News

Documentary expertly follows the only woman to have climbed the mountain 10 times through spectacular scenery and a traumatic personal life

This portrait of title subject Lhakpa Sherpa, the only woman to have summited Mount Everest 10 times, is so densely packed with uplifting moments that at times it feels like emotional mountaineering – but the climb has terrific views. British director Lucy Walker toggles back and forth between on-the-snow-face footage of Lhakpa’s latest ascent and interview material where she recounts her life, a story full of extraordinary achievement but also the most tragically quotidian misfortune when she gets married to an abusive alcoholic. Interestingly, like a climb, the getting-to-the-top part is only half the story and as Lhakpa heads back down, footage shot at other times hints at a complex parallel story about an immigrant woman and her daughters’ struggles to process trauma and multicultural life. In some ways, that second...

Behind the counter at a Whole Foods Market in Connecticut, a woman from Nepal goes unnoticed. A single mother, Lhakpa Sherpa takes public transportation to work. No one around her suspects she has summited Mount Everest in her homeland several times. That jaw-dropping feat of physical and mental discipline is an even greater accomplishment considering her upbringing as an illiterate woman in an utterly patriarchal environment. Now, her story of perseverance, not only as a climber but as an immigrant and survivor, is the subject of the poignant and heart-pounding documentary “Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa” from “Waste Land” director Lucy Walker.

Walker first presents segments of an interview where the bubbly Sherpa, speaking in her hard-earned English, wears colorful traditional attire that contrasts with how we’ll later see her: in mountain climbing gear. She shares her belief in a spiritual connection with Everest — for her a...

To summit Mount Everest requires incredible tenacity, fitness and a willingness to negotiate the risk of death.

For Lhakpa Sherpa, who has climbed the world’s tallest peak more than any other woman, it has required even more: overcoming poverty, defying her family and Nepali culture that did not support her ambition and surviving an abusive marriage to a fellow mountaineer who nearly killed her.

Sherpa’s extraordinary story, and her attempt to break her own record for summiting Everest, is told in the Oscar-contending documentary Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa, which debuts in theaters this week before its July 31 premiere on Netflix. Director Lucy Walker, a two-time Academy Award nominee, joins the latest edition of Deadline’s Doc Talk podcast to discuss her film and the remarkable woman at its heart.

Walker explains why it was “terrifying” to...

Mena Massoud has lined up his next role and it’s a big one: portraying legendary British boxer Naseem Hamed in the upcoming biopic “Giant”.

Known to fans by the nicknames Prince Naseem and Naz, Hamed held multiple featherweight world titles during his 10-year professional career, including the Wbo, Ibf and Wbc titles.

Naseem Hamed poses for a portrait with his belts in 2001 in New York (Photo by: The Ring Magazine via Getty Images)

Massoud, the Canadian-born actor best known for playing the title role in Disney’s live-action “Aladdin”, will be starring alongside Paddy Considine (“House of the Dragon”), who’ll be playing Hamed’s Ireland-born boxing trainer, Brendan Ingle.

Read More: Will Smith Says Mena Massoud Is A ‘Spectacular Actor’ After Revelation Massoud Hasn’t Had An Audition Since ‘Aladdin’

Massoud took to Twitter to share his excitement at the news.

“Time to put some real respect on our names,...

Paddy Considine and Mena Massoud have signed on to star in the upcoming sports drama Giant, based on the life of British-Yemeni boxing champion Prince Naseem “Naz” Hamed.

Born in Egypt and raised in Canada, Massoud (Aladdin, Amazon Prime Video’s Jack Ryan) will play Naseem Hamed, nicknamed Prince and Naz, who held multiple featherweight world titles in his 10-year professional career, including the Wbo, Ibf and Wbc titles. The BAFTA-award-winning Considine (Tyrannosaur, HBO’s House of the Dragon) will play Hamed’s Irish-born boxing trainer Brendan Ingle.

Rowan Athale, director of 2012 Toronto Film Festival title Wasteland (aka The Rise) and a writer on the Sky/AMC series Gangs of London, will write and direct Giant, which will focus on Hamed’s rags-to-riches rise as a child of Yemeni working-class immigrants in Yorkshire who became a southpaw superstar.

Hamed was discovered in Sheffield by Ingle, a steel industry worker-turned-boxing trainer,...

