Continental Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Rudie Obias editor If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. The main event for MVP Prospects VI (Most Valuable Promotions) features Yoenis “El Bandolero” Tellez facing off against Joseph “Action” Jackson for the WBA Super Welterweight Continental Championship Belt. Tellez vs.

Christopher Vourlias Logical Pictures is launching a new Africa venture that will see the production, financing and distribution outfit expand its global footprint into the fast-growing African market. According to the group’s head, Frédéric Fiore, the move will help position Logical Pictures as the preferred financing partner on the continent for the international industry and the leading production company of African content with global ambitions.

EXCLUSIVE: After clinching the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2019 with her debut fiction feature Atlantics, French-Senegalese filmmaker Mati Diop had one burning desire. 

Loreen, who won Eurovision in both 2012 and 2023, has announced a UK and European tour for next year.The artist’s biggest jaunt across the continent to date will kick off in the Netherlands on February 15 with 20 stops across Europe. She will later head to Birmingham on March 17 before playing a headline show at London’s iconic Eventim Apollo on March 19 before continuing on to Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow.

Paramount’s Tony & Ziva NCIS spinoff is untitled no more. The two stars of the Europe-set series, Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo, got on Zoom to unveil the moniker of the offshoot Tuesday.

Brits abroad in Spain could be slapped with a hefty fine for a common bad driving habit. Motorists planning to visit the country this summer have been warned their actions could result in a £170 penalty.

It's been a disappointing season for English clubs in Europe, with Aston Villa the sole survivors heading into semi-final week across the continent. While the clubs expected to thrive have fallen away, interest on these shores has instead turned to English players.

There's a Lidl product that sells 122 times a minute and it's all down to the instore bakery. Lidl says its success is down to its changing bakery items and its bestseller - the All Butter Croissant.

Music icon Janet Jackson has confirmed a UK tour celebrating her 50th anniversary in entertainment. American superstar Janet will bring her Together Again tour to the UK, which also celebrates 35 years since her seminal album Rhythm Nation.

Katcy Stephan Post Malone, Vault Comics and Michael Bay and Brad Fuller’s Platinum Dunes have partnered to create an all-new IP universe based on an original story by the recording artist. Blending elements of road thrillers like “Mad Max: Fury Road” and demonic horror like “Evil Dead,” Malone’s story is set in medieval Europe, where the only thing standing in the way of the horde of demons infesting the continent is a mysterious armored 18-wheeler seemingly sent back from the heavens. “I’m so pumped to share this badass story with the world, and I couldn’t ask for better partners than Michael Bay and Vault to help bring this story to life,” says Malone.

Jordan Moreau Netflix’s fantasy series “The Witcher” will end with Season 5, the streamer announced Thursday morning. It also confirmed that Season 4 is now in production.

Aramide Tinubu When pondering the Revolutionary War, specific inflection points come to mind. The Boston Massacre of 1770, Paul Revere’s midnight warning in 1775 and the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 are often the main topics of conversation. However, much more went on during the nearly two-decade-long battle that led to the 13 colonies’ independence from England.

Callum McLennan Comedy docuseries “The World’s Strangest Jobs,” from Johannesburg-based Mannequin Pictures, one of South Africa’s key production, finance, and distribution companies, has sold to Prime Video the rights to the African continent. Mannequin is now pursuing sales in all other territories. The eight-part series is hosted by comedian and actor Schalk Bezuidenhout.

EXCLUSIVE: Lumanity Productions announced that a feature film adaptation deal has been inked with Christine Mangan for her novel The Continental Affair.  

Paul Weller has announced his first North American tour in seven years – see all details below.The Modfather has unveiled his return to the continent in support of his upcoming album ’66’, set for release on the day before his 66th birthday (May 24). It will be his first tour in North America in seven years.Weller’s tour will kick off in September, where he will play a show in Red Bank, New Jersey on the 6th.

Avatar actress CCH Pounder and Academy Award-nominated producer Paul Garnes will attend the inaugural Cross Continental International Co-production Forum (CCF) in Barbados.

The 2024 Solar Eclipse is happening in just a few hours, and you might be out of luck if you don’t have official eclipse protective eye wear.

Flights between Manchester and Ireland are among dozens across the UK to have been cancelled as Storm Kathleen brings winds of up to 70mph. Aer Lingus has cancelled 10 flights between Dublin, Belfast and Manchester Airport today, but it's not clear exactly why.

Julian Alvarez has won pretty much everything there is to win as a player, so much so that he doesn't know exactly where all his medals are.

K.J. Yossman Fremantle has completed its acquisition of global production studio Asacha Media Group, the company confirmed today. Fremantle acquired the group from founding partners, managers and funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management Fremantle’s group COO and CEO for continental Europe Andrea Scrosati spearheaded the acquisition.

King and Conqueror” has revealed additional cast members, including “The Crown’s” Luther Ford and “Game of Thrones” actor Joseph Mawle, as it begins production in Iceland. According to its official plot description, “King and Conqueror” is “the story of a clash that defined the future of a country – and a continent – for a thousand years, the roots of which stretch back decades and extend out through a pair of interconnected family dynasties, struggling for power across two countries and a raging sea.

Just eight minutes walk from South Kensington station, and quite literally around the corner from the V&A, sits The Franklin. Upon first impressions, the grand townhouse looks just like one of the other red-brick homes on Egerton Gardens. However, behind the large dark front door, is a stunning hotel that makes you feel like you're stepping into a home away from home.

Britons could end up seeing a much warmer end to the month compared to the current conditions, according to weather forecasters.

Lionsgate is expanding two of its biggest movie franchises, John Wick and Twilight, with new TV series offshoots. The company’s Vice Chairman Michael Burns shared information about the two projects during a Q&A at the Morgan Stanley media conference.

Ben Croll Originally developed as an eight-episode series, the WWI-era adventure “Lucy Lost” will instead hit the silver screen now that Paris-based powerhouse Xilam Animation has retooled the project as a feature. “Klaus” alum Olivier Clert has boarded as co-writer and director, joining BAFTA-winning screenwriter Helen Blankman for a seaside family tale adapted from “War Horse” author Michael Morpurgo’s 2014 novel “Listen to the Moon.” Xilam has shared this first-look with Variety ahead of the reformatted project’s pitch at Cartoon Movie in Bordeaux.

The Librarians lives on in a follow-up series!

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer “House of the Dragon” Season 2 will debut on HBO in June. Warner Bros. Discovery streaming and gaming chief J.B.

Christopher Vourlias The anticipated goldrush for African creators sparked by Netflix’s 2016 entry into the market hasn’t entirely come to fruition, though the influx of investment from local and global streaming platforms has nevertheless been transformative for Africa’s screen industries. Budgets, production values and outputs are rising, and breakout hits — such as Netflix’s Nigerian thriller “The Black Book” and South African teen drama “Blood & Water” — highlight the power of global streaming services to deliver African stories to audiences around the world.

Christopher Vourlias The sixth edition of the Joburg Film Festival wraps Sunday, putting a bow on a week that saw many in the host nation reflecting on South Africa’s long journey in the three decades since the end of apartheid. But among the filmmakers and executives taking part in the second JBX content market the focus was squarely on the future, as Africa’s streaming wars and an eye toward global dealmaking highlighted how the tide has begun to shift in how the world perceives the continent.

EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate Television Group has promoted three company veterans in its business affairs department. Ashley Morales has been elevated to EVP, Television Business Affairs, Elisabeth James Rhee to SVP, Business Affairs & Labor Relations, and Keith Warren to SVP, Television Business Affairs, the company announced today.