Tracy Morgan Says He GAINED Weight On Ozempic! Here's How That Can Happen...

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic Reviews will have to wait till the Cannes Film Festival kicks off on May 14, but it’s not too early for a critic to weigh in on this year’s lineup — or how it looks on paper, at least, and what the selection might say about the state of things. At the top of the press conference, festival director Thierry Frémaux noted that last year would be a tough edition to top.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent In what looks to be another robust year in the making, the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival will bring together several iconic filmmakers, including Francis Ford Coppola with “Megalopolis” starring Adam Driver, George Miller with “Furiosa” starring Anya Taylor-Joy, as well as George Lucas who will be feted with an honorary Palme d’Or. Kevin Costner will also be on hand with the first installment of his Western epic “Horizon, an American Saga.” Hollywood may have a lighter presence due to a combination of factors – including last year’s actors and writers strikes, which created production delays, as well as a tough economy — but this year’s festival will see no shortage of glamor and stars on the red carpet.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Strand Releasing has acquired the North American rights to Ray Yeung’s “All Shall Be Well,” which world premiered at this year’s Berlinale and won the Teddy Prize for best film. The movie played last week as the opening film at the Hong Kong Film Festival. “All Shall Be Well” chronicles the lives of two women, Angie and Pat, a couple living in Hong Kong who have been together for over four decades.

Producers in Southeast Asia are facing a very different, much quieter landscape to the one in front of them just 12 months ago, as U.S. players rein in their spending to appease shareholders, and neighboring countries such as Korea, Japan and India draw attention.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Worldwide box office is headed for a marginal decline of 3% in 2024, a setback that follows three years of recovery from a pandemic era low in 2020. Gower Street Analytics, a distribution and exhibition industry consultancy, forecasts that worldwide box office this year will aggregate at $32.3 billion, down by more than $1 billion from the $33.9 billion earned in 2023. “A $32.3 billion global box office in 2024 would represent an approximate 5% decrease year-on-year (a 3% decrease at current exchange rates) from 2023. The 2024 revised estimate is 18% lower than an average of the last three pre-pandemic years (2017-2019),” Gower Street said. The forecast comes on the eve of CinemaCon, the annual National Association of Theater Owners convention, being held in Las Vegas April 8-11. While Gower Street’s forecast is for a marginal decline, it actually represents a more than $1 billion improvement on its previous $31.5 million forecast for 2024.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Moved from its usual December berth last year, the 12th Panama International Film Festival (IFF Panama) runs April 4-7, replete with new industry activities and double the number of films since its previous edition. True to its mandate to serve as a showcase for Central American and Caribbean cinema, the festival’s program this year includes a bevy of acclaimed films from the region, including two Panamanian Indigenous-themed features, “Bila Burba” and “God is a Woman.” Recent years has seen the growing international recognition of pics from the region, with Nelson Carlo de los Santos becoming the first Dominican – and first Latin American – filmmaker to snag the best director Silver Bear at the Berlinale for his drama, “Pepe.” Costa Rican director Antonella Sudasassi Furniss’ sophomore feature, “Memories of a Burning Body,” clinched the Audience Award for best fiction film in the Panorama section of the A-list German festival.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Italy’s Cinecittà Studios, which have been undergoing a radical overhaul since 2021, recently released their fiscal 2023 results, which saw the Rome-based facilities turn a profit for the second year in a row after bleeding red ink for years. The iconic studios are being managed by Nicola Maccanico, a former Warner Bros.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Mario Van Peebles has been tapped to direct “That’ll Be the Day,” the story of how Buddy Holly and other musicians of the late 1950s helped give birth to rock ‘n’ roll and influence the wider societal and cultural landscape, including the civil rights movement. Music has been central to much of Van Peebles’ work, from his 1991 gangster movie “New Jack City” to his work on “Wu-Tang: An American Saga,” which he co-executive produced for Hulu.

Manchester United are back in Premier League action this weekend when they travel to Brentford on Saturday night.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Switzerland’s Locarno Film Festival is set to celebrate the centennial of Columbia Pictures with a retrospective featuring classic titles spawned by the Hollywood studio between the dawn of sound and the late 1950s. The Locarno retro, titled “The Lady With the Torch –– The Centenary of Columbia Pictures,” is being curated by Ehsan Khoshbakht, co-director of Italy’s Il Cinema Ritrovato festival, which is dedicated to cinematic treasures of the past and organized in partnership with Switzerland’s Cinémathèque Suisse.

Kneecap have shared new single ‘Fine Art’, as well as talking to NME about recent controversies and what to expect from their debut album.The Belfast rap trio have been making headlines recently after leading the Irish bands boycotting SXSW, in solidarity with Palestine and protest against the showcase festival’s sponsorship from the US military and weapons manufacturers. They’re currently in the midst of a North American tour, after making waves with their debut US TV performance with Jimmy Fallon.Now, ahead of the summer’s release of their self-titled movie starring Michael Fassbender, and long-awaited Toddla T-produced debut album ‘Fine Art’, the band have shared the record’s title track.

Mark Consuelos mixed up for Regis Philbin. On Tuesday, the Live With Kelly and Mark, host told his wife, Kelly Ripa, about a hilarious case of the mix-up that happened to him on Monday at the New York Knicks game.Consuelos attended the game at Madison Square Garden with Chris Rock,John McEnroe, and Tracy Morgan, who recently said he gained 40 pounds on Ozempic. They had the star treatment, eating at the owner’s lounge, which is when a woman confidently said he was Regis. “This lady thought I was Regis.

Erik ten Hag will hope that no other Manchester United player is added to the treatment room after the international break, ahead of the Premier League run-in.

Tracy Morgan was a guest on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, where he had a chaotic and hilarious interview quipping about the drug.Right when Morgan sat down, Fallon complimented Morgan and asked what he does to stay in shape. “Well that’s Ozempic,” the comedian responded. “But I’ve learned to out-eat Ozempic.

The eagerly anticipated musical Come From Away is coming to The Lowry Theatre.

Selome Hailu CBS and Paramount+ Australia have renewed “NCIS Sydney” for a second season. The series, which is the first international iteration of “NCIS,” debuted in November of 2023. It is the fifth series in the franchise, which includes the still-running “NCIS” and “NCIS: Hawai’i” along with “NCIS: Los Angeles” and “NCIS: New Orleans,” which have both concluded.

NBC is setting up another reality summer.

Naman Ramachandran Robert Schildhouse will serve in an expanded role at streamer BritBox International following the departure of global CEO Reemah Sakaan. Schildhouse, who previously had stints with Hulu and CBS, joined the streamer in 2022, with his most recent position being general manager, North America, and group editorial for BritBox International, where he was instrumental in driving the service’s business growth in the U.S. and Canada.

BritBox International has its new leader following BBC Studios‘ takeover of the streamer.

Studiocanal has announced a partnership with French production and sales company WTFilms (What The Films).