Latest news with #Supacell
Daily Mirror
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Netflix fans discover 'excellent' drama after brutal BAFTA loss
The 2024 series boasts a perfect 100 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes Netflix viewers have discovered a critically-lauded drama boasting a flawless 100 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes. Released in June 2024, Supacell, quickly captivated audiences with its unique superhero narrative. Earlier this year, the sci-fi show made even more waves when it was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award in the Best Drama category, rubbing shoulders with BBC's Sherwood, Blue Lights and Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light. Despite losing out to the Irish police drama, Blue Lights, at the awards ceremony on Sunday night (May 11), the Netflix series may have gained new fans due to its nomination. As of now, Google searches for Supacell have surged, with people keen to know everything from the number of episodes to the cast details. The six-part drama features Adelayo Adedayo, renowned for her role in BBC 's popular dramedy, Some Girls. She is joined by Doctor Who veteran Tosin Cole and rising star Josh Tedeku from BBC Three, reports Surrey Live. Set against the backdrop of South London, the plot revolves around five ordinary Black individuals who suddenly acquire superpowers. Their only common trait is their battle with sickle cell disease, which predominantly affects people of African and Caribbean descent. While the storyline primarily delves into the characters' newfound superhuman abilities, it also provides incisive commentary on real-world issues such as racial profiling, knife crime, and workplace inequality. The drama comes from musician Rapman, real name is Andrew Onwubolu, and was renewed for a sequel just a month post its debut. While Netflix hasn't announced when the next chapter will drop, eager fans can indulge in the entire first season right now. Fresh to some viewers but already acclaimed among early watchers, Supacell has racked up impressive reviews. It's rocking a solid 70 per cent approval from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, while critics have lavished it with a perfect 100 per cent rating. A glowing fan review reads: "Love that the UK is coming out with such good shows and this is number 1 for me! Binge watched the whole season in 2 days and then watched it again and got my friend to, we're both hooked and eagerly waiting for season 2." Adding to the anticipation, another enthusiast penned: "Fantastic! Excellent story, tons of action, and takes the time to grant the viewer insight into each character's world. I wish the first season would have had twice as many episodes but it set up the second season nicely."
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Supacell season 2 cancelled? Creator Rapman makes BIG revelation about second season Check all details here
Supacell is officially making a comeback! OTT giant Netflix has renewed the BAFTA-nominated British superhero series for a second season after the global success of its debut run. #Operation Sindoor The damage done at Pak bases as India strikes to avenge Pahalgam Why Pakistan pleaded to end hostilities Kashmir's Pahalgam sparks Karachi's nightmare The show, originally launched in June 2024, quickly stormed into the Top 10 charts earlier. Created by British rapper and filmmaker Rapman , Supacell follows dive Black South Londoners who unexpectedly gained superpowers linked to sickle cell disease. Starring Tosin Cole as Michael Lasaki , the show revolves around him as he attempts to bring the group together to save the woman he loves. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Private Jet - The Prices May Surprise You! Private Jet I Search Ads Learn More Undo Cliffhanger ending to Supacell Season 1 The finale episode of the Season 1 ended on a dramatic and emotional cliffhanger. Michael fails to save Dionne (Adelayo Adedayo) despite travelling back in time to stop a deadly ambush. The finale then closes with Michael assembling the group to travel into the future to find answers and avenge Dionne's death. Also Read : XRP price to reach $10 in 2025? Crypto analyst decodes factors that could drive its surge Live Events Creator Rapman promises intense Supacell Season 2 The fans have received their biggest update yet on Season 2. Speaking to Radio Times at the 2025 BAFTA TV Awards, Rapman hinted that the sci-fi series will be taking a much darker turn in the upcoming season. He said things will get 'really, really dark,' adding that everything will be doubly intense in the second season as compared to the first. Netflix confirms renewal of British superhero drama Netflix confirmed the renewal of the show via social media last year and said that the filming would begin shortly. The show's first season, which had six episodes in total, garnered strong critical and audience acclaim. As per reports, it held the top spot on Netflix's English-language TV charts for two consecutive weeks and had drawn 11.8 million views in its first full week and 7.1 million thereafter. 'Supacell' creator Rapman on representation The show has also been praised for their representation of Black British culture. The creators of the show weaved the real-world issues like systematic inequality and health disparities like sickle cell disease into the narrative of the show. Speaking about it, Rapman said it was important for him to show different aspects of what he dubbed as Black experience when he got the opportunity to create a Netflix show. Also Read : UK announces measures to tighten immigration policies amid rising voter anger 'Supacell' Season 2 cast, crew and release date The star cast of the show includes Tosin Cole, Josh Tedeku, and Eddie Marsan. Adelayo Adedayo, Calvin Demba, Eric Kofi-Abrefa, and Nadine Mills will also feature in it. Rapman co-directs with Sebastian Thiel and serves as an executive producer alongside Steve Searle, Mouktar Mohammed, and Anna Ferguson. Though no official release date has been announced yet, everyone is looking forward to Season 2, which will deliver darker turns, higher stakes, and deeper exploration into every character's journey. FAQs: When will Supacell Season 2 be released? Netflix has confirmed the renewal, and filming is set to begin soon. However, an official release date is yet to be confirmed. What was the response to Supacell Season ? Supacell Season 1 drew 11.8 million views in its first full week, as per Netflix, and 7.1 million views in the week thereafter.
Belfast Telegraph
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
‘Belfast, this one's for you': NI cop show Blue Lights wins Best Drama at Baftas 2025
The Northern Ireland-based cop show beat out three other nominations in the category, including fellow BBC programmes Sherwood and Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, and Netflix's Supacell, which Sian Brooke – who plays Grace Ellis in Blue Lights – also stars in.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BAFTA TV Craft Awards: ‘Baby Reindeer,' ‘Shogun,' ‘Slow Horses,' ‘Rivals' Among Winners
Baby Reindeer, Slow Horses, Rivals, Shōgun, and Bad Sisters were among the winners of the BAFTA Television Craft Awards 2025, which were handed out in London on Sunday. Supacell, Eric, and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power were also part of the list of honorees. The craft award for best drama writer went to Richard Gadd for his Netflix hit Baby Reindeer, while Weronika Tofilska won the best director in fiction honor for her work on Baby Reindeer. More from The Hollywood Reporter Lux Pascal Is a Proud Sister: "Pedro's Taught Me There's No Reason to Hide Who I Am" Karla Sofía Gascón Gets Emotional Discussing Return to U.S.: "We're In a Difficult Time and I Feel Like One of the First Victims" Mike Myers Explains