Netflix has acquired global rights to drama “The Life Ahead,” which marks Sophia Loren’s return in front of the camera for a feature film after a decade. Directed by her son Edoardo Ponti, “Life Ahead” sees the iconic Italian Oscar winner playing Madame Rosa, a Holocaust survivor who forges a bond with a 12-year-old Senegalese
Opening on Wednesday (Feb. 12), comedy “Honest Candidate” topped the South Korean box office, ahead of “Little Women” and Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” which returned to the charts eight months after its original release. “Candidate” earned $6.52 million from 909,000 admissions over five days. Directed by Chang You-jeong (“Finding Mr. Destiny”), “Candidate” is the story of
February 17, 2020 2:15AM PT ZDF Enterprises, a division of German broadcasting powerhouse ZDF, has partnered with independent production outfit Neue Deutsche Filmgesellschaft (“Mountain Medic”), to form FictionMagnet Producktions. The new entity will develop and produce fictional TV formats for ZDF. NDF will hold 51% of the joint venture and ZDF 49%. The company will
“Sharp Objects” and “Run” producer-distributor Entertainment One is reassuring partners of its commitment to drama following its acquisition by toy giant Hasbro. EOne has always cultivated a strong set of procedurals, such as ABC’s Nathan Fillion-starrer “The Rookie” and Fox’s Stephen Dorff-led “Deputy,” but has also gained traction with cable propositions such as HBO’s “Sharp
Sky Italia has launched the first trailer for its highly anticipated thriller “Devils,” set to premiere in April on Sky. Produced by Lux Vide and Orange Studio with funding from Sky Studios, the series is distributed internationally by NBCUniversal Global Distribution. The trailer drops hot off the heels of news that Comcast-owned satellite TV operator
A Chinese film director and his entire family have died from the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak. Chang Kai, a film director and an external communications officer at a Hubei Film Studio subsidiary, died in hospital on Feb. 14 from the virus now called COVID-19, according to a statement from the
Oliver Stone will preside over the main jury of Saudi Arabia’s nascent Red Sea International Film Festival, which has unveiled its inaugural lineup. The fest will feature the Middle East premiere of Harvey Weinstein-inspired workplace abuse drama “The Assistant” amid a fresh mix of feature films and docs from Europe, the U.S., Asia and Africa
Berlin-based Picture Tree International (PTI) has acquired global sales rights to Leander Haussmann’s highly anticipated East German laffer “A Stasi Comedy.” Set in the early 1980s, the film centers on East Germany’s infamous state security service, the Staatssicherheitsdienst or Stasi, and young agent Ludger, played by David Kross (“Balloon,” “The Reader”), who is sent to
Remi Bonhomme, a leading force behind Cannes’ Critics Week, has been appointed artistic director of the Marrakech Film Festival and its industry conference, the Atlas Workshops. In recent years, Bonhomme successfully headed the Atlas Workshops, a platform dedicated to supporting the cinema of the African continent and the Arab world, where he was also part
February 17, 2020 1:43AM PT Eli Horowitz, creator and showrunner of the Julia Roberts-led Amazon series “Homecoming,” will be the president of the UGC Writers Campus at annual series showcase Series Mania. The Campus is a week-long writing workshop for emerging TV drama writers from Europe. Twenty screenwriters were chosen from more than 100 applicants.
