New Zealand Showbiz Latest News and Updates

EXCLUSIVE: Beta Cinema has unveiled a raft of key territory pre-sales for Joachim A. Lang’s Joseph Goebbels biopic Führer and Seducer ahead of its market premiere at the EFM this week.

Former Coronation Street actor Sean Wilson, who played Martin Platt from 1985 until 2005, has shared his concerns about the show's future, declaring that it is in "crisis" due to a declining number of viewers. Sean left the soap back in 2005 after a disagreement over a storyline which would see his character falling for 16 year old Katy Harris, played by Lucy-Jo Hudson. He then briefly made a return in 2018, before leaving the cobbles for good, with his character relocating to New Zealand.

There’s more Zombies coming to Disney Channel.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Disney Branded Television has greenlit a fourth entry in the “Zombies” movie franchise. The announcement was made at the Television Critics Association winter press tour. Meg Donnelly and Milo Manheim set to reprise their roles as Addison and Zed, with both stars also set to executive produce.

While many people love jetting off across the globe, in most instances it is the destination that is the reason for enjoyment, with the journey most often being seen, at best, as a means to an end. It is a necessary evil for heading off to far-flung countries and it is something many travellers do not enjoy.

Blink-182 gave ‘One More Time‘ songs their live debut last night (February 8) as they kicked off their first Australian tour in ten years. Check out footage and fan reaction from the gig below.The band opened in Perth’s RAC Arena and it was the first time they’d played Australia since they appeared at Soundwave festival in 2013.

Jason Orange has been spotted wrapped up against the cold in London, in a rare sighting of the reclusive former Take That star.The 53 year old ex-singer has lived ‘off-grid’ in his Cotswolds country home, ever since he shocked fans by quitting the popular group 10 years ago. Former bandmates described how he had stopped responding to emails and calls in his bid to stay out of the limelight.

2 min read Hold onto your wigs, Down Under fam! Season 4 of Drag Race Down Under is revving its engines with news that filming begins soon in Auckland, New Zealand and a […]

3 min read Evidence that supports allowing more gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men to donate blood has been released by a University in New Zealand. Three times the […]

Rocksteady Studios has been forced to take Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League offline, less than an hour after it was launched in early access.Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League is due for release February 2 via PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam but players who purchased the more expensive deluxe edition can access the game 72 hours early.That early access window opened earlier today (January 29), starting with players in New Zealand, but the game was quickly taken offline due to a bug. When some players logged in for the very first time, they found that the game had auto-completed itself.Posting on social media, Rocksteady wrote: “We’re aware that a number of players are currently experiencing an issue whereby upon logging into the game for the first time, they have full story completion.”To fix the bug, the studio confirmed it would be performing “maintenance on the game servers” with Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League taken offline soon afterwards.

Adele might be going on tour again!

Michaela Zee Tom Johnson, a writer and comedian whose credits include “The Daily Show,” “Lopez Tonight” and “The Jeselnik Offensive,” died Jan. 14 in his Los Angeles home. He was 55.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Comedian Bert Kreischer is sticking with Netflix, signing with the streamer to film two more stand-up comedy specials. This reps the fourth and fifth specials for Kreischer at Netflix, following “Razzle Dazzle” (2023), “Hey Big Boy” (2020), and “Secret Time” (2018). The first of the two specials will be filmed by Kreischer at the Mahaffey Theater in St.

Dennis Harvey Film Critic Joining a long line of filmmakers who’ve fictionalized their comings-of-age in one regional punk scene or another, veteran New Zealand writer-director Jonathan Ogilvie turns the clock back to 1979 Christchurch in “Head South.” Its protagonist is the classic shy but would-be rebellious teen boy dared into starting his own band, whose first gig naturally provides an underdogs-triumphant climax. Pleasant but awfully thin, feeling like a short insufficiently fleshed out to feature length, this modest nostalgic exercise provides a lightweight opener to this year’s Rotterdam fest.

The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) opens this evening with New Zealand director Jonathan Olgilvie’s coming-of-age tale Head South set against the late 1970s, post-punk music culture of his home city of Christchurch.

Netflix’ crackdown on password sharing, or as the streamer calls it a focus on “paid sharing,” will drive growth for years to come, said the streamer’s co-CEO, addressing a Wall Street concern that benefits may top out this year.

Jungle have announced a one-off headlining show at London’s O2 Arena which will take place later this year.The London duo – comprised of Tom McFarland and Josh Lloyd-Watson – will be taking over the famous arena on Thursday, September 12 in support of their fourth LP ‘Volcano‘. Tickets for the show will go on sale on Friday, February 2 10am local time.

Marta Balaga “Head South” director Jonathan Ogilvie is all about underdogs. “It’s not a story about winners. It’s a story about also-rans, to use this racing term, because there is nothing to win,” he tells Variety about the International Film Festival Rotterdam opener, which sees schoolboy Angus (Ed Oxenbould) falling for a girl and for post-punk music in 1979’s New Zealand.

Daniel Bedingfield has announced a run of UK shows to mark the 20th anniversary of his debut album ‘Gotta Get Thru This’. Find all the details below.Released back in 2002, the singer-songwriter/producer’s first studio record reached Number Two on the UK albums chart.

