United News of Bangladesh

Iceland has become the fifth country to withdraw from the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, joining Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands. The decision came after Israel’s participation in the contest was officially confirmed last week. Stefan Eiriksson, director-general of Icelandic national broadcaster RÚV, said, “There is no peace or joy connected to this contest as things stand now. On that basis, we are stepping back while the situation is as it is.” RÚV added that Israel’s involvement had caused “disunity among both members of the European Broadcasting Union and the general public.” The broadcaster’s board approved the boycott on Wednesday, just hours before the deadline for countries to confirm participation in next year’s 70th edition of the contest. Eurovision director Martin Green said he respected the decision and hoped the countries would return in the future. Israel’s presence has sparked tensions due to the war in Gaza and concerns over voting and campaigning, including allegations that Israel’s government sought to influence public votes at this year’s event. The EBU recently introduced new rules to protect voting integrity, prompting most countries to confirm their participation. Despite these measures, RÚV said doubts remained about whether the adjustments were sufficient. It noted that Icelandic artists and the public had opposed participation and that requests to bar Israel’s public broadcaster KAN had been denied. Israel has participated in Eurovision since 1973, winning four times, most recently in 2018, and finishing second in 2025. Iceland has never won but came second in 1999 and 2009. Meanwhile, Poland confirmed it will compete in 2026, saying Eurovision can still be “a space filled with music – and only music.”   With inputs from BBC

Behind the world of Oz in the two-part “Wicked” films were the people responsible for choosing who would inhabit it. Long before filming began, casting directors were quietly shaping the production by selecting the actors who ultimately brought the story to life. “Our job is to know every actor out there — or know how to find the ones we don’t,” said Bernard Telsey, one of the industry’s leading casting directors who, along with Tiffany Little Canfield, cast both “Wicked” movies. Casting will receive long-awaited recognition at the next Oscars. The Academy Awards will introduce a new category honoring achievement in casting when the 98th ceremony airs live on ABC on March 15, 2026 — a milestone many in the field say is overdue. “It’s hard for people to understand what we do because it all happens behind closed doors,” Telsey said. “This award will strengthen the profession and raise awareness of our work.” The Emmys already feature three casting categories, and the Critics Choice Awards added one this year. Casting directors also have their own long-running Artios Awards. But the Golden Globes and Tony Awards still exclude the craft. “When casting is excellent, it can feel invisible — because it blends so well you don’t notice the fingerprints,” said Destiny Lilly, president of the 1,200-member Casting Society and a colleague of Telsey. She noted that casting often begins before most of the production team is hired. Telsey’s company, The Telsey Office, casts projects across film, television and theater — from movies such as “Mary Poppins Returns” to series like “The Gilded Age” and “Only Murders in the Building.” He made his name in theater, shaping casts for Tony-winning shows including “Hairspray,” “Kinky Boots” and “Maybe Happy Ending.” The Oscars mandate voters watch all nominated movies, set new rules for AI and refugee filmmakers “Wicked” and its sequel “Wicked: For Good” were among his team’s most ambitious undertakings, requiring hundreds of performers across more than a year of filming on multiple continents. Though Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande now seem inevitable as Elphaba and Glinda, their casting wasn’t guaranteed. “You don’t really know until they’re in the room,” Telsey said. “Then you see the magic.” Telsey stays current by attending theater four or five nights a week and spending weekends watching TV and films. His team meets twice a week to discuss emerging talent. “Every day you feel like you’re behind,” he said. “There are always more actors to discover.” Casting directors typically begin by discussing a project’s vision with the director, writers and producers before assembling actors to audition. Lilly recently made waves by recommending comedian Bill Burr for his Broadway debut in “Glengarry Glen Ross,” believing his energy suited Mamet’s dialogue. She emphasized that crossover between stage and screen is now routine. Telsey agrees: “Good acting is good acting. The technical demands differ, but the craft is the same.” Telsey, whose breakthrough came with the original casting of “Rent,” said the rise of global productions, streaming platforms and virtual auditions has dramatically reshaped casting. “We’re always expanding our reach,” he said. “Time is short, budgets are shrinking, and the need to find the right cast quickly is only growing.” Source: AP 

