Malta Showbiz Latest News and Updates

EXCLUSIVE: Veteran action director Dimitri Logothetis (Jiu Jitsu, Kickboxer: Retaliation) is gearing up to shoot his latest set of features, Kickboxer: Armageddon and Flying Shadow, in Mississippi and Malta.

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic Lately, in the overwrought majority of Hollywood blockbusters, nothing less than the fate of the planet hangs in the balance, as some natural disaster or dastardly supervillain threatens to annihilate life as we know it. Such impossibly large stakes may be necessary to justify the CG spectacle of certain Marvel movies, but instead of inspiring excitement, they mostly leave me ambivalent and bored.

Follow OK! on Threads here: https://www.threads.net/@ok_mag Widely-adored television presenter Jenny Powell is proving she's as ageless as ever amid a breathtaking solo vacation.The on-screen beauty, 55 - best known for appearing on No Limits before going on to present series such as Wheel of Fortune, UP2U, Gimme 5, Live Talk, Wordplay and Daybreak - stripped off to a one-shoulder zebra print swimsuit whilst holidaying in Gozo. Whilst soaking up some sun on the Maltese island in the Mediterranean Sea - years after revealing she'd undergone breast enhancement surgery - Jenny posted an Instagram reel, with several bikini photos flaunting her impressive physique.

A Scots adventurer is half-way through a rapid world tour, visiting four of the globe's seven continents in just 16 days. Alex Hempton, from Edinburgh, and four pals planned the trip of a lifetime for £1,150 each - just £71 per day.

posted Monday to Twitter, along with a minutelong clip. “Me and the kids would like our money back please.”To end the midflight show, the mystery man thanked those onboard for listening, telling them “see you later,” and gave a flight attendant a kiss on the cheek.The Post has contacted Ryanair for comment.

Going abroad on holiday is a chance to enjoy a change of scenery and discover a new place. Whether it’s exploring the coastline of a Spanish island or visiting a beautiful French city, a trip away can bring out your sense of adventure.

The Sarajevo Film Festival has unveiled its official selection for this year’s edition, with Elene Naveriani’s Cannes Directors’ Fortnight title Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry among the titles playing in Competition.

Israel defender Or Dadia has rejected two offers in his homeland with a move to Aberdeen seemingly imminent.

Luke Shaw, Marcus Rashford, Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes were among the Manchester United stars who returned to Carrington on Saturday morning.

William Earl The SAG-AFTRA strike has shut down scores of film and TV productions as actors picket. While many sets had already shut down as a result of the WGA writers strike, this will effectively slow Hollywood down to a crawl as negotiations continue. Read Variety‘s list of newly-halted productions below, which will be updated throughout the strike. Beetlejuice 2 The Tim Burton production, with Michael Keaton reprising his role as the crude ghost, is almost done with shooting in London, but was still expected to film one more sequence in Vermont when the strike took place.

EXCLUSIVE: Prime Video Italy has ordered a six-part comedy-drama in the “tone in the director of Fleabag” from Italian producer Groenlandia.

Manchester Airport has issued an update after a 'baggage issue' left passengers without luggage as they landed abroad. Airport bosses warned passengers about the problem yesterday (July 11).

Malta is an incredibly LGBTQ+ friendly destination. Its anti-discrimination laws were put into place in 2014, and has been ranked the top place of the Rainbow Europe Map & Index by IGLA-Europe since October 2015. EuroPride Valletta 2023 EuroPride Valletta will start with an opening ceremony on Thursday, September 7th and have a Pride March and Concert on Saturday, September 16th.

A sequel to the 2000 blockbuster film Gladiator is in the works and we have some new photos from the set!

Guy Lodge Film Critic It’s hard to watch “Empty Nets” and not think of “Luzzu,” the recent, poignant Sundance prizewinner from Malta: In both films, enterprising young men left in the lurch by a national financial crisis must resort to black-market fishing to, well, stay afloat. (All we need is a third film paddling in such forbidden waters to declare a new neo-realist trend.) In “Luzzu,” the protagonist was a lifelong fisherman passionate about his trade, while Behrooz Karamizade’s lean, engrossing, Iran-set debut centers on a handy novice merely looking to make a quick buck. In this economy, however, such differences prove immaterial. It doesn’t matter where you’re coming from, unless you’re coming from money: You’re otherwise all sinking below the surface.