Foo Fighters have been joined by special guest Jack Black to cover AC/DC‘s ‘Big Balls’ – watch the footage below.The band have kicked off their 2024 tour in Auckland, New Zealand, where they brought out Black to continue their tradition of performing cover songs live. This time round, it was AC/DC’s ‘Big Balls’Watch the moment down here:Foo Fighters are set to travel to the UK and US for further shows in 2024.

Legendary soap actress Charmian Abrahams has tragically died after being hit by a delivery van.The actress, who was best known for her role as Mavis Hooper in Crossroads, died at the age of 96 in Harborne, Birmingham, on Monday, 15 January. A statement confirming her death was released by her family through West Midlands Police.They said: "Charmian was a much-loved aunt and great-aunt and a dear friend to many.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba will be coming to the big screen, along with a sneak peek at the new season.Described as an extra-sized blockbuster experience, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Hashira Training- will allow fans to revisit the finale of the Swordsmith Village Arc while also getting a glimpse at the highly anticipated Hashira Training Arc (season four).The upcoming event marks the first time the finale of the Swordsmith Village Arc has ever been shown in cinemas, and also the first-ever showing of the Hashira Training Arc‘s beginning.Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Hashira Training- will screen in UK cinemas from February 23.

Naman Ramachandran Warner Bros. Discovery, the Board of Control for Cricket in India and Pitch International have signed a package of rights that will see them broadcast live international cricket hosted in India on its linear and digital platforms, TNT Sports and Discovery+, for the next five years.

How’s this for the most unlikely ensemble cast? Deadline reports that “SNL” alum Kate McKinnon and New Zealand comedic actor Jermaine Clement are the latest to join Jason Momoa in the Warner Bros. adaptation of “Minecraft.” The news comes just one day after Jennifer Coolidge joined the cast of the upcoming blockbuster. That’s quite the motley crew for one movie, which on paper looks like a good hang for all involved.

Gregg Goldstein When you’ve spent the most memorable years of your career battling gods and single-handedly defeating an army, what’s left for a warrior to do? For “Xena: Warrior Princess” star Lucy Lawless, the answer was making her directorial debut with a doc about a fellow New Zealand icon, daredevil CNN war camerawoman Margaret Moth. Her spellbinding feature, “Never Look Away,” which premieres Jan. 18 at Sundance, was selected for the fest’s World Cinema Documentary Competition.

BreAnna Bell CBS has announced a series order for reality competition “The Summit.” Hosted by actor and New Zealander Manu Bennett, the series is based on the Australian series of the same name. It follows sixteen strangers as they set out on an arduous journey through the treacherous New Zealand Alps in an attempt to reach the peak of a distant, towering mountain.

The Motion Picture Association has renewed chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin‘s contract for another three-year term.

CBS has ordered a U.S. version of The Summit, an adventure reality competition series.

Fresh off of her second Emmy Award win for season two of The White Lotus, Jennifer Coolidge has just landed her newest role.

EXCLUSIVE: Straight off her second Primetime Emmy win for HBO’s The White Lotus, Jennifer Coolidge is boarding Warner Bros/Vertigo/Legendary’s feature take of videogame Minecraft which is shooting in New Zealand.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent A group of 20 prominent screen trade organizations have united to ask governments around the world to enact regulations ensuring that global streaming giants like Netflix and Disney+ invest more resources in local content. The joint plea — hailing from production bodies in Europe, Canada, Australasia and Latin America — comes as streaming services have scaled down on acquiring and commissioning local content across many markets within the last year in order to ramp up profitability.

The British Film Institute has revealed the list of TV, film, and animation companies that have won funding from its latest £3.3M ($4.2M) Global Screen Fund payout.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief New Zealand-based sales and distribution company Black Mandala has picked up international rights to Spanish-language genre film and 2023 festival hit “I’ll Crush Y’All” (aka “Os Reviento”). Portrayed by Mario Mayo, Gabriel, better known as ‘Tarado,’ is a former boxer who lives in a secluded village outside the city with his father and his dog. He could still box, but to avoid what led him to spend a few years in prison, he prefers to lead a quiet life.

A popular seaside town has had a helping hand - or paw - with its tourism in recent years, in the form of a much-loved local cat. Parsley has built up a huge social media following for his antics in Oban, and has even had visitors from all over the world.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Newen Connect has closed a raft of sales on “Kina & Yuk,” a live action family adventure from the team behind “Ailo’s Journey,” ahead of the Unifrance Rendez-Vous showcase. Directed by Guillaume Maidatchevsky (“Ailo’s Journey”), the feature is a wild arctic tale following two foxes who are separated by the melting polar ice and must overcome a number of dangers in the hope of being reunited and raise a family together. The movie was released in French theaters by UGC on Dec.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent “Shtisel,” the popular series following the lives of a tight-knit ultra-Orthodox family in Jerusalem, is changing its U.S. home. Previously available on Netflix, all three seasons of “Shtisel” have been acquired by Amazon Prime Video from Yes Studios.