Warner Bros.’ “Practical Magic 2” cast a winning spell over the U.K. and Ireland box office, dethroning “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” after a six-week reign to claim the top spot with an opening weekend of £2.7 million ($3.7 million).
Disney followed closely in second position with the cinema rollout of “Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger,” which captured $3.5 million across its debut frame. 20th Century Fox’s thriller “Pressure” rounded out the new release trio at the summit, taking third place with $2.7 million.
Universal’s “The Odyssey” held firm in fourth place during its ninth week on release, collecting $1.2 million. The tentpole pushed its cume to $114.3 million.
Sony’s superhero juggernaut “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” moved to fifth position in its seventh frame, generating $1.1 ,illion. The blockbuster’s running total reached $132.7 million, overtaking “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Avatar,” and “No Time to Die” to claim the No. 3 spot on the all-time U.K. and Ireland box office chart, trailing only “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “Skyfall.”
Signature Entertainment’s survival sequel “Fall 2” opened in sixth place with $648,421. “Insidious: Out of the Further,” distributed by Sony, followed in seventh position in its fourth week, adding $619,084 to raise its running total to $9.9 million.
Entertainment Film Distributors’ action thriller “Runner,” starring Alan Ritchson and Owen Wilson, bowed in eighth place with $517,727. Paramount landed the ninth spot with the 45th anniversary 4K re-issue of “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” which grossed $326,263. Altitude Film Distribution’s “Coyote vs. Acme” rounded out the top 10 in its fourth frame, collecting $188,463 to push its cume to $2.6 million.
Looking ahead to the upcoming theatrical frame, rollouts begin mid-week with Seventh Art Productions’ “Exhibition On Screen: James McNeill Whistler 2026,” followed Move Over Productions’ documentary “The Route to Cappyness.”
Wide commercial openings on Friday across 300+ locations are led by “Resident Evil,” distributed by Sony, and Paramount’s “Bad Apples,” starring Saoirse Ronan.
Releases also include Screenbound Pictures’ music documentary “50 Years of Punk,” Entertainmeny Film Distributors’ “De Gaulle: Part 2 – Liberté,” Aardman’s “Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom,” from Studiocanal, Dogwoof’s “The Cycle of Love,” Curzon’s “Queen at Sea,” Other Parties’ “Barrio Triste,” Sonorous Films’ “Premature,” Shane O’Sullivan’s documentary “The Watergate Caper: Richard Nixon and the Death of the American Dream,” from E2 Films, Mubi’s “Pulp: What Do You Do For An Encore?” and Anime Ltd’s “Whisper of the Heart.” The weekend concludes on Saturday with the event cinema broadcast of “Twenty Years of the Met in Cinemas: An Anniversary Celebration” from Trafalgar Releasing.
Value-driven Finnish outfit Gutsy Pictures headed by Marika Makaroff (“Moominvalley,” “L/Over”) has secured a greenlight from MTV Finland and added co-producers Zeitsprung in Germany and Götafilm in Sweden for the psycho-thriller “Dangerous Woman.”
Already pre-bought by TV4 in Sweden, the six-parter created by Makaroff will be directed by the established Zaida Bergroth, credited for the crowd-pleaser and Finnish Oscar entry “Tove.” Joining the key creatives are BAFTA-winner Kevin Rundle (“Gangs of London,” “The Thaw,” “Eastenders”), who reunites with Gutsy after their successful collaboration on the Canneseries selected “L/Over,” one of MTV’s biggest hits earlier this year.
The story centers on Laura, a middle-aged woman at the peak of her career, caught violently attacking a male visitor at an interior design fair. Once arrested, bigger secrets begin to surface. The woman who’s been hiding under a different identity for years, is also linked to an unsolved murder case. As the story of her life unwraps across three timelines, we start to question if it’s her where the real danger lies.
“I’ve wanted to tell this story for 10 years, but when I first wrote it, the idea felt almost too extreme,” Makaroff said, before adding: “Today, hatred has become increasingly normalized, and I wanted to explore what happens when it moves beyond words and becomes physical.”
Makaroff, who opened up about her own experience of abuse while promoting “L/Over” in 2025, said she’s approached the character of Laura in “Dangerous Woman” “with compassion”. “She [Laura] has spent a lifetime being belittled, dominated and abused, and eventually reaches her breaking point. Through her, I’m asking a difficult question: can violence or revenge ever be justified? And if we become those we hate, who does that serve?”
