Former Gay Adult Film Star Running for Mayor of a Spanish Village

Sony Pictures Classics have acquired worldwide rights (excluding the UK, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, and Latin America) to Pedro Almodóvar’s short film, “Strange Way of Life,” starring Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal, the company announced on Thursday. This follows the news that the short will premiere as an official selection at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.Here is the trailer for the short:It is Almodóvar’s second English-language project after “The Human Voice,” which was also distributed by Sony Pictures Classics.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent London-based Sideways Film has taken world sales on British director Carey Born’s “Cyborg: A Documentary” about a man who was born color blind and has an antenna embedded in his head to help contend with this condition. Filmed in the U.K., Spain, Denmark, Australia and across the U.S. in New York, Los Angeles, San Jose and New Jersey, the doc about the world’s first officially recognized cyborg premiered last month at the CPH:DOX festival in Copenhagen and was selected by the fest to screen online on its PARA:DOX platform. “Cyborg” centers on “cyborg artist” Neil Harbisson who was born with a rare condition called achromatopsia, which means he sees only in black and white. In 2003 Harbisson had an illegal operation. A so-called “eyeborg” antenna was implanted in the back of his head enabling him to “hear colour” as waves that are translated into sound frequencies and transmitted to his auditory cortex. Since then Harbisson started touring the world talking about being a cyborg.

Sophia Scorziello editor Pedro Almodóvar’s queer Western short film “Strange Way of Life” has released its first trailer. The short, which stars Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke, is somewhat akin to a “Brokeback Mountain” revamp, or moreso, a chance for Almodóvar to do finally do it his way. Almost two decades ago, the Spanish filmmaker was offered the opportunity to direct the Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger film, but gave up the offer in fear he wouldn’t have the creative freedom to make the movie how he wanted it. “This is a queer western in the sense that there are two men, and they love each other, and they behave in that situation in an opposite way,” said Almodóvar on an episode of “Dua Lipa: At Your Service.” “What I can tell you about the film is that it has a lot of the elements of the Western. It has the gunslinger. It has the ranch. It has the sheriff. But what it has that most Westerns don’t have is the kind of dialogue that I don’t think a Western film has ever captured between two men. And now I think I’m telling you too much.”

Prime Video is reviving classic Spanish talent gala format Operación Triunfo and has unveiled its latest slate of scripted shows, films and doc series from the nation along with a local version of Takeshi’s Castle.

Dani Rovira, star of “Spanish Affair” and Eva Soriano, a comedian with her own show on Movistar+, “Showriano,” will dub main characters in the awaited Japanese reboot of the hit Takeshi Kitano-hosted 1980s adventure variety show “Takeshi’s Castle.” This technique, where Spanish comedians produced a laughably spoof dub which often had little to do with events happening on screen in the original Japanese show, yielded a cult TV show on Telecinco in the 1990s. In all, Prime Video’s new slate in Spain can be read several ways. It is tapping top movie talent for movies which, though maybe long in development, seek to capitalise on the huge audience and branding success of the Oscar-nominated “Argentina, 1985.”  Though titles range widely, many involve either true crime or action, broad prime audience drivers in an OTT world.  Amazon’s Prime Video is unveiling key steps in Spain in its transformation from a movie-TV service into a broad entertainment broadcaster.  

Erik ten Hag has 'no concerns' about playing Luke Shaw at centre-back for Manchester United's match against Brighton in the semi-final of the FA Cup.

Mark Wright has given fans a glimpse inside his new Spanish apartment which is set to become a heavenly abroad base for him and his wife Michelle Keegan. The new abode in Mallorca comes after the couple created their dream home from scratch in Essex

Guy Lodge Film Critic “Carmen” didn’t begin life as an opera: French Romantic writer Prosper Mérimée conceived this tale of Spanish passion and tragic jealousy in 1845, thirty years before his compatriot Georges Bizet brought it into its best-known, aria-rich form. But it’s a story that thrives on operatic delivery, hinging on emotions so large and loud they beg to be sung at the top of one’s lungs. That makes it the opera that filmmakers can’t leave alone, even as they tend to switch out the music: Its screen interpretations range from Otto Preminger’s Broadway-rooted “Carmen Jones” to Jean-Luc Godard’s daring, Beethoven-infused “First Name: Carmen” to Robert Townsend’s Beyoncé-starring “Carmen: A Hip-Hopera.” With the plainly titled “Carmen,” ballet star and first-time feature director Benjamin Millepied joins that club, mostly eschewing song in an attempt to conjure the material’s intensity through dance. He is only intermittently successful.

