownership is dubious; they have a history of making questionable decisions, and it’s really just a cash cow. On top of that, they just partnered with Polymarket, so last night’s broadcast was populated with occasional betting odds graphics.
But sometimes there’s a magic moment that transcends the BS…
In a surprise win, Focus Features’ Hamnet clinched the award for Best Motion Picture Drama, besting Sinners (which picked up an award for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement and Best Score).
This gave Hamnet producer Steven Spielberg a chance to share:
“I loved the [Hamnet] book but I felt there was really only one filmmaker on the face of the planet who could tell this story of Agnes and Will and the spirits of the earth and the forest and that was the exceptional Chloé Zhao.”
As one Oscar-winner passed the torch to another, it felt like a symbolic generational hand-off from the Hollywood old guard to the younger generation of directors.
Then, Zhao took the mic and imparted her deepest wisdom about art:
“The most important thing of being an artist is learning to be vulnerable enough to allow ourselves to be seen for who we are, not who we ought to be, and to give ourselves fully to the world, even the parts of ourselves that we're ashamed of, that we're afraid of, that are imperfect.”
She concluded:
“So the people that we speak to, they can also learn to see themselves and fully accept themselves.”
I believe to my core that’s the essence of good filmmaking.
In a beautiful follow-up moment, Zhao pointed to her contemporary, Ryan Coogler, a few years her junior, whom she had mentored at the Sundance labs, and told a story about how she taught him to make a fire when it was cold.
Her film Hamnet is all about the healing power of story to transcend tragedy. And if we follow Zhao’s words, it will light a fire within us all to make art that burns bright.
For More:
The Golden Globes breakdown. The biggest winners, surprises, and snubs. And, of course, Spielberg and Zhao’s full speech:
https://theindustry.co/p/golden-globes-winners-2026
THE INDUSTRY TLDR
Tim Burton’s Attack of the 50 Foot Woman remake is being rewritten by KPop Demon Hunters writers.
A24 + Entertainment 360's new package is a Zooey Deschanel-led comedy.
Paramount is exploring a strategic partner to help digitally reinvent MTV.
Netflix orders I Suck at Girls, a teen comedy from Justin Halpern/Patrick Schumacker.
Sony Pictures promotes Abby Zeltser to SVP of Corporate Communications.
Emma Mackey is in talks to star in Molly Gordon’s A24 comedy Peaked.
Marion Cotillard will lead Roma Elastica.
Jean Dujardin will star in Comédie Française, a love story.
PGA’s 2026 nominees include Weapons, Bugonia, and F1 as notable curveballs.
Berlinale’s co-production market announces The Transmigration of Bodies (Alonso Ruizpalacios).
Adam Bernstein (dir: Breaking Bad) directs Bill Burr coming-of-age comedy Bender.
Ridley Scott’s Scott Free hires Jillian Kay as SVP of Production.
Disney+ releases Oscar-shortlisted short The Pearl Comb.
Notable deaths: Bob Weir (Grateful Dead), Seinfeld director Tom Cherones.
THE INDUSTRY NEWS
Tim Burton’s long-gestating remake of Attack of the 50 Foot Woman is gaining traction at Warner Bros., even as Burton has hinted that an animated feature may be his next directing job. Margot Robbie remains attached to star and produce.
The original script by Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl) is being rewritten by Danya Jimenez and Hannah McMechan (KPop Demon Hunters), who are putting a sharper, contemporary spin on the material.
Robbie is set to play a wealthy heiress abused by her husband, who, after an alien encounter, grows into a literal giant and becomes a force of revenge.
If it clicks, the film would represent a tonal pivot for Burton after recent IP work like Dumbo, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and Netflix’s Wednesday, and one of his more intriguing studio swings in years.
A24 and Entertainment 360 (Apple TV’s Stick) have packaged a new TV comedy starring and EPed by Zooey Deschanel, marking her first major series role since Fox’s New Girl ended back in 2018.
Little is known of the plot beyond it being set at a “flagship music superstore.” Besides her obvious knack for comedy, Deschanel, both through her roles on screen and numerous albums, has a deep passion for singing, with this role likely to put her musical chops front and center.
The untitled comedy is also being produced by Middle Child Productions’ Dave Bernad (prod. The White Lotus), with every major network and streamer likely to bid big on one of the first projects up for grabs in 2026.
The TV Academy released some new rules, including name changes to the previously titled “Outstanding TV Movie,” award now called “Outstanding Movie.”
But the biggest change was a new rule about AI films. The TV Academy stated that they:
“The Television Academy reserves the right to inquire about the use of AI in submissions. The core of our recognition remains centered on human storytelling, regardless of the tools used to bring it to life.”
It’s a good first step. But not nearly enough.
