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Category: Entertainment

  • Clavicular Speaks Out After Being Hospitalized for Overdose: “That Was Brutal”

    Clavicular Speaks Out After Being Hospitalized for Overdose: “That Was Brutal”

    “Looksmaxxing” influencer and streamer Clavicular is speaking out after being hospitalized on Tuesday for a suspected overdose.

    “Just got home, that was brutal. All of the substances are just a cope trying to feel neurotypical while being in public, but obviously that isn’t a real solution. The worst part of tonight was my face descending from the life support mask,” he tweeted alongside a photo of himself.

    The “looksmaxxing” influencer and online streamer, whose real name is Braden Peters, was taken to the hospital on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, the influencer was livestreaming on Kick while he was at a mall and restaurant with two other influencers, when it abruptly cut off, sparking concern among fans. In the livestream, the 20-year-old influencer was seen slurring his words, repeating phrases while talking with a young woman and passing out. Video later shared on X showed the streamer being carried by several people to a black car as an ambulance arrived at the scene.

    Influencer Androgenic, who was with Clavicular at the time of the incident, addressed the situation on X writing, “I hadn’t seen him in this state before and he went from speaking to being fairly unresponsive in mere seconds. Within a minute we all realized the situation, turned the stream off, picked him up and rushed him to the hospital.”

    Clavicular has gained recognition for promoting extreme “looksmaxxing” due to a self-obsession with being aesthetically pleasing. “Looksmaxxing” is known as an online trend, popular among young men, that focuses on maximizing physical attractiveness. The strive to maximize their attractiveness is done in often extreme ways that ranges from healthy grooming to dangerous practices, such as bone-smashing using a hammer to enhance facial features, which Clavicular has advocated.

    When one follower replied to the content creator’s recent message, “Just autistmaxx in public, who gives af what others think,” he responded, “If i wasnt a livestreamer id agree with you.”

    The controversial streamer’s hospitalization follows his recent headlines after he walked out of a 60 Minutes Australia interview after correspondent Adam Hegarty asked him if he identifies as an incel and about his connection to Andrew Tate. Clavicular is also reportedly being investigated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for a video appearing to show him shooting an alligator. He was also arrested last month in Florida on misdemeanor battery charges after authorities issued a warrant for his arrest. The New York Times reported that the influencer provoked a fight between two women and exploited them by posting it online.

  • ‘Forever Your Maternal Animal’ Picked Up by Heretic Ahead of Premiere in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard (EXCLUSIVE)

    ‘Forever Your Maternal Animal’ Picked Up by Heretic Ahead of Premiere in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard (EXCLUSIVE)

    Heretic has boarded international sales on “Forever Your Maternal Animal,” the new film from Valentina Maurel, set to premiere in Un Certain Regard at Cannes.

    Benelux distribution is set with Cinéart, while JHR Films will release the film in France.

    The film reunites Heretic with the director after the company represented her debut feature, Locarno competition title “I Have Electric Dreams.”

    “Forever Your Maternal Animal” follows Elsa, who returns to Costa Rica after years of studying in Europe and reconnects with her younger sister, who has drifted into an increasingly elusive and introspective world, as their parents retreat into their own private preoccupations.

    “The film lingers in the shifting space between closeness and estrangement, where reality dissolves into memory, desire and the quiet pull of what remains unspoken,” according to a statement.

    Maurel, of Franco-Costa Rican origin and based in Costa Rica, holds a degree in filmmaking from INSAS in Brussels. Her graduation film “Paul Is Here” won first prize at the Cinéfondation selection of the Cannes Film Festival in 2017. Her short “Lucía en el limbo,” shot in Costa Rica, was selected for Critics’ Week at Cannes in 2019, screened at the Toronto Film Festival, and won first prize at the Guanajuato Film Festival. Her debut feature “I Have Electric Dreams” premiered in competition at the Locarno Film Festival in 2022.

    Ioanna Stais, Heretic’s head of sales and acquisitions, commented: “Valentina (Maurel) is a unique voice in contemporary cinema, and we are proud to continue our journey with her on ‘Forever Your Maternal Animal.’ Having been with her since ‘I Have Electric Dreams,’ we deeply value her artistic vision and the emotional precision she brings to every frame. This new film further confirms her as a filmmaker of exceptional sensitivity and strength, and we are thrilled to bring it to international audiences.”

