HBO Max Adds 5 International Series Including ‘Great Pottery Throw Down’

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission.For the first time since 2018, Amazon Prime will see a hike in its membership prices.Starting tomorrow Feb. 18, the online retail giant will increase their subscription rate by 16%, raising the monthly price from $12.99 to $14.99 (or $139 annually).

Clayton Davis The most shocking snub of the Oscar noms was Denis Villeneuve’s omission from the best directing category for his science-fiction epic “Dune.”The film’s 10-nomination haul includes best picture and adapted screenplay, the latter perceived to be its most difficult to attain. Yet, Villeneuve’s lack of recognition for directing could rally widespread support from Academy voters and result in the film tying or surpassing a 50-year record held by “Cabaret” (1972).Bob Fosse’s classic adaptation of the Broadway stage musical set a record at the 45th Academy Awards for the most Oscars received without winning best picture.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorTwitter was having widespread problems again Thursday, with users in the U.S. reporting issues accessing the social network’s website and apps.User reports that Twitter was having technical issues began to spike at about 10:51 a.m.

The moment Christine Brown started to stand up for herself was the moment her and Kody Brown‘s relationship drastically changed.

Kaye Adams left her fellow panellists in stitches after getting Dermot O’Leary’s name wrong. While teasing Loose Women's show today, Kaye was chatting to Dermot, 48, and his co-presenter Alison Hammond who were in the This Morning studio when she called the former X Factor host by the wrong name. As the camera went over to Kaye in the Loose Women studio to introduce the show, she replied to Dermot’s question of how she was doing with: “I’m very good Brendan, how are you?” The 58 year old quickly tried to claw back her mistake and tried to explain why she made the faux pas as Alison could be heard in hysterics.

“Love Cloud” collection, released on Valentine’s Day.“One day I dreamed of it, I worked on it and today it is a dream come true. I can finally tell you my big secret… I am the first Victoria’s Secret model with Down syndrome,” Jirau excitedly announced in an Instagram post she shared with her 204,000 followers on Monday.Jirau kickstarted her modeling career in Puerto Rico in 2019.

HBO – check out the trailer below.Set to be released on March 1, The Larry David Story is a two-part documentary where he’ll discuss his childhood and career breakthroughs with director Larry Charles.“I never thought of myself as being funny,” David says in the trailer. “Anything I was associated with that could be successful was a shock.”The writer, producer, actor and comedian is known as the co-creator of Seinfeld along with Jerry Seinfeld.

Ed Sheeran has reportedly been given the green light to build a crypt under the floor of a chapel on his estate in Suffolk.The singer submitted a planning application to East Suffolk Council in December in regards to his estate, which is located near the town of Framlingham and close to where Sheeran grew up.As The Guardian reports, Sheeran is seeking permission to construct a crypt in the nave of the chapel, which itself has been described as a “private place of retreat for contemplation and prayer”.The chapel, which is still under construction after it was finally approved in 2019 following setbacks, is set to be flint-lined and feature a lead roof, stained-glass windows and a spiral-stair tower.The chapel’s crypt, which is the subject of this latest planning application, would be a 1.8-by-2.7 metre “burial zone beneath (penetration through slab)” the chapel’s ground floor.The Sun reports that Sheeran has now been given the all-clear by East Suffolk Council’s environmental and conservation officials, despite a staunch objection from one local resident.Local councillors will now have the final say on whether Sheeran’s plans for the crypt will be officially approved.

A Stockport man died after being stabbed in the neck just after Christmas, a coroner has heard.

Chet Hanks is making his own way! Or… something!

This is starting to feel like a virtual standoff!

EXCLUSIVE: Filming has begun in Canada on New Regency-backed fencing thriller Balestra, which will be produced as a feature with an alternate version to be released separately as a limited series.

EW confirms prior rumblings that “the movie doesn’t show the death of his parents.”So no, we don’t have to watch Martha Wayne’s pearl necklace clatter to the pavement in slow motion, yet again. And that’s not the only shift away from a typical Batman film.

Sharna Burgess and Brian Austin Green are definitely relationship goals. The pair looked completely head over heels for each other as they enjoyed a holiday in Hawaii on Tuesday (Feb. 15) after announcing they are expecting a baby boy together. The Dancing with the Stars pro, 36, and her Beverly Hills 90210 vet beau, 48, couldn’t keep their hands off each other while they packed on the PDA for their sun-soaked babymoon.

Rachel Riley has opened up about her two daughters during a joint chat with husband Pasha Kovalev on Loose Women this week.MORE: Rachel Riley reveals daughter Maven is taking after her in new heartmelting videoThe couple, who welcomed their second child, little Noa, in October, are relishing life as a family of four. However, both Rachel and Pasha are making an extra effort to make sure their eldest daughter Maven is adjusting to the change in their dynamic.WATCH: Rachel Riley gushes about being a mum-of-two"She's loving it," the Strictly Come Dancing star said of two-year-old Maven.

A lot of Stranger Things news was just released!

Usher is making a headlining return to Las Vegas with a new residency show beginning this summer.

Stevie Nicks gave Katy Perry some advice amid her feud with Taylor Swift.

