Tag: Entertainment-HollywoodReporter

BBC Studios CEO Tom Fussell and Zai Bennett, CEO and chief creative officer of BBC Studios Productions, discussed tariff talk by U.S. President Donald Trump, mega-consolidation, including the planned Netflix-Warner Bros. Discovery deal, the growth of the company’s U.S. streaming business, and the Bluey movie.

They spoke to the press on the first day of the 50th annual BBC Studios Showcase in London. BBC Studios, the commercial arm of British broadcaster BBC, is known for such hit franchises as animated powerhouse Bluey, Tom Hiddleston drama The Night Manager, legal drama The Split and its upcoming spin-off The Split Up, and such natural science hits as Walking With Dinosaurs, and it recently unveiled new shows to mark broadcaster and naturalist David Attenborough’s 100th birthday on May 8.

“We have seen no impact” from Trump tariff talk, Fussell said when asked about any possible fallout, also lauding the continuing popularity of BBC News in the U.S. He didn’t discuss Trump’s lawsuit against BBC News, simply touting the resilience of the BBC brand and saying “we are not seeing any changes.”

Asked about Netflix-WBD, he said “we are well diversified, and obviously, you can only control what you can control, so you focus on your priorities, and our priority is carrying the transformation and the growth in the areas we’ve got.” He emphasized though that “no doubt, … people have talked about challenging markets and the rest of it, and our view going forward is that the market growth is not going to be anything like what it had been in the [past] five years.”

Continued Fussell: “And when you start seeing rumors upon rumors about takeovers and consolidation, that normally is testament to the fact there aren’t huge amounts of growth in the market, because everyone’s looking for … synergies. But we know what we’re doing. We know where we want to be investing in our global expansion of our studio.”

In that context, he also highlighted that BBC Studios was “a growing business that’s transforming,” with revenue up 55.7 percent over the last four years.

Following TV market challenges, Bennett on Monday suggested that “there are definitely green shoots of recovery,” sharing that “Paramount is back in the market, spending money,” among other things. But he reiterated that things are “definitely not” expected to return to the highs of the past five years but play out in a “new normal” range.

Fussell suggested though that he felt the business would be “talking about striving again,” from scripted to unscripted and, vitally, kids programming.

Mentioning the 2019 BBC Studios deal with what was then Discovery to take full control of UKTV’s entertainment channels, including Dave, Gold, and Drama, as well as a 2024 deal with ITV that gave the company full control of streamer BritBox International, Fussell also signaled that BBC Studios could also strike more acquisitions of its own. He said it would “carry on investing organically and maybe inorganically.”

Bennett, who started his role in late 2024, similarly noted that BBC Studios Productions is seeing “solid organic growth and investment” and “looking for inorganic growth in some territories,” mentioning the rest of Europe, the Middle East and Africa as one possible region for deals.

Fussell added that there “are opportunities for inorganic growth in streaming across the genres,” adding: “I think we have a right, as the home of British streaming, to grow that even further.” But he emphasized that “these opportunities take time,” concluding: “We are very judicious with how we spend that investment.”

Fussell on Monday also touted the success of streaming services BritBox and BBC Select, which focuses on documentaries, in North America. “Last week was the fifth birthday of BBC Select, and BBC Select is now the third-largest factual SVOD in the States, and we’re really proud of that,” he said. He also touted the growth of BritBox and its launch of a premium tier.

Among content trends, Bennett was asked about the growth of microdramas, saying that “we’re looking at that right now.” He added: “We’re certainly experimenting.”

Questioned about audience and buyer appetite, he sees for escapist content versus programming dealing with the world’s cultural and political divisions, Bennett said BBC Studios Productions looks at market needs and is “leaning into specificity and Britishness” more than anything else.

Current and old content favorites also drew reporter questions on Monday. Could motoring show Top Gear return to U.K. screens? Replied Bennett: “Never say never.”

