Listen to a preview of AURORA’s new song in ‘Assassin’s Creed 15th Anniversary: Leap Into History’ trailer

Mike Wass Helium-pitched vocals and kitschy lyrics made Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” a novelty hit for the ages, and the perky euro-pop anthem, which took the world by storm in 1997, is still going strong 25 years later. The candy-colored video has amassed more than 1.1 billion views on YouTube and any conversation about Greta Gerwig’s upcoming “Barbie” movie eventually leads to the question: Will “Barbie Girl” be part of the soundtrack? The answer to that question is no. Which isn’t surprising given that Mattel sued Aqua in the ‘90s — and lost — but it’s still disappointing for many. The Danish-Norwegian group, however, is decidedly nonplussed.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Les Films du Losange has closed a raft of major deals on Kasja Naess’s animated feature “Titina” which is produced by the teams behind the Oscar-nominated film “The Triplets of Belleville” and Oscar-winning short “The Danish Poet.” “Titina” will world premiere at Animation Is Film Festival, which takes place Oct. 21-23, and is produced by GKids, in collaboration with Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Variety. Budgeted at $8.5 million, the Norwegian animated movie was produced by Mikrofilm (“The Danish Poet”) and Vivi Film (“The Triplets of Belleville”). The film tells the real-life story of a fox terrier that accompanied her master on an expedition to the North Pole in an air balloon in the 1920’s. It will be released in Norway by Norsk Film Distribusjon, and in France by Les Films du Losange.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Listen up: Podimo, the Denmark-based subscription service for podcasts and audiobooks, said it secured €58.6 million (about $58.4 million) in funding, as it seeks to grow its market footprint and content lineup. The funding was led by previous investors 83North, Highland Europe and Saban Ventures, with continued participation from Chr. Augustinus Fabrikker, Heartcore and Headline. The latest round brings Podimo’s total raised to date to about €162 million ($161.5 million), the company said. Podimo did not disclose valuation but said the new capital represented an “up round,” meaning its valuation increased. Founded in 2019, Podimo said it has doubled its headcount in the past two years and currently has about 225 employees. The company plans to step up hiring with the new funding.

FIFA+ & Others License Football Doc ‘Brazil 2002: The Real Story’

Naman Ramachandran Collective Media Group and Entourage Sports and Entertainment‘s soccer documentary feature “Brazil 2002: The Real Story,” recounting the story of the 2002 World Cup on its 20th anniversary, has sold a raft of territories worldwide. The film uses six hours of unseen archive material shot by Brazilian soccer player Juliano Belletti during the tournament, and also features interviews with Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Cafu and Gilberto Silva from the World Cup winning Brazil team; and, from the opposing teams across the tournament, David Beckham, Michael Owen, Oliver Kahn, Hasan Şaş and Marc Wilmots as well as referee Pierluigi Collina. FIFA has taken the film for its own streamer FIFA+, for territories including Asia (excluding Japan), Turkey and New Zealand. This is complemented by deals confirmed by distribution partner Abacus Media Rights including: Canal+ Group for Canal+ Foot and myCanal (France); Sky Deutschland (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg); Sky Italia (Italy, Republic of San Marino, Vatican City, Malta, Capodistria, Montecarlo and Italian speaking Switzerland); DBS Satellite Services (Israel and West Bank); Supersport Africa (for Africa); NOS Portugal (Portugal and PALOPs); Movistar Plus+ (Spain); and Stan Entertainment Pty (Australia).

Anne Hathaway is enjoying a night out at the 2022 U.S. Open!

Carlos Alcaraz is officially No. 1!

French Open final against Rafael Nadal earlier this year has helped him prepare for a high-stakes showdown against Carlos Alcaraz at Flushing Meadows. Both finalists are aiming to clinch their first Grand Slam crowns and whoever wins will also emerge from the tournament as world No 1. Alcaraz has taken the tough route to the US Open final with three consecutive five-set marathons against Marin Cilic, Jannik Sinner and Frances Tiafoe.

EXCLUSIVE: Another Round star Maria Bonnevie is leading Viaplay’s latest Norwegian original, a comedy-drama inspired by award-winning director Bård Breien’s unusual childhood.

Naman Ramachandran Vice has signed a worldwide license deal for director and producer Jason Loftus’ “Eternal Spring: The Heist of China’s Airwaves,” Canada’s entry in the Oscars’ international feature film category. Sales agent Sideways Film, which represents the production on behalf of Lofty Sky Entertainment, has also scored domestic deals on the film with Arte for France and Germany, RTS for Switzerland, VG for Norway, Current Time for Russian language European territories and Al Jazeera Doc for the Middle East and North Africa. Through the lens of celebrated comic book artist Daxiong (“Justice League”), the documentary explores a plot by Falun Gong adherents in China to hack state television and expose repression.

Manchester City will play the opening game of their 2022/23 UEFA Champions League campaign on Tuesday night as Pep Guardiola's side face Sevilla.

Manori Ravindran International Editor More than a year since SkyShowtime was first announced, the SVOD is ready to join the streaming fray in Europe, Variety can reveal. The new platform — a joint venture between Comcast and Paramount Global that was first unveiled in August 2021 — will officially launch on Sept. 20 in the Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, before expanding into the Netherlands later this year in Q4. (The service received regulatory approval in Europe back in February.) Meanwhile, the SVOD will continue its roll out across Spain, Portugal, Andorra, and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) over the coming months and through Q1 of 2023. CEE markets include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Gary Lineker has put his neck on the line by predicting that Erling Haaland will be a 'goal machine' at Manchester City.

Four new changes will come into force on the roads this month, which all motorists must be aware of. The rules aim to protect road users, especially the most vulnerable like cyclists and pedestrians.