Origins of Recent Canadian Political Activism That meant two awards on Sunday night for the hit show, with Rivals and Slow Horses also earning two honors each. The ceremony, celebrating the best behind-the-scenes TV talent of 2024, was held at The Brewery in the British capital, an 18th-century brewery recast as an events venue. More U.K. TV awards are set to be handed out soon. The BAFTA TV Awards will be held on Sunday, May 11 at London's Royal Festival Hall, and also airing on BBC One and the BBC iPlayer in the U.K. Baby Reindeer led the nominations for the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards and the BAFTA Television Craft Awards with eight noms, followed by Disney+ series Rivals, AppleTV+ hit Slow Horses and ITV's Mr Bates vs the Post Office with six each. See the full list of 2025 BAFTA TV Craft Awards winners, highlighted in bold, below. BAFTA Television Craft Awards CHILDREN'S CRAFT TEAMGRANT ORCHARD, SANDER JONES, ROSS PHILLIPS, PHILLIP WARNER, MALCOM MOLE, TIN SOUNDS Hey Duggee – Studio AKA / CBeebiesPAUL TAYLOR, JEREMY HEWSON, RICHIE WEBB, LISA HALSTEAD, JEMIMA COTTER, DAVID BRYAN Horrible Histories – Lion Television / CBBCSIMON PARTINGTON, ALEX COPLEY, ANDY FARAGO, SANDY NUTTGENS, SIMON COUZENS BooSnoo! – Visionality, Mackinnon & Saunders / Sky KidsTOM BIDWELL, JENNIFER PERROTT, RICK THIELE, SARAH BREWERTON, ANNA RACKARD, JAMES MATHER The Velveteen Rabbit – Magic Light Pictures / Apple TV+ COSTUME DESIGNANNIE SYMONS, JASON AIREY Mary & George – Hera Pictures, Sky Studios / Sky AtlanticIAN FULCHER Black Doves – Sister, Noisy Bear / NetflixJÁN KOCMAN The Tattooist of Auschwitz – Synchronicity Films, Sky Studios, All3Media International / Sky AtlanticSUZANNE CAVE Eric – Sister, Little Chick / Netflix DIRECTOR: FACTUALCHARLIE HAMILTON JAMES Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story – Silverback Films / National GeographicCOLETTE CAMDEN Lucan – Five Mile Films / BBC TwoNATASHA COX Life and Death in Gaza (Storyville) – BBC World Service, BBC Eye / BBC TwoTOM GREEN, TOMMY FORBES Me and the Voice in My Head – Hungry Bear Media / Channel 4 DIRECTOR: FICTION sponsored by 3 Mills StudiosMOLLY MANNERS One Day – Drama Republic, Universal International Studios, Focus Features / NetflixNIDA MANZOOR We Are Lady Parts – Working Title Television / Channel 4PETER KOSMINSKY Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light – Playground Entertainment, Company Pictures / BBC OneWERONIKA TOFILSKA Baby Reindeer – Clerkenwell Films / Netflix DIRECTOR: MULTI-CAMERACHRIS COOK BBC General Election 2024 – BBC News / BBC OneDIRECTING TEAM D-Day 80: Tribute to the Fallen – BBC Studios / BBC OneJANET FRASER CROOK Glastonbury 2024 – BBC Studios Music Productions / BBC OneNIKKI PARSONS Strictly Come Dancing – BBC Studios / BBC One EDITING: FACTUALKATE SPANKIE Ukraine: Enemy in the Woods – Hoyo Films / BBC TwoOTTO BURNHAM Apollo 13: Survival – Insight TWI Films, Fee Fie Foe Films / NetflixSARAH KEELING Life and Death in Gaza (Storyville)- BBC World Service, BBC Eye / BBC TwoSEAN MACKENZIE, CHRIS NICHOLLS Miners' Strike 1984: The Battle for Britain – Swan Films / Channel 4 EDITING: FICTIONLUKE DUNKLEY The Day of the Jackal – Carnival Films / Sky AtlanticMIKE JONES Mr Bates vs The Post Office – ITV Studios, Little Gem / ITV1PETER OLIVER, BENJAMIN GERSTEIN Baby Reindeer – Clerkenwell Films / NetflixROBERT FROST Slow Horses (Episode 1) – See-Saw Films / Apple TV+ EMERGING TALENT: FACTUALANNA JOHNSTON (Director) Parole – RAW / BBC TwoJABER BADWAN (Director of Photography) Kill Zone: Inside Gaza – Basement Films / Channel 4LUCY WELLS (Shooting Director) 24 Hours in Police Custody: Murder on Prescription – The Garden / Channel 4 EMERGING TALENT: FICTION sponsored by Sara Putt AssociatesKYLA HARRIS, LEE GETTY (Writers) We Might Regret This – Roughcut Television, Village Roadshow / BBC TwoLUCIA KESKIN (Writer) Things You Should Have Done – Roughcut Television / BBC ThreeMITCH KALISA (Director) Letting