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Exclusive: Danny Ramirez, the fast-rising star soon to be seen in Captain America: Brave New World, will make his feature directorial debut with Baton, a sports drama that he’ll star in and also wrote.

Baton follows a soccer player, relentlessly pursuing his dream of playing professionally, who threatens his relationship with his sister after he is kicked off the team and exiled back to Miami. As they battle over their mother’s legacy, he will stop at nothing to get another chance at soccer glory, even if it means losing the only family he has left.

Victoria Alonso, former President of Physical and Post-Production, Visual Effects, and Animation at Marvel Studios, will produce in her first outing since departing the studio, in association with soccer superstar David Beckham’s Studio 99. Also producing are Ramirez and Tom Culliver for Pinstripes and Sergio Lira for Luz Films. CAA Media Finance reps rights to the film.

The British Independent Film Awards (Bifas) has unveiled the documentary and international film longlists for its 2024 ceremony, with films including in-videogame title Grand Theft Hamlet and Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or winner Anora.

Grand Theft Hamlet is on the 12-strong best feature documentary list. The film is the debut feature from directorial duo Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane; it premiered at SXSW this year and was recently acquired for a UK-Ireland theatrical release. It follows two struggling actors who find solace from lockdown isolation by staging William Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the online Grand Theft Auto game.

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On Monday 30 September 2024, BBC Two broadcasts Mastermind!

Season 22 Episode 6 Episode Summary

In the upcoming episode of *Mastermind*, airing on BBC Two, viewers can expect a captivating mix of specialist subjects as four contestants showcase their knowledge. The episode will feature topics that range from the eerie tales of *The Ghost Stories of M R James* to the world of professional snooker with *Ronnie O’Sullivan*.

Additionally, fans of classic television will enjoy the segment on Thunderbirds, the beloved puppet series, while art enthusiasts can look forward to questions about the works of the renowned painter and portraitist Hans Holbein the Younger.

With each contestant tackling their chosen subject, this episode promises to deliver intriguing facts and fascinating insights, making it a treat for trivia lovers and fans of the various topics covered. Tune in for an engaging evening of brain-teasing questions and expert knowledge.

What Time is the Episode On?

The...

David Beckham will address the great-and-the-good of the UK TV industry at next month’s Rts London, with Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy set to give her first major keynote in the role.

The footballing icon is the latest in a lineup bursting at the seams with big names. He will be in conversation with Sister boss Jane Featherstone at the King’s Place event.

Beckham, a former Manchester United and England great, is the co-founder of Studio 99, the company behind the likes of Save our Squad with David Beckham and Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge of Everything along with last year’s Netflix documentary about the man himself. At Edinburgh last week, a Victoria Beckham doc was unveiled, also produced by Studio 99 alongside Sister-backed Dorothy Street Pictures.

The Rts London’s theme is The Next Episode: Keeping Our Creative Edge and Beckham is part of the final tranche to...

Oscar and BAFTA-winning Ukrainian feature 20 Days in Mariupol has picked up two nominations at the prestigious British Grierson Awards, along with docs on Wham!, Boris Johnson and Ronnie O’Sullivan.

Mstyslav Chernov’s movie charting the time the filmmaker spent in the besieged city at the start of the Ukraine War is nommed for Best Current Affairs Documentary and Best Cinema Documentary at the prestigious British gongs. It was selected as the Ukrainian submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards but was instead nominated in the Best Documentary Feature Film category, beating off competition from the likes of Bobi Wine: The People’s President, which is also nominated for two Griersons.

Other projects to accrue two nominations include Netflix’s Wham!, Channel 4’s The Rise and Fall of Boris Johnson and Studio 99’s Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge of Everything, which was...

The Grierson Trust has announced the shortlist for the 2024 British Documentary Awards, with the BBC coming top at 28 entries.

Channel 4 follows closely behind with 23, Netflix with 17, Sky Documentaries with eight and National Geographic with four. The shortlist spans 15 program and presenter categories to reflect the best documentary singles and series launched across broadcasters, streamers and online, as well as theatrical releases.

This year’s awards includes a new category titled best popular culture documentary, open to single documentaries or an episode from a strand or series that depicts people, events, movements or trends that have had a major impact on pop culture in recent years. Shortlisted entries in this category cover a hoax pedophile scare created by Internet users, one of the U.K.’s most prominent performance poets, and an investigation into allegations of abuse against Kevin Spacey.

The Arts category features several films about fashion industry icons...