Sales agent Media Luna New Films has acquired international rights to Rodrigo Bellott’s horror thriller “Blood-Red Ox.” Bellott directed Bolivia’s Academy Award entries “Sexual Dependency” and “Tu Me Manques,” and was the producer behind Jim Mickle’s U.S. remake of Mexican horror hit “We Are What We Are.” In “Blood-Red Ox,” which is in post-production, a
February 16, 2020 9:45PM PT Lovable dirtbag families have been the core of Fox’s Sunday “Animation Domination” lineup for years, a truth further underlined by the fact that its newest entry “Duncanville” comes from longtime “Simpsons” producers Mike and Julie Thacker Scully. Along with co-creator Amy Poehler, they’ve now made a show about a family
February 16, 2020 7:42PM PT It takes a lot to make a performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” before the NBA All-Star Game trend higher on social media than the game itself, but Chaka Khan has managed what Fergie was able to two years ago, with a unique rendering of the National Anthem that threatened
Queen + Adam Lambert rocked Australian fans with a re-enactment of the band’s iconic 1985 Live Aid performance at a benefit aiding those affected by the country’s recent bushfires. The band performed Sunday at a benefit for Fire Fight Australia at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium, raising funds for bushfire relief, and gave concert goers an extra
February 16, 2020 4:59PM PT Jason Davis, a voice actor on the Disney Channel show “Recess,” died in Los Angeles on Sunday. He was 35. “I am so heartbroken to share the saddest news of my life that my son Jason Davis passed away this morning in Los Angeles. Jason had a true heart of
February 16, 2020 2:56PM PT Rapper Wiz Khalifa surprised a group of students at Los Angeles’ Eliot Arts Magnet Academy on Feb. 13 with a donation of musical instruments. The Grammy-nominated artist partnered with national music education nonprofit Little Kids Rock for the reveal. Little Kids Rock’s mission is to bring inclusive and culturally relevant
February 16, 2020 12:25PM PT Grammy-winning singers Queen Latifah and Jennifer Hudson paid homage to the late Kobe Bryant while singing at the NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago on Sunday. First, Latifah performed Stevie Wonder’s inspirational ballad “Love’s In Need of Love Today” and changed some of the lyrics in honor of Bryant, who died
Grammy-winning singer Queen Latifah paid homage to the late Kobe Bryant while singing at the NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago on Sunday. The rapper-singer performed Stevie Wonder’s inspirational ballad “Love’s In Need of Love Today” and changed some of the lyrics in honor of Bryant, who died in a shocking helicopter crash last month. “Home
TobyMac was not about to make anyone wait for him to address the elephant in the room as he started his set Saturday night at L.A.’s Forum. Ten concerts deep into his “Hits Deep” arena tour, the Christian singer-rapper was clearly aware that fans want to hear him speak sooner rather than later about the
Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” dominated global box office charts after debuting to $100 million worldwide. “Sonic,” based on the popular Sega video game, pulled in $43 million when it launched in 43 international territories, representing 60% of its foreign footprint. Among overseas markets, Mexico saw the biggest start with $6.7 million, followed by the United
For a second consecutive night, ‘Love Island’ will not air on U.K. broadcaster ITV2 following the death of former host Caroline Flack, Variety has confirmed. An ITV spokesman said: “Many people at ITV knew Caroline well and held her in great affection. All of us are absolutely devastated at this tragic news.” “After careful consultation between
Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” is reaping box office riches after its groundbreaking Oscar best picture win. The twisted South Korean thriller collected $5.5 million over the weekend, an exceptional 234% increase in ticket sales and the biggest post-Oscar boost for a best picture winner in the past decade. In the seven days since the Academy
February 16, 2020 9:51AM PT Nikita Pearl Waligwa, an actor who appeared in Disney’s biographical drama “Queen of Katwe,” has died, according to BBC and the Ugandan newspaper Daily Monitor. She was 15. Waligwa had been diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016 and seemed to recover a year later. However, in 2019, another tumor
February 16, 2020 9:29AM PT Elton John was forced to cut short a concert in New Zealand after falling ill with walking pneumonia, according to the BBC and multiple news outlets. The singer, who is continuing his multi-year farewell tour, lost his voice mid-way through his set at Auckland’s Mount Smart Stadium on Sunday. “I’ve
Paramount’s family film “Sonic the Hedgehog” ignited over Presidents Day weekend with $57 million in North America and $100 million globally, the biggest showing ever for a video game adaptation. “Sonic” is expected to earn $68 million to $70 million through Monday, one of the best results for the holiday weekend. The better-than-expected start is
A petition calling on the U.K. government to launch an inquiry into British media coverage of public figures has garnered 60,000 signatures overnight. The death of former “Love Island” host Caroline Flack, one of the country’s most popular TV personalities, spurred the initiative, which asks government to investigate the press following “the maltreatment of those
Play video content Exclusive TMZ.com Jussie Smollett‘s alleged accomplices in staging a hate crime are speaking on camera for the first time since Jussie was hit with felony charges again … and they’re practically pleading for him to come clean. The Osundairo brothers — Abel and Ola — were leaving Fina Estampa restaurant in Chicago
YouTuber Jake Paul wants you to be financially free, for $19.99 a month. At a rally on Saturday, the content creator — along with influencer friends and around 50 teenage and tween-age fans, some chaperoned by parents — launched the Financial Freedom Movement (FFM) in partnership with GenZ Holdings Inc., a Los Angeles-based brand development
The death of popular “Love Island” host Caroline Flack has sent shockwaves across the U.K. and again raised long-running concerns about broadcaster ITV’s support of cast members on the hit reality competition as well as the country’s intense media scrutiny of public figures. Flack, one of the U.K.’s most recognizable reality hosts, was found dead
Breaking News Getty Former ‘Love Island’ host and well-known U.K. personality Caroline Flack died in her home this weekend after taking her own life — this just weeks before she was set to go to trial. The longtime reality TV presenter was found dead Saturday in her London apartment — which her family confirmed in