Go (On The Edge) – BlackLight Television / Channel 4PHIL DUNNING (Writer) Smoggie Queens – Hat Trick Productions / BBC Three ENTERTAINMENT CRAFT TEAM sponsored by HotcamANDY DEVONSHIRE, REBECCA BOWKER, JAMES DILLON, DRU MASTERS Taskmaster – Avalon UK / Channel 4BEN ARCHARD, JAMES TINSLEY, SIGGI-ROSEN-RAWLINGS, MATHIEU WEEKES, MARTIN ADAMS, JIMMY BARNETT The Traitors – Studio Lambert / BBC OneDAVID BISHOP, JOE PHILLIPS, CATHERINE LAND, JEN TOWNSEND, DAVID ARCH, IAN MASTERSON Strictly Come Dancing – BBC Studios / BBC OneJON RICHARDS, ROBERT POUND, TOM ELDERFIELD, DARREN SARSBY, PETER TURNER, ADAM HUTCHINGS Miracles – Expectation TV, Seventeen / Sky Max MAKE UP & HAIR DESIGNERIKA ÖKVIST Bridgerton – Shondaland / NetflixJILL SWEENEY, ABI BROTHERTON, NATALIE ALLAN, TIFFANY PIERRE, FRANZISKA ROESSLHUBER, MARTINE WATKINS Rivals – Happy Prince, ITV Studios / Disney+NIC COLLINS Joan – Snowed-In Productions / ITV1PAUL GOOCH, ADAM JAMES PHILLIPS, JULIA VERNON, DEBBI SALMON Mary & George – Hera Pictures, Sky Studios / Sky Atlantic ORIGINAL MUSIC: FACTUALJESSICA JONES American Nightmare – RAW / NetflixNITIN SAWHNEY Tiger – Wildstar Films / Disney+NOOR KHALEGHI Rage Against The Regime: Iran – BBC Current Affairs / BBC TwoTANDIS JENHUDSON Israel & Gaza: Into the Abyss (Exposure) – Top Hat Productions / ITV1 ORIGINAL MUSIC: FICTIONCARLY PARADIS Until I Kill You – World Productions / ITV1DANIEL PEMBERTON, TOY DRUM Slow Horses – See-Saw Films / Apple TV+NATALIE HOLT, JACK HALAMA Rivals – Happy Prince, ITV Studios/Disney+TIM PHILLIPS, PJ HARVEY Bad Sisters – Merman, ABC Signature / Apple TV+ PHOTOGRAPHY: FACTUALCAMERA TEAM Life and Death in Gaza (Storyville) – BBC World Service, BBC Eye / BBC TwoCHARLIE HAMILTON JAMES, JOHNNY ROLT, BERTIE GREGORY Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story – Silverback Films / National GeographicMARCEL METTELSIEFEN State of Rage – Duskwater Films / Channel 4MILES BLAYDEN-RYALL, VIANET DJENGUET, SAM DAWE Silverback – Off the Fence Productions, France Télévisions / BBC Two PHOTOGRAPHY & LIGHTING: FICTIONBENEDICT SPENCE Eric – Sister, Little Chick / NetflixCHRISTOPHER ROSS Shōgun – FX Productions / Disney+NICK MORRIS Sweetpea – See-Saw Films, fanboy / Sky AtlanticSTEPHEN MURPHY Say Nothing (Episode 8) – FX Productions, Color Force / Disney+ PRODUCTION DESIGN sponsored by BENlabsASHLEIGH JEFFERS Breathtaking – HTM Television, Northern Ireland Screen, ITV Studios / ITV1CHRIS SEAGERS Masters of the Air – Apple Studios, Amblin Television, Playtone / Apple TV+DOMINIC HYMAN Rivals – Happy Prince, ITV Studios / Disney+RICHARD BULLOCK The Day of the Jackal – Carnival Films / Sky Atlantic SCRIPTED CASTINGISABELLA ODOFFIN Supacell – Netflix, New Wave Agency, It's A Rap / NetflixJILL TREVELLICK Mr Bates vs The Post Office – ITV Studios, Little Gem / ITV1LAUREN EVANS Lost Boys and Fairies – Duck Soup Films / BBC OneKELLY VALENTINE HENDRY Rivals – Happy Prince, ITV Studios / Disney+ SOUND: FACTUALBRIAN MOSELEY, ANGELA GROVES, PAUL FISHER, CHRIS WATSON, IOANNIS SPANOS Secret World of Sound with David Attenborough – Humble Bee Films, InField Fly / Sky NatureKURT HOWARD, CALUM THOMSON, EDWIN MATTHEWS Backstage with the London Philharmonic Orchestra – Love Monday TV / Sky ArtsPAUL DARLING, GREG GETTENS, GLEN GATHARD, REBECCA HEATHCOTE Apollo13: Survival – Insight TWI Films, Fee Fie Foe Films / NetflixSOUND TEAM Earthsounds – Offspring Films / Apple TV+ SOUND: FICTIONALASTAIR SIRKETT, DOUG COOPER, SIMON BISHOP, TIM HANDS, ADELE FLETCHER, BARNABY SMYTH House of the Dragon – Bastard Sword, GRRM, 1:26 Pictures Inc, HBO / Sky AtlanticANDREW SISSONS, MARTIN JENSEN, JOE BEAL, ALEX ELLERINGTON, DUNCAN PRICE, ABBIE SHAW Slow Horses – See-Saw Films/ Apple TV+HOWARD BARGROFF, STEPHEN GRIFFITHS, TOM JENKINS, ANDY SHELLEY, MARK TIMMS, MICHELE WOODS True Detective: Night Country – HBO / Sky AtlanticMATTHEW SKELDING, TOM JENKINS, MILOS STOJANOVIC, JAMES RIDGWAY, JACK WHITELEE Baby Reindeer -Clerkenwell Films / Netflix