Saudi Arabia Launches $234 Million Soft Money Fund on Top of Tax Rebates to Kickstart Film and TV Industry

Taylor Swift made history.Over 210,000 fans showed up for her three-concert stint at Arlington, TX’s AT&T Stadium setting a record for the venue.What history will be made in weekend four at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium on April 13-15?Although we can’t say for certain, we can expect an expansive set list complete with a few surprise tracks, impressive on stage theatrics and awe-inspiring costume changes.There’s a lot to like.The only downside is just how much tickets may run you.At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on seats was $533 before fees on Vivid Seats for the Thursday, April 13 concert.Tickets prices start at $627 before fees on Friday, April 14.$731 before fees is the best price available for the Saturday, April 15 gig.Want a closer look at how much upper deck tickets cost versus floor seats?Keep reading. We’ve got everything you need to know and more below.A break down of all upper deck, lower deck and floor seats can be found below.(Note: The New York Post confirmed all above prices at the publication time.

EXCLUSIVE: It’s been nearly three decades since Michael Mann’s crime classic hit theaters and it now feels like Mann and Warner Bros. are finally feeling more heat around the corner for a sequel to Heat. While rumors have been swirling for weeks, Deadline is hearing Warner Bros. is now in negotiations to come on to develop Heat 2, the sequel to the 1995 classic that Mann recently turned into a novel that became a New York Time #1 best-seller when it was published last August. On top of Warner Bros. in talks to return, insiders add that Adam Driver, who recently starred in Mann’s Ferrari pic, is in discussions with Mann to play young Neil McCauley in the movie.

Taylor Swift has revealed that she’s hoping to play different surprise songs at every single night of her mammoth ‘Eras’ tour, as well as taking requests from Jack Antonoff and Gracie Abrams.Swift kicked off the tour last month with a huge 44-song set that pulled from across her back catalogue. While the bulk of the setlist has remained the same, every night she’s performed a couple of “surprise” acoustic songs.Last night (April 1), during her second show at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Taylor Swift said: “So far on this tour, I’ve been playing different songs every night.

Taylor Swift has shared an acoustic version of her recent single ‘Lavender Haze’ – listen to it below.The original song appears on the pop star’s 10th and most recent studio album, the record-breaking ‘Midnights’, which came out last October.Swift today (March 31) released a stripped-back rendition of the track on streaming platforms. It comes after she dropped a series of official remixes of ‘Lavender Haze’ by the likes of Jungle and Tensnake.Last November, Swift shared an acoustic version of the ‘Midnights’ lead single ‘Anti-Hero’.‘Lavender Haze’ peaked at Number Three on the UK singles chart, per the Official Charts.

Rumors began to swirl in February that Apple and Martin Scorsese eyed a 2023 Cannes Film Festival world premiere for Scorsese’s latest, “Killers Of The Flower Moon.” Now those rumors are official: Deadline confirms that “Flower Moon” indeed gets to stride down the Croisette for a premiere screening on May 20, in the Grand Théâtre Lumière, as part of festival. READ MORE: Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers Of The Flower Moon’ Gets An October Release Date It’s not clear right now if “Flower Moon” will be in competition or not for the coveted Palme d’Or, Cannes’ top prize; the festival will clarify that at their mid-April press conference.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Amazon Music is paying tribute to hip-hop’s vast influence on music, culture, and society with “50 & Forever,” a program in celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, intended to honor the music’s legacy and champion the artists writing the next 50 years of its history. Created by Rotation — the hip-hop and R&B brand from Amazon Music — “50 & Forever” will include curated events, livestreams, playlists, original content, and new music, spanning Amazon Music, Twitch, Audible, Prime Video, and Amp.  The celebration will feature some of the most important names in hip-hop, from hip-hop’s Golden Era through present day, including J.

Taylor Swift shows.For Swift’s third weekend of her ‘Eras Tour,’ she’ll play her three biggest concerts yet on March 31, April 1 and April 2 at Arlington, TX’s 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium, which also happens to be the home of the Dallas Cowboys.And if you’re thinking that ticket prices are cheaper because a) she’s playing more shows than she typically does over a single weekend and b) there are more seats at the venue, well, bless your heart.At the time of publication, the cheapest tickets we could find on Taylor Swift ‘Eras Tour’ tickets in Arlington, TX start at $454 before fees on Vivid Seats.That being said, seeing Swift live might be worth it just for the people watching alone.Swift’s past few gigs have seen celebrities like Laura Dern, Emma Watson, Shania Twain, JJ Watt, Cara Delevigne and more pop up in the crowd.Plus, of course, you’ll be treated to a show-stopping, career spanning performance from Tay Tay herself along with sets from opening acts Muna, Gayle, beabadoobe and Gracie Abrams on select dates.Want to know more about which show makes the most sense to attend?Here’s everything you need to know.We broke down all upper deck, lower deck and floor seats below.(Note: The New York Post confirmed all above prices at the publication time.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Top Middle East broadcaster MBC Group has forged a partnership with U.S. anime and manga distributor Tokyopop under which they are forming a hub dedicated to the licensing, promotion, and production of anime content in the region. The joint venture, called MBC Anime, is led by Stu Levy, the American anime and manga expert who is founder and CEO of Tokyopop, a prominent international distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime and manga. Through the new initiative, MBC Anime “will commission, produce, and invest in a series of world-class quality anime titles,” according to an MBC statement.