Of course, the upcoming Bluey: The Movie was also a talking point. Fussell shared that he just visited creator Joe Brumm in his studio in Brisbane, calling the experience “an absolute pleasure,” and saying that the work on the film was going well. But “I can’t say anything” more, he emphasized. And Bennett shared: “We’ve seen bits of it, and it looks amazing.”

The BBC has apologized for “strong and offensive language” at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards after a racial slur was not cut from its final broadcast.

A Tourette’s campaigner, John Davidson, was heard cursing throughout the show — including shouting the N-word as Sinners duo Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented the best visual effects award to Avatar: Fire and Ash, which prompted gasps across the audience and made for a definitively uncomfortable atmosphere inside London’s Royal Festival Hall.

Davidson is the inspiration behind Kirk Jones’ critically-acclaimed film I Swear, following a man’s struggle growing up with Tourette’s syndrome. The condition is characterized by sudden, involuntary, and repetitive movements or sounds. These are often referred to as “tics,” and can manifest as outbursts such as loud swearing.

The incident has resulted in widespread debate among the film community and online, as questions are put to BAFTA and the BBC, who chose not to cut the swearing and racial slur, despite the show being aired on a two-hour delay. The broadcaster and the British Academy have so far not responded to repeated requests for comment from The Hollywood Reporter about this.

A BBC spokesperson told ITV News on Monday morning: “Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the BAFTA Film Awards 2026. This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette’s Syndrome, and was not intentional. We apologise for any offence caused by the language heard.” As of midday London time on Monday, the BAFTA Film Awards has been removed from the BBC’s streaming service, iPlayer.

Host Alan Cumming interrupted his monologues several times across the show to remind viewers: “Tourette’s syndrome is a disability and the tics you’ve heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette’s Syndrome has no control over their language. We apologize if you are offended tonight.”

Davidson was warmly welcomed by a floor manager before the awards show began, and attendees were informed that “John has Tourette’s Syndrome, so please be aware you might hear some involuntary noises or movements during the ceremony,” as the housekeeping rules were laid out. A source informed THR that this was the moment presenters were warned about Davidson’s tics, minutes prior to the ceremony kicking off. He left the room around 25 minutes into the show (of his own accord, THR understands), shortly after his outburst during Jordan and Lindo’s presentation. Other outbursts came before this, including “Bullshit!” when people were asked not to curse, and “Shut the fuck up,” when BAFTA chair Sara Putt made her introductory remarks.

The consensus on the night differed according to who you were talking to, but almost everyone agreed that both the Black attendees at the BAFTA Film Awards and the Tourette’s community have been failed by the handling of this situation. While many of the Brits maintained that Tourette’s is a serious, misunderstood condition, those from across the pond were seemingly less tolerant of the outbursts. What it has underlined is necessary questions about industry ableism, and the duty of care toward award show guests and audiences watching at home.

Sinners’ production designer Hannah Beachler said “the situation is almost impossible” in a post on social media after the show. “I keep trying to write about what happened at the BAFTAs, and I can’t find the words,” she wrote on X. “The situation is almost impossible, but it happened 3 times that night, and one of the three times was directed at myself on the way to dinner after the show,” she said about Davidson’s tics. “I understand and deeply know why this is an impossible situation. I know we must handle this with grace and continue to push through. But what made the situation worse was the throw-away apology of ‘if you were offended.’”

Aramayo’s shock win for his performance in I Swear — over Timothee Chalamet for Marty Supreme — gave the actor an opportunity to bring further awareness to the condition. While picking up an earlier prize, the EE BAFTA Rising Star Award, Aramayo told the crowd: “John Davidson is the most remarkable man I ever met. He’s so forthcoming with education and he believes there should be still so much more we need to learn about Tourette’s.”

“For people living with Tourette’s,” he said, “it’s us around them who help them define what their experience is. So, to quote the film, they need support and understanding.”

