George Michael’s enduringly popular 1984 chart-topper “Careless Whisper” has officially surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube. “Careless Whisper,” originally released on Wham!’s album “Make It Big,” has averaged more than 400,000 daily views globally on YouTube in 2023, according to the video platform. The official music video of the ’80s…
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Japan’s Hiroyuki Sanada has become one of Hollywood’s most familiar Asian actors, with action roles in franchises like “Mortal Kombat,” “Avengers: Endgame” and now “John Wick 4,” as well as nuanced character turns in “Minamata” and “The Railway Man.” “John Wick” star Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski created a…
“Blue Jean” director Georgia Oakley has signed with CAA. The up-and-coming British filmmaker made her debut feature with the Venice-premiering “Blue Jean,” which bowed to wide acclaim on the Lido in September. Set in northeast England in the 1980s, the pic is centred on a closeted gym teacher (played by…
Back In Black? How about back on the road?
While an official announcement is not expected until later in the week, multiple sources tell Variety that Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Ozzy Osbourne, AC/DC, Tool and Iron Maiden headline a new festival called Power Trip from Coachella founders Goldenvoice. The sources say the festival will take place at Coachella’s home base, Empire Polo Field in…
‘BAD KIDS’ ARE AS GOOD AS ‘GOLD’ “The Bad Kids,” a hit series from Chinese streamer iQiyi, is to be remade as a Japanese feature film “Gold Boy.” The 12-episode gritty crime thriller depicts the troubles that arise after three children accidentally film a murder. The series was previously licensed…
Former Amazon Studios Europe boss Georgia Brown has revealed her first industry role since leaving the streamer last year. She is set to chair a skills task force for the U.K. screen industry with the intention of focusing on critical labor shortages in the production sector. Joining her on the…
Top Middle East broadcaster MBC Group has forged a partnership with U.S. anime and manga distributor Tokyopop under which they are forming a hub dedicated to the licensing, promotion, and production of anime content in the region. The joint venture, called MBC Anime, is led by Stu Levy, the American…
Argonon CEO James Burstall was prompted to write his new crisis management book “The Flexible Method: Prepare to Prosper in the Next Global Crisis” by the COVID-19 pandemic, when the TV industry – like much of the world – came to a grinding halt almost exactly three years ago. Shows…
Netflix will give a May launch to “Sanctuary,” a sports drama series set in the specialized world of Japanese sumo wrestling. Produced by the Slowtide company for the streamer, the show follows a juvenile delinquent who becomes a sumo apprentice. He soon finds himself on a collision course with a…
Streaming platforms including Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video will be subject to more regulation in the U.K. following the release of the Government’s new draft Media Bill. New rules are set to be introduced bringing the platforms under the purview of the U.K.’s media regulator Ofcom, which currently oversees…
Online story platform Wattpad and Thai media firm GMMTV have joined forces to adapt digital comic “My ID Is Gangnam Beauty!” for TV. The show will begin production this summer and be known as “Beauty Newbie” when it begins airing on GMMTV in early 2024. The adaptation will follow Liu,…