    Stephan Depotter, co-CEO of Cinéart, commented: “Valentina Maurel demonstrates her exceptional talent once again with ‘Forever Your Maternal Animal.’ I greatly admire the way her direction brings out such authentic and nuanced performances from the cast. I was particularly impressed by Maurel’s ability to communicate complex emotions and themes with remarkable subtlety — often conveying so much with just one look or a single frame.”

    Jane Roger, co-founder of Paris-based arthouse distributor JHR Films, added: “Together with my partner Arnaud Dommerc, we were immediately struck by how ‘Forever Your Maternal Animal’ confirms Valentina Maurel as a singular voice on family and desire – at once clear-eyed and deeply sensitive. We are delighted to bring this new film to French audiences.”

    “Forever Your Maternal Animal” is produced by Wrong Men and Geko Films in co-production with Pimienta. The film is produced by Benoît Roland and Grégoire Debailly with co-producer Nicolás Celis. The production is a collaboration between Belgium, France and Mexico.

  • Marian Rivera, Dingdong Dantes, Sharon Cuneta, Vice Ganda Set for Prime Video Philippines’ First Local Slate

    Marian Rivera, Dingdong Dantes, Sharon Cuneta, Vice Ganda Set for Prime Video Philippines’ First Local Slate

    Prime Video has committed to seven Filipino Prime Original series through its first-ever local slate event in the Philippines, forging content partnerships with networks ABS-CBN and GMA across genres spanning political thriller, family drama, psychological suspense, romance, crime and comedy.

    The late also covers licensed Filipino films and a raft of Korean series running through Q4 2026.

    Now streaming since March 20, crime drama “The Silent Noise” – produced by ABS-CBN Studios – centers on Eli, a deaf 10-year-old in the coastal town of Escondido who tries to make sense of his teacher’s sudden death as police investigation turns suspicion toward his own family. Angelica Panganiban and Zanjoe Marudo lead the cast, alongside Zaijian Jaranilla, Mutya Orquia, Joem Bascon, Mylene Dizon and KD Omalin.

    The first new original out of the gate is romance “Love Is Never Gone,” set for May 8. Produced by Dreamscape Entertainment and ABS-CBN Studios, the series stars Joshua Garcia and Ivana Alawi as two people from different circumstances whose lives collide unexpectedly in Morocco, with their bond tested by distance, personal history and the choices each must make. Jameson Blake, Jane Oineza, Michael de Mesa, Epy Quizon and Dina Bonnevie also feature.

    Psychological drama “The Loyalty Game” follows in July, with Janine Gutierrez, Jericho Rosales and Sofia Andres starring in a story of a seemingly solid couple whose relationship buckles when a third party enters their lives and pushes the limits of trust in ways none of them anticipated. The series is produced by Star Creatives and ABS-CBN Studios.

    September brings two titles. Family drama “Honor Thy Mother” – produced by ABS-CBN Studios and GMA – reunites Sharon Cuneta and Barbie Forteza as a mother and daughter who, after years apart, find themselves on opposite sides of a bitter contest for what each believes is rightfully hers. Old wounds resurface as they weigh whether to confront the past together or let it drive them further apart. John Estrada, Tonton Gutierrez, Khalil Ramos and Mercedes Cabral also star.

    Cross-cultural drama “Kopino,” produced by Dreamscape Entertainment and ABS-CBN Studios and arriving in November, follows a woman who becomes drawn into the lives of Kopino children – Korean-Filipino children often abandoned by their foreign fathers – and the man connected to their history. The series explores themes of identity, accountability and the long reach of choices made across borders. Paulo Avelino, Kim Chiu and Jo Byeong Kyu star.

    Political thriller “Behind Closed Doors,” produced by GMA and set for release later in the year, casts Marian Rivera as a radio announcer whose secret relationship with the Philippine President – portrayed by Dingdong Dantes in a special participation – is exposed when she becomes the prime suspect in his assassination. Jillian Ward plays his daughter. Comedy competition series “LOL: Last One Laughing Philippines” also returns for a second season with Vice Ganda as host; premiere date and cast are to be confirmed.