It’s a big week for horror, with two recent theatrical releases coming home, one of the best slashers of the modern era hitting theaters, and a new Takashi Miike film coming to Netflix.

Here’s all the new horror releasing May 27, 2024 – June 2, 2024!

For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.

After scaring up $53 million at the worldwide box office, director Arkasha Stevenson’s prequel The First Omen is now available for Digital purchase ($19.99) at home.

The First Omen is available to own at digital retailers such as Apple TV, Prime Video and Fandango at Home. It also arrives on Hulu May 30 and comes to Blu-ray and DVD July 30.

The First Omen is an exceptional expansion on a classic, earning rave reviews across the board and impressing all of us here at Bloody Disgusting. Meagan Navarro wrote in her review, “Thanks to the exquisite craftsmanship on display,...

Belgravia: The Next Chapter recently premiered, making it the perfect time to honor the original cast and characters of the acclaimed period drama. The late Tom Wilkinson delivered a memorable performance as Lord Peregrine Bellasis, the powerful patriarch of the aristocratic Bellasis family. Tamsin Greig, Richard Goulding, Alice Eve, and Emily Reid also gave standout performances in their respective roles as Anne Trenchard, Oliver Trenchard, Susan Trenchard, and Sophia Trenchard.

From the creative forces behind Downton Abbey, Belgravia is a British period miniseries that premiered on ITV and Epix in 2020. Based on the 2016 novel by Julian Fellowes, the series takes place in 19th-century Belgravia, an upscale district located in London on the brink of the Battle of Waterloo. The drama concerns the Trenchard family, led by James and Anne, whose lives are forever changed when they become acquainted with and marry into the Bellasis family, who rank among England's wealthiest and most influential aristocrats.

Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy is once again in the line of Twitter fire after a recent interview by director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy on her upcoming “Star Wars” film. But Daily Wire cofounder Ben Shapiro’s attempt to chime in on the dunking has led to some sharp retorts.

In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), Shapiro called Kennedy the “worst entertainment executive I’ve ever seen in my lifetime” in response to comments made by Obaid-Chinoy, an Oscar and Emmy-winning director who shot the Pakistan-set episodes of “Ms. Marvel” and who is attached to direct an upcoming “Star Wars” film that will see Daisy Ridley return as sequel trilogy protagonist Rey.

“I’m very thrilled about the project because I feel what we’re about to create is something very special,” Obaid-Chinoy told CNN. “We’re in 2024 now, and it’s about time that we had a woman come...

David Beckham and his youngest son Cruz are hitting the red carpet!

The 48-year-old retired soccer pro and Cruz, 18, showed their support for English snooker player Ronnie O’Sullivan‘s new documentary The Edge of Everything on Tuesday night (November 21) at Odeon West End in London, England.

Keep reading to find out more…

Here’s the documentary’s synopsis: “Facing the end of a wildly successful but turbulent career, snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan is finally keeping the game at arms length. But over the course of a season leading to a career-defining tournament, and triggered by memories of the past, he finds himself spiralling back into the sport’s intense grip. Produced by David Beckham’s Studio 99 and directed by Sam Blair, Ronnie: The Edge of Everything is a thrilling documentary with unprecedented access to a true icon, as he grapples with his talent and his demons.”

Ronnie: The Edge of Everything...

The green baize artist comes across as an all-round nice bloke as he amicably and candidly reveals his struggles with mental health, addiction and M&s scones

It’s the final of the 2022 World Snooker Championships, and a TV pundit is showering compliments on Ronnie O’Sullivan, who’s back in his stride after losing a couple of frames to Judd Trump. “He just looks so relaxed, so cool,” marvels the pundit. Behind the scenes, we’ve just watched O’Sullivan nervy, on the edge of a meltdown, and venting at his psychiatrist, Prof Steve Peters. “Fuck me, I feel bashed up Steve,” he says. It’s one of the biggest games of O’Sullivan’s career; if he wins, he’ll have seven world crowns – equalling Stephen Hendry’s modern-era record. At 46, who knows how many finals he’s got left in him? As history records, O’Sullivan did get past Trump,...

"I wasn't very good at having all this stuff locked inside of me..." MetFilm Distribution has revealed their trailer for Ronnie: The Edge of Everything, a documentary film about a sports legend named Ronnie O'Sullivan. Only some will recognize his name, as he is best known as a champion at the game of snooker (similar to billiards) and was famous in the 1990s. Facing the end of a wildly successful but turbulent career, snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan is finally keeping the game at arm's length. However over the course of a season leading up to a career-defining tournament, and triggered by memories of the past, he finds himself spiralling back into the sport's intense grip. Produced by David Beckham's Studio 99 and directed by Sam Blair, this is a film that pushes at the limits of sporting biographies, a layered and sophisticated story of a man grappling with his talent and his demons.

