Fiction

EAVE and Partners Join ARTEF Main Character Initiative

European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs (EAVE), Storyboard Collective, WIFT Sweden and the European Women’s Audiovisual Network have become the first organisations to sign on to Main Character, a pan‑European programme launched by ARTEF to source unproduced feature‑fiction screenplays. The initiative was unveiled at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival earlier this month. Main Character aims to discover and develop new narrative talent across Europe, with participating organisations providing mentorship, networking and development resources for selected writers. The collaboration underscores a growing focus on gender balance and cross‑border cooperation in the European film industry.

Deadline

Universal’s “The Odyssey” Sets Record Opening in UK and Ireland

Universal’s new film “The Odyssey” topped the United Kingdom and Ireland box office with a debut weekend gross of £12.5 million (approximately $16.8 million). The opening marks the second‑largest launch for director Christopher Nolan in the region, outpacing his previous release “Oppenheimer.” Strong attendance at premium‑format screenings contributed significantly to the performance, underscoring the film’s broad appeal and positioning it as a major tentpole for the market this year.

Variety

South Korean Sci-Fi Thriller 'Hope' Dominates Box Office

A local science-fiction survival thriller titled 'Hope' took the top spot at the South Korean box office during the weekend of July 17–19. The film earned $11.3 million from 1,504,019 admissions over three days. It captured a significant 66.62% share of the market, indicating strong audience interest and performance. The film's success highlights the popularity of the genre in the region and its ability to draw large crowds.

Variety

Pulp Fiction Speech Almost Featured Harvey Keitel

Robert Rodriguez revealed that Samuel L. Jackson's iconic 'Pulp Fiction' speech was nearly delivered by Harvey Keitel. Quentin Tarantino later repurposed the Ezekiel monologue for his Oscar-winning script. The vampire movie 'From Dusk Till Dawn' was initially considered for the scene before it was moved to 'Pulp Fiction.'

Gold Derby