December 2024
- Opinion
- Sexism
Blake Lively turns the shame around
The actress is suing a Hollywood studio alleging sexual harassment and a smear campaign. It may prolong the pain but the only way to end impunity is to speak up.
- Nicholas Kristof
Lin-Manuel Miranda on Mufasa and the secret to a Disney hit
The Hamilton creator, who crafted the soundtrack for the new prequel to The Lion King, reflects on writing songs that have universal appeal.
- Sarah Bahr
The best TV shows of 2024
The New York Times picks English Teacher, My Brilliant Friend, Shogun, Babylon Berlin and Somebody Somewhere among the series that stood out this year.
- Updated
- James Poniewozik, Mike Hale and Margaret Lyons
Paramount’s Network Ten snaps up three regional broadcast licences
The seller, Southern Cross Media, has been trying to offload them for several years. It said it was in talks to sell others in Tasmania, Darwin and Broken Hill.
- Zoe Samios
- Updated
- Media & marketing
Former Nine boss Hugh Marks to lead ABC
The executive who pulled off the broadcaster’s merger with Fairfax and helped lobby for big tech to pay for Australian content starts his new job in March.
- Updated
- Zoe Samios
November 2024
How the world’s most popular TV show is made
Hwang Dong-hyuk wrote Squid Game, the biggest Netflix series ever, in the depths of despair. He’s back for season two. What can we learn from its success?
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
September 2024
Shogun wins best drama Emmy, Hacks shocks in comedy category
A tale of political machinations, Shogun also won acting awards for Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai, the first Japanese actors to win their categories.
- Lisa Richwine and Danielle Broadway
June 2024
The creative force who persuaded Malala to appear in a comedy show
The creator of “We Are Lady Parts’, a show about an all-girl punk band, wants people to see Muslim women as more than trauma victims.
- Alexis Soloski
January 2024
Disney takes $110m more from Australia, hikes streaming price by 28pc
It will cost more to have the same service on Disney+ from March. The global entertainment giant posted a nearly 30 per cent jump in profit in Australia.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
November 2023
- Opinion
- AFR Magazine
A new Australian fashion TV show is coming – here’s who has been tapped
Amid rumours of a TV production about fashion insiders, the drama around Australian Fashion Week could make for a runway success story.
- Lauren Sams
September 2023
Sheilas, blue heelers and a scene stealer: cultural power in 2023
The people who are behind a new era for women’s sport in Australia, an unlikely feminist icon and the first arts policy in decades.
- Lisa Murray and Matthew Drummond
August 2023
Aussie film sector doubles to $4.5b, but Hollywood strike impact looms
New data from an ABS survey of the TV and film production industry shows its revenue has doubled – but costs have risen more.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
July 2023
In the pink: Mattel cashes in on Barbie movie success
Quarterly earnings topped forecasts, but the toy maker has warned of softer industry conditions in the months ahead.
- Alexandra White and Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson
June 2023
Tour de France: Unchained is must-see for cycling fans (and noobs)
This eight-part series is the latest in a stream of slickly produced behind-the-scenes sports documentaries.
- Matt Teffer
The man leading Disney’s billion-dollar story factory
He’s faced a “woke” backlash and several box office misfires, but Sean Bailey is still Disney’s secret storytelling weapon.
- Brooks Barnes
April 2023
Why Sandy Powell is Hollywood’s top costume designer
She’s won three Oscars and made costumes for everyone from Paltrow to Pitt. But she says the real job is simply gaining trust.
- Lauren Sams
March 2023
Why ‘Succession’ probably won’t end well
Five experts, from a top screenwriter to a Shakespeare scholar, say the signs are pointing to a grim finale - with a twist - for the hit show.
- Updated
- Stephen Armstrong
Tilda Swinton urges next-gen Australian creatives to just go for it
In a galvanising encounter organised by the luxury house Chanel, the actor tells students of film, theatre, art and design they need neither money nor powerful connections to create works of true worth.
- Charis Perkins
January 2023
- Exclusive
- Performing arts
Streaming quotas tipped to force TV behind paywalls
Commercial TV networks are wary about a push to make streaming giants like Netflix compete for local productions.
- Andrew Tillett
- Exclusive
- AFR Magazine
How Brian Sherman inspired his Oscar-winning son
As the film and television production company he co-founded hits new heights, Emile Sherman has spoken about the lessons learnt from his father, Brian Sherman.
- Brook Turner