Ramachandran In Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Naman Ramachandran In a landmark judgement that could change the face of global soccer forever, Europe’s top court ruled on Thursday that sport’s leading bodies, the UEFA and FIFA, has “acted contrary to competition law” in their efforts to block the launch of a European Super League. The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed to the Commercial Court in Madrid by the European Superleague Company against FIFA and UEFA.

Naman Ramachandran In the aftermath of the Huw Edwards matter, where the top BBC presenter was accused of paying a teenager for sexually explicit photographs, a U.K. parliamentary inquiry has demanded further information from the corporation and Rupert Murdoch’s tabloid The Sun. The Sun broke the news that a then unnamed anchor, subsequently revealed as Edwards, had been taken off air while the BBC investigated allegations he had paid a teenager over £35,000 ($44,500) in exchange for explicit photographs since they were 17. On Tuesday, the U.K. House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee wrote to The Sun editor Victoria Newton asking about editorial procedures and details about the newspaper’s story verification and decision-making processes and to Elan Cross Stephens, acting BBC chair, requesting further details about the reviews into wider BBC processes the corporation is carrying out in light of the allegations and its plans to publish the findings.

Naman Ramachandran In the midst of the England-Australia Ashes cricket series that is scoring record viewership for Sky Sports, a bombshell report has revealed that rot runs deep in the sport in England. The report, published on Tuesday by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC), was commissioned by the England Cricket Board (ECB) in 2021 after the Equality and Human Rights Commission was called upon to conduct a formal investigation into allegations of racism in English cricket. More than 4000 people responded to the ICEC’s call for evidence. 87% of Pakistani and Bangladeshi respondents, 82% of Indian respondents and 75% of Black respondents told the survey that they have experienced discrimination.

Naman Ramachandran In keeping with tradition, the 2023 edition of Cannes Classics promises to be a feast for cineastes with tributes to global masters and restored versions of all-time classics. Cannes Classics’ Memories of Jean-Luc Godard strand pays homage to the master who died in 2022 by screening a restored version of “Contempt” (1963); “Godard by Godard,” a self-portrait of the auteur; and the world premiere of “Phony Wars,” a trailer for a film that will never get made, described by the festival as a venture where the filmmaker “transformed his synopses into aesthetic programs.” Liv Ullman will be present at the strand with “Liv Ullmann – A Road Less Travelled,” a documentary directed by Dheeraj Akolkar.

Naman Ramachandran In his last keynote address as U.K. Film Distributors’ Association president, veteran producer David Puttnam struck a sombre note highlighting a number of critical issues the country’s media industry is facing. Addressing a rapt audience at the BAFTA headquarters in London on Tuesday, Puttnam identified skills shortage and lack of investment in skills as a “major crisis” hanging over the industry. According to Puttnam’s calculations, a committed annual investment of £40 million ($50 million) in skills could result in production savings of well over £100 million ($125 million). New data commissioned by Puttnam from accountancy firm Saffery Champness shows that underinvestment, leading to scarcity of talent, has resulted in significant wage inflation for mid-level production roles, with spikes of between 7-15% above the cost of living.

Naman Ramachandran In the wake of the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, the U.K. has postponed several scheduled events as a mark of respect. Sky has postponed the scheduled launch of Michael Winterbottom’s Boris Johnson drama “This England,” starring Kenneth Branagh, from Sept. 21 to until after the official period of mourning, to Sept. 28. The Premier League has postponed this weekend and Monday evening’s soccer games. The FA has confirmed that soccer fixtures across the Barclays Women’s Super League, Barclays Women’s Championship, the Vitality Women’s FA Cup, and the Isuzu FA Trophy, will be postponed this weekend and that all soccer fixtures across the National League System, Steps 1-6, including the Vanarama National Leagues, the Women’s Football Pyramid, Tiers 3-7, and matches across grassroots soccer in England will be postponed.

Naman Ramachandran In its 15th weekend of release, Paramount’s “Top Gun: Maverick” is still flying high at the U.K. and Ireland box office. The Tom Cruise vehicle collected £600,258 ($692,670) in third place at the box office, according to numbers released by Comscore. With a total of £81.6 million ($94.1 million) it has overtaken “Titanic” (£80.3 million) to occupy the No. 9 position on the all time box office chart in the territory. Sony’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” swung back into cinemas with an extended cut and collected £469,309 in fifth position in its 38th weekend in the territory. With a total of £96.9 million, it has swung past James Bond film “No Time to Die” (£96.7 million) and is now No. 3 among the territory’s all time box office champions. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (£123.2 million) and another Bond title “Skyfall” (£103.2 million) are the top two.