Social media has, unsurprisingly, only fanned the flames. Some have said Tourette’s is “debilitating,” with one person commenting: “Tourette’s making you shout really offensive things seems to have surprised people who have no idea what Tourette’s actually is.” Others have not been so understanding. Jamie Foxx, for example, commented on an Instagram post that Davidson’s outburst was “unacceptable” and “he meant that shit,” which users have criticized as a misunderstanding of what Tourette’s is.

BBC Studios CEO Tom Fussell and Zai Bennett, CEO and chief creative officer of BBC Studios Productions, discussed tariff talk by U.S. President Donald Trump, mega-consolidation, including the planned Netflix-Warner Bros. Discovery deal, the growth of the company’s U.S. streaming business, and the Bluey movie.

They spoke to the press on the first day of the 50th annual BBC Studios Showcase in London. BBC Studios, the commercial arm of British broadcaster BBC, is known for such hit franchises as animated powerhouse Bluey, Tom Hiddleston drama The Night Manager, legal drama The Split and its upcoming spin-off The Split Up, and such natural science hits as Walking With Dinosaurs, and it recently unveiled new shows to mark broadcaster and naturalist David Attenborough’s 100th birthday on May 8.

“We have seen no impact” from Trump tariff talk, Fussell said when asked about any possible fallout, also lauding the continuing popularity of BBC News in the U.S. He didn’t discuss Trump’s lawsuit against BBC News, simply touting the resilience of the BBC brand and saying “we are not seeing any changes.”

Asked about Netflix-WBD, he said “we are well diversified, and obviously, you can only control what you can control, so you focus on your priorities, and our priority is carrying the transformation and the growth in the areas we’ve got.” He emphasized though that “no doubt, … people have talked about challenging markets and the rest of it, and our view going forward is that the market growth is not going to be anything like what it had been in the [past] five years.”

Continued Fussell: “And when you start seeing rumors upon rumors about takeovers and consolidation, that normally is testament to the fact there aren’t huge amounts of growth in the market, because everyone’s looking for … synergies. But we know what we’re doing. We know where we want to be investing in our global expansion of our studio.”

In that context, he also highlighted that BBC Studios was “a growing business that’s transforming,” with revenue up 55.7 percent over the last four years.

Following TV market challenges, Bennett on Monday suggested that “there are definitely green shoots of recovery,” sharing that “Paramount is back in the market, spending money,” among other things. But he reiterated that things are “definitely not” expected to return to the highs of the past five years but play out in a “new normal” range.

Fussell suggested though that he felt the business would be “talking about striving again,” from scripted to unscripted and, vitally, kids programming.

Mentioning the 2019 BBC Studios deal with what was then Discovery to take full control of UKTV’s entertainment channels, including Dave, Gold, and Drama, as well as a 2024 deal with ITV that gave the company full control of streamer BritBox International, Fussell also signaled that BBC Studios could also strike more acquisitions of its own. He said it would “carry on investing organically and maybe inorganically.”

Bennett, who started his role in late 2024, similarly noted that BBC Studios Productions is seeing “solid organic growth and investment” and “looking for inorganic growth in some territories,” mentioning the rest of Europe, the Middle East and Africa as one possible region for deals.

Fussell added that there “are opportunities for inorganic growth in streaming across the genres,” adding: “I think we have a right, as the home of British streaming, to grow that even further.” But he emphasized that “these opportunities take time,” concluding: “We are very judicious with how we spend that investment.”

Fussell on Monday also touted the success of streaming services BritBox and BBC Select, which focuses on documentaries, in North America. “Last week was the fifth birthday of BBC Select, and BBC Select is now the third-largest factual SVOD in the States, and we’re really proud of that,” he said. He also touted the growth of BritBox and its launch of a premium tier.

Among content trends, Bennett was asked about the growth of microdramas, saying that “we’re looking at that right now.” He added: “We’re certainly experimenting.”

