Czech Republic, Location for Ana de Armas’ ‘Ballerina,’ Proposes Reforms to Production Incentives Including 2% Tax on Media (EXCLUSIVE)

Jason Aldean isfacing significant backlash after the music video for his song "Try That in a Small Town" was released last Friday — and now the production company behind the project is defending its controversial filming location. The 46-year-old country star's detractors have slammed the song's lyrics, which some perceived as having racial undertones and promoting a "pro-lynching" message, but the singer has strongly denied the claims.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Executives at Paramount-owned, Tel Aviv-based Ananey Studios were stunned when they realized that they couldn’t find a single transgender actor to audition for “The Malevolent Bride,” a series they produced with A+E Studios. Within a year, this sudden awareness pushed Ananey’s creative director Elad Sonego (pictured) and Paramount to set up Israel’s first transgender acting school in partnership with Nissan Nativ Acting Studio and Jason Danino Holt, a director and playwright. Since launching in 2022, the school has graduated six actors, including Malki who plays the leading role in “The Malevolent Bride” which was ordered by Kan 11, the public broadcaster. Set in present-day Jerusalem, the series unfolds in a Hasidic community that’s haunted by vengeful spirit and examines the complexities of traditional gender roles in orthodox communities.

Model Gigi Hadid was reportedly arrested July 10 after allegedly arriving to the Grand Cayman Islands with marijuana in her possession. "Gigi was traveling with marijuana purchased legally in NYC with a medical license," a representative for Hadid confirmed to People magazine. "It has also been legal for medical use in Grand Cayman since 2017.

Gigi Hadid is enjoying her vacation in the Cayman Islands following her arrest last week. The 28-year-old model and her friend, Leah McCarthy, were arrested and then released in the Cayman Islands after customs officials found marijuana in their possession. «Gigi was traveling with marijuana purchased legally in New York City with a medical license. It has also been legal for medical use in Grand Cayman since 2017.

Gigi Hadid’s girls trip didn’t get off to the best start.

reported on July 18. The arrest took place on July 10 at Owen Roberts International Airport; the supermodel has since been released from custody. According to local news outlet , Hadid and a friend were arrested after customs officials found “ganja and utensils used for the consumption of ganja” in their luggage after they arrived via private plane.

Gigi Hadid's vacation began with a little hiccup!Last week, the 28-year-old model and her friend, Leah McCarthy, were arrested and then released in the Cayman Islands after customs officials found marijuana in their possession. «Gigi was traveling with marijuana purchased legally in New York City with a medical license. It has also been legal for medical use in Grand Cayman since 2017.

Not the best start to a summer girls’ trip!

Gigi Hadid and her friend, Leah Nicole McCarthy, were arrested in the Cayman Islands.

Naman Ramachandran After the success of the Indian version of “The Night Manager,” The Ink Factory is planning further Indian adaptations of John le Carré novels. Produced by The Ink Factory and Banijay Asia, the Hindi-language series created and directed by Sandeep Modi and headlined by Anil Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapur, emerged as the most watched series ever across all Hotstar specials on Indian streamer Disney+ Hotstar. One of the most renowned writers in the espionage genre, le Carré, who died in 2020, left behind a legacy of 25 novels, managed by The Ink Factory. They have spawned numerous adaptations, including an English-language “The Night Manager” from BBC/AMC in 2016.

Thania Garcia Nearly four months after its release, Myke Towers’ “Lala” (One World/Warner Latina) has become the Puerto Rican rapper’s first-ever global No. 1 single. The track, which sonically borders pop and reggaeton, has been on the ascent on social media and across DSPs in the last week despite the fact that it was released as part of Towers’ 23-song “La Vida Es Una” album way back in March. The song experienced an increased and unforeseen popularity after going viral on TikTok, and while it is virtually impossible to predict what will happen next, Towers has plans to make the most of the boost in tandem with entertainment executive Brandon Silverstein.

Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford wrote himself into the history books with a last-minute penalty save to hand England the European under-21 Championships on Saturday evening.