“The series is a mix of dark humor, psychological thriller and social drama, but ultimately it is a story about humanity, grace and forgiveness,” she observed.
Added Janne Vakio, commissions and content development manager at MTV, “At MTV, we believe great stories become even stronger through great partnerships. ‘Dangerous Woman’ brings together a bold creative vision, top-tier talent and producers from three markets with a shared ambition: to create a distinctive Nordic drama that can resonate both at home and internationally.”
The series is due to go into production later this year.
“Dangerous Woman” is one of 11 international premium dramas selected for the co-production pitch showcase Mind the Gap, hosted by Serielizados Pro (Oct 21-24), the industry sidebar of Barcelona’s series festival Serielizados.
Acclaimed Catalan filmmaker Carlos Marques-Marcet (“10,000 km,” TIFF Platform winner “They Will Be Dust”), with his first showrunning gig, and sisters Mireia and Joana Vilapuig (“Selftape”) will rub shoulders with creators from Galicia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Mexico and Portugal at the second edition of iSerielizados Mind the Gap co-pro series contest.
The international series pitch, due to unspool Oct 21 in Barcelona, is the pièce de résistance of series festival Serielizados’ fast-expanding industry confab Serielizados Pro, running Oct. 21-24.
On the heels of last year’s flawless launch of Mind the Gap, set up to boost top-tier series in their financial stage of financing, more than double the number of projects from a bigger geographical spread were submitted this year.
Out of the 11 selected titles, eight came from open calls, and three were invited by European industry partners Seriencamp, ECAM Forum and Iberseries.
Victor Sala
Credit: Victor Parreno
“It’s been more challenging for our selection committee but also extremely exciting,” said Victor Sala, Serielizados Pro honcho who welcomed new collaborations with the Baltics, through Latvia’s entry “The Man Behind a Mask,” and the sustained ‘love affair’ between Finland and Spain.
“Apart from Spain – obviously!, we received the largest number of projects from Finland – five or six”, said the industry chief who picked with his team the Finnish ‘crime “Bloodwine” from Helsinki-filmi (“The Summer Book,” “Codename-Annika”) and psycho drama “Dangerous Woman” from Gutsy Pictures (“L/Over”). Sala also underscored Helsinki-based Tekele’s involvement in the Spanish dramedy “Not Girls”, first original series produced by top Catalan banner Fasten Films (“The End of It”).
“We are really happy that renowned Catalan directors and showrunners trust Mind the Gap as a place to find partners,” added Sala, referring to “Callback,” co-penned by the Vilapuig sisters with Diego Vega, and “Act of Faith,” the first TV show created by Goya and Toronto Platform winning helmer Marques-Marcet.
While “Callback” deals with “the grey areas of abuse where aggression is subtle and it’s difficult to establish clear roles between victim and agressor,” according to Jordina Casals from Funicular Films (“This is Not Sweden”), “Act of Faith” offers a new twist to the political thriller. Indeed, the show centers not on the real cases of undercover cops that infiltrated social movements in Spain, but on the victims, friends and lovers who felt betrayed.
“Storytellers remind us that the world is not easy to grasp, that reality is more complex than we initially thought,” noted Sala, himself co-writer of Serielizados’ opener “In Vitro (HBO Max-3Cat) which offers a kaleidoscopic – even ironic – look at fertility in the 21st century.
This year’s international jury which will hand out the €5,500 ($6,300) prize for Mind the Gap best project takes in Mubi’s Ben Driscoll, Movistar Plus’ Susanna Herreras, Beta Film’s Peter Lohner, ZDF Studios’ Susanne Frank and Arte France’s Virginie Béjot. An additional €2,000 ($2,300) Konga Music Agency Award will be bestowed to the best Spanish project.
Movistar PlusRodrigo Sorogoyen’s regular writing partner Peña and Villanueva will discuss their latest show — the Movistar Plus Original “El Castillo” which will bow in Barcelona on the heels of its world premiere out of competition in San Sebastian.
El Castillo
Courtesy of Movistar Plus
In another inspiring session sponsored by Seriel Eye, German creator and showrunner Alexander Lindh will discuss a world without prisons, portrayed in his high-end show ”A Better Place,” competing at Serielizados for best international series.