Questioned about audience and buyer appetite, he sees for escapist content versus programming dealing with the world’s cultural and political divisions, Bennett said BBC Studios Productions looks at market needs and is “leaning into specificity and Britishness” more than anything else.

Current and old content favorites also drew reporter questions on Monday. Could motoring show Top Gear return to U.K. screens? Replied Bennett: “Never say never.”

Of course, the upcoming Bluey: The Movie was also a talking point. Fussell shared that he just visited creator Joe Brumm in his studio in Brisbane, calling the experience “an absolute pleasure,” and saying that the work on the film was going well. But “I can’t say anything” more, he emphasized. And Bennett shared: “We’ve seen bits of it, and it looks amazing.”

Big Brother, Survivor, Deal or No Deal, MasterChef, Temptation Island – those are just some of the non-scripted hit shows of independent production powerhouse Banijay Entertainment.

As Banijay‘s chief content officer, development James Townley is responsible for not resting on those laurels and instead driving the development and creation of original non-scripted intellectual property (IP), format acquisitions and documentaries across the company’s 23 territories and its network of production banners. Co-leading the firm’s unscripted unit Creative Networks, “he supports and champions a strong pipeline of new formats with international appeal,” Banijay says. “He also manages group-level investment in non-scripted via the company’s Creative Fund and internal creative incentivization schemes.”

Townley, who previously served as global head of Creative Networks at Endemol Shine Group, as Endemol Shine U.K.’s director of operations and held roles at Princess Productions and Sky, has a particularly busy week ahead. On Monday afternoon, he will be part of a MIP London panel entitled “Disruption in Formats Acquisitions and Sales,” and on Wednesday, Banijay’s London TV Screenings events take place.

Ahead of London’s big annual TV week, THR talked to Townley about the state of unscripted content, cross-collaboration across Banijay, the company’s London TV Screenings lineup, including sport adventure reality format Football Island, culinary competition 100 Knives, quiz show How Old Is Your Brain?, and psychological reality game The Dinner.

How do you approach your role, given the size and reach of Banijay across its various territories?

It is a significant footprint, and the beautiful thing about having around 130 production companies is that it’s about that creative community. They’ve all got their own identity. But in that creative community, what we’re fully focused on now is creation. It’s about taking advantage of opportunities, because we’re still working in a very risk-averse market. So we are working on the development and creation of big new shows to launch globally to complement our current catalog, and in the industry’s current catalog of big shows.

So, we’re looking for what’s our next MasterChef, what’s our next Big Brother, our next Survivor. They all sit at the top of their genres, whether it is competitive reality, whether it is adventure, whether it’s romantic reality, or the world of social experiment. Reality feels like it is still absolutely king.

What are the key opportunities you see in this risk-averse market you mentioned?

I think there are opportunities because we’re able to do co-development, collaborations, partnerships, and these have been really, really successful. And when we spot a new embryonic creation, we’re really lucky in that we have an internal investment creative fund with which we can supercharge those new ideas and try and get them launched with a partner somewhere in the world.

Absolutely, that big new IP that can sit alongside current super brands. And whether it is reality and all those sub-sections of reality, or whether it is the next big quiz, game or talent show, there’s opportunity.

Coming into the [soccer] World Cup, you will probably hear everyone talking about how expensive sports rights are. But we also know that it’s not just about those. Those channels need more than sports to complement those live events.

Your team at Banijay has talked about finding new hits in that space where sports and entertainment meet, right?

The infamous “where sport meets entertainment” – I present to you: sportainment! We’ve got a big show coming out of Holland called Football Island, a collaboration between SimpelZodiak and Southfields for Videoland. The clue is in the title. Yes, it absolutely is under the banner of football [aka soccer]. I think football fans, certainly Dutch football fans, will watch that show. There’s fantastic talent. What we want to do, though, is to bring in that family viewing audience. We want them to watch it for other layers that are in that format. The show has that survival element, with 13 Dutch ex-footballers stuck on the island, and they talk about a lot of stories from when they were players on the field, but also off the field.

