Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery begins staff exits as Hollywood cuts deepen

The combined Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery offered voluntary exits ahead of expected layoffs, while Hello Sunshine cut roughly half its staff. Animation workers secured new U.S. wage and AI protections, but a planned French walkout showed that disputes over pay and generative AI remain unresolved.

Key developments

Staff exits at Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery

David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz told eligible employees at the combined Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery that they will receive personalized, one-time offers to leave. Layoffs remain expected, and a five-day office policy will be phased in companywide.

Employees face both job reductions and less flexibility over where they work as the two businesses integrate.

Oct 26–29 · Animation World Network

Animation contracts approved

SAG-AFTRA members approved both TV animation agreements with the AMPTP by 94.95% to 5.05%. The contracts secure a 12.6% wage increase, stronger AI protections and residuals gains through June 2030.

Animation voice performers gain higher pay and contractual safeguards governing AI use.

Oct 30 · Culture.org · Yardbarker · IMDb

Hello Sunshine halves its workforce

Hello Sunshine is laying off about 30 employees, roughly half its staff, after Reese Witherspoon reacquired the company from Candle Media with Mediawan. The company is prioritizing film, television and Reese’s Book Club.

The ownership change leaves a smaller workforce focused on the company’s film, television and book operations.

Oct 30 · Variety · Deadline · TheWrap

French animation walkout called

SNTPCT called on animation and VFX workers across France to stop work from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on November 18. Its demands to AnimFrance and SPI cover pay, generative AI, job titles and public holidays.

Participating animation and VFX productions could lose two hours of work while employment terms remain disputed.

Oct 27–29 · Animation World Network

Cliff Booth gets AMC-only IMAX window

Netflix’s Cliff Booth, directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt, will begin an exclusive IMAX theatrical window on Thanksgiving through AMC’s 500 screens worldwide. Cinemark and Regal IMAX screens are excluded.

Access to the film’s IMAX run will depend on AMC locations rather than all three major exhibition chains.

Oct 30 · IndieWire

Resident Evil sets franchise record

Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil reached $400 million worldwide, with $157.399 million in North America and $242.6 million overseas. It is the highest-grossing installment in the 24-year-old film franchise.

The reboot establishes a higher theatrical earnings benchmark for the video-game adaptation series.

Nov 1 · Deadline · Variety

Anime revenue reaches $28 billion

Japan’s anime industry reached a record $28 billion in 2025, with growth in both foreign sales and the domestic market. The latest Demon Slayer movie’s global success helped drive the increase.

Anime’s expanding sales at home and abroad strengthen its commercial role for studios, distributors and streaming buyers.

Oct 31 · The Hollywood Reporter

Crystal Lake delivers for Peacock

Crystal Lake ranked among Peacock’s biggest scripted original debuts, according to NBCUniversal, and recorded 1.7 billion viewing minutes in two weeks. The Friday the 13th prequel also generated more social mentions than any other Peacock scripted original this year.

The horror prequel gives Peacock a scripted title drawing sustained viewing beyond its launch.

Oct 28–30 · nbcuniversal media · TheWrap

Documentary challenges Clayface

A24’s You Can See Everything passed $52 million domestically and earned $3.56 million on its third Friday from 3,243 North American theaters, narrowly beating Clayface. Both films were estimated to earn around $10.5 million over the Halloween weekend.

The documentary is retaining enough theatrical demand in its third weekend to compete with a DC release.

Oct 30–31 · Deadline · Variety · TheWrap

Celebrity Traitors finale breaks record

The Celebrity Traitors averaged 11.23 million overnight viewers for its BBC finale, exceeding the previous finale high of 11 million. The 80-minute episode peaked at 11.6 million viewers.

The format continues to draw a growing audience for its linear television finale.

Oct 31 · Deadline

Also this week

Business and labor

• Fewer than 1% of SAG-AFTRA members have qualified for the streaming bonus so far, amid scrutiny of post-strike working conditions. Deadline · IMDb

• The “One Job Away” campaign highlighted actors’ struggles to qualify for SAG-AFTRA health insurance, and union president Sean Astin said members’ experiences reach elected representatives. sag-aftra · Reel 360 News · The Hollywood Reporter

• Comcast reportedly faces major layoffs ahead of an NBCUniversal spin-off. Breitbart News

• Angel Studios introduced “The Angel Promise,” banning on-screen sex, nudity, the F-word and “misuse of God’s name,” while expanding parental controls and paid subscribers’ role in choosing films and television. Deadline

