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Exclusive: Montreal-based h264 has boarded world sales and Canadian distribution rights to Metafilms’ drama Lay Me By The Shore starring newcomers Harris Lowe and Violet Dolejsi in the leads alongside British veteran Sean Harris.

Writer-director David Findlay is currently shooting in Vancouver and surrounding areas through September 5. h264 will be sharing details of the film with buyers attending TIFF.

Lay Me By The Shore is described as an expansion of Findlay’s short of the same name that premiered in Berlin Generation 14plus in 2022 and went on to screen later that year at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

The project...

If you are looking for proof as to why Gerard Butler is the undisputed king of modern trash cinema, look no further than the "Has Fallen" franchise. The films -- "Olympus Has Fallen, "London Has Fallen," and "Angel Has Fallen" -- are modern-day throwbacks to the politically incorrect action fare of yesteryear, with Butler's Secret Service agent, Mike Banning, blasting and stabbing his way through terrorists while protecting the President of the United States. A fourth film, "Night Has Fallen," is currently in the works, but the franchise has also expanded into the world of small-screen entertainment with a spin-off set in France.

"Paris Has Fallen" doesn't feature Butler's one-man army, but it's still an entertaining, violent thriller that will appeal to fans of the film saga. The story follows Vincent Taleb (Tewfik Jallab), a protection officer to France's Defense Minister, and Zara Taylor (Ritu Arya), an MI6 agent,...

If you follow actors (Josh Gad, Millie Bobby Brown, Anna Camp, Gregg Sulkin, Chris Perfetti or Barbie Ferreira), filmmakers (Jon Watts, Jake Schreier, Catherine Hardwicke or Andrew Ahn), production executives (from Amazon, A24, Universal/Focus Features, HBO/Max, Searchlight or Arclight Films) or journalists (from THR, Variety, Ankler, Screen Daily or Cosmopolitan) on Instagram, chances are you’ve seen images of Malta in recent days.

That’s the goal of Johann Grech, who serves as Malta Film commissioner and CEO of Malta Film Studios. The man is at the center of the Mediterrane Film Festival, which ran on the island nation from June 21-29. And while it served as a showcase of international cinema, it’s just as much a promotional tool to attract projects to Malta, which this year is celebrating a 100th anniversary of hosting international productions and toasting a rich 40 percent tax rebate incentive to keep cameras rolling in 2025 and beyond.

Studiocanal has shuttered Red Production Company, the U.K. production outfit behind “It’s a Sin” and “Happy Valley,” Variety has confirmed.

Acquired in 2013 by Studiocanal as part of its big move into the television landscape, Red Production was founded Nicola Shindler and Andrew Critchley. Since 2023, the company was led by Patrick Schweitzer who stepped down last week. Red Production’s 12-people staff across London and Manchester have been trimmed, according to Broadcast which first reported the news.

Red Production’s popular IP’s include “Happy Valley,” “It’s a Sin,” as well as “Queer as Folk,” “Scott & Bailey” and “Last Tango in Halifax.” Studiocanal’s new executive managing director of TV series, M-k Kennedy, who joined from Netflix last year, has been listed as director of Red Production on Companies House, the U.K.’s exec agency of the business and trade department, which suggests that the ongoing projects will be handled internally by Studiocanal.

France’s Canal+ has expanded the remits of three key execs as it looks to bolster its global operations, with StudioCanal CEO Anna Marsh among those with new responsibilities.

The rejig follows Canal+ launching as a standalone unit on the London Stock Exchange and sees Marsh, along with Jacques du Puy and Amandine Ferré, taking on greater roles.

Marsh has been appointed chief content officer of Canal+, and has been tasked with creating a global content strategy at group level for the company, which operates streamers and pay TV operations in more than 50 countries.

She will integrate international series into local programming strategies,...

With only one year under her belt as Studiocanal’s executive managing director of TV series, M-k Kennedy, who joined from Netflix, is leveling up the scripted ambitions of the French pay TV group’s production arm.

After spearheading Studiocanal’s first in-house international series, “Paris Has Fallen” — which broke rating records on Canal+ and topped the charts on Amazon U.K. and Hulu in the U.S. — Kennedy reveals to Variety that the highly anticipated second season of the anthology, “Apollo Has Fallen,” has started filming. Rather than taking place in a single location, the eight-part series will hop from country to country, unfolding everywhere from the Libyan coast to the streets of Madrid, with principal photography taking place across the U.K., Marta and Spain. The series is produced by Studiocanal, Urban Myth Films, Millenium and G-Base, who were also behind “Paris Has Fallen,” which sold to more than 170 territories worldwide.

Exclusive: Art becomes fiction as René Magritte, Salvador Dalí and their peers give the whodunnit genre a surreal makeover in This is Not A Murder Mystery. Deadline can share an exclusive new image from the series, which is produced by Belgium-based indie Panenka.