I guess it’s a special twist on Survivor and the like. Any other new twists you are presenting to the market?

As the home of MasterChef, we’re always looking for ideas under this banner of big, competitive reality food shows. And we’ve got one from Mastiff Sweden, Bunim/Murray Productions and Smart Dog Media [for TV4] called 100 Knives, which has just shot in Sweden. It really looks fantastic.

The twist is essentially that it’s not about individuals at all. It’s about teams. They’re actually called brigades in the format. So, there’s that competitive element. But what I love about it is the camaraderie of bringing people together. Audiences are incredibly savvy, and I think we have to bring that positive tone, that tone of where you are stronger together and people wanting other people to succeed. We’ve seen lots of reality shows where everyone’s competitive, and there’s the evil contributor on the side – absolutely, there still is that element when you have a competition. But what I love about 100 Knives is brigades all working together, and the bond that they develop.

What’s also fantastic is that it’s got real scale, but we have the ability to produce it as a huge scale show, a medium scale show, or a slightly smaller show. So we can fit these formats to various global needs, because each territory is slightly different.

Any other new themes or trends you are seeing?

In the vein of entertaining audiences, comedy entertainment is something we’re really keen on. It’s no secret that Amazon has had huge success with LOL, and we’re lucky to produce that in 11 territories. We’re keen to work on comedy entertainment inside the studio, comedy entertainment outside the studio, and hybrid formats that have a comedy entertainment edge. There’s a big show coming from Metronome in Denmark called Who’s Guilty?, which is filming as we speak. That is using comedians and celebrities who have to guess who the guilty comedian is. [In each episode, a group of comedians is thrown into a fictional crime and interrogated in a courtroom in front of a celebrity jury. One comedian is secretly assigned to play the guilty party; the others are innocent, but they all work together to convince the jury to convict one of them of the crime.]

So, how do you balance the familiar and popular, in this case, maybe a dash of The Traitors, with the new?

There are some big psychological reality shows in our industry, such as The Traitors. And when we are creating these big shows, you have to make sure they’ve got their own DNA. You have to make sure that they stand on their own. You have to [look for] what’s the new unique element. They’ve got to have this element.

Banijay is also working with third-party partners on some of their big IPs, right?

That is also a huge priority for the business. We’ve seen such success from LEGO Masters in the past in that regard. So we nurture that third-party format and are always looking for new partners. Other third-party successes include [strategic reality format] Werewolves, Ninja Warrior, and [digital-first format] All Star Hide and Seek. 

Our teams within Banijay want to work on the best formats, and our partners want to create the best formats and work with the best people. I talked about 100 Knives and the brigades. It feels like we’re creating quite a few internal brigades in that regard. We’re just trying to bring everyone together, because there’s so much that these teams learn and that they can share – on third-party and our own [IP].

Who is willing to take risks in this risk-averse market?

Probably from our pipeline’s point of view, the streamers are the ones who are taking the biggest swings. When we are launching a huge amount of new IP, actually, sometimes the hardest part is to prioritize what we feel is the biggest international hit of the future.

You can’t wait to make a format strong. You have to make it strong before it launches. If you don’t put the time and effort into it at Base Camp One, it will die, it will fizzle out in an industry and in a content market that is as competitive as it has ever been. So, we really do put a huge amount of time, effort, blood, sweat, tears, and investment into those potential opportunities that we can see traveling around the world.

In the U.K., at the moment, we have The Summit on ITV, which is a format that’s now traveled to nearly 10 territories, having originated in Australia. [The ITV version sees 14 strangers trying to summit a mountain in New Zealand, competing in a test of resilience and strategy. “Can teamwork prevail or will £200,000 ($270,000) tempt betrayal?” asks a synopsis.) The Australian team didn’t take a few weeks to come up with that format. It was in their pipeline for 18 months of rigorous development and investment stages.