    “We’ve seen Filipino audiences embrace global Prime Video hits like ‘The Boys’ and ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty,’ which shows the appetite for premium storytelling,” said David Simonsen, director of Prime Video Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. “Now we’re bringing that same commitment to quality with local originals featuring Filipino talent.”

    Chaitanya Divan, head of content acquisition at Prime Video Southeast Asia, added: “Working closely with ABS-CBN and GMA, we’re supporting local storytellers to bring their visions to life – stories that speak to our local Filipino audiences while showcasing the incredible Filipino talents.”

    Licensed Filipino film additions include GMA Pictures comedy “Samahan ng mga Makasalanan,” due in April, starring David Licauco, Sanya Lopez and Joel Torre; horror anthology “Gabi ng Lagim” (June), framed through the storytelling of Jessica Soho and featuring Arthur Acuna, Elijah Canlas and Jillian Ward; legal drama sequel “Bar Boys: After School” (July), with Carlo Aquino, Rocco Nacino, Enzo Pineda and Kean Cipriano; and queer drama “Open Endings” (July), with Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Janella Salvador, Klea Pineda and Leanne Mamonong. The Bayaniverse historical trilogy – “Quezon” (May), “Heneral Luna” and “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral” – rounds out the licensed film slate, with “Quezon” starring Jericho Rosales as Manuel L. Quezon in a dramatization of the future president’s political ascent through the American occupation era.

    On the Korean side, the broader 2026 lineup opens April 17 with “Absolute Value of Romance,” in which high school student Yeo Eui-ju moonlights as a web novelist whose new teachers become unlikely inspiration; it stars Kim Hyang Gi alongside Cha Hak-yeon and Kim Jae-hyun, and is produced by Coupang Play, Mediacorp, Good Wave Inc. and Borderless Film. Workplace romance “See You at Work Tomorrow!” (June), adapted from a Kakao Webtoon and starring Seo In-guk and Park Ji-hyun, follows a burnt-out product planner who has sworn off relationships until her most dreaded colleague changes course. Produced by Studio Dragon and Kross Pictures.

    Titles also include “A Love Other Than Yours” (September), in which Seo Kangjun and Ahn Eun-jin play a couple a decade into their relationship who make a dangerous pact to confront temptation when new romantic interests enter both their lives, with Lee Joo Ahn and Jo Aram also starring, produced by Unichem; “Final Table” (working title, coming soon), with Ahn Hyo-seop as a chef based abroad who enters a high-profile Korean culinary competition representing the restaurant Familia, produced by SLL, B.A. Entertainment and DZoongFilm; and “Nine to Six” (Q4), in which Park Min Young plays a driven legal team deputy manager whose orderly career is upended when she finds herself drawn to both a warm-hearted junior colleague Han Sun-woo (Yook Sung Jae) and the seemingly flawless General Manager Park Hyun-tae (Go Soo), produced by Samhwa Networks.

    Further Korean titles include spy romance “Love in Disguise” (October), with Yim Siwan and Seorina, produced by CJ ENM Studios and Pitapat Studio; historical action series “Sacred Jewel,” set during the 13th-century Mongol invasions and starring Ahn Bo-hyun, Lee Sung-min and Claudia Kim, produced by SLL and Celltrion Entertainment; and supernatural rom-com “Human X Gumiho,” with Gianna Jun as a 2,000-year-old gumiho disguised as a top actress opposite Ji Chang Wook, produced by HighZium Studio and Contents Planner. Anime additions include “The Ghost in the Shell” and “From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordman Season 2.”

    Prime Video is available in the Philippines at PHP149 ($2.49) per month.

  • Katy Perry Under Investigation by Australian Police Following Ruby Rose Sexual Assault Allegations

    Katy Perry Under Investigation by Australian Police Following Ruby Rose Sexual Assault Allegations

    Katy Perry is under investigation by Australian police following graphic sexual assault claims from Orange Is the New Black star Ruby Rose.

    The Victoria Police have confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter: “Melbourne Sexual Offenses and Child Abuse Investigation Team (SOCIT) detectives are investigating [an alleged] historical sexual assault that occurred in Melbourne in 2010. Police have been told the incident occurred at a licensed premises in Melbourne’s [Central Business District]. As the investigation remains ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”

    Earlier this week, Rose wrote online that she’d “just left the police station” after alleging on Threads that Perry sexually assaulted her at a nightclub in Melbourne some years ago.