David Beckham’s production outfit has made an access-all-areas Amazon Prime Video feature doc about Ronnie O’Sullivan, the greatest snooker player alive today.

Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge of Everything will drop on Prime Video on November 23 and in select cinemas the following day.

O’Sullivan, a maverick sportsman who holds the record for the most ranking titles and the joint record for most world championships, was followed in 2021 by a camera crew as he was on the verge of winning his seventh world title.

Featuring interviews with snooker legends along with The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood and Damien Hirst, the doc from Maradonna ’86’s Sam Blair explores how one of the most revered and accomplished British sporting heroes is able to function at the highest level despite a constant battle with his inner demons. The film focuses on understanding O’Sullivan’s genius, illuminating his past through never-before-seen archive...

Authentic Brands Group has launched Authentic Studios, which aims to develop and produce a wide range of film/TV and commercial content from the company’s portfolio. Based in Beverly Hills, Authentic Studios will kick off as the home to Shaquille O’Neal’s Jersey Legends, David Beckham’s Studio 99, Sports Illustrated Studios and Authentic Productions.

Authentic Studios plans to mine Authentic’s portfolio of IP to develop programming for television, film and streaming platforms; it also will also hit the marketplace to search for additional material to develop and produce, and aims to involved in co-production and financing of third-party original content.

Authentic owns the likeness rights to brands such as Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali, Shaquille O’Neal, David Beckham and Sports Illustrated. It also owns and manages the brand rights to Reebok, Juicy Couture, Ted Baker, Brooks Brothers, Forever 21 and more.

News comes following Authentic...

Authentic Studios is coming to shake up Hollywood. The new full-service production studio, courtesy of Authentic Brands Group, intends to develop and produce film, television and commercial content from its brand portfolio. Its current library of brands includes Reebok, Juicy Couture and Sports Illustrated, Brooks Brothers, Forever 21 and more. They also own likeness rights to celebrities like Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali, Shaquille O’Neal and David Beckham.

Authentic Studios aims to craft varied media content from its four core labels: Shaquille O’Neal’s Jersey Legends, David Beckham’s Studio 99, Sports Illustrated Studios and Authentic Productions. Authentic Studios hopes to find new material to develop and produce, as well as participate in co-production and financing opportunities with third parties, around their content.

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“Authentic Studios is unique in its ability to leverage Authentic’s in-house roster of brands and a deep catalog...

The global brand development, marketing and entertainment platform Authentic Brands Group has today announced its expansion with the launch of Authentic Studios, a full-service production studio that will develop and produce film, TV and commercial content drawing on Authentic’s portfolio of more than 40 world-renowned brands.

The formation of Authentic Studios marks the next phase of growth of the Entertainment division at Authentic, which counts such entertainment and sports superstars as Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali, Shaquille O’Neal and David Beckham amongst its portfolio, along with brands like Sports Illustrated, Reebok, Juicy Couture, Ted Baker, Brooks Brothers and Forever 21.

Authentic Studios will be based in Beverly Hills, where Authentic recently expanded with a new 15,000 square-foot West Coast headquarters, looking to maximize the value of the company’s owned brands while developing new IP.

Authentic Studios currently comprises four labels: Shaquille O’Neal’s Jersey Legends, David Beckham’s Studio 99,...

London, May 2 (Ians) Belgium’s Luca Brecel claimed the Snooker World Championship title after defeating four-time champion Mark Selby 18-15 in Sheffield. Brecel, 28, had never won a match at the Crucible Theatre before this year’s tournament but shocked seven-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan 13-10 in the quarterfinals, winning the last seven frames consecutively, reports Xinhua.

After coming from behind to defeat Chinese rookie Si Jiahui in the semifinals, Brecel established a final showdown with Selby and managed to hold a 9-8 overnight lead, even though his 39-year-old opponent made the first-ever 147 in a World Championship final last night.

The world No. 10 then claimed the first four frames on Monday, extending his advantage to 13-8. Selby fought back from 16-10 down to 16-15 in the last session, but Brecel secured the final two frames to become the fourth non-British winner at the season finale of the World Snooker Tour.

