Special Correspondents, a new original feature film written and directed by Ricky Gervais and starring Eric Bana (Deliver Us From Evil, Lone Survivor) and Gervais (Muppets Most Wanted, Derek), will debut worldwide on Netflix next year.
With Special Correspondents, as with The Office and Extras, Gervais has written a hilarious, modern comedy in which Bana plays a struggling New York based radio journalist, whose arrogance and decadent lifestyle has hindered his career. With his job on the line he fakes front line war reports from the comfort of his hideout above a Spanish restaurant in the heart of Manhattan.
“Special Correspondents is classic Ricky Gervais; smart social satire with heart,” said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos. “It’s the kind of great grown-up comedy that studios rarely make anymore, one that’s perfect for Netflix members around the world.”
Gervais said’ “Having shaken up the TV industry, Netflix is about to do the same to Hollywood. It’s great to be part of the changing future. Ted Sarandos is the new Godfather of entertainment and he made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
The film is a co-production between Bron Studios and Unanimous Entertainment. Gervais, Unanimous’ Chris Coen, Bron’s Aaron L. Gilbert, Manuel Munz and Larry Sanitsky will produce.
Creator and star of The Office, Extras, and Derek, Gervais has won three Golden Globes, two primetime Emmys and seven BAFTAS. The Office is the most successful British comedy of all time, shown in more than 90 countries with seven remakes. Gervais is an award-winning stand-up comedian, has hosted the Golden Globes three times and has written, directed and acted in the films Cemetery Junction and The Invention of Lying.
Bana is one of Australia’s best known actors and began his career as a comedian in the sketch comedy series Full Frontal before winning critical acclaim in the biographical crime film Chopper. Since then, Bana has starred in such films as Munich, Black Hawk Down, Hulk, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Hanna, and Star Trek. He has received Australia’s highest film and TV awards for his performances and will next be seen in director Jim Sheridan’s The Secret Scripture, Guy Ritchie’s Knights of the Round Table: King Arthur and The Finest Hours.
Lawsuit Alleges That TikTok Was Aware Of Risks Its Platform Posed To Kids and Teens
TikTok was aware that its design features are detrimental to its young users and that publicly touted tools aimed at limiting kids' time on the site were largely ineffective, according to internal documents and communications exposed in a lawsuit filed by the state of Kentucky.
The details are among redacted portions of Kentucky's lawsuit that contains the internal communications and documents unearthed during a more than two year investigation into the company by various states across the country.
Kentucky's lawsuit was filed this week, alongside separate complaints brought forth by attorneys general in a dozen states as well as the District of Columbia. TikTok is also facing another lawsuit from the Department of Justice and is itself suing the Justice Department over a federal law that could ban it in the U.S. by mid-January.
The redacted information — which was inadvertently revealed by Kentucky's attorney general's office and first reported by Kentucky Public Radio — touches on a range of topics, most importantly the extent to which TikTok knew how much time young users were spending on the platform and how sincere it was when rolling out tools aimed at curbing excessive use.
Beyond TikTok use among minors, the complaint alleges the short-form video sharing app has prioritized "beautiful people" on its platform and has noted internally that some of the content-moderation metrics it has publicized are "largely misleading."
The unredacted complaint, which was seen by The Associated Press, was sealed by a Kentucky state judge on Wednesday after state officials filed an emergency motion to seal it.
When reached for comment, TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek said: "It is highly irresponsible of the Associated Press to... Read More