    On Sunday, the Australian Batgirl actress wrote in response to a comment about Perry being at Coachella: “I was only in my early 20s. I’m now 40. It has taken almost 2 decades to say this publicly … I told the story publicly but changed it to be a ‘funny little drunk story’ because I didn’t know how else to handle it. Later she agreed to help me get my US visa. So I kept it a secret. But I DID tell yall she wasn’t a good person. Instead I got attacked by.. everyone.”

    After a fan, referencing Perry’s 2008 hit “I Kissed a Girl,” said: “She kissed a girl and you didn’t like it?” Rose responded: “She didn’t kiss me. She saw me ‘resting’ on my best friends lap to avoid her and bent down, pulled her underwear to the side and rubbed her disgusting vagina on my face until my eyes snapped open and I projectile vomited on her.”

    Rose initially said she was “not interested in filing a [police] report over this,” but said in a Tuesday Threads post that she’d “finalized all of my reports” and would no longer be able to “comment, repost, or talk publicly about any of those cases, or the individuals involved.”

    The alleged offence was swiftly refuted by the popstar’s team on Monday. They called the claims “reckless lies.”

    “The allegations being circulated on social media by Ruby Rose about Katy Perry are not only categorically false, they are dangerous, reckless lies. Ms. Rose has a well-documented history of making serious public allegations on social media against various individuals, claims that have repeatedly been denied by those named,” said a rep for Perry.

    The Hollywood Reporter did not immediately hear back from reps for Perry or Rose about the police investigation on Wednesday.

  • Researchers May Have Found the Antidote to Social Media Brain Rot: Experimental Film

    Researchers May Have Found the Antidote to Social Media Brain Rot: Experimental Film

    When Jonathan Schooler and Madeleine Gross were designing an experiment on creativity, they needed a type of media to contrast with the empty-calorie content of cat videos and the like on YouTube. 

    The scientists settled on challenging animated shorts. “We wanted to push the poles as far apart as possible,” Gross — who like Schooler conducts her research at the University of California, Santa Barbara — said in an interview.

    The results after doing so were eye-opening even to them:  among a totally random population, levels of creativity for the people watching the experimental films were immediately higher compared to those watching YouTube videos, which didn’t move much at all. So was openness to seeing the world in new ways.

    For years many people have had the sense that the kind of low-nutrition, algorithmically driven videos that flash across our feeds and brainscapes dozens of times per day are bad for us. Schooler and Gross have a new column of scientific evidence.  Even more important (and encouraging): they have a prescription for what to do about it. 

    Just watching a few minutes of an ambiguous or challenging video — the kind of shorts shown at film festivals or on the indie-minded Short of the Week — can make the difference. It’s a kind of “even mild exercise can add years to your life” discovery, only for the brain.

    “What we found is that even small doses of it can have real value,” Schooler, a distinguished professor at UCSB and well-known researcher, said in his own interview. The results will be published in the academic journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts.

    Traditional experiments on the cognitive value of the arts tend to focus on more intensive, ongoing programs, like arts education for kids. But the new findings suggest that even something quick can make a difference. And they can happen in minds already long developed. These traits of openness and creativity, Gross says, are not fixed based on previous experiences, let alone birth.

    While the results sound like they were sponsored by A24, the experiment was designed with plenty of scientific rigor. Researchers split nearly 500 random participants into two groups: those who watched the animated shorts (which came from the Sugar 23-backed platform Short of the Week) and those who watched the viral-video content (“home-video-style domestic antics”).

    They then asked subjects to devise a five-sentence short story and also sought to measure subjects “openness” and “conceptual expansion” —  the researchers’ terms for a flexible, multimodal sort of thinking — by asking them to note connections between seemingly different concepts. The subjects who watched the challenging films scored much higher on both metrics. This despite (or because) of the fact that the participants actually reported liking the viral videos more.

    “What it said to us is that we enjoy these kinds of [social-media] videos but they aren’t doing much for our brains. And the challenging shorts were having an immediate positive impact,” Gross said.

