Latest news with #FilmProduction
The Sun
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Huge Wicked sequel update as stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo secretly return to UK
IT has been almost three years since production started on the two blockbuster Wicked movies. And with less than six months to go until the second instalment hits screens, The Sun can reveal Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo have been called back to London to shoot last-minute additional scenes. 2 2 Key members of the cast returned to the UK to work on a scene set at Shiz University - which was at the centre of last year's first film - after filmmakers realised they didn't have a key moment for the flick, which is titled Wicked: For Good. My movie mole said: 'Filming wrapped in January last year for work on both movies because they were shot at the same time. 'But the second film is a lot more complex than the first, and it quickly became clear in the edit that they needed everyone back. 'It has cost hundreds of thousands of pounds more to bring the team together again but it's vital for the film to make sense. 'The first film did so well that there's even more pressure on this one to succeed. 'Despite it being a headache to find a date which worked for everyone's busy schedules, Ariana and Cynthia couldn't be happier to get back into costume one more time. 'They have made it clear they'd move heaven and earth to make it a success. 'It's out in November though, so the team has a race on their hands to get it finished in time.' The two-film project is based on the Broadway musical and the first instalment made more than £660million at the box office, becoming one of 2024's biggest cinema hits. That film ended with Cynthia's character Elphaba turning against the Wizard of Oz and her pal Galinda, played by Ariana. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo bring Oscars A-listers to tears after emotional Defying Gravity in Wicked opening medley And there will be even more drama in the next movie, which a handful of new songs have been written for to bolster the soundtrack. Speaking about it in February, Ariana said: 'It's very special. It's very emotional. 'I think the second movie really embodies unconditional love and forgiveness and friendship. And you'll have to wait and see, but it is quite different.' The countdown is on.
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Gal Gadot resumes filming her new movie The Runner in London after pro-Palestinian activists disrupted scenes as they protested her Israeli soldier past
Israeli-born Gal Gadot has resumed filming her new movie The Runner after pro-Palestine protesters disrupted the production over the weekend. Activists disrupted filming on Sunday morning as chants of 'Gal Gadot not welcome here' and 'Gal Gadot you can't hide' were heard as the actress was filming in the streets of London. The actress, who served in the Israel Defense Forces, has previously been vocal in her support of Israel's invasion of Gaza following the October 7 Hamas attacks. Protesters wore keffiyehs over their faces and clanged metal saucepan lids while shouting from megaphones on Waterloo Bridge. Sirens blared out of megaphones as the gathering protestors waved Palestinian flags and dangled a red banner over the railings with 'Stop Starving Gaza ' written in white letters. Gadot could be seen chatting with other crew members as protesters screamed at her from the other side of the bridge: 'Gal Gadot, shame on you.' Scotland Yard officers were called to the area and swiftly moved the protesters away without making any arrest. Despite the interruption over the weekend, Gadot was seen back on set today in running gear filming an intense chase scenes through the streets of Kentish Town. The production team has not issued a public statement regarding the protests, but filming is set to continue under heightened security measures. In 2004, an 18-year-old Gadot was named 54th Miss Israel and went on to represent Israel at Miss Universe. A week after passing on the crown the following year she was conscripted into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Gadot served in the IDF for two years, including during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon. 'It was demanding because you give up your freedom for two years but there is something special in giving back to your community,' she told Fashion Magazine in 2016. Following her time in the IDF, the actress has gone on to star as Wonder Woman in the DC Extended Universe films and in several Fast and Furious films Her new movie, the Runner centres on her character, a high-flying attorney, who has to race through London to try to save her abducted son. It is being produced by David Kosse via his new London-based production company Rockwood Pictures. Pro-Palestine activists have been repeatedly targeting Gadot's filming in London. The latest rally is the second in eight days with protestors last holding up the set in Moorgate. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: 'Police were called to reports of a small group of protesters on Waterloo Bridge at 8.42am on Sunday, 18 May. 'Officers arrived swiftly and moved them on. No arrests were made.' On Saturday night, Gadot posted a short clip on her Instagram account of her chatting with Israel's Eurovision entrant and Nova Festival massacre survivor Yuval Raphael. Speaking in Hebrew, Gadot said according to The Jerusalem Post: 'Celebrate your creation, it's a creation of love and of so much light.' Yuval reposted the video on her Instagram alongside a heart emoji and the message: 'Gal thank you so much!! 