Tidbits:
Paramount Skydance is exploring a strategic partner to help revitalize MTV (which it owns) and reinvent the brand digitally, potentially bringing music back as a focus. The move comes as Paramount commits over $1.5bn to 2026 programming and doubles down on modernizing its cable networks.
Netflix officially gives a series order to I Suck at Girls, a comedy from Abbott Elementary co-showrunners Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker, Bill Lawrence’s Doozer Productions (Ted Lasso), and Warner Bros. TV. Based on Halpern’s book of the same name, the series revolves around three pubescent seniors trying to survive the world of messy teenage drama. Shooting this summer, currently casting.
Mini Tidbits:
Sony Pictures Entertainment has promoted Abby Zeltser from VP to SVP of Corporate Communications. Zeltser handles communications across the studio’s major business and corporate partners, industry trade associations like the MPA.
Buchwald finds new leadership in its Publishing & Media Rights division, hiring Verve’s Noah Ballard as VP. Ballard’s top client is writer Jakob Kerr’s Silicon Valley-set mystery novel Dead Money, w/ Davis Entertainment (Song Sung Blue) producing.
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon pushed Netflix to approve a crew bonus structure for their film The Rip, rewarding all 1,200 workers if performance benchmarks are met. The Artists Equity deal breaks from Netflix’s often criticized upfront-only pay model.
The White Lotus S4 will be filming at Château de La Messardière in Saint-Tropez, France. Check out their website here.
Paul Haggis (dir: Crash) has reached a settlement with a former film publicist who accused him of rape. Haggis will pay Haleigh Breest $1.9M. This comes after she won a 2022 civil trial.
Renewals:
Netflix’s Black Mirror (for S8)
Trailers:
Peacock’s The ’Burbs
Cast: Keke Palmer, Jack Whitehall (Jungle Cruise)
Release: Feb. 8, 2026
Montreal, My Beautiful
Cast: Joan Chen (The Last Emperor)
Release: Feb. 13, 2026
Seeds (Doc)
Release: Jan. 16, 2026
Release Dates:
Toho’s Godzilla Minus Zero
Release: Nov. 6, 2026
Epic Picture Group’s The Huntsman
Release: April 17, 2026
Seismic’s Undercard
Cast: Wanda Sykes
Release: June 13, 2026
IFC’s 31 Candles
Release: Jan. 9th 2026
Filming:
Filming kicks off on Apple TV’s The Studio S2 next week.
THE ACTOR SPOTLIGHT
Why have one rising star when you can have two! Sex Education’s Emma Mackey is in talks to star in Theater Camp’s Molly Gordon’s sophomore directorial feature, Peaked, an upcoming comedy from A24.
The film follows two former high school bullies trying to relive their glory days at their 10-year reunion.
From Barbie (2023) to her recent leading turn in James L. Brooks’ dramedy, Ella McCay, Mackey can handle a blend of wacky humor and self-reflection, able to navigate flawed women who may not always be someone you root for, perfect for the type of comedy Peaked is promising. 2026 sees a big year for Mackey, who will also star as the White Witch in Greta Gerwig’s Chronicles of Narnia adaptation, premiering later this year.
Her role has not been announced, but it is assumed she will star alongside Gordon as the film’s leads, “the two girls who traumatized you in high school.” Peaked is starting production this spring.
Tidbit:
Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard is set to star in Roma Elastica, part of the new auteur-comedy slate from Ateliers de Production. From intimate French dramas to international hits, Cotillard can take on any role with this one close to home as she’ll play an actress gearing up to star in her last feature film set in Rome in the 80s.
The Artist’s Jean Dujardin is also leading a new feature for Ateliers de Production in Comédie Française, a love story that is Unifrance Rendez-vous’ opening night film. Dujardin will play a bipolar man learning to navigate his condition while seeking to move forward in his life, both in his career and in his relationships. Shooting April.
Michelle Randolph (Landman) has landed the female lead opposite Christopher Briney (The Summer I Turned Pretty) in Amazon MGM’s holiday rom-com Clashing Through The Snow. The feature marks Randolph’s first co-starring film role, following breakout turns on Landman and 1923.
Tubi’s upcoming YA horror-comedy Buzzkill stars rising actresses Siena Agudong (Sidelined: The QB and Me) and Brec Bassinger (Final Destination: Bloodlines) trapped with a murderer who’s been killing their sorority sisters. Production is currently underway on Buzzkill.
Netflix has rounded out the cast of its untitled eight-episode high school hockey drama, adding 12 new cast members for its high school ensemble. The series will follow a Minnesota town rebuilding after a deadly bus crash devastates its legendary hockey program. Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps is producing.
Adam Sandler vows to star in 50 movies before he dies. Joking, 25 of them will be good. Paul Thomas Anderson specifically called out Sandler in his speech (referring to their work together in Punch-Drunk Love). We hope for another reunion!