What do you think is appealing to audiences about non-scripted shows?

It’s still escapism, nostalgia. Because the news is not always the most positive, that is appealing. And for others, they’re just a brand new audience that has never seen anything like this before.

But you have to keep formats fresh. One in particular that seems to be hugely successful out in the U.S. is [the Fear Factor revival] Fear Factor: House of Fear with Johnny Knoxville, which has done brilliantly in overnight numbers that apparently no one cares about anymore. And it is also incredibly successful on Hulu. And I think where you have that opportunity to drive audiences to [networks and] streaming, so you have a dual purpose, that’s great.

I heard you will also be talking about a new format called The Dinner this week. What’s that about?

The Dinner isn’t really about the dinner and what you eat. It’s a fantastic partnership of SimpelZodiak and Talpa Studios [for SBS6] that has elements of psychological and strategic reality. It’s also one of those scenarios where it’s like a mirror moment for the audience. You know, when you sit with friends around a dinner table, there are always friends who’ve got lots of different stories. But in this particular case, it’s more of a game show where money is at stake. The individuals, who in this particular case are celebrities, are telling stories, and the other diners at the table have to guess whether that story is real or fake.

There are some fantastic stories in there, and some of them you just would never, ever believe were true. It’s incredibly watchable and very bingeable as well. We’ve got a great legacy with panel shows. So we have the expertise and know how we can appeal to audiences, but now put it into a totally different environment. And if you get the cast right, it’s fantastic, so the casting is absolutely integral. And this one is very addictive. It doesn’t need to be a quiz show to play along at home, so this is a way to bring the family together.

Speaking of quizzes: any new quiz formats?

Our team at DMLS in France has created a show originally called Brain Master, which is now known as How Old Is Your Brain? What’s great about it is that you have all these different questions, so people can play along together at home. It’s a great quiz that goes across all sorts of demographics. And there is a little sidebar for the format with a scientist giving you tips and tricks on how to keep your brain fresh. So you get a little bit of science into it, as well as the game show, making it a hybrid.

You mentioned the opportunity to super-charge hot ideas with your fund. Can you tell me a bit more about that fund?

The very-well stocked Creative Fund we have is there to invest solely in creativity, because that sits absolutely at the heart of what we all do. The people who have the creativity sit at the heart. When we are looking for those big, new ideas, we set up various creative initiatives.

Last year, we launched the Genre Accelerator Fund that is really simple. We have six genres, in which we feel there is a multi-territory, multi-buyer opportunity: romantic reality, adventure reality, quiz and game shows, talent shows, sportainment, and social experiment. And we asked every single non-scripted label at Banijay to submit one big idea. They were allowed to decide which genre they wanted to submit to, and we chose a winner whose bounty was an investment in that idea. So we ended up with six winners, and we’re currently talking with all of them at the moment about the best use of that investment. Some are further down the line than others.

Banijay has talked about using AI in the development of shows. What role does AI play in some of the shows/formats Banijay is showcasing at the London TV Screenings – whether on screen or in the development and production process?

AI is increasingly part of our creative workflow, both on-screen and behind-the-scenes, and you’ll see that reflected across our London TV Screenings showcase this week. A ground-breaking example is Staying Alive, our new music entertainment format from EndemolShine Germany, where cutting-edge technology enables today’s artists to perform showstopping duets with legendary voices like Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse and Freddie Mercury. Creating a performance entertainment format like that simply wasn’t possible before. Beyond that, AI now helps our teams visualize concepts faster, streamline production, and unlock new ways to elevate storytelling and amplify creativity. 

Anything else you’d like to highlight?

You have to hook people early, and you have to give them what they want. But sometimes the premise of a format can be incredibly simple, and that’s the beauty of it. Staying Alive is an example of that.

