International
Muse to perform live on 2 June as part of global premiere of “World War Z” in London
NEW DELHI: Paramount Pictures has teamed up with Grammy Award-winning British band Muse to feature the band‘s music in the new film World War Z with tracks from Muse‘s latest album The 2nd Law.
Following the film‘s world premiere in London‘s Leicester Square on 2 June, Muse will perform live from Horse Guards Parade Ground, St. James‘s Park.
World War Z revolves around an ex-United Nations investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop a pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself. Starring Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos and James Badge Dale, the film is set to release on 21 June.
Since forming in 1994, Muse has released six studio albums selling upwards of 15 million albums worldwide. The band earned its highest-ever debut on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart when The 2nd Law bowed at No 2 a week after its October 2 release. Madness, the first single from the album, was No 1 on the Billboard Alternative Chart for 19 weeks, breaking the previous record set in 2007. The 2nd Law and Madness received two Grammy Nominations this year. The group‘s last album, The Resistance, reached No 1 in 19 countries around the world, and they have won numerous awards including a Best Rock Album Grammy Award and an American Music Award for The Resistance.
World War Z is directed by Marc Forster from a screenplay by Matthew Michael Carnahan and Drew Goddard & Damon Lindelof, and screen story by Matthew Michael Carnahan and J. Michael Straczynski. Based on the novel by Max Brooks, it is produced by Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Ian Bryce.
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.
