Welcome, once again. This week, Insiders, it’s Jesse Whittock taking you through seven days in international film and TV that spans everything from major corporate layoffs to Italian festivals. On we go, and sign up for the newsletter here for the full Insider experience. Turmoil At…

Meghan Markle has said she is “deeply distressed” by explosive allegations reported by The Sun newspaper that her estranged father, Thomas Markle, has possessed child abuse images. In a front-page story on Friday, the Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid newspaper claimed that Thomas Markle is being…

Chris O’Dell, one of Fremantle’s longest-serving entertainment execs, is retiring from the Got Talent and X Factor company. He has been at RTL-owned Fremantle since 2007 and left just shy of 20 years of service on October 9. During that time he has worked on shows such as Got Talent, Idol, X Fact…

The Japanese writer and filmmaker Ryu Murakami has died. He was 74. Murakami's publisher, Gentosha, announced his death today in a lengthy statement on their website. "Author Ryu Murakami passed away at his home on October 17, 2026, at the age of 74. We hereby express our deepest…

U-KNOCK 2026 will connect Korean content and technology companies with U.S. investors and entertainment partners on November 4–6, 2026, at The Biltmore Los Angeles. The program is hosted by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and organized by the Korea Creative Content Agency…

EXCLUSIVE: German outfit BriskPace Studios, launched in 2025 by Al Munteanu with the team behind his SquareOne Productions, has launched BriskPace Unlimited, a new-formats label. The label’s first original series is set with The Light and Hard Times of Lucky Briscoe, a true-crime comedy about an…

EXCLUSIVE: Omung Kumar’s ‘Silaa’, starring Harshvardhan Rane, will release early next year. Zee Studios has set a launch date of February 5, 2027, on the film, which stars Rane and Sadia Khateeb in a story billed as bringing together “intense romance, gripping mystery and high-octane action” set…

In a surprise appearance at the Paramount UK Upfronts, Kelly Reilly officially revealed that Dutton Ranch will begin filming Season 2 in just a few months. Yellowstone spinoff Dutton Ranch has been a huge hit for Paramount+ and the expected Season 2 renewal came with two episodes still to stream…

Donald Trump has been ordered by a judge to sit for a deposition by December as part of his $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC. Trump sued the BBC for defamation in December over a Panorama documentary that misleadingly edited his speech before the January 6 attack on the Capitol. The…

When Justin Lothrop first came across Ursula Wills' short story "The Wicker Husband" online in 2021, the Votiv Films producer immediately knew that it was material worth championing. The offbeat fantasy fable, which at its core explores themes of jealousy and the transformative power of love, was…

EXCLUSIVE: The first big screen adaptation of House of Night, the popular YA fantasy romance book series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast, has a new director in the shape of Johanna Watts. A long-time collaborator of the film’s producer Davis Films, Watts previously directed the short Career Girl…

EXCLUSIVE: UK and France-based sales firm Alief has struck a deal with U.S. distributor Dark Star Pictures for North American distribution rights to Snapshot, the UK found-footage horror film which debuted at the Edinburgh Film Festival earlier this year. Director Joseph Archer’s film, starring…