Tracker of market trends and networking facilitator, the boutique Serielizados Pro will also host discussions about the state of European series development, production, distribution, new digital strategies, with key industry players including The Mediapro Studios’ Béatrice Nouh, DR Sales’ Ella Glantz, Oble’s Katia Sol, RTVE Play’s Alberto Fernández and Tallinn TV Beats’ Roosa Toivonen among others.
Turning the lens on the thriving Catalan audiovisual industry, Serielizados organisers will invite the 300-plus attendees to a session on the state of series production in the region, and a case study on the two successful co-productions “In Vitro,” (3Cat-HBO Max) and “Segunda temporada” (Filmin), the festival’s opening and closing bets.
To honor the best of the best Spanish series, a new Audiovisual 451 Award will be handed out for its inaugural session to HBO Max’s acquisition and 3Cat’s drama departments for their joint efforts to deliver “some of the most relevant series in recent years, such as “Pubertat,” “Ravalear” and this year’s “In Vitro,” distinguished by their compelling themes and high production values,” said Audiovisual 451 journalist Irene Jiménes. ” In times of fierce industry competition, budget constraints and editorial cancellations, it is admirable that a global platform and a public broadcaster have overcome their differences to make these co-productions a reality,” she added.
Serielizados Pro is backed by ICEC (Catalan Institute for Cultural Companies), DAMA, Triodos Bank, PROA, Konga Music Agency, Sarao Music, Serial Eyes, and Antaviana and AVisual Pro.
The 13th edition of the series festival will run Oct.19-28 in Barcelona and on the upscale streamer Filmin Nov. 10-22.
A Full rundown of Mind the Gap Projects, 2026:
“Act of Faith,” (“Acte de fe,” 4X45’, Spain) Written, directed by Carlos Marques-Marcet Produced by Suica Films and Abacus
In his first series as a creator, multi-awarded Catalan auteur Marques-Marcet has taken as starting points real cases of left-wing pro-independence activists who were infiltrated by undercover cops in Spain, to deliver a suspense drama about intimacy, trust and betrayal. “At its heart lies a question we have all asked ourselves: Do I really know the people I love?”, says Suica Films’ Alba Bosch.
“Bloodwine,” (“Veriviini,” 6X45’, Finland, France) Written by Katri Järvelä, Tua Harno Produced by Helsinki-filmi, Finland for MTV Finland, with France’s CineFrance
“Bloodwine” is a delicious crime series set in the lush world of French vineyards, exquisite palates, and the unique million-dollar business wine fraud. We want the audience to watch the series and then look at their glass of wine thinking: what’s actually in my glass,” says Helsinki-filmi head of drama Mia Ylönen,
“Callback,” (4X40’, Spain) Created and written by Joana Vilapuig, Mireia Vilapuig and Diego Vega, Produced by Funicular Films (“This is Not Sweden”) and Left Tackle Films.
In their second series set in show business after “Selftape,” the Vilapuig sisters focus on Fran, a filmmaker who accuses Román, her actor and producer of abuse, in the middle of the premiere of her directorial debut at a European Film Festival. “At its core, ‘Callback’ explores a relationship marked by an abuse of power and how a personal conflict can become a broader social and political debate,” says Funicular Films’ Jordina Casals.
“Dangerous Woman,” (6X42’, Finland) Written by Kevin Rundle from an idea by Gutsy Pictures founder Marika Makaroff Produced by Gutsy Pictures
After the Canneseries 2025 entry “L/over” which turned on coercive control and its dramatic effects, Gutsy Pictures’ new psychological drama looks at a woman’s track record as a violent person. But is she really a villain or a victim?
“El Observatorio,” (6X45’, Spain) Project selected at ECAM Forum 2026 where it won the Serielizados Award Created-written by Laura Roqué, Eloy Zamora and Luis Sorolla
A drama comedy set in Andalusia, 2011. In a small village of a Sierra Morena threatened by depopulation, sheep graze alongside a colossal astronomical observatory. The only people working there are astrophysicists Sara and Gabi. When a light suddenly appears in the sky, Sara believes the light could be her late father communicating with her. “Our project explores what happens to us when our belief system enters into a crisis,” says Roqué who is seeking a producer and financial partners.
