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By Marie-Louise Gumuchian LONDON, Jan 19 (Reuters) – Award-winning drama "Drops of God”, based on the hit Japanese manga series, returns for a second season on Wednesday, with half-siblings Camille and Issei taking on a new wine challenge set by their late father.  The two characters, played by French actor Fleur Geffrier and Japanese singer and actor Tomohisa Yamashita, set off on a journey that will test their bond as they seek to uncover the origin of what is deemed the world’s greatest wine. In an interview with Reuters, Geffrier and Yamashita, along with series sommelier Seb Pradal and executive producer Klaus Zimmermann, spoke about the Apple TV+ multilingual show’s new storyline, featured wines, and building cellars.  Q: What is the quest facing Camille and Issei this season? Geffrier: “It's like the quest, they don't have a choice somehow. It arrives on the table: ‘You have to do that’.  She doesn't want to, he really wants to. The audience will understand… at the very beginning of the second season why Issei needs it and why she really doesn't want it at all. But they will have to team up to go on this quest, and that will start building their relationship deeper.” Q: How did you choose what wines to feature this season? Pradal:  “It's wine, winemakers and wineries that I admire, of course. We try to work with wineries with a real ethic, considering ecology, for example. And of course, wines that would suit to the story itself; for example, tasting a Chateau d’Yquem with fancy people or these kind of things; we try to pick… a wine (suited) to the situation.” Q: How has making the show changed your appreciation of wine? Yamashita: “Before taking part… I didn't have any interest in wine. After that, I fell in love with wine… (my) wine teacher… recommended (I) go to this specific restaurant and order this fish and order this bottle, you know, the marriage experience blew my mind. And… now I have a full, big cellar in my place.” Q: What do you hope audiences will take away from season two? Zimmermann: “I think the audience will even more understand how wine can be something broad… Going deep into Georgia and seeing how the wine was actually made eight thousand years ago is something which I think (most of) the audience will not know… And I think what I also want, from a story point of view, is to give… people the feeling that family might be the problem, but family can also be the solution.” (Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Jan Harvey)

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LONDON, Jan 16 (Reuters) – British culture minister Lisa Nandy met Paramount SkyDance chief executive David Ellison this week to discuss issues affecting the UK's film and television sector, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday. The talks, which the source said occurred on Thursday, come as Ellison is steering Paramount through a high-stakes battle for Warner Bros Discovery. The meeting occurred the same day of a U.S. judge's decision rejecting Paramount's bid to fast-track its lawsuit against Warner Bros over disclosures tied to the U.S. studio's planned sale to Netflix. Paramount is trying to persuade Warner Bros shareholders to back its $30-per-share all-cash tender offer instead of Netflix's lower cash-and-stock deal, and has moved to nominate directors to the Warner Bros board to press for negotiations. (Reporting by Alistair Smout, writing by Sam Tabahriti; editing by William James)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

LONDON, Jan 16 (Reuters) – British culture minister Lisa Nandy met Paramount SkyDance chief executive David Ellison this week to discuss issues affecting the UK's film and television sector, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday. The talks, which the source said occurred on Thursday, come as Ellison is steering Paramount through a high-stakes battle for Warner Bros Discovery. Paramount did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The meeting occurred the same day of a U.S. judge's decision rejecting Paramount's bid to fast-track its lawsuit against Warner Bros over disclosures tied to the U.S. studio's planned sale to Netflix. Paramount is trying to persuade Warner Bros shareholders to back its $30-per-share all-cash tender offer instead of Netflix's lower cash-and-stock deal, and has moved to nominate directors to the Warner Bros board to press for negotiations. (Reporting by Alistair Smout, writing by Sam Tabahriti; editing by William James)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

LONDON, Jan 16 (Reuters) – British culture minister Lisa Nandy met Paramount SkyDance chief executive David Ellison this week to discuss issues affecting the UK's film and television sector, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday. The talks, which the source said occurred on Thursday, come as Ellison is steering Paramount through a high-stakes battle for Warner Bros Discovery. The meeting occurred the same day of a U.S. judge's decision rejecting Paramount's bid to fast-track its lawsuit against Warner Bros over disclosures tied to the U.S. studio's planned sale to Netflix. Paramount is trying to persuade Warner Bros shareholders to back its $30-per-share all-cash tender offer instead of Netflix's lower cash-and-stock deal, and has moved to nominate directors to the Warner Bros board to press for negotiations. (Reporting by Alistair Smout, writing by Sam Tabahriti; editing by William James)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