SPECIAL, VISUAL & GRAPHIC EFFECTSDAÐI EINARSSON, THOMAS HORTON, LEV KOLOBOV, MIKE DAWSON, ASA SHOUL, PIXOMONDO House of the Dragon -Bastard Sword, GRRM, 1:26 Pictures Inc. HBO / Sky AtlanticDANIEL RAUCHWERGER, RAPHAEL HAMM, STEFANO PEPIN, RICHARD STANBURY, IAN FELLOWS, PAUL BONGIOVANNI Silo – AMC Studios / Apple TV+JASON SMITH, RICHARD BAIN, RYAN CONDER, CHRIS RODGERS The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – Amazon MGM Studios / Prime VideoNEIL CORBOULD, CAIMIN BOURNE, STUART HEATH, GLEN WINCHESTER Masters of the Air – Apple Studios, Amblin Television, Playtone / Apple TV+ TITLES & GRAPHIC IDENTITYFX GOBY, PAUL BAILEY, RUSSELL HENDRIE, NINA BEYERS, TOM ESPEZEL Paris 2024 Olympics – BBC Sport, Nexus Studios / BBC OneMATT CURTIS A Gentleman in Moscow – Paramount Television International Studios, Lionsgate Television / Paramount+PAUL MCDONNELL, HUGO MOSS, BEN HANBURY, TAMSIN MCGEE Ludwig – Big Talk Studios, That Mitchell & Webb Company / BBC OnePETER ANDERSON STUDIO Sweetpea – See-Saw Films, fanboy / Sky Atlantic WRITER: COMEDYBRETT GOLDSTEIN Shrinking – Warner Bros. Television / Apple TV+NIDA MANZOOR We Are Lady Parts – Working Title Television / Channel 4PHIL DUNNING Smoggie Queens – Hat Trick Productions / BBC ThreeREECE SHEARSMITH, STEVE PEMBERTON Inside No. 9 – BBC Studios Comedy Productions / BBC Two WRITER: DRAMAGWYNETH HUGHES Mr Bates vs The Post Office – ITV Studios, Little Gem / ITV1MICKEY DOWN, KONRAD KAY Industry – Bad Wolf, HBO / BBC OneNICOLE TAYLOR One Day – Drama Republic, Universal International Studios, Focus Features / NetflixRICHARD GADD Baby Reindeer – Clerkenwell Films / Netflix Best of The Hollywood Reporter 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise 'Yellowstone' and the Sprawling Dutton Family Tree, Explained
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Inside YouTube's Weird World Of Fake Movie Trailers — And How Studios Are Secretly Cashing In On The AI-Fuelled Videos
EXCLUSIVE: David Corenswet's Superman lies on the ground, an open wound on his chest wells with blood. Cut to Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor watching on and Milly Alcock's Supergirl levitating into view. 'They are not from here,' Luthor intones in an ominous voiceover. 'And they will never be.' Cue thunderous music, the DC logo, and an aerial shot of the Daily Planet. Your new Superman trailer just dropped. Except this montage is all fake. It is the creation of a machine that can reassemble the Man of Steel in dazzling detail, but will never understand the human world that makes him so enduring. The trailer, which Frankensteins together fleeting AI shots with legitimate footage from the Superman trailer released in December, is one of countless bogus movie teasers to have flooded YouTube in recent years. More from Deadline Disney Near Deal For Hawaii-Set Crime Pic With Scorsese, Dwayne Johnson, DiCaprio & Emily Blunt: The Dish BAFTA TV Awards Snubs & Surprises: 'Day Of The Jackal' Frozen Out; Record Year For Disney+; 'Supacell' Makes Drama Series Cut Breaking Baz: Gemma Arterton Arms Herself To Thwart A Russian Mole In Timely ITV Adaptation Of Tom Bradby Thriller 'Secret Service' Most industry observers will recognize the pungent whiff of AI that YouTube's algorithm lifts under the nose, but for some, the movie commercials can be indiscernible from the real deal. Even French national television was duped by a fake AI Superman trailer last year, showing clips of a besuited Corenswet months before any official footage had been released. Director James Gunn made his feelings pretty clear, posting three puking emojis alongside the France Télévisions clip. He may be surprised to learn, then, that Warner Bros. Discovery is quietly cashing in on some knock-off videos. Instead of enforcing copyright on counterfeit commercials, Deadline can reveal that a handful of Hollywood studios are asking YouTube to ensure that the ad revenue made from views flows in their