‘Versailles’ Star Alexander Vlahos to Lead Indie Climate Crisis Drama ‘Hearts of Salt,’ Set in Sicily and Tunisia

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Elon Musk’s Twitter has been accused of failing to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in severance to laid-off workers. Now, under a new ad-revenue sharing program, the company just doled out millions to high-profile Twitter users, including controversial right-wing figure Andrew Tate and left-leaning twin brothers Ed and Brian Krassenstein. Twitter announced the ad-revenue sharing program for creators, initially on an invitation-only basis, on Thursday. The company said eligible creators will be paid a share of ad revenue starting in the replies to their posts. “This is part of our effort to help people earn a living directly on Twitter,” the company said in a blog post about the program.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Federico Fellini’s post-war immigration story “Napoli-New York,” which was penned for the big screen by the famed director but never produced, is set to become a graphic novel written by French comic book writer Jean-David Morvan. Meanwhile, as previously announced, cameras are rolling in Naples on the movie version by Oscar-winning director Gabriele Salvatores. Fellini co-wrote the tale with his frequent collaborator Tullio Pinelli, a writer on the Italian maestro’s “La Dolce Vita” and “8 1/2,” as well as other titles. Turin-based media company Arancia Studio has now attached the prolific Morvan – who has written more than 250 books that have sold millions of copies – for the graphic novel adaptation.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Jane Campion, Laura Poitras, Mia Hansen-Løve and Martin McDonagh are among high-caliber members of the Venice Film Festival’s main jury. The prominent directors, most of whom are Venice regulars – Poitras last year scored the Golden Lion with documentary “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” – will be joined on the Venice jury panel by Palestinian actor Saleh Bakri (“Wajib”); Chinese star Shu Qi (“The Assassin”); Italian director Gabriele Mainetti, who was at Venice last year with “Freaks Out”; and Argentinian auteur Santiago Mitre whose “Argentina, 1985” also launched from the Lido last year. They will join Damien Chazelle who – as previously announced – will serve as president of the Venice competition jury. 

EXCLUSIVE: Miles Brown (Black-ish) and Andrew Koji (Bullet Train, Warrior) are set to star in Electric Panda Entertainment and Gold Star Productions’ upcoming comedic action-thriller Sixteen. Emmy-nominated stunt coordinator/action director Brett Chan (Netflix’s Wednesday, Max’s Warrior) will be making his feature directorial debut from a screenplay by Jason Bourque (Insomnia), Phillip Mitchell and David Zanardi (A Wine Country Christmas). Production is set to begin in winter 2023 in Vancouver.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Rome’s iconic monuments are getting lots of mileage in Hollywood movies this summer. Since May, the Eternal City has hosted the world premieres of “Fast X” and “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” two blockbusters that burned rubber and wreaked havoc on its cobblestoned streets. Universal held its “Fast X” red carpet in the Roman Forum’s Temple of Venus, with the Colosseum as a backdrop, in early May. Weeks later, Paramount descended for the June premiere of “M:I 7,” with Tom Cruise prancing down the same Spanish Steps that serve as the setting for spectacular car chases in both movies.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Netflix has released first-look images of limited series “The Leopard,” based on the classic Sicily-set novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa that marks the streamer’s most ambitious Italian original to date. Production on the lavish historical tapestry with elements comparable to “Downton Abbey” or “The Crown” – and potential to make a global mark – is currently underway in the Sicilian cities of Palermo, Syracuse and Catania. The show is a modern take on the sensual Sicilian saga famously adapted into a film by Luchino Visconti starring Claudia Cardinale, Alain Delon and Burt Lancaster. The movie, now an Italian cinema classic, won the 1963 Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

TheWrap: You play a famous writer who’s quite mercurial and manipulative. How would you describe him?Richard E. Grant: Self-entitled old literary lion who is facing writer’s block.What did you think of the character when you first got the script?Anybody who is on a sort of self-appointed high pedestal and then comes crashing down, that is interesting to play, and even more delicious to witness.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Unlike in the U.K., Spain and Sweden — where kings and queens are still formally heads of state — Italy’s royal family, the House of Savoy, no longer rules. The last heir to the Italian throne, Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy and his family were forced into exile in 1946, when the prince was 9. That year, the Italian people voted in a referendum about whether the monarchy should continue. They chose to create a republic and punished the royals for failing to save their country from Mussolini’s fascist regime. The Savoys were allowed to return in 2003 after 57 years of exile. In 1978, Vittorio Emanuele – the king who never was – got into trouble while he and his wife and kids were living on the island of Cavallo, on the south coast of Corsica, France. As reconstructed from eyewitness interviews in a new Netflix documentary, on a hot August night he became enraged when some loud “shitty Italians” “borrowed” the dinghy off his yacht and tied it to another nearby boat. Fuming, he took a rifle, went to one of their boats and, after shots from his rifle rang out – that were just meant to scare – someone got hurt. Dirk Hamer, a 19-year-old sleeping on another boat nearby, died of gunshot injuries in early December. Though it was never legally proven that Vittorio Emanuele killed Hamer, this incident had a big impact on the prince’s life.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Those who were hoping for “Succession”-style infighting following Silvio Berlusconi’s death may be disappointed. The will of Italy’s media-mogul and former prime minister – who died on June 12 at age 86 – was partly made public on Thursday. What emerged is that his eldest children, Marina and Pier Silvio, will together continue to control his business empire estimated to be worth around $6.8 billion, according to Forbes. But, according to a statement issued by his five chilren, “No shareholder will exercise overall individual indirect control of Fininvest SpA previously exercised by their father.” Fininvest is the Berlusconi family holding company.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Sky Italia celebrated its 20-year anniversary on Tuesday by announcing a rich slate of upcoming originals, including a second season of the Italian adaptation of “Call My Agent,” which will see “The White Lotus” star Sabrina Impacciatore joining the cast. The Sky Italia originals slate comprises previously announced high-end drama “M. Son of the Century” by British director Joe Wright, alongside less lavish shows in various stages – most of which have international potential. It underscores how the Italian unit of the Comcast-owned pay-TV service continues to be a major Italian industry driver. While Sky’s German unit, which is believed to be up for sale, has put production on pause, Sky Italia is cranking out Italian originals through the platform’s Sky Studios unit at a steady pace, showing no signs of a slowdown.