Guy Lodge Film Critic You have to admire the moxie of authors and filmmakers who set their science-fiction spectaculars in the very near future, essentially confronting viewers with what may seem a pretty outlandish forecast for their own lives. Those that pull it off present us with possibilities resonant enough to ponder, even when they’re too far-fetched to actively fear: So it proves in “Restore Point,” a sharp, high-shine sci-fi outing from the Czech Republic, in which earthly life after death is routine, a cellular rather than spiritual matter. Set in an unspecified (though Czech-speaking) central Europe in the year 2041, director Robert Hloz’s whopper of a calling-card debut may offer a more credibly subdued, budget-constrained visual of the mid-21st century than the lavishly built “Blade Runner 2049” — unless we’re in for a drastic design (r)evolution over the course of the 2040s — but its ideas are sky-high in concept. Marrying glossy mainstream genre aesthetics to probing, elaborately conceived speculative storytelling, this is a notably ambitious and auspiciously well-realized first feature for Hloz: the kind that appears to be flaunting his capabilities for even bigger international and Hollywood assignments.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Bradley Cooper wants to bring a new slate of “real people telling real stories” to your earbuds. The actor and filmmaker’s Lea Pictures production company signed a multiyear audio deal with iHeartPodcasts, the podcast division of iHeartMedia. The collaboration will encompass several co-produced shows including “The Good Stuff Podcast,” which debuted earlier this month and marks Lea Pictures’ first audio project. Cooper will serve as executive producer for the entire slate, which will be distributed by iHeartPodcasts on the iHeartRadio app and other audio platforms. “Sharing stories that inspire, motivate and resonate is one of the reasons I started Lea Pictures, and I’m excited to team up with iHeartPodcasts to bring them to life for millions of listeners,” Cooper said in a statement provided to Variety. “Our shows will feature real people telling real stories, and we knew iHeart was the perfect partner to reach as many people as possible. I look forward to dreaming up more extraordinary stories together.”

Lana Del Rey is set to close this year’s BST Hyde Park series with a headline performance. Check out the support acts and stage times below.Currently on tour around Europe, the pop star will be returning to the UK for her first performance following her set at Glastonbury, and closing out the 2023 series of BST Hyde Park with a headline set on Sunday (July 9).Yesterday (July 4), the singer finally revealed the names of her support acts for the upcoming show, including Father John Misty and Gang Of Youths.On Sunday, the first act performing on the main stage — named the Great Oak — will be French pianist Riopy, who will begin his performance at 2:30pm.

Simu Liu celebrated the long weekend in true Canadian fashion — at the lake.

Warning: This post contains plot spoilers from “Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken.”Lana Condor, who voices the lead in “Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken,” finds Dreamworks’ first female title character very relatable.Ruby lives in Oceanside with her family, who disguise their secret Kraken identities by claiming they moved from Canada. Unaware of her Kraken lineage, she worries more about typical teenage things like the boy she has a crush on, Connor (Jaboukie Young-White) and the upcoming prom that she wants to attend with her friends.“I’ve always wanted to work with DreamWorks. I think like so.

Prince Harry and Prince William came together this week at the Diana Award ceremony, an organization that honors their late mother’s charitable legacy, but didn’t actually meet in person.  William spoke in a prerecorded message at the beginning of the virtual ceremony, congratulating the winners, which he said showed the "power of young people to inspire meaningful change." He continued, "And to everyone watching, all these stories remind us why organizations like The Diana Award are so important. It is a reminder that when we invest in young people, when we provide them with the tools and opportunities to make a difference, they can truly change the world.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.”Mohammed Kamel, 46, was “one of the bad guys” who had the honor of being struck with a booze bottle by none other than “Fleabag” actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge.And the six-week stint, he revealed, earned him a bigger paycheck than his role as an educator.“What you make in a month teaching, you do that in a week or five days of acting,” Kamal, who comes from “humble beginnings,” told Metro UK. “It’s four times or five times as good.

EXCLUSIVE: As the 57th edition of the Czech Republic’s Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) kicks off Friday, there will be renewed interest in the central European country’s local industry, particularly the curious case surrounding its incentive program for international productions.