Paradox Interactive has released an external report into its own work culture following issues of harassment that were raised last year in a staff survey.As reported by Eurogamer, the report was compiled by Gender Balance – a Swedish firm that specialises in discrimination, harassment and equality issues – and its results confirm that there are cultural issues within Paradox that foster misconduct.“We believe that complete transparency is the best way to move forward and address the issues and behaviours that have been identified,” Paradox chief of staff Mattias Lilja said in response to the report and the recommendations from Gender Balance.In a separate interview with Direkt, which was provided to Eurogamer with the English translation, Lilja said: “We are now getting to the bottom of this and we are getting a concrete picture of the problem.”“The report is a first step for us to really address these issues and bridge the trust gap that exists. Everyone should feel safe at Paradox and thrive, that is our responsibility to ensure.”Lilja continues to address the report, saying that Gender Balance expected more severe cases and found fewer but discovered behaviour of “inappropriate/nasty jargon” that “affects women to a greater degree than men, which is completely unacceptable.

4A Games’ Metro Exodus has sold over 6million copies since its launch in 2019, according to a report from the parent company.Embracer Group, the parent company that owns Koch Media, announced in a report that it has received strong sales in the last quarter, saying, “The main revenue driver for the quarter was strong back catalogue performance, which exceeded management’s expectations” (via Eurogamer).While some of the credit went to Hot Wheel Unleased which has sold 1million copies since its launch in September, some older titles are still being sold.“Back-catalogue sales were also driven by the evergreen title Metro Exodus, which has sold 6 million copies since its launch in February 2019, and Saints Row: The Third Remastered“.Last year Metro Exodus received a next-gen upgrade that brought the title to the PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The included enhancements were also added to the PC version of the game for free.Explaining the features of the enhanced edition, a post from 4A Games said: “We have built an all-new Fully Ray Traced Lighting Pipeline that brings a number of optimizations, upgrades, and new features to the Ray Traced Global Illumination and Emissive Lighting that we pioneered with the original release of Metro Exodus.”The update will require a Ray Tracing GPU as part of its minimum specification.

EXCLUSIVE: Simon Baker, star of CBS’ The Mentalist, has partnered with MGM International Television Productions.

Amazon Studios will further dive into the world of video game adaptations, signing an overall deal with one of the production companies behind the Sonic The Hedgehog film. 

Once upon a time, cosmetic surgery was reserved for the Hollywood elite. Fast-forward to today, surgery is more widely available.

Stranger Things, a signature show for Netflix since its premiere in 2016, has been renewed for a fifth and final season.

EXCLUSIVE: Anders Holm (Workaholics, How to Be Single), Whitney Cummings (Whitney, Made of Honor), Catherine Cohen (Dating & New York, The Lovebirds), Casey Thomas Brown (The Kominsky Method, upcoming Father of the Bride), Maya Zapata (Selena’s Secret), Fernando Carsa (Acapulco) and Ricardo Esquerra (Narcos: Mexico) have joined Diego Boneta and Monica Barbaro in the cast of At Midnight, a Paramount+ original film from director Jonah Feingold (What Are We?, Dating & New York), which has entered production in Mexico.

The approval is a big boost to Warner’s box office hopes, as it will be the first comic book movie since “Wonder Woman 1984” to get a release in China and the first major American import after the Lunar New Year period, which is reserved for Chinese films only. Warner Bros.

William Earl Jack Davis and Eli Roth’s Crypt TV is getting into the monster NFT business. The TV horror studio has partnered with Metaversal to launch Monster Fight Club, a collection of 10,000 NFTs inspired by Crypt TV’s Monster Universe.“Crypt’s IP has been adapted at the highest levels of television, live events and video games but nothing excites me more than our entry into NFTs,” said Davis, Crypt TV CEO.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterIna Garten’s new Discovery Plus series, “Be My Guest With Ina Garten,” has been renewed for two additional seasons ahead of its launch on March 26.The show will launch with full episodes on Discovery Plus, to be followed by a “food-centric half-hour” airing on Food Network at 12 p.m. ET, along with the debut of a companion podcast.Season 1 consists of four episodes, rolled out weekly in the same manner as the premiere.“Be My Guest With Ina Garten” features Barefoot Contessa inviting friends old and new to her East Hampton home for a day of conversation, connection, food and fun visits to some of her favorite local spots.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorAMC Networks says it plans to sell three addressable ad slots in each linear hour of original programs on its flagship cable network as well as WeTV, the latest expansion of technology that allows advertisers to hone their pitches to radiational mass TV audiences.The spots are slated to run on Comcast, Charter and Cox cable systems and have the potential to reach 35 million U.S. homes.

Jake Kanter International TV EditorHBO Max has acquired a raft of international titles as the WarnerMedia streamer looks to expand its library of content for subscribers in the U.S.Among the titles picked up by HBO Max is all five seasons of Gomorrah, the Italian crime drama produced by Sky Italia and Cattleya, part of ITV Studios, in collaboration with Beta Film.Gomorrah has previously premiered on Sundance TV and Netflix in America, but HBO Max will be first to stream Season 5. It will also show feature film spin-off The Immortal.HBO Max has also boarded Veneno, an Atresmedia Studios and Suma Latina-produced Spanish-language biopic about transgender TV personality Cristina Ortiz.

Also Read: Summer TV 2020: Premiere Dates for New and Returning Shows (Photos)Per HBO Max, “With exclusive access to CNN’s political correspondents and embedded campaign journalists, the film reveals a 360⁰, rare view of the intensity and determination essential to pushing through challenges on the road, and manage demands at home.