Christine Brown is getting unexpected encouragement.

Christine Brown got a touching message from a flight attendant and fan on Thursday. The 51-year-old star shared some photos of herself and her fiancé, David Woolley, on a recent vacation, but it was a handwritten note from a flight attendant that really moved her. «Went on a trip with @david__woolley and look at the sweet message from a lovely airline attendant #loveofmylife #blessed #stillengaged #thankful #mademyday #overwhelmed,» Christine wrote. The message was dated from Thursday flight from Atlanta, Georgia, to Salt Lake City, and read: «Ms.

The sci-fi thriller series Silo has wrapped its first season on Apple TV, where it debuted as the No. 1 drama in the history of streamer. And boy, do we have questions.

PEOPLE, Cameron Diaz is deeply concerned about her co-star Jamie Foxx’s recent health crisis. Diaz, who stars alongside Foxx in Netflix’s upcoming movie Back in Action, was devastated when the filming was temporarily halted on April 12 due to Foxx’s health scare that landed him in the hospital.

Taylor Sheridan may have populated 1923 with mega-stars but it wasn’t just Harrison Ford or Helen Mirren who blew away viewers with a stirring performance. For the first time on TV, Sheridan depicted the dark legacy of Catholic boarding schools and how they dehumanized young indigenous women — one of whom is played by the courageous Aminah Nieves. While the Duttons were busy saving the ranch in one part of Montana, Nieves’ Teonna Rainwater was being held prisoner by savage, paddle-swinging nuns in another. Here, the Indiana-born newcomer recalls how hard it was to decide whether to accept such a life-changing role.

Katie Reul editor The official trailer for Sony’s “Dumb Money” has dropped, shedding light on how a group of amateur investors artificially increased the stock value of GameStop, the popular video game retailer. The short squeeze occurred in January 2021 after Reddit users on a page called “Wall Street Bets” united to catalyze a market explosion. As a result, significant hedge funds and independent short sellers incurred devastating financial loss. Based on author Ben Mezrich’s “The Antisocial Network,” “Dumb Money” similarly centers around the Reddit users behind the phenomenon with actors Seth Rogen, Paul Dano, Sebastian Stan and Pete Davidson in lead roles.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent “Prince Aden,” a new drama by Italian directing duo Gianluca and Massimiliano De Serio, known internationally for their immigration-themed “Seven Acts of Mercy,” is among projects selected by Locarno’s Alliance for Development initiative. The platform, now in its 8th year, is geared towards fostering co-productions between France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. Inspired by the book “Partigiani d’Oltremare,” by Italian historian Matteo Petracci, the De Serio twins’ new colonial-era film follows the vicissitudes of a 16-year-old Somali named Aden Sicré who in 1935 becomes a soldier in the Italian army that invaded Ethiopia on Mussolini’s orders. In an unexpected turn, he becomes hailed as a war hero by the Fascist regime. Then a few years later Aden and other African fighters play a pivotal role in the partisan struggle against fascism in Europe.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent The Filming ItalySardegna Festival that kicks off Italy’s summer moviegoing season will play a prominent role in the ongoing push to lure Italians back into movie theaters, just as the country’s box office is starting to gain traction.    A robust roster of talents from Hollywood and Italy and a solid lineup of premieres are booked for this event, which combines film and TV and unspools June 22-25 in the Forte Village resort near Cagliari, capital of Sardegna (Sardinia in English). The fest is set to take place just as the Italian government starts to invest €20 million ($22 million) to promote moviegoing through a campaign called Cinema Revolution, under which cinema tickets will be half-price for a limited time. 

Love Island USA” is set to premiere on July 18 exclusively on Peacock, the streamer announced Wednesday.  The fifth season of “Love Island USA” will take place in Fiji with an all-new group of singles. Throughout the season, islanders will compete in challenges, face temptations and forge new relationships. Each week, new episodes will be available for streaming six days a week.  “Love Island USA” stands as Peacock’s most-streamed original reality competition series, heightening the anticipation for the show’s fifth season. David George, Adam Sher, Simon Thomas, Ben Thursby-Palmer, Andy Cadman, Iona Mackenzie and Claudine Parrish serve as executive producers, alongside Tom Gould, Richard Cowles, Mike Spencer, Richard Foster and Chet Fenster. The series is produced by ITV Entertainment. 

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent British actor Jefferson Hall (“House of the Dragons,” “Oppenheimer”) will soon appear on screen in Emirati director Nayla Al Khaja’s psychological thriller “Three,” about a young boy who appears to be possessed. Al Khaja – who is known for standout shorts including horror film “The Shadow” and “Animal” that both play on Netflix – has just wrapped the independently-produced “Three,” her debut feature, which was shot in Thailand. Besides, Hall, “Three” also stars Faten Ahmed; Noura Alabed (“Wiladah”); veteran U.A.E. actor Mari Al Halyan (“On Borrowed Time”); Mohannad Bin Huthail (“Rashash”) and emerging Emirati talent Saud Alzarooni.