“Gusgus,” (6X55’, Iceland, Benelux) Project selected at Seriencamp where it scooped the Co-Production Pitch Award. Created and written by Arni & Kinski, Lawrence Inglee
Produced by Truenorth Nordic for RÚV, in co-production with Lumière, Benelux A semi-autobiographical show about electronic band GusGus. How nine young artists set out to become the biggest band in the world, until one member’s private tragedy fractures their ascent. “Against our lead characters deeply personal journey through grief is the extraordinary world of Iceland in the 1990s: a small, isolated island where musicians, filmmakers and artists seem to be inventing a new reality,” says band co-founder Stefan Arni.
“Historia de Espías, The Obedient Assassin,” (6X60’, Mexico, Spain) Project selected at Iberseries Created and written by Salvador Rizo, with co-writer Alessandro Pederzoli Directed by Horacio Alcalà
Produced by The Maestros, Mexico, with The Aurora Project, a Spanish anthology TV show based on the spy book series by John P. Davidson. In Season 1, “The Obedient Assassin,” the story turns on the former Soviet Union agency NKVD’ s efforts to assassinate Leon Trotsky in exile in Mexico. “Our ambition is to build a map of real espionage across nationalities and decades, with a different story every time,” says producer Pederzoli.
“Karbo FC,” (6X45’, Spain) Created by Sonia Méndez Produced by Cósmica Productions, Accidental Films
Karbo FC
Courtesy of Cósmica Productions
A first TV drama produced by Galicia-based Cósmica, based on an idea by the banner’s co-founder, football fan, writer and director Sonia Mendez (“As Neves”). A feelgood coming of age tale based on true events, about a group of working class girls who defy prejudice in 1980s Spain to live their dream-playing football for the Karbo FC.
“Line,” (“Linha,” 6X30′, Portugal) Created by Hermano Moreira Produced by Manilha Filmes (Hotel Amor”) and SPi (“Cold Haven”)
At an ecstatic dance festival, almost nothing is what it seems. The lines between racism, sexual harassment and drug addiction are very thin and shift depending on the perspective from five different characters.
“The Man Behind a Mask,” (Latvia) Created by Anna Kalnina, Serge Serpuhovs Produced by Baltic Pine Films, Latvia
Based on the true story of a Latvian doctor, a medical pioneer, innovator and rule-breaker whose career intersected medicine, politics and power. “At its core, ‘The Man Behind a Mask’ is about a healer forced to become an instrument of the state, a man torn between his calling to heal and his duty to serve the system,” says Serpuhovs, executive producer at Riga-based production and servicing outfit Baltic Pine Films.
“Not Girls,” (“Noies no,” Spain, Finland) Written by Indigo Carbajal, Jana Jubert, Tomàs Bayo Directed by Celia Giraldo Produced by Fasten Films, Spain for 3Cat, in co-production with Tekele, Finland
The first original series from top Spanish banner Fasten Films present at Cannes this year with “The End of It,” “Strawberries,” “Rehearsals for a Revolution.” A bold contemporary dramedy set in Barcelona’s vibrant music and cultural scene in which members of a pop-rock band learn to deal with ambition, jealousy, desire and belonging.
“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” is the sole Emmy winner of this year’s outstanding variety series category, via the canceled CBS late-night series’ final season, which ended in May.
“I want to thank so many people in this room,” he said. “Over the last 21 years, I’ve interviewed at least a thousand of you. Thank you for coming on to talk to this idiot, I want you to know that you were the perfect guest. The segment went great, and I’m sorry I forgot to play your clip. But of course, there can only be one favorite guest, and that is my wife, Evie McGee. Thank you, darling.
“I want to say to the audience thank you so much for watching. watching. We hope you enjoyed the show. We had a great time doing it for you. That’s it. Thank you. We’ll catch you all on the flip.”
Colbert noted that his writing team (which won the show’s first Emmy for variety series writing last weekend) were tasked with writing Monday night’s Emmy jokes.
“The thing about these late shows is that, besides bringing a really good, steady job, is that they require so many people that they’re a fantastic incubator for young people to come in to learn to work professionally on a deadline in cooperation in collaboration, and that is the future of our business that we have to look after. I want you to know I got some great news: They are all tech avail. Hire them; they will make your show better, and they will make your day easier.”
