‘BS High’ Documentary in Production at HBO, Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe to Direct

FilmNation TV UK has hired a key BBC Studios drama exec as it builds out its slate. Martin Rakusen has joined Creative Director Kirstie Macdonald’s team as COO.

A sexual assault complaint has been filed against Puerto Rico pop star Ricky Martin, who recently sued his nephew over what he said were false allegations of sexual abuse.

Caroline Framke Chief TV Critic If you were to see the trailer or basically any promotional material for “The Serpent Queen,” Starz’s new series about the infamous life of one Catherine de Medici, you’d be forgiven for assuming it’s a showcase for Samantha Morton in a historical drama with modern touches, following in the footsteps of her recent turn in “Harlots.” Even its arresting opening credits sequence, which sees Morton stride to a throne to a heavy guitar lick as snakes slither out and toward her, suggests a show preoccupied with being Edgy and Different — a show that would consider itself to be not like Starz’s many other historical drama girls, as it were.   However: as adapted from Leonie Frieda’s biography by Justin Haythe, this perception proves to be only somewhat the case. In fact, the first few episodes of “The Serpent Queen” — which premieres Sunday, Sept. 11 — feature Morton sparingly, with an elder Catherine telling the story of how she came to France as a teenager (played by Liv Hill) to a spirited maid (Sennia Nanua), in whom she sees a kindred spirit. In truth, Morton should only barely be considered the show’s lead until the fourth episode, which moves Catherine’s flashbacks far enough forward in time that she can safely assume the role in both the past and present, as she begins to square off against her formidable daughter-in-law, Mary Queen of Scots (Antonia Clarke). 

Ricky Martin will make sure to clean his name and now has taken legal action against his nephew. Months ago, a judge in Puerto Rico dismissed all accusations and temporarily lifted the previous restraining order on the singer after Dennis Sanchez Martin accused him of harassment, claiming a romantic relationship.“The situation has continued despite the defendant voluntarily withdrawing from an action he had commenced against Plaintiff based on falsehoods, during which he admitted under oath that he had never been sexually assaulted by Plaintiff,” Martin’s lawyers wrote in the docs, as reported by People.According to the 50-year-old star’s complaint, Sanchez Martin — son of Ricky Martin’s sister — got upset because the singer didn’t follow him on social media and “ignored” him when he requested to create a social media account for his three children.

Vivienne Chow An ambitious slate of more than 80 titles is featured in Taiwan’s debut at Toronto Film Festival’s TIFF Industry section this year, presenting a diverse mix of productions in various genres in a bid to showcase not just the island’s homegrown talent but also its potential as a co-production hub in the region. “We want to emphasize our commitment in bringing Taiwan’s film and television works to the global stage, and at the same time, making Taiwan the best co-production partner in Asia,” says Izero Lee, CEO of Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), which presents the slate at the market sector of the Toronto Film Festival this year. TAICCA is an independent agency set up by the Ministry of Culture and the cabinet (Executive Yuan) that has been actively promoting the island’s cultural and creative content globally.

Just over a month after Ricky Martin escaped a restraining order or potential felony charges over sex abuse allegations in Puerto Rico, the “Livin’ La Vida Loca ” singer now has struck back with a $20 million lawsuit against his accusing nephew.

previously accused the Latin singer of abuse — to the tune of $20 million.The “La Vida Loca” singer filed suit on Wednesday in San Juan against Dennis Yadiel Sanchez, claiming his nephew was attempting to “assassinate” the singer’s reputation, according to TMZ.The lawsuit comes after the 50-year-old singer was slapped with accusations that he was romantically involved with Sanchez, and allegedly harassed the young man after their relationship ended.In July, Martin’s 21-year-old nephew claimed he was a victim of domestic abuse and incest at the hands of Martin and was granted a restraining order against the singer.Martin’s attorney denied the “disgusting” and “untrue” accusations, saying the accuser has “mental health challenges.” Eventually, the case against Martin was dropped, but according to the latest legal action taken by Martin, Sanchez hasn’t stopped there.In fact, Martin claimed one month after Sanchez withdrew the restraining order, that he bombarded Martin with messages via social media, TMZ reported. He even vowed to “assassinate his reputation and integrity” if Martin didn’t cough up some money.Sanchez once boasted about being Martin’s nephew, the new lawsuit alleges — that is, before he made claims of incest and domestic violence.

Emiliano De Pablos Seismic shifts in the world’s entertainment industry have thrown a global spotlight on Spain’s film and TV industry as never before. Foreign productions are flocking to Spain, spending €263 million ($266 million) in 2021, double the 2016-19 average, according to a ProFilm study. International inward investment in national productions has also grown on an unprecedented scale. All the big streamers have beached in Spain. Reed Hastings cut the tape on Netflix’s first European Production Hub, in Madrid’s Tres Cantos, in 2019. Viacom Intl. Studios (VIS) EMEA and Asia and AMC Networks Intl. Southern Europe have set up production operations in Spain. Other players — Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max and Starzplay — run offices in the country.

Playwright and filmmaker Martin McDonagh is up to more deliciously fiendish tricks in The Banshees of Inisherin, a simple and diabolical tale of a friendship’s end shot through with bristling humor and sudden moments of startling violence. It world premieres in competition at the Venice Film Festival Monday. Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and the small handful of supporting players make the most of the author’s vibrant prose in McDonagh’s first film since Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri five years ago.

The mordantly comedic assault on the politics of revenge used to be the province of English/Irish playwright turned filmmaker Martin McDonagh. In more recent years, the writer/director has turned his probing eye towards compassion, forgiveness, and redemption and the unanswerable question of whether his problematic protagonists are worthy of either.

HBO Max is offering a limited-time discount for new and returning subscribers. The streaming service is giving customers 30% off a one-year subscription when signing up and prepaying the full year. If you've been waiting for an opportunity to catch up on HBO Max's Emmy-winning show  and the new prequel series , then this might be it. With the HBO Max deal, you can sign up for a year of the ad-free plan for  $104.99 (regularly $149.99) or get HBO Max with ads for $69.99 (regularly $99.99). Compared with the streamer's regular month-to-month pricing, the discount represents a 42% savings. HBO Max’s latest offer is good for a single year’s subscription and after the 12-month discount period, subscriptions will auto-renew at the regular subscription price. Don't miss out on this limited-time deal to sign up for a discounted HBO Max yearly subscription before the promotion ends on October 30, 2022. When you sign up for 12 months of HBO Max, you save over 40% compared to a month-by-month plan.

Newcastle United have included a recall clause in the deal that has seen Manchester United sign goalkeeper Martin Dubravka on a season-long loan.

Exactly one year ago today, the Bishop Sycamore high school football team took the field in a nationally televised game on ESPN, and proceeded to suffer a horrible 58-0 pounding by elite IMG Academy. That was just the beginning of the program’s problems. Investigations and dismissals followed, amid allegations Bishop Sycamore wasn’t even a legitimate high school and, indeed, operated more like a scam.

EXCLUSIVE: Next Productions, a subsidiary of sales agency The Exchange, has boarded production, financing and sales of concentration camp survival and escape drama Untold, with Oscar-winning director Aaron Schneider attached to direct.