Tag: Entertainment – Variety

Thailand’s first purpose-built international content marketplace wrapped its debut edition this month with an estimated THB2.2 billion ($65.5 million) in business value generated across three days of structured deal-making and co-production talks.

The Bangkok International Content Market 2026 – known as BICM2026 – ran earlier this month at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, organized by the Creative Economy Agency (CEA) under the Thailand Content Market 2026 umbrella. More than 600 participants, spanning content companies, production studios, distributors, and streaming platforms from Thailand and international markets, took part in sessions covering film, television series, and production services.

The event’s flagship business matching program drove more than 1,200 one-on-one meetings between content owners and buyers, yielding deals that ranged from licensing and adaptation-rights acquisitions to international co-production agreements. BICM2026 also formalized regional ties with QCinema International Film Festival in the Philippines, JAFF Market in Indonesia, Taiwan Creative Content Fest, and the Danang Asian Film Festival in Vietnam – connections CEA framed as part of a broader push to position Thailand as the gateway to a consumer base of more than 700 million people across ASEAN.

A pitching competition, supported by White Light Studio, Kantana Sound Studio, Gear Head, and QCinema International Film Festival, drew more than 55 production-ready projects. The Asian Project Pitching prize of $10,000 went to “Honey Milk” from Taiwan, a feature directed by Chien Yu Lin and produced by Man Yin Tseng. Two Thai projects each took $5,000 grants: Woottidanai Intarakaset’s feature “The Mining,” written by Chanikarn Opaspimoltum, won the Thai Project Pitching award, while “The Kindness of Miss Ari,” produced by Pinyada Poommek and written by Chalermpong Udomsilp, claimed the Thai Story Pitching prize.

Industry forums and workshops drew strong turnout, with sessions on regional content formats, foreign production incentives, and government support mechanisms for domestic Thai filmmaking proving especially popular.

Nalina Chayasombat, executive producer at Jungka Studio, one of the companies that participated in the business matching program, said: “BICM2026 gave us the opportunity to meet new companies and new people. It acted as a bridge, connecting us with creators and potential partners that we can genuinely collaborate with. At Jungka, we’re not simply looking for projects – we’re looking for new ways of working and strong creative teams with the potential to grow and reach wider audiences. This platform has opened up exciting opportunities for collaboration and for developing new creative works and business models that can meet future market demands.”

Chakrit Pichyangkul, executive director of CEA, added: “The success of the inaugural BICM2026 has clearly demonstrated that a dedicated marketplace is the missing piece that Thailand’s content ecosystem has long needed. Bringing together buyers, investors, and creators from around the world on one platform in Thailand – and seeing real business agreements emerge — proves that Thai content possesses genuine commercial potential. CEA is committed to developing BICM into an annual international marketplace that continues to grow year after year, empowering Thai creators to move beyond contract production and become owners of high-value intellectual property. Our long-term ambition is to firmly establish Thailand as the content hub of Asia.”

CEA confirmed plans to stage a second edition of the market, continuing to build on the international partnerships and deal flow established at the inaugural event.

Back in May 2025, it was revealed that Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” ” would be the first feature film shot entirely with Imax 70mm cameras. That announcement sparked interest from other filmmakers.

As “The Odyssey’s” box office sails to nearly $300 million domestically, with Imax 70mm screenings sold out for weeks in advance, a source at Imax says that success is likely to launch interest in shooting entirely on Imax into another stratosphere.

Ever since Nolan first used Imax on “The Dark Knight,” he’s been working towards this. Visually, “The Odyssey” is sharper, and the projection is much brighter making the audience experience even more immersive.

But which filmmakers aside from Nolan have the skill and resources to shoot a film entirely on Imax?

Shooting with the cameras isn’t cheap. “The Odyssey” cost $250 million to produce and is the most expensive film of Nolan’s career to date. Raw film stock alone costs approximately $1.50 per foot, and with the production sailing through two million feet of film, that total alone equates to roughly $3 million.

Then there are the developing and processing costs. A source confirmed that one print of “The Odyssey” costs $50,000. “It’s also up to the studio how many prints they actually want to create,” the source added.

