International Insider: Warner Paramount UK & Spidey Blockbuster B.O.

Hello, Insider gang. We’re deep in the traditionally quiet period for film and TV, but there’s still plenty going on to keep you reading. Jesse Whittock and Jake Kanter with you. Let’s get started.

WARNERMOUNT SUMMITS IN BRITAIN

No Westminster woes: If you’ve been keeping even a casual eye on Paramount’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, you’ll be aware that it’s been a grueling period for David Ellison after his deal got gummed up in U.S. legal proceedings. In a big ouch for Ellison, the antitrust trial against 12 state attorneys general won’t get underway until March. That means Paramount will have to pay Warner shareholders more than $1 billion in ticking fees — and that’s before you even get into existential questions about the merger itself. BUT, there was some good news for Paramount. The deal has been greenlit by UK authorities after culture secretary Lisa Nandy initially threatened to intervene. Nandy waved the merger through after receiving some pretty painless assurances from Ellison, including preserving the editorial independence of 5 News and kids channels. Paramount executives are said to be thrilled, meaning it was money well spent on the (likely expensive) advice they were receiving from comms giant Brunswick and law firm Latham & Watkins. Britain’s rubber stamp means Paramount now has approval in 60 jurisdictions, including the European Union. And so, it’s basically all eyes on the U.S. lawsuit. Our colleague Dominic Patten pondered what Ellison can do to beat the case, with Hollywood sages offering some clear advice: Bring production back to LA, fire CBS News’ Bari Weiss, and call Kamala Harris. Dom’s piece is well worth your time. 

SPIDEY’S BOX OFFICE BONANZA

With great power comes great response and agility: Spidey is webbing his way to box office history around the world. After Spider-Man: Brand New Day broke all sorts of opening weekend records, Melanie Goodfellow reported the teenage superhero is now setting new benchmarks in the Middle East. The film’s exclusive theatrical distributor for Sony Pictures across the region, Empire Entertainment, revealed the film generated $18.4 million at the Middle East box office – the biggest opening weekend in the region’s history. The United Arab Emirates also contributed $7.4M and Saudi Arabia delivered $5.4M as figures ballooned, and the film also attracted record audiences across Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. This is all in the context of Brand New Day’s heroic performance in the U.S. and Canada, where it posted a remarkable $360M across three days, and a global BO of $932M, making it the second-biggest weekend in cinema history. It then became the second-fastest to cross the global $1B mark, with Sony boss Tom Rothman offering Anthony D’Alessandro his views on why the movie has swung to such heights. I thought people aren’t going to the movies anymore? Spidey clearly thinks otherwise – more on his amazing achievements here.

THE DEADLINE INTERVIEW: GIONA A. NAZZARO

“The opening film is crucial. It’s like the opening beat of a concert,” was the poetic way Locarno’s Artistic Director, Giona A. Nazzaro, described the beginning of his Swiss festival. In a timely interview with Mel as the festival began on Wednesday, Nazzaro talked up The Green Eyes, a pic from Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh’s that addresses deportation. The film took on increased significance amid the migrant crisis that flared up in Ceuta earlier in the week. “We wanted to share with the audience in Locarno that we’re fully aware of what’s going on in the world, but at the same time that we think we can tackle what’s going on through the tools of cinema, storytelling, imagination and fantasy,” said Nazzaro. >>>Read The Interview

GERMAN MERRY-GO-ROUND

All change: In what would normally be a quiet period for European television, three top German companies have seen executives make moves this week. First off, ITV Studios hired EndemolShine Germany co-chief Fabian Tobias as its new Managing Director to replace the retiring Christiane Ruff (both pictured above). That comes as the ITV unit’s parent company, ITV Studios, prepares for life on its own next year. Tobias exited Banijay-owned EndemolShine on the same day Banijay Entertainment announced its German management set-up after the All3Media merger, with Arno Schneppenheim put in charge. Away from ITV and Banijay, Prime Video Germany originals chief Philip Pratt also announced his exit from the Amazon streamer after well over a decade. He hinted at a new role – could that be part of the same German exec merry-go-round? One to watch. With TF1 Group this week putting its production arm Studio TF1 up for sale, it appears the sweeping changes to Europe’s production and distribution business are set to continue for a while yet.

🌶️ Hot One: Love Productions’ former MD is suing the company’s owner Sky, alleging that she was fired by the Comcast-backed broadcaster after raising concerns about its management of The Great British Bake Off.

🌶️ Another One: The Artful Dodger has been renewed for a third and final season, with Thomas Brodie-Sangster reprising his role as the thieving title character.

🔥 Burning: We know Edward Bluemel will play the legendary detective Poirot in the BritBox and BBC series Hercule, and now we have the lowdown on the rest of the cast joining him in the Agatha Christie adaptation.

⛺️ Fest latest: Jesse Eisenberg’s musical comedy The Debut will close the BFI London Film Festival in October.

🎭 Show must go on: A London production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s musical Sunday in the Park with George will continue without Ariana Grande, according to producers.🕯️ RIP: Natalia Dontcheva, the Bulgarian actress who starred in the French version of Doc Martin on TF1, died August 1. She was 56.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

International Insider was written by Jesse Whittock and Jake Kanter. Send any tips, comments or ideas for international coverage to jwhittock@deadline.com and mgoldbart@deadline.com