Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Instructs U.K. Members to Halt Work on Projects Within WGA Jurisdiction

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International In Britain, schoolchildren learning about Tudor history are taught a handy rhyme to remember the order of King Henry VIII’s six wives: “Divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded, survived.” Hollywood has for decades been transfixed by the “beheaded” and “died” bits — essentially, the stories about women suffering — but what moviegoers are rarely reminded of is the wife who outlived Henry. In Karim Aïnouz’s hotly anticipated “Firebrand,” it’s the notorious Tudor king’s final companion, Katherine Parr, who finally takes center stage. “What’s mostly been dramatized are the wives who didn’t make it,” says Swedish star Alicia Vikander, who plays the surviving queen opposite Jude Law’s ailing monarch. “[When I read the script] I immediately thought, ‘Huh, isn’t it interesting that most people know more about the other wives.’ It’s almost like people are drawn to quite grim stories.”

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International British writer Martin Amis, the author of the book “The Zone of Interest,” has died at 73. News of his death comes just one day after the big-screen adaptation of his 2014 novel premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to rave reviews. The New York Times reports that Amis died of esophageal cancer, as confirmed by his wife, the writer Isabel Fonseca. Amis published 15 novels over the course of his career, a number of which were adapted. Jonathan Glazer’s treatment of Amis’ chilling Nazi drama “The Zone of Interest” is one of the buzziest premieres to come out of Cannes so far. The film follows the family of a high-ranking SS officer that lives next door to Auschwitz concentration camp. In a review that labelled “Zone of Interest” as “chilling and profound,” Variety critic Owen Gleiberman said the film “holds human darkness up to the light and examines it as if under a microscope.”

Olympic legend Sir Mo Farah is preparing for what will be his penultimate race as he takes on the Great Manchester Run 10K tomorrow

revealed that she had a secret 13-year affair with Rayne Kruger, her mentor and the chairman of her company.At the time, Rayne was married to Nan Munro, an actress and the best friend of Prue's own mother, Margaret Inglis.«I never asked Rayne to leave his wife because I was very happy,» Prue shared in a recent interview on Kate Thornton's podcast. «I was building my business. I had none of the duties of a wife, and I had all the pleasures of somebody who loved me.

New frontiers. Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly and Kelsey Asbille are among the Yellowstone stars who have other projects lined up as the Paramount+ series draws to a close.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Steve McQueen looks stressed out. He’s a few weeks into post-production on “Blitz,” his World War II drama for Apple TV+, while starting promotion on his other, long-gestating wartime project, the documentary “Occupied City.” “It’s definitely pleasurable, but this is work,” declares McQueen with the wariness of a filmmaker who’s just been plucked out of the edit suite. “Hard work is always hard work. You can’t avoid it.” The British director, who was Oscar-nominated for “12 Years a Slave,” didn’t set out to make back-to-back movies about the war, but “you plant seeds, and some come to fruition and others don’t,” he explains. “These two happened to blossom fairly close to each other.”

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Bleecker Street has acquired North American rights to Andrew Cumming’s Stone Age thriller “The Origin” from Sony Pictures’ Stage 6. World premiering at the BFI London Film Festival in October, “The Origin” won acclaim for its unique approach to genre set in the Palaeolithic period. The script was written by Ruth Greenberg (“Run”) with Escape Plan Prods.’ Oliver Kassman (“Saint Maud”) producing. The pic was nominated for five British Independent Film Awards, with a win for breakthrough performance for Safia Oakley-Green. Bleecker Street is planning a fall-winter 2023 theatrical release.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Kiss frontman Gene Simmons and Gary Hamilton, chairman of Arclight Films, have launched Simmons/Hamilton Prods. to develop, finance and produce feature films. The standalone banner will produce 25 movies over an initial five-year period, with a focus on action, thriller and genre titles with global franchise potential. The company is backed by a multi-billion dollar fund manager that is providing slate financing through a revolving finance facility. Arclight Films’ CFO Brian Beckmann was responsible for closing the slate funding deal. All films created under the new company — which was first discussed five years ago, and recently firmed up — will be produced by Simmons and Hamilton, both of whom are in Cannes for the festival. The focus is to build a feature film production company, targeting original theatrical product that can be developed into franchise properties.