“The Late Show” beat out “The Daily Show” (Comedy Central), “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC), “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (HBO Max), “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS) and “Saturday Night Live” (NBC) in the newly remerged variety series competition, which brought together the previously separated outstanding talk series and outstanding scripted variety categories.
As part of this rule change, the Academy decreed that the outstanding variety series category would now be an “area” award. Nominees in “area” award categories aren’t actually competing against each other — they’re all independently trying to get at least 90% of Emmy voters to say “yes” when asked, “Does this nominee merit an Emmy?” Any nominated show will win an Emmy if 90% of voters agree.
That means the category could have had as many as five winners. And the Emmy producers were ready for that possibility. What if multiple, or all, of the variety series nominees had won? “Local news is going to be late,” exec producer Jesse Collins said during Thursday’s Emmys press day. “That’s what’s going to happen. If multiple people win, each would get up to give their speech and it’ll be a TV moment.”
But 90% is a high threshold, which is why the TV Academy decided that if no series surpassed a 90% “yes” vote, the show with the highest “yes” vote would be the sole winner. And ultimately, that may have been the case, as “The Late Show” was the only winner.
During the first weekend of the Emmys, “The Late Show” already won four prizes: Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series, Outstanding Directing For A Variety Series, Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork For A Series, Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction For A Series and Outstanding Picture Editing For Variety Programming (Segment).
“The Late Show” has won nine Emmys over the course of its run; last year it landed the kudos for outstanding talk series and directing for a variety series. Those were the show’s first two wins — which now means that all of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” Emmy victories came after CBS announced that it had canceled the show (despite its status at the time as the No. 1 talker in late night).
Murai on Monday won outstanding directing for a comedy series for the “Widow’s Bay” premiere, “Welcome to Widow’s Bay!,” becoming the first Asian director ever to win the category — and only the third Asian director to win in any Emmy category.
He prevailed over a deep field that included Randall Einhorn (“Abbott Elementary”), Christopher Storer (“The Bear”), Andrew DeYoung (“The Chair Company”), Lucia Aniello (“Hacks”) and Mary Lou Belli (“The Ms. Pat Show”).
The other Asians directors who have won previously include Lee Sung Jin for the first season of the anthology series “Beef” and Hwang Dong-hyuk for the first season of the drama series “Squid Game.”
The Japanese filmmaker, who holds 11 career Emmy nominations, had twice been recognized in comedy directing — for “Atlanta” and “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.” He was already a previous Emmy winner as an executive producer on the first season of “The Bear.” The “Widow’s Bay” win, for the pilot that set the show’s tone, anchors the craft dominance that carried the series to a leading field for a freshman show.
This year’s Emmy nominations were led by “The Pitt” with 25 nominations, followed by “Hacks,” “Widow’s Bay” and “Beef.” Matthew Rhys scored a nomination for lead actor for “Widow’s Bay,” along with supporting stars Dale Dickey, Kate O’Flynn and Stephen Root. Creator and showrunner Katie Dippold also recevied a nom for outstanding writing for a comedy series for the pilot.
“Katie Dippold, thank you for being brilliant and letting me ride shotgun,” Murai said on stage. “I’m so proud of everything we did. And most of all, I just want to thank my family and my partner Emma. I love you. Thank you.”
Tom Holland is swinging through the Emmys for the first time ever to join Zendaya, his wife and co-star on “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “The Odyssey.”
While “SNL” star Marcello Hernández was introducing best director for a comedy, he did a bit about all the stars he was excited to see. Among them was Zendaya. As the camera cut to “The Drama” star, we could see her husband, Holland, smiling wide behind her.
“I want to say hi to Zendaya,” Hernández said. “Hi. You’re a beast and you’re amazing. And I saw you and I wanted to play it cool, and I’ve decided I can’t do that. So, I would like to invite you and Spider-Man to have dinner at my house.”
Zendaya is celebrating her sixth and final Emmy nomination for “Euphoria.” She is nominated for outstanding lead actress in a drama series, which she has won twice before for her role as Rue.
The couple stepped out in couture. Zendaya also wore Les Pétales Place Vendôme White South Sea Cultured Pearl earrings, while Holland was in Dior.