Police have launched a murder investigation after a woman was found dead at a flat in Ayr.

Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero believes there is a 50 per cent chance of Lionel Messi returning to Barcelona before retiring.

Cristiano Ronaldo reunited with a couple of his former Manchester United teammates while on international duty with Portugal this week - finding particular joy in seeing Diogo Dalot once again.

Staying fit! Keanu Reeves “loves” playing John Wick in the film franchise — especially because of the physical component.

Saudi Cultural Development Fund (CDF) has officially launched its Film Sector Financing Program (FSFP) offering financial support to local and international film companies that want to get involved in the country’s burgeoning cinema industry.

Will Smith chats with Lewis Hamilton for a quick minute ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia held at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Sunday (March 19) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent Sarah Ann Masse, an actor and activist who appeared in the film “She Said,” launched an outreach campaign via her organization Hire Survivors Hollywood, which had Hollywood notables wearing pins to support survivors of sexual violence across the entertainment industry at some of the buzziest events in the biz. Masse — who is a real-life survivor of Harvey Weinstein, but did not play herself in “She Said” — is the founder of Hire Survivors Hollywood, a grassroots organization that aims to get major studios and networks to make a pledge to hire survivors and give them the same opportunities as others, and stand against retaliation for speaking up. Masse started Hire Survivors Hollywood out her own necessity, after she says she was retaliated against for coming forward about Weinstein, and because she believed other survivors of sexual abuse were facing similar professional backlash.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Hams Fekri, a 29-year-old Saudi wedding singer from Jeddah, has been crowned the winner of the first season of “Saudi Idol” during a moving live finale from The Boulevard Riyadh City recreational complex. The golden-throated Fekri was exultant after battling it out in front of a live studio audience and panel of judges for 13 weeks. She emerged victorious out of three finalists to win most audience votes for the night. Fekri’s mother — who achieved success as a pop singer during the 1980s, but subsequently faded into obscurity — hugged her daughter on stage.  In addition to being named the very first “Saudi Idol,” Fekri also won a recording contract with MBC Group’s Platinum Records label which involves the release of a full studio album in the coming months.

Queen Nzinga” executive producer said the effort would be made through their respective production companies, Green Door Pictures and EbonyLife Media to build capacity and foster authentic representation in global film and TV projects set for production.The two described a two-fold approached that would bring education and mentoring initiatives to help both young people and older creative professionals the opportunity to showcase their skills and tell their stories, and assist in large-scale productions.Abudu, who has Nigerian roots, has deep ties to “Nollywood,” as the Nigerian film industry is known, producing multiple films in that space, including 2016’s “The Wedding Party,” which stood at the time as the nation’s highest grossing film. She’s also involved with Nigerian television, including “Desperate Housewives Africa” in partnership with Disney.“We believe that Africa has the talent and the stories to captivate the world.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Italy’s 40% tax rebates for international film and TV series are a magnet that has been crucial to luring lots of shoots to the country. These incentives are behind the current contemporaneous presence on the Cinecittà Studios lot of Oscar-winner Edward Berger’s new film “Conclave,” Netflix period soap “Decameron,” and Roland Emmerich’s Peacock gladiator series “Those About to Die,” to name a few examples.  That’s why Italian Deputy Culture Minister Lucia Bergonzoni on Oscar week travelled to Los Angeles to meet with Hollywood studio and streamer chiefs. Her mission: to dispel fears swirling in the global film community ever since Italy’s new right-wing government was installed in October 2022 regarding the prospect that the Italian rebates could be pulled or in some way watered down. 

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International British film and TV producers can breathe a sigh of relief after months of uncertainty around the country’s tax relief scheme for production. As part of the U.K.’s spring budget, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt revealed on Wednesday that he’s raising tax credits and keeping the qualifying threshold in place. This is a welcome move for the TV production community, in particular, which has for years taken advantage of a lucrative scheme in which scripted TV shows with a minimum spend of £1 million ($1.2 million) per broadcast hour are able to claim payable cash rebates of up to 25% on qualifying U.K. spend. The tax breaks have helped to elevate the U.K. into a major hub for international productions, yet the scheme has been under review since the fall, causing some anxiety in the production community.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Dubai-based CEO Sam Barnett leads the Middle East’s largest broadcaster MBC as it turbocharges its Shahid streaming service through a scripted content drive, and gives Netflix a run for its money. Shortly before the holy month of Ramadan, which is marathon TV time in the Arab world, Barnett spoke to Variety about the still crucial relevance of Ramadan season in luring eyeballs, MBC’s need to offer “interesting new types of content” outside of the holy period, and why the company remains resolutely pan-Arab while riding the wave of Saudi’s production boom. There is a perception that MBC is becoming more “Saudi-centric” since it now plays an important role in Saudi’s drive to become a major content producer. Can you talk to me about how this shift is playing out in your overall production strategy?