Oman Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Brent Lang Executive Editor “Snowfall” star Damson Idris will appear opposite Brad Pitt in a new Formula One racing film from “Top Gun: Maverick” director Joseph Kosinski. The untitled movie is being made by Apple Original Films and will be produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment. Kosinski will produce the feature alongside seven-time Formula One champion Sir Lewis Hamilton under his Dawn Apollo Films banner, and Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman of Jerry Bruckheimer Films. Ehren Kruger, who did similar honors on “Top Gun: Maverick,” is writing the screenplay.  The racing feature stars Pitt as a former driver who returns to the sport. Idris will play his teammate. Aside from that, engines will be revved, finish lines will be crossed, cars will collide… OK, we really have no idea what happens on or off the track. But since the movie is being made in cooperation with Formula One, the action sequences will likely be a standout.

Damson Idris (“Snowfall”) is set to star opposite Brad Pitt in his Untitled Formula One racing feature from Joseph Kosinski, Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Plan B Entertainment, Apple Original Films announced on Friday.Kosinski (“Top Gun: Maverick”) is set to direct, as well as produce.Academy Award-nominee Ehren Kruger (“Top Gun: Maverick”) wrote the script.The untitled Formula One racing feature stars Pitt as a former driver who returns to the sport. Damson Idris joins the film as his teammate.Hailing from Apple Studios, the film is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman of Jerry Bruckheimer Films (“Top Gun: Maverick,” “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise), Joseph Kosinski (“Top Gun: Maverick”), Mercedes driver and seven-time Formula One champion Sir Lewis Hamilton his Dawn Apollo Films banner, and Plan B Entertainment (“World War Z”).

Sargon of Akkad as the first regent to rule, an orphan turned royal cup bearer with a goddess on his side, Sargon conquered and unified Mesopotamia some four thousand odd years ago.In ancient Egypt, pharos wore crowns to connect them to depictions of their deities and to invoke the power they possessed. These days, crowns and kings are more about pageantry than pagan veneration and only twelveEuropean nations maintain a form of monarchy; Andorra, Belgium, Denmark, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the Vatican and of course the UK and its colonies which we now call territories because colonialism was and is the scourge of humanity, owed in large part to the monstrous monarchs that propagated it.

Binky Felstead has enlisted the help of a baby sleep expert to help her son Wolfie switch beds – with her even moving in to make sure the transition goes smoothly. The Made in Chelsea star took to her Instagram stories to introduce the Magic Sleep Fairy, AKA Alison Scott-Wright, an infant reflux and sleep expert, and author of The Sensational Baby & Toddler Sleep Plans.

EXCLUSIVE: Vanessa Hudgens is set to reprise her role as weapons expert Kelly in Bad Boys 4 with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.

Rolly Crump, one of Disneyland’s most important designers who made crucial contributions to such attractions as the Haunted Mansion, It’s a Small World and the Enchanted Tiki Room, died Sunday at his home in Carlsbad, CA, where he was under hospice care. He was 93.

EXCLUSIVE: There’s more star power on board for Guy Ritchie and Jerry Bruckheimer’s new war movie, The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare, we can reveal, ahead of its February 13 start date.

There’s more star power on board for Guy Ritchie’s new war movie, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, which announced new cast additions today before its principal photography starts Feb. 13.

Today on social media, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence announced that they’re definitely reteaming for a fourth Bad Boys movie which is in early pre-production at the studio with Bad Boys for Life Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah returning to direct from a script by Chris Bremner. 

Formula 1 has hired former Universal and Studiocanal executive Isabelle Stewart as Head of Original Content.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Sony Music Entertainment Middle East and Kuwait-based music studio and video production company Ghmza have forged a partnership to produce music and promote emerging pop artists from the Gulf Cooperation Council and across the Middle East. Under the deal, popular actor and Arabic pop singer Bader Al Shuaibi, and Kuwaiti singer, songwriter and television personality Bashar al-Shatti will be the first two artists to work with Sony Music in the Gulf region. A pioneer in the genre known as Khaleeji pop reinvention – the term Khaleeji refers to nationals of six states: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the U.A.E. and Oman – Bader Al Shuaibi has over one billion audio and video streams and three million social media followers, according to a Sony Music statement.

