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Can Abuse Allegations Against a Celebrity Be Silenced Over Mental Health Claims? A Defamation Lawyer Explains the Unusual Case Gripping the U.K.

As has been widely reported on both side of the Atlantic, a “well-known individual” in the U.K. is currently waiting to hear whether his legal effort to block two media outlets from publishing allegations of “inappropriate and exploitative sexual activity with girls and young women” has been successful. Lawyers for the individual — who denies the […]

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Stage Adaptation of Amanda Seyfried, Sydney Sweeney-Starrer ‘The Housemaid’ Sets London Premiere

Lionsgate is bringing “The Housemaid” to the London stage, with an adaptation of the Amanda Seyfriend/Sydney Sweeney-starrer set to bow next fall in Richmond. Described as a “seductive psychological thriller,” it will be based on the novel by Freida McFadden and Paul Feig’s 2025 feature film adaptation, which starred Sweeney as troubled young woman Millie […]

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Russell Brand Is Not ‘Some Kind of Psychopath Who Rapes People and Thinks It’s Normal,’ Defense Lawyer Says in Closing Argument

Russell Brand’s lawyer has told the jury there is “no evidence” that the comedian is “some kind of psychopath who rapes people and thinks it’s normal” in his closing argument. “The fact he behaved normally during and after all of those ‘rapes’ tells you what you need to know. He believed they were all consenting,” […]

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Spain’s Indie Distribution Surges but Large Challenges Remain, Highlighted at Valladolid’s Merci Market

Spain’s indie film distributors are flexing growing box office muscle — and attracting a broader range of buyers to Valladolid’s Merci market. Presented at Merci, Rentrak figures showed that members of Adicine, Spain’s leading association of independent film distributors, saw box office receipts rise 45% through September. Elastica Films’ “La Bola Negra,” released Sept. 25, […]

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Palestinian-Jordanian Filmmaker Darin J. Sallam on the Backlash to ‘Farha’: ‘I Never Regretted It’

Palestinian-Jordanian filmmaker Darin J. Sallam has no regrets about making “Farha,” her debut feature about a Palestinian girl coming of age during the Nakba, the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians surrounding the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. The film sparked controversy that Sallam was warned could derail her career before it […]

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‘Harry Potter’ Agent The Blair Partnership Taps Merlin’s Will Obbard, Amazon’s Alex Flanagan for Senior Roles as It Eyes New Growth Phase (EXCLUSIVE)

“Harry Potter” agent The Blair Partnership has appointed Will Obbard and Alex Flanagan to senior roles as the company eyes a new phase of growth. “I’m delighted to welcome Alex and Will to The Blair Partnership,” said Neil Blair, founding partner of The Blair Partnership. “Both bring exceptional experience in their respective fields and their […]

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Ji.hlava New Visions Award Winner Karim Akalay Mixes Magic With ‘Anti-Social Realism’ in ‘6TM’: ‘It’s About Collective Strength Rather Than One Hero’

Karim Akalay’s “6TM” won the New Visions Award for the most promising European project at Ji.hlava Documentary Film Festival. Variety spoke to Akalay at the festival. Set during a scorching summer at Brussels’ largest housing estate, Cité Modèle, the story follows three intertwining narratives within one family. Two kids chase a magic key to prevent […]

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Ukraine-Set Drama About a Trans Man Barred From Fleeing War, ‘I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming,’ Wins Tokyo’s Ethical Film Award

German director and screenwriter Isabelle Stever’s “I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming” has won the Tokyo International Film Festival’s Ethical Film Award. The award, set up in 2023 with sponsor Sumitomo Corporation, highlights films that shed light on issues such as the environment, poverty and discrimination. A jury picks the winner from three nominees drawn from […]

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Raye to Headline BST Hyde Park With Sienna Spiro Opening

Raye is set to headline BST Hyde Park in London this coming summer with special guest Sienna Spiro. The singer — who just won the U.K.’s prestigious Mercury Prize for her latest album, “This Music May Contain Hope” — will play the festival on Saturday, July 10. Sienna Spiro is the first opener to be […]

