Spring Breakers sequel ‘Salvation Mountain' emerges after 12 years — here's what to know
The project, unveiled at Cannes by Capture — a joint venture between Capstone Global and Signature Entertainment — marks a fresh take on the original's rebellious energy, this time tailored for Gen Z audiences.
Matthew Bright (Freeway) will direct the sequel, replacing original filmmaker Harmony Korine. While Korine is not involved, producers Chris Hanley (American Psycho) and Jordan Gertner (Bully), who backed the first film, are returning. Capstone Studios is financing the production, with international sales being handled by Capture's Ella Field, Asia Muci, Emilie Barra and Nathan Wang.
Leading the new cast is Bella Thorne, joined by Ariel Martin (Zombies 2), Grace Van Dien (Stranger Things), and True Whitaker (Godfather of Harlem). The plot follows a group of rebellious girls who head out for spring break in what producers describe as a 'crime thriller' and 'a bold new ride for Gen Z.' According to the synopsis, when their spring break escapade spirals out of control, they must escape the chaos they've unleashed.
Speaking about the project, Hanley and Gertner said they are excited to revisit the world of Spring Breakers and 'keep exploring bold, new, disruptive stories around that wild, fever-dream of youth.' They added, 'The desire for spring break to go on forever is something we've never let go of.'
The original Spring Breakers, starring James Franco, Selena Gomez, and Vanessa Hudgens, grossed over $30 million worldwide on a $5 million budget and gained a cult following. A previous sequel attempt titled Spring Breakers: The Second Coming was shelved in 2017.
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Express Tribune
07-08-2025
- Express Tribune
Goodnight, nightclubs
Some 400 avenues have closed their doors since 2020. Photo: AFP Is the party over? UK nightclubs are famed around the world, but COVID-19 and inflation have hit the sector hard, forcing businesses to reinvent themselves to attract new generations to the dance floor. Pryzm Kingston is a well-known club in southwest London popular with students, where artists like Billie Eilish, Rod Stewart, and Stormzy have performed. But the converted cinema closed its doors for renovation last month, with its owners saying it was time to "look to the future and reimagine this venue for the next generation of partygoers." It will be transformed into a smaller club and a dance bar — "creating venues that reflect what people are looking for now," they added. Many other British clubs are also trying to re-adjust after around a third of them, about 400 venues, have shut down since 2020, according to the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA). "Whilst nightclubs were in gentle decline prior to COVID-19, the pandemic profoundly accelerated things," Tony Rigg, a music industry consultant, told AFP, noting that the cost-of-living crisis had sent bills and rents soaring. As the first pints of the evening were poured in central London, 26-year-old account manager Conor Nugent told AFP he only goes clubbing for "special occasions," after asking himself "if it's really worth it." Like 68 per cent of 18-to-30-year-olds, the Londoner has cut back on nights out for financial reasons and prefers to save up for concerts and events. Rigg pointed out that Covid-19 caused a "cultural shift" among Gen Z — those born between 1997 and 2012 — who generally drink less alcohol and largely miss out on the "rite of passage of going out, experiencing clubs and learning some social behaviours." Lure of Paris, Berlin Rekom UK, the company behind iconic clubs like Pryzm and Atik, filed for bankruptcy in 2024, shutting down 17 venues across the country, citing multiple pressures. About 20 others, including Kingston, were acquired by Neos Hospitality, which decided to convert some into dance bars or host alcohol-free events. "The sector has to evolve otherwise it will become obsolete," Rigg acknowledged. To stop haemorrhaging party-seekers lured by Berlin or Paris, London Mayor Sadiq Khan launched an independent working group called the "Nightlife Taskforce," which is set to publish a report later this year. "One of the reasons why people love London is our nightlife, our culture," Khan told AFP. "When I speak to mayors in Paris, in New York and Tokyo, I'm jealous of the powers they have" especially on licensing issues, he said, adding he was looking at other cities like Paris "with envy" as it enjoys a nighttime boom. He was granted approval in March to overrule certain local authorities who had forced pubs, restaurants, concert halls, and nightclubs to close early. The government has also announced plans to change regulations to support nightlife venues in certain areas. "Sadly, in the UK, we struggle with reputational issues and a narrative that makes (clubbing) more of a counterculture element rather than a real economic and cultural driver," NTIA head Michael Kill, who advocates for greater recognition of electronic music and club culture, told AFP. The night-time sector contributes a vital GBP153 billion (USD203 billion) a year to the UK economy, employing around two million people, according to NTIA. And with London still enjoying a long, well-established reputation, all is not lost. The capital remains an "exciting" city, 25-year-old Carys Bromley who recently moved to London from the island of Guernsey, told AFP. "There's a lot of parties, clubs, and a big nightlife. The places stay open longer, it's busier, a bit more wild," she said.
