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‘Paddington 4’: Armando Iannucci to Write Bear’s Next Movie, ‘Paddington in Peru’ Director Dougal Wilson in Talks to Return (EXCLUSIVE)

Paddington Bear has found a new pair of writers to come up with his next big screen adventure and looks to have secured a director as well. Variety can exclusively confirm that Armando Iannucci, the Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated Scotsman best known for creating hit satirical shows “Veep” and “The Thick of It,” is set to […]

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Thailand Launches Bangkok International Content Market, B2B Platform for Film, Series and Animation

Thailand’s Creative Economy Agency (CEA) is launching the Bangkok International Content Market 2026 (BICM2026), one of the country’s first dedicated international marketplaces for film, series, and animation, set to run July 20–22 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok. The event is being developed jointly with the Department of International Trade Promotion under […]

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‘Mapogo: The Lion Throne’ Vertical Documentary Series Set at FlareFlow

COL Group’s FlareFlow and Singapore-based Bomanbridge Media have teamed on one of the first premium vertical-format documentary series, a wildlife title set to go live on the platform across 200-plus countries in late Q3 2026. Unveiled at Owl&Co’s Vertical Media Summit in Los Angeles, “Mapogo: The Lion Throne” was shot over multiple years in South […]

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How CJ ENM’s ‘Kitchen Soldier’ and ‘Filing for Love’ Are Rewriting K-Drama’s Global Playbook: ‘Less Made in Korea, More Made With Korea’

When “The Legend of Kitchen Soldier” screened at Series Mania in Lille this March, Sebastian Kim was watching the audience as much as the screen. The series had been viewed internally at Korean media giant CJ ENM as a gamble. “We viewed it as a bold and somewhat risky project, as it incorporates comedic elements […]

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BigBang Sets 31-Show Worldwide Stadium Tour for 20th Anniversary

K-pop group BigBang will reunite for a 31-show stadium world tour celebrating the group’s 20th anniversary, marking its first trek since 2017. The group – G-Dragon, Taeyang and Daesung – announced Thursday that the run will begin Aug. 21 at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, South Korea, and continue through Feb. 28, 2027, with dates scheduled […]

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’28 Years Later’ Breakout Alfie Williams Signs With Gersh (EXCLUSIVE)

Alfie Williams, the British teenage actor who enjoyed a major breakout last year thanks to his lead role in “28 Years Later,” has landed U.S. representation. Following what it described as a “highly competitive situation involving all major agencies,” Gersh has now signed the 15-year-old for representation in all areas. Williams became one of the […]

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Hiam Abbass Set for Timely Dark Comedy ‘Occupational Hazards,’ About a Palestinian Family in Jerusalem (EXCLUSIVE)

Hiam Abbass, who played Marcia Roy in HBO’s “Succession,” will soon be on the big screen in the politically-charged dark comedy “Occupational Hazards,” about a Palestinian family in Jerusalem contending with the risk of forced displacement. Bassel Ghandour (“Theeb,” “The Alleys”) has just completed principal photography in Jordan on the timely satirical film, which takes its cue […]

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Shanghai Film Festival Unveils Golden Goblet Competition Selection

The 28th Shanghai International Film Festival has unveiled the competition lineup for its Golden Goblet Awards, spanning five categories across fiction, documentary, animation, and short film. The festival runs June 12-21. The main competition features 12 titles drawn from 15 countries and territories, all of them world premieres. Among the contenders are Indonesia’s “My Own […]

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Boots Riley Says Cannes Didn’t Pick ‘I Love Boosters’ or ‘Sorry to Bother You’ and Chose ‘The Idol’ Over ‘I’m a Virgo’: ‘They Just Don’t Like My Stuff. All Good’

Neon may be the toast of Cannes — again — after landing its seventh consecutive Palme d’Or on Saturday thanks to “Fjord,” but according to Boots Riley, the distributor could have had another hot film in its festival lineup. With the musician and filmmaker’s latest movie “I Love Boosters” having hit cinemas on May 22, Riley has […]

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‘The White Lotus’ Recreates Dramatic Cannes Closing Night With Laura Dern, Steve Coogan, Ari Graynor and Max Greenfield

After wrapping its Saint-Tropez leg at the posh Chateau de la Messardiere, the production of Mike White’s hit anthology series “The White Lotus” Season 4 has moved to Cannes, where it has taken over the Palais des Festivals for what appears to be some of the season’s most pivotal scenes. The production has been shooting […]

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How ‘Scary Movie’ Conquered the International Box Office: ‘Let’s Cross Every Line, and Let’s Cross It Locally in Each Territory’

Over his decades in entertainment, “Scary Movie” creator and star Marlon Wayans has confronted the same prejudices: Hollywood is convinced that international audiences won’t show up for comedies or films starring Black actors. “We’re trying to erase that old-school stigma,” says Wayans, who returned — along with several of his brothers — to the horror […]

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Rio2C to Host Top-Level Meeting of Ibero-American Deputy Ministers of Culture

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — The sixth meeting of the Ibero-American Forum of Deputy Ministers of Culture, gathering top officials of its 17 country members, will take place for the first time during an edition of Rio2C, the mega creativity forum running this week in Rio de Janeiro. Representatives from Bolivia, Brazil, Cape Verde, Chile, […]

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