The beautiful thing about the Banijay pipeline and the new shows is that it is not monotonous, and we’re always looking for what is different enough from everything else, not only within our catalog, but within the world.

John Oliver started out Sunday’s Last Week Tonight by recapping the news of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest last week.

The former Prince Andrew, who is the son of the late Queen Elizabeth II and brother of King Charles III, was arrested in the U.K. three days ago on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was released after several hours in custody. 

Police arrested him after emails came to light as part of the Epstein files being released by the U.S. Department of Justice. His ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have put him under scrutiny for years, leading to his being stripped of his royal titles, including that of Prince and  also the Duke of York.

On his HBO show Sunday, Oliver showed video from a news report wherein the reporter noted that the arrest came after “growing revelations about the alleged connections” between the two men. The report showed a photo of Epstein and Andrew walking side by side, appearing to be in conversation.

Said Oliver: “It’s true, they arrested former Prince Andrew, and I don’t know why they’re still going with ‘alleged’ connections to Epstein there, while also running a photo that makes them look like the two closest friends I’ve ever seen. It looks like they’re brainstorming a new podcast. It looks like Andrew’s soft-launching, ‘Hey, would it be crazy if we moved in together?’ I’m just saying, maybe drop the ‘alleged’ part when you’re dealing with two guys that look so close they could finish each other’s prison sentences.”

Oliver continued: “And if you’re thinking, ‘Well, what was the new revelation that did it? Was it the grotesque new photo of Andrew on all fours over a young woman? Incredibly, no, it was apparently this.”

He then showed a clip from another news report noting that the arrest reportedly was linked to emails that Andrew forwarded to Epstein when the former was the U.K. trade envoy. Some of the emails were dated 2010, which was after Epstein’s conviction, and contained files from Andrew’s trips overseas.

“Yeah, they got him on forwarding documents, which is a little underwhelming,” Oliver said. “Though, to be honest, when it comes to bringing down monsters, I don’t really care if it’s for a boring computer crime, the same way I’m not that mad if what finally ends a toddler throwing a tantrum is a cardboard box [on his head]. The method doesn’t matter. What’s important is, you have been stopped.”

“Now, Andrew has repeatedly denied all wrongdoing and has been released, although that does not mean he’s been found not guilty,” Oliver added, showing the widely circulated photo of Andrew being released from custody, in which he can be seen slumped down in the backseat of a car. “All we really have to go on right now is this fantastic picture of him leaving custody, and you can draw your own conclusions there. Reasonable people can disagree on whether this makes him look guilty — or dead.”

Oliver then showed a report from the Australian version of 60 Minutes in which a former officer who was assigned to guard Andrew hesitantly revealed that the nickname given to him by some of his staffers was “the c***.”

“According to that guy, that was Andrew’s unofficial nickname, and it’s a little weird he was so wary of saying that word on TV given he was appearing on Australia’s 60 Minutes, and Australians say c*** all the time. I’m pretty sure Bluey’s said it at least three times,” Oliver joked.

An experienced cinematographer before he turned to directing, Warwick Thornton has a feel for the Central Australian desert and the craggy MacDonnell Ranges that’s both epic and intimate. His refined sense of composition is directly informed by the landscape around Alice Springs where he grew up and his subcutaneous connection to it imbues his films with soulful beauty. Wolfram is no exception. A four-chapter saga of escape, pursuit and survival, the film, for all its brutality, ultimately becomes less a lament for stolen lands and stolen children than a stirring account of endurance.

Family and community are the thematic foundation of this sequel of sorts to Thornton’s 2017 drama Sweet Country, again co-written by Steven McGregor and David Tranter. It picks up a few years after the events of the earlier film in and around the same fictional Northern Territory town of Henry, though all but two of the principal characters here are different. That gives the two movies the feel of a shared ancestral map, marked by overlaps and diverging tangents.

