Fire breaks out at legendary Italian film studio where ‘Ben-Hur,’ other classics shot

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps claimed there are 'four trains an hour' running between London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly. The transport chief had to be corrected as strike action has seen timetables slashed to just one train an hour between the two major cities.

New York Dolls’ David Johansen will premiere next month, it’s been announced.The documentary film, called Personality Crisis: One Night Only, will get its first airing at the New York Film Festival.The film focusses around a one-of-a-kind 2020 performance by New York Dolls frontman David Johansen.“Then and now, David’s music captures the energy and excitement of New York City,” Scorsese said in a statement about the film following its initial announcement.“I often see him perform, and over the years I’ve gotten to know the depth of his musical inspirations. After seeing his show… at the Café Carlyle, I knew I had to film it because it was so extraordinary to see the evolution of his life and his musical talent in such an intimate setting.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterRobert De Niro will be sharing the screen with Hollywood legend Robert De Niro in the upcoming gangster drama “Wise Guys.”The movie, set at Warner Bros., will be directed by Barry Levinson, the veteran filmmaker who is best known for “Rain Man” and “Wag the Dog.”Nicholas Pileggi, the co-writer of Martin Scorsese’s crime epic “Goodfellas,” which starred De Niro, is penning the screenplay for “Wise Guys.” The story follows Italian American crime bosses Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, who ran their respective families during the 20th century. In 1957, Genovese tried (and failed) to assassinate Costello, who was ultimately injured and attempted to retire from the mafia.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter“She Said,” a drama about the sexual harassment investigation that took down Harvey Weinstein and sparked the #MeToo movement, will have its world premiere at the New York Film Festival.The Universal Pictures movie is screening as part of the festival’s spotlight section. Other movies that will be highlighted include Chinonye Chukwu’s historical drama “Till,” Elvis Mitchell’s documentary “Is That Black Enough for You?!?,” James Ivory and Giles Gardner’s non-fiction film “A Cooler Climate,” and Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi’s New York Dolls documentary “Personality Crisis: One Night Only.”Additional spotlight entries include “Bones and All,” directed by Luca Guadagnino and starring Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet; Marco Bellocchio’s “Exterior Night,” a six-part series about the kidnapping and eventual murder of the Italy’s influential statesman and former prime minister Aldo Moro; director Lars von Trier’s “The Kingdom Exodus,” a third season of his television series The Kingdom; Chris Smith’s “Sr.”, a look at the life and career of Robert Downey Jr.’s late father, Robert Downey, Sr.; “The Super 8 Years,” a story about writer-director Annie Ernaux’s family’s memory; and Sarah Polley’s “Women Talking,” a screen adaptation of Miriam Toews’ novel about women from a remote religious community dealing with the aftermath of sexual assault.

The New York Film Festival on Tuesday revealed its Spotlight section lineup, which includes the world premiere of She Said, Universal’s drama based on the work of New York Times reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey who investigated and wrote the bombshell 2017 Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse story.

Johnny Depp is set to direct his first film in 25 years, about an artist who died broke. The actor, 59, is making a movie about celebrated Italian painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani alongside Al Pacino. Depp is also producing the movie on the artist who died impoverished in 1920 aged 35, but became renowned for his masterpieces of nudes with elongated faces and limbs.

Tram and train services are being disrupted after a fire broke out with 'repeatedly loud bangs' near to a Metrolink stop. All services running through Cornbrook, on the border of Manchester and Trafford near Castlefield, have been suspended after the fire involving tyres and a 'highly flammable' gas broke out this evening (August 14).

Bill Pitman, a guitarist whose work as part of the legendary recording session group The Wrecking Crew made an invaluable contribution to countless radio hits, TV series and films, died yesterday at his home in La Quinta, California. He was 102.

K.J. Yossman Red Bull Studios (RBS), one of the producers behind the electrifying documentary “The Real Mo Farah,” have set their next project, titled “The Moment: How Sports Changed the World,” Variety can exclusively reveal.Directed by Tom Jennings of 1895 Films, “The Moment” is a feature doc that explores the lasting repercussions of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was controversially held in South Africa at the tail end of apartheid.

Firefighters were scrambled to a pub car park on Sunday afternoon (August 7) to rescue a driver trapped in an overturned motor.

Huge plumes of smoke were seen for miles on Sunday afternoon after a fire broke out in a north Manchester park. Roaring flames began to take hold of the dry ground at Moston Vale, beside Moston and Harpurhey.

Tiffany Cross and comedian Wanda Sykes — have already slammed the network for reportedly hiring Griffin.Who will be the next co-host of @TheView? The wait is finally over! Find out only on @TheView this THURSDAY at 11e|10c|p on ABC! pic.twitter.com/xvLHqgin2ZBorn in Los Angeles on June 15, 1989, Griffin is the daughter of two journalists. Her father, Joseph Farah, was the executive news editor at the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, then an editor at Northern California’s the Sacramento Union.Her father is of Syrian and Lebanese descent.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentA fire that broke out Monday at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios has not significantly slowed down activity at the storied filming facilities, according to studio chief Nicola Maccanico.“The fire did not cause any harm to people; it was quickly extinguished and damage was limited,” Maccanico said in a statement for Variety. “The safety system, in a very vulnerable time period given the high temperatures, kicked in promptly and allowed the flames to be limited without damaging any of our sound stages, nor any of our other production areas.”The Cinecittà CEO went on to thank the Rome Fire Brigade and Civil Protection agency for their “crucial contribution” in ensuring that the flames were rapidly put out and did not spread further.

Production on Netflix’s “Old Guard 2” was disrupted on Monday after a fire broke out at Cinecittà Studios in Italy. The flames erupted Monday afternoon, in an area of the studio with a renaissance-era Florence set.

Fire broke out at Italy’s historic Cinecittà Studios on Monday afternoon (August 1), destroying part of an old set depicting Renaissance Florence, which was in the process of being dismantled, and disrupted Netflix film Old Guard 2.  

Rome’s historic Cinecittà Studios on Monday afternoon (Aug. 1) and was extinguished by three teams of firefighters. The fire broke out in the area where a set depicting renaissance Florence was housed and which was being decommissioned, destroying parts of it.