The Pretenders kicked off their intimate UK club tour at The Great Escape festival in Brighton last night (May 12), debuting some new songs.‘A Love’ and ‘Domestic Silence’ from upcoming new album, ‘Relentless’, received their debit ahead of the album release on September 1 via Parlophone. You can pre-order ‘Relentless’ here.The upcoming release will mark the band’s 12th full-length LP, and follows on from their 2020 album ‘Hate For Sale’.Fans queued throughout the afternoon in Brighton for a chance to see the band perform in the small setting at The Old Market.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International At Sunday night’s BAFTA TV Awards in London, the most popular couple in the room won’t actually be British. Given the U.K. reception to Australian series “Colin From Accounts” — which was acquired by the BBC in one of its smartest deals in years — that honor will likely go to Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall, the real-life partners who created and star in the half-hour rom-com. The couple will be presenting a BAFTA during the ceremony, and afterwards, they’re available for selfies. “If we land in the U.K. and people recognize us on the street, that’ll be massive, because it’s never happened to me,” says Dyer. “I’ve lived in L.A. for five years, and I’m on a network television show, and not a single person has gone, ‘Are you from “American Auto?”’ Not one. So I’m pumped. I want to take some pictures with some people.”

Production on Freeform’s Good Trouble fifth season was halted for the day as a result of WGA picketing.

and, Ellie Kemper is returning to TV as the co-host of, the Roku Channel's revived spinoff of the British baking competition. Ahead of the new season's debut, Kemper spoke to ET about stepping into the famed tent and getting to work with longtime judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, who left a particularly notable impression on her. When asked who was more intimidating in person, Kemper revealed that it was the fashionable restaurateur. «I honestly find it to be Prue because she is a lady.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International After several writers told Variety they’ve been frustrated about the lack of clarity around the rules for projects set up with the U.K. branches of “struck” companies like Disney or Netflix, but aren’t covered by WGA terms, the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain has attempted to clarify the rules of play. On Thursday, the WGGB emailed members and provided an update on its website FAQ section, and all signs seem to indicate that “pre-existing” projects can continue, but new work for the U.K. subsidiaries of “struck” companies will be discouraged. One question reads: “I am currently partway through a series/contract with a U.K.-based U.S. producer who is a WGA MBA signatory company — what should I do?”

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International U.K. writers haven’t kept quiet in their support of the Writers Guild of America strike, with many making enthusiastic shows of solidarity on social media. But behind the scenes, several writers have told Variety under the condition of anonymity that they’re frustrated about a grey area in strike rules that have left them in limbo. These projects tend to be set up with the U.K. branches of “struck” companies like Disney or Netflix, but aren’t covered by WGA terms. As these multi-national businesses have grown their local productions in recent years, many British writers who are also WGA members fall into this camp, and are being pressured to walk away.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Roku is reinvesting in — and bulking up — its originals lineup, announcing a new season of “The Great American Baking Show” and an unscripted comedy featuring singer-songwriter Charlie Puth among the shows coming to the Roku Channel. Notably, the content announcements at Roku’s 2023 NewFronts presentation — coming on Day One of the WGA writers strike — were unscripted/reality formats. Also at the event in New York Tuesday, the streaming platform unveiled a suite of new ad solutions, including sponsorships for its popular Roku City screensaver. The company announced that it has renewed reality competition series “The Great American Baking Show” for Season 2. The news came ahead of the premiere Friday, May 5, of the new six-episode run of the show featuring Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith, Ellie Kemper and Zach Cherry (pictured above, left) on the Roku Channel. “The Great American Baking Show,” produced by Love Productions USA, ran for five seasons on ABC as a spinoff of original hit “The Great British Baking Show” before it was picked up last year by Roku. The streaming company previously acquired U.S. rights to dozens of episodes in the “Great Baking Show” franchise for a FAST channel. Roku will also bring back the holiday special of “The Great American Baking Show,” which will feature all-new celebrity bakers and debut this upcoming holiday season.

The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) has sent out guidance to its members over the strike and said it will bar non-members from joining the Guild in future if they break rank.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International MUBI has acquired all rights for Molly Manning Walker’s directorial debut “How to Have Sex” for major territories. The deal covers North America, U.K., Ireland, Italy, Latin America, Turkey and Benelux ahead of the movie’s world premiere at Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section. Theatrical releases are planned for key territories, including the U.S. and U.K. In Benelux, the film will be released theatrically in partnership with Imagine Film Distribution. Following theatrical releases, the film will premier exclusively on MUBI in all territories acquired.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Sony Pictures Television has appointed Matthew Justice as executive VP and head of U.K. and Europe. In the newly created role, he will report into Wayne Garvie, president of International Productions. Justice will directly manage SPT’s international studio operations and European co-productions business, as well as work closely with SPT International Production’s wholly-owned and joint venture production companies in the region, which includes Bad Wolf, Eleven Films and Left Bank Pictures. Justice most recently served as managing director at ITV Studios-backed Big Talk. He will start at SPT later this year.

An cop who worked undercover as a prostitute recalled one of her wildest experiences on the job.

The late Queen Elizabeth is receiving a birthday tribute from her family.