Harry Potter series to debut in 2027
NEW YORK (AFP)Filming has begun on a Harry Potter TV series that will debut in 2027, bringing the Hollywood hit to the small screen for the first time.Adapted from the wildly popular books, which have also yielded blockbuster films and stage shows, the latest outing for the boy who lived is being filmed at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, Britain, the studio said Monday.While no exact release date has been confirmed, the show will be available on the HBO Max streaming platform.The franchise sees the eponymous Potter plucked from non-magical obscurity and thrust into a wizarding world in which he and his close friends Ron and Hermione battle against the forces of darkness.With the mega-selling books' author JK Rowling among its executive producers, the show is envisaged as "a decade-long series" featuring a new cast from the films.Potter will be played by Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton will star as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout will take on the role of Ron Weasley.
Established stars will appear alongside them, with John Lithgow playing headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.
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Gulf Today
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Ziad Rahbani, Lebanese composer and son of iconic singer Fayrouz, dies at 69
Ziad Rahbani, a visionary Lebanese composer, playwright, pianist and political provocateur, died on Saturday, at the age of 69, according to the state-run National News Agency. The death was confirmed by a person close to Rahbani who spoke on condition of anonymity. The cause of death was not immediately clear. Rahbani is survived by his mother, Fayrouz, 90, his sister Reema and brother Hali. Born in 1956 in Antelias, near Beirut, Ziad was the eldest son of legendary Lebanese singer Fayrouz and late composer Assi Rahbani, one half of the famed Rahbani Brothers. From a young age, he showed signs of prodigious talent, composing his first musical work at just 17 years old. Raised among artistic royalty, his world was steeped in music, theater, and political consciousness - a combination that would define his life's work. This picture from the mid-60s shows Ziad Rahbani playing the piano in the early 1970s. AFP His mother, who was considered to be the most famous and esteemed performer in the Arab world, performed some of his compositions at her concerts, blending Lebanese folklore with Western syncopation and phrasing. Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun said Rahbani was "not just an artist, but a complete intellectual and cultural phenomenon.' In a statement, Aoun praised Rahbani as "a living conscience, a rebellious voice against injustice, and an honest mirror reflecting the suffering and marginalized.' He highlighted how Rahbani's fusion of classical, jazz and Oriental music "opened new windows for Lebanese cultural expression' and elevated it to global levels. "Ziad was a natural extension of the Rahbani family, which gave Lebanon much beauty and dignity,' the president added. Lebanese pop star Elissa, writing on X, said: "Ziad_Rahbani was not an ordinary artist ... With his loss today, Lebanon has lost a part of itself and a big piece of its collective memory.' Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri sent his "deepest condolences to the great Fairouz, to the Rahbani family, and to all Lebanese on the loss of the brilliant artist Ziad Rahbani, who embodied the Lebanon we loved.' Minister of Culture Ghassan Salame said: "We will mourn him as we continue to sing his songs that will never die.' Prime Minister Nawaf Salam described Rahbani as "an exceptional and creative artist - a free voice who remained true to the values of justice and dignity.' Ziad Rahbani performs a concert entitled "For Gaza" in the southern Lebanese port-city of Sidon on Oct.9, 2014. AFP While his parents helped construct a golden era of Lebanese musical theater steeped in idealism and nostalgia, Rahbani charged onto the scene with irreverent satire, unflinching political critique and jazz-inflected scores that mirrored the chaos and contradictions of a Lebanon at war with itself. "I admire the music of composers like Charlie Parker, Stan Getz and Dizzy Gillespie,' he once said. "But my music is not Western, it's Lebanese, with a different way of expression.' Rahbani's music reflected the hybrid heritage of Lebanon, which until the civil war erupted in 1975 was a cultural melting pot where East met West. But it was also deeply rooted in the traumatic events of the sectarian strife, the bloody street battles between rival militias and three years of violent Israeli occupation after the 1982 invasion. His breakout play, Nazl Al Sourour (Happiness Hotel), premiered in 1974 when he was only 17 and portrayed a society disfigured by class inequality and repression. The tragicomic narrative follows a group of