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  • Britney biopic in works as Universal buys memoir rights

    Britney biopic in works as Universal buys memoir rights

    A Britney Spears biopic is in development after Universal Pictures bought movie rights to the pop star’s best-selling memoir, the Hollywood studio announced Thursday.

    “Crazy Rich Asians” director Jon Chu is attached to develop and direct the film, based on Spears’s recent autobiographical book “The Woman In Me,” the company said in a statement to AFP.

    Universal won a “highly competitive auction” for the film adaptation rights, with “La La Land” producer Marc Platt due to oversee the project, it said.

    “Excited to share with my fans that I’ve been working on a secret project with #MarcPlatt. He’s always made my favorite movies,” Spears herself posted on social media Thursday.

    “Stay tuned,” she told fans.

    “The Woman In Me” laid bare the troubled singer’s journey from child star to global pop phenomenon, as well as her subsequent high-profile public breakdown and legal battles with her father.

    Full of criticism of her controlling family and an industry that mercilessly devours its talent, the book sold over 2.5 million copies in the United States alone following its publication last October.

    Spears’s phenomenal early music success with late 1990s hits like “…Baby One More Time” coincided with an aggressive paparazzi culture that delighted in capturing her partying alongside hell-raisers like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan.

    In the book, Spears revealed that Justin Timberlake urged her to have an abortion after she became pregnant during their relationship.

    And she shared details of her brief but intense affair with Irish actor and Oscar nominee Colin Farrell, which she called “a two-week brawl.”

    Following Spears’s public breakdown, she was placed under the conservatorship of her father Jamie Spears, who controlled her money and her personal life, even as she continued to perform high-profile concerts.

    The conservatorship was dissolved by a Los Angeles court in 2021, after a groundswell of public support to “Free Britney.”

    Her father has always insisted that he had the best interests of his daughter at heart and was seeking to protect her from exploitation.

    No release date has been set for the Britney film.

    Universal has previously released musical biopics about hip-hop group N.W.A (“Straight Outta Compton”) and rapper Eminem (“8 Mile.”)

    Chu is also directing Universal’s big-budget, two-part movie adaptation of the musical “Wicked,” with the first film out in November.

  • Five French tourist attractions transformed into Olympic grounds

    Five French tourist attractions transformed into Olympic grounds

    1. Eiffel Tower

    The most famous of the Paris landmarks, the Eiffel Tower, will welcome beach volleyball. The action will take place in a temporary venue near the foot of the “Iron Lady”. Next door, the Champs de Mars park at the foot of the tower will host judo and wrestling.

    Reviled by some Parisians when it was unveiled in 1889 for the World Fair by engineer Gustave Eiffel, the Eiffel Tower has become the capital’s symbol. Besides being one of the world’s top tourist attractions, pulling in seven million visitors a year, it is also a working telecoms tower, used for radio and TV transmissions.

    Winners at the Paris Games will all go home with a small part of the iron colossus. Each medal will contain an 18g crumb of original iron, removed during renovations, melted down and reforged.

    2. Grand Palais

    Fencing and taekwondo battles will take place in the opulent setting of the Grand Palais exhibition hall, a glass-and-steel masterpiece created for the World Fair of 1900. Its distinctive feature is its glass-domed roof, the largest of its kind in Europe, which covers a cavernous exhibition space of 13,500 square metres.

    During World War I, the Grand Palais put its art collection in storage and converted its galleries into a military hospital where soldiers were patched up before returning to the trenches. In the 21st century, the airy nave has hosted giant installations commissioned from some of the world’s leading artists. It has also been flooded to make the biggest ice rink in the world.

    3, Place de la Concorde

    The vast, paved square at the foot of the Champs-Elysees avenue, where heads rolled (literally) during the French Revolution, will serve as an urban sports hub.

    Skateboarding, 3×3 basketball, BMX freestyle and, in its first Games appearance, breakdancing, will all take place on the elegant square by the Seine. Its harmonious name conceals a bloody past. King Louis XVI and his wife Marie-Antoinette were guillotined there in 1793 during the Reign of Terror that followed the 1789 French Revolution. The largest square in Paris is defined by its huge gold obelisk, one of a pair originally erected by Ramses II outside the temple in Luxor in Egypt. It was gifted to Paris in 1830.

