Good morning: In today's edition of The Industry, we look at:
Netflix’s buy, Amazon’s Steal, and a Ghost.
Let’s go!
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Today’s edition is abbreviated as Memorial Day is a slow news day.
Utkarsh Ambudkar, star of CBS’s long-running series Ghosts, has the hardest job in TV.
His character (pictured on the far right) must pretend that eight out of his nine scene partners are invisible. That’s because they’re ghosts.
In the show, he runs a Bed and Breakfast in an old mansion with his wife (the charming Rose McIver), who, unlike him, can see these spirits, which range from a ‘90s finance bro to a Revolutionary War soldier.
We sat down with Ambudkar to talk about his unusual role:
“Technically, obviously, it can be a little bit challenging… my character has no input, versus [Rose’s] character, all input. She's dealing with a switchboard that's lighting up. I'm staring at a wall. We're both doing magic tricks in our own way, but hers requires a lot more active listening. Mine requires making, looking like you aren't listening, interesting.”
Despite these challenges, Ambudkar does so with flying colors.
This season, his character finally gets a win, rallying everyone to help him accomplish his dream of opening a restaurant at the Bed and Breakfast.
For Ambudkar, that’s the heart of the show:
“It's better to be together with people you don't fully understand… than to be alone… we want you to laugh and feel seen and lighter.”
It’s a simple, powerful message that helps Ghosts blend hard comedy with heart.
For More:
Ghosts Season 4 clip. Watch Ambudkar navigate not seeing his scene partners.
THE INDUSTRY TLDR:
Netflix makes its first buy at Cannes 2025, Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague.
Christopher McQuarrie has cracked the story for Top Gun 3.
Mark Ruffalo returns as Hulk in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor are writing a sequel to Election.
Prime acquires Stolen (Premiere: Venice Film Festival).
BBC legend Alan Yentob has passed away at 78.
Oscar-winning doc filmmaker Marcel Ophüls has passed away at 97.
THE INDUSTRY NEWS / THE ACTOR SPOTLIGHT
Netflix makes its first buy at Cannes, picking up domestic rights for Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague for $4M. Interesting, as they tend to purchase worldwide rights. However, producer Christine Vachon and director Todd Haynes made an identical North American deal with Netflix for May December starring Natalie Portman. That film also premiered at Cannes and was picked up for $11M.
Nouvelle Vague (trailer) is shot entirely in French, black-and-white, and 4:3 format. The film dramatizes the making of the 1959 Godard classic Breathless.
The $4M purchase is a record deal for a French-language film.
Mission: Impossible director Christopher McQuarrie (co-writer: Top Gun: Maverick) has “cracked” the story for Top Gun 3. The script is in process as the film has already been given the go-ahead by Paramount. Tom Cruise will return alongside Miles Teller and Glen Powell.
No director has been confirmed yet, but it will likely be Top Gun: Maverick and F1 director Joseph Kosinski.
Mark Ruffalo Hulks out in the new Spider-Man movie. Ruffalo will be reprising his character of Bruce Banner / Hulk in the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Due to weird licensing with Universal, the Incredible Hulk is unable to star in his own films for Marvel, but he makes a hell of an appearance in Thor: Ragnarok (clip). His teaming up with science bro Peter Parker could lead to some fun adventures. However, this kind of puts the nail in the coffin for a more grounded street-level Spider-Man movie.
INDIE FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT / INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Alexander Payne and co-writer Jim Taylor are developing a sequel to Election, inspired by the sequel novel, Tracy Flick Can’t Win. Reese Witherspoon will return, but we don’t know much except that it will not be set in a high school like its predecessor.
Original trailer circa 1999.
Prime India has acquired Stolen, which premiered at Venice in 2023. The film follows two brothers who witness a baby being kidnapped from a poor mother and embark on a deadly chase, where their lives hang in the balance (trailer).
Prime release date: June 4th.
Marcel Ophüls, the Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker, has passed away at 97. In 1989, he won Best Documentary at the Academy Awards for Hôtel Terminus (trailer), which is a tough watch following Klaus Barbie, the Gestapo chief of Lyon, and his life after the war.
BBC’s Alan Yentob has passed away at 78. He had worked at the BBC since 1968, where he started as a trainee, eventually working his way up the ranks to Director of BBC Drama, Entertainment and Children. Colleagues described him as a visionary. Most will recognize him as the presenter of the BBC show Imagine, which has been running since 2003. Here’s one of his famous intro segments.
ON THIS DAY
2012. Amour wins the Palme d'Or.
Written by Gabriel Miller, Spencer Carter, and Madelyn Menapace.
Editor: Gabriel Miller.
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