'This call made me so much stronger, you are called Wonder Woman for a reason.' Meanwhile, last Tuesday Gadot's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony was hit by warring protestors amid ongoing controversy over her 'woke' film Snow White. Recent claims emerged that a feud was brewing between Gadot and Zegler - who is pro-Palestine - over their opposing stances on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Zegler was tellingly not in attendance at the ceremony The actress, who plays the Evil Queen in the live action remake alongside Rachel Zegler's Snow White, looked delighted as she arrived to receive the accolade - but outside the barriers, drama was unfolding. In dramatic video captured by, police were seen running after a member of the public amid claims 'a pro-Palestine protestor stole a pro-Israel protester's flag.' Pro-Palestine protestors had gathered outside the ceremony carrying signs reading: 'Heroes fight like Palestinians' and 'Viva Viva Palestina.' Israeli actress Gadot who formerly served in the IDF - is staunchly pro-Israel. The unidentified man was seen being grabbed by police and pushed against a wall, as screams rang out from the crowd. Recent claims emerged that a feud was brewing between Gadot and Zegler - who is pro-Palestine - over their opposing stances on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Zegler was tellingly not in attendance at the ceremony. Gadot seemed unaware of the altercation unfolding outside as she posed with her husband Jaron Varsano and their four daughters, as well as Fast & Furious co-star Vin Diesel and Wonder Woman director Patti Jenkins. In an interview published last Tuesday with Variety, Gadot spoke about how she felt compelled to speak out on politics after the October 7 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. She said: 'After October 7th [2023], I don't talk politics — because who cares about the celebrity talking about politics? I'm an artist. I want to entertain people. Production was previously halted when activists interrupted filming, chanting slogans and waving Palestinian flags 'I want to bring hope and be a beacon of light whenever I say anything about the world. 'But on October 7th, when people were abducted from their homes, from their beds, men, women, children, elderly, Holocaust survivors, were going through the horrors of what happened that day, I could not be silent. 'I'm not a hater. I'm a grandchild of a Holocaust survivor who came to Israel and established his family from scratch after his entire family was erased in Auschwitz. 'And on the other side of my family, I'm eighth generation Israeli. I'm an indigenous person of Israel. 'I am all about humanity and I felt like I had to advocate for the hostages.' 'I am praying for better days for all,' she continues.
Times
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Mel Gibson takes on role of a lifetime: Hollywood's envoy to Italy
The Hollywood star Mel Gibson is to lure Italian film productions to the US as his first task as one of President Trump's 'special ambassadors' for Tinseltown. Gibson, 69, a Trump supporter, is in talks with an Italian producer to ensure more Italian films get made in the US, boosting American jobs and reversing an exodus of productions overseas. The proposed plan calls for Italian producers to be 'incentivised to make Italian films in the USA, involving American stars and therefore investing in the US', Andrea Iervolino, the Italian producer, said. The plan will be a 'pilot project for the development of similar treaties between the USA and all other countries around the world', and could generate $10 billion in investment in the US, Iervolino
Geek Tyrant
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Sydney Sweeney Says Edgar Wright's BARBARELLA Is Still Happening — GeekTyrant
It's been a while since we heard anything about Edgar Wright's Barbarella remake, but according to Sydney Sweeney, the space adventure is very much alive, and it sounds like it's going to be wild. Back in 2022, news dropped that Sweeney would not only star as the iconic Barbarella but also produce the film for Sony Pictures. In 2024, Wright, known for Baby Driver , Scott Pilgrim , and Shaun of the Dead , signed on to direct. Then…radio silence. Now, in a new interview with ScreenRant, Sweeney finally offered an update, saying: 'I was just in London and had a meeting to discuss the story and the script. I can't say too much, but it's really going to come together in a very, very fun and big way. 'It's a long process. I don't think people realise how long some things can take, but it's gonna be worth the wait…' No plot details have been revealed yet, and no other cast members have been announced. But the original Barbarella is a trippy 1968 sci-fi cult classic based on the French comic by Jean-Claude Forest. It set a pretty high bar for weird, sexy space escapades. The film starred Jane Fonda as the titular adventurer sent to retrieve a missing scientist from a bizarre alien world. If you've seen it, you know that it's part sci-fi, part psychedelic daydream, with zero concern for subtlety. While Sweeney gears up for Barbarella , she's staying busy. She has a stacked slate that includes Ron Howard's Eden (August 22, 2025), Paul Feig's The Housemaid (December 25, 2025), and a Christy Martin biopic. Wright, meanwhile, is deep into production on The Running Man , his adaptation of the Stephen King novel starring Glen Powell, which hits theaters November 7, 2025.
