Netflix's German series 'Dark' Netflix Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment German commercial broadcasters and international streamers are, unsurprisingly, attacking new government plans, unveiled this week, to force them to invest more in local productions. Ahead of the Berlin film festival, which kicks off Feb. 12, Germany's Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer unveiled the broad outlines of a plan that would require global streamers and domestic TV stations to invest at least 8 percent of their annual net turnover in European film and TV production. If they invest more than 12 percent, the investment can include the production of non-English language films and series made in Germany. Streamers will be required to give up certain rights to producers, eliminating the standard work-for-hire model. Related Stories Movies 'Special Unit - The First Murder' Director on Bringing a Modern Take on the "Danish FBI" 100 Years Ago to Cinemas, Led by 'Vikings' Star Movies 'Two Mountains Weighing Down My Chest' Director on Her Feature Debut About Life Between Cultures and "Non-Judgment" (Exclusive Berlin Trailer) Alongside those sticks, Weimer offered a carrot, proposing to nearly double federal government funding for German film production to €250 million ($295 million) annually. Together, it's hope the proposals will help boost a struggling local industry. German is Europe's biggest television market and, behind France and the U.K., the continent's third-largest film market, but has been hit hard by the combination of rising production costs and declining local investment from streamers, who have broadly shifted from big-budget prestige projects like Netflix's Dark or Amazon Prime's The Gryphon, to cheaper reality TV formats and smaller scale dramas. VAUNET, the lobby group for German-based streamers and commercial channels, called the government proposals "a bitter disappointment for the media industry," which "abandons the possibility of a quick and unbureaucratic solution." The streamers have long opposed quotas and the idea of sharing rights with independent producers, dismissing the ideas as "outdated." But the German proposals are tame compared to rules in neighboring France, where global streaming platforms are required to invest at least 20 to 25 percent of their annual local turnover in French and European content. The German production industry, which had hoped for a more robust investment requirement from the streamers, greeted the government announcement with cautious optimism. "The German film industry has been waiting a long time for this signal," said Michelle Müntefering, CEO and representative for the executive board at German production body Produktionallianz, in a statement. "Good stories need not only creativity but also reliable framework conditions so that ideas can become tangible productions." Germany's historic backlot Studio Babelsberg also welcomed "the long-awaited agreement," saying it sent a "strong signal" for Germany as an attractive production location. "German studios, producers and service providers now have a positive outlook and long-term planning security," said Babelsberg CEO Jörg Bachmaier. Added Müntefering: "This compromise builds bridges between creativity and economic responsibility and sends an important signal ahead of the upcoming Berlinale. Together, we can now show that Germany remains a vibrant place for storytelling, a place where cultural diversity becomes visible. German film has a future." THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up News Corp 'Heated Rivalry' Book Sales Boost HarperCollins to Quarterly Revenue Record The Housemaid Lionsgate Quarterly Losses Widen After Starz Spinoff lionsgate Lionsgate Hires Chief AI Officer to Navigate Disruptive Filmmaking Technology THR, Esq 'Pinocchio,' 'Fraggle Rock' Executive Producer Sues The Jim Henson Company Over Profits, Credit Super Bowl Super Bowl AI War Set as OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini and Amazon Alexa+ Face Off Representation Influencer Rebecca Zamolo Signs With CAA (Exclusive) News Corp 'Heated Rivalry' Book Sales Boost HarperCollins to Quarterly Revenue Record The Housemaid Lionsgate Quarterly Losses Widen After Starz Spinoff lionsgate Lionsgate Hires Chief AI Officer to Navigate Disruptive Filmmaking Technology THR, Esq 'Pinocchio,' 'Fraggle Rock' Executive Producer Sues The Jim Henson Company Over Profits, Credit Super Bowl Super Bowl AI War Set as OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini and Amazon Alexa+ Face Off Representation Influencer Rebecca Zamolo Signs With CAA (Exclusive)