Obits:
Just days before his 84th birthday, Western actor Roger Ewing has passed away. Best known as the introverted handyman Deputy Marshal Thad Greenwood on CBS’s long-running series Gunsmoke, who, after being originally cast as a one-off character, was so memorable that he was bumped to a series regular. He will be missed.
T.K. Carter, best known for playing Nauls in The Thing and Mike Fulton on Punky Brewster, died at 69. His career spanned decades across television and film, with credits including Police Woman, Space Jam, Southern Comfort, and Moesha. Montage clips.
Broadway actor John Cunningham from the original stage productions of Cabaret and Company has passed away at 93. Beyond his prolific theatrical career, Cunningham had roles in beloved films like Mystic Pizza (1988), Dead Poets Society (1989), and School Ties (1992).
FESTIVALS
PGA 2026 nominees:
Bugonia (Focus Features)
F1 (Warner Bros. Pictures / Apple Original Films)
Frankenstein (Netflix)
Hamnet (Focus Features)
Marty Supreme (A24)
One Battle After Another (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Sentimental Value (Neon)
Sinners (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Train Dreams (Netflix)
Weapons (Warner Bros. Pictures)
So big surprises here are Weapons, Bugonia, and F1. All three are tremendous films. But it’s been predicted that Wicked: For Good and Cannes winner It Was Just An Accident are more likely Oscar nominees.
This is an important category because it has aligned with the Oscars 8 out of 11 times. And since 1989, the PGA has aligned with the Oscars’ Best Picture winner 71% of the time.
Full list of PGA nominees here.
Check out the BAFTA 2026 here. The biggest outlier from the US awards is Studio Canal’s I Swear. This is the drama from Kirk Jones (dir: Waking Ned Devine).
Who doesn’t love looking at the Razzies? It’s a bit of schadenfreude. So you can check out the full list here.
The Berlinale’s co-production market announces 35 projects. Two of the highlights:
Lotus Feet
Dir: Amanda Nell Eu (Cannes Critics Week winner: Tiger Stripes)
The Transmigration of Bodies
Dir: Alonso Ruizpalacios (La Cocina - my favorite film of 2024)
Full list of projects here.
At the Discovery Co-Production Platform:
Light and Shadows
Dir: Dag Johan Haugerud (dir: Sex/Love/Dreams)
Prod. Co: Yngve Sæther (Force Majeure) for Motlys (Thelma)
Screenplays:
Read The Forge’s The Chronology of Water screenplay, by director Kristen Stewart, Netflix’s Train Dreams script from Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, and Willa’s The Voice of Hind Rajab screenplay by Kaouther Ben Hania - bring a toolkit to piece your heart back together. It’s a powerful and devastating read.
Plus twenty-three more prospective Oscar scripts:
https://theindustry.co/p/prospective-best-screenplay-academy-dbf
INDIE FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT / INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Adam Bernstein, Emmy-Winning TV director of Breaking Bad, Pluribus, and Silo, is making a feature film for the first time in nearly 30 years.
Bernstein will direct the heartfelt coming-of-age comedy Bender, starring Bill Burr.
Synopsis:
Set in 1970’s Ireland, a hapless gang of teenage misfits who see a mass gathering for a visiting Pope as their last, desperate chance to pop their cherries before they graduate.
Bernstein is sensational at balancing very, very dry humor. His feature debut, Six Ways to Sunday (1997), co-starring Adrien Brody, begins with Debbie Harry, having “the talk” with her son, played by The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus (trailer).
Bender is right up his alley.
Major film and TV producer Bob Yari’s Magenta Light Studios (Strange Darling) signs off on a multi-year, ten-picture production deal with Seoul and LA’s Aanaxion Studios.
The Crash (2004) producer has been busy at Paramount EPing the Taylor Sheridan universe (Yellowstone, Tulsa King, Landman, etc.), with Magenta most recently distributing the Rebel Wilson comedy Bride Hard (2025).
An obvious push into international co-productions, the partnership’s first film is the Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element) led thriller, Protector, Aanaxion’s first U.S. production. The ten films will span across genres, with the entire slate expected to be revealed later this year.
Bob Weir, the understated singer, songwriter, and innovative rhythm guitarist who co-founded the Grateful Dead and carried its music forward for six decades, has died at 78.
Often called the band’s “other” founder, Weir’s elastic guitar style helped define the Dead’s sound. After Jerry Garcia’s death, he became the music’s primary steward, leading multiple post-Dead projects and touring relentlessly.
The Dead’s music had a pretty profound impact on film, with Coppola asking the band to put together an album to use for his score/sound design needs in Apocalypse Now, which you can listen to here…
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