The next installment in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise is continuing to add star power to its all-star cast as Kevin Bacon is set to join Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley. Production on the sequel is underway with Mark Molloy directing. Murphy is back as Axel Foley and will produce along with Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman of Jerry Bruckheimer Films. Will Beall penned the script. Jospeh Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige are also on board with Judge Reinhold and John Ashton Paul Reiser; and Bronson Pinchot reprising their characters from previous installments.

also star in the third sequel to the 1984 action comedy classic, which follows Detroit cop Axel Foley (Murphy) to Los Angeles, where he gets into trouble investigating the death of a friend.Last week it was also reported that four original “Beverly Hills Cop” cast members – Judge Reinhold, Paul Reiser, John Ashton and Bronson Pinchot – are also joining the cast.The Netflix film, which is currently in production, is directed by Mark Molloy (“Apple At Work – The Underdogs”) and written by Will Beall (“Aquaman,” “Zack Snyder’s Justice League”). Details about Bacon’s role along with plot details are being kept under wraps.Along with Murphy, producers are Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman for Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

Netflix has announced a number of returning cast members for upcoming sequel Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley.Eddie Murphy will reprise his role as police detective Axel Foley in the fourth installment of the franchise, which is currently in production at Netflix after they acquired the rights in 2019.As announced by the streaming service on Wednesday (September 21), Murphy will be joined by his original co-stars Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser and Bronson Pinchot in the sequel.In the original 1984 film, Reinhold and Ashton portrayed Detective Billy Rosewood and Sergeant John Taggart respectively. Reiser played Detective Jeffrey Friedman, while Pinchot is known for playing Serge.Eddie Murphy will reunite with his Beverly Hills Cop co-stars Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, and Bronson Pinchot in the new movie Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley.

Expect more banana-in-the-tailpipe high jinks in Netflix’s new Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley as the castmembers from the original franchise are coming back including Judge Reinhold and John Ashton’s Detective Billy Rosewood and Sgt. Taggart, sidekick cops to the Eddie Murphy character; Paul Reiser; and Bronson Pinchot.

also star in the third sequel to the 1984 action comedy classic, which follows Detroit cop Axel Foley (Murphy) to Los Angeles, where he gets into trouble investigating the death of a friend.The Netflix film, which is currently in production, is directed by Mark Molloy (“Apple At Work – The Underdogs”) and written by Will Beall (“Aquaman,” “Zack Snyder’s Justice League”). Plot details are being kept under wraps.

A group of Gulf states are threatening Netflix with legal action if the streamer does not remove what they class as content that “contradicts” Islamic values. The six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) issued a statement saying it has contacted the SVoD to demand the content, which was not specified publicly, is removed.

Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries in the Middle East have told global streaming giant Netflix to remove un-Islamic content. Although not specified, this is understood to mean that it should take down content including LGBTQ elements. The announcement was made Tuesday by the Committee of the Electronic Media Officials within the Gulf Cooperation Council, a trade and political association that includes Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. issued similar, separate statements. Associated Press reported that Saudi state television also aired video of an interview it conducted with a woman it identified as a behavioral consultant who described Netflix as being an “official sponsor of homosexuality.” It aired footage of a cartoon that had two women embrace, though the footage was blurred out. “Saudi state television also aired a segment suggesting Netflix could be banned in the kingdom over that programming reaching children,” AP reported.

EXCLUSIVE: The long-awaited sequel to the classic comedy franchise is a go as sources tell Deadline that Taylour Paige and Joseph Gordon-Levitt have joined series star Eddie Murphy in Netflix’s newly titled Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley. Production on the sequel is under way with Mark Molloy directing. Murphy is back as Axel Foley and will produce along with Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman of Jerry Bruckheimer films. Will Beall penned the script.

Secret Headquarters, starring Owen Wilson, has set a record on Paramount+ as the most-watched original movie in the first seven days since its release on the streaming platform.

EXCLUSIVE: Universal Pictures International is forming a new partnership with Emirates-based Majid Al Futtaim Distribution which will see the latter release Universal movies in Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, UAE) and Egypt. In Lebanon and Cyprus, Uni will retain its longstanding distribution relationship with Four Star Films.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentA Turkish biopic about 1980s pop singer Bergen, who grappled with a violent husband that hired someone to pour nitric acid on her face and later shot and killed her, is becoming a sleeper box office hit across West Asia.The potent female empowerment film, titled “Bergen,” follows the singer’s meteoric rise from cello player to becoming Turkey’s “Queen of Arabesque,” all while struggling with a partner hellbent on sabotaging her career. The pic is helmed by Turkish directorial duo Caner Alper and Mehmet Binay, who are known for works driven by civil liberties and gender issues such as the 2015 drama “Drawers,” about a teenage girl’s sexuality.Upon grossing a substantial $10 million-plus intake at Turkish cinemas, “Bergen” is now scoring brisk box office returns across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Lebanon and Oman.