Express Tribune
06-08-2025
- Express Tribune
‘Parwarish' seats parents and children at the same table
Wali wants to make music, but his father sends him to medical school. Maya wants to become a doctor, but her father forces her to get engaged to a man she has met only once. Aania wants to end her life because no one hears her when she says she is tired. These characters are the main Gen-Z ensemble of ARY's Parwarish, but off-screen they are all of us. Directed by Meesam Naqvi for Big Bang Entertainment, the show follows a joint-family home shared by two brothers, Jahangir and Suleiman. Jahangir (Noman Ejaz), rash and stern, comes back from the US with his wife Mahnoor (Sawera Nadeem) and their kids, Wali (Samar Jafri) and Aania (Nooray Zeeshan). They find it hard to live by the ways of a tight-knit, middle-class life in Pakistan. Suleiman (Saad Zameer), calm and soft, stays in the same house with his wife Panah (Saman Ansari) and their kids, Sameer (Abul Hasan) and Amal (Reham Rafiq), who are all too familiar with this life – including the unique problems that come with living in it. In the sub plot, sisters Maya (Aina Asif) and Mashal (Haleema Ali) live with a strict father who makes each call for them; until Maya and Wali, both in med school, develop a relationship. What follows shows what it means to grow up in a culture shaped by generational differences. That is the distance Parwarish has captured. Every week since it first aired on April 7th, the TV serial has given young twenty-something Gen-Zs in Pakistan a version of themselves that is not reverse-engineered to be 'relatable'. (Exhibit A: we all remember when Abubakr Shak's painful 'Sorry my foot!' hit our timelines). At the same time, it has given the 50 plus Gen X parents, raised in a much stricter 'don't ask, just do what you are told' culture, the chance to look inwards with more honesty. In doing so, the show brought two generations closer, giving them the chance to finally talk. In Episode 29, Maya hugs her father Shaheer for the first time. She apologizes for insisting on meeting Wali, bracing for the rejection that has always followed. But for once, Shaheer – a man who has spent the entire show clinging to the idea of family honor – softens. He tells her they will figure it out. Later that night, he confesses to his wife that while they were raised to fear dishonor, refusing to support Maya might mean losing her entirely. This is a moment for catharsis for both and a major turning point in the story. Muhammad, 26, had a similar experience, as he entered the room to his father watching the scene where Maya's mother, Saadia, allows her to meet Wali. 'It switched something in me,' he said. 'He didn't say anything but somehow watching that made it easier for me to blurt it out. I told him about my relationship right then.' Still, Parwarish is not the first TV drama to tackle the Gen Z experience. College Gate (2023), Judwaa (2024), and Midsummer Chaos (2021) tried, but fell short because their main focus was on appearance and not lived struggles. These characters might have looked like Gen Z and talked like them, but that was all. 'I don't really watch Pakistani dramas because they only show Gen Z as brats,' Muhammad said. 'It also always feels like the parents and kids are constantly at odds with each other which is so boring to watch.' And that is what Parwarish has done differently. Just like the children, it has shown parents in shades of grey, as works in progress too – anxious like Parna, second-guessing like Suleiman and even harsh like Jahangir. But they are trying. Watching the drama made me pause and reflect,' said Irum, 52, mother of two. 'Care and control are not the same. Sometimes, in trying to protect our children, we end up owning their choices. I didn't realise how deeply that can affect them until I saw it play out on screen specially when Aania hurt herself. It made me think about how heavy things can feel for our children when we don't listen.' It is a realization that confirms what Dr. Shelina Bhamani, Assistant Professor and Youth Specialist at the Aga Khan University, has often seen. 'In our culture, parental control is mistaken as love,' said Dr. Bhamani, in conversation with The Express Tribune Life & Style. 'Parents think, if I can control you, if I don't let you go out with your friends or sit in your room alone, that is love.' This is precisely the difference that drives Jahangir's story throughout the show. He cannot separate his role as a father from that of a patriarch. For him, his son is not a person in his own right, but rather an extension of his own reputation. So, when Wali is adamant on pursuing music full-time, it offends Jahangir so deeply that he is willing to let his son sleep on the streets rather than accept his choices. 'This is where individual identity is compromised for family honor,' said Dr. Shelina. It is not just Wali's autonomy that is denied, Maya's love for Wali is also not seen as a relationship between two consenting young adults, but rather as a threat to her family's image. When their relationship is exposed, it is Maya who pays the greater price. Her engagement is called off, her father pulls her out of university, and he even storms into Wali's house to confront him in front of his entire family. Despite that, Parwarish does not reduce Maya's relationship to scandal. Instead, it becomes the heart of the show. 