TelevisaUnivision, Globo Announce Strategic Alliance for Distribution, Production of Fiction Content

A minister has quit the church to go travelling around the world with his three dogs in an ex-Army Land Rover Defender.

Hong Kong’s government is introducing two new funding schemes under the Hong Kong Film Development Council (HKFDC) aimed at boosting co-productions with other Asian countries and to support the production of streaming content in Hong Kong. The ‘Hong Kong-Asian Film Collaboration Funding Scheme’ will hand out grants of up to HK$9M (US$1.15M) to a maximum of eight films that are co-produced by Hong Kong filmmakers and their counterparts in Asian countries. Applicants will be able to seek other investors in cases where the production budget exceeds the grant. The ‘Content Development Scheme for Streaming Platforms’ will be conducted through a competition to select eight production teams to develop series for streaming platforms.

After decades as one of Scotland's most well-kent faces, Elaine C Smith is no stranger to being recognised by fans.

Mayor of Kingstown, the Jeremy Renner starrer from Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon, has a return date.

Christina Perri and hubby Paul Constabile have welcomed a baby girl and we couldn’t be more happy for them!

Laura Poitras’s documentary All the Beauty and the Bloodshed appears to be on more solid ground as a possible Oscar frontrunner, after the release of DOC NYC’s influential shortlist of the year’s top nonfiction films.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Grammy and Oscar winning singer-songwriter Sam Smith has announced their fourth studio album, “Gloria,” will be released on January 27, 2023 via Capitol Records. Made with longtime collaborators Jimmy Napes, Stargate and Max Martin stablemate Ilya, the album is described in the announcement as “not only a creative revelation but something of a personal revolution for the celebrated artist. Lyrically, the subjects dive deep and wide, into contemporary narratives around sex, lies, passion, self-expression and imperfection.” Smith says, “It feels like emotional, sexual and spiritual liberation. It was beautiful, with this album, to sing freely again. Oddly, it feels like my first-ever record. And it feels like a coming of age.”

Peter Shapiro I’ve known the name Ron Delsener for as long as I can remember. Growing up in New York, I listened to a lot of radio — especially Q104.3 — and you’d hear ads for concerts at Madison Square Garden and Giants Stadium (pre-MetLife) brought to you by “Ron Delsener Presents.” Then you’d see his name on the ticket stub. As I was graduating college, and thinking about a career in music, he was a god in my world. Now 86 years old, Ron announced his retirement last week. He marked the occasion backstage at a show, of course. I got to witness Jeff Beck’s enormous smile as Ronnie came down steps of the Capitol Theater and turned the corner. A few nights later, I saw Ron at the Beacon Theatre for the B-52s. That pace he has, that endurance and passion, I don’t think that’ll ever end.

Emiliano De Pablos Globoplay, the streaming platform of Latin American TV giant Globo, has picked up Brazilian rights to police noir thriller series “Motel Valkirias,” a Spain-Portugal co-production handled by Onza Distribution.  Created by Ghaleb Jaber Martínez, writer-producer of Netflix’s Galician TV drama hit “O Sabor das Margaridas,” the series is directed by Álex Sampaio (Schibare”) and Jorge Quiroga (“Atras das Nuvens”). In post-production, the eight episode 50-minute “Motel Valkirias” is set in a cross-border motel between Galicia and Portugal, following three women with financial and personal problems who get in serious danger after joining forces to get their hands on some valuable merchandise from a guest in the motel.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Australia’s SLR Productions has announced production on season two of the award-winning original CGI animated series, “Space Nova” for ABC ME. The 15 x 22-minute season has received significant production funding from both Screen Australia and the Australian Children’s Television Foundation as well as development funding from ABC ME and Create NSW. “Space Nova” will be co-produced with Giggle Garage in Malaysia and distributed internationally by ZDF Studios, with ACTF representing the series across Australia and New Zealand. Targeting a six- to ten-year-old global audience, the first season sold to broadcasters or streamers in Germany, the U.K., Norway, Finland, Sweden, Poland, the U.S, Singapore, East Asia, Indonesia, and Brazil.

Netflix has announced that a cheaper monthly subscription package will be launched in the UK next month. Priced at £4.99, the new option will include adverts and is set to be rolled out at 4pm on Thursday November 3.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor “Blonde” producer Plan B Entertainment is looking for a new blueprint. The production banner run by Brad Pitt and Dede Gardner has tapped Moelis & Co. to shop for a buyer or potential investors. The company has a first-look deal for TV with Amazon Studios and a pact with MGM Studios for film. Reps for Moelis & Co. declined comment. Reps for Plan B could not immediately be reached for comment. Plan B was hatched in late 2001 as a partnership between Pitt and actor Jennifer Aniston, about four months after the two were married in July 2001. Pitt eventually took over the venture after the pair split in 2005.

The original members of blink-182 – Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker – will reunite for the first time in 10 years for a worldwide tour that will run from March 2023 through February 2024.

Blink-182 have reunited with Tom DeLonge for a huge world tour, and are due to release a new single this week.The song ‘Edging’ is set to arrive on Friday (October 14), and it marked the first time in a decade that DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker had been in a studio together (pre-save/pre-add it here).A new full-length studio album is also in the works, details of which are yet to be revealed.Additionally, the trio have announced their biggest tour to date, with concerts confirmed in the UK, Europe, North America Australia and New Zealand as well as their first-ever shows in Latin America.The mammoth stint will kick off next March and conclude in February 2024. For the UK leg, Blink-182 will visit Glasgow, London, Birmingham and Manchester in September and October 2023.Tickets go on sale at 10am local time next Monday (October 17).