    4. Palace of Versailles

    Dressage, showjumping and equestrian cross country will take place in the park of Versailles Palace, some 20 kilometres from Paris. It will also feature on the marathon circuit and host pentathlon events.

    In the 17th century, “the Sun King” Louis XIV transformed Versailles into a home of French royalty, where he resided with around 10,000 staff. The vast gardens include a mile-long canal that once hosted opulent parties. It has been a world heritage site since 1979 and is a firm favourite on the Paris tourist trail.

    5. Marseille

    The Olympics are spreading beyond the capital. Sailing contests will take place in the Mediterranean city of Marseille, France’s boisterous second city, better known as the home of Olympique Marseille football team.

    Over 300 sailors from across the world will battle it out on the sapphire Mediterranean waters off the city. A marina has been built along the scenic Corniche coastal road heading southeast out of the city. It’s unlikely they’ll have the sometimes ferocious mistral wind in their sails. It usually blows in winter and spring.

    Marseille, which will also host 10 football matches, was where the Olympic torch landed in France on May 8 on its relay to Paris.

  • Emmy nominees in key categories

    Emmy nominees in key categories

    Here is a list of the nominees in key categories for the 76th Emmy Awards, which will be handed out in Los Angeles on September 15.

    FX’s epic Japanese drama “Shogun” topped the nominations list with 25, followed by two comedies — FX’s “The Bear” at 23 and Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building at 21.

    “True Detective: Night Country” led the nominees in the limited or anthology series categories at 19.

    OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES

    “The Crown”

    “Fallout”

    “The Gilded Age”

    “The Morning Show”

    “Mr & Mrs Smith”

    “Shogun”

    “Slow Horses”

    “3 Body Problem”

    OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES

    “Abbott Elementary”

    “The Bear”

    “Curb Your Enthusiasm”

    “Hacks”

    “Only Murders in the Building”

    “Palm Royale”

    “Reservation Dogs”

    “What We Do in the Shadows”

    OUTSTANDING LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES

    “Baby Reindeer”

    “Fargo”

    “Lessons in Chemistry”

    “Ripley”

    “True Detective: Night Country”

    LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA

    Idris Elba, “Hijack”

    Donald Glover, “Mr & Mrs Smith”

    Walton Goggins, “Fallout”

    Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses”

    Hiroyuki Sanada, “Shogun”

    Dominic West, “The Crown”

    LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA

    Jennifer Aniston, “The Morning Show”

    Carrie Coon, “The Gilded Age”

    Maya Erskine, “Mr & Mrs Smith”

    Anna Sawai, “Shogun”

    Imelda Staunton, “The Crown”

    Reese Witherspoon, “The Morning Show”

    LEAD ACTOR, COMEDY

    Matt Berry, “What We Do in the Shadows”

    Larry David, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”

    Steve Martin, “Only Murders in the Building”

    Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building”

    Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”

    D’Pharoah Woon-A-Tai, “Reservation Dogs”

    LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY

    Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary”

    Ayo Edebiri, “The Bear”

    Selena Gomez, “Only Murders in the Building”

    Maya Rudolph, “Loot”

    Jean Smart, “Hacks”

    Kristen Wiig, “Palm Royale”

    LEAD ACTOR, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

    Matt Bomer, “Fellow Travelers”

    Richard Gadd, “Baby Reindeer”

    Jon Hamm, “Fargo”

    Tom Hollander, “Feud: Capote vs the Swans”

    Andrew Scott, “Ripley”

    LEAD ACTRESS, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

    Jodie Foster, “True Detective: Night Country”

    Brie Larson, “Lessons in Chemistry”

    Juno Temple, “Fargo”

    Sofia Vergara, “Griselda”

    Naomi Watts, “Feud: Capote vs the Swans”

    SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA

    Tadanobu Asano, “Shogun”

    Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show”

    Mark Duplass, “The Morning Show”

    Jon Hamm, “The Morning Show”

    Takehiro Hira, “Shogun”