Prince Harry did not attend the wedding of his "real best man" and was instead spotted over 5,000 miles away in the USA. According to Royal observers Jack Mann was considered Harry's "real best man" over brother Prince William, when he got married to Meghan.The Sun reported that while his polo teammate Jack tied the knot in Stutton, Suffolk, the Duke of Sussex was far away in Santa Barbara, California. Harry was known to have a close relationship with Jack, with the two bonding at Sandhurst during their training as officers in the Blues and Royals.They went on to serve together in Afghanistan and Iraq.

he is “not involved” in the upcoming sequel to the 2000 film, with Normal People and Aftersun star Paul Mescal rumoured to take the starring role, though Crowe did say he was “slightly jealous” of the sequel.The new film is currently in production in Malta, and Crowe revealed to Deadline that he accidentally had a recent crossing of paths with the set.“I was in Malta recently, because we did a concert there,” he revealed, “and I looked across to Fort Ricasoli, and the Colosseum’s been built there again, just like it was in 1999.”I tell you, man, it was like a time warp — for a couple of seconds there, I was like, What year is this? Where are we?”“I don’t know what I was expecting, but I wasn’t expecting that that they would rebuild the Colosseum in the exact same place.”Of the intricacies of the film itself, he added: “I don’t know anything about the cast, I don’t know anything about the plot. Well, I wouldn’t, would I? ‘Cause I’m dead!”But I just know that whoever’s involved in that movie, if Ridley has decided to do a second part of that story 24 years later, he will have really strong reasons to do so.

Jerusalem Film Fest Unveils 2023 Industry ProgramNir Bergman (Broken Wings, Here We Are) and Yona Rozenkier (The Dive, 35 Downhill) will be among the Israeli filmmakers presenting new projects at the Jerusalem Film Fest’s Pitch Point event this year. The annual meeting connecting Israeli directors with international partners is one pole of the festival’s Jerusalem Industry Days, running July 13 to 15. Jurors will be Olivier Père (Arte Cinema France), Thorsten Ritter (Beta Cinema), Kevin Chan (MUBI) and Claudia Solano (The Match Factory), alongside Helge Albers (MOIN, Hamburg Film Fund) and producer Yael Fogiel (Les Films du Poisson). The Industry Days will also host the final pitching session for the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab. Other highlights include a focus on Austria, accompanied by Austrian Films’ Anne Laurent-Delage and Emilie Dauptain and producers  Antonin Svoboda (coop99), Oliver Neumann (FreibeuterFilm), Sabine Gruber (Golden Girls) and Barbara Pichler (KGP Filmproduktion). Filmmakers Sebastian Meise, Barbara Albert and Rainer Frimmel will also be in attendance. The program will also feature an industry talk with Joana Vicente, CEO of Sundance Institute, moderated by Israeli producer Osnat Handelsman-Keren (The Lost Daughter). The Jerusalem Film Festival runs from July 13 to 23.

Gladiator 2 have revealed the building of a massive colosseum on a tiny island.Exclusive first-look images from the upcoming sequel have been shared, which show that producers have created a real, life-sized auditorium for the film’s main filming setting.Based in Malta, filming on the film began earlier this month, and Collider have shared first-look images from the set.“I’m standing across the water from the #gladiator2 set in #malta right now,” editor Steven Weintraub tweeted.“Met some people working on the movie. They told me a big and bloody battle was filmed today on the steps leading up to the colosseum.

Netta is back, and it’s “Everything”!

Naman Ramachandran The British Film Commission (BFC) and Malta Film Commission have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU is aimed at enhancing the collaboration between the U.K. and Malta screen industries, as well as facilitating film and high-end TV production (HETV) between the two territories. In 2022, inward investment production spend soared to $7.72 billion in the U.K., while Malta hosted 24 film and TV projects in 2022 alone. Major film and HETV productions filmed across both countries include: Apple TV+’s “Napoleon,” Universal’s “Jurassic World: Dominion,” (Universal, 2022), Eone/Participant Media/Focus Features’ “7 Days in Entebbe,” 20th Century’s “Murder on the Orient Express” and HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”

The Malta Film Commission has outlined its plans to take the Mediterranean island’s burgeoning locations business to the next level as it enjoys its busiest year ever, on the fringes of its new Mediterrane Film Festival.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Following the announcement of the North American acquisition by Cohen Media, The Match Factory has revealed further sales in key territories for Marco Bellocchio’s Cannes Competition title “Kidnapped.” The film adapts the true story of the kidnapping of the young Jewish boy Edgardo Mortara, starring Paolo Pierobon, Fausto Russo Alesi, Barbara Ronchi, Enea Sala and Leonardo Maltese. The film has its release secured in the following territories: U.K. and Ireland (Curzon), Australia and New Zealand (Palace Entertainment), Japan (Fine Films), Latin America (Cine Video y TV), Spain (Vertigo Films), Benelux (Cherry Pickers), Switzerland (Agora Films), Poland (Best Film), Portugal (Alambique), Greece and Cyprus (Rosebud.21), Czech Republic and Slovakia (Aerofilms), Ex-Yugoslavia (MCF Megacom), Hungary (Vertigo Media), Baltics (Kino Pavasaris), Bulgaria (Art Fest), Israel (United King Video), Ukraine (Traffic Films), Taiwan (Light Year Images) and Indonesia (Falcon Pictures). Further territories are in negotiation.

