Stagerunner

11/20/2025

BREAKING: Nevada’s bid to become a major production hub hit another setback as the state Senate narrowly rejected a $120 million annual film incentive tied to the proposed Sony–Warner Bros.–backed Summerlin Studios project in Las Vegas. The bill, which had strong support from labor unions but drew criticism from both conservative and progressive groups, fell one vote short during a special session — marking its third failed attempt.

Nevada lawmakers have once again slammed the brakes on a proposed $120 million annual film-and-TV subsidy package — a deal that would have anchored a

11/20/2025

California just awarded $313 million in tax credits to 17 high-profile TV projects — including Fallout, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Night Agent and a revived Baywatch marking one of the biggest incentive rounds since the state expanded its program to $750 million. It’s the strongest sign yet that California is trying to reclaim its production edge after years of runaway shoots, indie-heavy spending, and steep TV declines. The big question now: is this the beginning of a true Hollywood comeback in 2026?

California just landed a major win in the global arms race for Hollywood production. Amazon’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith — along with fellow streamer hit The

11/18/2025

To film iHostage without access to the real Amsterdam Apple Store, Netflix partnered with ReadySet Studios to create a massive digital twin of Leidseplein Square and a full-scale replica of the store interior. Using LED walls, LiDAR scans, and real-time Unreal Engine workflows, the team fused Virtual Production with VFX to tell the story with total realism. Check out the article and behind the scenes video on Stagerunner below -

When Netflix commissioned iHostage — a dramatization of the 2022 hostage crisis at Amsterdam’s Apple Store — director Bobby Boermans and his

11/17/2025

Big news out of Nevada: lawmakers advanced a $1.6B film tax credit bill tied to a Sony/Warner Bros. studio in Summerlin. After razor-thin votes and intense pushback, the proposal now heads to the full Senate for a final decision that could reshape the state’s production future.

Nevada’s long-running attempt to lure Hollywood to Summerlin just got its biggest plot twist yet. Assembly Bill 5 — the massive $1.6 billion film tax

11/15/2025

Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine are stepping into the AI era in a big way. McConaughey is using ElevenLabs to release a Spanish-language version of his newsletter in his own AI voice, while Caine joined the company’s new marketplace that lets creators license an approved version of his voice. It’s a sign that big names aren’t running from AI anymore, they’re starting to shape where it goes next.

Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine — two of Hollywood’s most recognizable voices — are stepping into the AI arena, teaming with fast-rising audio tech

11/11/2025

Steven Paul, who’s currently working with the Trump Organization to keep film and TV production in the U.S., has launched a new financing program through his SP Media Group. The initiative, based at Avenue Six Studios in Van Nuys, will cover up to 100% of production costs for projects filmed at the facility or using its services. The goal is to strengthen California’s production economy and make it easier for filmmakers to create high-quality content without leaving the state.

Van Nuys’ Avenue Six Studios is stepping up in a big way. The Los Angeles–based production facility, owned by SP Media Group, has announced a new

11/10/2025

Netflix just made history — Stranger Things Season 5 is now the most expensive TV show ever produced, with a reported $480 million budget across eight feature-length episodes. The Duffers’ finale transforms television into full-scale cinema, rivaling Avengers: Endgame in cost and ambition. It’s a fitting — and possibly final — symbol of streaming’s big-spending golden age.

Netflix didn’t just go big for the final season of Stranger Things — it went historic. The streamer’s flagship series is closing out its run with a

11/10/2025

Is the White House about to support the US film industry with a Federal incentive? We were in DC last week with the Coalition For American Production and had more than 20 meetings on the Hill to rally for a bipartisan bill…this week, we meet with the White House, the momentum is real, see our recap below!

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11/04/2025

The vertical micro-drama boom is heating up—and we got a rare look inside how these shows are made. Flashback Pictures went from concept to launch in just three months with Pizza Guys vs Vampires, a 28-minute series shot natively in 9:16 on dual Sony FX3s over five days for just $45K. Packed with stunt-driven action, 95% practical effects, and a touch of AI magic, it’s a scrappy new model redefining how premium stories are made for your phone screen. Dive in below.

Back in July, when Flashback Pictures first conceived Pizza Guys vs Vampires, nobody expected a newly-launched production company to lead one of the

10/30/2025

YouTube is the latest tech giant to restructure around artificial intelligence, offering voluntary buyouts to U.S. employees as it refocuses its product teams for the first time in a decade. CEO Neal Mohan called AI “the next frontier,” as the platform accelerates its efforts to integrate the technology across YouTube’s core products. The move mirrors a broader trend across Silicon Valley, where companies like Amazon and Google are reshaping their workforces to compete in an AI-driven future.

YouTube is reshaping its workforce as it deepens its investment in artificial intelligence — offering U.S.-based employees voluntary buyouts amid the

10/28/2025

BREAKING: Paramount just signed a 10-year lease at 1888 Studios in Bayonne, New Jersey — a massive 58-acre, 1.1 million-square-foot production campus development that will feature 23 soundstages, production offices and full post facilities. Check out the renderings below -

Move over, Hollywood — the Garden State is getting all the attention.Paramount Pictures is making a major East Coast play, signing a 10-year lease for

10/28/2025

The city of Burbank may finally get its own film commission — a move that could reignite the city’s legacy as the “Media Capital of the World.” The proposed commission, backed by Assemblymember Nick Schultz and the Burbank Chamber of Commerce, aims to simplify permitting, attract new productions, and bring jobs back to the region. With support from industry groups like Women in Media, the effort signals a renewed push to make Burbank a top destination for film and television production.

There’s no business like show business — and few cities know that better than Burbank, California. Home to Warner Bros., Disney, and the beating heart of