Nikolaj Arcel’s Epic Drama ‘The Bastard’ Assembles Stellar Nordic Cast for Zentropa

A massive brawl broke out at a high school in Baltimore County recently as parents and community activists raise the alarm on children's safety.  Cell phone video captured by a bystander shows two groups of students swinging wildly at each other in the hallways of Lansdowne High School.  Lansdowne High School educates about 1,345 students in Baltimore County, Maryland.  (Google Maps) The school's principal tried to break up the altercation and was attacked, according to Fox 45. "How can our kids learn when they're in this fight or flight mode? We wonder why the grades and proficiency levels are down so low because how can these kids learn when they're surrounded by violence," Darren Badillo, a Baltimore County Parent and Student Coalition member, told the local news outlet.  Testing has shown that many students in Baltimore are falling behind.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Duran Duran have confirmed details of a brand-new, 75 minute docu-concert film titled “A Hollywood High,” that captures the band performing live on a rooftop in Los Angeles, alongside interviews and archival footage that tells the story of their long-time relationship with the city. The film will be released in theaters on November 3, 2022.  “For our first US show in several years we wanted to do something really special and intimate,” explains keyboardist Nick Rhodes.  “After considering many options, a rooftop performance quickly became the frontrunner. It was post-pandemic, we had never done anything like that before, and we had just released a new album.  Somehow it seemed like a magical doorway to the next part of our journey.”

Florian Zeller said he was impressed and moved by Hugh Jackman’s “honesty and humility” when he received a letter from the Hollywood star asking to be cast in his latest film. The Son is the follow-up to Zeller’s two-time Academy Award winning film The Father, which starred Sir Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman. The new drama features Jackman in the title role opposite Vanessa Kirby, Laura Dern and Zen McGrath, as well as the return of Sir Anthony in a minor role.

Kenneth Branagh has set another A-list ensemble for his next Agatha Christie adaptation with Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Jude Hill, Ali Khan, Emma Laird, Kelly Reilly, Riccardo Scamarico and Michelle Yeoh joining the cast of A Haunting In Venice for 20th Century. Branagh is set to reprise his role as Inspector Hercule Poirot and will also return to direct the pic. Michael Green adapted the script, which is based on Christie’s Hallowe’en Party, with production currently under way at Pinewood Studios outside of London.

“Star Trek: Picard” premiered at New York Comic-Con ahead of its release on Paramount+ this coming February. The entire “TNG” cast was on-hand at NYCC to present the teaser, including Patrick Stewart, Gates McFadden, Jonathan Frakes, Mariana Sirtis, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn and Brent Spiner. The final season will see the Enterprise-D crew, along with “Star Trek: Voyager” alum Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) take on enemies from their past.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent France tv distribution has boarded “Sweetheart” (“Chouchou”), an eight-part drama series produced by well-known Quebec-based company Passez Go. Written by Simon Boulerice, the drama show revolves around Chanelle, a 38-year-old teacher who is happily married with two children. Her life unravels after she meets Sandrick, a 17-year-old teenager who has just been transferred to her class, and falls under his charm. Chanelle tries to help Sandrick as he struggles at home with his dysfunctional mother, but their relationship turns into an illicit and passionate affair that leaves no one unscathed. The series is directed by Félix Tétreault and Marie-Claude Blouin (“Le Chalet”).

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Pulsar Content and XYZ Films have dropped the trailer for “Tropic,” Edouard Salier sci-fi drama which world premiered at Fantastic Fest and will next play in competition at Sitges on Oct. 9. Penned by Salier and Mauricio Carrasco, the film follows Lázaro and Tristán, two twin brothers and best friends who are training together for the Astronaut Academy entrance tests. One day, Tristán is contaminated with some mysterious residue which makes him monstrous physically and weakened mentally. This disaster forces Lázaro to let go of how he remembers his brother and learn to love him as he is now, in a world where there is no room for monsters.