The nominal center this time is Pansy, played with an expressive gaze and few words by the invaluable Deborah Mailman, first seen clutching her newborn and hacking off locks of her hair with a rusty knife. With minimal preamble or exposition, Pansy and new partner Zhang (Jason Chong) set off on a horse and cart for Queensland, their last shot at finding her lost children. She beads the braids of hair with seeds, hanging them on shrubs to mark the way, like a trail of breadcrumbs.

Meanwhile, Indigenous child laborers Max (Hazel May Jackson) and Kid (Eli Hart) chip away at the walls of a tight mine shaft, removing chunks of the ore used to make wolfram (now more commonly known as tungsten) for their ill-tempered boss Billy (Matt Nable).

A separate thread follows the arrival in Henry of criminals Casey (Erroll Shand) and Frank (Joe Bird), all mean attitude and swagger as they look to stake a claim in the area and prospect for gold. Ignoring the advice of the local storekeeper (John Howard) to avoid the back trails where they are likely to encounter “wild Blackfellas,” they head off in that direction. When they come upon young Max, left behind to keep an eye on Billy’s camp, Casey and Frank rob the camp and forcibly take the child with them.

Once Kid discovers his sibling is gone, he steals a donkey from the mining site and goes after him, his exit timing helped by a convenient snake bite.

Further off the dusty track on a run-down cattle station, belligerent drunk Kennedy (Thomas M. Wright) benefits from the virtual slave labor of his 18-year-old mixed-race son Philomac (Pedrea Jackson), the two main characters carried over from Sweet Country. (Philomac, then 14, was played by twins Tremayne and Trevon Doolan.)

When Casey and Frank roll up, they pretty much take over, claiming they found Max wandering alone. Kennedy is oddly deferential to the strangers as they start antagonizing Philomac, whose suspicions about them are confirmed when he talks to Max alone.

Just as he did in Sweet Country, Thornton evokes the Old West-style lawlessness of the time and place, particularly as sneering villain Casey and cocky dope Frank go from vaguely menacing to outright ruthless. Their heartless treatment of Black petty thief Archie (Gibson John), another Sweet Country holdover, shocks Philomac into action as the movie shifts gears into a chase thriller. Blood is shed in killings both horrific and gratifying. In the latter case, Thornton reclaims the dignity of First Nations Australians with a rousing image of strength.

Much of the story comes from oral history passed down by his great-grandfather to Tranter, whose family roots on both sides — Indigenous and Chinese — come into play. That said, the narrative feels a tad shapeless at times and the plot turns — one surprise revelation in Part Four aside — often familiar.

The number of significant characters and story strands makes it a challenge for the director and writers to settle on a focus and maintain it until the threads are stitched together. But even when it ambles along rather than races, the movie’s heart and integrity keep Wolfram engrossing, buoyed by sterling work from the entire cast.

Pedrea Jackson, sporting an excellent mustache, is a standout as Philomac, contemplative, observant, simmering with indignation and longing to be with his people; Shand makes Casey chillingly contemptible, treating the Aboriginal characters like animals; despite her role being largely symbolic, Mailman is enormously touching, her grace and quiet fortitude standing in for countless mothers whose children were taken from them; and the young actors playing Max and Kid are terrific.

Two Chinese gold prospectors introduced toward the end, Shi (Ferdinand Hoang) and Jimmi (Aiden Du Chiem), indicate the sense of solidarity among victims of discrimination. They become a key part of an affecting conclusion, which maybe ties up the story too neatly, but few will be unmoved by seeing people so dehumanized by colonial rule show their resilience.

Thornton once again serves as his own DP, drawing texture from the rich palette of reds, oranges, golds and browns in the sun-blasted landscape. The movie has no original score as such but makes distinctively atmospheric use of Charlie Barker’s saw playing. The director has still not surpassed the poetic simplicity of his lauded 2009 debut, Samson & Delilah. But Wolfram represents a very solid entry in his impressive body of work and a return to form after his more uneven last feature, The New Boy.