Fremantle has sealed a new five-year agreement with Jamie Oliver Group, extending the partnership that began in 2002. The deal encompasses worldwide rights for TV distribution, AVOD, FAST and digital platforms for the celebrity chef’s content library. The agreement comes as Oliver’s content continues to perform strongly across platforms, with his shows reaching more than […]

Film Bridge International has added Sidhartha Mallya (“Mafia Wars”) to the cast of “Thrill Ride,” with production scheduled to commence in the U.K. during the first quarter of 2025. The thriller, helmed by Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura from a script by Chad Law (“Lights Out”) and Christopher Jolley (“Granny Krampus”), follows a group of passengers […]

PAGEANT POWERHOUSE India’s Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment has tapped Miss Universe 2021 Harnaaz Sandhu for her Bollywood debut in “Baaghi 4.” The announcement comes exactly three years after Sandhu’s Miss Universe win. The film, helmed by director A. Harsha, will feature Sandhu alongside established stars Tiger Shroff and Sanjay Dutt, with Sonam Bajwa rounding out the […]

“Chasing Chasing Amy” filmmaker Sav Rodgers has signed with Sandstone Artists for management representation. Rodgers enters the partnership as he looks to expand into scripted content while continuing his documentary work. “Chasing Chasing Amy” explores the complex legacy of Kevin Smith‘s 1997 cult classic movie “Chasing Amy” on LGBTQ+ people and its life-saving impact on Rodgers, who made his […]

Paris prosecutors have requested a five-year prison sentence for filmmaker Christophe Ruggia over sexual assault charges involving actor Adele Haenel when she was a minor, Le Monde reports. Haenel is the star of the Cannes prize-winning film “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” and “BPM.” The sentence, requested on Tuesday, includes two years under house […]

Two-time Oscar winner A.R. Rahman has been named honorary president of Trinity Laban, Britain’s sole conservatoire for music, musical theater and contemporary dance, for a five-year term. The composer of “Slumdog Millionaire” follows conductor Charles Mackerras and violinist Yehudi Menuhin in the role. His appointment builds on Trinity Laban’s 125-year history of music education in […]

British exhibition giant Cineworld is closing a total of 11 theaters across the U.K. as part of a completed restructuring plan aimed at stabilizing the chain’s operations heading into 2025. Five locations – Glasgow Parkhead, Bedford, Loughborough, Yate and Swindon Regent Circus – were shuttered following the plan’s July announcement. Six additional sites in Castleford, […]

“Quantum of Solace” star Gemma Arterton has weighed in on the prospect of a female James Bond, suggesting that such a change might not align with the franchise’s tradition. “Isn’t a female James Bond like Mary Poppins being played by a man?” the actor told The Times. “They talk about it, but I think people […]

Blackpink member Jisoo and award-winning actor Park Jeong-min’s upcoming Korean zombie apocalypse series “Newtopia” is set to debut on Prime Video, the streaming service revealed on Wednesday. The series will premiere globally on Prime Video Feb. 7 and on Korean streamer Coupang Play on the same date. It follows a couple’s journey to reunite amid […]

Acclaimed Afghan filmmaker Siddiq Barmak has joined Kazakhstan’s Oscar hopeful “Bauryna Salu” as executive producer. The film, directed by Askhat Kuchinchirekov, is Kazakhstan’s submission for the international feature category at the Academy Awards. “Bauryna Salu” follows a traditional Kazakh custom where firstborn children are raised by their grandparents rather than biological parents. The story centers […]

Sci-fi epic “Kalki 2898 AD” and Netflix’s period drama series “Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar” secured the top spots on IMDb’s Most Popular Indian Movies and Web Series lists for 2024, respectively. The rankings, based on page views from IMDb’s 250 million monthly visitors, showcase the expanding reach of Indian content across genres and languages. The […]

CJ 4DPLEX is ramping up its presence in the Asia-Pacific region through strategic partnerships with major exhibitors Event Cinemas in Australia and Showtime Cinemas in Taiwan. The cinema technology company, headquartered in Seoul with international offices in Los Angeles and Beijing, is part of the CJ Group conglomerate that includes CJ CGV, the world’s fifth-largest […]

Disney’s “Moana 2” stayed atop the U.K. and Ireland box office with £6.9 million ($8.8 million) in its second weekend, bringing its cumulative total to £21.5 million ($27.4 million), per numbers from Comscore. Universal’s “Wicked” continued to perform steadily in its third frame, adding £5.3 million for a running total of £37.7 million. Paramount’s “Gladiator […]

Indian entertainment powerhouse Yash Raj Films (YRF) is partnering with rising production banner Posham Pa Pictures to jointly develop and produce theatrical features beginning in 2025. Founded in 1970 by filmmaker Yash Chopra, YRF has grown into one of India’s largest film studios, delivering blockbusters that have shaped Hindi-language cinema for over five decades. The […]

Singapore director Chiang Wei Liang and co-director Yin You Qiao’s “Mongrel,” a portrayal of disenfranchised migrant workers in Taiwan, won Best Asian Feature Film at the 35th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF). The jury praised the film’s “dense, shadowy and violent world” and its innovative approach to depicting contemporary issues of forced migration. The film […]

After a sluggish few weeks where the South Korean box office struggled to cross a total of $10 million, “Moana 2” and local hit “The Firefighters” improved matters somewhat. The total box office for the weekend was just above $16 million. “Moana 2” led the box office for the second weekend in a row with […]

Maxtime Pictures’ “Her Story,” a comedy-drama film told from a largely female perspective, topped the mainland China box office for the third consecutive weekend. Disney’s “Moana 2,” which had debuted in second place, dropped to third. Data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway showed “Her Story” sliding from its previous weekend’s showing by earning RMB90.1 million ($12.7 million) between […]

India’s Zee Studios and Shakti Sagar Productions have unveiled a teaser for “Fateh,” marking Bollywood star Sonu Sood’s first venture into directing. The film centers on an ex-special ops operative who investigates a cybercrime syndicate after a young woman falls victim to a scam. Sood, who also stars in the lead role, is joined by […]

Mythri Movie Makers’ Indian blockbuster “Pushpa 2: The Rule,” headlined by Allu Arjun, roared to a $92.5 million four-day weekend, according to numbers from Comscore. That made it the third-highest grossing film in the world after “Moana 2” and “Wicked.” “Pushpa 2” is a sequel to Sukumar’s 2021 hit “Pushpa: The Rise,” which grossed some […]