Tag: Entertainment-Variety

Gabriel Byrne and Geraldine James will lead the world stage premiere of “45 Years,” Hannah Patterson’s theatrical adaptation of Andrew Haigh’s 2015 film, directed by Prasanna Puwanarajah, at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester, U.K., from June 12 to July 11.

The story centres on a couple in the days before their anniversary celebrations, whose relationship is quietly upended when a letter arrives from Switzerland – connected to the decades-old discovery of a woman’s body preserved in glacial ice.

Byrne, making his Chichester debut, takes the role of Geoff. A Golden Globe winner with two Tony nominations, he has built an expansive career on both sides of the Atlantic – on stage most recently in Eugene O’Neill productions and Samuel Beckett-influenced work on Broadway, and on screen in “Miller’s Crossing,” “The Usual Suspects” and “In Treatment.”

James plays Kate, also appearing at Chichester for the first time. A Tony-nominated stage actress, her recent theatre work includes productions at the Orange Tree and the RSC. On television, she has accumulated an extensive body of work across four decades, with notable recent appearances in “Silo,” “This Town” and “Back to Life.”

Patterson has written for both fringe and mid-scale venues in London and New York, with work including a Hampstead Theatre commission and a piece that earned dual award nominations before transferring off-Broadway.

Puwanarajah, who won the 2025 U.K. Theatre Award for best director for his RSC production of “Twelfth Night,” makes his CFT debut with the production. As an actor, his screen credits include “The Crown,” in which he played journalist Martin Bashir, as well as “Patrick Melrose” and “Line of Duty.” He made his feature directorial debut with “Ballywalter,” which opened the Belfast Film Festival in 2022, and subsequently co-wrote and co-executive produced the drama “Breathtaking.”

“It’s an honor to be directing Hannah Patterson’s sensitive adaptation of Andrew Haigh’s surgical, devastating ’45 Years,’” he tells Variety, “and to be working with an extraordinary team of creative artists to find its real-life theatrical voicing.” He described Byrne and James as “two of the finest and most treasured players from these islands,” adding that they would “find new richnesses and rhythms in this story which serves as a celebration of deep relationship honesty and a warning against the quietly ossified secret.”

The production’s creative team includes designer James Cotterill, lighting designer Guy Hoare, composer Ruth Barrett, sound designer Beth Duke, movement director Natasha Harrison and casting director Matilda James CDG.

Haigh’s source film premiered in competition at the Berlin Film Festival in 2015, where Rampling won the Silver Bear for best actress and Tom Courtenay took the Silver Bear for best actor. Rampling subsequently received an Academy Award nomination for best actress in a leading role at the 88th Oscars.

South Korea‘s film, television and streaming sector contributed KRW24.08 trillion ($16.4 billion at current exchange rates) to the country’s GDP and underpinned 291,100 jobs in 2025, according to an independent economic study commissioned by the Motion Picture Association.

The report – “Economic Contribution of the Audiovisual Industry in South Korea,” produced by Oxford Economics – was presented at the National Assembly in Seoul before legislators and industry leaders. It assesses the sector’s full economic footprint across direct production activity, supply-chain spending and induced consumer expenditure.

For every KRW1 billion ($680,000) generated directly by the industry, the study calculates a further KRW2.1 billion ($1.4 million) was created across the broader economy, implying a GDP multiplier of 3.1. The employment multiplier stood at 3.4, meaning each 100 direct jobs supported an additional 240 elsewhere. Close to four in five of the sector’s total jobs – 78% – were in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, with micro businesses alone accounting for 36% of the employment footprint. Of the 291,100 total supported jobs, the information and communication sector accounted for the largest share at 116,500, reflecting the digitally intensive nature of the industry’s supply chain.

Television was the dominant segment, contributing roughly KRW15,620 billion ($10.6 billion) – about 65% of the industry’s combined GDP output – and supporting 181,200 jobs. Film added KRW4,960 billion ($3.4 billion) and 77,800 jobs, while video-on-demand contributed KRW3,500 billion ($2.4 billion) and 32,100 jobs. The industry generated an estimated KRW7,170 billion ($4.9 billion) in total tax revenues.

VOD workers were by far the most productive in the sector, averaging KRW437 million ($297,000) in direct GDP contribution per head – roughly five times the national average of KRW92 million ($62,600). Television followed at KRW107 million ($72,800) per worker.

Looking ahead, the report projects VOD as the sector’s fastest-growing segment, with direct GDP and tax contributions forecast to expand at approximately 7.4% and 7.2% annually through 2028, respectively. Film and television are projected to see modest contractions in line with broader shifts in audience consumption toward streaming and digital platforms. The proposed merger of local platforms Tving and Wavve, if completed, would create a combined entity with around 9.3 million monthly active users – potentially Korea’s largest local streamer – and could strengthen the ability of local platforms to compete against global players.

