Don’t blink, Insiders. Jesse Whittock is here with you in the week Skydance took over Warner Bros. Discovery and Doctor Who began planning for the future. Here we go. Ready?

‘Doctor Who’ Regeneration Underway

Sonic screwdrivers at the ready: Stories about the Good Doctor with a question mark for a real name always do well on Deadline, and so it proved again with Jake and Max’s top scoop on the latest regeneration of the British sci-fi franchise. After the recent Russell T. Davies seasons were not brilliantly received by fans, Disney exited the show and rights owner BBC Studios (BBCS) put its future out to tender, asking the UK production community for their visions of a reimagined Doctor Who. One eye-catching bid in the “bake-off-style” process saw Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio and his Hat Trick Mercurio indie throw its hat in the ring. Elsewhere, Line of Duty maker World Productions is down as is Criminal Record‘s STV Studios, along with a pair of unnamed BBCS-owned labels, proving that while the show has become divisive and a difficult beast to tame, there will always be love for The Doc on British shores. Each producer sees a different future, with STV Studios’ plan being to move production north of the English border into Scotland for the first time in the franchise’s history. The deadline for pitches has now passed and our list isn’t exhaustive – another Scottish bid is rumored, for example. A24 UK, Playground, Mammoth Screen, New Pictures, Big Talk Studios, Expectation and Quay Street have, however, counted themselves out. The new series will premiere on BBC screens during the 2028/29 season, with the winner of the pitch selected in March. For the BBC, the news came in the same week that Director General Matt Brittin urged his staff to channel Elvis, i.e. “a little less conversation, a little more action.” Brittin wants the British public broadcaster to move faster, try more things and hone specialisms quicker. How it does that in a world of declining funding and ultra-competition isn’t clear. As some pretty snarky below-the-line comments on Jake’s scoop revealed, some aren’t convinced. “Be more Elvis, you mean, dead?” read one stinging post. Ouch. With Brittin also telling staff he’s been meeting U.S. streamers, it’s been another intriguing week at the BBC.

MIPCOM Preview

Croisetting the scene: As you read this, plenty of creatives, sellers and execs will be jumping on planes to Nice Airport for this year’s MIPCOM Cannes, which officially starts Monday. For me, it will be the 4,253,749th MIP in a row. The French event will be seeking to burnish its reputation as international TV’s biggest annual market and conference, and to do that, it needs the best new shows. This week, we dropped our latest Deadline Dozen run downs of the major titles launching at MIPCOM – and you can read about the unscripted 12 here and the scripted batch here. We’ve been ramping up coverage over the last few weeks and will be out in Cannes in force, scribbling up breaking news stories from keynotes and the Croisette, and on stage at several high-profile events and screenings. You’ll be able to read all the coverage by following this MIPCOM link (plenty of scoops there already), but for now, enjoy an interview with Banijay Deputy CEO Jane Turton, another with the bosses at Heated Rivalry streamer Crave and this chat with the producers of buzzy Princess Diana doc Diana Unheard.

The Deadline Interview: Vikram Malhotra

For all the talk of AI use, whether the U.S. studios are secretly using it to cut production costs or if Tilly Norwood will ever win an Oscar, there are surprisingly few legacy players who have opened AI-led studios. Vikram Malhotra from India’s Abundantia Entertainment, is one of those few. In our exclusive interview, he explains how staying ahead of the curve means putting his money where his mouth is on “human-first and AI-empowered” creative arm Abundantia AiOn. In 2027, he reveals, this will become a “fully fledged, fully native” standalone AI studio. What does that mean exactly? Click through to find out, along with insights into how Malhotra tempted Anil Kapoor back into an action movie lead and how the market is changing before our eyes. >>>Read the Interview

Based In Busan

Korea prospects: Liz Shackleton was in Korea for the Busan International Film Festival (the fantastically-acronymed BIFF) this week, where she heard from the likes of Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Alfonso and Jonas Cuaron, along with Chinese director and Busan jury president Zhang Yimou and fest director Jung Hanseok. Everything Everywhere All at Once star Yeoh, in town for the first time in 15 years to receive an Asian Filmmaker of the Year award, told a press conference about her experiences making Prime Video series Blade Runner 2099 and returning to Asian cinema. The likes of Fan Bingbing and Charlotte Gainsbourg hit the red carpet, along with the stars of The Table: Day and Night, the festival’s opening night screening, who you can see above. All your BIFF needs are here.

The Essentials

🌶️ Hot One: Turkish star Hande Erçel has been unveiled as the lead actress in Iranian director and screenwriter Nadar Saeivar’s upcoming Germany-set drama Diaspora.

🌶️ Another: Niamh Algar and French cinema legend Fanny Ardant are leading a thriller series set in an AI-controlled, high-end luxury resort, a rare example of a UK-Greece co-production.

🌶️ Cheeky triple: World War Z and Quantum of Solace director Marc Forster is turning his hand to TV by directing an adaptation of Jamie Scallion’s buzzy upcoming thriller Nines.

🦌 ‘Reindeer’ row reignites: After legal proceedings were dormant for more than a year, Netflix has suffered a blow in its efforts to get Fiona Harvey‘s lawsuit over Baby Reindeer thrown out of court.

💼 New job: David Brindley has been confirmed as the new Director of Programmes at the UK’s Channel 4.

🕴️ Agents: Joe Sugg and Caspar Lee’s agency MVE Management has hired agents from CAA and WME in the U.S., bringing in Carter Broussard, Cara Best and Ben Greenberger.

🛥️ Setting sail: Australian bestseller The Titanic Story of Evelyn is charting a course to TV with newly minted banner The Set Up collaborating with author Lisa Wilkinson for the adaptation.

⛺ Fest latest: Qatar’s Doha Film Festival has unveiled the International Feature Film Competition lineup for its second edition, which is due to take place this November.

🤝 Done deal: Anora maker FilmNation has partnered with nascent British indie High Road Entertainment to develop co-productions.

Photo Of The Week

Day In Court – Russell Brand attends a pre-hearing trial at Southwark Crown Court before the case kicks off next week in earnest. The former TV presenter denies charges of rape, sexual assault and indecent assault.