“I loved the idea of taking something as timeless as Mikimoto pearls and making them feel fresh, modern and young,” her longtime stylist Law Roach said in a statement. “There’s an elegance to pearls that will always be classic, but the way Zendaya wears them tonight feels completely of the moment.”
Roach on the red carpet retracted previous claims that Holland and Zendaya got married in private earlier this spring.
“I actually lied, she wasn’t married, they actually haven’t had an official ceremony yet, its gonna happen after the ‘Dune’ press tour,” Roach said.
When pressed, Roach confirmed no wedding has happened and any social media content of the wedding is false.
“She’s been his wife for a really long time now, but its not official yet,” he said.
This year has been a momentous one for the couple. Along with their alleged private nuptials earlier this spring, the two co-starred in “The Odyssey” and “Spider Man: Brand New Day,” two of the year’s biggest blockbusters. With $923 million to date in North America, “Brand New Day” is primed to soon overtake 2015’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ($936 million, not adjusted for inflation) as the highest-grossing movie of all time at the domestic box office.
After such a busy year, Zendaya told Fandango in March that she will “go into hiding for a little bit.”
“I guess, you know, I just hope people don’t get sick of me,” she said. “And I really appreciate everyone who supports any of the movies or supports my career in any kind of way. I’m deeply appreciative, and like I said, I just hope you guys don’t get sick of me this year.”
There is a new, immersive entertainment experience coming to the Las Vegas Sphere — and Oprah Winfrey is at the center of it.
Titled “Aha,” the two-hour show is taking place four times across one weekend, from April 2-4, 2027. Winfrey will appear live on-stage and introduce performances from Grammy winner Jacob Collier, poet Ocean Vuong, musician Ajeet, gospel singer Wintley Phipps and more. The ticketed event is described in a press release as a “journey of light, sound, music, storytelling, nature and shared humanity.”
“My first time at Sphere, I was blown away by this high-tech marvel of sound and images,” Winfrey said in an announcement video. “I had a big aha moment: What if this magnificent space could take us to the edge of the universe and deep within ourselves for an immersive symphony of awe, wonder and joy? Aha! Join me for the ultimate aha moment at Sphere.”
Elaborating in a press release, Winfrey continued, “‘Aha’ is a dream that came to me as I sat in awe at the opening night of U2 at the Sphere, mesmerized by the possibilities of how the space could be used as a tool for creating greater awareness and understanding of ourselves and our connection to each other. Creating this experience has felt like the culmination of what I’ve spoken about and worked towards my entire life.”
Tickets start at $145 and will go on sale here starting on Sept. 25 at 10 a.m. PT.
Max Richter is the musical director of “Aha,” which is directed by Ethan Tobman, produced by Baz Halpin and written by Tarell Alvin McCraney (“Moonlight”). The show features original works by stage designer Es Devlin and others.
The title and concept of the show will resonate with Winfrey fans: After all, it was she who popularized the term “aha moment” in the 1990s on her daytime talk show. Winfrey is the reason the phrase was added to the dictionary in 2012 by Miriam-Webster, which describes an aha moment as “a moment of sudden realization, inspiration, insight, recognition or comprehension.”
“I always love those moments when I sit down to talk to somebody and they say things that make me look at life or a situation in a completely different way,” Winfrey has explained, adding that an aha moment is like a “lightbulb, bing bing bing” moment in which “the little hairs on your arms stand up.”
“Djinn Wedding” (“Cinlerin Düğünü”), written and directed by Ferit Karahan (“Brother’s Keeper,” “The Fall From Heaven”), will have its world premiere at Toronto as part of the TIFF Platform competition. This is Karahan’s follow-up feature to “Brother’s Keeper,” which won the Berlin Film Festival’s Fipresci Award in the Panorama section.
A magic realism story about family, history and Anatolian folk tales, the film follows four siblings across three periods of time as their dark secrets and traumas begin to unravel during a family wedding. It deals with the universal themes of loss, guilt and mourning.
The film stars Demit Özdemir, Kaan Yildirim, İlhan Şen, Sarp Bozkurt, Heli̇n Kandemi̇r and Evliya Aykan. It is produced by Ferit Karahan Film, Royal Pictures, Maya Films and Arya Yapim. Luxbox is handling international sales.
Ferit Karahan. Photo Credit: Brigitte Dummer
Variety spoke with director Ferit Karahan ahead of its world premiere in Toronto.
