MGM

Hollywood for Sale (Again): Political Favor, Regulatory Blindness, and the High-Cost Collapse of Legacy Media

November 29, 2025 FilmTake Comments Off

Warner Bros. Discovery is barreling toward its fourth ownership change in seven years, a span marked by extraordinary value destruction, unchecked executive churn, and an industry unwilling—or unable—to confront the structural failures hollowing out the U.S. media sector. Instead of stabilizing long-term businesses, these megadeals have become vehicles for a handful of executives, financiers, and political allies to trade century-old cultural institutions like poker chips.

Lionsgate’s Next Move After Ditching Starz: Sale, Merger, or Meltdown?

July 20, 2025 FilmTake Comments Off

In an era of consolidation, contraction, and confusion in Hollywood, Lionsgate and Starz are finally standing on their own two feet. After nearly a decade under the same roof, the two companies have completed a long-delayed split, each charting separate paths in an unforgiving media economy where scale is elusive, profitability is evasive, and the search for suitors is relentless.

Legendary Eyes Lionsgate: A Marriage of Convenience or Strategic Power Play?

July 13, 2025 FilmTake Comments Off

Lionsgate Studios, freshly spun off from Starz and trading under its own ticker, is already the subject of acquisition talks with Legendary Entertainment reportedly leading the charge. While the deal could revitalize both companies, it’s driven more by necessity than opportunity.

Starz’s Pay-1 Rates Breakdown: What Starz Paid for a Decade of Sony Films

July 13, 2025 FilmTake Comments Off

The STARZ Pay-1 Film Rate Report provides exclusive insights into the actual licensing terms between Sony and Starz, including per-picture rates, bonus payments, and classification models that governed nearly a decade of releases.

The Ad-Supported Gamble: How Netflix’s Missing Titles Affect Its Value Perception

August 27, 2024 FilmTake Comments Off

At the launch of the ad-supported tier, 326 titles—about 5% of Netflix’s U.S. library—were missing due to unresolved licensing agreements. This gap includes around 60 Netflix Originals and 266 licensed titles, accounting for 11% of U.S. demand.

Streamers Shift Focus Overseas Spelling Trouble for U.S. Production Output

July 27, 2024 FilmTake Comments Off

Netflix and Amazon Studios are the powerhouses of the streaming industry, commanding the majority of content production and licensing activity. However, the bulk of their productions are increasingly taking place outside the United States. This international trend raises concerns about the future of Hollywood’s dominant production status.

Cannes Cheat Sheet: What Films are Screening, Who’s Representing Distribution Rights, and Territories Taken

May 14, 2024 FilmTake Comments Off

After years of declining demand for independent films, producers, sales agencies, and distributors report a significant pre-sales market resurgence heading into Cannes. Download Your Free Cannes Film Festival Cheat Sheet Below with Titles, Directors, Sales Representatives, Deals Signed, Links to IMDbPro, and More.

All Eyes on Cannes After Strong Sales at EFM and Sundance

May 9, 2024 FilmTake Comments Off

Given the number and quality of projects at Sundance and EFM Berlin, there is a feeling of cautious optimism going into Cannes next week. This year’s Cannes will launch a new Cannes Remakes initiative focusing on remaking European films, with a focus on France, Italy, and Spain.

Who’s Thriving and Who’s Struggling: Annual Streaming Scorecard Part Three

March 14, 2024 FilmTake Comments Off

Before unprecedented disruptions during 2020-21, streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon invested heavily in original films, but their investments have since fallen sharply. Likewise, the head of motion pictures departed after Netflix failed to deliver meaningful film releases.

The Media Conundrum: A Complex Interplay of Consolidation, Mergers, and Streaming Misfortunes

January 23, 2024 FilmTake Comments Off

Unstoppable declines in linear television subscribers coupled with challenges in achieving profits in freshly minted streaming services have led most media companies on the road to consolidation. Over the next 12 months, Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery, and NBCUniversal will likely be impacted by consolidation.

Peak Streaming: Navigating the Changing Tides of Streaming Feature Films

October 5, 2023 FilmTake Comments Off

In the ever-evolving landscape of streaming content, one thing has become increasingly clear to film professionals: the era of unabated growth in streaming, both feature films and series content, is ending. Before 2020, like Netflix and Amazon invested heavily in original films.