    Jack Lowden, “Slow Horses”

    Jonathan Pryce, “The Crown”

    SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA

    Christine Baranski, “The Gilded Age”

    Nicole Beharie, “The Morning Show”

    Elizabeth Debicki, “The Crown”

    Greta Lee, “The Morning Show”

    Lesley Manville, “The Crown”

    Karen Pittman, “The Morning Show”

    Holland Taylor, “The Morning Show”

    SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY

    Lionel Boyce, “The Bear”

    Paul W. Downs, “Hacks”

    Ebon Moss-Bachrach, “The Bear”

    Paul Rudd, “Only Murders in the Building”

    Tyler James Williams, “Abbott Elementary”

    Bowen Yang, “Saturday Night Live”

    SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY

    Carol Burnett, “Palm Royale”

    Liza Colon-Zayas, “The Bear”

    Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks”

    Janelle James, “Abbott Elementary”

    Sheryl Lee Ralph, “Abbott Elementary”

    Meryl Streep, “Only Murders in the Building”

    SUPPORTING ACTOR, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

    Jonathan Bailey, “Fellow Travelers”

    Robert Downey Jr., “The Sympathizer”

    Tom Goodman-Hill, “Baby Reindeer”

    John Hawkes, “True Detective: Night Country”

    Lamorne Morris, “Fargo”

    Lewis Pullman, “Lessons in Chemistry”

    Treat Williams, “Feud: Capote vs the Swans”

    SUPPORTING ACTRESS, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

    Dakota Fanning, “Ripley”

    Lily Gladstone, “Under the Bridge”

    Jessica Gunning, “Baby Reindeer”

    Aja Naomi King, “Lessons in Chemistry”

    Diane Lane, “Feud: Capote vs the Swans”

    Nava Mau, “Baby Reindeer”

    Kali Reis, “True Detective: Night Country”

    Programs with most overall nominations:

    “Shogun” – 25

    “The Bear” – 23

    “Only Murders in the Building” – 21

    “True Detective: Night Country” – 19

    “The Crown” – 18

    “Saturday Night Live” – 17

  • Brad Pitt at Silverstone for filming of F1 movie

    Brad Pitt at Silverstone for filming of F1 movie

    Brad Pitt’s previously untitled Formula One film, co-produced by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, will be called F1, it was announced on Friday at the British Grand Prix.

    After months of speculation, the title was confirmed by Formula One, and is due for release next year.

    Pitt, 60, was at Silverstone on Friday where he is filming scenes for the movie using an adapted Formula Two car that he drives on track between sessions involving other racing series.

    The long-awaited movie was delayed by the United States actors’ and writers’ strike last year.

    Hamilton has been involved in the script creation to ensure authenticity.

    The film is being directed by Joseph Kosinski, who made Top Gun: Maverick.

  • ‘Despicable Me 4’ tops N.American box office on opening weekend

    ‘Despicable Me 4’ tops N.American box office on opening weekend

    Animated comedy “Despicable Me 4” rose to the top of the North American box office on its first weekend in theaters, according to figures from industry watcher Exhibitor Relations published Sunday.

    The fourth major installment of the Minions universe — which features Will Ferrell voicing a new villain — racked up $75 million in ticket sales in the United States and Canada since its Friday release by Universal Pictures.

    “This is an outstanding opening for the 4th episode of an animation series, ranking only behind Toy Story 4,” said box office analyst David A. Gross.

    In second place with $30 million was “Inside Out 2,” the coming-of-age Disney and Pixar film which was knocked off the top spot after enjoying three consecutive weekends there.

    Apocalyptic horror “A Quiet Place: Day One” was in third place after taking in $21 million with its story of New Yorkers who must remain silent to survive an invasion by extraterrestrial creates with acute hearing.

    “MaXXXine,” a slasher that sees a mysterious killer stalking an aspiring actress in Hollywood, took fourth place with $6.7 million in ticket sales.

    Will Smith’s action-comedy “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” which also stars Martin Lawrence, took the last top five spot as it earned $6.5 million.

