Directors Digest — Friday 21 February 2025

In the news this week, Amazon MGM Studios set to take creative control of the James Bond franchise, a member of European parliament warns of a legal gap in the EU’s AI legislation, and Brady Corbet speaks out at financial difficulties facing creatives saying that he has made “zero dollars” from awards sensation The Brutalist.

Read about it in this week’s Digest.

News

•  Amazon MGM Studios is set to take creative control of the James Bond franchise, with long-time producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli to take a step back. (Variety)

•  Member of the European parliament, Axel Voss, has warned of “a legal gap” in the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act. “What I do not understand is that we are supporting big tech instead of protecting European creative ideas and content.” (The Guardian)

•  BAFTA albert has published a new directory listing sustainability-focused companies in the TV and film production industry – including outside broadcasting, kit, and post production. (TVB Europe)

•  The Brutalist director Brady Corbet says he has made “zero dollars” from the film and that many of his colleagues face similar financial difficulties. “I’ve spoken to many filmmakers that have the films that are nominated this year that can’t pay their rent. I mean, that’s a real thing.” (The Guardian) 

Features

•  The Guardian has compiled a list of EastEnders’ 40 most memorable moments. (The Guardian) Moments like this are part of the reason EastEnders has had such an enduring impact on our screens. Thank you to all the creatives who brought these important stories to life.

Director Interviews

•  The People’s Joker director Vera Drew on microbudget filmmaking, the trans film canon and more. (Little White Lies)

Awards

•  Congratulations to all the winners and nominees at this year’s Bafta Film Awards. See the full list of winners here. (Bafta) You can hear the directors behind the night’s big winners speak about their approach to the craft on the Directors UK Podcast, wherever you get your podcasts.