Hans Herbots, whose directing credits include The Serpent and Paris Has Fallen helmed all six eps. “We wanted to elevate the genre and give it a twist,” he tells Deadline. “This story, this universe, offered a lot of a lot of opportunity to do that.”

“This is not a pipe” is the wording below Magritte’s famous 1929 picture ‘The Treachery of Images’ and This is Not A Murder Mystery features the iconic Belgian artist and several of his surrealist peers.

In fact, the series absolutely is a murder mystery – as Series Mania attendees will see, with the drama in the Coming Next From Belgium section. It was commissioned by Vrt,...

The Has Fallen franchise built for itself a reputation for showcasing the destruction of cities with a ting of political intrigue and one man at the center of it, Gerard Butler's Agent Mike Banning. After three sagas, the franchise decided to try its hands on a television spinoff show with Paris Has Fallen in 2024. Created by Howard Overman, the Canal+ original political drama details the journey of a protection officer teaming up with an MI6 operating team in the aftermath of a terrorist attack which only leads down a hole to a larger conspiracy. Following a successful first season, Paris Has Fallen secured a second season which has received a major update.

Last year’s spin-off to one of Gerard Butler’s most beloved action thriller franchises, the Has Fallen saga, will return for more. Paris Has Fallenis a French and English-language action series which debuted on Canal+ before landing on both Prime Video and Hulu. Critically well-received, it has now been confirmed that the spin-off will return for a second season, with Paris Has Fallen Season 2 now in production and with filming now underway in the United Kingdom.

Released in the latter part of last year, Paris Has Fallen transports the action to the French capital, and follows Tewfik Jallab (Squad 36) as a protection officer who teams up with Ritu Arya’s (The Umbrella Academy) MI6 operative to stop a terrorist group led by Jacob Pearce, played by Mission: Impossible villain Sean Harris.

RelatedNetflix’s Gritty New Action Thriller Is a Streaming Hit (So Give It a Shot)

The thriller has...

France-headquartered global media giant Canal+ saw its annual revenue grow 3.6% in 2024 to €6.45bn with 26.9 million subscribers in 52 countries across three continents as the group continues its global expansion.

Ebita was also up for the year by 5.4% to€503m, according to the group’s annual results announced today (March 4).

It is the company’s first full-year results since listing on the London stock exchange (Lse) in December. Despite the solid financial picture, however, the company’s market value has declined sharply since the Lse listing, from £2.9bn initially to around £1.75bn currently.

In an interview with the Financial Times today, CEO...

The Has Fallen series, which was spun off of the Gerard Butler movies — Olympia Has Fallen, London Has Fallen and Angel Has Fallen — will be getting a new season as confirmed by Canal+. The debut season, which was titled Paris Has Fallen, brings a lot of what made the movies successful to the show. Our own Alex Maidy says in his review, “Paris Has Fallen mines so much familiar territory covered in the feature films as well as countless other action shows on the small screen, but it does it with three charismatic leads who seem to be having a blast kicking ass through the City of Lights.”

According to Deadline, Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada confirmed the second season of the Has Fallen TV series in a statement made for Canal+’s preliminary full-year 2024 results. Saada said, “Studiocanal‘s first-ever global TV series Paris Has Fallen, based on the successful Has Fallen film franchise,...

Has Fallen will return for another high-stakes season on TV.

Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada today confirmed a second season of the action thriller series, which was spun out of the Has Fallen films, is in production in the UK on a second season. Season 1, Paris Has Fallen, was set in the French capital with some filming taking place in London.

Saada revealed the news in comments prepared for Canal+’s preliminary full-year 2024 results.

“Studiocanal’s first-ever global TV series Paris Has Fallen, based on the successful Has Fallen film franchise, was a smashing success in all Canal+ pay-tv territories, as well as on Amazon Prime in the UK and Hulu in the United States,” he said. “It will naturally be followed by a second season now shooting in the UK.”

No further details were given but Season 1 of the Canal+ original, which sold to the likes of Hulu and Prime Video,...

Canal+ is remaining bullish in the face of a falling share price, as its first full-year results since its London listing revealed improved revenues of €6.45B ($6.77B).

The France-headquartered content and networks group saw its sales rise 3.6% in 2024 compared with the previous year, thanks primarily to its film studio productions and higher subscriptions. Ebita that was up 5.4% at €503M.

Revenues at the Content Production, Distribution and Other segment was €817M, up 14.7% compared to 2023. This was thanks to the performances of Studiocanal and streamer Dailymotion. Adjusted Ebit was €70M, up 15.8%.

Canal+ also revealed a debt level of €355M, which it called “very limited” and would allow the company “to pursue its active M&a strategy” — namely its deal for African broadcast, pay-tv and streaming giant MultiChoice.

Despite the growth, Canal+’s share price was trading on the London Stock Exchange at £1.75p ($2.23) at press time today. This is well down on the...

