Month: December 2024

The second season of “Squid Game” launches Thursday and Netflix is doing everything in its power to get viewers to start watching as soon as the episodes drop — including offering free in-game rewards for the TV series’ new companion mobile game, “Squid Game: Unleashed,” for each episode you binge. Released Dec. 17, “Squid Game:
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The Animation Guild has ratified its contract with the major studios, despite concerns from some about protections against artificial intelligence. The guild announced that 76.1% of the members voted in favor of the deal. “This agreement is the next step forward in our goal to create the strongest contract for our members,” said Steve Kaplan,
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We Are Moving the Needle has announced the return of the Resonator Awards, taking place January 28, 2025 at Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles. The Resonator Awards celebrate the creative and technical achievements of underrepresented voices in the recording arts. The evening includes a seated dinner, awards ceremony, and live performances. Funds raised from the
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“CoComelon” producer Moonbug Entertainment has struck a deal with early learning company Lingokids to launch games featuring characters from Moonbug’s popular live-action preschool brand “Blippi.” The “Blippi” franchise — which includes multiple shows across platforms — follows the titular character as he serves as preschool-aged kid’s “best friend” and “inspire them to learn through play
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Amber Heard has spoken out in support of Blake Lively amid her allegations of sexual harassment against “It Ends With Us” director and co-star Justin Baldoni. In a complaint filed on Friday, Lively accused Baldoni of attempting to mount a smear campaign against her and it was noted that he had hired the same crisis
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Lenny Borger, who served as Variety‘s Paris correspondent and film reviewer throughout the 1980s and who championed French cinema for decades as a researcher and subtitle expert for numerous films including Jean-Luc Godard’s “Breathless,” died Dec. 23 in Paris. He was 73. Producer Serge Bromberg reported that he died after a long illness. Borger was
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“Home Alone” star Macaulay Culkin plays another iconic Christmas character — Santa Claus — in the music video for Kim Kardashian‘s cover of holiday classic “Santa Baby.” Directed by Nadia Lee Cohen and Charlie Denis, the found footage-style visual sees a blonde Kardashian crawling on the floor through a house party, leading viewers to discover
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Javier Marco’s “Face to Face” (“A la cara”), the spin-off from a 2021 Goya winning short, was one of the big winners at this year’s RECLab in Tarragona, Spain which is celebrating its 10th anniversary by doing what it does best: Innovation, which questions many of the often set-in-stone conventions of festivals.  Also among winners
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Shyam Benegal, a pivotal figure in Indian cinema known for his incisive and socially conscious storytelling, died on Monday in Mumbai following a chronic kidney ailment, his daughter confirmed to India Today. He was 90. His career, spanning over five decades, left an indelible mark on the film industry, blending art with activism and bridging
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Denzel Washington was baptized and presented with a minister license on Saturday at the Kelly Temple Church of God in Christ, which is located in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood (via People). The ceremony, which was livestreamed on Facebook, took place a few weeks after Washington told  Esquire during his “Gladiator II” press tour that
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It’s hard to believe the holidays are upon us—between Brat Summer, the Eras Tour, and Wicked, 2024 was quite a year. As we begin to reflect on everything that transpired over the past 365 days, including the best movies, books, and fashion moments, we at ELLE are committed to enjoying some time-honored traditions and making
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The soap opera, or telenovela, holds cultural power like nothing else in Brazil. And no other timeslot holds the prestige of the 9 p.m. telenovela at Globo’s free-to-air channel, the television flagship of the biggest production force in Latin America. João Emanuel Carneiro, whose 9 p.m. hit “Brazil Avenue” became one of the most successful
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Sony Pictures Television-owned Brazilian production company Floresta has announced the development of its first telefilm, a Brazilian adaptation of David Fincher’s acclaimed 2002 thriller “Panic Room.” The new version, currently in pre-production, will feature a fresh take on the thriller with popular Brazilian actor Isis Valverde stepping into the lead role. “2024 has been a