    Rounding out the top 10 were:

    “Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter One” ($5.5 million)

    “Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot” ($3.2 million)

    “Kalki 2898 AD” ($1.9 million)

    “The Bikeriders” ($1.3 million)

    “Kinds of Kindness” ($860,000)

  • Barbie that went to space to go on display in London

    Barbie that went to space to go on display in London

    A Barbie that spent six months orbiting the Earth on the International Space Station will go on public display for this first time this week at the Design Museum in London.

    It will be part of a new exhibition marking the 65th anniversary of the Barbie brand, set to open on Friday in partnership with the doll’s creator Mattel.

    The Barbie was made to resemble Samantha Cristoforetti, the first female commander of the ISS. On the mission in which she was accompanied by her lookalike Barbie, Cristoforetti became the first European woman to complete a spacewalk.

    There will be videos on display of Cristoforetti answering questions from space to encourage young girls to become scientists and astronauts –- all while floating in zero gravity alongside the Barbie.

    “We’re so excited that the first time anyone can see Samantha’s doll since it returned from the International Space Station is at the Design Museum this summer,” said curator Danielle Thom.

    “Its remarkable journey on Samantha’s history-making mission 400 kilometres above the Earth was one of the most dramatic moments in Barbie’s evolving story.”

    Cristoforetti said she was “thrilled” her Barbie would play a “starring role” in the exhibition.

    Highlighting other connections between Barbie and the cosmos, there will be a rare edition of the first space-themed Barbie on display.

    The silver “Miss Astronaut” was Barbie’s first depiction as an astronaut released in 1965, four years before Neil Armstrong reached the moon.

    Another Barbie in a metallic pink spacesuit on display was released in 1985 after Sally Ride became the first American woman in space.

    Other rare dolls will include a prototype of the first Talking Barbie launched in 1968 and one of the earliest first edition Barbie dolls.

    Visitors can also expect some more iconic figurines on display, including the Sunset Malibu Barbie and Day to Night Barbie.

    Charting the changing design of Barbie through time, the exhibition will also include friends of Barbie including Midge, and a while section dedicated to Ken, Barbie’s male companion.

    Ever since the “Barbie” movie starring Margot Robbie hit cinemas and broke box office records last year, the doll has become ever-more prominent in popular culture, making forays into fashion, music, and now design.

  • Indonesia’s all-girl Muslim metal band heads to Glastonbury

    Indonesia’s all-girl Muslim metal band heads to Glastonbury

    When three Indonesian teen girls formed a metal band 10 years ago to sing about gender equality and peace over bone-crunching guitars and drums, they could scarcely have dreamed of one day playing at Glastonbury.

    Yet, a decade later, Voice of Baceprot’s three Muslim women will become the first band from Indonesia to perform at the world-famous festival in Britain this week, where the headliners include Coldplay and Dua Lipa.

    Their set will mark the latest highlight in a wild career that has seen Firda Kurnia (guitar and vocals), Widi Rahmawati (bass) and Euis Siti Aisah (drums) amass a huge fanbase while challenging gender stereotypes in male-dominated Indonesian society.

    “Honestly, Glastonbury is not on our wishlist because we feel like it is too high a dream,” Euis, 24, told AFP.

    “(I am) half in disbelief. That is why we keep checking whether it is the official Glastonbury or if someone pranked us.”

    Voice of Baceprot rose from humble beginnings in a village near the West Javan city of Garut.

    They won fans with their raucous Rage Against the Machine covers — the word “baceprot” means noisy in Sundanese, an Indonesian traditional language — and also won fans with their original material.

    Then came wider international attention, including plaudits from some superstars. Red Hot Chilli Peppers bassist Flea once tweeted that he was “so down with Voice of Baceprot”.

    And while the group has previously played in the United States and Europe — including at the famous Wacken metal festival in Germany — there are nerves ahead of Glastonbury.

    “Hopefully my nervousness is a reminder for me to be more prepared,” said Euis.

    – Indonesia tour dream –

    Muslim conservatives in Indonesia have criticised the band over the fact that they are women, and also claimed their clothes are inappropriate.

    But Voice of Baceprot have stuck to their beliefs and shot back through their music.