Naman Ramachandran In a major deal that lit up the concluding hours of MipTV 2022, Canal Plus acquired BBC series “Rogue Heroes.” Produced by Kudos and Nebulastar for the BBC, and titled “SAS Rogue Heroes” in the U.K. market, the series developed for television and written by Steven Knight (“Peaky Blinders”), is a dramatized account of how British Special Forces unit, the SAS, was formed under extraordinary circumstances in the darkest days of WWII.

Naman Ramachandran In a competitive situation, Neon has won the rights to develop Dorothy Baker’s 1962 novel “Cassandra at the Wedding,” in partnership with Seaview and John Early. The novel follows Cassandra Edwards, a graduate student at Berkeley, who is gay, brilliant, nerve-wracked, and miserable.

Naman Ramachandran In cheering news for the British entertainment business, film and high-end television production spend in the U.K. reached over £5.64 billion ($7.65 billion) in 2021, £1.27 billion higher than for the pre-pandemic year 2019. Official figures published on Friday by the BFI’s Research and Statistics Unit reveal that film production reached £1.55 billion, 3% up on 2020, while high-end TV production soared to £4.09 billion, nearly double pre-pandemic 2019 levels.

Naman Ramachandran In a new series, Variety catches up with the directors of the films shortlisted for the International Feature Oscar to discuss their road to the awards, what they’ve learned so far, and what’s taken them off guard.Two of Abner Benaim’s films, documentaries “Invasion” (2014) and “Ruben Blades Is Not My Name” (2018), were Panamanian entries to the Oscars, but his “Plaza Catedral” is the first time a film from the country has been shortlisted. The film, which portrays a violent society with a gulf between the rich and poor, won major awards at the Guadalajara and Panama film festivals.

Naman Ramachandran In a new series, Variety catches up with the directors of the films shortlisted for the International Feature Oscar to discuss their road to the awards, what they’ve learned so far, and what’s taken them off guard.Maria Schrader, an Emmy winner for directing the Netflix series “Unorthodox,” is also a Berlin Silver Bear winning actor for “Aimée & Jaguar” (1999). Her latest feature “I’m Your Man” follows a scientist (Maren Eggert, “Giraffe”) who agrees to live for three weeks with a humanoid robot (Dan Stevens, “Downton Abbey”) designed to make her happy.

Naman Ramachandran In a bid to capture a bigger share of the large, fiercely competitive and price-sensitive Indian streaming market, Netflix has sharply reduced its subscription price plans in the territory.The cheapest monthly mobile plan, which covers phone and tablet, has been cut from INR199 ($2.63) to INR149 ($1.97).The basic full service plan, which provides 480p picture quality, sees the largest price drop, by 60%, from INR499 ($6.60) per month to just INR199 ($2.63). The standard plan,

Naman Ramachandran In the crowded Indian streaming space, Disney Plus Hotstar is already the market leader with approximately 34 million paid subscribers, but going forward, a series of ambitious strategies will see the company look to expand its base even further.One key power play will involve betting on the sticky wicket of sports rights — particularly for cricket.

Naman Ramachandran In a landmark agreement that will have seismic repercussions across the Indian media landscape, the Times Group has affirmed that it will not publish or air anything defamatory to the Hindi language film industry, popularly known as Bollywood.After the death of popular actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June 2020, several Indian channels, including Times Now and Republic TV, had embarked upon blanket coverage of the event and its aftermath, largely hostile towards Bollywood.

Naman Ramachandran In today’s Global Bulletin, BritBox to premiere Diana and Charles wedding documentary; Mipcom opens entries for TV diversity awards; Keshet sells “Line in the Sand” series; Rocket Rights to represent travel documentary “Everything in Between” internationally; Insight TV teams with G2 Esports for a second series of online esports talent search series “G2 Making the Squad.”“The Wedding of the Century,” a documentary about the wedding of Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles,

Naman Ramachandran In today’s Global Bulletin, “Big Brother Canada” sets 10th season; Francesco Totti soccer documentary wins Rotterdam award; DOK Leipzig returns to cinemas in October; Bavaria Fiction, WarnerMedia, Production Guild of Great Britain appoint key personnel; BAFTA Breakthrough U.S., U.K., open for applications; Hulu buys Red Arrow factual series package; and BFI restores vintage Sherlock Holmes titles.Banijay Rights has signed a deal for a tenth season of “Big Brother Canada” for

Naman Ramachandran In today’s Global Bulletin, BBC commissions documentary series; BFI launches resource for disabled creatives; Berlinale Summer Special begins Wednesday; UKTV hires Emile Nawagamuwa; Casting and audition platform Entalex launches; ZDF sells “The Bridge” wide; and Ferly and Toonz set “Kingdom of None.”U.K.