So who could be next? Denis Villeneuve has revealed he shot much of “Dune: Part Three” on Imax 70mm film. At the film’s trailer event, he said, “A big part of it was shot in Imax film, which was the first time for me, but I kept the desert in digital because I like the brutality of the digital Imax.” Filming with the “epic” Imax cameras was unique, he said. “When you see the result on screen, it’s quite unmatchable,” he added. “I hope I will have the chance to do it again.” The James Bond movie is up next for Villeneuve — and could be a large-scale canvas to work on.

And then there’s Ryan Coogler, whose next film is “Black Panther 3.” Coogler, working with his longtime collaborator, cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, shot sequences of “Sinners” using a combination of 15-perf Imax film (for a towering 1.43:1 ratio) and Ultra Panavision 70 (for an ultra-wide 2.76:1 ratio).

While it’s not yet confirmed if Durald Arkapaw will shoot the film, it was revealed during Marvel Studio’s Comic Con panel that the film will partially be shot in large format on 70mm film – becoming the first Marvel film to shoot that way. The Imax source says, “Ryan is an amazing partner. We were deeply involved in ‘Sinners’ and very supportive of that film. He shot sequences on film. We hope that he would do it again without question.”

The Imax source continues, “We cannot speak at all to whether they’re interested in the challenge of taking it on fully. But we have enough cameras and we have enough blimps that if those guys wanted to do it, we would figure out a way to make it happen.”

With the success of “The Odyssey,” and audiences filling theaters to watch films in Imax, there’s no question that the format will continue to draw interest — whether it’s shooting on film or in digital. Michael B. Jordan’s “The Thomas Crown Affair” remake was shot for Imax as well as “The End of Oak Street” (filmed for Imax), “Resident Evil” (filmed for Imax) and “Digger” (filmed in VistaVision and shown in Imax).

As Imax continues to be a gamechanger at the box office, the company says its mission is to serve filmmakers, and there are other options available.

“Project Hail Mary” was shot using Imax-certified digital camera, but the company created film prints for it.

So, if Villeneuve or Coogler, or any ambitious filmmaker wants to shoot their next film entirely on Imax, it’s possible. “As long as we’re able to handle it from like a scheduling perspective in terms of the cameras, and as long we have enough time to work on each production to create the film prints in partnership with Kodak and Fotokem, we’re willing to do as much as people want to do,” says the Imax source. “If people want to create for our format, we do everything within our power to enable them to do that. We try to create a lot of different options so we can serve a variety of different filmmakers.”

“Obsession” star Michael Johnston is in early talks to join the fourth installment of “The Mummy,” Variety has confirmed.

Johnston previously starred in the TV series “Teen Wolf,” but this year’s “Obsession” brought him to the attention of moviegoers when the low-budget Curry Barker horror film became a box-office sensation.

As previously reported, Academy Award winners Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz are officially returning for a fourth installment of the blockbuster franchise, “The Mummy.”

Universal Pictures has dated the movie, directed by Radio Silence’s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, for a wide theatrical release on Oct. 15, 2027.

Fraser and Weisz, whose involvement was first reported last fall, have closed deals to reprise their roles as adventurer Rick O’Connell and Egyptologist Evelyn O’Connell in the movie, plot details for which are being kept — not unironically — under wraps.

Fan favorite John Hannah was also confirmed to return to the film’s franchise.

“The Mummy” follows a treasure hunter who accidentally awakens a cursed Egyptian priest with supernatural powers. The movie and its 2001 sequel “The Mummy Returns” were major box office hits, reviving the classic monster movie IP and establishing Fraser as a bankable action star. Weisz, however, did not appear in the 2008 threequel “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,” so her return to the franchise is particularly thrilling for fans.

Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett (“Ready or Not” and sequel “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come”) direct the new “Mummy” movie from a screenplay by David Coggeshall (“The Family Plan,” “Orphan: First Kill”). Sean Daniel — who has produced each installment of the $1.8 billion-grossing franchise at the studio since 1999’s “The Mummy,” including “The Mummy Returns,” “The Scorpion King,” “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” and the 2017 Dark Universe project — also returns for the film.