Actor couple Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif are celebrating their fourth wedding anniversary while adjusting to parenthood after the arrival of their first child. The couple welcomed a baby boy on November 7, receiving warm wishes from fans and industry colleagues. Katrina has largely stayed off social media since the birth, but Vicky shared a heartfelt selfie with his wife on Instagram to mark their anniversary. In the photo, Vicky gazes lovingly at Katrina, who smiles at the camera. He captioned it: “Celebrating today… blissful, grateful and sleep deprived. Happy 4 to us.” Fans and friends quickly responded, with messages like “Mama and Dada” and “New papa and mommy in town.” Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar also sent heart emojis for the new parents. The couple tied the knot in December 2021 at Rajasthan’s scenic Six Senses Fort Barwara in a private ceremony attended by family and close friends. Professionally, Vicky was last seen in the historical drama Chhaava, while Katrina starred in Merry Christmas opposite Vijay Sethupathi. Source: NDTV 

The nominations for the 2026 Golden Globe Awards were announced on Monday, marking the start of Hollywood’s award season and setting the stage for the Oscars in March. This year’s shortlists highlight the biggest films, series and performances across drama, comedy, animation and international categories. Winners will be declared on 11 January. In film, Frankenstein, Hamnet, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value and Sinners lead the drama lineup. The comedy and musical list includes titles like Blue Moon, Bugonia, Marty Supreme and One Battle After Another. It Was Just an Accident, No Other Choice and Sirât feature among the top non-English entries, while Zootopia 2, Elio and Arco compete for best animated film. Actors Jessie Buckley, Jennifer Lawrence, Renate Reinsve and Julia Roberts earned recognition in the drama category. For male actors, nominees include Joel Edgerton, Oscar Isaac, Dwayne Johnson and Jeremy Allen White. In comedy or musical categories, Cynthia Erivo, Emma Stone, Kate Hudson and Leonardo DiCaprio appear among the leading nominees. Supporting roles include Emily Blunt, Ariana Grande, Benicio Del Toro and Adam Sandler.Top directors Paul Thomas Anderson, Ryan Coogler, Guillermo del Toro and Chloe Zhao earned nods for their work. In television, The White Lotus leads with six nominations. Other contenders include The Diplomat, Severance, Slow Horses, Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Black Mirror and Adolescence. Notable TV acting nominees range from Helen Mirren, Bella Ramsey and Keri Russell to Sterling K Brown, Gary Oldman and Adam Scott. Comedy nominations include Kristen Bell, Ayo Edebiri, Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Jeremy Allen White. This year also introduces a new category for podcasts, with Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, Call Her Daddy and SmartLess among the nominees. The full list reflects a wide mix of global cinema, hit series and standout performances leading into the 2026 awards season.   With inputs from BBC

Ranveer Singh’s highly anticipated Dhurandhar has defied box office expectations, entering the Rs 100 crore club on its third day of release. According to trade tracker Sacnilk, the film earned Rs 43 crore on Sunday, taking its total to Rs 103 crore. It opened with a strong Rs 28 crore on Friday, surpassing the opening of Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara, and collected Rs 32 crore on Saturday, solidifying its strong performance. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh, who had earlier expressed doubts due to underwhelming pre-bookings, noted the film’s surge in a social media post: “#Dhurandhar goes on a rampage on Saturday — the film is now in unstoppable mode. Tere Ishk Mein collects Rs 76 crore in six days at box office While major centers, especially national chains, were strong on Friday, the heartland has also joined, showing substantial growth. A ₹95 crore [+/-] opening weekend total is very much on the cards.” Sunday also marked the film’s highest single-day collection in recent times. About Dhurandhar: Ranveer Singh plays a character who takes on four of Pakistan’s deadliest terrorists. While social media buzz speculated on the identities of the characters, the makers have not confirmed them. The Censor Board has clarified that Singh’s role, reportedly inspired by Major Mohit Sharma, is fictional. The film marks the return of Uri: The Surgical Strike director Aditya Dhar, who has continued to bring a robust nationalist tone to his storytelling. Source: NDTV 