The study also tracks a sharp rise in international reach. Exports of Korean film and TV content reached KRW1.8 trillion ($1.2 billion) in 2024, nearly double the KRW899 billion ($612 million) recorded in 2019 – a compound annual growth rate of 14.5%. To put that figure in context, the report notes it exceeded Korea’s exports of beverages and spirits (KRW1.71 trillion/$1.16 billion) and railway locomotives (KRW1.39 trillion/$946 million). Broadcasting accounted for the bulk at roughly KRW1.5 trillion ($1 billion), with animation and film comprising the remainder.

While Asia still anchors Korean film exports at roughly two-thirds of the total, North America and Europe have each grown to about 14% of the mix, reflecting deeper platform partnerships, improved localisation and rising international familiarity with Korean storytelling.

The cultural spillover into tourism is also quantified in the report. Some 38.3% of inbound tourists said they were motivated to visit Korea after engaging with Korean Wave content, up from 32.1% a year earlier – the most frequently cited reason for visiting the country. A case study on the 2025 Netflix K-drama “When Life Gives You Tangerines,” set in Jeju’s fishing villages, illustrates the mechanism directly: after the series topped global non-English rankings, Jeju posted year-on-year foreign visitor growth every month from April, with January–September arrivals reaching 1.74 million, up 17.5%. The Jeju Haenyeo Museum, featured prominently in the series, saw foreign visits climb 58.9% to nearly 50,000 by November.

“South Korea’s audiovisual industry has become one of the most influential in the world,” MPA chair and CEO Charles Rivkin said. “This report shows an industry that delivers substantial economic value at home while exporting creativity, culture and innovation to global audiences. MPA member studios are proud to partner with Korean creators to bring these stories to screens worldwide.”

“Wherever we travel, policymakers ask how Korea did it,” added Mila Venugopalan, president and managing director of MPA Asia-Pacific. “This report shows that Korea’s success is grounded in strong creative talent, evidence-based policy and international collaboration. It is a model many markets now seek to emulate.”

“Korea’s screen industry combines domestic strength with global reach,” said Bo Son, managing director of MPA Korea. “Its impact extends across employment, exports and long-term economic growth.”

“Korea’s video content industry has evolved beyond the global spread of Hallyu to become a key driver of the national economy,” said Rep. Lim O-Kyeong, a National Assembly member focused on culture, content and sports policy. She added that data-driven analysis of the sector’s impact would play “a critical role as reference material for future policy formulation and regulatory improvement.”

On the talent development front, the Korea Creative Content Agency and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism have committed KRW43 billion ($29.3 million) under a 2026 roadmap to train around 3,400 professionals across AI, creative and export-oriented roles. The programme includes 1,000 VOD specialists being retrained in planning and post-production in partnership with Netflix, and a flagship mentoring initiative targeting 300 aspiring creatives aged 19 to 34.

MPA member studios – Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery – all maintain active ties with Korean producers, broadcasters and distributors.

Despite its headline figures, the report identifies several pressures bearing on the sector’s outlook: theatrical attendance has not rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, the mid-budget segment that once defined Korean cinema is contracting under the weight of higher production costs and tighter margins, and an uncertain regulatory environment has dampened investor confidence. The study was commissioned as an evidence base for future policy design and to support the long-term competitiveness of the sector.

The Playmaker has saddled up to handle international sales duties for Sonja Maria Kröner’s family adventure film “Horse on a Stick,” which will have its market premiere at Cannes Film Market.

The film, which opens in German theaters on April 23, distributed by Port au Prince, is produced by Lieblingsfilm, whose previous production, comedy “Extrawurst,” is Germany’s most successful box office release of this year so far, with a $21.9 million gross from 1.9 million admissions.

“Horse on a Stick” is based on the real-life Finnish phenomenon of hobby horsing: competitive tournaments in which teenagers perform dressage and show jumping routines on handmade hobby horses.

The film follows 13-year-old Sarah from Munich, who discovers her passion for hobby horsing. In the hunt for a trophy, she travels to Finland with Beatrice, also 13, to compete in the Hobby Horse Championship.

“’Horse on a Stick’ is a fun, lovely, and empowering adventure and friendship story about finding yourself and sticking to it no matter what,” Ramona Sehr, head of acquisitions at The Playmaker, said.

“When I first heard screenwriter Gerlind Becker’s pitch for ‘Horse on a Stick,’ I knew straight away this would be an enchanting story closely tied to the everyday lives of the children’s target audience,” producer Philipp Budweg said.

The Playmaker said the film carries a universal message: passion and friendship transcend where you come from. Its protagonist documents her journey on social media, and the film’s “TikTok-ready subject matter makes it a story that speaks directly to today’s generation,” the company added.

