International
Charlize Theron to star in revenge drama Sympathy for Lady Vengeance
MUMBAI: Charlize Theron has confirmed that she would star in Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, an adaptation of the final installment of Park Chan-Wook‘s revenge trilogy.
While William Monahan has been tapped to pen the script for the project, Megan Ellison‘s Annapurna Pictures would finance the film. "This will be very American and very unexpected," said Monahan in a statement. "Park is a genius; it?s the Everest of adaptations and I‘ve got blood in my teeth to do it."
The 2005 South Korean movie is centered on a woman who spends 13 years in prison for a crime she did not commit and then sets about exacting the revenge she has plotted during her time behind bars.
Theron‘s Denver & Delilah Films and CJ Entertainment have been developing the remake since 2008. The actress had until now been only involved in the project as a producer. The film will now be produced jointly by Theron with her Denver & Delilah partner Beth Kono, Annapurna‘s Ellison and Chelsea Barnard, CJ Entertainment‘s Ted Kim and Monahan. No director is currently attached.
International
Council of Europe to unveil new TV and streaming co-production convention
Series Mania Forum to host landmark signing to boost global TV collaboration
LILLE: The small screen is getting a big policy push. At this year’s Series Mania Forum in Lille, Alain Berset will take centre stage to chair the opening ceremony for a new international convention aimed at reshaping how television and streaming series are co-produced across borders.
Set for March 26 at the Théâtre Marie Curie in Lille Grand Palais, the signing marks the debut of the first legal framework dedicated specifically to the independent co-production of series. In an industry where stories travel faster than ever, the move aims to make collaboration smoother, fairer and more transparent.
Backed by the Council of Europe, the convention is designed to strengthen cultural ties, give independent producers a firmer footing, and bring greater clarity to deals in a rapidly evolving content landscape. With streaming platforms fuelling a surge in global storytelling, the timing feels deliberate.
Council of Europe secretary general Alain Berset, underscored the cultural heft of series today, noting how they carry voices and viewpoints across borders. He called on member states and countries beyond Europe to sign on, framing the initiative as a way to turn culture into a tool for cooperation and democratic exchange.
For Series Mania founder and general director Laurence Herszberg, hosting the signing is both symbolic and strategic. She described the convention as a step that could widen the range of stories reaching audiences, staying true to the forum’s long-standing mission of championing diverse storytelling.
The ceremony will unfold alongside the Lille Dialogues, a high-level summit that gathers policymakers and industry leaders to debate the future of Europe’s audiovisual sector. Berset is also set to deliver the opening address there, adding political weight to a week already rich in creative ambition.
In short, as screens multiply and borders blur, Europe is putting a framework in place to ensure that storytelling keeps pace, collaboratively and coherently.
