Belgium Showbiz Latest News and Updates

A man has been sentenced after CCTV footage captured the moment he kicked and threw a defenceless dog across a garden in a horrific attack.

Interim boss John O'Shea will be taking charge of the Republic of Ireland's friendly games in March. The former Manchester United player turned coach has been picked by the Football Association of Ireland to lead the team.

UK Music, which is the collective voice of the UK music industry, has urged Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to cut VAT in the spring Budget to throw the sector a “vital lifeline” and save venues that are threatened by closure.Tom Kiehl, UK Music’s Interim Chief Executive, has asked Hunt to use his Budget next Wednesday (March 6) to lower the current 20 per cent VAT rate on tickets to 10 per cent as a “boost for consumers, music professionals and venues”.The request to slash VAT is among the recommendations that UK Music has made to the Government in its Budget submission, which outlines the support the sector needs to grow (read it in full here).Currently, music fans in the UK must pay 20 per cent VAT on their tickets – almost double the EU average (10.3 per cent) and around triple the rate in countries like Belgium (six per cent) and Germany (seven per cent). ‌ The 20 per cent rate is the third highest rate of cultural ticketing in Europe. Gig-goers pay more tax on UK tickets than anywhere else in Europe, except Denmark and Lithuania.The calls come amid growing concerns for the future of grassroots venues.

Emiliano De Pablos “Professor T,” the crime series produced by Eagle Eye Drama, and starring Ben Miller (“Bridgerton”), has been greenlit for a fourth season by ITV and PBS Distribution. Attracting audiences of over four million viewers on ITV and making a successful debut on France 3, the highly acclaimed drama has been sold to almost 120 territories worldwide. Most recently, Telekom acquired rights in Germany, TV3 bought the series for Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova 1 for Moldova, and BBC and TVP for Poland.

Annika Pham Paris-based global distribution powerhouse Newen Connect has secured a first round of pre-sales on the French live-action drama series “Cats Eyes,” based on the original cult manga work ‘Cat’s Eye’ from Japanese artist Tsukasa Hojo. The female-led series, produced by Big Bang Production for top French commercial channel TF1, has been acquired by RTS for Switzerland and RTL for Belgium.

Breaking Bad star Laura Fraser and Malpractice‘s Ella Maisy Purvis will play a detective duo in six-part drama series Patience from Eagle Eye Drama, PBS Distribution and Beta Film.

Thania Garcia Los Angeles-based duo the Driver Era is hitting the road for a 17-city tour across North America. With over three albums to date, brothers Ross and Rocky Lynch will again begin touring on April 2 in Pittsburgh’s Roxian Theatre and hit venues in New York, New Jersey, Quebec and more before wrapping in Toronto on May 8.

EXCLUSIVE: The news when Deadline speaks to Lisa Kramer is the launch of a Paramount+ branded hub with African pay-TV giant MultiChoice. But a conversation with the President, International TV Licensing at Paramount Global Content Distribution (PGCD), offers a much wider insight into the world of TV in 2024.

Antiques Roadshow expert Mark Smith became rather emotional as he was asked to value a unique item during the show's visit to Newby Hall in Yorkshire. During the show, Mark was asked to value a gold medallion, but was unable to do due to its rather distressing origin. After taking a look at the medallion, which originated from 1955, Mark shared that it had been awarded to people who had lived through the Holocaust and escaped the concentration camps.

As Italian director Garrone steps on to the Academy Awards red carpet on March 10 with Best International Feature Film nominee Io Capitano, the real-life skipper who part inspired the drama will be watching and rooting for the film from afar.

Manchester City will be hoping that Kevin De Bruyne will be fit enough to feature in today's Premier League clash with AFC Bournemouth.

Philippe Clement refused to lose his cool when faced with the superstar threats of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

The King was left tickled pink by a well-wisher’s card showing a disgruntled dog recovering from medical treatment and telling him “at least you don’t have to wear a cone!”. Charles, 75, has been pictured looking through some of the 7,000 messages of support Buckingham Palace’s correspondence team has received from around the world since his cancer diagnosis. Many have shared their own stories about dealing with cancer or offered their good wishes and advice for a speedy recovery.

Manchester City will be hoping to move to within one point of Premier League leaders Liverpool when they face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday evening.

