Listen to Debby Friday’s exclusive playlist to accompany The Cover

EXCLUSIVE: In a competitive situation, Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company have nabbed The Best Christmas Pageant ever which The Chosen creator/producer/director Dallas Jenkins will direct and adapt from Barbara Robinson’s comedic family book and play. Cameras roll next month in Canada for a 2024 holiday theatrical release.

DragonForce and melodic death metal band Arch Enemy vocalist Alissa White-Gluz have become the latest acts to cover a Taylor Swift song – watch their performance below.This past weekend (November 5), while performing in Montreal, Canada, DragonForce brought out Alissa White-Gluz as a special guest to perform a special cover of Taylor Swift’s hit song, ‘Wildest Dreams’.While this isn’t the first time DragonForce have covered ‘Wildest Dreams’ on their ongoing tour, it is the first time that a guest vocalist has joined them for the performance. For the joint cover, Alissa White-Gluz provides guttural backing vocals and sings the song’s second verse as confetti canons go off.Watch DragonForce’s cover of Taylor Swift’s ‘Wildest Dreams’ featuring Alissa White-Gluz below.DragonForce and Alissa White-Gluz are the latest high-profile acts to cover Taylor Swift following Pendulum, who reworked ‘Anti-Hero’ into a DnB track, and Counting Crows, who covered ‘The 1’ at a live show.Taylor Swift most recently released ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ in late October.

Ellise Shafer Cineflix Media, a leading independent producer and distributor, is expanding its operations by opening a Vancouver branch of Cineflix Studios run by industry veteran Mark Miller. The Vancouver office will “focus on producing and co-producing scripted series, movies, and factual content for North American and international streamers and broadcasters,” according to a press release.

K.J. Yossman Miriam Margolyes, who played Professor Sprout in the “Harry Potter” film franchise, is lending her voice to a new kids project titled “Badjelly,” Variety can confirm. Based on the Spike Milligan children’s book “Badjelly the Witch: A Fairy Story,” the animated series will bring to life Milligan’s original tale about two siblings who go searching for a lost cow – and stumble upon a cast of magical creatures.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Studiocanal and Universal Pictures are re-releasing Richard Curtis’ holiday classic “Love Actually” worldwide this year in a new 4K restoration. The Working Title film, whose all-star cast includes Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Bill Nighy and Liam Neeson, will also be released on home video and digitally in the U.S. and France.

Bob Dylan delighted his fans with a surprise cover of Leonard Cohen’s classic song ‘Dance Me to the End of Love’ at his Montreal concert on Sunday, October 29.The cover was performed live for the first time by Dylan, who had previously released the cover on his website and YouTube channel as part of his ongoing series of ‘Murder Most Foul’ playlists. Watch fan-filmed footage of the performance below.The cover received a standing ovation from the audience at the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Place des Arts, where Dylan performed as part of his ‘Rough and Rowdy Ways’ Tour.

Ed Meza @edmezavar Quiver Distribution has picked up Uwe Boll’s crime drama “First Shift” for the U.S., Canada and selected international territories. The pic, which stars Kristen Renton (“Sons of Anarchy”) and Gino Anthony Pesi (“Shades of Blue”) as two mismatched New York City cops forced to work as partners, has also sold in Eastern Europe, Benelux, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Turkey and the Baltics.

reportedly of drowning in his hot tub. While the exact cause of death hasn’t been released, foul play is not suspected. The actor had struggles with addiction and sobriety for years, which he spoke openly about.

abrupt passing of Matthew Perry at the age of 54. Colleagues, devoted fans, and friends alike have expressed their profound grief and bid a final farewell to the beloved star renowned for his portrayal of Chandler Bing in the iconic sitcom, Friends. Through their public social media profiles, they have shared heartfelt messages brimming with affection.

before his untimely death on Saturday.The “Friends” star, who was found unresponsive at his Los Angeles home, made his final major public appearance on June 9 at the Stade Roland-Garros in Paris, where he watched the semifinals with a group of friends. Photos from the star-studded tournament capture the “Fools Rush In” star, 54, laughing and clapping along as he watched the players. In 2002, the “17 Again” star told The New York Times that he had loved the sport since the age of 4 and would dedicate almost 10 hours a day to improving his own game.

Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was one of many to pay tribute to Matthew Perry shortly after the “Friends” star was found dead at age 54 on Saturday.Trudeau and Perry went to elementary school together. Perry’s other, Suzanne Morrison, was also press secretary to Trudeau’s father, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.“Matthew Perry’s passing is shocking and saddening. I’ll never forget the schoolyard games we used to play, and I know people around the world are never going to forget the joy he brought them,” Trudeau wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.“Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew,” he continued.

Matthew Perry, star of the hit US comedy series Friends, has been found dead at his Los Angeles home aged 54.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Paramount+ has released a first-look clip of the event special “South Park: Joining the Panderverse.” The opening of the clip (which can be seen below) sees Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny being played by a group of diverse women. As it turns out, the whole sequence is a nightmare of Cartman’s. His mother tries to comfort him, but he insists she check under the bed to make sure “there’s no Disney executives under there,” namely Kathleen Kennedy.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Roadside Attractions and Samuel Goldwyn Films have acquired U.S. rights to “Bring Him to Me,” a mob thriller starring Barry Pepper (“Saving Private Ryan”) and Sam Neill (“Jurassic Park”). The film will open in select theaters and on digital on Jan.

Frontiers in Pain Research, Darius Valevicius – the first author of the research from McGill University in Montreal, Canada – found that while listening to a preferred artist may lead to a reduction of pain equal to painkillers, music that produces “chills” has an even greater impact.“We can approximate that favourite music reduced pain by about one point on a 10-point scale, which is at least as strong as an over-the-counter painkiller like Advil [ibuprofen] under the same conditions. Moving music may have an even stronger effect,” he said (via The Guardian).The study conducted saw 63 healthy participants attend the Roy pain laboratory on the McGill campus, and researchers applied heat akin to a hot cup of coffee to their left arm.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief VVS Films, a leading Canada-based film distributor, will expand its operations to Australia and New Zealand. A24’s Nicolas Cage-starring comedy “Dream Scenario” is set as its first title for the new markets and will release on Jan. 1, 2024.

“Dancing With The Stars Live” will return to stages all over North America with special guest Julianne Hough appearing on select dates.As of now, the classic reality show turned thrilling live experience has 64 performances planned including five in New York and three in New Jersey.The five New York stops will take place at Brookville’s Tilles Center for Performing Arts on Jan. 16, White Plains’ The Westchester County Center on Jan. 17, Verona’s Turning Stone Resort Casino on Jan.

Amazon is entering The 1% Club.

Streaming series, The Chosen, which follows the life of Jesus Christ will see all of its episodes in season 4 play first in theaters this coming February. Fathom Events is distributing. After the full-season run in theaters, The Chosen will see its debut across streaming platforms including The Chosen TV and mobile apps, broadcast and cable TV.  

Madonna performing her 1978 hit ‘I Will Survive’ during the opening of her ‘Celebration’ tour in London over the weekend.The disco singer wrote on X that she was pleased the Queen of Pop is “in good health” following a serious bacterial infection that caused the postponement of the ‘Celebration’ tour, and then noted with a wink Madonna’s “excellent taste in music”.“…@Madonna congratulations on the launch of #TheCelebrationTour at the @TheO2 So happy that you are in good health and ready to have a holiday with fans around the world! By the way, you have excellent taste in music! #gloriagaynor #madonna #iwillsurvive,” Gaynor wrote online in reference to the ‘I Will Survive’ cover.Madonna performed ‘I Will Survive’ after praising her children for supporting her while she was ill earlier this year.