Lebanon Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentItalian TV host Alessandro Cattelan will be among the three MCs of the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest, along with Italy’s Grammy-wining singer Laura Pausini and Lebanese/British pop star Mika. In addition to preparing for the biggest night for music in Europe, he recently made his debut on Netflix with one-man show “One Simple Question.” In the show, Cattelan embarks on a road trip in pursuit of a seemingly simple answer to a question from his daughter, Nina: “Daddy, how do you find happiness?” The quirky six-episode series, which dropped in 190 countries on March 18, sees the showman display his trademark deadpan humor as he searches for happiness through interviews and set-pieces with celebrity guests ranging from retired Italian soccer star Roberto Baggio, who is a practicing Buddhist, and Oscar-nominated director Paolo Sorrentino (“The Hand of God”), to a couple who are amateur porn stars and former Google X exec Mo Gawdat, author of a book titled “Solve for Happy.” Cattelan, who cut his teeth working for MTV and subsequently hosted the talent show “The X Factor” on Sky in Italy, talked to Variety about making the leap into the global streaming arena ahead of his gig for Eurovision, for which his main aspiration is “to make people laugh.” A dozen years ago I had an idea for a show where I would go on a road trip around the U.S.

The 8th Annual Women’s Voices Now Film Festival: The Rights and Roles of Women: Redefining Our Shared Reality is in the books and the winning films have been selected by our jury: 

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorDisney Plus confirmed launch dates — and pricing — for the 42 countries and 11 new territories across Europe, West Asia and Africa.Disney’s flagship streaming service will bow in South Africa on May 18, followed by all other countries listed in June (see below for dates and pricing). The media conglomerate earlier this year announced plans for summer 2022 expansion to countries including Turkey, Poland and the United Arab Emirates.The countries set to get Disney Plus are: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Oman, Palestine Territories, Poland, Qatar, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Vatican City and Yemen.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefRising Australian star Lincoln Younes has been cast as the lead of “Last King of the Cross,” a biographical series about a notorious night club owner and gangster being produced for Paramount Plus. Told in ten episodes, the series is an operatic story of two brothers, Sam and John Ibrahim who organize the street but lose each other in their ascent to power.Kieran Darcy-Smith (“Wolf Creek,” “The Duel”) has writing credits and is set as the director.

James Newman’s Ember, scoring ‘nil points’. The nation’s hopes and dreams are now pinned on TikTok star Sam Ryder, who will represent the UK with his hit song Space Man. Here is everything you need to know about watching this year’s competition.

TRIPOLI, Lebanon -- The hissing of a water hose spraying the ground reverberates around the walls of the dimly lit Empire Cinema in Lebanon’s northern city of Tripoli. From the floor of a paint-chipped room that was once a ticket office, a man sorts through rusty bolts and screws, while in the adjacent foyer, a woman sweeps dust off a mirror.The person leading the restoration efforts is 35-year-old actor and director Kassem Istanbouli, known for his theater work throughout Lebanon.Several days a week, his team — which includes a Syrian, a Palestinian, a Lebanese and a Bangladeshi — drives three hours from their homes in the country’s south to work on the space, built in the early 1940s but abandoned for decades.The restoration project launched last month is the first of its kind in hardscrabble Tripoli, Lebanon’s second largest city more often known in recent years for sectarian and other violence.“What we are trying to say is that Tripoli is a city of culture and art,” Istanbouli said.

Amal Clooney opens up about her “incredibly inspirational” husband George Clooney and their twins in a recent interview with Time magazine. The British-Lebanese barrister shared details about her marriage and her life raising the couple’s four-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella.“Marriage has been wonderful,” she told the publication. “I have in my husband a partner who is incredibly inspirational and supportive, and we have a home filled with love and laughter,” she said.

Ellise Shafer “Flee” won best feature at the International Documentary Association’s annual awards ceremony on Friday night.Directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen, “Flee” is also nominated for best documentary feature at this year’s Oscars. Leading the ceremony with the most wins, however, was “Summer of Soul,” which took home the best director prize for Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson as well as best music documentary and best editing.The ceremony also handed out speciality awards, honoring Roger Ross Williams with the Career Achievement Award, Ronan Farrow with the Truth to Power Award, Cecilia Aldarondo with the Emerging Documentary Filmmaker Award, Jean Tsien with the Pioneer Award and Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh with the Courage Under Fire Award. Below, find the full list of winners.Best Feature“Flee” (Denmark, France, Norway / NEON, Participant.

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.