direction. Quite why they are doing this is a mystery (all the majors approached by Deadline declined to comment), but it raises questions about their willingness to take cash for content that exploits their IP and talent, at a time when there is an existential crisis about how copyright collides with AI. Actors' union SAG-AFTRA describes our revelation as a 'race to the bottom.' Step back, and a more obvious question emerges: why are studios allowing fake trailers to flourish in the first place? Those who create these videos believe they help feed the movie promotion machine, but a sceptic might argue that the trailers could serve to degrade and cheapen official marketing material, potentially imperilling perceptions of the final movie. And what of the fake trailer creators themselves? Some do it for fun, while others are building meaningful businesses. Either way, they are generating billions of views and making money. Welcome to YouTube's weird world of fake film trailers. In The Beginning… People have been posting fake trailers since the dawn of YouTube in 2005. One of the earliest examples to go viral was an imagined Titanic sequel, in which Leonardo DiCaprio's Jack Dawson is discovered in a block of ice under the ocean and is brought back to life in contemporary New York — all set to a thumping dance remix of Céline Dion's My Heart Will Go On. The trailer was updated in 2018 by VJ4rawr2, an Australian YouTuber who is considered to be one of the Godfathers of so-called concept trailers. Titanic 2: Jack's Back got 53M views before VJ4rawr2's original video was blocked by 20th Century Fox. VJ4rawr2, who prefers not to disclose his real name, creates the trailers for fun, but was able to quit his job in 2015 to focus on YouTube, where he has amassed 393M views. His videos start with a central joke and use editing techniques and AI to tease a unique story. VJ4rawr2 has imagined a Mission: Impossible sequel in which Tom Cruise runs from New York to LA, while his most recent effort pictured Macaulay Culkin returning to his Home Alone house to confront his family about childhood abandonment. If VJ4rawr2 was creating these trailers for laughs, artificial intelligence has changed the game in recent years. Fake trailer channels are using the technology to industrialize their output and piggyback on YouTube's algorithm. Most videos posit a simple, enticing question: What would a live-action Frozen movie look like with Anya Taylor-Joy as Elsa? How would Leonardo DiCaprio fare if he entered Squid Game? Could Henry Cavill actually make a good James Bond? Sometimes, these trailers go viral enough to warrant press coverage, with the bogus Bond trailer prompting headlines in both Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. There are big audiences for these videos, with many actively seeking out the simulacra. Other YouTube users hate-watch fake trailers and rage in the comments below. Some are completely fooled by what they are watching — particularly if they are not familiar with the telltale signs of generative AI. 'My parents watched this and thought it was real,' one person noted on the DiCaprio Squid Game video. VJ4rawr2 says: 'The majority of fan trailers today are only popular because they've effectively fooled people into thinking they're real.' Screen Culture is perhaps the best example of a channel that has professionalized its output with the help of AI. Based in Pune, a city southeast of Mumbai in India, is Nikhil P. Chaudhari, a 27-year-old entrepreneur who has turned his Hollywood geekery into a burgeoning business. After being gifted a laptop as a child, Chaudhari (who likes to be known as Nick), has been obsessed with movie culture and amateur video editing. His skills combined in 2018 when he launched the Screen Culture channel, initially posting cut-together conversations between comedy characters, such as his debut video: Chandler Bing Vs Sheldon Cooper. Speaking to Deadline over Zoom, Chaudhari says