It’s obvious to say that the Fallout series has come a long way since it first hit PCs back in 1997. The series’ appeal has grown considerably since that time, as has the RPG genre itself. Still, even with the modern entries and their appeal, there will always be something special about the original Fallout games by Interplay and their internal development division, Black Isle Studios. While not outright horror, there was enough grittiness in the original Fallout, not to mention the over-the-top violence, dark humour and horror elements, that appealed to those looking for something bleaker with their roleplaying games. It’s that bleakness that still keeps players coming back all these years later.

The events preceding Fallout had a global nuclear war devastating the world and destroying modern civilization in October 2077. Those who survived the war took shelter in underground Vaults. Nearly a century later, you are the Vault Dweller,...

Bad Bunny has done it again. “Un Verano Sin Ti” spends its 13th week at number-one on the Billboard 200 albums chart, tying Drake‘s “Views” and the “Frozen” soundtrack for the longest run at the top over the last 10 years. It accumulated another 84,000 equivalent album units based on its combined album sales, track sales, and online streams, which was down a mere four-percent from last week. It has now spent its first 22 weeks in the top two, extending that record. Read more about this week’s chart here at Billboard.com.

SEEWhy Bad Bunny could (and should) win Album of the Year at 2022 Latin Grammys

“Verano’s” continued success wasn’t for a lack of competition, though. Three new albums debuted in the top 10, led by Slipknot‘s “The End, So Far” at number-two. The metal band achieved 59,000 album units, which is exactly half the units their last album, “We Are Not Your Kind,...

Few years are as packed for the R&b categories at the Grammys as this one. With releases from some of the top artists in the genre and in music in general, as well as a lot of Grammy darlings back in the mix, it seems like many artists will truly just be lucky to net a nom. Let’s take a look at some of the top contenders this year.

We can’t talk about R&b without first talking about Queen Bey. This year Beyoncé could compete in Best Progressive R&b Album with her newest release, “Renaissance.” The album is acclaimed and will easily be the front-runner if it is submitted in R&b (it might instead be slotted in pop). As for song choices, Beyoncé could go for the groovy “Cuff It” or the urban-leaning “Church Girl” for Best R&b Performance, while “Plastic Off The...

“If I Get Caught,” the first single from the R&b duo Dvsn’s upcoming album, released last month, is far from subtle in its description of what some might call “toxic” behavior. In the chorus, destined for social media contagion, singer Daniel Daley informs us that “if I get caught cheating that don’t mean I don’t love you.” Apparently, when Jay-Z approved the use of the “Song Cry” sample featured on the track he texted Dvsn saying, “I didn’t think one could make a song more...

Photo: ‘Wasteland’ (Trigger Warning: Brief Mention of Suicide and Abortion) Arriving in Wasteland In the recess between opulence; the penthouses and bars he spends his nights in, and absurdity; the failures and shocks associated with the pandemic and recent political developments, Brent Faiyaz finds a wasteland. Dark, paradoxical, and constantly changing, in the liminal space Faiyaz finds himself occupying, it’s hard to decide who you are and harder still to know who you should be. Released on July 8th, RnB musician Brent Faiyaz’s sophomore album, ‘Wasteland’, is as self-exploratory as it is outwardly probing. Things to do: Subscribe to The Hollywood Insider’s YouTube Channel, by clicking here. Limited Time Offer – Free Subscription to The Hollywood Insider Click here to read more on The Hollywood Insider’s vision, values and mission statement here – Media has the responsibility to better our world – The Hollywood Insider fully focuses on substance and meaningful entertainment,...

Matthew Byrd John Saavedra Nov 10, 2018

Microsoft has acquired Fallout: New Vegas developer Obsidian Entertainment and Wasteland studio inXile Entertainment.

Microsoft announced at its X018 event that it has added two hardcore RPG developers to its lineup of first-party studios: Obsidian Entertainment and inXile Entertainment (Wasteland). Obsidian and inXile join 11 other studios, including Hellblade developer Ninja Theory, which Microsoft acquired earlier this year. 

Along with Microsoft's flagship developers -- Rare, 343, The Coalition, and Mojang -- these latest acquisitions are part of a push by the company to diversify its first-party development branch and offer more games for Xbox consoles as well as Xbox Game Pass.

Microsoft Studios vice-president Matt Booty said in a statement: "The 13 distinct and diverse game development teams that form Microsoft Studios are focused on implementing new Microsoft technologies, delivering content for new platforms and services like Xbox Game Pass, and creating exclusive games that turn players into loyal Xbox fans.

“Wasteland 2: Director’s Cut” is coming to Nintendo Switch in August, developer InXile Entertainment announced on Tuesday.