LONDON, Jan 16 (Reuters) – British culture minister Lisa Nandy met Paramount SkyDance chief executive David Ellison this week to discuss issues affecting the UK's film and television sector, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday. The talks, which the source said occurred on Thursday, come as Ellison is steering Paramount through a high-stakes battle for Warner Bros Discovery. Paramount did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The meeting occurred the same day of a U.S. judge's decision rejecting Paramount's bid to fast-track its lawsuit against Warner Bros over disclosures tied to the U.S. studio's planned sale to Netflix. Paramount is trying to persuade Warner Bros shareholders to back its $30-per-share all-cash tender offer instead of Netflix's lower cash-and-stock deal, and has moved to nominate directors to the Warner Bros board to press for negotiations. (Reporting by Alistair Smout, writing by Sam Tabahriti; editing by William James)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

LONDON, Jan 16 (Reuters) – British culture minister Lisa Nandy met Paramount SkyDance chief executive David Ellison this week to discuss issues affecting the UK's film and television sector, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday. The talks, which the source said occurred on Thursday, come as Ellison is steering Paramount through a high-stakes battle for Warner Bros Discovery. The meeting occurred the same day of a U.S. judge's decision rejecting Paramount's bid to fast-track its lawsuit against Warner Bros over disclosures tied to the U.S. studio's planned sale to Netflix. Paramount is trying to persuade Warner Bros shareholders to back its $30-per-share all-cash tender offer instead of Netflix's lower cash-and-stock deal, and has moved to nominate directors to the Warner Bros board to press for negotiations. (Reporting by Alistair Smout, writing by Sam Tabahriti; editing by William James)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

