iWorld
Mipcom to host screening of ‘The English’ on 16 October
Mumbai: RX France (formerly Reed Midem) and All3Media International announced the special red carpet screening of the western “The English” at the entertainment content marketplace Mipcom Cannes on 16 October. The event will be attended by leads Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer, and writer/director Hugo Blick.
The screening will take place at 18:00 (CET) at the Grand Auditorium in Cannes’ Palais des Festivals and will be followed by a Q&A with the attending talent for both delegates and the general public.
More than 10,000 senior international television producers, buyers, commissioners, and creatives from the top studios and platforms in the business will attend the 38th edition of Mipcom Cannes from 17-20 October 2022. The annual international co-production and entertainment content market will feature more than 250 exhibiting studios and distributors from 45 nations.
“The English” is produced by Drama Republic and Eight Rooks. It was created by Hugo Blick—who also serves as an executive producer, director, and writer. Emily Blunt also serves as an executive producer, alongside Greg Brenman (Peaky Blinders, The Honourable Woman) for Drama Republic and Mona Qureshi for the BBC. Colin Wratten (Killing Eve) is the producer. “The English” was commissioned for the BBC by chief content officer Charlotte Moore and BBC drama commissioning former director Piers Wenger. It is co-produced by Amazon Studios and the BBC in association with All3Media International, who handled international sales.
“The English” takes the core themes of identity and revenge to tell a parable about race, love, and power. An aristocratic Englishwoman, Lady Cornelia Locke (Emily Blunt), and Eli Whipp (Chaske Spencer) come together in 1890 mid-America to cross a violent landscape built on dreams and blood.
Both of them have a clear sense of their destiny, but neither is aware that it is rooted in a shared past. They must face increasingly terrifying obstacles that will test them to their cores, physically and psychologically. But as each obstacle is overcome, it draws them closer to their ultimate destination, the new town of Hoxem, Wyoming. It is here, after an investigation by the local sheriff, Robert Marshall (Stephen Rea), and young widow Martha Myers (Valerie Pachner), into a series of bizarre and macabre unsolved murders, that the full extent of their intertwined history will be truly understood, and they will come face to-face with the future they must live.
RX France entertainment division director Lucy Smith said, “Mipcom Cannes is back at full strength this year with the biggest global stars hosting screenings of eagerly awaited international series. And what a cast, and what a series to start us off this year. A huge thanks to All3Media International and all the partners for making it happen and we look forward to welcoming Emily, Chaske and Hugo to Cannes and the Grand Auditorium.”
All3Media International CEO Louise Pedersen said, “We are thrilled that Mipcom has selected The English for this special red-carpet screening. Everything about the show is premium – a brilliant script, stellar cast, expertly directed and produced by Drama Republic. Visually stunning, this will be a real treat for MIPCOM delegates and the public alike on the big screen at the Palais.”
Drama Republic CEO and executive producer Greg Brenman said, “Hugo Blick has created a compelling, modern love story set against the epic landscape of a Western. The English is a true adventure that will tell us as much about the times we live in today as the period in which it is set.”
iWorld
Netflix cuts jobs in product division amid restructuring
Layoffs hit creative studio unit as leadership and strategy shifts unfold.
MUMBAI: The streaming wars may be fought on screen, but the latest plot twist is unfolding behind the scenes. Netflix has reportedly begun laying off several dozen employees from its product division as part of an internal reorganisation, according to a report by Variety. The cuts are believed to have primarily affected the company’s creative studio unit, which works on marketing assets such as in app trailers, promotional visuals and live experience content for the streaming platform.
The company has not disclosed the exact number of employees impacted.
According to the report, the layoffs were not tied to employee performance. Instead, the restructuring eliminated certain roles while other employees were reassigned to different teams within the organisation.
The roles affected are understood to include designers, producers and creative specialists responsible for marketing and brand experience initiatives.
The job cuts come as Netflix adjusts its leadership structure and reshapes its product and creative teams. Last month, Elizabeth Stone was promoted from chief technology officer to chief product and technology officer, giving her oversight of product, engineering and data operations across the company.
Earlier, in December 2025, Netflix also appointed Martin Rose as head of creative for global brand and partnerships, a move seen as part of a broader restructuring of the company’s brand and product functions.
Despite the layoffs, Netflix remains one of the largest employers in the streaming sector. The company is estimated to employ around 16,000 people globally, with roughly 70 percent of its workforce based in the United States and Canada. In 2023, the company reported approximately 13,000 employees, indicating that its headcount had grown significantly before the latest restructuring.
The workforce changes arrive at a time when Netflix is navigating a shifting financial and strategic landscape in the global entertainment industry.
The streaming giant recently secured $2.8 billion in additional cash after receiving a breakup fee from Paramount Skydance following its withdrawal from a deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Netflix co chief executive Ted Sarandos explained that the company had evaluated multiple scenarios during the negotiations but chose not to match the competing offer once it learned that a higher bid had been submitted.
Netflix had capped its offer at $27.75 per share and ultimately stepped back rather than pursue Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition deal, which included a personal guarantee.
Sarandos also cautioned that the financing structure behind the Paramount Skydance transaction could have ripple effects across the entertainment industry.
According to him, the debt heavy deal could trigger significant cost cutting, with David Ellison, chief executive of Paramount Skydance, expected to eliminate about $16 billion in costs and potentially cut thousands of jobs as part of the integration process.
For Netflix, the current restructuring appears to be part of a broader attempt to streamline operations while continuing to invest in product, technology and global content even as the streaming industry enters a new phase of consolidation and financial discipline.