    The researchers say this may have happened because the ambiguities force our brains to consider alternate and original possibilities instead of simply falling into well-worn mental ruts. Think of it as a salad vs. a cheeseburger: it may not taste as good, but it’s going to do a lot more for your quality of life.

    In one way, literally — the particular trait of openness can even be correlated, Gross says, to a longer life.

    A trend has been developing in recent years toward considering the effects of social-media platforms and their algorithms optimized for engagement, and limiting intake in-kind. As people start considering their media diets as much as as their food-based ones, then, studies like the UCSB report could be key to that effort.

    The movement could gain even more steam in the age of AI content, with its likely wave of slop instantly generated to fit personal wants in a way that more blindly produced social-media content never could.

    Schooler and Gross say that their results should be taken with some caveats. But, they add, this doesn’t mean the benefits aren’t tangible.

    “I wouldn’t want to suggest everyone can turn into John Updike with exposure to seven-minute films,” Schooler said. “But there’s a range of capacity that we each have, and almost all of us are not at the top of that range. We can all get closer by doing something like this.”

  • Vietnamese Romance ‘Meet Me at the Eclipse’ Sets North American Theatrical Release After Record Home Box Office (EXCLUSIVE)

    Vietnamese Romance ‘Meet Me at the Eclipse’ Sets North American Theatrical Release After Record Home Box Office (EXCLUSIVE)

    Vietnamese romantic drama “Meet Me at the Eclipse” (Hẹn Em Ngày Nhật Thực) will open theatrically across North America on May 8, distributed worldwide by Mockingbird Pictures, following a dominant run at the Vietnamese local box office that has seen it clear $4 million and climb into the record books.

    Directed by Lê Thiện Viễn and produced by Lý Minh Thắng under Cánh Đồng Film, the film opened in Vietnam on March 27 and has held the top spot on the national chart for three consecutive weeks. It now ranks as the second highest-grossing original screenplay romance in Vietnamese box office history, behind only “Mai,” the 2024 hit directed by Trấn Thành.

    The film uses a 1995 solar eclipse as its central metaphor, tracing the journey of a woman who discovers a cache of unsent love letters and travels back to her rural hometown, where a reunion with her first love forces a reckoning with the past she never fully closed. The theatrical strategy for North America is being overseen by Thanh Tran of Mockingbird Pictures, with engagements confirmed at AMC, Regal Cinemas, and Cinemark locations.

    A day earlier, on May 7, the film will also open theatrically in Australia and New Zealand. Mockingbird is in advanced negotiations for releases in China, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, with dates yet to be confirmed for those territories.

    Phong Duong, business director of Mockingbird Pictures, noted: “Our ambition is to position Vietnamese and Southeast Asian cinema as a sustained presence on the global stage – not through isolated breakout titles, but by building a long-term ecosystem where local stories can travel, resonate, and thrive across international markets.”

    Over the past decade, Mockingbird Pictures has built a substantial distribution operation in Vietnam, putting out more than 60 films in cinemas each year while maintaining a digital slate of over 100 titles annually across streaming platforms, among them Netflix. The company has increasingly extended that reach into international sales, with a growing focus on cross-border theatrical releases.

  • Cannes Sets Japan IP Market in Collaboration With Tokyo International Film Festival Content Market

    Cannes Sets Japan IP Market in Collaboration With Tokyo International Film Festival Content Market

    Cannes is set to welcome a Japan IP market at this year’s festival.

    Cannes market, the film festival’s business hub, is collaborating with Tokyo International Film Festival Content Market (TIFFCOM) on the strategic gathering, which will run from May 15 to 17.

    The news comes as Japan readies to take the spotlight at this year’s market after being named the 2026 Country of Honor.

    The Japan IP market, which will take place on the Art Explora catamaran at Cannes’ Vieux-Port, is set to be a high-level networking platform for international companies to meet with their Japanese counterparts and discuss a selection of leading IP across cinema, animation and publishing originating from Japan. There will be opportunities to set up one-on-one business meetings, pitch sessions and a curated program of presentations and conferences.

    The event will also include a focus on the relationship between France Japan, highlighting the creative and industrial partnership between the two countries.

    Among IP holders set to attend are Amuse Creative Studio, Kadokawa Corporation, Nihon Bungeisha, Nippon Animation, Shochiku, Shufu To Seikatsu Sha and Toei Company.