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Sanfic Industria Projects: ‘A Powerful Selection of Debut Films With Experienced Producers Behind Them’ Says SI Head Gabriela Sandoval

Sanfic Industria, the industry section of the Santiago International Film Festival (Sanfic), is turbocharged for an even stronger edition this year. Running concurrently with the festival, which runs Nov. 2 – 8, Sanfic Industria unspools Nov. 2-6 with Sanfic co-founder Gabriela Sandoval at the helm. Now on its 15th year, Sanfic Industria has several new […]

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Why Directors Teodora Ana Mihai and Sode Yukiko Kept Motherhood Secret From Colleagues: ‘I Needed to Prove Myself Three Times More’

Two directors with films at this year’s Tokyo International Film Festival said they once kept impending or new motherhood hidden from the people they worked with, at a festival talk on raising children while making films. Belgium-based Teodora Ana Mihai, whose “Heysel 85” plays in competition, shared the stage with Japanese director Sode Yukiko, whose […]

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Simon Pegg, Mark Duplass and Haley Joel Osment Team for Dark Comedy ‘My Phone Died,’ Hyde Park Boards Sales (EXCLUSIVE)

“Mission: Impossible” star Simon Pegg is set to play a Hollywood agent in upcoming dark comedy “My Phone Died,” with Mark Duplass (“The Morning Show,” “Creep”) and Haley Joel Osment (“Sixth Sense,” “Blink Twice”) also attached to star. Set to shoot in the spring of 2027. the film comes from filmmaking duo Hannah Leder and […]

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Hawai’i International Film Festival Crowns ‘We Are Aliens’ as Ke Huy Quan, Sung Kang Receive Honors (EXCLUSIVE)

Japanese director Kadowaki Kōhei’s animated feature “We Are Aliens” has won the Kau Ka Hōkū (Shooting Star) Award at the 46th Hawai’i International Film Festival, which handed out its jury prizes at an awards reception at the Halekulani Hotel in Waikīkī on Nov. 1. Presented by Hawaiian Airlines, the prize is reserved for an international […]

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Sharjah Film Festival Takeaways: ‘Atlas of the Universe’ Takes Top Prize, Pitching Platform Doubles and Audience Award Debuts

The 13th Sharjah Intl. Film Festival for Children and Youth wrapped Sunday with Paul Negoescu’s “Atlas of the Universe” taking best feature film and Celia Catunda’s “My Grandfather Is a Nihonjin” winning best animated feature. The jury described “Atlas of the Universe,” a Romanian-Bulgarian coming-of-age drama about a 10-year-old boy whose errand to buy school […]

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Jack Lowden Plays Coy About James Bond Rumors: ‘It’s All Very Flattering’ but I’m Not ‘Going to Add to the Noise’

Jack Lowden is keeping relatively quiet about the possibility of becoming the next James Bond, even as speculation mounts that the “Slow Horses” star is among the frontrunners to replace Daniel Craig as 007. In an interview with British GQ, the Scottish actor addressed the ongoing casting rumors, including recent comments from his “Slow Horses” […]

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Brian Gleeson, Colm Meaney, Alex Murphy and Aidan Gillen to Star in ‘Paddy Power’ Film Charting Rise of Irish Gambling Giant (EXCLUSIVE)

The story of how a small Dublin bookmaker turned into one of the world’s most recognizable betting companies is being made into a feature film, with a quartet of Irish actors attached to star. Brian Gleeson (“Under Salt Marsh,” “Logan Lucky”), Colm Meaney (“Law Abiding Citizen,” “Layer Cake”), Alex Murphy (“Saipan,” “The Young Offenders”) and […]

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Isabelle Huppert Vampire Film ‘The Blood Countess’ Was Cut Against Director’s Wishes, Ulrike Ottinger Tells Tokyo Event

Isabelle Huppert vampire film “The Blood Countess” lost as much as 20 minutes against the wishes of its director, Ulrike Ottinger, the veteran German filmmaker said at the Tokyo International Film Festival, which is hosting a retrospective of her work. In “The Blood Countess” (“Die Blutgräfin”), Huppert plays a vampire countess who resurfaces in present-day […]