Canal+ Group, which also houses film production and distribution arm StudioCanal and was recently spun off by Vivendi, reported its full-year 2024 results on Tuesday, ending the year with 26.9 million subscribers in 52 countries across three continents, up slightly from 26.8 million as of the end of 2023, as revenue and earnings rose.

Revenue rose 3.6 percent to €6.45 billion ($6.77 billion), with Ebita up 5.4 percent to €503 million ($528 million). The company also highlighted “a very limited debt level of €355 million ($372 million), which will allow Canal+ to pursue its active M&a strategy.”

A 2.5 percent subscriber gain in Africa and Asia outweighed a 0.7 percent drop in European markets to help the company grow its total user base by 118,000 for the year.

Said CEO Maxime Saada: “2024 was a pivotal year for Canal+. I am thrilled to confirm that Canal+ is now firmly on track to reach its ambition to become a global media and entertainment leader with 50-100 million subscribers.

Director Olivier Marchal’s Squad 36 is a grounded, slow-paced thriller that meditates upon the very topical issue of police corruption. While the narrative focuses on the actions of individuals who abuse the powers they have been given to serve their own selfish means, the thematic significance of Squad 36 holds the rotting system and the seedy hierarchy of power accountable for creating an environment where such corruption festers. Characterization plays a key role in storylines such as this one, and it’s decent enough in the case of Squad 36. The issue is that the lead, whose Pov guides viewers through the narrative, is way less interesting than the characters who remain off-screen most of the time and yet affect the story the most. For a movie that is over two hours long, it is surprising the film doesn’t even have a fleshed-out roster of main characters—a...

The Molly-Mae documentary series “changed people’s expectations of her” and gave the influencer more space for her true self to come across, according to Prime Video UK head of TV licensing Hannah Blyth.

Blyth said popular docs like Molly-Mae: Behind it All about the influencer-content creator are helping the streamer reach younger, female audiences in the UK.

Behind it All, which launched last month, is a tell-all account of Hague’s time launching her fashion brand after she had her first baby and broke up with fiancée Tommy Fury – a break-up that generated plenty press interest over the two ex-Love Island stars.

“Molly is very endearing and people feel they know her well but it was important having the space for a long-form title where you see more into her life from a different angle,” Blyth said at Mip London. “The feedback we got was it changed...

Studiocanal is heading into a new era. Not only is the Paddington producer coming off the back of a banner year, with its titles having grossed close to $300M at the global box office in 2024 (up 94% year-on-year), but in December its parent company Canal+ made a headline-grabbing debut on the London Stock Exchange after it was spun off from Vincent Bolloré’s French media conglomerate Vivendi.

While the launch was well below the €6.851Bn (£5.71Bn) valuation Vivendi had hoped for – Canal+ floated on the Lse with an initial market value of £2.5Bn ($3.1Bn) – internally, the IPO (which marked the largest debut on the Lse since 2022) is viewed as a promising next step for the company as it continues the growth trajectory it has been on across the last two decades.

In addition to navigating controversial local shifts in media windowing on its home turf, the French film industry’s biggest...

In the wake of Den Of Thieves: Pantera grossing close to $50M around the globe, Lionsgate, Tucker Tooley Entertainment and Gerard Butler’s G-Base are putting Den of Thieves 3 into active development.

Butler is eyeing a return along with O’Shea Jackson. Lionsgate is currently in talks with writer-director Christian Gudegast. G-base banner partner Alan Siegel is producing. Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is expected to board the new movie as an EP.

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera opened to No. 1 at the domestic box office to $15M and has grossed more than $32M stateside. The film launched on PVOD on Tuesday after an 18-day window. Worldwide the Den of Thieves franchise has grossed north of $126.5M.

Tucker Tooley Entertainment, produced and co-financed the first film and brought the franchise to Lionsgate from STX. Tooley will co-produce and jointly finance Den of Thieves 3 under his label and Lionsgate will, natch,...

Lionsgate, Tucker Tooley Entertainment and G-base are moving a third film in the “Den of Thieves” franchise into active development.

“Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” opened in the No. 1 spot at the North American box office and has grossed more than $32 million at the domestic box office to date. The film launched on PVOD on Tuesday.

It is expected that Gerard Butler will return to star and produce through his G-base banner, alongside partner Alan Siegel, and Lionsgate is in talks with franchise writer-director Christian Gudegast to return to write and direct. It is also expected that O’Shea Jackson Jr. will co-star in the third installment.

Earlier this month, Jackson Jr. told Variety he was hoping for more “Den of Thieves” in the near future. “I’m not gonna sugarcoat it: I’m trying to Vin Diesel this thing. To quote Ryan Reynolds, I want to work with Gerard until he’s 90,” he said.

The Emmy-winner takes on a dangerous conspiracy in this eight-episode political thriller.