A turn-based role-playing game set in a post-apocalyptic American Southwest, “Wasteland 2” has over 80 hours of content. The director’s cut is an enhanced version of the original game and includes a number of fresh additions and improvements. Players can give their characters new perks and quirks, special personality traits that bestow unique bonuses or drawbacks. Precision strikes add a new tactical layer to the game’s combat. Players can cripple enemies by shooting them in the leg or knock them senseless with a blow to the head, for example. InXile has also added over 8,000 lines of new voice-over dialogue for characters and companions.

“Wasteland 2” is the sequel to Interplay’s 1988 role-playing game “Wasteland.” The original is notable for being the first-ever post-apocalyptic computer RPG. Almost a decade later, Interplay took its setting...

HBO has ordered Czech spy drama Oblivious from the director of Wasteland as it steps up its original commissions in Europe.

The six-part drama is the latest original from the region, which has delivered series such as Agnieszka Holland’s Burning Bush and Polish thriller The Pack. It comes after HBO Europe partnered with the team behind acclaimed Scandi drama Lilyhammer last week on sci-fi comedy Beforeigners.

Oblivious is set in the Czech Republic in the 1980s. It was written by newcomer Ondřej Gabriel, who studied political science at Prague’s Charles University before becoming a playwright, and directed by Ivan Zacharias, the Czech filmmaker behind HBO Europe’s Wasteland.

The drama was unveiled during a panel at the Karlovy Vary film festival in the Czech Republic, which looked at HBO Europe’s role in discovering and developing writers in Central Europe. It featured screenwriters including Bogdan Mirica, creator of Romanian drama Shadows,...

Adding to its line-up of original productions from Central and Eastern Europe, HBO Europe announced Sunday at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival that it has greenlit an original Czech series, “Oblivious.”

The espionage drama set in Czechoslovakia during the 1980s will be helmed by Ivan Zacharias, whose HBO Europe series “Wasteland” is now set for streaming distribution in the U.S.

The six-part spy story is being written by television screenwriter Ondrej Gabriel, which the company has said illustrates its commitment to developing new talent from the region.

Zacharias created a bleak, menacing world in his past series for HBO Europe, “Wasteland,” which followed the trail of a child-napping in the Czech Republic’s northern coal region amid power intrigues and corporate secrets.

That series, which released two seasons, premiered at Karlovy Vary in 2016 amid warm audience and critical responses.

The “Oblivious” announcement capped a panel at the festival that...

HBO Europe has greenlighted Oblivious, a six-part original spy drama set in the Czech Republic in the late 1980s.

The six-part series, scripted by debut TV screenwriter Ondrej Gabriel and to be directed by Ivan Zacharias, who was responsible in 2016 for HBO Europe's internationally acclaimed Czech drama Wasteland, was announced at the Karlovy Vary international film festival Sunday.

HBO Europe, which premiered Wasteland two years ago during the festival in Karlovy Vary, introduced the new espionage miniseries at a special festival panel focused on HBO Europe's role in discovering and developing writers in Central Europe.

The production and ...

As U.S. viewers discover among their VOD options HBO Europe’s original production series “Wasteland,” the thriller set in the bleak coal fields of north Bohemia and filmed in 2016 in the Czech Republic, the company says more shows are on their way.

The eight-part thriller, directed by Ivan Zacharias and Alice Nellis and scripted by Stepan Hulik, screened at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival before becoming one of the first European series produced by the premium cable company to reach U.S. audiences. It was followed more recently by Hungarian and Czech versions of the romantic comedy “When Shall We Kiss,” the latter starring Anna Geislerova.

“If we own the property, why would we not make it available to people?” posits Antony Root, HBO Europe’s head of original production.

While he confesses about the programming’s potential success across the Atlantic “I don’t know how it’s going to do,...

Sneak Peek Brit super-model/actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, co-star of director George Miller's Oscar winning "Mad Max: Fury Road" in "Vogue Brasil", photographed by Henrique Gendre:

Huntington-Whiteley is best known for her work for lingerie retailers "Victoria's Secret" and "Burberry" and her role as 'Carly Spencer' in director Michael Bay's 2011 feature "Transformers: Dark of the Moon".

Starting out as a model, Huntington-Whitely remained unknown in the fashion industry until 2008, when she replaced Agyness Deyn for Burberry's autumn/winter campaign. 

Huntington-Whitely received her first British Vogue cover (November 2008) alongside Eden Clark and Jourdan Dunn in a feature celebrating British models. 

The following year, she was featured as the face of the "Karen Millen" spring/summer 2009 advertising campaign. 

