Mediagazer: How top Hollywood creatives are pushing Gov. Gavin Newsom to expand California's film and TV program from $330M to $750M, seeking to halt a production exodus (The Hollywood Reporter)

7:35 PM ET, June 18, 2025

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The Hollywood Reporter:

How top Hollywood creatives are pushing Gov. Gavin Newsom to expand California's film and TV program from $330M to $750M, seeking to halt a production exodus — In Sacramento, A-listers delicately push to expedite a bulked-up tax incentive to halt a production exodus.

Elsa Keslassy / Variety:

London- and Paris-based Animaj, a kids' media company that uses proprietary generative AI production tools to automate animation pipelines, raised $85M — HarbourView Equity Partners is leading a $85-million investment in Animaj, the AI-powered media company specializing in kids & family entertainment.

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Anthony D'Alessandro / Deadline:

Alcon buys Village Roadshow's library of 108 films for $417.5M, following Village Roadshow's bankruptcy in March; the library generates an estimated $50M/year — Alcon Media Group LLC has won its $417.5 million bid to acquire Village Roadshow Entertainment Group's library of 108 feature film titles, Alcon said Wednesday.

Discussion: Variety, Jessica Urven on LinkedIn, The Wrap and The Hollywood Reporter

Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:

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A look at the media company Breaking and Entering, whose “60 Seconds of Advertising News” videos have become vital morning viewing for ad industry executives — Breaking and Entering has expanded from a podcast for young creatives to a daily must-watch news roundup for ad leaders

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Financial Times:

Major US brands like Bud Light have shifted advertising strategies away from DEI themes, sources say due to fears of a Trump administration backlash — During this year's Super Bowl, American viewers were given a blast from the past when food chain Carl's Jr once again rolled …

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Jason Del Rey / Fortune:

A profile of LA-based Whatnot, a livestream marketplace valued at ~$5B, which has raised $700M+ since 2019 and expects its GMV to grow 100%+ YoY to $6B+ in 2025 — On a Wednesday night in early June, Rene Nezhoda leaned back in a Secretlab gaming chair, fiddled with a computer keyboard …

Discussion: @lexnfx, @simonowens and @delrey

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