he noticed other accounts creating concept trailers and thought he could do a better job. He began with clunky mash-ups, including imagining an Avengers-style cut of Game of Thrones, before graduating to more sophisticated videos. Although Chaudhari was initially unhappy about AI lowering the barrier to entry to the concept trailer community, he had little choice but to embrace the technology if he was going to compete for YouTube real estate. Unlike VJ4rawr2, or the outlandish videos of DiCaprio Squid Game creator KH Studio (viewcount: 556M), Screen Culture leans into films that are actually happening. Narrowing in on franchises and sequels, Chaudhari researches and iterates around upcoming movies, creating trailers that are difficult to differentiate from the real deal. They borrow heavily from official footage, but splice in AI imagery to tease irresistible details about a movie that appeal to their giant fandoms. 'Our goal was to create videos that were as close to an official trailer as a concept trailer could be,' he says. Chaudhari now oversees a team of a dozen editors, who churn out as many as 12 videos a week based on his instructions. The Industrialization Of Fake Trailers Screen Culture has created 23 versions of a trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps over the past year. When Deadline searched YouTube using a private browsing tool in February, two of Screen Culture's fake Fantastic Four videos ranked higher than the official trailer, which had been posted by Marvel just days earlier. The first search result was Screen Culture's The Fantastic Four: First Steps | New Trailer video, which contains obvious AI images of Galactus, even though the cosmic bad guy has not been fully pictured in official material. The second search result, another similar Screen Culture offering, used AI to tease the yet-to-be-seen female Silver Surfer. Being early to a topic can help push a video up YouTube's search ranking, while new videos are often boosted, which is why Screen Culture hits certain franchises fast and hard. Deadline searches found Screen Culture had high-ranking results for many major upcoming movies, including Thunderbolts* and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, with all the videos embellished using AI. YouTube's algorithm also rewarded some videos by pushing them into its recommendation sidebar and 'People Also Search For' menu. YouTube was approached for comment. Chaudhari uses at least six AI tools to create his videos, including Leonardo, Midjourney, and ElevenLabs, the latter of which specializes in generative voiceover work. Since adopting the technology, Screen Culture's views and subscribers have more than doubled in the past two years to 1.4B and 1.4M respectively. The channel is verified by YouTube, giving it a veneer of authenticity, while Chaudhari proudly displays his YouTube gold award for hitting 1M subscribers. The success has translated into millions of dollars of ad revenue, though Chaudhari is coy about exactly how much he is earning. On his Instagram account, he looks every inch the affluent online influencer, flaunting his supercars and luxury travel escapades. Chaudhari does have his admirers. 'He's probably the first person I know who treated the fan trailer genre seriously and built up a team around it,' says VJ4rawr2. Others are uncertain about the influence of AI. The Yeti, a movie culture channel (viewcount: 30M) that dabbles in fake trailers, says the technology has 'ruined' the art form of concept commercials. Screen Culture's videos are not titled with 'official' or 'concept' trailer. Instead, it operates in a gray area, headlining videos 'new' or 'first,' before making clear in the small print description that it is not the real deal. Chaudhari says most YouTube users understand that Screen Culture is not stocked with official videos and that people can find the legitimate trailer by searching for the official channel. For those who