Lee Jung-Jae Says His Cannes Directorial Debut ‘Hunt’ Is as Noir and Political as ‘Squid Game’

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeThose “specific people” showed up at the Variety offices in costume as the mysterious guards (aka “pink soldiers”) from “Squid Game,” complete with iconic circle/triangle/square masks. They came bearing an invitation to Netflix’s FYSee Emmy events space at Raleigh Studios, along with a box of donuts.The brutal South Korean drama about class, power, wealth and kiddie games clearly remains an awards priority for the streamer — particularly after this year’s SAG Awards garnered wins including male actor (Lee Jung-Jae) and female actor (Jung Ho-yeon).

EXCLUSIVE: Mubi has acquired Lukas Dhont’s Cannes Competion entry Close for the UK, Ireland, Latin America, Turkey and India.

Lise Pedersen Scandinavia is bringing talent old and new to the Cannes Film Market’s Cannes Docs sidebar this year, with a showcase of five feature length films-in-the-making pitched as part of the Scandinavian Showcase on Saturday.“Children of the Lowest Heaven”From Denmark, internationally acclaimed writer-director Birgitte Stærmose Mortensen (“Darling,” “Room 304”), who has been working on mini-series for HBO, Starz and Netflix for the past five years (“Industry” season 2, “The Spanish Princess,” “In From the Cold” and “The English Game”), presented “Children of the Lowest Heaven” (“Ønskeliv”), a hybrid doc set in Kosovo.Inspired by her short “Out of Love” (2009), about a group of children living in poverty in post-war Pristina, it picks up where she left off with the characters, who are now young adults, still fighting to survive in one of Europe’s poorest nations. It’s about the long-term effects of war, and what it means to live a life in poverty.

First, there was Parasite, shaking up the global film sector and snatching Oscar glory. Then, there was Squid Game.

Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae has opened up about his life since the Netflix series’ viral success and what the show might mean for the future of Korean media.In a recent interview with Deadline, Lee spoke about how, despite the massive international popularity of Squid Game – including critical success at the Critics Choice Awards and the SAG Awards – life has largely stayed the same for him.“I still don’t feel like my life has changed dramatically,” he explained, although, it’s been a different story for his career. The actor noted that the K-drama’s success has opened up “more opportunities to work with great people on more projects”.On the topic of opportunities, Lee touched on how he has “already [been] getting a lot of support” from renowed talent agency Creative Artists Agency, which he signed with earlier this year.

In Squid Game, lead character Seong Gi-hun is a down-on-his-luck gambling addict given a dangerous opportunity to win a fortune and turn his life around by playing deadly children’s games against 456 other cash-strapped no-hopers. Lee Jung-jae, who plays Seong, has almost nothing in common with his alter-ego: he is one of South Korea’s biggest stars through films such as Deliver Us from Evil and the Along with the Gods franchise and shows Chief of Staff and Triple.

Rochelle Humes has opened up on what it was like to grow up as a mixed-race child in a white household, admitting she felt "embarrassed".The Saturdays singer and This Morning host even felt like she had to explain her background as a teenager, as though she came with a "disclaimer".The 33 year old pop star was born to a Jamaican biological father and an English mum, but she didn't have a relationship with her dad. Instead, Rochelle lived with her mum Roz Wiseman, stepdad and half-sister Emily, 29. While the star even went as far as to say she had often wished to have the "picture perfect" family one day, becoming a mum herself to three children Alaia-Mai, eight, Valentina, five, and one year old Blake, helped her realise what really mattered.

Taylor Swift’s boyfriend Joe Alwyn stars in BBC and Hulu series Conversations with Friends which begins tonight at 10pm.The plot is based on Sally Rooney’s novel of the same name about two students whose lives become intimately entangled with a married couple. Joe, 31, plays the role of Nick Conway, a married actor who gets caught in a web of infidelity. But while Joe’s character’s life will be wrung out on screen for all to see, his relationship with Taylor, 32, is low-key and fans are often left in the dark.

The long wait is over and its finally time for the Eurovision final. Plenty of acts have gone on in the first half including bookie favourite Ukraine but there is one act that has blown away Eurovision viewers. Norway performed the song Banana wolf dressed up as wolves.

The Mirror reports that the chef is one contestant BBC bosses are very keen to get on the show. The cheeky Italian has a big fanbase after becoming a star on fellow BBC show Ready, Steady, Cook before he went onto claim the I'm A Celebrity crown.

EXCLUSIVE: On the heels of their Oscar win for The Long Goodbye, Sound Of Metal and Rogue One actor Riz Ahmed and Surge director Aneil Karia are confirmed for a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic Hamlet, which is being launched by WME Independent at the Cannes market.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorVariety has been given exclusive access to the first teaser for Norwegian drama “War Sailor,” which follows two Norwegian sailors whose merchant ship is attacked by German submarines at the outbreak of World War II. Beta Cinema will be selling the film at the Cannes Market. The film centers on Alfred Garnes, a working-class sailor, who has recently become the father of a third child, and his childhood friend Sigbjørn Kvalen, known as Wally.

Joe Alwyn never intended to be a songwriter.