Q3 2023 Global Production Report

Production on Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was slated to begin at the end of August 2023 for Paramount Pictures. The third live-action film in the Sonic universe will hit theaters towards the end of 2024 after the release of the series Knuckles, set to premiere this winter. Filming is taking place in London, England, and will resume at the conclusion of the SAG-AFTRA strikes. The film will be directed by Jeff Fowler and written by both Pat Casey and Josh Miller, with producers Neal H. Moritz and Toby Ascher also on board.

The highly-anticipated French picture The Count of Monte Cristo began filming in late July 2023 and the crew will travel across France with the majority of shooting set in Marseille and Paris. The action thriller is an adaptation of a 2002 movie by the same name, this time being produced by Pathé, a renowned French cinema company. Filming is led by cinematographer Nicolas Bolduc, with production coordinator Sarah Blanc and line producer Guinal Riou also attached to the project.

The currently untitled Formula One racing film (Working Title: Apex) starring Brad Pitt began shooting in early July 2023 before production was ultimately halted due to the SAG-AFTRA strike at the end of the month. The Apple Studios produced project is set in locations across Europe including Belgium, Hungary, and England. Key crew on the project include line producer Marco Valerio Pugini, cinematographer Claudio Miranda, as well as producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman.

The third film in the popular Paddington bear franchise Paddington in Peru kicked off production in late July 2023 and filming will take place throughout London, Peru, and Colombia. British media firm Studiocanal produces the film which is set to hit UK theaters on November 8th, 2024. Filming is led by cinematographer Erik Alexander Wilson and other key crew members include line producer Tim Wellspring, art director Tara Ilsley, and producer David Heyman.

A TV series based on the iconic Alien film franchise is in the works at FX Productions and production began mid-July 2023 before being halted soon after due to the actors’ strike. The first season of Alien will be shot in Thailand with original director of the film franchise Ridley Scott attached as a producer. Cinematographer Dana Gonzales manages filming of the project for director Noah Hawley and production designer Andy Nicholson oversees set design.

Principal photography for season 1 of the new Apple Studios series Government Cheese began in early July 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Soon after production began the project was put on hold due to the pending SAG-AFTRA strike. Production on the comedy-drama series is managed by line producer Shawn Wilt, and casting director Kim Coleman put together the cast of stars including David Oyelowo. The series is directed by Paul Hunter and produced by Ahmadou Seck.

Filming is underway on the first season of the book-adaptation series Playdate which is set to stream on Disney+ in 2024. The thriller series is produced by Quay Street Productions and filming kicked off in early August 2023. The series will be set in a few different European locations including Manchester, UK and some parts of France. Lisa Corkill is set to line produce the series, while other key crew attached to the project include producer James Dean, production coordinator Leah Blackaby, and production manager Sascha Zakrzewski.

Netflix recently greenlit the first season of Toxic Town, a drama series produced by Broke and Bones Productions. Filming began at the end of August 2023 and is set to wrap before year end. The cast began filming scenes in Liverpool, but will travel to other parts of the UK to complete the first season. The series is written and executive produced by Jack Thorne, while photography is overseen by cinematographer Tony Miller, and production is managed by line producer Mike Noble.