Justin Timberlake has announced a series of UK and European dates as part of his upcoming ‘The Forget Tomorrow’ world tour – find details below.The news comes alongside the release of the latest song from his upcoming album ‘Everything I Thought It Was’. Following on from ‘Selfish’ and ‘Sanctified’, Timberlake has now shared the track ‘Drown’, which you can check out below.

The Kinepolis Group – which operates 109 cinemas worldwide with 1,131 screens and more than 200,000 seats – has posted record results for 2023.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Italian singer-songwriter Margherita Vicario’s directorial debut “Gloria!” has scored a slew international sales ahead of its world premiere in the Berlin Film Festival competition. RAI Cinema International Distribution has sealed deals to nine territories on Vicario’s vibrant musical comedy set in a late 18th century Venetian female orphanage where a young rebel named Teresa leads a group of performers to challenge classical canons and invent a precursor to pop music.

Newly updated figures show that during the ongoing cost of living crisis, people in the UK claiming their State Pension entitlement only just break even despite a record-breaking increase to weekly payment rates in April. The research, conducted by pension advisors Almond Financial, looked at the State Pension in comparison to the average cost of living in the UK.

SPOILER ALERT! This story contains details from Monday night’s episode of The Bachelor.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor The Berlin Film Festival hosted the 10 young European actors selected for the Shooting Stars program, run by European Film Promotion, at a gala event Monday. The presentation of the Shooting Stars took place prior to the screening of Claire Burger’s “Langue Étrangère,” which plays in competition.

Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright has explained why he believes former Manchester United academy star Angel Gomes is worthy of an England call-up.

Mubi has snapped up rights across multiple territories on Made In England: The Films Of Powell And Pressburger, the Martin Scorsese-narrated doc set to debut this week at the Berlin Film Festival. 

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Saudi Arabia’s Film AlUla has announced it is adding a state-of-the-art music recording studio alongside its moviemaking studios. The film commission for the swathe of northwest Saudi Arabia roughly the size of Belgium that also comprises a lush oasis and vast sandstone canyons currently has filmmaking facilities that include two large soundstages, a backlot, and production support buildings.

Alex Ritman ‘Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger,’ the documentary produced and narrated by Matin Scorsese, has been acquired by Mubi ahead of the film’s world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival. The arthouse streamer, distributor and production company has bought all rights for Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Latin America, Turkey and India.

Gary Lineker and Ian Wright have agreed Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo should be called up to the England squad for next month's internationals.

Catherine Bray Casting directors take note: Lou Goossens in this first feature film role is an actor to watch out for, naturalistic and able to convey subtle shades of inner turmoil, despite his young age. Goossens plays Elias, a 14-year-old living in rural Belgium with his loving and mostly normal family — the slight exception being his father, Luk (Geert Van Rampelberg), who, while a pretty straight arrow in a personal sense, is enjoying unlikely success as a midlife pop sensation, with a hit single in the pipeline.

Ahead of what looks to be a certain – at the time of writing – best actor win for his work on Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy leads this absorbing drama from Belgian filmmaker Tim Mielants; a story about a working-class father who has questions about the local convent who has more than a hold on a small town in Ireland.Based upon the 2021 novel of the same name by Claire Keegan (whose previous work, Foster was adapted into The Quiet Girl to international acclaim), and from a screenplay by Enda Walsh, the film is set in the mid-eighties, specifically during the lead-up to Christmas. Murphy is Bill Furlong, owner of a small coal and fuel firm in the harbour town of Wexford on the southeastern coast of Ireland.

The family of a young man from Rochdale have shut down rumours that he is romantically involved with the Princess of Belgium. Reports in the Belgian press suggested Whitworth student Nicholas Dodd had developed a relationship that ‘transcends friendship’ with Crown Princess Elisabeth, the heir to the throne of Belgium.

It’s hard to believe it’s almost 30 years since iconic British sitcom Keeping Up Appearances came to an end, with the irreverent comedy still holding a firm place in many TV watchers hearts. The popular BBC show ran from 1990 to 1995 and featured Dame Patricia Routlegede in the title role of Hyacinth Bucket.The snobbish central character soon became a firm fan favourite, particularly for her insistence that her surname Bucket was actually pronounced “Bouquet”in an attempt to make herself sound more refined.

In the first summer of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson years at Manchester United, a new midfielder was a priority. The club wanted Cesc Fabregas but saw three bids rejected by Barcelona. Thiago Alcantara was on the market, but David Moyes didn't fancy him. In the end, on deadline day, the first major signing of a new era was unveiled. Welcome to Old Trafford, Marouane Fellaini.