'The relationships were the most emotional part to watch,' said Mariya, 19. 'Because they were not shown as shameful but something that is a natural part of growing up. Even Maya's parents eventually come around, and it's shown as healthy, not rebellious. That felt rare.' This progressive depiction has still been criticized. Commentators online have said that the show overemphasises on teenage freedom and relationships. To them, it gives too much space to feelings that should be discouraged or at the very least, managed. 'There are many lessons and goals to teach your children other than falling in love. This is not the age for that and should not be portrayed on television.' said Kiran Naz, a right-wing conservative anchor on SAMAA TV, in her TikTok review. Over five hundred comments flooded in agreement. But this is simply reality that Parwarish reflects. Teenage love is messy, all consuming and deeply visible in this culture too. The creators just make a clear effort to address that in a practical way rather than looking the other way. In Episode 32, Maya, who has spent the last three episodes doing nothing but talking to Wali and fixing his problems, misses her mock exams. She breaks down, devastated, as she realizes she is losing herself in the relationship. She draws a healthy line with Wali, and they agree to step back so she can focus on her studies. 'What critics often overlook is the media's pedagogical potential,' said Shelina Bhamani. 'Media is a teacher and it can teach parenting to a great extent. Many parents could see themselves on the screen when this drama was projected. They could see their kids, they could see their social situations. So, in that way it is brilliant.' Writer Kiran Siddiqui echoed this in an interview with The Express Tribune Life & Style, saying, 'By the end it came to a point that people understand the complexity of life, the complexity of human nature, the complexity of a human brain and how eras or generational differences can become a factor that even the most basic emotion of an individual can be misread." It is Suleiman's character that brings this complexity to life. He meets each person where they are – whether it's standing by his son Sameer's decision to become a gamer, even after he's caught at a drug party, or swallowing his pride to apologize to his brother only because his aging father asked him to. This, ultimately, is where Parwarish leaves its deepest mark. In a culture where the emotional vocabulary between generations is such a mess, it shows us that children and parents can talk to each other and that authority and adolescence can sit across from each other at the dinner table. It helps young people make sense of their silence and forgive parents for all that they could not be. As Kiran Siddiqui said, 'Everybody has their own experiences with their family members and friends. If it can happen somewhere that we get to understand each other's struggles, there can be a path of forgiveness.' And that might just be the kind of parwarish we all need. Parwarish airs every Monday and Tuesday on ARY. The last episode is set to air on August 11th, 2025.
Express Tribune
04-08-2025
- Express Tribune
Denzel and A$AP Rocky face city-wide showdown in Spike Lee's Kurosawa-inspired thriller
Spike Lee and Denzel Washington are reuniting after nearly two decades, and their latest collaboration is anything but quiet. Highest 2 Lowest, the new film from Apple and A24, sees the acclaimed duo return with a Kurosawa-inspired crime thriller set against the gritty chaos of present-day New York City. The film, which debuted out of competition at Cannes, hits cinemas August 15 before streaming on Apple TV+ from September 5. The story reimagines Akira Kurosawa's 1963 classic High and Low, this time through the lens of a modern music industry tycoon. Denzel Washington stars as a powerful mogul whose world is thrown into crisis after a kidnapping gone wrong leads to an explosive spiral of extortion, violence, and moral reckoning. Joining him is A$AP Rocky, whose role has already sparked praise from Lee, who called the rapper 'underrated and committed.' The cast also features Jeffrey Wright, Ice Spice, Ilfenesh Hadera, and Dean Winters, creating a uniquely high-stakes ensemble for this noir revival. This marks the fifth and possibly final collaboration between Lee and Washington, a detail the director hinted at during the film's press rounds. 'This is it, five,' Lee said, calling Highest 2 Lowest a culmination of their creative journey. Shot with Lee's signature visual punch and set to a pulsing urban score, the film brings class tensions, cultural fault lines, and personal sacrifice into a single narrative thread. From red carpets to ransom calls, this is a story where the stakes are financial, emotional, and deeply human. Behind the camera, the film was co-written by Alan Fox and Lee, with production from Escape Artists, Mandalay Pictures, and 40 Acres and a Mule. Executive producers include Katia Washington, Peter Guber, and Matthew Lindner, among others. Expect a sleek, stylised showdown when Highest 2 Lowest drops, one that pushes Lee's legacy and Washington's gravitas into bold, uncharted territory.