    Keynote seminar “The Future of Japanese IP in Global Adaptations,” presented by “One Piece” exec producer and Filosophia CEO Tetsu Fujimura, is set for May 15 at 10am. Pitch sessions will take place on May 16 and one-to-one meetings throughout the three days of the IP market. Pre-registration is required.

    “We are thrilled to demonstrate how the Country of Honour program can create new opportunities for collaboration, and the launch of the Japan IP Market with TIFFCOM is a perfect illustration,” says Marché du Film exec director Guillaume Esmiol. “Japan is renowned as the birthplace of some of the world’s most powerful IP, from manga and anime to novels, remakes and video games. This new initiative will create further opportunities to foster international collaborations. At the same time, it reinforces the growing importance of the IP market at the Marché du Film, which has been a key strategic focus for several years.”

    TIFFCOM CEO Yasushi Shiina said: “The Japan IP Market is an important step for Japanese intellectual property on the global stage. We are very pleased to launch this platform with the Marché du Film, especially with Japan as Country of Honour this year. This is the ideal environment to highlight and showcase the extraordinary adaptability and creativity of Japanese content across multiple formats and markets. By bringing together key players from Japan and around the world in Cannes, we aim to create new opportunities for business and international growth.”

  • ‘Legend of Zelda’ Movie’s Team Celebrates as Production Wraps Ahead of 2027 Release

    ‘Legend of Zelda’ Movie’s Team Celebrates as Production Wraps Ahead of 2027 Release

    The Legend of Zelda touched down in Sin City on Monday, with Sony teasing the upcoming video game adaptation during the studio’s CinemaCon presentation.

    First-look images from director Wes Ball’s live-action film had been released in November, and at CinemaCon, president of Sony’s motion picture group Sanford Panitch announced that the movie had recently finished principal photography. Sony did not reveal new images or details about the feature that counts Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto and Avi Arad as producers.

    “We just wrapped production on Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda — based, perhaps, on the most beloved gaming franchise of all time that sold over 180 million copies in four decades,” Panitch said. “It has been produced by the creator himself, Miyamoto, along with Avi Arad, and it’s directed by Wes Ball, whose most recent Planet of the Apes movie was a box office hit.”

    The exec continued, “The film releases worldwide May 7th, 2027. We and the legion of fans everywhere cannot wait. And video game adaptations continue to be a significant focus for us.”

    This adaptation comes from a team-up between Sony and Nintendo and is set for release on May 7, 2027. Ball, the filmmaker behind Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and the Maze Runner trilogy, is directing; young actors Bo Bragason (known for her roles in BBC One’s Three Girls and The Jetty) and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (Pinocchio, The Haunting of Bly Manor) are starring as the magical Princess Zelda and the swordsman Link, respectively.

    Nintendo has been increasingly getting into the theatrical space in recent years, to quite successful results; 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie reached $1.36 billion worldwide, while sequel The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, released earlier this month, is already at over $600,000 worldwide. Zelda is another one of Nintendo’s major franchises, and previous adaptations have been attempted over the years, but nothing solidified until Sony announced development of the film in 2023.

    CinemaCon, the annual gathering of cinema owners and Hollywood studios, is hosted in Las Vegas by Cinema United, formerly known as the National Association of Theatre Owners. This year’s edition runs from April 13-16.

  • How Portugal Has Become a Production Hub, From ‘House of the Dragon’ to Local Hit ‘Turn of the Tide’

    How Portugal Has Become a Production Hub, From ‘House of the Dragon’ to Local Hit ‘Turn of the Tide’

    It’s not just about the money when it comes to building a film and TV production hub, and Portugal knows it. That was one of the key messages of a panel of local representatives who discussed “Portugal on Screen: A High-Growth Market for Streamers & Global Content Players” during a session at the inaugural StreamTV Europe in Lisbon, which drew a crowd.

    Ana Marques, executive director of the Portugal Film Commission, highlighted the appealing mix of locations, financial incentives and a focus on sustainability as key to making the country attractive for foreign productions. Among the popular fare made in Portugal, she mentioned local Netflix hit drama Turn of the Tide, which has seen three seasons, House of the Dragon, which has featured the historic village of Monsanto as a location, Star Wars series The Acolyte, which was shot on the Portuguese island of Madeira, movie Heart of Stone, and Netflix’s Damsel.