“It’s a dream come true,...

The Masked Singer has revealed its latest mystery as snooker star Stephen Hendry was unveiled as Rubbish.

In Saturday’s (21 January) festival-themed episode, Rubbish performed alongside Fawn, Jacket Potato, Rhino and Pigeon.

After his performance of “Ruby” by Kaiser Chiefs, Rubbish landed in the bottom two and was ultimately sent home by the judging panel.

Guesses ranged from athletes Max Whitlock and Sir Chris Hoy to presenters Paddy McGuinness and Jay Blades.

However, no-one managed to detect that it was Stephen Hendry in the colourful costume.

One of the clues hinted at him being celebrated for his youth – fitting, as Hendry became a professional snooker player at age 16 in 1985.

In 1994, Hendry was awarded an MBE, while he and Ronnie O’Sullivan share the record for the most World Snooker Championship titles, with seven.

On taking part in the competition, Hendry explained that his primary goal was to try something out of his comfort zone.

Tubi‘s remake of the ’80s slasher movie Terror Train was just released for the Halloween season, and a sequel is headed our way for New Year’s Eve. Watch the official trailer below!

A Tubi Original, Terror Train 2 introduces a brand new storyline, slated to premiere this New Year’s Eve, which pays homage to the festive setting of the first film that famously took place at a Nye party. From Tubi and Incendo, the sequel wrapped production in Montreal and will be available in the U.S. exclusively on Tubi on December 31, 2022.

Having survived the carnage, Robyn Alomar (Alana) and Tim Rozon (The Magician) will reprise their characters in Terror Train 2, which takes place over a year after the gruesome, vengeful murders took the lives of multiple college seniors aboard the now infamous “Terror Train.”

In the sequel, the remaining survivors are coerced to take a New Year...

London, May 3 (Ians) Ronnie O’Sullivan beat Judd Trump 18-13 on Monday to win the World Snooker Championship title for the seventh time, equalling the record held by Stephen Hendry. The world number one returned to the table on Monday evening with a 12-5 lead from Sunday, but the 2019 world champion Trump fought hard […]...

UK TV ratings roundup - data supplied by Barb

Big Brother's latest eviction was seen by more than 1 million people on Friday (June 19) evening.

As Jade Lynch became the eighth housemate to be evicted, Big Brother: Live Eviction was seen by an average audience of 1.07 million (6%). It peaked with 1.15 million (6.2%).

A further 462k (6.8%) watched Big Brother's: Bit on the Side at 10.30pm, while 322k (4.4%) watched live footage from the house immediately after.

Featuring guests such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Emilia Clarke, The Graham Norton Show was the evening's highest-rated programme outside of soaps.

An average audience of 3.45 million (27.4%) tuned in to watch the talk show at 10.35pm.

BBC One's evening kicked off with 2.97 million (19.4%) for The One Show at 7pm, followed by 2.47 million (14.7%) for Would I Lie to You immediately after.

Celebrity Masterchef continued with 3.34 million (18.1%) at 8.30pm, and peaked with 3.98 million (21.4%) at 9.45pm.

Over on BBC Two,...

If rumours are to be believed, Jodie Kidd, Philip Glenister and Guy Martin could be the next presenters of Top Gear.

According to the Sunday Express, the show's co-creator Andy Wilman was overheard describing the new line-up while having lunch with Jamiroquai singer Jay Kay.

All three stars have relevant experience: former model Kidd presents Channel 5's Classic Cars Show, Life on Mars actor Glenister hosts For the Love of Cars on Channel 4 and Martin is a TV presenter and former motorcycle racing champion.

It could all be pure speculation, but what if this was the new trio? Let us know your thoughts in the poll:

The BBC car show is in transition after Jeremy Clarkson was axed in March following an altercation with a producer.

Fellow presenters James May and Richard Hammond have indicated that they will not return without Clarkson.

Ronnie O'Sullivan and Will Mellor have both...

The Top Gear presenter slots have prompted a great deal of speculation in recent weeks. Who will take on hosting duties when the BBC Two motoring show returns?

Now, it seems snooker champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has put himself in the frame.

"I'd love to have the Top Gear job," he told The Times. "I said to my agent when that job came up, 'I want it' - but whether I'm equipped to do it, I don't know."

O'Sullivan added that despite his desire to take on the role, he would not want to succeed Jeremy Clarkson, preferring to let someone else take over first.

"I'd definitely be up for it," he said. "I don't want to follow Jeremy Clarkson's footsteps, though."