“Horse on a Stick” is shot by DOP Julia Daschner. Principal photography took place in Munich and Lithuania, with the film’s championship sequences set in Finland. The film’s score was composed by Inéz and Demian Kappenstein, the duo behind German electronic-indie act Ätna. The film stars Manon Debaille, Chiara Kitsopoulou and Aurelia Ott.

“Horse on a Stick” is produced by Budweg for Lieblingsfilm in co-production with ZDF and KiKA. The production was supported and funded by FFF Bayern, MDM Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, Hessenfilm & Medien, BKM, Kuratorium Junger Deutscher Film, FFA and DFFF.

Five Japanese filmmakers developed through the Atmovie Global Track will pitch new projects at the Cannes Film Market during the Cannes Film Festival, with the debut timed to Japan‘s designation as Country of Honor at this year’s market.

The accelerator, funded by the Japan Creator Support Fund under the Agency for Cultural Affairs and administered by Japan Arts Council, ran a lab of 14 fellows with international mentors before selecting five projects for a dedicated industry showcase.

“While Japan is often seen as a source of adaptable IP, this initiative highlights creators empowering their own stories to the global market in their own voices,” said Moriya Takeshi, chief producer and founder of the program, whose credits include “Midnight Diner” and “Midnight Swan.”

The selected slate spans tone and genre. Seki Shun’s “Her Voice” follows girls in a juvenile detention center who stage a rehabilitative operetta. Joya Yoshimi’s “Almost Goodbye” centers on a hikikomori man sustaining a false identity through nightly visits to a convenience store. Furuyama Tomomi’s “My Missing Half” is a darkly comic Japan-Philippines road movie rooted in the Filipino manananggal myth. Arai Soji’s “Their Own Sake,” drawn from a true story, tracks a Japanese sake brewer attempting to practice his craft in the Arizona desert alongside his Navajo wife. Miyase Sachiko’s “Portrait of Absence” follows three middle-aged women traveling to Europe in search of a missing friend.

“What’s emerging here is not just Japanese content, but globally viable cinema at script stage,” said Deepti Chawla of Inflixious Content & Art India, a key international collaborator on the initiative and executive producer on Cannes 2024 title “The Shameless” and associate producer on Annecy Grand Prix winner “Sultana’s Dream.” “The focus is on building projects that travel early – structurally, financially and creatively. That shift is what makes this slate relevant to international partners.”

The program’s mentors include James Bang and Jenna Ku of the Busan Asian Film School, whose credits span “The World of Love” and “Little Forest.” A broader network of producers from Japan, the U.S., the U.K., Taiwan, and India is also engaged, among them Eiko Mizuno-Gray (“Plan 75”), Yamaguchi Shin (“Rental Family”), Yanagimoto Chiaki (“Aum”), and Suzuki Lancaster Fumie (“Fujiko”).

The five filmmakers will pitch to producers, financiers, and sales agents during Cannes, with additional curated pitch events and networking receptions planned at the Japan Pavilion.

On Monday night’s episode of “The Daily Show,” Jon Stewart poked fun at President Donald Trump for some unusual behavior during a bill signing.

Stewart opened the show by explaining that Trump “did a solid” by signing a bill that fast-tracks the “FDA process for novel psychedelic drug treatments for veterans suffering from all forms of PTSD and other psychiatric conditions, including addiction.”

The show then cut to Trump in the Oval Office talking about a study on the psychoactive drug ibogaine, which showed that, in the president’s words, users “experienced an 80% to 90% reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety within one month.” Trump then joked, “Can I have some, please? I’ll take it. I’ll take it, whatever it takes.”

“Oh wow. He’s depressed, too,” Stewart quipped. “Hey, don’t be depressed, sir. Trump won’t be president forever. But I have to say, there are little moments in these Oval Office gatherings that are somewhat revelatory of the president’s psyche, and really a good starting place for any accredited mental health professional.”

Back at the Oval Office, Trump said to a room full of aides, “I don’t have time to be depressed. If you stay busy enough, maybe that works too. That’s what I do.”

“I don’t think Donald Trump should treat that with hallucinogens, but if he did, would we even notice?” Stewart said. “If he took them, he’d be like, ‘They’re eating the cats and dogs! Right near my beautiful ballroom. By the way, did you know I’m Jesus?’”

He added, “You know what, though? Maybe he’s already taken them, given how intensely he focused on the signing of this bill. I mean, he signed the shit out of this bill.”

Stewart then cut back to Trump, who took his time signing the psychedelics bill before saying, “That’s a good one. See that, Joe? You think Biden can do that?”

“’Have you ever really looked at your signature, on weed?’” Stewart joked. “And look, I think this is a good thing that he did, and this is not political, but that was weird as shit the way he signed that.”

Watch the entire monologue below.