City Venice Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Kenneth Branagh is back as Detective Hercule Poirot in the new film A Haunting in Venice, which he is also directing.

The Hollywood Reporter. She died the same day as her “Slaughter” co-star and NFL legend Jim Brown, who was 87.Her cause of death wasn’t immediately available.“RIP beautiful actress Marlene Clark. .

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Recently-established Philippines-based production and financing company, Fire and Ice, has deals to provide completion funding to two films being produced by prolific Singapore-based independent producer Potocol. Under a related agreement, Fire and Ice has also struck a multi-faceted first-look deal with Potocol. The completion funding, which gives Fire and Ice a share of the film’s equity, will permit the completion of post-production of upcoming Potocol titles: “Pierce,” a sports drama by Nelicia Low, and “Last Shadow at First Light,” by Nicole Midori Woodford. Both films were recently showcased at Focus Asia’s Far East In Progress, part of the Far East Film Festival in Udine, and are expected to be completed before the end of the year.

In the early ’90s, Japan’s Takeshi “Beat” Kitano was on a roll, with a superb string of nuanced crime movies that stood in stark contrast to the good-vs.-evil bullet operas that were coming out of Hong Kong at the time. Kitano’s darkly funny cynicism (who else could have made Violent Cop?) made him stand out by miles, but it soon became his weakness, as became evident in the lean period after the success of Zatoichi in 2013. The experimental, semi-autobiographical trilogy that followed — Takeshis’, Glory to the Filmmaker and Achilles and the Tortoise — seemed to offer little more than self-sabotage, the work of a frustrated artist trying to take a blowtorch to his populist image without much thought for the future.

Zendaya and Tom Holland are enjoying themselves on a well earned vacation to Italy. The couple has been photographed making the most of the country over the past week. Recently, they were spotted in Venice, with the two looking stylish as they took in the city and rode aboard a water taxi.Zendaya and Tom Holland’s stylish look during romantic date in LondonWhy Zendaya has trouble understanding Tom Holland sometimesZendaya and Tom Holland’s romantic adventure in Italy: See picsPhotos show Holland and Zendaya holding on to each other as they do different activities.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Neon has acquired Justine Triet’s Hitchcockian courtroom drama “Anatomy of a Fall.” The U.S. distributor has been “aggressively pursuing” the competition title, which premiered in Cannes on Sunday to rapturous reviews, and has beat out competition. In the 150-minute film, a frustrated writer dies of suspicious causes, leaving behind clues that implicate his wife (Sandra Hüller) of his murder. Much of the film is focused on the ensuing trial, and features German star Hüller, known to international audiences for “Toni Erdmann,” delivering a powerhouse performance as a woman fighting to clear her name while protecting the couple’s young son. (Hüller previously teamed with Triet for psychological drama “Sibyl,” which also competed for the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2019.)

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Kirsten Niehuus, CEO at Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, which funds films and TV series production in the Berlin region, and Simone Baumann, managing director of German Films, which promotes and supports the release of German films abroad, welcomed a wide array of guests to their garden party at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday. Three Medienboard-funded films are in this year’s Competition: Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s “Four Daughters,” Austrian filmmaker Jessica Hausner’s “Club Zero,” and U.S. helmer Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City.” Niehuus told Variety: “Those are three very different productions, but it shows the spectrum [of films] that Medienboard supports.” Tunisian films, like “Four Daughters,” need international co-production funding to get made, she said, and “we believe in world cinema, so were very happy [to back it].” Hausner is “one of the most impressive female filmmakers [in the world], and I think there should be more female filmmakers on the Croisette and every other ‘A’ festival,” she said. “Asteroid City” is “the best of American arthouse filmmaking; very stylish, with a great narrative – so we love it,” she said.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Brussels-based company Best Friend Forever has acquired the international rights of Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir’s debut feature “City of Wind.” The film is in post-production and will be ready for a world premiere in fall 2023. Purev-Ochir is known for several high-profile short films, including “Mountain Cat,” which was in Cannes Competition in 2020, and won best short in Busan in 2020, and “Snow in September,” which was awarded the Golden Lion for best short in Venice, and best short in Toronto last year. Ze is a timid 17-year-old shaman. He studies hard at school to succeed in the cold, callous society of modern Mongolia, while communing with his ancestral spirit to help those in his community. But when Ze encounters Maralaa, his senses are awakened and another reality seems possible.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Yes, the Cannes Film Festival has only just started. But Hollywood is already quietly planning for the Venice Film Festival lineup, as the unofficial launch of awards season in late August is starting to shape up with several high-profile titles, Variety has learned. Among the films in contention to bow on the Lido: Luca Guadagnino’s sexy tennis comedy “Challengers,” starring Zendaya and Josh O’Connor, and Yorgos Lanthimos’ surrealist science-fiction romance “Poor Things,” with Emma Stone and Marc Ruffalo, among entries believed to be locked-in for a Venice launch. Zendaya was last in Venice in 2021 with “Dune,” but Denis Villeneuve’s sequel, which has an early November launch date, is not expected to follow suit to the fest.