Can you tell me about the djinn and what they symbolize in Anatolian folklore?
Ferit Karahan: In Anatolian culture specifically, but also more broadly across Islamic cultures, djinn are invisible beings who share the same world as humans. Stories about them are often intertwined with the night, abandoned places, thresholds, weddings and death. I grew up in a region where these stories were still very much alive. It was part of everyday life for people to make sense of things they couldn’t explain through djinn, dreams or legends.
The reality we live with in the Middle East today can be so harsh, and at times so irrational, that even when I try to explain it to my own child, I find myself needing elements of the surreal. I don’t use them to soften reality or escape from it. On the contrary, I use them to make that reality tellable and bearable. Perhaps this is where my relationship with magical realism begins. Djinn, dreams, legends and invisible things are not alternatives to reality for me; they are another layer of it.
What were some of the themes you wanted to address in the film?
Karahan: Before I began making the film, there was a question that kept circling in my mind: “Can a person who refuses to acknowledge their own darkness ever truly change their fate?” I don’t think the most dangerous thing about human beings is that we have dark impulses. Greed, jealousy, anger or the desire for power can exist in all of us. The real danger is denying that they exist. This is what interests me in Jung’s concept of the “shadow:” we don’t destroy what we refuse to see in ourselves; we simply leave it in the dark.
What are your thoughts on present-day Turkey and its political landscape?
Karahan: I think we are living in an atmosphere of fear. People don’t know what tomorrow will bring, or even what might happen to them personally. And this fear is not unique to Turkey; it is increasingly spreading across the region, and even across the world. The war between Iran and the U.S. and the conflicts throughout the region, affect all of us. The resurgence of the far right in Europe inevitably makes me think of the 1920s and 1930s. In many parts of the world, fear is once again being used as a political instrument and people are once again being governed through fear.
The political and economic conditions in Turkey today affect towns like the one depicted in the film. The consequences of the economic crisis, migration, unemployment and diminishing access to education can sometimes be felt even more severely in smaller towns than in major cities. That is why I don’t see the town in the film as some folkloric world left behind in the past. On the contrary, to me it is very much a place of the present.
Is there a connection between this film and “Brother’s Keeper?”
Karahan: In “Brother’s Keeper,” the source of oppression was more visible: the school, authority, the system created by adults. In “Djinn Wedding,” that oppression is no longer outside the characters. It has seeped into the family, into memory, even into the ways people love one another.
“Djinn Wedding” is also a much more autobiographical film for me. “Brother’s Keeper” grew out of a real incident from my childhood, but “Djinn Wedding” comes from a much broader and more personal memory. Family, home, siblings, loss, silence, the stories that are told and the ones that are never told, all of these are much more directly connected to my own past.
There is a scene in the film where the mother is placed inside a large cauldron filled with hot water. That image actually comes from my childhood. When I was about nine years old, I saw the brother of a neighbor who had cancer being placed in a large cauldron of hot water to ease his pain. While I was writing the script, it suddenly came back to me. I suppose cinema has this strange relationship with memory: sometimes an image you have carried for years without knowing why finds its place in a story much later.
Over the weekend, just days after the ad dropped, several athletes took to social media to speak out against the campaign, which they accused of sexualising women’s sports.
“I don’t know wtf Sydney Sweeney was doing, but it’s 2026,” wrote British athlete Lucy Davis. “Stop sexualizing women in sport.”
Meanwhile, Ariarne Titmus, a former Australian swimming champion and four-time Olympic gold medal winner, wrote: “I can’t describe how infuriated I feel when I watch this.”
Titmus added: “Not only is it a kick in the face to every woman who has dedicated her life to perfecting her craft, but every woman who enjoys sports for what it really is – teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellence, unity. How do we live in a world where monetising a woman’s body and sexualising women’s sport is still a thing?”
The backlash prompted many female athletes to post their own footage alongside messages about what sports actually looks like.
Among them was American gymnast Gracie Kramer, who posted an highlight reel, now with more than a million likes, with the caption: “Idk what Sydney Sweeney was doing, but this is what a woman in sports looks like.”
In a TV interview, British sprinter Amy Hunt, who became a four-time European champion earlier this summer, raised the ad after running a season’s best in the 200m final at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest.
“Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like,” she told the BBC immediately following the race.
In reference to Melissa Jefferson-Wooden’s winning time of 21.47 seconds, the fourth fastest ever over the distance, Hunt added: “21.4. Muscles. Hard work, blood, sweat, tears,” before adding: “When you’re a woman in sport, it’s not pretty. It’s not glamorous. It’s not sexy all the time, definitely.”
Meanwhile, water polo Olympic silver medallist Tilly Kearns succinctly wrote: “I absolutely fking hate Sydney Sweeney’s new sports ad.”
In a statement on the Novig website, Sweeney said: “The campaign was about embracing a fun idea. The concept is simple: cut through the noise and put the focus entirely on sports. The campaign brings that idea to life with confidence, humor and a playful edge.”
The star also appeared to respond to the backlash by posting to her Instagram story a series of covers from the ESPN Body Issue, which featured naked athletes.
The Novig commercial comes just over a year following American Eagle’s hugely controversial “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” campaign,” which prompted a wave of criticism for appearing to use the language of eugenics. In a now-deleted video, Sweeney said: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality, and even eye colour. My jeans are blue.”
Months after the American Eagle ad, Sweeney responded by saying she was “surprised by the reaction” and that she was “against hate and divisiveness.”
“The Odyssey” continued its voyage at the summit of the South Korean box office during the weekend of Sept. 11–13.
According to data from KOBIS, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council, the Christopher Nolan-directed tentpole generated $3.9 million from 449,474 admissions over the three-day frame across 1,648 screens, capturing 51.4% of the total weekend market.
Securing its sixth consecutive weekend victory, the blockbuster pushed its cumulative South Korean gross to $89.6 million from 10,782,715 total admissions since its Aug. 5 launch.
“Obsession” climbed to second place in its second weekend, pulling in $1.4 million from 176,479 admissions across 845 screens. The film accounted for 18.6% of the weekend market, lifting its cume to $3.7 million from 474,818 total viewers.
Superhero tentpole “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” was tin third place in its seventh outing, generating $544,123 from 84,719 admissions over the frame. The film accounted for 7% of the frame, bringing its local gross to $68.7 million from 8,930,413 admissions.
“The Drama” opened in fourth place, earning $223,340 from 29,512 admissions over the three-day window across 616 screens. Since its Sept. 9 premiere, the release has collected $404,575 from 53,631 total admissions.
Local family road-trip drama “The Journey to Gyeongju” took fifth place, generating $124,071 from 17,206 admissions. Directed by Kim Mi-jo and starring Lee Jung-eun, Gong Hyo-jin, Park So-dam, Lee Yeon, and Byun Yo-han, the revenge-tinged family narrative pushed its haul to $2.3 million from 332,960 viewers.
“Power Ballad” placed sixth, taking $110,283 from 15,277 admissions and has gathered $633,484 from 89,399 admissions since its Sept. 2 debut.
Sci-fi thriller “Hope” rebounded into the top 10 in seventh place, adding $125,591 from 14,719 admissions. Directed by Na Hong-Jin and starring Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, Michael Fassbender, and Alicia Vikander, the alien-encounter feature has accumulated $36.2 million from 4,566,216 ticket buyers.
Toho’s anime classic “Inuyasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time,” directed by Toshiya Shinohara, entered the chart in eighth place, earning $89,975 from 10,935 admissions across 129 screens for a cumulative $159,850 from 19,829 admissions.
The local family crime-drama “Portrait of a Family,” directed by Lee Ji-won and starring Ryu Seung-ryong and Ha Ji-won, finished in ninth place with $66,614 from 9,752 admissions over the weekend, moving its cume to $652,858 from 97,145 viewers. Directed by Lee Ji-won and starring Ryu Seung-ryong and Ha Ji-won, the film centers on a former superstar baseball player and a top actress whose glamorous lives unravel when a mysterious young girl appears, dragging them into a desperate struggle seven years later.
Rounding out the top 10 was the upcoming animated adventure “Forgotten Island,” which took $70,125 from 9,314 admissions across early festival and special preview screenings, lifting its pre-release total to $88,051 from 11,772 viewers ahead of its wide launch on Sep. 23.
The overall market collective gross for the weekend was $7.6 million, down from last week’s $9.8 million.