Sterling K. Brown stars as Xavier Collins, a Secret Service agent thrust into chaos in Hulu’s new political thriller “Paradise.” When Collins discovers the body of former President Cal Bradford (James Marsden), he becomes the prime suspect in a high-stakes murder investigation. With betrayal at every turn, Collins must fight to clear his name and expose a deep conspiracy hiding in plain sight. “Paradise” premieres on Tuesday, Jan. 28, with the first three episodes streaming on Hulu.

How to watch ‘Paradise’ When: Tuesday, Jan 28, 2025 at 12:01 a.m. Et TV: Hulu Stream: Watch with a subscription to Hulu From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a Vpn. 30-Day Free Trial $9.99+ / month hulu.com Everything you need to know about ‘Paradise’

How to watch ‘Paradise’

Watch the trailer for ‘Paradise’

About ‘Paradise’

What other thriller series can you watch on Hulu?...

After countless delays over seven years, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is scheduled for a 2025 release date. The film’s director, Christian Gudegast, explains why the film took so long to complete.

The sequel to the 2018 action/crime film Den of Thieves is on its way. In an interview with Screen Rant, Gudegast explained that the “state of the world” created several roadblocks that delayed the film. Additionally, three new images from the sequel have been unveiled by Screen Rant, and they can be seen below.

Related Exclusive: Den of Thieves 2: Pantera Trailer Revealed by Director Christian Gudegast

The Den of Thieves 2: Pantera trailer has plenty of heist action for movie fans, and writer-director Christian Gudegast tells Cbr about the sequel.

“The first hit was Covid. We were just about to do it, then Covid hit, and that was that," the director said. "Then we had an actor injury to their knee,...

In 2013, there were two high-profile Hollywood movies about terrorists invading the White House, and the brave Secret Service agents who stepped forward to protect a beleaguered President. On June 28, Roland Emmerich's excellent "White House Down" was released in theaters, and it starred Channing Tatum as the beleaguered agent, and Jamie Foxx as the president. The bad guy terrorist was played by Jason Clarke. "White House Down" also starred Maggie Gyllenhaal, Joey King, and Richard Jenkins. It was, for my money, one of the best films of 2013. 

A broader audience, however, better remembers Antoine Fuqua's "Olympus Has Fallen," which beat "White House Down" to theaters by about three months. "Olympus Has Fallen" starred Gerard Butler as the beleaguered agent and Aaron Eckhart as the President. The bad guy terrorist was played by Rick Yune. The cast of "Olympus" contained more uncut starpower than "White House," as Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd,...

In 2013, two films were released, both of which featured the White House being overtaken by terrorists, and both leaving the fate of their respective presidents in the hands of one man with something to prove: Olympus Has Fallen and White House Down. The former stars Gerard Butler as a disgraced Secret Service agent looking to save the U.S. President, played by Morgan Freeman, while the latter features Channing Tatum as a US Capitol Police officer looking to save the U.S. President, played by Jamie Foxx. The differences between the two are negligible, but it would be Olympus Has Fallen that won over moviegoers, with the film taking in triple its budget, while White House Down barely broke even. The success of Olympus opened the door for two sequels, 2016's London Has Fallen and 2019's Angel Has Fallen, mercifully saving us from Eiffel Tower Down or MoMA Down. The...

French entertainment company Canal+ Sa has seen its shares fall more than 15% on the first day of trading on the London Stock Exchange.

The company was spun off following a four-way split by French media giant Vivendi, whose board approved the move last week.

Canal+ shares opened at 290p on Monday morning but sunk to 242p by mid-morning, giving the company a valuation of £2.4bn - well below most analyst estimates.

The move has been closely watched by investors as an indicator of sentiment towards the media and entertainment sector.

Canal+ Sa owns pay TV operations in France and StudioCanal,...

Shares in Paddington producer Canal+ dropped 20% this morning after the French pay-tv giant was spun off from Vivendi and listed in London.

Canal+ debuted on the London Stock Exchange earlier, with execs attending an opening morning ceremony to mark the major move.

The British government hailed the decision to list in London as a “vote of confidence” in the UK, although shares were down 20% just after 12 p.m. (4 a.m. Pt) local time at about 231p. This gives Canal+ a valuation of around £2.3B ($3.1B), well below the €5B ($5.3B) estimate made by Jp Morgan analysts last month.

We are told the dip was largely expected among investors, as many Vivendi shareholders who automatically assumed Canal+ stock have been forced to sell as they are restricted to owning non-French stock. A source told Deadline that Canal+’s management are largely satisfied with the debut and expect the share price to steadily rise going forwards.

The final season of The Umbrella Academy was divisive among fans for many reasons, but one element in particular sparked major controversy: the romance between Aiden Gallagher's Five and Ritu Arya's Lila. Viewers unanimously disliked this pairing for several reasons — one of which being that Lila was already married at that point in time, to Five's brother Diego (David Castaneda) — but Arya has since spoken up about the unpopular relationship, offering a far more favorable opinion.