Actress Emma Watson, 33, and Philip Green's son, Brandon Green, have reportedly ended their “serious relationship” after 18 months together. Brandon is the son of British businessman Sir Philip Green who was the chairman of the retail company Arcadia Group.The duo were first pictured together in September 2021 and MailOnline has reported that Emma and Brandon split "some time after Christmas". The Harry Potter actress and her ex are said to have met each other's parents and even enjoyed holidays in Venice.

EXCLUSIVE: Paris-based WTFilms has acquired international sales rights for thriller Hood Witch, the debut film of rising French director Saïd Belktibia, starring Golshifteh Farahani and Denis Lavant.

, Blackpink’s Lisa, and for a Bulgari party in Venice on Tuesday evening at the Palazzo Ducale, and she dressed on theme for the event: the actor was quite literally dripping in sparkles. As an ambassador for the fine jewelry house, Hathaway naturally has access to some of the most incredible pieces in the world, and she selected a spectacular chain necklace with large red stones for the event.Hathaway went all in on the metallics, opting for a sequin gown by Versace which graduated from gold to silver beading and had a daring thigh-high slit, revealing her silver mirrored platform heels.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Anne Hathaway and Zendaya made a stylish splash in Venice.The celebrated stars hit the carpet at the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewelry event on Tuesday, and posed together in their stunning ensembles that stole the spotlight at the black tie event.Chopra lit up the scene in a crimson Miss Sohee two piece that featured a matching top and flowing skirt, adorned with a white beaded flower embellishment. Meanwhile, Hathaway shimmering in a gold and silver Atelier Versace number.Zendaya brought come classic Hollywood elegance with a lush, black Richard Quinn dress, which showed off her toned arms with off-the-shoulder sleeves.

Bleecker Street has nabbed the North American rights to “Across the River and Into the Trees,” an upcoming movie starring Liev Schreiber (“Ray Donovan”) and Josh Hutcherson (“The Hunger Games”). The film is directed by Paula Ortiz, who is best known for her work on “The Bride,” and is expected to debut in the fall of 2023 for a theatrical release.An adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s last full-length novel that he published in his lifetime, the movie is set in post-World War II Italy. After American Army Colonel Richard Cantwell (Schreiber) survived the war and emerged as a war hero, he has to grapple with a new battle: his own illness.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Bleecker Street has landed North American rights to “Across the River and Into the Trees,” an adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s last full-length novel. Liev Schreiber and Josh Hutcherson will star in the film, which will release exclusively in theaters in the fall. News of the sale was announced at the Cannes Film Festival. Paula Ortiz (“The Bride”) directed “Across the River and Into the Trees,” which takes place in post-WWII Italy. Schreiber plays American Army Colonel Richard Cantwell, a bona fide hero who remains haunted by the war. As he faces news of illness with stoic disregard, he’s determined to spend a week in quiet solitude and commandeers a military driver to facilitate a visit to his old haunts in Venice. As Cantwell’s plans begin to unravel, a chance encounter with a remarkable young woman begins to rekindle in him the hope of renewal.

Across The River And Into The Trees, the long-awaited Ernest Hemingway adaptation starring Liev Schreiber (Spotlight), Matilda De Angelis (The Undoing), Josh Hutcherson (The Kids Are All Right) and Danny Huston (The Aviator), has set North American release plans with Bleecker Street. The film based on the last full-length novel published by Hemingway in his lifetime, which award-winner Paula Ortiz (The Bride) directed, will bow exclusively in theaters this fall.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Disney’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3″ was victorious again at the domestic box office, adding $60.5 million in its second weekend of release. Ticket sales dropped by 49% from its debut, marking an impressive hold… at least for a superhero movie. Across more than 30 Marvel entries, only “Black Panther” (45%) and “Thor” (47%) have had stronger second weekend holds. By comparison, recent Marvel movies such as “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and “Thor: Love and Thunder” declined by nearly 70% in their sophomore outings. Those are brutal falls, even for movies that debuted to more than $100 million. Those entries were reminders that Marvel may remain critic-proof in terms of opening weekends, but they’re no longer immune to quickly falling back down to Earth.