    “We want to be aspirational because of our wonderful locations,” Marques said. “We also have our incentives, so we want to be attractive, and we want to be sustainable. Sustainability is really important for us.”

    She highlighted how in 2024, the country launched a new and “competitive” incentives scheme for bigger productions “in response to the demand.”

    Creating in concert with foreign partners is another key part of the puzzle. “We love to co-produce,” Susana Gato, executive president of APIT, the Association of Independent Television Producers, explained.

    A case in point that she pointed to is Cold Haven, a co-production with Iceland. The psychological thriller series, whose Portuguese title is Refúgio do Medo, was produced by SPi in Portugal and Glassriver in Iceland.

    The panel also highlighted that Portugal has more than 60 co-production agreements.

    Technology is also part of Portugal’s focus in ensuring it is an appealing and successful production hub in the age of digital media and AI. Gil Azevedo, executive director of the Unicorn Factory Lisboa, an initiative launched by Lisbon’s mayor to turn the city into a leading innovation hub. “It’s been about gaining scale, and Technology is also part of Portugal’s focus in ensuring it is an appealing and successful production hub in the age of digital media and AI. Gil Azevedo, executive director of the Unicorn Factory Lisboa, an initiative launched by Lisbon’s mayor to turn the city into a leading innovation hub. “It’s been about gaining scale, and [we see] AI as a lever to move faster,” he said. “It’s about democratizing access, and we have great technology companies in Portugal.”

    Marques said at times, as in many countries, Portugal could be even more agile, but her team continues to work with the government and other key partners and stakeholders to continue fine-tuning the country’s appeal for productions. “Despite the film commission only working since 2019, being really recent, we have noticed big interest in Portugal and about the Portuguese conditions to film here,” she shared. “We are now launching a new program for the next four years, so until 2029, with 350 million euros ($412 million) with two different incentives.” And she and her team are ready for more film and TV productions to make the journey to Portugal.

  • ‘Ocean’s’ Prequel Sets 2027 Release as ‘Weapons’ Spinoff ‘Gladys,’ ‘Final Destination 7’ and More Added to Warner Bros. Calendar in 2028

    ‘Ocean’s’ Prequel Sets 2027 Release as ‘Weapons’ Spinoff ‘Gladys,’ ‘Final Destination 7’ and More Added to Warner Bros. Calendar in 2028

    Warner Bros. added a slew of titles to its release calendar in 2027 and beyond, including a “Weapons” prequel about Aunt Gladys and the Margot Robbie-led “Ocean’s” prequel.

    New additions to the schedule are “The Revenge of La Llorona” (April 9, 2027), “Ocean’s” prequel (June 25, 2027), “Evil Dead Wrath” (April 7, 2028), “Gladys” (Sept. 8, 2028), “Final Destination 7” (May 12, 2028),  Zach Cregger’s next thriller “The Flood” (Aug. 11, 2028) and an untitled Baz Luhrmann film about Joan of Arc (Nov. 22, 2028).

    Warner Bros. announced the news at CinemaCon, the annual gathering of movie theater owners that’s currently taking place in Las Vegas. Warner Bros. is in the process of being sold to Paramount Skydance, which means that production timelines may be altered, and release dates could shift around if the merger goes through. However, Paramount’s CEO, David Ellison, has pledged to release 30 films a year once the two media giants become one, meaning they’ll need a lot of new material to fill out their theatrical slates.

    Mike De Luca noted the overall box office is down from pre-pandemic years because the number of major studio releases has declined by 23%. “You don’t need a crystal ball to wonder what admissions might look like that missing volume was made up for and restored,” he said.

    Warner Bros., meanwhile, has increased its output since De Luca and Pam Abdy took over as co-chairs in 2022. The studio released six films that year and was able to bump up that number to 11 in 2025. The bosses said they plan to unveil 14 movies in 2026 and 18 movies in 2027.

    “Look, we know they’re not all going to work,” Abdy acknowledged from the stage. “There’s no version of this business that’s risk-free. But our job is to step up, make bets and own it when it doesn’t work.”