• A coalition led by Cate Blanchett filed a challenge to OpenAI in the New York Times copyright case, with Blanchett emphasizing permission for use of her face, voice or image. TheWrap

Theaters and audiences

• The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping entered tracking with U.S. opening forecasts starting at $60 million-plus ahead of Thanksgiving. Deadline

• Laika’s Wildwood opened with $12.2 million, near Kubo’s debut and more than double Missing Link’s opening, with international expansion still ahead. Cartoon Brew

• Fully AI-generated feature Sanxingdui: Future Past earned $181,000 in its opening weekend in China against a $1.5 million budget. IndieWire

• NBC and Peacock delivered the most-watched WNBA Finals Game 4 ever, according to NBCUniversal. nbcuniversal media

• The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, starring John Turturro, topped $1.9 million in its second week as it expanded from six screens to 1,112. Deadline

• Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus Zero played two sold-out Tokyo Film Festival screenings ahead of its November 3 Japanese release, with Ryunosuke Kamiki and Minami Hamabe attending. The Hollywood Reporter

Development and acquisitions

• Amazon MGM Studios is developing Melinda Leigh’s thriller novel The Courier as a series, with Martin Gero attached to write, executive produce and serve as showrunner. Deadline

• Netflix began production on Jotadé, a Madrid-set adaptation of Santiago Díaz’s crime novel, directed by Daniel Calparsoro and starring Isaac Díaz, Aura Garrido, Jose Coronado and Jaime Lorente. Netflix Press Site

• Netflix confirmed production of We Go High, a K-pop audition series featuring arts high school students, with recruitment starting October 21. Netflix Press Site

• Cinema Guild acquired North American distribution rights to Angela Schanelec’s My Wife Cries, following its Berlin competition premiere and New York Film Festival Main Slate screening. Deadline

• Dubai-based filmmaker Faisal Hashmi launched genre production company Spine Drop Pictures with an inaugural slate of three horror features. Deadline

Animation and digital

• Gotham Group and Toonstar will develop up to 12 original children’s animated shows using Toonstar’s Ink & Pixel production engine and SPOT distribution tool for YouTube and other online platforms. Animation World Network

• MrBeast Lab scheduled eight new episodes on the Beast Animations YouTube channel beginning November 1, adding writers from South Park and Bob’s Burgers after its first 10 shorts generated 66 million views. Animation World Network

• Issa Rae’s Hoorae team said its microdramas reached 580 million views while discussing vertical storytelling and production opportunities as the format’s economics continue to take shape. IndieWire

• Hasbro scheduled preschool YouTube series Play-Doh with Margo to launch October 30, with 42 episodes planned in five languages combining host-led modeling-compound segments and animated stories. Animation World Network

• Peyo Productions and Ellipse Animation are producing 52 new 11-minute episodes of The Smurfs with returning director William Renaud, with the first half premiering at the end of 2027 and the remainder in 2028. Animation World Network

Streaming schedules

• Paramount+ will end Criminal Minds: Evolution with its upcoming 20th season, scheduled for 2027 after the streamer revived the procedural for season 16 in 2022. Variety · Deadline · The Hollywood Reporter

• Paramount+ acquired non-exclusive rights to more than 60 hours of Moonbug programming from the CoComelon and Blippi universes, with some titles beginning to arrive November 1. Variety

• Netflix set a November 5 premiere for family film Dilwali Diwali, starring Mihir Ahuja, Manoj Pahwa, Neelu Kohli and Aurra Bhatnagar. Netflix Press Site

• Netflix set January 1 as the premiere date for the second season of Old Dog, New Tricks. Netflix Press Site

• Netflix set a December 3 premiere for Secrets, Ravi Bharwani’s first film in eight years, starring Sha Ine Febriyanti as a single mother who escaped her abusive husband 16 years earlier. Netflix Press Site

• HBO Max released surprise 30-minute Halloween special A Story of Derry, an It: Welcome to Derry prequel set hundreds of years before the series’ events and Pennywise’s introduction. Variety · Deadline · slashfilm.com

What to watch

• Godzilla Minus Zero opens in Japan on November 3, providing the sequel’s next box-office test after its sold-out festival screenings.

• Dilwali Diwali premieres on Netflix on November 5.

• The French animation and VFX walkout is called for November 18 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.; participation will determine the production disruption.

• Cliff Booth begins its AMC-exclusive IMAX window on Thanksgiving.