Book Club: The Next Chapter stars Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen, who chatted with Metro Weekly about the new sequel to their 2018 hit comedy, written and directed by Bill Holderman.The screen legends were missing their girl Diane Keaton, who rounds out the quartet portraying four longtime best friends, who, this time out, jet off to Italy for a bachelorette adventure. Yet they still basked in the glow of their collective thrilling adventure shooting the film throughout Rome, Venice, and Tuscany.The gorgeous Italian scenery, and local color — like homegrown legend Giancarlo Giannini, featured in a supporting role — proved enchanting offscreen as well as in the film.“It was never stressful because you were always in a gondola, sort of coasting along,” recalls Bergen.

Sarah Ferguson shared a rather glam selfie on her Instagram page, after she attended the wedding of billionaire heiress Chloe Stroll and Olympian Scotty James in Venice.The 63 year old jetted off to Italy for the nuptials, just days after the Coronation of her former brother-in-law King Charles. Posting a selfie, Sarah, commonly known as Fergie, showed off the glam make-up she donned for the happy occasion, as she donned a green dress and long dangling earrings. She captioned the snap: "Thank you to @jadghandourofficial who made the dress and to Lee Ashley-Johnston for hair and @clarissalunanyc for makeup that made my look for a special wedding in Venice." Commenters were quick to compliment the former Royal, with one writing: "There's no finer look than a redhead in a green dress.

Michaela Zee editor From riding boats in Venice to landing in Tuscany in a helicopter, “Book Club: The Next Chapter” star Jane Fonda had quite the adventure in Italy with Diane Keaton, Mary Steenburgen and Candice Bergen.  Her favorite memory there? “When we went to see the Sistine Chapel at night, and there was nobody else there,” Fonda told Variety at the New York premiere on Monday night. “And we had the whole ceiling explained to us by a great guide. That was a real treat.”  Although the sequel was filmed nearly five years after the original, Fonda never lost contact with her “Book Club” co-stars. 

EXCLUSIVE: Here’s some neat casting. Zoë Kravitz (The Batman) and Thomasin McKenzie (Leave No Trace) are set to lead psychological horror film Self-Portrait which Mona Fastvold (The World To Come) will direct from a script she co-wrote with Brady Corbet (Vox Lux).

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Italian actor Caterina Murino, best known globally for playing Solange in James Bond movie “Casino Royale,” will be the master of ceremonies at the upcoming Venice Film Festival. Born in Cagliari, Sardegna, Murino made her big screen debut in 2002 in late Chilean writer/director Luis Sepulveda’s political drama “Nowhere” which played well in France. She returned to French film screens in 2004 in “L’Enquete Corse” opposite actors Christian Clavier and Jean Reno. In 2006 Murino gained global visibility as the new 007 Bond Girl alongside Daniel Craig with her role as the shady seductive Solange Dimitrios in “Casino Royale.” 

Pema Tseden, a Tibetan filmmaker of Chinese citizenship whose films regularly played at Venice film festival, has died aged 53. His death was reported by Chinese media today. No cause of death was given. 

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Variety has been given access to the teaser (below) for “Murals,” an immersive 3D documentary that has its world premiere on May 18 at Cannes Next, a sidebar to the Marché du Film in Cannes. The experience, which is created in Unreal Engine and displayed on LED screens, centers on murals by Banksy, created following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The project was initiated by Artem Ivanenko, a 3D artist from Irpin, Ukraine, which was one of the first towns to be hit during the Russian invasion. Later, when the Russians withdrew, Ivanenko returned to Irpin to record the devastating destruction using 3D scanning.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie” that paid off with a $146 million extended opening weekend. In a 20-minute preview, we see Hayley Atwell playing a woman named Grace as she is interrogated in Rome by the Carabineri about multiple passports with her face and various aliases and the “powerful enemies” she has made.

