Travis Fimmel Returning to Australian Crime Drama ‘Black Snow,’ Drops First Images

Zico and BLACKPINK member Jennie have released their new collaboration, titled ‘Spot!’.The music video for ‘Spot!’ features Zico and BLACKPINK’s Jennie performing the song on a variety of sets, from a photo studio to a recording booth. Later, the duo gather with friends on a roof-top for a late-night party.“As soon as I finished making the track, I knew it was executed to perfection without a doubt,” Zico said of ‘Spot!’ in a press release.

Ellen DeGeneres is back on tour with her stand-up comedy routine!

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Australian police said on Thursday that they had arrested Orpheus Pledger, an actor known for his role on long-running soap “Home and Away.” His failure to appear in court on Tuesday led to the issue of an arrest warrant and a public call for help. Variety has reached out to Pledger’s agent Craig McMahon for comment. Pledger appeared in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Monday, charged with four counts of assault.

Alex Ritman Multi award-winning Filipina actress Ruby Ruiz has landed her first major screen role following her appearance in Amazon’s “Expats.” She will lead “First Light,” the feature directorial debut of James. J.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Epic war-time survival tale “The Guns of Muschu” has already assembled a weighty cast ahead of a production start in the first quarter of 2025. The film is an adaptation of the non-fiction book “The Guns of Muschu,” written by Don Dennis, with an adapted screenplay by Tom Broadhurst and Jack Brislee (“Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan”). The narrative brings to life a pivotal chapter of Australian war history with gritty authenticity, recounting the high body count Operation Copper, a mission during WWII when Australian and New Zealand troops were sent into the jungles of Papua New Guinea. The objective of the mission was to investigate the Japanese defenses on Muschu Island, capture a Japanese officer for interrogation and discover the location of two naval guns on the island that were protecting a harbor.

EXCLUSIVE: Horror film Stream, from the producers of the breakout Terrifier franchise, has secured an August 21 U.S., Canada and Mexico theatrical release via Iconic Events Releasing.

In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo grows out his handlebar mustache and puts on a southern accent to discuss “Blood for Dust” with star Kit Harington (“Game of Thrones,” “Eternals”). The movie follows a struggling salesman with a troubled criminal past who is pulled back into a string of crimes by a former colleague, leading to a trail of blood…and dust.

Australian producers are “at risk” of becoming “slaves” to international streamers, a top industry body has warned, as the debate around regulation heats up in the country.

The 19th edition of the International Youth Media Summit (IYMS) will be held in Zanzibar in July. 

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Rachel Perkins has been appointed as chair of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS) council for a period of three years. She follows previous chairs Russell Howcroft and Debra Richards. AFTRS is Australia’s leading specialist education, training and research institution, supporting excellence in Australian screen and audio storytelling. “Rachel is one of Australia’s leading storytellers, particularly when it comes to First Nations stories,” said Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke. A graduate of AFTRS, writer, director and producer, Perkins founded Blackfella Films, which has gone onto become one of Australia’s leading production companies.

The Australian drama Heartbreak High premieres it’s second season this week!

Oscar-winning filmmaker Sebastián Lelio has wrapped production on musical film The Wave (La Ola) inspired by the wave of feminist civil disobedience that swept Chile in the spring of 2018.

Annika Pham Boutique world sales outfit The Yellow Affair has boarded the Portuguese crime thriller “Irreversible,” produced by prestige outfit Caracol Studios for pubcaster RTP. The upcoming six-part TV show was showcased among 10 exclusive titles at this week’s MipDrama at MipTV in Cannes.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent New York-based group FilmRise has dropped a gripping first trailer for “Missing From Fire Trail Road,” Sabrina Van Tassel (“The State of Texas vs. Melissa“)’s documentary film about the crimes against indigenous women.

EXCLUSIVE: Jana McKinnon (Bad Behaviour) is among new cast joining Travis Fimmel on the second season of Australian mystery-drama series Black Snow.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor French broadcaster M6 has greenlit a French-language adaptation of Turkish crime drama “Persona,” to be titled “Mémoire Vive.” Instead of a male protagonist, as in the Turkish version, it will have a female main character, Esther Lefevre, to be played by Clementine Celarie, whose credits include “Six Women,” “Betty Blue” and “Two Is a Family.” “Mémoire Vive,” which will comprise four hour-long episodes, is being produced by Calt Studio. It is written by Laurent Burtin (“Astrid: Murder in Paris”), Anne-Gaëlle Daval (“Ladies”) and Hélène Lombard (“Call My Agent!”).

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Lord of the Rings,” “Elvis” and “Faraway Downs” star David Wenham is to reprise one of other his best-known roles in upcoming feature “SPIT.” The picture is a sequel to 2003 comedy crime thriller “Gettin’ Square,” in which Wenham played Johnny ‘Spit’ Spitteri, a recently-released ex-convict and Sam Worthington (“Avatar”) played an older brother trying to keep the kid out of trouble. Production of “SPIT” has got underway in Gold Coast and Brisbane, Queensland and will continue through May. The new film is directed by ‘Gettin’ Square” and “The Railway Man” director Jonathan Teplitzky, from a screenplay by Queensland-based writer and lawyer Christopher Nyst. It is produced by Trish Lake of Queensland-based Freshwater Pictures alongside Greg Duffy, Felicity McVay and Wenham. It received major production investment from Screen Australia with local distribution by Transmission Films and international rights sales managed by Moviehouse Entertainment.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Romantic comedy series “Top End Bub” will begin production next month in Australia as a sequel to hit 2019 feature film “Top End Wedding.” Stars Miranda Tapsell (“The Sapphires”) and Gwilym Lee (“Bohemian Rhapsody”) will reprise their roles. The series is created, executive produced and written by “Top End Wedding” writers Joshua Tyler and Tapsell and produced by Goalpost Pictures.

EXCLUSIVE: Australian streamer Stan will bring Hotel Cocaine to its subscribers at the same time as the show launches in the U.S. having boarded the series. The show hails from Chris Brancato, creator of Narcos and Godfather of Harlem, who has described his new drama as “Casablanca on cocaine.”

Masterpiece PBS and the BBC have released first look photos from Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, an adaptation of the final novel in Hilary Mantel’s award-winning trilogy.