#CheClient “The Production Studio, Reimagined” (Variety)
Key Takeaways:
Chicago is positioning itself as a stronger Hollywood production hub through The Fields Studios, a major redevelopment designed to attract film, television, and commercial productions.
The studio offers a flexible 23-acre creative campus featuring nine soundstages, production offices, retail space, residential lofts, and support facilities.
The facility is designed for more than traditional filmmaking, also accommodating television, commercials, immersive exhibitions and more.
The strategy is built around flexibility and diversification, allowing the studio to generate business across different productions rather than relying solely on film and TV bookings.
Illinois' expanded film tax incentives through 2039 make Chicago more competitive against established production markets such as Los Angeles, Georgia and New York.
The Fields Studios aims to build a sustainable creative ecosystem, bringing together production companies, local crews, businesses and educational institutions while generating economic opportunities for Chicago.
“Wildwood Review: LAIKA’s Stop-Motion Fantasy Is A Breathtaking Triumph Of Human Artistry” (Forbes)
Key Takeaways:
LAIKA's latest film is a major achievement in handmade filmmaking, demonstrating the extraordinary creative potential of stop-motion animation in an increasingly technology-driven industry.
The scale of production is extraordinary, with approximately 231 puppets, 132 practical sets and nearly 50 animators contributing to the film's intricate visual world.
The film is a powerful argument for human artistry, celebrating the craftsmanship, and thousands of individual creative decisions that go into making something original.
The story blends fantasy, adventure and darker emotional themes, following a teenage girl on a quest to rescue her kidnapped baby brother from an enchanted and dangerous wilderness.
The film combines traditional stop-motion with CGI, using digital effects to expand physical sets and environments while preserving the tactile quality of handcrafted characters and locations.
Wilwood’s biggest challenge may be commercial rather than creative, as the film faces box-office uncertainty despite strong reviews, raising questions about whether audiences will support ambitious original animation over familiar franchises and remakes.
“Why PR Is Having Its Glow-Up Moment” (EIN Presswire)
Key Takeaways:
AI is making PR strategically important again.
Earned media and credible third-party coverage heavily influence the information AI platforms use to generate answers about brands, with the Muck Rack finding that 82% of links cited by AI tools come from earned media.
Brand discovery is shifting from search rankings to AI recommendations, making it increasingly important for companies to become part of the answers consumers receive from ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini.
PR needs to move beyond chasing media mentions and focus on building long-term authority through original research, expert commentary, evidence and distinctive points of view.
One strong study of original research can generate media coverage, social content, executive thought leadership, sales materials and ongoing AI visibility.
PR finally has new ways to demonstrate business impact, with the author's company, Ideally, reporting increases of 880% in PR coverage, 22% in website traffic, 284% in LinkedIn followers and 570% in AI brand mentions.
“Demi Lovato On Reconnecting With Selena Gomez, Mental Health And Her Old Vlogs” (ELLE)
Key Takeaways:
A nostalgic celebrity reunion is driving newest Rare Beauty launch, with childhood friends Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez teaming up for a collaboration nearly 15 years after starring together in Princess Protection Program.
The collaboration features the “Delena” Soft Pinch Blush Bundle, pairing two bestselling liquid blush shades: Virtue, Lovato's favorite, and Hope, Gomez's favorite.
The partnership grew organically out of their renewed friendship, following Gomez's visit to Lovato's Orlando tour stop in April 2026.
Nostalgia is central to the marketing strategy, with the campaign recreating poses from their 2009 Disney film and tapping into fans' affection for their early careers.
The reunion has a deeper emotional dimension, with Lovato reflecting on their friendship, personal growth, mental health journeys and the different chapters of their lives.
“We Knew Elizabeth Holmes. Her Documentary Is Just Another Lie” (The Times)
Key Takeaways:
Former colleagues of Elizabeth Holmes strongly dispute her portrayal in her documentary You Can See Everything.
Holmes presents herself as a victim, not the perpetrator, and maintains that she never lied, believes her conviction was unjust, portrays herself as misunderstood in the documentary.
Viewers see her as a mother and partner in a domestic setting shortly before prison, humanizing her.
Former Theranos executives and employees say Holmes was ambitious, media-savvy and actively controlled her public image, rejecting the suggestion that others pushed her into the spotlight.
The documentary risks shifting attention away from the damage Theranos caused to investors, patients, and employees.
Her new blood-testing venture, Haemanthus, raises concerns that she is rebuilding her credibility and potentially repeating the Theranos playbook.
“Hollywood, Creator Agencies Battle Madison Avenue For Brand Budgets” (Forbes)
Key Takeaways:
Hollywood talent agencies are becoming major competitors to traditional advertising holding companies, with CAA, WME and UTA investing heavily in creator businesses to capture brand marketing budgets.
The creator economy is evolving from influencer marketing into a full-service business model, encompassing talent management, content production, paid media, and more.
Creators are increasingly viewed as business and media assets rather than simply promotional talent, with agencies helping them build owned channels, audiences and direct-to-consumer businesses.
AI, data, and technology are becoming competitive differentiators, enabling agencies to identify creators, personalize campaigns, automate operations and measure performance at scale.
Brands increasingly want one strategic partner to manage the entire creator ecosystem, rather than coordinating multiple agencies across influencer marketing, media buying, content and affiliate programs.
Looking for 1:1 support on brand strategy & media outreach? Book a complimentary consultation with me here - I’d love to meet you!
Xo,
Julia, Che PR Founder