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Uniqa SEE Future Foundation has teamed with Sarajevo Film Festival and Slano Film Days to launch the Female Filmmakers Support Program, whose purpose is to boost the careers of women in the film industry in South-East Europe. The program will operate in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Romania and Montenegro, but it is possible
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London-based international documentary sales and production outfit Dogwoof has secured further international sales for Shiori Ito’s “Black Box Diaries,” which was Oscar-shortlisted last week for documentary feature. The film premiered in competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and has since been an audience and critical favorite at international festivals worldwide, picking up several awards
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Director Paul Feig has joined the chorus of voices speaking up for “It Ends With Us” star Blake Lively following her sexual harassment complaint against co-star Justin Baldoni. Feig, who directed Lively in “A Simple Favor” and more recently its sequel “A Simple Favor 2,” heaped praise on the actor and said she “truly did
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Universal Music Group and Amazon Music have announced an expanded global relationship that will “enable further innovation, exclusive content with UMG artists, and advancement of artist-centric principles including increased fraud protection,” according to the announcement. While full details were not disclosed, the deal is intended to advance UMG’s “Streaming 2.0” strategy, which focuses less on
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Local hit “The Firefighters” continued to lead the South Korean box office above a brace of Disney titles. In its third weekend, “The Firefighters” remained in the top spot with a $3.3 million gross, 510,975 admissions and a 35.4% market share, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council. The
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Sony Pictures has partnered with Studio CHIZU and Nippon TV to co-produce and co-finance “Scarlet,” the new animated feature from Academy Award-nominated Japanese director Mamoru Hosoda. The film will receive global distribution through Sony Pictures, with a U.S. theatrical release planned for winter 2025. Toho will handle Japanese theatrical distribution. The collaboration marks Sony Pictures’
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Prime Video will debut the second season of hit Indian crime series “Paatal Lok” in January. The neo-noir drama, which explores India’s social hierarchies through a criminal justice lens, returns with lead actors Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh and Gul Panag, joined by new cast members Tillotama Shome, Nagesh Kukunoor and Jahnu Barua. The eight-episode season
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Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” debuted in pole position at the mainland China box office ending the four-week reign of “Her Story” at the top. Data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway showed “Mufasa: The Lion King” bowing with RMB56.1 million ($8 million). In second place, superstar Donnie Yen‘s Hong Kong action-drama “The Prosecutor” from Maoyan Pictures
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Indian cinema star Tabu plays a pivotal role in the “Dune” universe in Max‘s prequel series “Dune: Prophecy,” appearing as Sister Francesca in the final two episodes. Inspired by “Sisterhood of Dune” by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, the series is set 10,000 years before the events of “Dune” and follows two Harkonnen sisters
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America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn and Alexis Bledel have released a joint statement on social media in support of their longtime friend and “Sister of the Traveling Pants” co-star Blake Lively after she accused her “It Ends With Us” director and actor Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment and mounting a smear campaign to tarnish her career.
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Woody Fraser, the prolific American producer and director best known for launching “The Mike Douglas Show” and “Good Morning America,” has died. He was 90. Variety confirmed that Fraser died Saturday afternoon, via his daughter Stacy. More details will become available in the coming days. Fraser has remained one of the most successful TV producers
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Blake Lively blames her “It Ends with Us” co-star and director Justin Baldoni for missing out on hosting the “Saturday Night Live” Season 50 opener. In Lively’s filing against Baldoni, which accused him of smearing her name, she cited her “SNL” Season 50 hosting gig as one of the opportunities that was stripped away in
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Sports streaming company DAZN is buying Australia’s Foxtel Group from majority shareholder News Corp and minority shareholder Telstra in a deal with an enterprise value of $2.2 billion. The deal, which is subject to regulatory approval, will bring together Foxtel — Australia’s original pay-TV operator, with 4.7 million subscribers — with DAZN, the privately held
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