are fooled by his trailers, Chaudhari exclaims: 'What's the harm?' What's The Harm? He believes that Screen Culture helps promote the movies, which is why studios do not enforce copyright on the vast majority of his videos. Indeed, studios are actively taking a cut of his earnings on AI-fuelled trailers, even if the money is paltry in the grand scheme of their earnings. Emails reviewed by Deadline show how Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has claimed monetization on Screen Culture trailers for Superman and House of the Dragon. This means that instead of copyright striking the videos (if a channel accrues three strikes within 90 days, it can be banned from YouTube), WBD is asking YouTube to ensure it receives the ad revenue from views. Similarly, Sony Pictures has claimed revenue on fake trailers for Spider-Man and Kraven The Hunter, while Paramount did the same on a counterfeit Gladiator II video. WBD, Sony, and Paramount declined to comment. If Chaudhari's position is that his videos are not harmful, SAG-AFTRA disagrees. In a statement shared with Deadline, it admonishes studios for making money on videos that exploit its members without permission. 'Just as SAG-AFTRA is aggressively bargaining contract terms and creating laws to protect and enforce our members' voice and likeness rights, we expect our bargaining partners to aggressively enforce their IP from any, and all AI misappropriation,' the union says. 'Monetizing unauthorized, unwanted, and subpar uses of human-centered IP is a race to the bottom. It incentivizes technology companies and short-term gains at the expense of lasting human creative endeavor.' Things get murkier when you consider that some channels actively sex-up images of female characters in fake trailers. Screen Culture is not averse to this engagement bait, creating an AI thumbnail of Riley Andersen with cleavage for an imagined Inside Out 3 sequel. Chaudhari defends the image, saying it is a plausible storyline as Andersen gets older. 'Every single studio is misogynistic, hence we don't really pay attention to critics,' he adds. Chaudhari's impression is that copyright is being enforced inconsistently, with monetization claims only being made on an estimated 10% of Screen Culture's 2,700 videos. WBD did copyright strike the channel once in 2023 for a fake Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga trailer, but let subsequent Mad Max videos slide. Chaudhari received a polite email from an Amazon attorney to remove a The Boys trailer because it used 'Amazon trademarks and other intellectual property assets without Amazon's permission,' but this warning was not repeated for other bogus Boys trailers on Screen Culture. Disney very rarely copyright challenges Screen Culture's videos, despite its IP being a major resource for the channel. Disney declined to comment. Fake trailers on YouTube are not a new phenomenon, but they are increasing in number and sophistication. At the same time, trailers have become an ever-more important part of the movie marketing machine, with studios crowing about record views in the hope this translates into cinema ticket sales or subscriptions. In public at least, the studios appear to be responding with a collective shrug to what some regard as AI slop on YouTube, despite CEOs like Bob Iger opining about the need to protect IP and respect talent. Even the studios' trade body, the Motion Picture Association, declined to comment for this article. Meanwhile, wily creators like Chaudhari will continue to stand on the shoulders of filmmakers like James Gunn and get billions of views by playing with AI immitations of their characters. Even Superman is not immune from the machine. Best of Deadline '1923' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? Which Colleen Hoover Books Are Becoming Movies? 'Verity,' 'Reminders Of Him' & 'Regretting You' Will Join 'It Ends With Us' Everything We Know About Amazon's 'Verity' Movie So Far
