ITV Greenlights Adaptation Of Israeli Drama ‘Significant Other’ With Katherine Parkinson & Youssef Kerkour On Major Comedy Slate

Brent Lang Executive Editor Nicolas Cage and Joel Kinnaman will star in “Sympathy for the Devil,” a new psychological thriller from director Yuval Adler. Production on the film is underway in Las Vegas. Capstone Global is handling worldwide sales on the film, and will introduce it to buyers during the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival.   Written by Luke Paradise (“Lost on a Mountain in Maine”), “Sympathy for the Devil” follows “The Driver” (Kinnaman) as he finds himself in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse after being forced to drive a mysterious man known as “The Passenger” (Cage). That sets things up for a white-knuckle ride. 

Clayton Davis If Colin Farrell doesn’t get an Oscar nom this year for “The Banshees of Inisherin,” he never will. That was all I could think after watching his work in Martin McDonagh’s latest dark comedy. And who would have thought that Farrell and Brendan Gleeson would become the perfect comedic duo of our day? I thought the pair’s magic in “In Bruges” (2008) was a one-hit wonder, but with “The Banshees of Inisherin,” the two men have recaptured their old alchemy. The latest pitch black romp from “Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri” director and scribe McDonagh harnesses the simplest premise in recent memory: a man tries to understand why his best friend doesn’t want to talk to him anymore. What unfolds within that premise are moral complexities and refreshing takes on love and forgiveness.

The Masked Dancer is back and as baffling as ever as a celebrity panel and viewers watching at home attempt to work out who is dancing in disguise. An all-star cast are showcasing their dazzling dance moves while covered from head to toe in extravagant and elaborate costumes.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Ari Folman (“Waltz With Bashir”), Nadav Lapid (“Ahed’s Knee”) and Hagai Levi (“Our Boys”) are among a group of 250 Israeli filmmakers that has signed an open letter to protest against the recently launch of the Shomron (Samaria/West Bank) Film Fund. The Fund, which held its inaugural film festival in the occupied West Bank in July , was founded by Miri Regev, the controversial former culture minister of Israel who was highly criticicized within the local film community for her right-wing views. Regev was believed to have put pressure on the Israel Film Fund to ban films that were critical of Israel from receiving subsidies. The signatories of the public letter said they will not seek funding from, nor cooperate with the Shomron (Samaria/West Bank) Film Fund and have urged the Israeli Academy of Film and Television not to partake in “whitewashing the Occupation” ahead of the Ophir Awards, the country’s version of the Academy Awards, later this month. The filmmakers claim that the Shomron (Samaria) Film Fund has one goal: inviting “Israeli filmmakers to actively participate in whitewashing the Occupation in exchange for financial support and prizes.”

More than 250 of Israel’s top filmmakers have signed an open letter, saying they will not seek funding from, nor cooperate with the recently–established Shomron (Samaria/West Bank) Film Fund, following the fund’s inaugural film festival in the occupied West Bank.

Jed Mercurio’s HTM Television’s is working on Payback, a six-part crime drama for the UK’s ITV and Britbox International. Morven Christie, Peter Mullan and Prasanna Puwanarajah are leading the cast, and screenwriter Debbie O’Malley is writing.

Malina Saval Associate Editor, Features Static and Ben El, the pop music duo from Israel whose success in their home country led to a rich deal with Saban Music Group (via Virgin), has called it quits after seven years together. Backed by American-Israeli entertainment mogul Haim Saban, the group hit the ground running in 2018 with the English-language version of “Tudo Bom,” a bouncy Reggaeton track featuring J. Balvin. “Dear Friends – this was not an easy decision, however the duo known as Static and Ben El has decided to part ways,” the pair posted on Aug. 25 in a joint statement on their social media account.  “We also wanted to thank you for being so supportive and for helping us to live our dreams,” they continued. “Of course — the shows already scheduled will still take place. We love you very much, see you in our new incarnation.” 

Manori Ravindran International Editor Cohen Media Group has acquired producer Jeremy Thomas’ prestigious international sales company HanWay Films in a major deal. Cohen Media Group owns Landmark Theatres in the U.S. and British distributor-exhibitor Curzon. HanWay Films was founded by “The Last Emperor” producer Thomas and is co-owned with his partner Peter Watson. Under the deal, HanWay Films will continue to be branded as an independent label selling theatrical titles to its distribution partners worldwide. It’s still unclear how much an exclusive tie-in there will be to parent company-owned Curzon.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Munich-based sales agency The Playmaker has sold black comedy “Holy Shit!” to distributors in several major territories ahead of its U.K. premiere at Frightfest on Aug. 28. The Playmaker has closed deals for Japan (New Select), South Korea (Lumix Media), China (Beijing Blue Media Times), France (Family Films) and Baltics (Estin Film). Scriptwriter and director Lukas Rinker’s claustrophobic real-time genre movie made its market premiere in Cannes this year. “Holy Shit!” won the Audience Award at its world premiere at this year’s Hard:Line Film Festival and was shown at the Night Visions Film Festival in Helsinki. At Fantaspoa, it received an Honorable Mention for the “best blood (and shit) bath.”

Selome Hailu SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you haven’t watched Season 1 of “Mo” on Netflix. As I finish interviewing comedian Mo Amer and ask him if there’s anything else he’d like to talk about, he says, “I don’t have a lean addiction, nor have I ever been addicted to lean. I keep saying that every chance I can, because it gets weird out here.” It’s an important distinction to make, as the mixture of prescription cough syrup, soda and candy has killed many, especially in Houston, where Amer grew up. He is the co-creator, executive producer and star of “Mo,” a comedy-drama series that heavily draws from his true experiences as a refugee — his parents were displaced from Palestine to Kuwait where Amer was born, before the whole family fled to Texas during the Gulf War. Several of the show’s most painful moments — like when, 20 years after his father’s death from a heart attack, is looking over paperwork with his immigration lawyer (Lee Eddy) and finds out for the first time that his father was captured and tortured during the war — are lifted directly from Amer’s life. But when Mo begins sipping lean to cope with an injury he sustains in Episode 1 — Amer says that’s all for the plot.

K.J. Yossman Katherine Parkinson (“The IT Crowd”) and Youssef Kerkour (“House of Gucci”) have been tapped to lead upcoming ITVX comedy drama “Significant Other.”The series, which will start filming in Manchester, U.K.

Major U.S. studios, streamers and British broadcasters have combined to launch a Statement of Commitment Against Bullying, Harassment and Inappropriate Behaviour in TV.

EXCLUSIVE: Boutique North American streamer Topic has struck its first ever deal with Israeli powerhouse Yes TV for true crime series Embezzlement.

Love Island finalist Gemma Owen has reunited with her fellow Islanders for the first time since the ITV show ended. The 19-year-old and her beau Luca Bish, 23, caught up with their series eight contestants in London after missing out on previous get-togethers.

Israeli network Yes TV has greenlit a second season of Series Mania Award-winning comedy Bloody Murray, we can reveal.

social media to share her condolences. Read more: Lorraine Kelly and Rylan lead Darius Danesh tributes as Pop Idol star dies just 41Taking to Twitter, the Consett-born singer and actress, wrote: "Still processing the new of Darius’s death, a big brother to all of us in popidol. I’ll always remember his wonderful warm tall hugs and his words of wisdom.

K.J. Yossman Svika Pick, the Israeli king of pop who wrote Dana International’s Eurovision-winning hit “Diva” in 1998, died on Sunday.

A major Scots road has been closed by police following a 'serious' multi-vehicle crash.