‘Meg’ Author Steve Alten Sets Original Football Feature ‘Mr. Irrelevant’

Guy Lodge Film Critic The possessive claim in the title “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” is a gutsy one. There’s confidence — some would even say arrogance — in filming an oft-told story at least as old as the hills, and suddenly branding it as your own: Even two auteurs as ballsy as Francis Ford Coppola and Baz Luhrmann didn’t slap their own names on “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” and “William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet,” respectively. Still, you can hardly blame del Toro’s stop-motion spin on Carlo Collodi’s 19th-century chestnut “The Adventures of Pinocchio” for wanting to advertise its distinguishing vision up top: After umpteen tellings of the wooden-boy tale, and coming on the heels of Robert Zemeckis’ wretched Disney remake, Netflix’s rival adaptation has to announce itself as something different. That it is; it’s often delightful too.

One of Netflix’s most anticipated projects in recent months ois Guillermo del Toro’s edgy new take on “Pinocchio”.

The number of Italian feature films finding a home outside of Italy doubled between 2017 to 2021, according to a new landmark study commissioned by local cinema body Anica.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Persol aviators are practically synonymous with Steve McQueen, who made the specs one of the most coveted luxury products in the world after wearing them in 1968’s “The Thomas Crown Affair.”Even if you aren’t behind the wheel of sports cars or riding first-class on high-flying planes, you can still achieve that Old Hollywood flare yourself, for only a fraction of the price, thanks to Amazon’s unbeatable Persol deals for Prime’s Early Access Sale. The Po0714 Aviator Sunglasses are currently 49% off on Amazon, bringing down the price of the designer sunnies to only $199 — cheaper than we’ve ever seen them (including June’s Prime Day event). 

Apple Original Films has dated the run-from-slavery thriller Emancipation for a December 2 theatrical opening, followed by a December 9 release on its Apple TV+ streaming site. This follows the film’s first showing in DC on Saturday, with star Will Smith and director Antoine Fuqua (who flew in from Italy, where he and Denzel Washington are shooting a third Equalizer film) discussed the fact-based film in a screening orchestrated by Apple and NAACP during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Legislative Conference.

Netflix has unwrapped its latest Italian series, Supersex.

Mario Martone’s Cannes competition title Nostalgia has been selected to represent Italy in the Best International Feature Film category at the Oscars.

“Pinocchio” will feature stop motion puppetry, and the acclaimed filmmaker takes viewers behind the scenes of the process in a new featurette released as a part of Netflix’s Tudum celebration on Saturday.“To me, there’s a valuable difference between stop-motion as an art form and digital,” del Toro says over shots of filmmakers moving the figurines of Pinocchio, Geppetto and Sepastian J. Cricket.

Jodie Turner-Smith rocks a cool jean jacket for the Gucci show during Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 on Friday night (September 23) in Milan, Italy.

“The White Lotus” is coming back this fall.

Love Island’s Brad McClelland is reportedly dating footballer Harry Maguire's sister. Daisy Maguire, who works as a talent assistant at Soccer Aid Productions, is said to have struck up a relationship with the former Love Island star, 26, over the summer and the pair are believed to be "smitten". An insider close to the couple told The Sun: “Daisy and Brad haven’t been dating for long but they’re absolutely head-over-heels.

has finally set a premiere date for season 2, and viewers will be able to check in starting Sunday, Oct. 30. Created by Mike White, the Emmy-winning HBO series moves the action from Hawaii to Sicily, where it will “follow the exploits of various guests and employees over the span of a week.” The new season is led by Jennifer Coolidge, who reprises her Emmy-winning role as the grief-stricken guest Tanya McQuoid.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Les Films du Losange has closed a raft of major deals on Kasja Naess’s animated feature “Titina” which is produced by the teams behind the Oscar-nominated film “The Triplets of Belleville” and Oscar-winning short “The Danish Poet.” “Titina” will world premiere at Animation Is Film Festival, which takes place Oct. 21-23, and is produced by GKids, in collaboration with Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Variety. Budgeted at $8.5 million, the Norwegian animated movie was produced by Mikrofilm (“The Danish Poet”) and Vivi Film (“The Triplets of Belleville”). The film tells the real-life story of a fox terrier that accompanied her master on an expedition to the North Pole in an air balloon in the 1920’s. It will be released in Norway by Norsk Film Distribusjon, and in France by Les Films du Losange.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Continuing to tap top series from Spain, Munich-based Beta Film has snapped up international distribution rights to “Simple,” the new dramedy by Anna R. Costa, the co-creator of Movistar Plus+‘s most-binged series, “Arde Madrid.” Costa’s directorial debut, “Simple” world premiered earlier this week in San Sebastian as a Movistar Plus+ world premiere. Produced by Movistar Plus+ in collaboration with Destrucción y Salvación, “Simple” turns on four young women in their twenties and thirties, who have reached a milestone in their lives: Sharing an apartment as truly independent adults. The series follows the flat mates, all of whom have disabilities, as they navigate the pressures of adulthood and the absurd norms imposed on them by society.