Netflix’s planned 72 billion dollar acquisition of Warner Bros. and its film and television operations drew swift criticism across the entertainment industry on Friday, with guilds, lawmakers and Hollywood figures warning that the merger could hurt consumers, workers and theaters. Executives from both companies defended the agreement, saying it would strengthen content offerings and benefit global audiences. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said the deal would help preserve “the world’s most resonant stories for generations to come,” while Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said it would “give audiences more of what they love.” Cinema United chief Michael O’Leary said Netflix’s business model does not support theatrical releases and warned that the deal could lead to theater closures, job losses and harm to local communities. Actor Jane Fonda, speaking for the Committee for the First Amendment, called the agreement an alarming escalation of media consolidation that she said threatens the entertainment industry, the public and First Amendment principles. The Producers Guild of America said the industry must navigate rapid economic and technological shifts while safeguarding livelihoods, theatrical distribution, creative opportunities, consumer choice and free expression. It said legacy studios hold cultural value beyond their content libraries and that the Netflix deal must meet these standards. Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas said the acquisition bid, which he estimated at 82 billion dollars, would be the largest media takeover in history. He warned that allowing one company to control both content and distribution would pose significant antitrust concerns and threaten prices, choice and creative freedom. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts described the planned merger as an “anti-monopoly nightmare.” She said a combined Netflix–Warner Bros. entity could dominate nearly half the streaming market, push subscription prices higher, reduce consumer options and put workers at risk. The Writers Guild of America said the takeover is precisely the kind of consolidation antitrust laws are designed to stop. It said the outcome would cut jobs, reduce wages, worsen working conditions, raise costs for viewers and shrink the diversity of available content, urging regulators to block the deal. Rep. Laura Friedman of California said repeated consolidation has already cost many film and television jobs and added that any merger should be judged on its impact on competition and employment. Her district includes Hollywood as well as the headquarters of Netflix and the Warner Bros. studio. Former WarnerMedia CEO and Hulu co-founder Jason Kilar said on X that selling Warner Bros. Discovery to Netflix would be one of the most effective ways to reduce competition in Hollywood. The proposed deal now awaits regulatory scrutiny.  

Ranveer Singh’s latest film Dhurandhar, which hit theatres on Friday, December 5, has opened to impressive numbers. The movie earned over ₹27 crore on its first day, easily beating earlier projections that estimated a ₹15–18 crore opening. It also outperformed the Day 1 earnings of Saiyaara, which collected ₹21.50 crore. With this start, Dhurandhar has become Ranveer Singh’s highest-opening film to date, surpassing the Day 1 figures of some of his biggest hits.Padmaavat debuted with ₹24 crore, while Simmba earned ₹20.72 crore on its opening day. The film released with an all-India occupancy rate of 33.81%. More than 4,000 shows were lined up on Day 1, and evening shows recorded over 55% seats filled.Delhi-NCR led the performance with around 40% occupancy across 1,371 screenings, followed by Mumbai with nearly 35% occupancy from 1,024 shows. After watching the film, Ranveer’s wife Deepika Padukone praised his performance on Instagram, writing:“Dhurandhar has been watched, and it’s worth every minute of those 3.34 hours. Do yourself a favour and go watch it NOW! So proud of you, @ranveersingh. Congratulations to the entire cast and crew.” Featuring Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, and Arjun Rampal, the film has also sparked interest in its female lead, Sara Arjun. Dhurandhar is written, directed, and co-produced by Aditya Dhar under Jio Studios and B62 Studios. Source: NDTV  

Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has confirmed he is in a relationship with pop star Katy Perry after the two appeared together at a diplomatic lunch in Tokyo. Perry paused her Lifetimes world tour to join Trudeau for a meeting with former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife Yuko. Trudeau later posted a photo of the meeting on X, writing that he and Perry were happy to sit with Kishida and thanked him for his friendship. In the photo, Perry is seen standing beside Trudeau in a green outfit while Trudeau appears in a grey suit. Kishida replied to the post, wishing the couple happy holidays. The post quickly went viral as social media users called it the “craziest hard launch,” reacting with surprise to the public confirmation of their relationship. Trudeau and Perry were first seen together in July during a dinner in Montreal. Trudeau also attended her tour show in Canada. Perry ended her long relationship with actor Orlando Bloom earlier this year, and they continue to co-parent their daughter, Daisy Dove. Trudeau separated from his wife Sophie Gregoire in 2023.   With inputs from NDTV

Netflix on Friday announced a landmark agreement to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio and streaming operations for 72 billion dollars, a move that would unite two of the biggest names in global entertainment. Under the deal, Netflix would take over Warner’s flagship film and television units, along with HBO Max and DC Studios. Netflix, already a dominant force in on-demand viewing with hits like “Stranger Things” and “Squid Game,” has steadily expanded its own production capabilities in recent years. The cash-and-stock offer values Warner at 27.75 dollars per share, setting its total enterprise value at about 82.7 billion dollars. The transaction is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2026, after Warner spins off its Discovery Global cable networks into a separate publicly traded company.  

The fifth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival, one of the Middle East’s largest film festivals, opened Thursday in the coastal city of Jeddah, marking a significant moment for the kingdom’s growing film industry. Running from Dec. 4 to 13, the Red Sea International Film Festival brings together filmmakers and talent from around the world, screening more than 100 films from over 70 countries. The festival’s prestigious “Red Sea: Competition” strand features a selection of 16 narrative features, animations and documentaries from the Arab world, Asia and Africa, all vying for the top honor: the Yusr Awards, which will be presented at the closing ceremony. The festival takes place in Jeddah’s Al-Balad district — a UNESCO World Heritage site — blending Saudi heritage with international cinema. This year, the selection jury is being led by the Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sean Baker, best known for “Anora,” which won five Oscars, four of which went to Sean Baker himself. “This festival is really exciting because of how big it’s become just in the last five years,” Baker said. “It’s rare that I see a festival just exploding in terms of importance and impact on world cinema.” The festival opens with “Giant,” a true story of legendary British-Yemeni boxing champion Prince Naseem ‘Naz’ Hamed. The film stars Egyptian-British actor Amir El-Masry as Hamed and Pierce Brosnan as his Irish trainer, Brendan Ingle, and is directed by British filmmaker Rowan Athale. “It was probably one of the hardest roles I’ve ever done,” El-Masry said, noting that his preparation involved four and a half weeks of training, during which he lost about eight kilos. “It’s been a passion project for me for a long time,” said Athale. “I come from a similar neighborhood — actually within a few miles of Naz. He was a hero of mine growing up, particularly being multiracial in the region. I’ve always wanted to make a film about him. So it’s a privilege to make it.” Reflecting on the premiere, he added, “To have it as the opening night film here — I mean, look at this. I’ve never seen anything like this. Not at Cannes, not anywhere. It’s daunting, it’s terrifying, but it’s an honor.” The opening night drew a wide range of international stars, including Hollywood and Bollywood figures including Adrien Brody, Sir Michael Caine, Vin Diesel and Ana de Armas walking the red carpet. Veteran actor Giancarlo Esposito, also attending the festival, said the gathering reflects the unifying power of cinema. “This celebration at the Red Sea Film Festival is really about celebrating film,” he said. The Red Sea International Film Festival was founded by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture and supported by the Red Sea Film Foundation. It is funded by the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund sovereign wealth fund and private sponsors. It aims to play a vital role in promoting regional filmmakers and fostering global connections. The festival is part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives, which include diversifying the economy, strengthening cultural infrastructure and fostering local creative talent. The event comes as Saudi Arabia invests heavily in sectors like film, gaming and sports as part of its broader transformation efforts. However, various rights groups have criticized these actions, saying they serve to draw away attention from the kingdom’s human rights record, including its high rate of executions and restrictions on free expression.