International
Ashton Kutcher to play Steve Jobs
MUMBAI: Ashton Kutcher has been cast in a biopic of Apple founder Steve Jobs. He will play the technology pioneer in an indie movie which will simply be titled ‘Jobs’.
The film will feature the visionary businessman’s rise from a California hippie to co-founder of Apple. Jobs died in October last year after he fell to a battle with pancreatic cancer when he was 56.
Though the actor has earlier featured in drama projects in the past such as 2004 science fiction thriller The Butterfly Effect and the coastguard action film The Guardian, tackling the role of the iconic CEO will surely be the biggest test yet of the 34-year-old’s acting ability.
One thing the actor will not have to worry about is hours of make-up work, as the pair look uncannily alike.
Director Joshua Michael Stern will start shooting the film to be produced and financed by Mark Hulme in May.
Kutcher will not be the first actor to play Steve Jobs. Noah Wyle played him in the critically acclaimed 1999 television movie Pirates of Silicon Valley, which followed the respective rises of rivals Apple and Microsof..
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.