Naman Ramachandran The Walt Disney Company’s streamer Disney+ will be available in 42 new countries and 11 new territories this week following the launch on Tuesday in Greece, Turkey and countries in Central Eastern Europe, including Poland, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic and Croatia. Tuesday’s series of launches follow the arrival of the service in South Africa on May 18 and across West Asia and North Africa on June 8.

tweeted the order Monday saying the movie won’t run due to its “violation of the country’s media content standards.”Although there was no further explanation, fans believe the same-sex kiss between two female characters, one of whom is voiced by actress Uzo Aduba in the family-friendly movie, is what got it banned. Homosexuality is illegal in Saudi Arabia, and surrounding countries often take issue with LGBTQ+ movie content or characters.A source told the Wrap that “Lightyear” did not receive release certificates for Malaysia, Indonesia, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan and Lebanon.The Media Regulatory Office announced that the animated film Lightyear, which is scheduled for release on 16th June, is not licensed for public screening in all cinemas in the UAE, due to its violation of the country’s media content standards.

tweet Monday that “Lightyear” would not open as planned on Thursday because the film had a “violation of the country’s media content standards.” The tweet included an image of Buzz Lightyear from the film with a “no” symbol over it in red. And in Malaysia, the country’s largest cinema chain GSC also tweeted an image of Buzz in the film saying “To infinity” but responded with the caption “No beyond.”An individual with knowledge of the film’s release plans indicated that “Lightyear” did not receive release certificates for Malaysia, Indonesia, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan and Lebanon.

Disney/Pixar’s Lightyear begins offshore rollout this week, but won’t be hitting cinemas in such Middle East markets as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. Nor will it go to theaters in Malaysia or Indonesia. Deadline understands the film has not received distribution certificates in these markets. As with other recent Hollywood films, the issue is believed to be related to LGBTQ content.

UPDATED, 1:00 p.m.: Apple Studios has locked in its deal to acquire Top Gun: Maverick helmer Joseph Kosinski’s Formula One racing film, starring Academy Award winner Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood). The streamer entered exclusive negotiations to pick up the project back in January, as we told you first.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterApple Original Films has emerged as the highest bidder for Brad Pitt’s upcoming movie about Formula One racing.Joseph Kosinski, who just steered “Top Gun: Maverick” to blockbuster success, is directing the yet-to-be-titled film, which will be produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment and seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton.Brad Pitt is playing a driver who comes out of retirement to compete alongside a rookie driver and the titans of the sport. Ehren Kruger, one of the three screenwriters on “Top Gun: Maverick,” is responsible for penning the screenplay.Additional producers are Kosinski and Chad Oman of Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

J. Kim Murphy Paramount+ will exclusively debut “Secret Headquarters,” an original superhero film starring Owen Wilson, in August in the U.S., Canada and in select international territories where the service is available.

EXCLUSIVE: The Owen Wilson family secret superhero comedy, Secret Headquarters, will debut exclusively on Paramount+ this August in the U.S. and Canada, Deadline has learned. The Jerry Bruckheimer produced movie will also debut in select international territories where the streaming service is available.

many “multifunctional pockets”  — my mother found her passport. Again.And I contemplated taking my emergency Valium.

EXCLUSIVE: Christopher Eccleston (The Leftovers) has signed on to star alongside Daisy Ridley, Tilda Cobham-Hervey and Stephen Graham in Disney+’s upcoming film Young Woman and the Sea, from Kon-Tiki director Joachim Rønning, which is currently in production.

Benedict Cumberbatch is not impressed by “repressive regimes” banning films for their inclusion of LGTBQ characters.

Naman Ramachandran Tom Cruise, Helen Mirren, Damian Lewis and Omid Djalili will lead an A-list cast of talent celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee on U.K. broadcaster ITV.

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.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- It was music fit for the troubled times.Her voice full of heartache and tender resolve, Iranian pop diva and national icon Googoosh delivered old hits and songs from her new album to a packed stadium on Thursday in Dubai — just across the Persian Gulf from her home that had banned her from singing for 21 years and where authorities to this day continue to protest her performances.“When our lives pass away in dismal loneliness, where will we find these beautiful moments again?” she crooned in Farsi from the stage at Expo 2020, Dubai’s world’s fair. “Let my dreams not be forever unfulfilled.”Dressed at first in a simple white dress and later changing into a shimmering black gown, she swayed her hips gently and said she hoped people would remember the night forever.The audience went wild.Googoosh’s classic pre-1979 Islamic Revolution songs drew cheers and shouts of recognition, as Iranian concert-goers sang every word of the cabaret-style ballads and jump-danced to her discotheque tunes.“I can’t tell you how much I love her,” gushed 35-year-old Sarah Ali, an Iranian fan who traveled from Oman for the concert and arrived at Expo nine hours early to get as close as possible to the stage.