Naman Ramachandran In today’s Global Bulletin, Netflix reveals first look images from “Money Heist” Part Five; the second season of BritBox U.K.’s “The Beast Must Die” is being developed; Key Buyers Event: Digital introduces co-production forum; Entertainment One’s Kate Morton to join BBC Children’s; and free streamer Pluto TV expands deal with LG Electronics.Netflix has released several first look images from the hotly anticipated fifth and final season of “Money Heist,” also known as “La casa

Naman Ramachandran In today’s Global Bulletin, Cannes creche returns; Andrei Konchalovsky to deliver Russian Key Buyers Event keynote; European Film Promotion elects board; drama series “The Holiday” sets lead cast; Canada opens women talent development initiatives; and Chinese blockbuster “The Eight Hundred” to premiere at Udine.The Cannes Marché du Film and Parenting at Film Festivals are back with their daycare creche initiative Le Ballon Rouge, which was a success when introduced in

Naman Ramachandran In today’s Global Bulletin, U.K.’s National Theatre filmed plays to stream on Amazon Prime Video in the U.K.

Naman Ramachandran In today’s Global Bulletin, “F9” advances U.K. release date; BAFTA to expand learning programs; Russian online content market Key Buyers Event: digital extends dates; Sky rejigs acquisitions team; and James Bond installation in Austria receives European Film Academy honor.Justin Lin’s keenly anticipated “F9,” the ninth instalment of the Fast and Furious franchise, will release in the U.K.

Naman Ramachandran In today’s Global Bulletin, the English Premier League renews rights deals for three years; Stephen Graham-starrer “Boiling Point” sells wide; NENT Group sets terrorism drama “Red Election”; and Endeavor Content strengthens management team.The English Premier League soccer championship has agreed a proposal for a three-year renewal of U.K.

Naman Ramachandran In today’s Global Bulletin, the Monte-Carlo television festival reveals award nominees; Fremantle takes distribution rights to race relations documentary “Dreamland”; Bavaria Fiction promotes Nina Maag; ZDF factual documentary series “Africa From Above” commences production; Channel 4 commissions documentary series “The Academy”; Vice launches FAST channel on Roku; Canadian Creative Accelerator announces French-language projects ready for U.S.

Naman Ramachandran In today’s Global Bulletin, the deceasing average of ages in BAFTA TV actress nominees raises ageism concerns; Gary Barlow sets music show at the BBC; RED Productions hires Chloe Dunbar as head of development; the European Audiovisual Observatory and the U.K.’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport announce sustainability conference; “Game of Thrones” prequel finds home at Sky Atlantic; and a Stanley Tucci Italian culinary series will debut in June on CNN

Naman Ramachandran In today’s Global Bulletin, Coldplay to open Brit Awards show; Channel 4 drama “Screw” sets cast; NATPE and Banijay Rights appoint senior personnel; and Red Arrow Studios International and TV Asahi set co-development partnership.A performance by Coldplay, one of the world’s biggest bands with over 100 million album sales worldwide to date, will open this year’s Brit Awards show on May 11.The awards will take place at London’s The O2 arena, exclusively broadcast on ITV and ITV

Naman Ramachandran In today’s Global Bulletin, BT Group puts soccer rights holder BT Sport on sale; Czech Republic welcomes back international productions; film curator and archivist June Givanni wins BIFA jury award; Universal Music reveals Malaysia appointments; and MTV sets music superstars series.U.K.

Naman Ramachandran In today’s Global Bulletin, Sky commissions supernatural thriller “The Rising” and Channel 4 and Peacock wage “The Undeclared War”; The Garden, BBC Studios Productions and Constantin Film Development reveal senior appointments; Rakuten TV expands AVOD offering; and Disney India picks up kids series “Dr Tenali Rama HMKD” from Cosmos-Maya.COMMISSIONSSky original series, supernatural crime thriller “The Rising,” is the first series produced entirely in-house from Sky Studios,

Naman Ramachandran In today’s Global Bulletin YouTube Originals sets England soccer team manager Gareth Southgate documentary; Firebird options debut novel “Wahala”; Vice Distributions sells programming to streamer Pluto TV; and the BBC’s women’s representation 50:50 Project proves successful.“Raise Your Game with Gareth Southgate,” a feature documentary on England soccer team manager Gareth Southgate, will launch in June as part of YouTube’s Originals series, ahead of the Euro 2020 soccer

Naman Ramachandran In today’s Global Bulletin, BAFTA reveals TV awards hosts; Banijay acquires French animation company Monello Productions; Amazon Prime Video and Fremantle launch Italian docuseries “Veleno”; Wag Entertainment, Half Yard Productions announce appointments; and Cartoon Network plots Asian voyages.Presenter, comedian, writer, actor and director Richard Ayoade (“Submarine”) will host the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards for a second year on June 6, while actor,