It’s already been an eventful week for Walt Disney Studios. The long-promised layoffs hit the company’s theatrical divisions yesterday and this morning Disney filed a lawsuit against Florida Gov.

was there in Disney’s showcase was a demonstration of the studio’s plans to diversify its theatrical offerings. While the likes of Marvel and Pixar are still around to offer family films and IP-fueled blockbusters, 20th Century Studios and Searchlight got a much larger presence than they’ve had in past CinemaCons since the Disney acquisition.

While most of Disney’s CinemaCon presentation was dominated by expected Disney fare like “The Little Mermaid,” “The Haunted Mansion,” “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and “Elemental,” there was still time spent on films from formally-Fox and formally-Fox Searchlight. Taiki Waititi and Iain Morris’ long-gestating “Next Goal Wins” stars Michael Fassbender as Dutch-American coach Thomas Rongen’s efforts to lead the American Samoa national football team to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. It also stars Oscar Kightley, David Fane, Beulah Koale, Uli Latukefu, Rachel House, Kaimana, Rhys Darby, Will Arnett, and Elisabeth Moss.

While I may not be the biggest fan of Kenneth Branagh’s recent Hercule Poirot films, you have to hand it to the filmmaker—he knows how to change things up when the time is right. And believe it or not, the latest Agatha Christie mystery film, “A Haunting in Venice,” looks like a straight-up horror film.  As seen in the teaser for the film, “A Haunting in Venice” tells the story of a séance gone wrong.

Disney showed off a spooky new trailer for Kenneth Branagh’s latest Agatha Christie adaptation, A Haunting in Venice here at CinemaCon today. The ensemble murder mystery begins international rollout on September 14 and hits North America on September 15. There’s been some speculation it could world premiere at the Venice Film Festival ahead of that.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh leads the star-studded cast in the new trailer for Kenneth Branagh‘s “A Haunting in Venice.” The murder mystery, which will release on Sept. 15, is based on Agatha Christie’s 1969 novel “Hallowe’en Party.” The film also stars Tina Fey, Jude Hill, Kelly Reilly and Jamie Dornan, with Branagh reprising his role as Hercule Poirot from “Death on the Nile” and “Murder on the Orient Express.” “It’s a supernatural world where the normal rules do not apply,” Branagh told Variety. “Murders and ghosts are irresistible to a man with that mustache and that nose for sniffing other culprits.”

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International “Succession” star Brian Cox will control the fate of contestants on James Bond reality show “007’s Road to a Million.” The Golden Globe winner has been cast as the enigmatic “Controller” on the forthcoming Prime Video series, which will see contestants competing in teams of two on a global adventure to win a £1 million cash prize. Filmed in many Bond locations — from the Scottish Highlands to Venice and Jamaica — contestants must correctly answer questions hidden in the different locations around the world to advance to the next challenge. From the sounds of Prime Video’s description of Cox’s character, it seems the streamer is leaning into the actor’s recent turn as “Succession” patriarch Logan Roy. “The Controller is villainous and cultured, and revels in the increasingly difficult journeys and questions the contestants must overcome,” reads the synopsis. “He has millions of pounds to give away — up to £1m per couple — but he doesn’t make it easy. Whilst he lurks in the shadows, he is watching and controlling everything.”

Logan Roy is going 007.

Joe Wicks' fans were quick to label his mum as being more like his sister after he shared snaps of the two together.The 37 year old influencer, better known as The Body Coach, took to his Instagram on Thursday to post a heartfelt tribute to his mum after they did a joint workout together while on holiday in California. The photos saw the mum and son duo pose together at the well-known Gold's Gym in Venice after Joe recently enjoyed going to Coachella with his wife Rosie as they celebrated seven years together. His mum, Raquela, wore a matching pink ensemble with a matching long-sleeved top and leggings.

Tina Gharavi Guest Contributor Last summer, I was living in Venice Beach and had decided, due to a friend’s persistence, to visit a fortune teller. Me, ever the sceptic but game for a laugh, agreed to go along. What the fortune teller said made me roll my eyes: “I am not saying you are Cleopatra but somehow you share her story and are connected.” Less than a month later, I got a call from a production company making Jada Pinkett Smith’s “African Queens” and was subsequently hired to direct four episodes of a drama-documentary on the life of the controversial leader. The joke was on me. I remember as a kid seeing Elizabeth Taylor play Cleopatra. I was captivated, but even then, I felt the image was not right. Was her skin really that white? With this new production, could I find the answers about Cleopatra’s heritage and release her from the stranglehold that Hollywood had placed on her image?

Rumours about Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes’ rekindled romance are heating up.