Paul Mescal has revealed his monumental body transformation as he prepares for his upcoming Gladiator role.

Jack Grealish is paying no attention to critics of his partying after Manchester City's Champions League win, insisting that he wasn't the only one enjoying the treble success.

England are preparing to continue their qualifying campaign for Euro 2024 against North Macedonia.

England manager Gareth Southgate has confirmed he plans to restore some members of Manchester City's Treble-winning squad to his side ahead of Monday night's European Championship qualifier against North Macedonia at Old Trafford.

France’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival has unveiled the prize winners of its biggest edition to date, running from June 11 to 17.

Ben Croll Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach’s hand-painted marvel “Chicken for Linda!” took home dual honors at the Annecy Animation Festival on Saturday, scooping up the festival’s top prize, the Cristal Award for best feature, as well as the Gan Foundation award for distribution. A bittersweet childhood tale that finds screwball humor in mourning and melancholy, the French-language film premiered to some acclaim out of Cannes’ ACID sidebar last month, and was picked up for North American distribution by Gkids while competing in Annecy. “We wanted something both funny and affecting,” said co-director Chiara Malta. “The two elements were never in conflict, because we made the film for children, putting ourselves in their perspectives while adopting their language.”

The final club game of the season may have only ended last weekend but attention swiftly pivots to international football as England continue their qualifying campaign for Euro 2024.

Marcus Rashford will congratulate the Manchester City players when they arrive at St. George's Park for international duty but admits it's 'not nice' to see his club rivals secure a historic treble.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Josh Duhamel will join the ensemble of the survival thriller “Not Without Hope,” an adaptation of Nick Schuyler and Jere Longman’s best-selling book that will be written and directed by Joe Carnahan. Also joining the cast are JoBeth Williams, Quentin Plair, Terrence Terrell and Marshall Cook.  As previously announced, Zachary Levi (“Shazam!”) is starring in the film, which tells the real-life story of a tragic 2009 boating accident involving Schuyler, his friends Will Bleakley (Cook) and NFL players  Marquis Cooper (Plair) and Corey Smith (Terrell). Levi will play Schuyler. The search-and rescue-operation captivated national attention. Duhamel will portray U.S. Coast Guard Captain Timothy Close, who oversaw a crew that cut through the ocean to try to find the friends who went missing. Carnahan has some experience orchestrating survival tales, having previously directed “The Grey,” which found Liam Neeson battling very hungry wolves after a plane crash stranded his character in a snowy mountain range. This time the foes are a raging sea, dehydration, severe hypothermia and various marine predators. At one point, “Not Without Hope” was slated to be made as a film starring Miles Teller, but production delays due to COVID scrambled those plans.

Manchester United ace Marcus Rashford has revealed that he switched his TV off ahead of Manchester City laying their hands on the Champions League trophy in Istanbul last Saturday evening.

Ben Croll Gkids has scooped North America rights to “Chicken for Linda!,” a hand-painted, Franco-Italian co-production that premiered out of Cannes’ ACID sidebar and is now competing in Annecy. Written and directed Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach, the bittersweet film focuses on the madcap energy of childhood without overlooking the melancholy.  “We wanted something both funny and affecting,” said co-director Chiara Malta. “The two elements were never in conflict, because we made the film for children, putting ourselves in their perspectives while adopting their language.” “And when you’re a child, you go very, very quickly from laughter to tears,” added co-director Sébastien Laudenbach. “Think of children playing in the park. One minute they’re laughing, the next they’re crying, then laughing again.”

Marcus Rashford has given his nod of approval to Olympic great Usain Bolt after the Jamaican superstar replicated his celebration at Soccer Aid on Sunday.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Banijay Rights has closed a major sale on its French drama series “Serial Lover” to Spanish broadcaster Atresmedia. “Serial Lover” marks the debut series for Banijay France’s label Shine Fiction, which is co-producing with Amaury Fournial from Sibaro Films. Written by Alice Den Broek and directed by Fred Berthe, “Serial Lover”‘s synopsis bills the show as “the story of a shrewd man who lives many different lives – a pilot, a surgeon, a broker, a journalist; developing a new personality for every identity and deceiving experts in each field. Handsome, charming, and attentive, exhilarated by his power, the deception becomes an art form as he manipulates all those around him, especially women who he targets and steals from. How many women have fallen in this trap?”