Catherine Deneuve: 'I was never a sex symbol'

Mark Schilling Japan Correspondent Japan’s film industry is Asia’s second-largest in terms of box office – revenues totaled $1.14 billion from 115 million admissions at the depths of the pandemic in 2021 – but as insiders have known for decades, it is hardly the healthiest by world or even regional standards. For many in the industry, particularly those in the indie sector, hours are horrendous, contracts are non-existent and sexual and power harassment are facts of professional life. And even directors whose work screens at major festivals abroad often struggle to raise money for their next project or earn a middle-class living from filmmaking alone.

La Vanguardia published Saturday, Allen, 86, was quoted as saying, “My idea, in principle, is not to make more movies and focus on writing,” with his next project being a novel. But on Monday, a spokesperson clarified that Allen “never said he was retiring, nor did he say he was writing another novel.” “He said he was thinking about not making films, as making films that go straight or very quickly to streaming platforms is not so enjoyable for him, as he is a great lover of the cinema experience,” read a statement from Allen’s rep. “Currently, he has no intention of retiring and is very excited to be in Paris shooting his new movie, which will be the 50th.”The spokesperson’s statement echoes comments that Allen made in June during an Instagram Live interview with Alec Baldwin.

Woody Allen has been quick to deny rumours of his retirement that came out of an interview he gave to a Spanish magazine, saying his next film would be his last.

Kanye West has revealed that he feels an aversion to literature, comparing books to Brussels sprouts and explaining that he sees evolved forms of communication as crucial to his vision of an optimised future.The revelation came in a new episode of the podcast Alo Mind Full, where the rapper joined Alo Yoga co-founder Danny Harris and host Alyson Wilson to “paint a sonic picture of what’s on his mind”. Harris spoke of a book he’d read over 100 times, which included philosophies on self-confidence that he and West mutually agreed on. “[West] was telling me that he hasn’t read this book,” the entrepreneur said, “but I was telling him that every positive attribute [detailed in it], he naturally embodies.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Antonin Baudry, who made his feature debut with Netflix’s submarine thriller “The Wolf’s Call,” is set to adapt Homer’s epic war tales of “The Iliad and The Odyssey” into a science fiction series titled “Ulysse.” Pathé has recently boarded the series project which is being co-developed by Axelle Boucai (The Mad’s Women Ball”) and Alain Goldman (“La Vie en Rose,” “The Mad’s Women Ball”) at Paris-based Ness Films. “Antonin Baudry is writing the adaptation and had the idea of transposing these mythological tales in space and in the future,” said Boucai, who cited “Dune” as inspiration.

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). 

Consent Labs conducted a study of 1000 Aussies between 18 and 44 years of age. They showed participants intimate scenes from movies and shows and asked them to classify what they saw.Over half (57 percent) of participants weren’t able to decipher which scenes did or did not have non-consensual acts.“Our research shows that despite Australians having the best intentions to either teach or learn about consent – such as in school or as parents – we’re still seeing it being defined incorrectly,” said Consent Labs’ CEO, co-founder and executive director Angelique Wan.“While adding a classification to content may seem simple, it’s a powerful addition and can even be used as an education tool.“From scenes in children’s films where women are kissed while they’re asleep, to rom-coms where men are tied to a bed and their struggle is played for laughs, or scenes that are depicted as romantic, even though the person says ‘no’ again and again.“These acts are designed to add dramatic effect to a scene but the visualization without warning perpetuates and normalizes lack of consent.”While some shows depict very obvious sexual violence, plenty of modern film and TV scenes have hit the cultural conversation without people being able to come to a conclusion around it.The sex scene between Daphne and her Duke in Bridgerton is a great example – the Duke said ‘no’ and Daphne continued.There was outcry, but many still debated what the scene depicted.Another example is in The Devil Wears Prada where main character Andy is drunk in Paris and says ‘no’ to the advances of love interest, Christian Thompson, several times – once even saying she was too drunk to make the decision.

King Charles III has never been one to do things by the book. At the age of 73 and after spending 70 years as heir to the throne, he has now become King.

Tessa Thompson stole the red carpet spotlight with her dramatic look at the Don’t Worry Darling during the 2022 Venice International Film Festival on Monday (September 5) in Venice, Italy.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Last year Andrea Scrosati – who is group COO and continental Europe CEO of Fremantle – was at Venice with two films. This year Fremantle’s got six pics launching from the Lido, three of them in competition, which is a larger contingent than any of the U.S. studios or streamers.  Fremantle’s business model, which involves a cluster of companies mostly across Europe that they either fully own or are majority investors in, has been bearing fruit on their film side. Their output has grown “from 8 to 32 delivered movies in two years,” Scrosati says.  And the multi-pronged company’s Venice lineup – which includes Luca Guadagnino’s “Bones and All,” Emanuele Crialese’s “L’Immensità,” and Joanna Hogg’s “The Eternal Daughter” – is a reflection of that.

Manori Ravindran International Editor Frederick Wiseman, a voracious reader, doesn’t watch television. In fact, he’d never really gotten through a whole series until recently, when he watched HBO’s “The Wire.” “I don’t know why, but it was interesting,” he tells Variety drily. Every couple of years, the 92-year-old master documentarian behind such seminal films as “Titicut Follies” and “Juvenile Court” has churned out a sprawling documentary fixated on a microcosm of society or some sort of social issue, but when the pandemic paused those efforts for two and a half years, it’s Wiseman’s literary proclivities that drew him to Sofia Tolstoy’s writing for his new fiction film “Un Couple,” which premiered Friday in Venice’s Competition section.

Jamie Oliver is incredibly busy right now following the launch of his latest book, Jamie's One Pan Wonders, and it meant he missed a special occasion.READ: Jamie Oliver, Stacey Solomon and more stars share the home money-saving tips we all needThe chef's father turned 69 on Friday, and while Jamie couldn't celebrate with him in person, he did share a stunning childhood photo of himself and his brother with their dad. In the photo, the boys, who looked identical, were being cradled by father who was wearing a waterproof coat.WATCH: Jamie Oliver shares extremely candid throwback video with his familyOther photos saw Jamie's sons with their grandfather and other childhood memories, including his father helping him blow the candles out on a cake shaped like a train.DISCOVER: Jamie Oliver's 5 quick and easy Back to School lunch ideas for kidsSEE: Jools Oliver appears in incredible family photo amid secret health battleIn a touching caption, the star penned: "A massive Happy Birthday to my wonderful Dad.

Love Island star Davide Sanclimenti has reportedly landed a six-figure fashion deal, following in the fashionable footsteps of his girlfriend Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu.The 27-year-old Italian, who won the ITV2 reality dating show with 28-year-old Ekin-Su this year, is believed to be the latest former Islander to sign a deal with global online fashion retailer boohooMAN. It comes after Ekin-Su recently signed a deal to become the face of fashion brand Oh Polly, which is reportedly worth £1 million and believed to be the biggest deal in Love Island history.The Turkish actress, who wore Oh Polly items over 30 times during her villa stay, is working on promoting her own series of "curated collections" to be sold globally.