Russia permanently bans actors Sean Penn, Ben Stiller from entering the country

Washington [US], September 6: Hollywood actors Ben Stiller and Sean Penn have been permanently banned from entering Russia, the Kremlin has announced.

According to Variety, both the actors are listed among 23 other United States citizens newly barred from the country, including Senators Kirsten Sinema, Richard Scott, Patrick Toomey Jr. and Mark Kelly, among several others.

"In response to the ever-expanding personal sanctions by the Biden Administration against Russian citizens, against another group of persons from among members of the US Congress, high-ranking officials, representatives of the business and expert communities, as well as cultural figures (25 people), a ban on entry into the Russian Federation on a permanent basis. The following is a list of names of American citizens who are included in the Russian 'stop list,' based on the principle of reciprocity," read an official statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the outlet reported. This ban on the Hollywood stars comes after they had earlier batted for Ukraine amid the country's ongoing situation with Russia.

In June, Stiller met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, serving as the goodwill ambassador of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He also met with Ukrainian people who were forced to flee their homes due to the Russian military operation and visited occupied settlements in Kyiv. In a video posted to Instagram, Stiller said, "I'm meeting people who have been impacted by the war, and hearing how it's changed their lives. War and violence are devastating people all over the world." He added, "Nobody chooses to flee their homes. Seeking safety is a right and it needs to be upheld for every person." According to Variety, Penn had been on the ground in Ukraine filming a documentary about Russia's military operation.

While in the country, he attended press briefings and met with Ukrainian government officials. In April, Penn said he was considering "taking up arms against Russia." Previous rounds of Russian sanctions against Americans have included President Joe Biden and members of his family, as well as lawmakers and business leaders.

The US has sanctioned numerous Russians, including government officials and business people, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

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'Squid Game' Star Lee Jung-jae to be back in 'Deliver Us From Evil' spin-off

Washington [US], August 26: Lee Jung-Jae, the star of Netflix's hit series 'Squid Game', will reprise his role as a manic killer in 'Ray,' a TV series based on the 2020 Korean action-horror film 'Deliver Us From Evil.'

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According to Variety, many Korean media sources have reported that Lee will star in and co-produce the series through his own Artist Studio Company and Hive Media. In the film, Hwang Jung-min starred as In-Nam, a former black ops agent who travels to Thailand to investigate an abduction. Lee's character Ray, a Korean-Japanese ruffian whose brother was killed by In-Nam, pursues him there. Ray, who is heavily tattooed and charming, goes on a bloody vengeance rampage. According to Variety, 'Ray' is expected to flesh out the backstory of the seductively evil Ray, revealing how he came to be such a cruel killer and pitting him against other villains from around the world. The series is being written by Kim Bo-tong and is to be co-directed by Shin Woo-Seok and Hong Won Chan who is the original director of 'Deliver Us From Evil.' Variety reports that Hong Kyung-Pyo, whose credits include 'Parasite,' 'Broker,' 'Burning,' 'Snowpiercer,' and 'The Wailing,' will take over as director of photography. Variety further reports that pre-production is reported to begin in 2023. No streaming platform attachment has yet been announced. 'Deliver Us From Evil' was released in August 2020, and made around USD 28.9 million from 4.36 million viewers. According to Variety, Lee recently became the first Asian performer to win the best actor award in a streaming series at the 2022 Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards. He is also attached to the second season of 'Squid Game.'

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'King Kong' live-action series in works

Washington [US], August 25: A live-action series based on "King Kong" is in works at Disney+.

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As per Variety, the series would be a serialized drama that would explore Kong's origins as well as the mysteries of his home, Skull Island. The series would be based on the original "King Kong" written by Merian C. Cooper as well as new novelizations by artist Joe DeVito produced in conjunction with Cooper's estate. Stephany Folsom, who recently developed the Amazon series "Paper Girls" for television, will write and executive produce the King Kong show. James Wan, Michael Clear and Rob Hackett will also executive produce on behalf of Atomic Monster along with Dannie Festa for World Builder Entertainment. Disney Branded Television will produce.

The original "King Kong" film was released in 1933 and became an instant hit. The character has been used in numerous films to date, most recently in the Legendary-Warner Bros. Monsterverse films including "Kong: Skull Island" and "Godzilla vs. Kong."

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