Speaking with Collider about her newest project, Paris Has Fallen, Arya also addressed fans' less-than-enthusiastic reactions to the romance between Five and Lila. Surprisingly, she seemed to be a fan of their dynamic, stating, "I absolutely loved my storyline. I thought it was really creative and smart. I love art that pushes boundaries and creates conversations." Despite this enthusiasm, however, she did add that the final season's shorter length made it difficult to...

Ritu Arya is speaking out about the most controversial story in The Umbrella Academy. The Netflix superhero show concluded in August 2024 after a four-season run that saw numerous apocalypses. Arya, who played Lila, was involved in a romance with Aidan Gallagher's Five in the final episodes. That relationship developed even though Lila was already in a long-term relationship with his brother, David Castañeda's Diego. The arc drew outcry, which explains why the Umbrella Academy season 4 ending remains extremely divisive.

In an interview with Collider about her new show, Paris Has Fallen, Arya addressed some of the controversy around Lila's ending. She argues that, while she knew it would spark concern from viewers, she is "proud" to have created those conversations. She does believe that the show needed more space to tell its story, as the six-episode final season made it difficult to adequately tell its expansive narrative. Check...

When a disillusioned former soldier launches an attack on the French government, the specialists need to be called in. And that's the concept for Paris Has Fallen, a heart-pounding espionage thriller series that's just dropped on Hulu in the U.S. Set in the same universe as Gerard Butler's Olympus Has Fallen, the series follows protection officer Vincent Taleb (Tewfik Jallab) and MI6 operative Zara Taylor (Ritu Arya) as they head up the investigation into the attack. The unlikely duo is charged with the task of hunting down the former soldier Jacob Pearce (Sean Harris), whose own tragic past as a survivor of torture at the hands of the Taliban has emboldened him to take his revenge on the French government after a tragic loss.

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Ritu Arya is helping steer the ship in Paris Has Fallen. After holding guest star and supporting roles in everything from AMC's Humans to Doctor Who, the English actor found her breakout turn as Lila in the cast of Netflix's The Umbrella Academy, starring in seasons 2-4 of the well-received graphic novel adaptation. Arya has also worked on a number of major motion projects in the past decade, namely with her supporting roles in Red Notice and Barbie.

In the TV installment of the Gerard Butler-led action movie franchise, Arya stars in Paris Has Fallen's cast as Zara Taylor, a new MI6 agent stationed in France. There, she finds herself partnered with protection officer Vincent Taleb (Tewfik Jallab) in an effort to stop former French Foreign Legion soldier-turned-terrorist Jacob Pearce (Sean Harris) in his quest for vengeance against the French government.

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Ritu Arya is helping steer the ship in Paris Has Fallen. After holding guest star and supporting roles in everything from AMC's Humans to Doctor Who, the English actor found her breakout turn as Lila in the cast of Netflix's The Umbrella Academy, starring in seasons 2-4 of the well-received graphic novel adaptation. Arya has also worked on a number of major motion projects in the past decade, namely with her supporting roles in Red Notice and Barbie.

In the TV installment of the Gerard Butler-led action movie franchise, Arya stars in Paris Has Fallen's cast as Zara Taylor, a new MI6 agent stationed in France. There, she finds herself partnered with protection officer Vincent Taleb (Tewfik Jallab) in an effort to stop former French Foreign Legion soldier-turned-terrorist Jacob Pearce (Sean Harris) in his quest for vengeance against the French government.

Hulu's preparing to spend some time behind the walls with a planned reboot of the hit series Prison Break. A new take on the show, this one from Elgin James, has just taken a major step forward toward becoming a reality.

Per Deadline, Hulu has officially ordered a pilot for the Prison Break reboot. Should the streamer be satisfied with the pilot, a series order will be next. The project comes from James, known for co-creating FX's Sons of Anarchy spinoff series, Mayans M.C., as well as the BBC/Prime Video series The Outlaws. The potential spinoff with James was first reported to be in early development last year, and finally getting its pilot order follows the original Prison Break recently getting a resurgence in viewership on Netflix after a 2-year hiatus on that platform.

Related When Mayans Mc Takes Place in the Sons of Anarchy Timeline

The Sons of Anarchy’s spin-off,...

Warning: Spoilers for Paris Has Fallen below!If Paris Has Fallen's second season wants to tie back into the movie series, then it should bring back newly minted action hero Aaron Eckhart as President Asher. The three Has Fallen movies have grossed over $520 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo), but in a bold move, the TV spinoff has virtually zero connection to them. It has no cameos or references and instead focuses on new protagonists trying to stop terror attacks in Paris. While a cameo for Gerard Butler's Banning was rumored when it was announced, the star doesn't actually appear in the show.

Paris Has Fallen's ending leaves the door open for another series - and suggests the story will be moving to Africa. The show has received an impressive 88% on Rotten Tomatoes too, and appears to have been a streaming hit across the world. The next...

