Features: Last News

Dozens of riders from across North Lanarkshire will take their horses onto the roads around Newmains for the annual Pass Wide and Slow rideout.

Prime Video has officially unveiled its new adult-animated anthology series , featuring original short stories set within the worlds of popular video games. The announcement of the show, which comes from the creative team behind Netflix’s acclaimed series Love, Death & Robots, was made during the Gamescom Opening Night Live global livestream.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor J.K. Rowling’s articles delving into the intricacies of Harry Potter and the Wizarding World — a collection spanning 80 entries — have been adapted in audio format for the first time, set to launch later this month on Audible. “From the Wizarding Archive” draws on the 80 articles written by Rowling for the original (now-defunct) Pottermore website.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Condé Nast inked a deal with OpenAI, the prominent artificial-intelligence tech company, to license content from brands including the New Yorker, Condé Nast Traveler, GQ, Vanity Fair, Wired and Vogue for use within the AI company’s products, including ChatGPT and the SearchGPT prototype. Condé Nast joins other publishers and news organizations that have inked deals with OpenAI, a list that includes the Associated Press, Axel Springer, the Atlantic, Dotdash Meredith, Financial Times, LeMonde, NewsCorp, Prisa Media, Time and Vox Media.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Maria Bello has joined the upcoming Netflix drama series “The Waterfront,” Variety has learned. The eight-episode show, which hails from Kevin Williamson, was originally greenlit at Netflix back in May.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Taylor Sheridan’s new “Yellowstone” spinoff “The Madison” is adding three new cast members. Patrick J.

While it's tough to bid farewell to summer, it's nearly time to start contemplating the upcoming season and, more specifically, a new seasonal wardrobe. Retailers are gradually swapping out their summer inventory for new transitional pieces, including accessories.

Megan Prescott, best known for her iconic role as Katie Fitch in the Channel 4 teen drama Skins, which ran from 2007 to 2013, has revealed how OnlyFans ‘changed her life’ during the pandemic. The 33-year-old landed her ‘dream job’ on Skins in 2008, but had a ‘bit of a reality check’ after leaving the show. "After Skins, I had a bit of a reality check where I was like, 'oh, actually, you don’t just go from a TV show to Hollywood,'" she told Metro.co.uk.

Rebecca Rubin Senior Film and Media Reporter Neon has nabbed U.S. rights to Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk’s “Hell of a Summer,” a horror comedy that premiered at Toronto Film Festival in 2023. Wolfhard, the star of Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” and Bryk, who appeared in the indie drama “When You Finish Saving the World,” directed the film in their feature debut.

Rebecca Rubin Senior Film and Media Reporter Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao’s next film “Hamnet” has landed at Focus Features with Steven Spielberg newly joining the project as a producer. “Hamnet” is adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s Shakespeare-era novel, which was published in 2020 and fictionalizes the life of the Bard’s son who died at a young age. As previously announced, Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal will star in “Hamnet” alongside Emily Watson and Joe Alwyn.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Variety has been given access to the first clip from “Why War,” written and directed by Israeli filmmaker Amos Gitai. The film, starring Irène Jacob, Mathieu Amalric, Micha Lescot and Jérôme Kircher, has its world premiere on Aug. 31 at the Venice Film Festival in an out of competition berth.

For those of us who want to plan our wardrobes for the colder months ahead, fan favourite brand Oodie is offering a variety of discounts.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Sky Documentaries has unveiled plans for “Boyzone,” a three-part documentary series that will examine the trials and tribulations of Irish boyband and 1990s pop sensation Boyzone. “For the first time in 30 years, band members Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Shane Lynch and Michael Graham grant rare and exclusive interview access [..] revealing their personal experiences in a band that sold over 25 million records worldwide, the boys also talk candidly about how they grappled with the true cost of global fame,” Sky said. “They confront the strained relationships and tragic events that have had a lasting impact on all their lives, families and friendships.” “The documentary examines the key events that shaped Boyzone, including the highs and lows of global stardom, the intense tabloid intrusion in 1990’s Britain forcing Stephen Gately to come out, and after a sensational comeback in 2007, a devastating tragedy struck the band, as Gately died.” The series is a Curious Films production, commissioned for Sky Documentaries by Poppy Dixon, director of documentaries and factual, and Tom Barry, commissioning editor.

East Kilbride slimmer Paul McInulty has been crowned Man of the Year after shedding a remarkable four stones 10lbs in just seven months.

John Clegg, the actor celebrated for his role as La Di Da Gunner Graham in the BBC sitcom 'It Ain't Half Hot Mum', has passed away at the age of 90.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Documentary specialist Cinephil has acquired international sales rights for the feature documentary “Viktor,” which will have its world premiere in the Platform program of the Toronto Film Festival next month. The film is directed and produced by French filmmaker and cinematographer Olivier Sarbil, who won Emmys for “Retrograde” and “Mosul,” and a Royal Television Society award for “On the President’s Orders.” Darren Aronofsky is a producer on the film.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Taskovski Films Sales has picked up Serbian filmmaker Mladen Kovačević‘s documentary “Possibility of Paradise,” which will have its world premiere on Sept. 3 at Venice Days, an independent sidebar to the Venice Film Festival.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Jonah Lomu, who was the youngest ever New Zealand rugby union player and who rose to become the sport’s biggest icon, is to be immortalized in “Lomu,” a feature documentary. As previously announced, the film is being co-directed by Ireland’s Gavin FitzGerald (Netflix’s “Conor McGregor: Notorious” and “Liam Gallagher: As It Was”) and Tongan-New Zealander Vea Mafile’o, who is known for her works “Lea Tupu’anga/Mother Tongue” and “For My Father’s Kingdom.” Mafile’o also shares familial roots with Lomu in Tonga’s Ha’apai islands. “Lomu” delves into the life of the 6ft 5 inch (1.95m) Tongan-Kiwi player who was known for his speed and agility as well as his huge size and who holds the record for the most tries scored in Rugby World Cup history.

Marta Balaga Forget about “The Magnificent Seven”: It’s time for The Magnificent Six, competing for the Nordic Council Film Prize this year. The nominees – consisting of four fiction and two documentary feature films and each representing one of the Nordic countries – were announced by Nordisk Film & TV Fond at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund. Denmark is represented by “The Son and the Moon,” directed by Roja Pakari and Emilie Adelina Monies.

Morrisons will be removing some self-checkouts from stores following feedback from customers.

The first £1 coins featuring King Charles have been released into circulation, marking a historic moment for the nation's currency. Nearly three million of these new designs will be distributed across the UK this week through Post Offices and banks.The coin showcases a pair of British bees on the "tails" side, symbolising the King's dedication to conservation and nature, while the "heads" side features Charles' official effigy.