MADRID, Jan 16 (Reuters) – Spanish singer Julio Iglesias has denied having abused two former domestic employees who have filed a criminal complaint against him, describing the accusations as false in a social media post late on Thursday. The prosecutor's office of Spain's High Court has said it has opened preliminary proceedings over the complaint, which a rights group said involved human trafficking for forced labour and servitude, sexual abuse and violations of workers' rights. "I deny having abused, coerced or disrespected any woman. These accusations are completely false and cause me great sadness," Iglesias, 82, said in a statement bearing his signature posted on his Instagram profile. Iglesias – one of the world's best-selling Latin artists with more than 300 million records sold in 14 languages – added he had found "great comfort" in messages of support. Rights group Women's Link Worldwide filed the complaint on January 5 on behalf of the two women, identified by the pseudonyms Rebeca and Laura, after a three-year investigation by U.S. broadcaster Univision and Spanish outlet elDiario.es. The group described the complainants as young Latin American women "in vulnerable situations who were heavily dependent on their wages due to their economic and social conditions". The reports said they had worked in Iglesias' Caribbean residences in the Dominican Republic and Bahamas for 10 months in 2021. The court has not provided any details of the case, which is subject to secrecy rules. Attempts by Reuters to contact representatives of Iglesias by email and phone went unanswered, while the star's record label, Sony, has declined to comment on the allegations. (Reporting by David Latona and Elena Rodríguez; Editing by Philippa Fletcher)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Lisa Richwine and Dawn Chmielewski LOS ANGELES, Jan 15 (Reuters) – Dave Filoni, a protégé of "Star Wars" creator George Lucas and a creative force behind hit streaming TV series "The Mandalorian," was named president of Walt Disney-owned Lucasfilm on Thursday. Current Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy will step down from the role this week and work as a full-time producer, Disney said in a statement. Filoni, 51, will now steer one of the highest-grossing movie franchises in history as well as live-action and animated TV shows. He will work alongside co-president Lynwen Brennan, who runs the studio's business affairs and operations. Disney CEO Bob Iger praised Kennedy's "leadership, her vision, and her stewardship” of the studio. The 72-year-old Kennedy, who has run Lucasfilm since Disney bought it in 2012, oversaw three blockbuster sequels to the original "Star Wars" trilogy and the successful spinoff "Rogue One."  "Solo," a 2018 film that introduced a new actor as the smuggler made famous by Harrison Ford, flopped in theaters. That prompted concerns that audiences were growing fatigued with the beloved franchise. "'Solo' was a little disappointing to us," Iger said in 2023. "It gave us pause just to think maybe the cadence was a little too aggressive. And so, we decided to pull back a bit." Disney put the "Star Wars" movies on hiatus in 2019 to focus on live-action TV series, including "The Mandalorian" starring Pedro Pascal and introducing the popular character Baby Yoda. The company scrapped planned "Star Wars" films from directors Patty Jenkins and Rian Johnson as Kennedy worked to reset the film strategy.  Filoni, meanwhile, oversaw many popular and acclaimed TV series including "The Mandalorian" and "Ahsoka." Both Kennedy and Filoni worked with Lucas, the creator of the original "Star Wars" film series that debuted in 1977. The franchise, about a group of rebels in a galaxy far, far away, has brought in more than $10.3 billion at global box office receipts, according to Comscore. Lucas hand-picked Kennedy as his successor to lead Lucasfilm. She co-founded Amblin Entertainment with Steven Spielberg and Frank Marshall and helped produce classic movies including "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," "Jurassic Park" and "Schindler's List." The five "Star Wars" films Kennedy oversaw brought in a combined $5.9 billion. The most successful, 2015's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," surpassed $2 billion in worldwide ticket sales.  Kennedy called it a privilege to work at Lucasfilm, adding, "I'm deeply proud of what we’ve accomplished together." Lucasfilm expanded into producing live-action streaming TV series under Kennedy, including Filoni's “The Mandalorian,” which debuted with the launch of the Disney+ streaming service in 2019. Other series included "Ahsoka," another Filoni project, and "Andor."  The company also added "Star Wars"-themed lands at Walt Disney World in Florida and at Disneyland in California. Daniel Loria, editorial director of Boxoffice Media, said Kennedy took on "an impossible task" of following Lucas, and delivered the platform-defining "Mandalorian" for Disney+. She also "landed the plane" with "Rogue One," Loria said, after rounds of rewrites and re-shoots. Lucas hired Filoni in 2005 to help build a "Star Wars" animation studio. Often spotted at Hollywood premieres and fan events wearing a cowboy hat, Filoni helped create the animated TV series "The Clone Wars." "The Mandalorian" will head to the big screen in May in a film co-written by Filoni called "The Mandalorian and Grogu." The movie "Star Wars: Starfighter," featuring Ryan Gosling, is scheduled to reach cinemas in May 2027. Kennedy will continue to work as a producer of those films. Daisy Ridley, star of the sequel trilogy that began in 2015, also has said she is returning to a new "Star Wars" project. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Shri Navaratnam)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Lisa Richwine and Dawn Chmielewski LOS ANGELES, Jan 15 (Reuters) – Kathleen Kennedy will step down from her role as president of "Star Wars" movie producer Lucasfilm this week and become a full-time producer, Walt Disney said on Thursday. Disney has named Dave Filoni, a protégé of "Star Wars" creator George Lucas and the co-creator of "Star Wars" streaming TV series "The Mandalorian," president and chief creative officer of Lucasfilm. He will work alongside co-president Lynwen Brennan, who runs the studio's business operations. Filoni, 51, will now steer one of the highest-grossing movie franchises in history as well as live-action and animated TV shows.  The 72-year-old Kennedy, who has run Lucasfilm since Disney bought it in 2012, oversaw three blockbuster sequels to the original "Star Wars" trilogy and the successful spinoff "Rogue One." "It has been a true privilege to spend more than a decade working alongside the extraordinary talent at Lucasfilm," Kennedy said in a statement. The 2018 film "Solo," which introduced a new actor as the smuggler made famous by Harrison Ford, flopped in theaters.  Disney put the "Star Wars" movies on hiatus in 2019 to focus on live-action TV series, including "The Mandalorian" starring Pedro Pascal and the popular character Baby Yoda.  Disney scrapped planned "Star Wars" films from directors Patty Jenkins and Rian Johnson as Kennedy worked to reset the film strategy.  Filoni, meanwhile, oversaw many popular and acclaimed TV series including "The Mandalorian" and "Ahsoka." Both Kennedy and Filoni worked with Lucas, the creator of the original "Star Wars" film series that debuted in 1977. The franchise, about a group of rebels in a galaxy far, far away, has brought in more than $10.3 billion at global box office receipts, according to Comscore. Lucas hand-picked Kennedy as his successor to lead Lucasfilm. The five films she oversaw brought in a combined $5.9 billion. The most successful, 2015's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," surpassed $2 billion in worldwide ticket sales.  Lucasfilm expanded into producing live-action streaming TV series under Kennedy, including Filoni's “The Mandalorian,” which debuted with the launch of the Disney+ streaming service in 2019. Other series included "Ahsoka" and "Andor."  The company also added "Star Wars"-themed lands at Walt Disney World in Florida and at Disneyland in California. In 2005, Lucas hired Filoni to help build a "Star Wars" animation studio. Filoni, often spotted at Hollywood premieres and fan events wearing a cowboy hat, helped create the animated TV series "The Clone Wars." "The Mandalorian" will head to the big screen in May in a film co-written by Filoni called "The Mandalorian and Grogu." The movie "Star Wars: Starfighter," featuring Ryan Gosling, is scheduled to reach cinemas in May 2027. Kennedy will continue to work as a producer of those films. Daisy Ridley, star of the sequel trilogy that began in 2015, also has said she is returning to a new "Star Wars" project. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