Many have tried, and many have failed; the tale of the “∫” knockoff remains as old as time, at the very least since 1988 when the action pioneer made its way into the public consciousness and initiated that exhaustive debate still ongoing as to whether it exists a Christmas film. This exhaustive, endless list surely warrants its own article, and in 2013 B-movie dynamo Gerard Butler took on the starring role in yet another, that being Antoine Fuqua‘s “Olympus Has Fallen,” one of two “White House under Siege” films of the year (alongside Roland Emmerich‘s “White House Down“), and debatably a far more fun effort; “Olympus Has Fallen” remains an enjoyable throwback to the glory days of ’80s and ’90s-era schlock, crammed with the perfect blend of cheese, genuinely thrilling setpieces and Butler’s well-timed one-liners without any one element overwhelming the others. Unsurprisingly, a franchise would soon emerge, with 2016’s...

Warning: Major spoilers for Paris Has Fallen below!Paris Has Fallen is a spinoff of the Has Fallen franchise, and the show made a smart choice by setting itself apart from the Gerard Butler saga. In 2013's White House Down vs Olympus Has Fallen box-office battle, the latter emerged victorious; of course, it also had the benefit of being released months ahead of its rival. Butler's Secret Service agent Mike Banning returned for the entire Has Fallen movie trilogy, but Paris Has Fallen takes the series in a very different direction by moving to television.

The spinoff still has all the action and one-liners, but it's able to spend more time developing the protagonists too. Paris Has Fallen feels more like 24 than the movie series that spawned it, with its cast constantly racing against the clock while getting into periodic gunfights and car chases. It even avoids the Has...

Paris Has Fallen, the Hulu television series spinoff of Gerald Butler's hit movies, sets a new record for the action franchise. Hulu landed the U.S. rights to Paris Has Fallen in October, with episodes debuting in December. The story centers on Vincent Taleb (played by Tewfik Jallab), a protection officer to a French Minister. The French official becomes the target of a terror group, causing Vincent to work with MI6 operative Zara (Ritu Arya) to keep the politician safe. But it's not long before a deeper conspiracy is uncovered, threatening the city of Paris itself.

Paris Has Fallen has the best Rotten Tomatoes score of any entry in the Has Fallen franchise, currently sitting at 86% based on 7 reviews. The score is likely to fluctuate as more reviews are added, though the score is relatively high with only one review leaning negative so far.

What The Rotten Tomatoes Score...

“Paris Has Fallen” immerses viewers in the sumptuous yet politically tense atmosphere of the British Embassy in Paris, contrasting diplomatic etiquette with the chaos of terrorism. This backdrop is more than just a stage; it represents the delicate ties between nations, particularly in a post-9/11 world when trust can be a façade.

The series is a spin-off from the blockbuster “Has Fallen” film franchise, which, although widely derided by reviewers, has carved itself a niche in contemporary action filmmaking by combining explosive thrills with a critique of world politics.

The narrative revolves around Jacob Pearce, a character-driven by a desire for vengeance after being betrayed by his country during a terrible service in Afghanistan. His motivations are complicated, grounded in themes of grief and betrayal that resonate with contemporary societal anxieties about loyalty and national identity.

The initial attack on the embassy, disguised as a celebratory gathering, quickly escalates into a tense siege,...

The following contains spoilers for Paris Has Fallen, now streaming on Hulu. It also contains mention of violence and sexual assault.

Hulu's Paris Has Fallen is the latest attempt to convert a hit movie franchise into a TV series. It's based on the Has Fallen action films, which starred Gerard Butler as one-man army Mike Banning, and deservedly raked in plenty of money at the box office. But this is an international co-production between the United States, France and the United Kingdom, so rather than just adapt those movies, the action is set in Paris with a new cast of characters. And unfortunately, neither those characters nor the story can hold a candle to the originals.

Paris Has Fallen Lacks a Compelling Main Character Vincent Taleb Doesn't Measure up to Mike Banning

The mere existence of London Has Fallen proved that the franchise could move overseas -- but what Paris Has Fallen...

As the first installment of the evolving Has Fallen franchise made for television, Paris Has Fallen delivers a strong and promising foundation in its new medium. Series creator Howard Overman of Misfits acclaim takes the reins of the Gerard Butler-led movie franchise that collectively brought in $523 million at the worldwide box office across three films. While Butler plans to return for Night Has Fallen, the upcoming fourth feature film in the series, the Has Fallen franchise has proven its capacity to work in an episodic format with its latest offering.

Paris Has Fallen follows a protection officer and an MI6 operative as they join forces in the aftermath of a terrorist attack. Suspecting a mole, they race against time to uncover a larger conspiracy that threatens the safety of Paris.

Cast Karina Testa, Laurent Lucas, Paul Gorostidi, Clémentine Baert, Camille Rutherford, Damien Bellard, Michael Shelford, Fantine Harduin, Cameron Cook,...

