Welcome to January’s final Insider. Jesse Whittock guiding you through a week of award nominations, film and TV news and more, as the industry moves into gear in 2026. Let’s start. Sign up to the newsletter here. BAFTA…

Heated Rivalry breakout star Hudson Williams can tick a shared moment with Canada’s Prime Minister off his to-do list. Williams and Mark Carney met on the red carpet at the Canadian Media Producers Association's (CMPA) annual Prime Time conference in Ottawa, and things warmed up pretty quickly as…

Netflix has renewed Danish crime series The Asset for a second season. The series follows the work of a young agent, who goes undercover and befirends a drug smuggler’s wife. Season 1 launched in October and hit the number one position in 52 countries and top 10 in 90, with an overall 11.3…

EXCLUSIVE: Dark Matter and The Handmaid’s Tale actress Amanda Brugel and Dragon’s Den Canada investor Wes Hall are set to enter The Legacy Lounge, which is set to bow on CBC in Canada. The pair will feature after being selected as new additions to Shamier Anderson and Stephan James’ Black Academy…

EXCLUSIVE: JoJo Siwa is to develop animated digital-first content with kids entertainment business Bhoosan’s Junior. Actress, performer and multi-media personality Siwa and the India-headquartered Bhoosan’s struck a strategic partnership, which they say unites her youth-facing brand with Bhoosan…

HBO Max and Studiocanal are among the buyers of Gomorrah – The Origins, the Sky Italia prequel series to the pay-TV provider’s previous gangster drama. Beta Films has sold HBO Max rights in German-speaking Europe and Turkey, while Studiocanal has taken it in France, where is likely to play on…

Here’s the latest Australia-UK co-production hitting the market. Solly McLeod (House of the Dragon), Robyn Malcolm (After The Party), Katie Leung (Bridgerton) and Richard Roxburgh (Rake) are fronting Careless, a thriller series for Australian streamer Stan and UK net Channel 4. The Stan…

Netflix has ordered seven Chinese-language series that will roll out across this year, with casts including Ethan Ruan, Kent Tsai and Wallace Huo. The streamer doesn’t operate in China but has leaned in heavily in Taiwan and local-language fare. As such, it has given the greenlight to Miracles of…

The final return of the The Empress is nearing – but fans will have to wait a while longer yet before they learn the fates of Sisi and Franz. Season 3 of Netflix’s German-language period drama was today confirmed for a “late 2026,” which means it will drop at least 19 months after it was announce…

EXCLUSIVE: Here’s the trailer that’s not for the faint-hearted. It’s for Cirque Life, the Canadian docuseries for pubcaster CBC that pulls back the curtain on the world-famous Cirque de Soleil. “I love adrenaline, and pushing myself and pushing my limits,” says one performer as the trailer gets…

The buzz around BBC and Stan’s Lord of the Flies is growing with the release of a trailer and a February launch date in the UK. The four-part series will launch on Sunday, February 8 on BBC One with new episodes dropping at 9pm each week on the channel. BBC iPlayer will launch all episodes on…

EXCLUSIVE: Golden Globe nominee Alma Pöysti (Fallen Leaves) is starring in Theatre of War, a Nordic limited series based on Kjell Westö’s novel ‘Dusk 41.’ She’ll be joined by Jakob Öhrman (Raptures), Tyra Wingren (To Cook a Bear), Saga Sarkola (Memory of Water) and Germany's Merlin Rose (Das Boot…