WWE And Foxtel Set Expanded Rights Deal In Australia, With Binge Becoming WWE Network’s New Streaming Home

Dame Olivia Newton-John's state funeral in Australia is expected to take place in December. A service for the late 'Grease' actress, who died of breast cancer on August 8, aged 73, is to be held at Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens, one of the singer's most-loved places, and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra are expected to perform. That's according to family friend and entertainment reporter Peter Ford, who told 'The Morning Show': "People might say, 'Why there?' Well, that was one of Olivia's favourite places.

The tenth “Apes” film — also the fourth in 20th Century’s reboot saga — will compete against Warner Bros.’ “Mad Max: Fury Road” spinoff “Furiosa” and will debut three weeks after the Marvel blockbuster “Captain America: New World Order.” Production began this past week in Sydney, Australia. Set years after the events of the 2017 film “War for the Planet of the Apes,” “Kingdom” will explore the legacy of the reboot saga’s hero Caesar, played by Andy Serkis, who gave his life to free his tribe.

Manori Ravindran International Editor New York’s South Asian International Film Festival has appointed Chayan Sarkar as its new president. A filmmaker, entrepreneur and festival director, Sarkar is also the founder of the Indian International Film Festival of Queensland in Australia. He takes over from SAIFF founder Shilen Amin, who will step down as president, but will remain a member of the festival’s board of directors. Sarkar joins SAIFF as the festival enters its 19th year as a leading film festival in the U.S. for new cinema from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal, and within the Indian diaspora. In recent years, SAIFF has become increasingly influential as a platform for South Asian cinema, both in the U.S. and internationally. Fourteen of India’s submissions for the international feature film Oscar have had their North American premieres at the festival.

Daniel D'Addario Chief TV Critic “Bombay felt exhilaratingly free, a place where everyone started new.” That’s Lin Ford, played by Charlie Hunnam, speaking to us in voice-over about the city where he hopes to begin again. Today known as Mumbai, the Indian metropolis is many things; on “Shantaram,” it’s the staging ground for a white fugitive to lose and find himself. It’s that dynamic that tends to frustrate over the course of a long season. Based on the novel by Gregory David Roberts and executive produced by Steve Lightfoot, “Shantaram” is set in the 1980s, in the wake of Lin’s prison break. Making his way out of an Australian penal institution in the pilot episode, Lin, a recovering heroin addict, seeks to disappear into a city of millions before, potentially, moving on, but is perpetually drawn toward an intriguing, possibly amoral woman named Karla (Antonia Desplat). Rooted in place by this sense of nascent romance and by a growing affection for the place and its people, Lin begins establishing a life, even while repeatedly telling us that he’s aware that his past — his identity as a wanted man and his knowledge that he’s being urgently sought by the authorities — makes all of this a holiday from reality.

4 min read It has been 1272 days since the last Mr Gay Pride Australia was crowned, but now, after being cancelled due to the pandemic, finalists for the next competition have finally been announced.

Bruna Papandrea’s Made Up Stories, the film and TV production company behind “Big Little Lies” and “Nine Perfect Strangers,” among others, is expanding its presence to open a new U.K. office, and it’s tapped “Ticket to Paradise” producer Sarah Harvey to lead the office.

EXCLUSIVE: Ninja Warrior set builder ATS Team has put physical challenge-meets-quiz show Brain Vs Body into development with Mark Wahlberg’s Unrealistic Ideas as it launches an original production arm.

Banijay is set to acquire Australia’s Beyond International.

I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! is just a month away from returning and it's been reported that a Gogglebox favourite might be making their way down under. Celebrity Gogglebox star Babatunde Aleshe has reportedly signed up to join the ITV competition series in November, swapping the comfort of his friend Mo Gilligan’s couch for the Australian jungle.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Magnolia Pictures has acquired U.S. rights to “Kompromat,” an action thriller film directed by Jerome Salle (“The Largo Winch” ), starring Gilles Lellouche (“The Stronghold”) and Joanna Kulig (“Cold War”). SND, the commercial arm of M6, is representing the film in international markets. Loosely based on a true story, “Kompromat” stars Lellouche as a French diplomat working in Siberia who is arrested overnight by the Russian authorities. Accused of sexually abusing his own daughter and imprisoned, he realizes he is a victim of a Kompromat. Someone is working with the FSB (Federal Security Service) to frame him. His only way out is to escape.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief The Foxtel Group and contact sports entertainment firm WWE have agreed a multi-year partnership that will see Foxtel’s portfolio of pay-TV and streaming brands become the exclusive home of WWE in Australia. The move also deepens a relationship between WWE and the Murdoch family-controlled News Corp. Foxtel, a 65:35 joint venture between News Corp and Telstra, has long been Australia’s dominant pay-TV group and in recent years has branched out into sports streaming through the launch of Binge and Kayo, allowing it to claim over 4.5 million subscriptions. The deal is an extension and expansion of a previous arrangement and includes several innovations.

Following the global success of her show Nanette and it’s follow up Douglas, Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby announced that she has signed a multi-title deal with Netflix. Gadsby’s announcement came almost a year after the comedian slammed Netflix over its handling of the controversy surrounding comedian Dave Chappelle’s transphobic comments. Gadsby revealed that Netflix had agreed to work with her on a special that would feature genderqueer comics from across the world. Hannah Gadsby.Gadsby had kicked off her ‘Body of Work’ tour in the US in April 2022. The show travelled to Canada, before arriving in Australia.

The late monarch always had a fondness for Australia, and palace insiders say her heirs are clamouring for a historic, commemorative trip Down Under.

Margot Robbie "clung" to John David Washington on the set of Amsterdam because she was "scared" to work with director David O. Russell. The Australian actress stars as Valerie Voze in the upcoming period mystery comedy, which follows three friends who become the prime suspects in a murder in the 1930s.

Ant and Dec have announced a new version of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! will be set in South Africa.

Shudder, the streaming service for horror, has announced that they’ve acquired the psychological horror film Spoonful of Sugar ahead of its premiere at Fantastic Fest. The movie will premiere on the streaming platform in 2023 in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.