Producing

Producers, the game is changing.

The Reaction Lab just dropped a powerful piece on the rise of international co-production agreements—and it’s more than a trend. It’s a strategic recalibration of how we finance, create, and distribute films across borders.

Read the link here:

https://thereactionlab.com/blog/the-rise-of-film-co-production-agreement...

From accessing multi-country grants to unlocking domestic status in multiple territories, co-productions are rewriting the rules. But behind every agreement is a story of trust, negotiation, and creative expansion.

So I’m opening the floor:

Have you produced a film across borders?

What did you learn—about collaboration, culture, or yourself?

What advice would you offer to someone stepping into their first international co-pro?

Whether it was a quiet indie between Lisbon and London or a multi-country drama with five funding bodies and three languages, your experience matters. Share it. Celebrate it. Let’s build a map of global producing wisdom, one story at a time.

I’ll start: My journey has taught me that emotional intelligence and clarity are just as vital as contracts. And that sometimes, the most powerful stories emerge when we lean into a collective vision.

Your turn.

And what are they thinking about when they make their recommendations? For Shivani Patel, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at Universal Pictures, it’s where creative opportunity meets commercial strategy—and every decision has to be backed by the data.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8qUiWr1Qu8)

Please schedule this amazing event, Stage 32 is bringing something amazing

for us,

Join us on Wednesday,

October 8 at 11:00 am PT for a

free FilmRaderie webcast presented by

Stage 32, dedicated to Composer Filmmaker Relationships:

How to Make Your Indie Film Successful."

Music can be a game-changer for your film—enhancing emotion, storytelling, and overall impact. This session will teach you how early collaboration with a composer can elevate your project, streamline your workflow, and help you avoid common pitfalls.

For those of you who moved from developing your own projects to working with international producers, what pathways worked for you? Curious how others bridged that gap.

The opportunities keep coming! We've just added a fresh batch of Open Writing Assignments (OWAs), featuring specific requests from producers and executives at major companies. This is your chance to get your work directly to the decision-makers who are actively building their slates.

NEW BATCH JUST ADDED:

- Low-Budget Features & Pilots ($1-3M): A Head of Development is actively seeking both Horror/Psychological Thriller and Rom-Com/Comedy feature and pilot scripts tailored for this budget range.

- Drama Features for Southern Shoots: A Producer is looking for Drama feature film scripts budgeted at approximately $1 million, with a planned shoot in the American South. All locations, casts, and script types are welcome.

- Movies of the Week & Pilots: An Award-Winning Producer and Manager is seeking:

- Movies of the Week in the Thriller and/or Holiday genres for any budget.

- Pilot scripts of all genres and for any budget.

STILL ACTIVE FROM OUR LAST BATCH:

- Prestige Sci-Fi: A Producer seeks feature screenplays (Sci-Fi, Sci-Fi Romance, Space Thriller) with a clear male lead (30-40) and no dense ensembles.

- High-Concept Studio Horror: An SVP at a Paramount-based horror banner is looking for feature-length horror scripts with a clear, scary concept for the $10-20M budget range.

- TV Pilots: A Director of Development is prioritizing procedurals with a "case open, case closed" structure, and is also seeking grounded sci-fi and half-hour comedies.

- Feature Thrillers: The same Director of Development is searching for fast-paced thriller features.

- Elevated Genre: A Development Coordinator at an established production company seeks elevated horror, horror-comedy, thrillers, action, and broad comedy, especially projects with social commentary or based on IP.

- Gen Z/Millennial Stories: A Production Company is seeking Comedy, Rom-Com, Thriller, Horror, and Action features that feel grounded and relatable to these audiences.

- A-List Talent Vehicle: An A-list actor's company is searching for a powerful, character-driven, dark drama for them to star in.

The OWA program is your most direct path to getting your work on the right desk. With new opportunities posted regularly, your perfect match could be just one submission away.

New to Stage 32? You can join the Writers' Room for a FREE month and apply to all of these OWAs immediately: https://www.stage32.com/writers-room

Your next big break is waiting. Happy writing!

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/trump-announces-plans-for-100-tariffs-on-foreign-made-movies/ar-AA1NAluF?ocid=BingNewsSerp

While there is no clear legal path for Trump to enact this decision, it is a pretty bold and scary attempt that could cause a Hollywood shutdown, or a resurgence by way of holding the world hostage. What Trump is trying to do, is force major productions to shoot in America. After all, box office success is hinged on American and China distribution. What I mean by that is, box office success is often judged by how well you do in the American market or Chinese market, and the Chinese market is not easy to penetrate without a co-production.

What Trump is hoping for is that by restricting access to screens, it will force productions to move back to America so they can qualify as domestic films. However, this may backfire big time. We saw in recent news where a lot of productions in Atlanta came to a halt because the productions moved to the UK where labour is cheaper. What is not being highlighted is that screens are opening up everywhere. Africa, Canada, Asia, are all ramping up distribution as the demand and supply of content is growing.

If Trump's plan fails, it could result in a huge migration of talent, or persons forced to transition to new jobs. What is your take? Do you have any additional insights into why this decision was made and what the implications are?

“The audience comes last. I’m not making it for them. I’m making it for me. And it turns out that when you make something truly for yourself, you’re doing the best thing you possibly can for the audience.” ~ Rick Rubin

There’s a major ripple moving through the industry: Netflix is reportedly considering a bid to acquire Warner Bros. While nothing is confirmed yet, the possibility alone raises big questions for those of us working across development, production, and distribution.

If this deal goes through, it could mark a historic shift from legacy studio to streaming-first ownership. Warner Bros holds iconic IP like DC, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings. Netflix, known for its binge model and global reach, could reshape how these stories are produced and released.

So I’m wondering:

What would this mean for theatrical releases?

Would Netflix prioritize streaming-only distribution for major franchises?

How might this affect independent producers pitching to either studio?

Could this open new doors or close some?

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Have you worked with either Netflix or Warner Bros.? What do you think this potential merger signals for the future of producing?

here's the link:

https://collider.com/netflix-wants-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery-theatric...

What makes a movie unforgettable? In this episode of Seen on the Screen, Jacqueline Coley sits down with Matt Reilly, Executive Vice President of Production Development at Universal Pictures, for an inside look at the creativity and strategy behind some of the studio’s boldest projects.

From gritty crime dramas like The Town to the wild chaos of Cocaine Bear, Matt shares stories of championing unique concepts, developing genre-defying hits, and collaborating with visionary filmmakers. He dives into how bold pitches like Violent Night evolve into audience favorites, the role of test screenings in shaping films, and the thrill of taking risks on unconventional stories.

A lifelong fan of cinema, Matt reflects on his admiration for films like The Exorcist and Die Hard, the power of storytelling to captivate audiences, and how Universal Pictures balances fresh ideas with respect for its iconic legacy. Whether it’s reviving beloved franchises or creating the next cult classic, Matt offers a behind-the-scenes perspective on what it takes to keep audiences coming back to theaters.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEdJZftEON8)

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