LOS ANGELES, Jan 15 (Reuters) – Kathleen Kennedy will retire from her role as president of "Star Wars" movie producer Lucasfilm this week, Walt Disney said on Thursday. Disney has named Dave Filoni, a protégé of "Star Wars" creator George Lucas and the co-creator of "Star Wars" streaming TV series "The Mandalorian," president and chief creative officer of Lucasfilm. He will work alongside co-president Lynwen Brennan, who runs the studio's business operations. Filoni, 51, will now steer one of the highest-grossing movie franchises in history as well as live-action and animated TV shows.  The 72-year-old Kennedy, who has run Lucasfilm since Disney bought it in 2012, oversaw three blockbuster sequels to the original "Star Wars" trilogy and the successful spinoff "Rogue One." But 2018 film "Solo," which introduced a new actor as the smuggler made famous by Harrison Ford, flopped in theaters.  Disney put the "Star Wars" movies on hiatus in 2019 to focus on live-action TV series, including "The Mandalorian" starring Pedro Pascal and the popular character Baby Yoda.  Disney scrapped planned "Star Wars" films from directors Patty Jenkins and Rian Johnson as Kennedy worked to reset the film strategy.  Filoni, meanwhile, oversaw many popular and acclaimed TV series including "The Mandalorian" and "Ahsoka." Both Kennedy and Filoni worked with Lucas, the creator of the original "Star Wars" film series that debuted in 1977. The franchise, about a group of rebels in a galaxy far, far away, has brought in more than $10.3 billion at global box office receipts, according to Comscore. Lucas hand-picked Kennedy as his successor to lead Lucasfilm. The five films she oversaw brought in a combined $5.9 billion. The most successful, 2015's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," surpassed $2 billion in worldwide ticket sales.  Lucasfilm expanded into producing live-action streaming TV series under Kennedy, including Filoni's “The Mandalorian,” which debuted with the launch of the Disney+ streaming service in 2019. Other series included "Ahsoka" and "Andor."  The company also added "Star Wars"-themed lands at Walt Disney World in Florida and at Disneyland in California. In 2005, Lucas hired Filoni to help build a "Star Wars" animation studio. Filoni, often spotted at Hollywood premieres and fan events wearing a cowboy hat, helped create the animated TV series "The Clone Wars." "The Mandalorian" will head to the big screen in May in a film co-written by Filoni called "The Mandalorian and Grogu." The movie "Star Wars: Starfighter," featuring Ryan Gosling, is scheduled to reach cinemas in May 2027. Kennedy will continue to work as a producer of those films. Daisy Ridley, star of the sequel trilogy that began in 2015, also has said she is returning to a new "Star Wars" project. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)