The following contains spoilers for Paris Has Fallen, now streaming on HuluParis Has Fallen's harsh view on world politics takes on an even darker tone when considering problems with real world governments. Paris Has Fallen is an expansion of the "Has Fallen" franchise, which began with Olympus Has Fallen. The 2013 film starred Gerard Butler as Mike Banning, a Secret Service agent tasked with protecting the President of the United States. The film is an explosive action-movie that uses the United States government more as a backdrop for high-intensity shoot-outs than anything else.

By contrast, Paris Has Fallen's characters are in more of a political thriller than a straight action story. The show focuses on an embittered former soldier who seeks revenge for the way his government has betrayed him. This gives Paris Has Fallen and its grim ending a more darkly cynical worldview than the films that inspired it.

Warning: Major spoilers for Paris Has Fallen below!Paris Has Fallen has made me intensely nostalgic for a certain real-time thriller series from the 2000s. I'm a fan of the Has Fallen movie franchise and was naturally intrigued when Paris Has Fallen was announced. I'm a little disappointed that the show didn't confirm my fan theory that Gerard Butler's Banning would become the U.S. President, but the first season is still a pulpy, well-paced thriller with a great villain performance by Sean Harris. It also reminds me of shows like Strike Back or 24 with its combination of action, procedural, and character drama.

Shows with that mixture are becoming rarer, and Paris Has Fallen gets the balance just right. Each episode has a race against the clock alongside plot twists and action scenes - but it still finds time to flesh out the characters too. While it doesn't...

Warning: Major spoilers for Paris Has Fallen below!It's easy to miss on first viewing, but Paris Has Fallen drops a big hint about where the next season could take place - and it's not France. Paris Has Fallen's ending sees protagonists Vincent (Tewfik Jallab) and Zara (Ritu Arya) taking down villain Pearce (Sean Harris) and saving the day. Still, the finale is a dark one, and despite Pearce getting the corrupt French President (Emmanuelle Bercot) to confess her part in the death of his family, some political spin frees her of the consequences. The finale also sees Pearce's financiers, Dcx Capital, setting up their next job.

Pearce needed money to finance his revenge campaign, with his backers Dcx then making money from the chaos he creates. They also gave Pearce a mercenary named Freja (Ana Ularu) for his mission - both as a henchwoman and insurance against Pearce going rogue.

Warning: Major spoilers for Paris Has Fallen's finale below!Paris Has Fallen's ending sees Vincent and Zara confront Pearce for the final time - with the entire city at stake. The finale opens with Vincent (Tewfik Jallab) agreeing to Pearce's (Sean Harris) demand to trade the President's (Emmanuelle Bercot) in exchange for not detonating his dirty bomb. Vincent manages to sneak President Levesque out of her bunker, with the plan being for her to shoot Pearce during the exchange. Of course, that plan goes awry, leading to a shootout between the heroes and Pearce's men; this buys the vengeful soldier all the time he needs the President.

Pearce gets the desperate Levesque to admit to her role in the killing of his girlfriend and her children before he's gunned down by Vincent and his partner Zara (Ritu Taylor). Things don't end so well for Paris Has Fallen's cast of characters,...

A spin-off to one of, if not the best Gerard Butler action franchise, the Fallen saga, is now available to stream in the United States. After originally debuting earlier this year in the U.K., all eight episodes of Paris Has Fallen Season 1 is now streaming on Hulu, and promises to deliver the same explosive action as Butler’s escapades as the intrepid Secret Service agent Mike Banning.

Starring Tewfik Jallab and Ritu Ary, Paris Has Fallen follows a protection officer teaming up with an MI6 operative to stop a terrorist group led by Jacob Pearce, played by Mission: Impossible villain Sean Harris. The cast also includes Ana Ularu, Camille Rutherford, Jérémie Covillault, Emmanuelle Bercor, and Karl Collins. Action fans already sang its praises when it premiered earlier this year, singling out the talented main cast members and exhilarating fight sequences. You can check out the official synopsis below:

"When...

Paris Has Fallen boasts an impressive cast of international stars, bringing humanity to the action-packed show. The series is the latest entry in the "Has Fallen" franchise. The show builds on the tone established by the Gerald Butler-led Olympus Has Fallen. Paris Has Fallen focuses on a series of attacks carried out in the French capital by an embittered former member of the French Foreign Legion named Jacob Pearce. Struggling to prevent further bloodshed are Vincent Taleb and Zara Taylor, a bodyguard and an Mi:6 agent both operating within the city.

Paris Has Fallen has plenty of intense action, but the real draw of the series is the compelling conspiracy that Pearce seeks to expose and how it impacts the people connected to it. The stars of the show hail from across Europe, bringing a natural diversity to a story that highlights the crimes and mistakes of the recent past.