William Sherak, James Vanderbilt and Paul Neinstein, whose joint credits include “Nuremberg,” the Scream franchise and “The Night Agent” series, will produce through Project X Entertainment. 

Clayton Townsend will produce.  Brendan Fraser and Hivemind’s Jason F. Brown will executive produce the film.

Universal had no comment.

The news was first reported by The Insneider.

Horror is red-hot at the box office, but what is up next for the genre?

Ideas flowed freely at the San Diego Comic-Con panel for Bold Voice of Contemporary Horror: Tenth Anniversary Edition, which took place on July 24. Panelists included both actors and behind-the-camera talent, including Dan Stevens, star of AMC series “The Terror”; Deborah Ann Woll, star of Shudder’s upcoming thriller “The Cycle”; director Zachary Wigon, who helmed Bleecker Street’s “Victorian Psycho,” which debuted during this year’s Cannes Film Festival; and Dave Boyle, who directed SXSW audience award winner “Never After Dark.” The discussion was moderated by Michael Lerman, the co-founder and director of film programming at the genre-based Overlook Film Festival, and was curated by convention mainstay Rachel Walker, who founded the panel in 2015.

What were their thoughts and theories? Read more below.

Keeping audiences on their toes by not being boxed into one type of genre.

Touching on different tones is a great way to keep viewers discombobulated and primed for a scare.

“I mentioned ‘The Descent’ as being one of my favorite movies. Part of the reason for that is that it shifts,” Woll said. “You’re not always quite sure what kind of horror movie you’re in. Is it a psychological thriller? Is it a survivalist thriller? Is it a creature feature? To me, films that can play with genre in that sense are often the most engaging. When I read this script [for ‘The Cycle’], that immediately made me say, ‘I have to do this.’”

Bring in ideas from other types of storytelling, even if they’re not fully reflected in the final work.

Creatives should take from everything they’ve ever worked on — even if it doesn’t immediately seem transferable.

“I think that the thing that really prepared me to jump into the genre was working on action, just because of how precise and communicative you have to be,” Boyle said. “There are so many moving pieces, so many things to think about and keep track of. Working in Japan for the first time, it’s interesting; Japanese scripts leave half the page blank. Then the director actually draws in the cuts where each cut is gonna happen, so that you have a real sense of how the movie’s going to come together, and there’s a real precision to it if you use that system and lean into it. That’s what prepared me to jump into my favorite genre, which is horror.”

Horror mixed with humor continues to be on the rise.

This goes even beyond the influx of funny directors like Zach Cregger and Curry Barker making their mark on the industry.

“Something I’m pleased to see spreading at the moment is horror with more humor attached,” Stevens said. “I find that humor is so powerful in horror and can often be overlooked. It’s sometimes a scary word when you mention that to producers: ‘I’d like to bring some humor into this.’ ‘It’s not a comedy.’ ‘I know it’s not a comedy, but by bringing some humor in, by bringing elements of humor, you bring in humanity, which I think exists in even the most batshit of situations.’ That can really ground a story sometimes. I’ve really enjoyed seeing a proliferation of those kinds of movies recently.”

Revel in withholding some information from the audience to make for even bigger payoffs.

Conjure up interest by dropping some clues that don’t get solved right away.

“I feel like horror is a subgenre of mystery,” Wigon said. “When I think about horror storytelling, it’s almost like you have a patchwork quilt, and you can’t see what’s in any of the patches at the beginning of the movie. Then as it goes along, you start to reveal that this is one little patch, that’s one little patch, and you’re creating mystery because the audience doesn’t understand how these patches connect to one another, and that’s the game that everybody’s playing. Then as it goes along, you start to realize that you’ve been looking at one image the whole film, and the pleasure is in seeing how these seemingly disparate pieces of information come to connect.”

Watch the new trailer for “The Cycle,” which debuted during the panel, below.

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Shark Week has officially returned, bringing another frenzy of great whites, makos and other underwater predators to Discovery Channel.

