BET+ & Prime Video Africa Grab E4 Adaptation Of “Explosive” YouTube Couples Show ‘Blue Therapy’

Amazon is entering The 1% Club.

Naman Ramachandran Classic cult film streamer Cultpix has signed a content rights partnership with the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute (TFAI), formerly known as the Taiwan Film Institute. The agreement, the fast-growing streamer’s 50th, will kick off with two films, “The Fantasy of the Deer Warrior” (1961) and “The Bride Who Returned from Hell” (1965), which have both been digitally restored by the TFAI. The partnership was revealed at the ongoing Lumière Film Festival in Lyon, France.

The blossoming relationship between Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed has been teased in first look images from the final season of The Crown.The sixth series of the hit royal drama will be released in two parts, with the first instalment of four episodes launching on 16 November and part two airing on 14 December. On Monday, 16 October, the streaming giant released a selection of images which include a picture of Diana on a yacht belonging to business tycoon Mohamed Al Fayed.The billionaire’s relationship with the royal family was depicted in season five of The Crown, where Mohamed (Salim Daw) was seen getting to know Diana – played by Elizabeth Debicki.

Naman Ramachandran African streamer Showmax has dated and unveiled a first trailer for “Twende,” its first original 2D animated series. “Twende” follows a pangolin of the same name, the slowest moving animal in the savannah. The pilot screened in competition at Annecy in 2021.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Italian distribution and production company Notorious Pictures is expanding into the TV series sphere by snapping up rights to buzzy literary property “Forbidden Notebook,” a 1952 novel by Italian-Cuban writer Alba de Céspedes that has been recently rediscovered and successfully republished in English. De Céspedes has been described by the New York Times as “a bestselling novelist and political activist in her native Italy” admired for her sensitive depictions of women whose recently rediscovered work “has lost none of its subversive force.” She is considered a source of inspiration for Elena Ferrante, the Italian writer with legions of fervent fans around the world and whose four “Neapolitan Novels” have been adapted into the long-running “My Brilliant Friend” TV series by Italy’s RAI and HBO.

Ben Croll Introduced last year, MIA’s dedicated animation program heads into its sophomore edition with a more firmly entrenched industry position and a resoundingly global outlook. With the program scaffolding already in place, MIA curators spent the past year shoring up support and scouting for projects at key markets in Berlin, Cannes and Annecy, resulting in a program of roughly 30 co-production pitch projects and works-on-progress that altogether spans more than 40 countries.

MrBeast, aka Jimmy Donaldson, is arguable the most popular person on the internet!

Five weeks into its run, Netflix‘s One Piece remains firmly in the streamer’s weekly Top 10, amassing 57.8M views to date. For four of them, which included One Piece‘s quick Season 2 renewal, series writer/executive producer/co-showrunner Matt Owens was on strike with the rest of the WGA.

Irish rugby player and reality star Greg O'Shea tackled the “biggest challenge” over the weekend involving a 3.8km sea swim, a 180km bike ride, and a 42km run. Greg, who scooped up first place with Amber Gill on Love Island in 2019, took part in the Ironman Barcelona on October 1 and was supported from the sidelines by his South African model girlfriend Jeanni Mulder, who he has been dating since earlier this year. Before taking on the huge challenge, the model shared some sweet words of support for her beau as she wrote: “Tomorrow is one of your biggest challenges yet and I've been lucky enough to see the hard work you have put in and it's safe to say I have never believed in someone the way I believe in you.

Michaela Zee Richard Gere‘s breakout role in 1980’s “American Gigolo” might have made him a household name, but that didn’t mean the actor wanted to be labeled a “sex symbol,” according to veteran British talk show host Michael Aspel. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Aspel recalled Gere’s appearance on his talk show “Aspel and Company” in 1989.

Greater Manchester's councils have spent more than £123m on social care staff from agencies since 2020.

George Clooney and his wife Amal Clooney look stunning together on the red carpet!

Strictly Come Dancing star Oti Mabuse, who sadly decided to quit her role as a professional dancer on the BBC One show last year, has opened up on the real reason for her departure. In an emotional new interview, the talented TV favourite, who is now a judge on Dancing On Ice alongside Ashley Banjo and ice skating superstars Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, admitted she spent days overwhelmed by the experience. Oti, 33, also revealed that she'd spent days "crying in the shower" as she struggled to cope with the intensity of trying to train her partners and help them to improve.

Burna Boy‘s scheduled live show in South Africa has been cancelled due to a fraud claim against one of its organisers.The Nigerian artist had been set to perform at the 90,000-capacity FNB Stadium in Johannesburg last Saturday (September 23), but the gig was shelved in the days leading up to it amid rumours of poor ticket sales (via IQ).But promoter Ternary Media Group has since claimed that it called off the concert after CEO Sedote Nwachukwu was accused of stealing R10m (£435,000) from the company.“Due to pending legal proceedings relating to an upcoming Burna Boy concert in Johannesburg, the event has been postponed,” a spokesperson for the firm said, per Times Live.Ternary Media Group said it has relieved Nwachukwu of his duties “until further notice” amid the allegations made by his business partner Gregory Wings.Nwachukwu has denied stealing the money, and has made a counter-claim against Wings.Speaking to Sowetan Live, Nwachukwu claimed: “The event in total sold almost over 20,000 tickets but Greg took 6,000 of the 11,000 tickets sold by Ticketpro.“I am being told that he went around selling and distributing them at night clubs and campuses.

Viola Davis has been selected as one of the inaugural members of the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States.

Rudie Obias editor If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. “Gran Turismo” is the latest video game movie from PlayStation Productions and it’s available to stream as a digital purchase on Amazon Prime Video on September 26.

Prime Video streaming service next year to raise more money with which to make original content.Customers in the UK, US, Germany and Canada will start to see ads from early 2024, but they can avoid them by subscribing for an “ad-free” option at an additional cost.Other territories including France, Italy, Spain, Mexico and Australia will see adverts on Prime Video from later in 2024.“To continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time, starting in 2024, Prime Video shows and movies will include limited advertisements in the UK,” Amazon said in a statement.

Sophia Scorziello editor South African crime writer Rudie Van Rensburg’s “Piranha” is set to be adapted into a new crime drama series from Strong Studios. Titled “Endangered,” the project is being shopped as a six-episode limited series written by screenwriter Jake Riddell (“Reyka,” “Grantchester”) and directed by BAFTA award winner Stuart Urban (“The Mystery of Suzy Lamplugh”).

Hunter Ingram SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for the limited series “Wilderness,” now streaming on Prime Video. Laced into the scripts of Amazon Prime Video’s new limited series “Wilderness” are the blueprints of a vast revenge saga set against the backdrop of America’s National Parks. But among those finer points, writer and creator Marnie Dickens also embedded the songs she envisions playing alongside the action. A curated playlist for retribution, if you will.

Hunter Ingram SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for the limited series “Wilderness,” now streaming on Prime Video. Laced into the scripts of Amazon Prime Video’s new limited series “Wilderness” are the blueprints of a vast revenge saga set against the backdrop of America’s National Parks. But among those finer points, writer and creator Marnie Dickens also embedded the songs she envisions playing alongside the action. A curated playlist for retribution, if you will.