Roku is teaming up with Jennifer Lopez, Jaime Camil and Juanpa Zurita as it expands its Roku Originals in Spanish.

Charna Flam Roku expanded its slate of Spanish originals, adding six new unscripted series from Latino voices and creatives including Jennifer Lopez, Juanpa Zurita and Jaime Camil. The six new original series — “Carpe DM with Juanpa,” “Desde la Raíz,” “Serenata De Las Estrellas,” “La Divina Comida,” “Batalla en Abuela’s Kitchen,” “Un Millón de Gracias”— feature stars including Wilmer Valderrama, Belinda, Sofia Reyes and Michael Peña. “The deep engagement we have seen within the Spanish-language content category on The Roku Channel in the U.S., as well as the exceptional growth of the service in Mexico, are all signs of the strong appetite for free ad-supported streaming amongst Spanish-speaking and bilingual audiences,” said David Eilenberg, head of content, Roku Media. “We’re committed to delivering high-quality, culturally relevant original programming to tens of millions of viewers, and we are thrilled to welcome such an exceptional new group of on-camera and off-camera creative voices to our Roku Originals lineup.”

Vogue Williams, wife of Spencer Matthews, has revealed that she will not be attending the second wedding of Made in Chelsea's Sophie Habboo and Jamie Laing when it takes place in Spain next month. Sophie, 29, and Jamie, 34, officially tied the knot at Chelsea Registry Office in London, before they travel to Seville, Spain for their second nuptials, which is thought to be taking place very soon.Two people visibly absent from their London wedding was Jamie's best pal and supposed best man for his wedding, Spencer Matthews and his wife, Vogue Williams.

XYZ Films has hired Manon Barat, a former executive at the Spanish sales company Film Factory, to head a slate of titles that will fall under the company’s newly-launched global film initiative, New Visions.

Welcome to Global Breakouts, Deadline’s fortnightly strand in which we shine a spotlight on the TV shows and films killing it in their local territories. The industry is as globalized as it’s ever been, but breakout hits are appearing in pockets of the world all the time and it can be hard to keep track… So we’re going to do the hard work for you.

Spanish Screenings Goes to Cannes,  a selection of five pix in post which underscores the ever broadening compass – in genre, setting, protagonists, production bases and models – of film production in Spain. “Sima’s Song,” for example, is set in 1979 Kabul, “Jumping the Fence” on the Morocco-Spain border in Africa.  Many titles, though still in post production, come laden with prizes as projects, prestige deals or rich talent. “Sima’s Song,” from Afghan director Roya Sadat, whose “A Letter to the President” was shortlisted for an Oscar, won the Taicca Award at Busan’s Asian Project Market and the IFI-Pas Award at Mumbai’s Film Bazaar. Its producer, Alba Sotorra, was nominated for an International Emmy as a director for “The Return: Life After ISIS.”

Ex TOWIE star Elliott Wright is said to be "heartbroken” following the death of a doorman who was killed trying to break up a fight at his restaurant in the Costa del Sol.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer “Floyd,” an original action feature centered around a Latino veteran described as “John Wick” meets “The Big Lebowski,” is currently in development. Erik Olsen (“The Dirt,” “The Book of Eli”) is writing the script and will produce the project with Navid Mcllhargey. Story Kitchen, a media company focused on world-building and untapped intellectual property rights, is on board to produce the project with Exile Content Studio. The Los Angeles-set story will follow a former marine given the nickname Floyd by his corps. Marine vet William Brownleefe will serve as a co-producer and consultant.

Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly being targeted by Al-Nassr following Rudi Garcia's sacking last week.

Emiliano De Pablos Spain’s fast-growing production house Mediacrest Entertainment is launching high-concept eco-reality contest format “El pueblo” (“The Village”), which will have its international market premiere at this week’s MipTV trade fair. Designed as a primetime reality show, “El pueblo” has been structured as a social experiment, charting five families’ attempt to settle in an abandoned village, guided by the principles of sustainability and globally connected self-sufficiency.  The families’ will create their own rules, events and traditions, will initiate agriculture and livestock initiatives and start trading with nearby towns, sand later with the world. The twist: Only one winning family finally gets to stay in the village.

Manchester United youngster Marc Jurado has been named on the first-team's bench to play Nottingham Forest this weekend.

EXCLUSIVE: Studiocanal has sold Spanish drama The Vow into Italy and the show has been commissioned for a second season.