Entertainment News, July 13

Sam Neill, star of Jurassic Park, dies aged 78

New Zealand actor Sam Neill, internationally known as palaeontologist Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park films, died in Sydney on 13 July at the age of 78. His family described his death as sudden and unexpected, adding that he had remained cancer-free following treatment for blood cancer. Neill’s career included more than 50 films and ranged from Hollywood blockbusters to acclaimed independent productions. Among his most memorable appearances were The Piano, The Hunt for Red October, Possession, A Cry in the Dark and Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople. He also received Golden Globe and Emmy nominations and was knighted in 2022 for his contribution to film. Actors, directors and political leaders from Australia and New Zealand have paid tribute to his versatility, understated humour and important role in bringing New Zealand cinema to international attention. (Reuters)

Michael Jackson biopic becomes the first Lionsgate film to earn $1 billion

Michael, the musical biographical film about Michael Jackson, has surpassed $1 billion at the worldwide box office. It is Lionsgate’s first production to reach this level and only the second film released in 2026 to pass the billion-dollar threshold. The film has earned approximately $371.8 million in North America and $629.8 million internationally. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, it stars Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson as the singer, with Nia Long and Colman Domingo portraying Katherine and Joe Jackson. Earlier in its theatrical run, Michael overtook Bohemian Rhapsody to become the highest-grossing musical biopic and subsequently passed Oppenheimer to become the most commercially successful biographical film overall. The result confirms the continuing international appeal of Michael Jackson’s music while establishing the film as one of the defining global cinema successes of 2026. (People.com)

Sky agrees to buy ITV’s broadcasting and streaming division

Sky has agreed to acquire ITV’s media and entertainment business for as much as £1.6 billion, approximately $2.1 billion. The transaction includes ITV’s British terrestrial television channels and streaming platform, but not ITV Studios, the production company behind numerous internationally distributed programmes. ITV Studios will remain an independent listed business. Sky and ITV say the combination will create a large British media organisation capable of competing more effectively with Netflix, Amazon, Disney and other international streaming groups. The companies also intend to preserve ITV’s major free-to-air programmes, although the agreement must still receive regulatory approval. The takeover represents one of the most important structural changes in British television for decades, potentially affecting advertising, programme distribution, streaming technology and employment throughout the sector. The combined operation is expected eventually to become part of NBCUniversal following its planned separation from Comcast. (AP News)

Music world mourns Bonnie Tyler, voice of Total Eclipse of the Heart

Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler has died at the age of 75, prompting tributes from musicians and actors including Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Tyler became internationally famous for her instantly recognisable husky voice and dramatic power ballads, particularly Total Eclipse of the Heart, Holding Out for a Hero and It’s a Heartache. Born Gaynor Hopkins in Wales, she emerged from the British club circuit during the 1970s before achieving worldwide success. Her collaboration with songwriter and producer Jim Steinman helped define the theatrical pop-rock sound of the early 1980s. Tyler continued recording and performing for decades, released 18 studio albums and represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013. She was appointed MBE in 2023. Her recordings remain deeply embedded in film, television, advertising and popular culture, making her one of the most enduring European voices of the power-ballad era. (Reuters)

The Rolling Stones release a new album with major guest musicians

The Rolling Stones have returned with Foreign Tongues, a new album released on 10 July and built around blues, rock and rhythm-and-blues influences. The record includes contributions from Paul McCartney, Steve Winwood, Robert Smith of The Cure and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith. Particularly significant is the inclusion of a performance by late Stones drummer Charlie Watts, taken from one of his final recording sessions before his death in 2021. One of the album’s central tracks, Divine Intervention, features Robert Smith on guitar, while the soulful single Jealous Lover introduced the project to listeners. The release demonstrates the group’s continuing ability to connect several generations of major British musicians. More than six decades after their formation, the Rolling Stones remain commercially and culturally relevant, and the extensive list of collaborators has made Foreign Tongues one of the most closely watched rock releases of the summer. (AP News)