She received an 'Elle Style Award' as 2009's "Model of the Year".

Huntington-Whitely then starred in the short film "Love Me Tender" for lingerie retailer "Agent Provocateur" playing a dominant woman whose boyfriend forgets Valentine's Day.

Tiff audiences will get the chance to see the first three episodes of the new season of Jill Soloway’s acclaimed Emmy-winning Amazon Studios series Transparent.

The return for the second year of the Primetime television roster includes new episodes from Charlie Brooker’s unsettling anthology series Black Mirror, a look at Kenyan procedural Tuko Macho, mystery series Wasteland from the Czech Republic and the previously announced nirvanna the band the show from Canada.

Highlights at the seven-day Tiff Industry Conference are expected to include Mogul sessions with Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs and The Weinstein Company president and COO David Glasser.

Doug Liman will give a Master Class address on Vr, while panel discussions will cover the potential impact of Brexit on the UK film industry, East-West alliances, gender, and conversations with Jonathan Demme and Steve James.

The 41st Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 8 to 18 and the Tiff Industry Conference runs from September 9-15.

Primetime...

Tiff audiences will get the chance to see the first three episodes of the new season of Jill Soloway’s acclaimed Emmy-winning Amazon Studios series Transparent.

The return for the second year of the Primetime television roster includes new episodes from Charlie Brooker’s unsettling anthology series Black Mirror, a look at Kenyan procedural Tuko Macho, mystery series Wasteland from the Czech Republic and the previously announced nirvanna the band the show from Canada.

Highlights at the seven-day Tiff Industry Conference are expected to include Mogul sessions with Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs and The Weinstein Company president and COO David Glasser.

Doug Liman will give a Master Class address on Vr, while panel discussions will cover the potential impact of Brexit on the UK film industry, East-West alliances, gender, and conversations with Jonathan Demme and Steve James.

The 41st Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 8 to 18 and the Tiff Industry Conference runs from September 9-15.

Primetime...

Tiff audiences will get the chance to see the first three episodes of the new season of Jill Soloway’s acclaimed Emmy-winning Amazon Studios series Transparent.

The return for the second year of the Primetime television roster includes new episodes from Charlie Brooker’s unsettling anthology series Black Mirror, a look at Kenyan procedural Tuko Macho, mystery series Wasteland from the Czech Republic and the previously announced nirvanna the band the show from Canada.

Highlights at the seven-day Tiff Industry Conference are expected to include Mogul sessions with Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs and The Weinstein Company president and COO David Glasser.

Doug Liman will give a Master Class address on Vr, while panel discussions will cover the potential impact of Brexit on the UK film industry, East-West alliances, gender, and conversations with Jonathan Demme and Steve James.

The 41st Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 8 to 18.

Primetime

“This peak era for television has ushered in a gold...

Audiences will get the chance to see the first three episodes of the new season of Jill Soloway’s acclaimed Emmy-winning Amazon Studios series Transparent.

The return for the second year of the Primetime television roster includes new episodes from Charlie Brooker’s unsettling anthology series Black Mirror, a look at Kenyan procedural Tuko Macho, mystery series Wasteland from the Czech Republic and the previously announced nirvanna the band the show from Canada.

Highlights at the seven-day Tiff Industry Conference are expected to include Mogul sessions with Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs and The Weinstein Company president and COO David Glasser.

Doug Liman will give a Master Class address on Vr, while panel discussions will cover the potential impact of Brexit on the UK film industry, East-West alliances, gender, and conversations with Jonathan Demme and Steve James.

The 41st Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 8 to 18.

Primetime

“This peak era for television has ushered in a gold...

The Toronto International Film Festival's Primetime section is returning for a second year, showcasing episodes from five television shows from around the world. In addition to Tiff's impressive film roster, the festival will also premiere the first three episodes of the third season of Transparent as well as two new episodes of Black Mirror. Here's the full list of television premieres: Black Mirror created by Charlie Brooker, United Kingdom/South Africa, World Premiere directed by Owen Harris and Joe Wright The Festival presents two Black Mirror episodes: San Junipero and Nosedive. Transparent created by Jill Soloway, USA, World Premiere directed by Jill Soloway and Silas Howard The Festival presents Transparent season 3, episodes 1, 2 and 3. Tuko Macho created and directed by Jim Chuchu, Kenya The Festival presents two episodes of Tuko Macho. Wasteland (Pustina) created by Št?pán Hulík, Czech Republic, World Premiere directed by Ivan Zachariáš and Alice Nellis The Festival...