HYBE, YG Entertainment launch BLACKPINK-themed Korean language study set

Sweet dreams are made in a house like this, for Annie Lennox .

EXCLUSIVE: Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment has promoted Dana Cox and Quincie Li to managers in the literary department.

Sony Pictures Entertainment and theme-park corp Merlin Entertainments are teaming to extend the Jumanji brand through a range of exclusive rides, lands, retail outlets, and themed hotel rooms across the latter’s global network of theme parks and waterparks in Europe, UK, and North America.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterPrepare to enter the world of Jumanji.The 1995 adventure movie, starring Robin Williams — and the Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart-led sequels — will be the inspiration of new rides, lands, retail outlets and themed hotels.Sony Pictures, the studio behind the billion-dollar film franchise, and Merlin Entertainments, the company that operates Legoland and Madame Tussauds, have entered into a multi-territory exclusivity agreement to develop and operate attractions across Merlin’s Resort Theme Parks and Waterparks in Europe (including the United Kingdom) and North America.The first “Jumanji” experience to be brought to life will be a theme park ride, which will open in April this year at Merlin’s Gardaland Resort in Italy. A second activation is already in development at a different, yet-to-be announced theme park for a 2023 launch.

Katie Price has broken her silence after being charged with harassment for allegedly breaching a restraining order by contacting her ex-husband Kieran Hayler's fiancée Michelle Pentecost.The 43 year old star has been charged after she allegedly sent a message to Michelle in January. If convicted, she could face time in prison.The star is due to appear in court next month but in the meantime she has been enjoying a sun-soaked trip to Thailand with her fiancé Carl Woods, 32.The couple have been living it up in restaurants, bars and relaxing in their lavish hotels, also snapped donning their swimwear for days at the beach. Returning to Instagram following the charge, Katie posted a selfie of her looking sun-kissed and glowing as she lay on the beach.

The Boys and Suicide Squad (2016) actress shared details about the alleged incident on her Instagram yesterday (March 16), saying that she decided to do so to “raise awareness” of the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes in countries including the US.The actor, who was born to Japanese parents in LA, said that she rarely shares things about her private life but felt compelled to speak out.“Something happened today that I thought was important,” she wrote, claiming that she was “walking to a café for some coffee and a man struck me in the back of my head. It came out of nowhere”.She continued: “We made no eye contact before, I wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary.

Former glamour model Katie Price has been charged for allegedly harassing Kieran Hayler’s wife-to-be, Michelle Pentecost. In the wake of the charges, the 43 year old will appear in court when she returns to the UK from Thailand, where she’s currently holidaying with fiance Carl Woods. Kieran and Katie were married between 2013 and 2018, and share two kids together; eight year old son Jett and daughter Bunny, seven.

K.J. Yossman Film Mode Entertainment has inked a multi-project distribution deal with Australian director/producer Luke Sparke’s company Sparke Films.Among the titles Film Mode will represent worldwide are Sparke’s upcoming projects “Weapons of Choice,” a television adaptation of John Birmingham’s World War Two trilogy “Axis of Time” and “Primitive War,” a horror feature franchise based on Ethan Pettus’ book series.Film Mode will also handle worldwide sales rights for “Occupation: Rainfall 2” and “Occupation: Rainfall 3” – the third and fourth films in Sparke’s franchise – as well as a number of other projects still in development.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefThe shares of China’s largest entertainment and tech companies plunged for a second day on Tuesday as Russia’s war in Ukraine, regulatory warnings and China’s slowing economy all combined to signal tougher times ahead.Alibaba shares crashed 11.7% to reach an all-time low of HK$71.2 in Hong Kong, where they have a secondary listing. Tencent shares plunged by 10.2% to HK$298, their lowest in several years. Both companies have in the past held the title of China’s largest enterprise and are major components of the Hang Seng Index of leading equities.The Hang Seng Index fell by more than 1,000 points and by nearly 6% on Tuesday to close at 18,415.

Fremantle has acquired a 25% stake in Henrik Bastin’s Fabel Entertainment, the international development and production outfit behind Prime Video’s cop drama series Bosch.

Emerald Airlines are launching a new service from Manchester Airport to Belfast later this month with tickets now on sale.

Wilson Chapman editorNetflix has released the first trailer for ‘The Bubble,’ Judd Apatow’s upcoming comedy about a cast and crew of a blockbuster movie in production during the COVID-19 pandemic.In “The Bubble,” Karen Gillan and Pedro Pascal play the lead actors in the action film “Cliff Beasts 6: The Battle for Everest: Memories of a Requiem,” who get stranded at a hotel after the pandemic halts production. Leslie Mann and David Duchovny also star, playing a divorced acting couple forced to quarantine together.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentThe Mediapro Studio has unveiled first key cast for Season 2 of crime thriller “The Head,” one of its biggest international hits, with John Lynch (“The Terror,” “In the Name of the Father”) and Katharine O’Donnelly (“Mary Queen of Scotts,” “Clique”) reprising their lead roles as biologist Arthur Wilde and young doctor Maggie Mitchell.They will be joined by the Spanish actor of Armenian-Lebanese origin Hovik Keuchkerian who shot to fame playing Moscow in “Money Heist,” as well as Ireland’s Moe Dunford (“Vikings”), Sweden’s Josefin Nelden (“The Restaurant”) and British thesp Olivia Morris (“Hotel Portofino”). More substantial name cast will be announced in upcoming weeks.

Jeon Somi has accidentally leaked what appears to be an unreleased BLACKPINK track, during a recent Instagram Live session.The Canadian-Dutch-Korean K-pop idol hosted an Instagram Live session yesterday (March 2) while she was at the YG Entertainment headquarters. During the broadcast, the singer was walking around the building looking for an empty studio to continue her livestream.However, Somi then accidentally wandered into an occupied studio that had been playing an unreleased song via the speakers.

Variety once again praises the accomplishments of showbiz women around the world. Talent, success, and plenty of inspiration span this report, spanning across creative and business sectors.

Manori Ravindran International EditorCanada’s Incendo and Los Angeles-based Nicely Entertainment have struck a development and production partnership beginning with the scripted limited series, “The Christmas Checklist.”The four-episode series will be available in the marketplace for the 2022 holiday season.Written by Lisa Hepner (“A Christmas Wish in Hudson,” “Christmas Lovers Anonymous”), “The Christmas Checklist” is a holiday-themed limited TV series targeted for release in December 2022. Incendo and Nicely Entertainment will develop and produce the series with Incendo responsible for distribution in English and French Canada, and Nicely Entertainment overseeing the U.S.