    Their biggest hit — “God, Allow Me (Please) to Play Music” — has racked up millions of plays on YouTube and Spotify, and takes aim at the conservative detractors who say women should not play such music.

    The band has also written songs about climate change and women’s rights.

    “We create songs based on what we see, hear, read, and experience ourselves,” said Firda.

    The group’s rise has come with a hazard they had not anticipated: “obsessed” fans curious about every aspect of their lives.

    Some have even showed up at their homes to try and meet them.

    “We’re like: ‘OK, maybe this is one of the job’s risks.’ Our families sometimes get confused,” said Firda, 24.

    After forming in 2014, Voice of Baceprot played at small festivals around West Java, one of Indonesia’s most conservative provinces.

    They later moved to the capital Jakarta and also played online concerts during the Covid pandemic.

    They have since returned to their hometown, where they are building their own studio.

    Widi said the band has received “a lot” of offers to play abroad.

    But as they prepare to play the biggest show of their lives at the famous Worthy Farm in southwest England, Voice of Baceprot say one of their dreams is rooted at home.

    “We actually really want to tour Indonesia,” said Widi. “But we haven’t had the opportunity yet.”

  • BTS star Jin finishes South Korean military service

    BTS star Jin finishes South Korean military service

    K-pop megastar Jin from BTS was discharged from his South Korean military service on Wednesday, AFP reporters saw, the first member of the band to complete the mandatory duty, freeing him up to fully resume musical activities.
    The seven members of the world’s most popular boy band have been performing their service — which South Korea requires of all men under 30, due to tensions with the nuclear-armed North — with the K-pop juggernaut on a self-described “hiatus” since 2022.
    Jin emerged from the gates of his army base in South Korea’s northern Yeoncheon county where he was met by fellow bandmates J-hope, V, RM, Jungkook and Jimin.
    RM played the saxophone, belting out the hook of BTS’s mega-hit “Dynamite” while the bandmates hugged and presented Jin with a giant bouquet of flowers.


    Fans had hung colourful banners outside the base, with one reading: “Seok-jin you did so well for the last 548 days. We’ll stand by you with our unwavering love,” referring to the star by his full first name.
    A giant balloon flew in front with the message: “Worldwide handsome Seok-jin! Congratulations on your discharge.”
    Yeoncheon county put up its own banner that read: “BTS Jin, The last year and a half was a joy for us. Yeoncheon will not forget you!”


    Fans had been urged not to attend, and there were only a couple of admirers present early Wednesday outside the base.
    BTS’s agency HYBE announced Jin’s discharge on Weverse — a superfan social media platform — earlier this week.
    “We are excited to bring you the news of Jin’s upcoming military discharge,” it said.
    It also “strongly advised” fans to “refrain from the visiting site” citing safety concerts, and added that there would be no special events planned.

  • Netflix drama stirs complex past of Pakistan’s ‘courtesans’

    Netflix drama stirs complex past of Pakistan’s ‘courtesans’

    The Netflix hit “Heeramandi” depicts the plush and powerful lives of courtesans in the 1940s, but there is little glamour for modern Pakistani sex workers in the faded red-light district where the series is set.

    The eight-part show — subtitled “The Diamond Bazaar” in English — portrays courtesans in the “royal neighbourhood” of pre-partition Lahore, once a hub of culture and political intrigue.

    With dazzling Bollywood-style opulence, it shows women consorting with aristocrats, forging influential alliances and rivalries against the backdrop of India’s struggle for independence from British rule.

    But in the derelict remains of the neighbourhood, 65-year-old former sex worker Shagufta scoffed.

    “This is not what Heera Mandi is like,” she told AFP, using a pseudonym to protect her identity.

    “Now the girls just put their bodies on display,” explained Shagufta. “There is nothing left in Heera Mandi.”

    Shagufta can trace back seven generations of women in her family who worked as “tawaifs” in Heera Mandi, and she began dancing and being prostituted at the age of 12.

    While courtesans did command respect for their artistry in dance and music during the Mughal period, the show exaggerates the wealth and glamour of the British-ruled era in which it is set.

    “It was never like this,” she said.

