Vin Diesel finally offered an update on Fast Forever this week, Paramount Skydance faced mounting regulatory pressure over its proposed Warner Bros. Discovery merger, and Midjourney pushed back against Disney, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. by seeking details of the studios’ own use of generative AI.
Vin Diesel Confirms Fast Forever Is Back in Production
Vin Diesel has provided the clearest update yet on the long-delayed Fast & Furious finale. In a behind-the-scenes video on Instagram, the actor confirmed that production on Fast Forever is underway while thanking fans for their patience throughout the project’s lengthy development.
“I’m on set. People are grinding. Incredible crews are working,” Diesel said before addressing fans directly.
“You’ve been patient to the industry, you’ve been patient to the studio, and you’ve been patient with me. Over the past three and a half years, we’ve been grinding to try to make the most amazing finale […]so, let me get back to this filming, and just know that I hope to make you all proud.”
The finale has become one of the most challenging productions in the franchise’s 25-year history.
Since it was confirmed as the eleventh and final installment, the project has gone through six writers, paused pre-production during the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes, undergone budget reductions, faced extensive internal discussions over its story, and experienced multiple release date changes after Diesel announced an indefinite delay.
Director Louis Leterrier, who helmed Fast X, has returned to direct the finale. After more than three years of interrupted pre-production, filming now appears to be fully underway.
Paramount Skydance Merger Faces Scrutiny in Europe and the UK
Paramount Skydance’s proposed $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery encountered new regulatory hurdles this week as authorities in both the European Union and the United Kingdom examined the deal.
On Wednesday, Paramount submitted formal concessions to the European Commission in an effort to avoid a full antitrust investigation. The company’s primary proposal involves exiting United International Pictures (UIP), the 45-year-old London-based theatrical distribution joint venture between Paramount and Universal Pictures that operates across Europe.
Following the submission, the European Commission extended its provisional decision deadline from July 7 to July 22. A Paramount spokesperson confirmed the filing to Variety, adding: “We look forward to continuing to work constructively with other remaining regulatory agencies.”
If completed, the merger would combine Paramount Pictures, CBS, Paramount+, MTV, Nickelodeon, BET and Comedy Central with Warner Bros. Discovery’s portfolio, which includes CNN, HBO, Max, DC Studios, TNT Sports, Cartoon Network, Warner Bros. Pictures and Channel 5 in the United Kingdom.
Regulatory concerns also emerged in the UK. One day before Paramount submitted its European concessions, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy confirmed she had written to both Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery stating she was “minded to intervene” over concerns about maintaining sufficient plurality of viewpoints in UK news media and sufficient plurality of control over UK media enterprises.
Nandy also said the current Enterprise Act 2002 does not adequately cover streaming services under public interest provisions and confirmed plans to introduce secondary legislation to address that gap.
Should an Intervention Notice be issued, the merger would undergo further examination of both its public interest implications and competitive impact. Combined with the ongoing European review, such a process would likely push the transaction beyond its third-quarter closing target, triggering a fee of approximately $7 million per day under the terms of the merger agreement. The deadline for both companies to submit representations to Nandy’s office fell this week.
Midjourney Seeks Studios’ Internal AI Records in Copyright Lawsuit
The copyright lawsuit filed by Disney and Universal Pictures against AI image-generation company Midjourney, later joined by Warner Bros., took a new turn this week after Midjourney asked a U.S. court to compel all three studios to disclose their own internal use of generative AI.
The studios originally sued Midjourney over claims that users could generate images of copyrighted characters without authorization. Midjourney has argued that training AI models on copyrighted material constitutes fair use.
In its latest filing, the company contends that the studios are selectively presenting AI-generated outputs that support their claims while withholding documents that could reveal how they themselves use generative AI.
Midjourney attorney Bobby Ghajar argued that, “If Plaintiffs are doing the very thing they seek to punish, that evidence goes to the heart of Midjourney’s fair use and unclean hands defenses.”
The studios’ lead attorney, David Singer, dismissed the request as a “fishing expedition,” maintaining that the case is not about preventing AI development but about the unauthorized reproduction of specific copyrighted characters.
Key Takeaway
Three separate developments this week highlighted the different challenges facing Hollywood’s biggest players. Fast Forever finally entered active production after years of delays and creative setbacks. Paramount Skydance’s proposed merger encountered increasing regulatory scrutiny on both sides of the Atlantic as officials examined its competitive impact.
Meanwhile, Midjourney sought to shift the focus of its copyright dispute by asking the court to examine whether the studios bringing the lawsuit are themselves relying on the same generative AI technologies at the center of the case.
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