Conservative Egyptians are once again in an uproar over a critically acclaimed new film, by a Queer Egyptian filmmaker, which explores gay relationships and polyamory.Bashtaalak sa’at (Shall I Compare You to a Summer’s Day?), which premiered at the 72nd Berlin Film Festival this month, has been the target of angry critics who accuse the director, Mohammad Shawky Hassan, of “promoting homosexuality.”Omar Abdel Aziz, the head of the Federation of Art Syndicates, told Al-Watan that the film “highlights the worst of us.”The outrage over the film has led to one Egyptian lawyer, Ayman Mahfouz, demanding that Hassan be stripped of his Egyptian citizenship.The film, a German-Egyptian-Lebanese co-production, was nominated for the GWFF Award for Best First Feature, as well as a Teddy Award for Best Feature Film at the Berlinale.Hassan, who wrote and directed Bashtaalak sa’at, shot the film entirely in Berlin with a largely Egyptian cast, including Ahmed Awadalla, Nadim Bahsounn, Hassan Dib, Donia Massoud and Ahmed El Gendy.Bashtaalak sa’at (Shall I Compare You to a Summer’s Day?)Film critic Tarek El Shinnawi  in an interview with El-Kahera Wal Nas said, “Apart from the fact that some actors speak in the Egyptian dialect in the movie, the setting is unidentified,” and the film “neither positively or negatively tackles homosexuality.”While it is unlikely that the film will be screened in Egypt due to its sexual content and strong censorship in the country, Bashtaalak sa’at has yet to be formally banned by the Egyptian government.Bashtaalak sa’at (Shall I Compare You to a Summer’s Day?)According to the Arabic website Fil Fan, “The film will not be shown commercially in Egypt for several reasons, the first of which is the

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorCopenhagen Intl. Documentary Film Festival (CPH:DOX), which runs in-person March 21-April 3, has revealed the lineup for its music program, Sound & Vision.Highlights of the program, which contains 18 films, include a Nick Cave documentary, a look at the rise and fall of Sinéad O’Connor’s music career, the story behind Leonard Cohen’s hit “Hallelujah,” and an examinations of an album composed by artificial intelligence.

Discovery is taking its Say Yes To The Dress franchise to Dubai, becoming the 10th local version of the TLC format.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentDubai-based independent film distributor and producer Front Row Filmed Entertainment has acquired global rights – excluding theatrical, which is limited to the MENA region – for Lebanese drama “Death of a Virgin and the Sin of Not Living” that launched last year from Berlin’s Panorama section.Produced by Beirut-based Bee On Set Productions, “Death of a Virgin” marks director George Peter Barbari’s feature debut. It stars newcomers Etienne Assal, Adnan Khabbaz, Jean-Paul Franjieh and Elie Dankoura Saad.

“Death on the Nile” was being released in the rest of the Middle East over the weekend, according to Deadline.Gadot, 36, served in the Israeli armed forces for two years, as is required of all young Israelis, before she entered show business.It’s not the first time the former Miss Israel’s nationality has caused controversy as tensions persist between the two warring nations.

The inspiring tale of one refugee family’s settlement in Canada made headlines around the world, and now, it will be told on the big screen in “Peace By Chocolate”. ET Canada has your exclusive first look at the new heartwarming film.

Lebanon and Kuwait won’t be playing "Death on the Nile," Deadline has confirmed, and that’s unfortunately due to both countries’ protest of Israeli native star Gal Gadot. Gadot served in the Israeli military for two years prior to becoming a model and actress, as her native country mandates it. Given her connection to the IDF, Lebanon previously blocked the actress’ movie "Wonder Woman" from release in May 2017.

“Death On The Nile” is ramping up to be a blockbuster success but it won’t be shown in Lebanon or Kuwait.

Lebanon and Kuwait won’t be playing Death on the Nile, Deadline has confirmed, and that’s unfortunately due to both countries’ protest of Israeli native star Gal Gadot.

An 85-year-old grandad walked away with more than £2,600 after betting just 3p at his local bookies.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentItaly’s Grammy-wining singer Laura Pausini, Alessandro Cattelan and Lebanese/British pop star Mika are set to host the upcoming 66th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin, Italy.The hosts of Eurovision — which boasts an audience of over 180 million viewers, making it the world’s biggest and most-watched song competition — were announced Wednesday during the Sanremo song fest on Italian pubcaster RAI, the host broadcaster of this year’s Eurovision, which will be held May 10, 12 and 14.All three hosts are proficient in English and have plenty of high-profile media experience.Pausini is a 2006 Grammy Award winner for “Escucha” in the best Latin pop album category, one of 13 studio albums she has released, scoring more than 70 million album sales around the world. In 2020, she collaborated with Diane Warren to perform the Oscar-nominated theme song “Io Sì” (Seen) for Sophia Loren-starrer “The Life Ahead.”  Cattelan is an experienced TV host, having hosted talent show “The X Factor” in Italy for nine years, including the 2017 edition, which was won by hard rock band Måneskin.

J. Kim Murphy Howard Hesseman, a prolific character actor who became a beloved TV mainstay through his roles on sitcoms “WKRP in Cincinnati” and “Head of the Class,” died Saturday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles of complications from colon surgery he had undergone last summer.

Refresh for latest…: Sony/Marvel’s Spider-Man: No Way Home scaled fresh heights this session as it reached an amazing new milestone by crossing the $1B mark at the international box office. The offshore cume through Sunday is an estimated $1.003B for a global total of $1.74B.