    Taboo ‘tawaifs’

    The glittering jewels and swooning melodrama of the show attracted nearly 11 million views in its first three weeks on Netflix, as well as a deluge of interest on social media.

    Fascination has been split across Pakistan and India, where TikTok has lit up with videos of influencers dressing in traditional costumes and lip-syncing to the show’s songs and dialogues.

    A sequence from a seductive classical dance inspired by the gait of an elephant — considered regal and dignified — has gone viral, with the dancer gracefully moving her hips from side to side.

    Some vloggers have performed in front of shops selling shoes and musical instruments that have replaced the once-grand brothels, their crumbling art deco facades framing filthy alleyways.

    But whether the show is breaking down barriers around sexuality in deeply conservative Pakistan or simply compounding them with titillation is up for debate.

    Ar. Naveen Zaman, a cultural researcher, is excited about the renewed attention Heera Mandi is getting.

    “People are once again talking about the tawaif culture,” he said. “So actually, they are starting researching about these topics which were considered taboo in the past years.”

    For Zaman, it is a step towards reviving an uncomfortable history.

    “Old connections are being built here,” he said.

    The courtesans were at the height of their power in the Mughal era, which lasted from the 1500s to the mid-1800s.

    During British rule, Victorian morality codes were threatened by the women’s influence over the adoring local aristocracy, and the “diamond bazaar” was relegated to a red-light zone.

    Decades after Pakistan gained independence, the dictatorship of President Zia ul-Haq introduced hardline Islamic reforms which pushed sex work further into the shadows.

    A police crackdown in 2009 finally shuttered Heera Mandi’s brothels and ended the music and dancing with which sex workers entertained their clients.

    Painful realities

    For 38-year-old Noor — also a pseudonym — the Netflix series does not wash away the stigma of being a sex worker from Heera Mandi.

    Unlike in the series, where the term “tawaif” evokes ideas of art and etiquette, sex work in present-day Pakistan is a raw and dispiriting business.

    Forced into sex work when she was a child to support her family, Noor is ostracised even by her relatives for the work she does.

    “Women in this field are not considered honourable and are not treated with respect. It doesn’t matter how pious they become, they will never be respected. People will always call her a tawaif.”

    “Even though in other areas of the city more sex work occurs — because of Heera Mandi’s reputation this place is still notorious,” she said.

    Classical Indian dancer Manjari Chaturvedi has been working to reclaim the storied culture of courtesans for 15 years.

    In her New Delhi studio, she called the Netflix series a “missed opportunity” which “could have created a different narrative for women, who were stigmatised for many centuries for the work they did”.

    “The saddest thing that a cinema like this does is it again brings sexuality into the foreground rather than the art, and again it brings the same stigma,” Chaturvedi said.

  • Kate and William spotted leaving Windsor Castle after apologising for photo manipulation

    Kate and William spotted leaving Windsor Castle after apologising for photo manipulation

    Hours after Kate Middleton apologized for “any confusion” caused by an edited family picture, she was photographed leaving Windsor Castle alongside husband Prince William on March 11.


    The photos, published by the Daily Mail, showed the couple sitting next to each other in the backseat of a car as Kate—who is reportedly recovering from abdominal surgery—looked out of her window. The prince was heading to the Commonwealth Day services while his wife, Kate, the princess of Wales, was heading to a ‘private’ appointment, the publication said.

    Earlier, Kate issued an apology over an altered official photo that saw news agencies, including AP and AFP pull the image from their systems.

    “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused,” Kate wrote in a statement.

    Background

    A recently released image of Kate Middleton, issued by Kensington Palace to put all rumors about her health to rest, has ended up creating new controversies.

    Various news agencies have issued notices not to use the image of Kate and her three children, including the Associated Press (AP), Reuters, Getty Images, and Agence France-Presse (AFP). All three on Sunday night withdrew it and told media outlets to “kill” the photo from their systems and archives because they believe that it has been manipulated.

    The AP said the photo had been withdrawn because upon “closer inspection, it appears that the source had manipulated the image” and the photo showed an “inconsistency in the alignment” of the left hand of Kate’s daughter, Princess Charlotte.