The network’s annual programming event kicked off Sunday, July 26, and runs through Saturday, Aug. 1, with new specials airing nightly beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Cord-cutters can watch Shark Week live online through Sling TV, which carries Discovery Channel as part of its Sling Blue and Sling Orange + Blue packages.

Sling Blue includes more than 40 live channels and allows subscribers to stream on as many as three devices simultaneously. The service also comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR storage, making it possible to record Shark Week specials and watch them later.

Viewers who miss the live broadcasts can also add Discovery+ through Sling. Discovery+ is available in an ad-supported plan for $5.99 per month or an ad-free plan for $9.99 per month, with Shark Week programming available to watch on demand.

This year marks the 38th edition of Shark Week, with Discovery rolling out 20 new specials focused on shark behavior, attacks, conservation and ocean science. The lineup opened with “K-Pop Shark Heroes,” featuring comedian Ken Jeong and singer Rei Ami on a mission to challenge misconceptions about sharks across East Asia.

Other highlights include “Air Jaws: Red, White and Breach,” which investigates great white sharks breaching along the U.S. coastline, and “Invasion of the Mega Sharks,” following researchers as they search for a potentially record-breaking great white off Nova Scotia.

Later in the week, “Jurassic Sharks” uses CGI and real-world expeditions to examine prehistoric species, while “Jaws vs Orca” explores the growing evidence that killer whales are hunting great whites. “How to Train a Great White” tests whether the predators can learn and respond to cues, and “Ultimate Shark Dive” follows high diver Molly Carlson as she attempts a helicopter jump into a narrow shark cage.

The week concludes Aug. 1 with “Great White Highway,” about the increasing number of great whites traveling along the East Coast, followed by “Thresher Shark: Stun to Kill,” which examines how thresher sharks use their powerful tails to incapacitate prey.

Stream Shark Week on Sling TV.

Prime Video will globally premiere Season 2 of “The Traitors,” its Indian adaptation of the hit international reality format in August, with new episodes streaming every Thursday.

Karan Johar returns to host the season, in which 21 celebrities from various fields will compete in a game built around trust, betrayal and deception. The series is produced by Dharmatic Entertainment, Dharma Productions’ digital content studio, in collaboration with All3Media International, which oversees the Indian version of the BAFTA and Emmy-winning format created by IDTV. “The Traitors” has now been adapted in more than 40 territories worldwide.

“The response to the first season of ‘The Traitors’ exceeded all expectations – it didn’t just entertain; it became a cultural moment,” said Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals, Prime Video India. “‘The Traitors’ has become one of Prime Video India’s most defining reality franchises, transforming the genre with its unique blend of intelligent gameplay, psychological strategy, and riveting entertainment.”

Madhok added that the new season raises the stakes with sharper gameplay and a new line-up of players.

“The Indian adaptation of ‘The Traitors’ struck a powerful chord with viewers in its very first season, and we couldn’t be more delighted to see it return for another thrilling chapter,” added Sabrina Duguet, executive VP, APAC, All3Media International.

Dharmatic Entertainment, in a statement, said the first season “ignited a nationwide obsession” and that the new run aims to stay true to the show’s “raw, unpredictable, and psychologically gripping essence.”

Season 2 premieres Aug. 13.

Formed in 2018, Dharmatic Entertainment has produced more than 25 titles, including “Call Me Bae” and “Love Storiyaan.” “The Traitors” is among its upcoming slate alongside a global game show format also hosted by Johar.

All3Media International, which distributes programming to more than 1,000 broadcasters and platforms worldwide, has licensed “The Traitors” format to more than 30 territories for local versions, while episodes have aired via tape sales in more than 50 others. The distributor’s catalogue spans more than 35,000 hours of content, including scripted series such as “Liar” and “The Assassin,” alongside unscripted formats including “Race Across the World” and “Cash Cab.” All3Media recently completed a $8 billion merger with Banijay Entertainment.

Prime Video’s Indian slate also includes “Mirzapur,” “The Family Man,” “Panchayat,” “Paatal Lok” and “Rise & Fall,” among other Originals.