Clarkson was axed from Top Gear in March after he admitted physically and verbally assaulting producer Oisin Tymon.

Top Gear's executive producer Andy Wilman resigned this week,...

Sir Ian McKellen's ITV sitcom Vicious dropped around 2 million viewers for its second episode on Bank Holiday Monday.

However, despite the drop it was still the most watched show outside of soaps for the evening, with 3.52m (16.1%) at 9pm. A further 192,000 (1.0%) tuned in on +1.

The Job Lot followed with 2.79m (12.9%) at 9.30pm (141k/1.0% on +1), dropping over 1.5m from last week's opener. Earlier, James Nesbitt's Ireland finished with 2.88m (12.8%) at 8pm.

BBC One's quiet evening saw a Pointless Celebrities repeat win 3.32m (16.1%) at 7.15pm. A screening of the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie thrilled 3.31m (15.9%) from 8.30pm.

Ronnie O'Sullivan's victory in the World Snooker Championship final scored 2.69m (12.6%) on BBC Two from 7pm.

On Channel 4, Superscrimpers continued with 1.17m (5.1%) at 8pm (217k/1.0%), while The Hoarder Next Door grabbed 1.99m (9.1%) at 9pm (244k/1.5%).

Channel 5's Motormorphers opened to 616k (2.7%) at 8pm, followed by Ben Fogle's New...

If celebrity bipolar suffering is beginning to trigger automatic compassion fatigue, that's bad for everyone's mental health

A new book, Strictly Bipolar by Darian Leader, in part examines the "rebranding" of depression, almost as a lifestyle term, which seems rather timely. Certainly, I've come to wonder if the term "bipolar" has become a trigger for automatic compassion fatigue.

A while ago, bipolar sufferer Kerry Katona's drunken meltdown on morning television was sneered at with a viciousness that, at the time, seemed class-based, but now I wouldn't be so sure. These days, I would wonder if it were also her bipolar condition being mocked – just because people are "so tired" of bipolar being "everywhere", or, more specifically, celebrity bipolar sufferers being everywhere.

Only last week, Ronnie O'Sullivan, who suffers from depression, was back playing snooker, and ended up being reprimanded for making an "obscene gesture" at fellow player Judd Trump.

Ronnie O'Sullivan is reportedly dating Laila Rouass. The world snooker champion is said to have been seeing the Primeval actress for several months, according to The Sun. The pair were photographed in public together for the first time at a coffee shop near his home in Essex this week. "They've really hit it off and Laila has been hanging out with him in his home area of Chigwell," a friend said. O'Sullivan split from the (more)...

World Snooker Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan is being lined up to appear on Strictly Come Dancing. The 36-year-old sports star is in "advanced talks" with the BBC One reality show, reports the Daily Mail. A rep for O'Sullivan told the paper: "He is considering Strictly Come Dancing. There are a lot of things being put in front of him. "He is taking a break indefinitely from snooker and he has a lot of new projects already." O'Sullivan is reportedly weighing up other offers (more)...

Ronnie O'Sullivan had to be convinced by the referee to pot the final black to complete his tenth televised maximum 147 break. The snooker star shook opponent Mark King's hand after sinking the pink in the final frame of his 3-0 victory at the World Open in Glasgow before returning to the table to pot the black. O'Sullivan said: "I wasn't going to pot the black because to make 147 and not really get a nice bonus was a bit disappointing because they are magical moments and they deserve magical bonuses. "But the ref [Jan Verhaas] played a guilt trip on me and said 'Come (more)...

In today's podcast, in the week when Roman Polanksi's new film of Robert Harris's novel, The Ghost, is released, Claire Armitstead discusses the film with to the Guardian's critic, Peter Bradshaw.

She also talks to the journalist Simon Hattenstone, who ghost-wrote Ronnie O'Sullivan's autobiography and the autobiography of Dwayne Brooks (the boy who was attacked with Stephen Lawrence on the night Lawrence was murdered), about the art of the ghost-writer. And John Crace digests the relationship between Wayne Rooney and his ghost-writer, Hunter Davies.

Reading list

Ronnie: The Autobiography of Ronnie O'Sullivan

Steve and Me: My Friendship with Stephen Lawrence and the Search for Justice by Duwayne Brooks

Wayne Rooney: My Story by Wayne Rooney and Hunter Davies

Claire ArmitsteadPeter BradshawSimon HattenstoneScott CawleyJohn Crace...