CAIRO -- A Lebanese father tells his teenage daughter she is free to choose whether to have sex with her boyfriend despite his reservations.An Egyptian wife discreetly slips off her black, lacy underwear from under her clothes before heading out for dinner, and it’s not her husband she’s trying to tantalize.And in a dramatic moment, a man reveals that he is gay, a secret he has kept from his longtime friends who are shocked — but seem mostly accepting.The scenes in the first Arabic Netflix movie have sparked a public drama as intense as the one that plays out onscreen. On social media and TV talk shows and among friends in Egypt and other Middle East countries, a torrent of critics have denounced the film as a threat to family and religious values, encouraging homosexuality and unfit for Arab societies.Others have rallied to the film’s defense, saying detractors are in denial about what happens behind closed doors in real life.

EXCLUSIVE: MENA platform YouSat.TV has formed a partnership with WGA Middle East writer and producer Evan Mirzai (Origins: The Journey of Humankind) to internationally promote its formats and the raft of regional talent with which it works.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentItaly’s True Colours has taken international sales on “Perfect Strangers” director Paolo Genovese’s new movie, a comedy drama titled “The First Day of My Life.”The Rome-based sales company will be launching pre-sales at the upcoming online EFM market on Genovese’s latest concept pic, which has echoes of Frank Capra’s classic “It’s a Wonderful Life.”Based on Genovese’s novel of the same title, which was a bestseller in Italy, “The First Day of My Life” revolves around four characters on the brink of taking their lives who make a pact with a stranger with supernatural powers, played by “The Great Beauty” star Toni Servillo. The mystery man gives them a chance to travel forward in time to see for a week how their friends and relatives would react to their deaths and what the world would be like without them.

The 72nd Berlin International Film Festival has confirmed its various juries, including who will be joining M. Night Shyamalan to award the International Competition prizes.

Christopher Vourlias Alexandre Perrier and François-Pierre Clavel’s Bordeaux-based production outfit Kidam, which produced last year’s Cannes Critics’ Week prize winner “Zero F***s Given,” has boarded “Life Ahead,” director Olivier Meys’ story of friendship between two young asylum-seekers, which heads to the Rotterdam Film Festival’s CineMart co-production market this week.“Life Ahead” tells the story of Jahia, a 16-year-old Eritrean girl who lives in an asylum center in Belgium, where her dim prospects for the future cast a shadow over her life. Then she meets the feisty and spirited Nèta, a young Moldavian girl, who drags Jahia along with her crazy energy.But when Nèta’s family is forced to leave the country, the young girl falls into a deep sleep – a victim of the malady known as “resignation syndrome.” Jahia swears to do everything in her power to wake her up and not allow her friend to succumb to despair.

Naman Ramachandran The Walt Disney Company’s streamer Disney Plus has confirmed a summer 2022 launch across Europe, Africa and West Asia in 42 countries and 11 new territories. New countries for the service include South Africa, Turkey, Poland and the United Arab Emirates.The countries that the streamer will launch in include Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Oman, Palestine Territories, Poland, Qatar, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Vatican City and Yemen.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentThe Arabic adaptation of hit Italian movie “Perfect Strangers,” which is Netflix’s first Arab original film, is sparking controversy in Egypt and across West Asia due to a gay character and taboo-breaking storylines, prompting the U.S. streaming giant to respond.Since its release, the Beirut-set “Perfect Strangers” redo has been among the top trending topics on social media in West Asia, a region also referred to as the Middle East.

Manchester United are taking a break from action this weekend due to the Premier League's winter break, which also doubles up as an international break for some.

Dressed all in black, Lilas Mayassi and Shery Bechara stand outside a restaurant while staring down at Mayassi’s phone, smiles painting their faces. The bandmates giggle to each other as Mayassi shows Bechara pictures of a woman she met at a nightclub the previous evening.

EXCLUSIVE: Canadian-Lebanese co-production Valley Of Tears has wrapped after a challenging shoot which had to contend with Lebanon’s collapsing economy, the pandemic and a refugee camp setting.

If you’ve watched every Matrix and John Wick movie, you may want to know Keanu Reeves’ net worth to know which franchise makes him more money. (Spoiler: There’s a massive difference between what he makes for The Matrix movies and the John Wick films.)

Netflix will release its first ever original film in Arabic next month, a remake of the Italian hit movie “Perfect Strangers.” “Perfect Strangers,” the 2016 film from director Paolo Genevese, has been remade 18 times across countries such as France, Spain, South Korea, Germany, Greece and more, making it the most remade film ever. Now, the Arabic version will gather up a cast of Pan-Arab talent, as led by Lebanese director and actor Nadine Labaki (“Capernaum”) and Egyptian star Mona Zaki.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentNetflix has swooped on the Arabic adaptation of hit Italian concept movie “Perfect Strangers” as its first Arabic original film.

Netflix has boarded the upcoming Arabic-language version of hit movie property Perfect Strangers, which becomes the streamer’s first Arabic-language Original movie.