workers who hijack a restaurant to demand their rights, only to be dismissed by the political elite. With this bold debut, Rahbani revealed his enduring theme: that Lebanese society was fractured not only by war but by entrenched power. A leftist Greek Orthodox, Rahbani also wrote plays and satirical radio shows centered on his violent environment that mock the sectarian divisions of his country. Rahbani's subsequent plays solidified his reputation as the voice of the disenchanted. In Bennesbeh Labokra Chou? (What About Tomorrow?), he plays a jaded bar pianist in post-civil war Beirut who drifts through a surreal landscape of broken dreams, corruption and absurdity. The work features some of Rahbani's most poignant music and biting commentary, including the famous line, "They say tomorrow will be better, but what about today?' More than just a playwright, Rahbani was a composer of staggering range. He infused traditional Arabic melodies with jazz, funk and classical influences, creating a hybrid sound that became instantly recognizable. His live performances were legendary, whether playing piano in smoky clubs in Hamra, one of Beirut's major commercial districts that harbors a multifaceted identity, or orchestrating large-scale productions. His collaborations with Fayrouz, especially during the late 1970s and 1980s, ushered in a darker, more politically charged phase in her career. Songs like Ouverture 83, Bala Wala Chi (Without Anything), and Kifak Inta (How Are You) reflected Ziad's brooding compositions and lyrical introspection. Rahbani came under fire from Arab traditionalists for his pioneering efforts to bridge the gap between Arab and Western culture with music. In recent years, Ziad appeared less in the public eye, yet his influence never waned. Younger generations rediscovered his plays online and sampled his music in protest movements. He continued to compose and write, speaking often of his frustration with Lebanon's political stagnation and decaying public life. Associated Press
Middle East Eye
2 days ago
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Ziad Rahbani, icon of Lebanese music and theatre, dies at 69
Ziad Rahbani, one of Lebanon's most influential cultural figures and the son of Arab music legend Fairuz, has died at the age of 69. A playwright, composer, and political commentator, Rahbani shaped the landscape of Lebanese theatre and music with his biting wit, leftist and secular politics, and sharp portrayals of his country's fractured society. "On Saturday at 9:00 am [6am GMT], the heart of the great artist and creator Ziad Rahbani stopped beating," said a statement from the Beirut hospital where the artist, who has long suffered from health problems, was being treated. The son of Fairuz, who turned 90 last year, and the late composer Assi Rahbani, Ziad first rose to prominence in the 1970s. He broke away from the romanticism of his parents' work to create art rooted in social critique and everyday struggles. Tributes poured in for the enfant terrible of Lebanese music, whose theatre productions and songs left an enduring mark on generations of Lebanese - many of whom know his lyrics and playscripts by heart. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Rahbani was a versatile composer and a pioneer of oriental jazz. He mixed traditional Arabic melodies with jazz, funk and classical influences, creating a unique and instantly recognisable sound. Rahbani composed for Fairuz in her later years, bringing political depth to her repertoire. Throughout Lebanon's civil war (1975-1990) and in the decades that followed, Rahbani's plays became spaces where Lebanese audiences confronted their harsh realities. He often highlighted the hardships of Lebanon's working class. His characters were disillusioned citizens, ex-revolutionaries or everyday people caught in the complexities of Lebanon's political and sectarian struggles. Lebanese diva Fairuz talks to her son, Ziad Rahbani, and Armenian conductor Karen Durgarian during rehearsals prior to their concert in Dubai on 23 January 2003 (AFP) One of his most influential plays, Nazl el-Sourour (Happiness Hotel), is a political satire set in a run-down hotel, where two laid-off workers take the guests hostage in a failed attempt at revolution. Through humour and absurdity, the play critiques class divisions and the hollowness of political slogans in pre-war Lebanon. Another one of his landmark works, the 1980 production Film Ameriki Tawil (A Long American Film), is a satirical portrayal of the civil war, set in an asylum where the patients represent different segments of society. Rahbani articulated a collective frustration and longing for change. For many in Lebanon and across the Arab world, his death marks the loss of a singular voice that never stopped asking uncomfortable questions.
Al Etihad
2 days ago
- Al Etihad
Lebanese artist Ziad Rahbani, son of Fairuz, dies at 69
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