Ann Dorn, whose husband David Dorn was killed during the 2020 riots that stemmed from George Floyd's death, called out Democrats, including Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., for still supporting the "defund police" movement.  Dorn pointed out the hypocrisy of Bush's support of anti-police rhetoric on "Fox & Friends First" Thursday. "I find it funny that she says ‘defund the police.’ But yet, she spends $400,000-$700,000 on security alone just for herself using police officers to do it.

EXCLUSIVE: Another Round creator Thomas Vinterberg’sdebut TV project has set cast and commenced principal photography.

Still Game star Jane McCarry reveals she once pleaded with airport staff after security found drugs in her luggage.

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.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Iceland’s leading production company Sagafilm Nordic has teamed with Swiss banner C-FILMS on “Codeword: Rubicon,” an espionage thriller series inspired by the infamous CIA operation involving the firm Crypto AG. Created by Hungarian director-writer Balazs Juszt(“I Love You, Too”), the eight-episode series has been commissioned by broadcaster Swiss Television (SRF). The show chronicles the story of how Crypto AG, a Swiss family-owned company manufacturing code-making machines founded in 1952 by a Swedish mathematician was secretly owned and operated by the CIA in partnership West German Intelligence services. From decades, the Swiss company sold equipment to more than 120 countries, including Iran and nuclear rivals India and Pakistan, and even the Vatican, according to the Washington Post. The role of the U.S. and West German intelligence was revealed by the Crypto Leaks.

EXCLUSIVE: Sean Penn, star of Milk and Gaslit, and Lost‘s Matthew Fox are set as leads of an Australian satirical comedy series for streaming service Stan. The pair will star in C*A*U*G*H*T, a six-part series from Kick Gurry (Edge of Tomorrow) that takes aim at fame and stardom.

Epik High‘s Tablo has shared that he has had to purchase his band’s merchandise at “huge resell markup”.The South Korean hip-hop trio previously announced that they would be producing limited edition vinyl of their 2019 mini-album ‘Sleepless In __________’. The vinyl run was strictly made to order, meaning fans who did not manage to pre-order their copies will not have the chance to purchase them again in the future.

“Heart of Stone” got its first sneak peek as part of Netflix’s Tudum event, with Gadot hyping the “extremely epic” film alongside co-stars Jamie Dornan and Alia Bhatt. Action thrillers have been a big part of Tudum, which showcases the streamer’s upcoming original series and films.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Birds will fly, fish will swim and Emily will be in Paris. Darren Star’s Emmy-nominated escapist romantic comedy “Emily in Paris” will launch its third season on Netflix on Dec. 21. The streamer announced the date and revealed a teaser for the upcoming season on Saturday morning during its Tudum virtual fan event. The new footage shows Emily (Lily Collins) as she finds herself at a crossroads in every aspect of her life, deciding the pathway she will choose regarding her work and love life. Emily will have to figure out exactly where her loyalties lie and what those decisions mean for her future in France, all while continuing to immerse herself in the adventurous lifestyle that wandering through the city of love provides. 

EXCLUSIVE: The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is set to be the latest center of crime fighting.

EXCLUSIVE: Game of Thrones alum Jerome Flynn has joined the cast of 1923, Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone prequel series at Paramount+.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Netflix has unveiled first look images of Darren Star’s Emmy-nominated hit show “Emily in Paris” season three. The show’s third and fourth seasons are currently filming in France. Netflix will be unveiling some special news on “Emily in Paris” on Sept. 24 during its virtual Tudum event. The third season brings back producer and star Lily Collins also returns Lily Collins, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Lucien Laviscount, Lucas Bravo, Ashley Park and Camille Razat, among others. Season three follows Emily as she finds herself at a crucial crossroads in every aspect of her life. Faced with two very different paths, Emily will have to decide exactly where her loyalties lie — at work and in her romantic life — and what those decisions mean for her future in France, all while continuing to immerse herself in the adventures and surprising twists and turns that life in Paris provides.  The first images unveiled today suggest Emily will reunite with her British boyfriend, played by Laviscount.

Zentropa Entertainments today announced that production has begun on Nikolaj Arcel’s new epic historical drama The Bastard, starring Mads Mikkelsen.