Electric Castle prepares for one of its strongest editions in Romania

Electric Castle will take place from 16 to 19 July at Bánffy Castle in Bonțida, bringing together rock, pop, hip-hop and electronic music. The 2026 programme is headed by The Cure, Twenty One Pilots and Teddy Swims, who will perform in Romania for the first time. Other major participants include Wet Leg, Nothing But Thieves, LP, Kneecap, Yung Lean, Bladee, Chase & Status, Mochakk and Subtronics. Actor Keanu Reeves will also appear as the bassist of his alternative-rock band Dogstar, making his presence one of the edition’s major attractions. The programme combines established stars with younger artists who have gained audiences through streaming platforms and festival appearances. Now in its twelfth edition, Electric Castle has become one of Romania’s most internationally visible cultural brands, transforming the historic Transylvanian estate into a large temporary entertainment centre with several stages and audiences arriving from Romania and abroad. (Știrile ProTV)

UNTOLD announces its final 2026 line-up and several Romanian premieres

The organisers of UNTOLD have completed the programme for the festival’s eleventh edition, scheduled for 6–9 August in Cluj-Napoca. Newly announced performers include Alan Walker, Solomun, Tujamo, Padre Guilherme and Canadian rapper BBNO$. A major attraction will be the first Romanian presentation of MEDUZA 3 Live, a concert format developed by the Italian electronic trio known for Piece of Your Heart, Lose Control and Paradise. Lewis Capaldi will also give his first Romanian concert, sharing the main stage programme with Martin Garrix, Lost Frequencies and MËSTIZA. Denzel Curry, Mau P, Joseph Capriati, Camo & Krooked and several leading Romanian performers have been assigned to the festival’s specialised stages. By combining mainstream pop, electronic music, rap and elaborate visual production, UNTOLD continues to position Cluj as one of Central and Eastern Europe’s most important summer entertainment destinations. (Libertatea)

Nibiru entertainment resort opens on the Romanian coast

Nibiru, a privately developed seasonal entertainment and tourism complex associated with entrepreneur and online creator Selly, is scheduled to open in Costinești on 16 July. Conceived as a temporary “entertainment city,” the resort will operate for 46 days and include more than 30 restaurants, terraces, live-music areas and themed festivals. Its opening weekend, from 17 to 19 July, will feature Ozuna, DJ Snake, Gordo, Hugel, Nicky Jam and Salvatore Ganacci at the Nibiru Arena. Romanian performers including Alex Velea, Adi Istrate and Alessandra will appear on the promenade and central stage. Later programmes will include K-Pop Days, Family Fest, Rock Days and a closing event devoted to music from the 2000s. The project attempts to transform Costinești from a conventional seaside resort into a large, continuously operating entertainment destination, rather than a location dependent on several isolated festivals. (Libertatea)

Bucharest National Opera Orchestra receives an Italian parliamentary distinction

The Bucharest National Opera Orchestra has received the Medal of the Italian Chamber of Deputies in recognition of its contribution to Romanian-Italian cultural relations. Conductor and opera manager Daniel Jinga accepted the distinction before the orchestra’s gala performance at the 74th Ravello International Festival on 12 July. The open-air concert at Villa Rufolo featured violinist Alexandru Tomescu performing Paganini’s Violin Concerto No. 2, La Campanella, on the Stradivarius Elder-Voicu. The programme also included George Enescu’s Romanian Rhapsody No. 2 and Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake suite. The performance concluded the Romanian semester of the Romania–Italy Cultural Year, which began in December 2025 and has included more than 50 events across Italy. The distinction represents significant international recognition for a Romanian musical institution and for the use of classical performance as an instrument of cultural diplomacy. (News.ro)

London Philharmonic project transforms Brâncuși’s sculptures into music

Five new orchestral compositions inspired by Constantin Brâncuși will receive their world premieres at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall on 15 July. Presented in association with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Debut Sounds: Hidden Realities forms part of the “Brâncuși 150” series and the orchestra’s programme for emerging composers. The works are by Seyoung Oh, Margot Pommellet, Edward Mascall-Robson, George Stevenson and Michael Taplin. Their titles and ideas refer to important elements of Brâncuși’s artistic universe, including Leda, Bird in Space, sculptural bases, flight, simplicity and the relationship between matter and light. Musicians from the London Philharmonic Orchestra and its Foyle Future Firsts development programme will perform under conductor William Cole, within a project coordinated by composer Sir George Benjamin. The concert demonstrates Brâncuși’s continuing influence beyond sculpture and strengthens the international cultural programme marking 150 years since his birth. (News.ro)