Plot: When a terrorist group led by the villainous Jacob Pearce attacks a high-profile embassy reception, with the French Minister of Defence as their target, protection officer Vincent finds himself working with street-smart MI6 operative Zara to save the day. But when events take an increasingly dark turn, Vincent and Zara soon realize that the plan extends far beyond just one politician. With suspicions that one of their colleagues in the security services is feeding information to Pearce, Vincent and Zara soon come to rely on each other more than either would have ever imagined. Increasingly isolated and with Pearce always one step ahead, can this unlikely pair stop Paris from falling to a man hell-bent on vengeance?

Review: I’m not sure who asked for it, but the Gerard Butler Has Fallen film series has become the Has Fallen cinematic universe. After three movies, the same fictional world where...

New films arriving to Hulu in the month of December include those that came out in 2024 like Cuckoo, The Inheritance, Storm Crashers, Summer Camp, Flycatcher and more. Christmas favorite Elf arrived on the streamer at the end of November ahead of the holiday season, and Miracle on 34th Street (1994) started streaming on Hulu Dec. 1. Ben Stiller’s new film Nutcrackers also provides a more modern Christmas story.

Beloved classic films coming to Hulu this moth include Cheaper By the Dozen and Cheaper By the Dozen 2, Cast Away and all four Twilight films among others. Ridley Scott’s first Gladiator film will be available to stream starting Dec. 2.

Find the full list of what’s new on Hulu this December 2024 below:

Dec 1

Bunk’d Complete Seasons 1-7 (Disney) Ace of Cakes Season 9 Alaskan Bush People: Seasons 8-11 Bahamas Life: Complete Season 5 Buddy vs. Duff: Complete Season 4 Caribbean Life: Complete...

“Paris Has Fallen” is a new live-action, eight-episode TV series, directed by Oded Ruskin and Hans Herbots, starring Tewfik Jallab, Ritu Arya, Sean Harris, Ana Ularu, Camille Rutherford, Jérémie Covillault, Emmanuelle Bercor and Karl Collins, streaming December 6, 2024 on Hulu:

“…when a terrorist group led by the villainous ‘Jacob Pearce’ attacks a high-profile embassy reception, with the ‘French Minister of Defence’ as their target, protection officer ‘Vincent’ finds himself working with street-smart ‘MI6’ operative ‘Zara’ to save the day.

‘But when events take an increasingly dark turn…

“…Vincent and Zara soon realize that the plan extends far beyond just one corrupt politician.

“With suspicions that one of their colleagues in the security services is feeding information to Pearce…

“…Vincent and Zara soon come to rely on each other…

“… more than either would have ever imagined…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

This weekly feature is in addition to TVLine’s daily What to Watch listings and our monthly breakdown of What’s on Streaming.

With over 500 scripted shows now airing across broadcast, cable and streaming, it’s easy to forget that a favorite comedy is returning, or that the new “prestige drama” you anticipated is about to debut. So consider this our reminder to set your DVR, order a Season Pass, pop a fresh Memorex into the Vcr… however it is you roll.

More from TVLineChristmas Time Is Here! Your Guide to 100 Holiday Movies on Hallmark, Lifetime, Netflix and More in...

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This December, Hulu is bringing you a lot of entertainment, from the highly anticipated U.S. release of Paris Has Fallen to the thrilling drama film Amber Alert. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Hulu this month and have an 80% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the five best films that are coming to Hulu in December 2024 with an 80% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Cast Away (December 1)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%

Credit – DreamWorks Pictures

Cast Away is a survival drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis from a screenplay by William Broyles Jr. The 2000 film follows Charles “Chuck” Noland, a FedEx system analyst who gets stranded on an uninhabited island after a plane crash and tries to survive long enough so that someone can find and he can return home.

With Marvel’s ‘What If…?’ Season 3 and Star Wars’ ‘Skeleton Crew,’ December is set to be a big month for Disney+. Here’s everything that’s coming to Disney+ in December:

Dec. 2 “Mickey and the Very Many Christmases” Dec. 3 Jung Kook: I Am Still – The Original” “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” Dec. 4 “CMA Country Christmas” (premiere) “Light Shop” (four episode premiere) “Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends” Dec. 5 “Wild Crime” (Season 4) Dec. 6 “Buddy’s Holiday Recipe Rumble” (Season 1) “Critical Incident” (Season 1) “Paris Has Fallen” (Season 1) Dec. 7 “Destruction Decoded” “Inside the Enchanted Forests” Dec. 9 “Blue Minisodes” “The Simpsons Funday Football” (Live 5 p.m. Pt) Dec. 10 “Coup!” “The Real Full Monty” “Sugarcane” Dec. 11 “Big City Greens” “Dream Productions” (all episodes) “Mickey Mouse Funhouse” “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” Dec. 13 “The Bravest Knight: Season 2A” “Elton John: Never Too Late” “Invisible” (all episodes) Dec. 16 “Law & Order” (Seasons 1-20) “Morphie and the Magic Pets” Dec.