TV’s dizzying trend

Plus: Hollywood in the face of tariff chaos; giddy thrillers out this weekend; examining ‘The Minecraft Movie' success

Apr 10, 2025

Happy Thursday, friends.

It’s been a dizzying, nail-biting couple of weeks.

We’re talking, of course, about the rise of “oners” — episodes (and shows!) created as one-shot takes. Or in the case of The Studio, an episode about oners shot as a oner.. a oner inside a oner... still following?

The internet is ready to examine how we got here.

Cheers to the Portrait teams that made this March madness happen. Let’s dive in to what else you’ve been serving up this week.

Roll of Honor

Premieres, Awards, and More. Say hi to featured Portrait members on the Portrait app.

What to Watch This Weekend

Pulpy, Giddy Thrillers

Drop. “A pulpy surveillance mystery that gives way to something giddy and exciting” (Variety). Marc Spicer, Paulo Menezes, Cinematographers; Beso Kacharava, Supervising Foley Editor; Nihal Dantluri, DIT: Chicago. In theaters Friday.
The Amateur. “A relaxed and pleasurable throwback to the spy pulp of the 1970s and ’80s” (Slant). Gilles Castera, Unit Production Manager. In theaters Friday.

*The Uninvited* featuring Walton Goggins, Elizabeth Reaser and Pedro Pascal.

New Tales about Rich People Behaving Badly

The Uninvited. “A Hollywood party becomes a critical look at who the industry excludes over time.. DP Robert Leitzell elegantly uses a wide frame to suggest a sense of confinement” (Variety). Robert Leitzell, Cinematographer; Ai Miyatake, Sound Effects Editor; Andrés Marthe, Tristan Baylis, Sound Designers; Donna Lisa, Costume Designer; Emma West, Cast; Patrick Walsh, Editor; Yvette Beebe, Hair Department Head. In theaters Friday.
Your Friends & Neighbors. “For those who enjoy their television dramas served with excessive wealth and comeuppance, Jon Hamm has a new entry” (CNN). Philippa Culpepper, Set Decorator; Casey Adams Wolfe, Asst. Set Decorator; Henry Blazer, Asst. Art Director. Streaming on Apple TV+

'One to One: John & Yoko' — *One to One: John & Yoko.*

Intimate, Nuanced Portraits

One to One: John & Yoko. “[John Lennon] truly was a walking contradiction... All of that ripples through “One to One,” making it the rare rock doc that’s a must-see” (Variety). Peter Worsley, Producer; Kevin Timon Hill, Production Designer. In theaters Friday.
The Teacher. “An intimate exploration of life in occupied Palestine” (THR). Farah Nabulsi, Director / Writer ; Abdel Halim Garess, VFX Supervisor; Farah Tbaileh, Production Coordinator. In theaters Friday.

“It’s a crazy idea, but maybe kids would rather see a movie about a video game that they spent countless hours playing than their grandfather’s favorite comic book hero.” Puck on *The Minecraft Movie.*

What We’re Reading

Tariff Watch: Trump reverses course, but Hollywood’s concerns came well before ‘Liberation Day.’
Gen Z Watch: After massive box office success, what went right with A Minecraft Movie?
Yo-Yo Watch: Program featured in Oscar winning The Last Repair Shop gets $1M gift and visit from Yo-Yo Ma.
And listen in: Portrait member and The War of the Rohirrim composer Stephen Gallagher discusses his work on the podcast Dont’t Give Up.

On the Festival & Awards Circuit

Sundance: 2025 Episodic Intensive Fellows announced. Congrats to fellows and advisors for this year’s program!
Sarasota: Can a Film Festival Help a Community Recover from a Natural Disaster?
BAFTAs: For the first time ever, more women than men are nominated in the TV Best Director category.
Full Frame: Award winners announced. Check out the film teams behind the award winning films and more on the Portrait app. Portrait is proud to be the official industry app for the fest.

On the Acquisitions Beat

Briarcliff acquires U.S. rights to Benedict Cumberbatch’s The Thing With Feathers. Ronald Bailey, Sound Mixer; Connie Farr, Music Supervisor; Shreya Patel, Hair & Makeup Supervisor; Jorge Alarcón, Dialogue Editor; Lee Broda, Thomas Burke, Executive Producers.
Vertical acquires The New Boy starring Cate Blanchett. Jonathan Hairman, Visual Effects Supervisor; Trish Cahill, Finishing Colorist; Heather Wallace, Costume Designer; Christian Debney, Creative Director.
TNT Sports' truTV and Max acquire Dreambreaker: A Pickleball Story. Mary Pilon, Seth Porges, Directors; Sara Kinney, Cinematographer; Sarah Pierpont, Camera Operator; Giselle Rodriguez, Executive Producer; David Palmer, Music.
Netflix picks up NFT boom-and-bust doc Minted. Nicholas Bruckman, Director / Writer; Christian Carvajal, Associate Producer; Gil Seltzer, Editor; Shawn Hazelett, Writer / Producer;