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Manga Productions Showcases Saudi Innovation at Anime Japan 2025

Over four days, the Manga Productions team engaged with visitors during both public and business sessions. (SPA)
Over four days, the Manga Productions team engaged with visitors during both public and business sessions. (SPA)
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Manga Productions Showcases Saudi Innovation at Anime Japan 2025

Over four days, the Manga Productions team engaged with visitors during both public and business sessions. (SPA)
Over four days, the Manga Productions team engaged with visitors during both public and business sessions. (SPA)

Manga Productions, a subsidiary of the Mohammed bin Salman Foundation (Misk), concluded its participation in Anime Japan 2025, one of the world's most prestigious anime exhibitions.

Manga Productions sponsored the global event for the first time, reinforcing its commitment to establishing Saudi Arabia’s presence in the anime industry. Held at Tokyo Big Sight, the exhibition attracted more than 150,000 visitors and featured over 100 participating companies worldwide.

Manga Productions chief executive Dr. Essam Bukhari expressed pride in the company's participation and gratitude for the enthusiastic reception from Japanese and international audiences.

Sponsoring such a significant event is a strategic step in fostering partnerships for co-production, distribution, and content licensing, he added.

He also highlighted how Saudi Arabia's economic growth and development are opening doors for deeper collaboration with Japanese and international companies, further cementing the Kingdom's status as a global hub for creativity in the entertainment sector.

Bukhari noted that participation in Anime Japan 2025 boosts Saudi Arabia’s global image, showcasing the Kingdom’s creative identity on a prestigious international platform. It also strengthens connections with audiences and media partners while promoting innovative Saudi content.

Over four days, the Manga Productions team engaged with visitors during both public and business sessions. The company offered an immersive cultural experience, allowing attendees to explore Saudi creativity through traditional clothing displays, cultural activities, and Saudi coffee tastings.

Manga Productions remains dedicated to solidifying Saudi Arabia's position as a leader in the entertainment industry, bringing the latest Japanese entertainment innovations to the Saudi market. This aligns with the Kingdom’s vision for developing the creative content industry, positioning it as a global entertainment hub.

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Entertainment

Pope Leo to Host Hollywood Stars Including Cate Blanchett, Pine at Vatican

Cate Blanchett poses on the red carpet at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, September 14, 2025. (Reuters)
Cate Blanchett poses on the red carpet at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, September 14, 2025. (Reuters)
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Pope Leo to Host Hollywood Stars Including Cate Blanchett, Pine at Vatican

Cate Blanchett poses on the red carpet at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, September 14, 2025. (Reuters)
Cate Blanchett poses on the red carpet at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, September 14, 2025. (Reuters)

Lights, camera, action, pope?

About three dozen Hollywood stars will meet Pope Leo this weekend, including actors Cate Blanchett, Chris Pine and Adam Scott, the Vatican said on Monday.

Also joining a special audience at the Vatican with Leo, the first pope from the United States, will be Oscar-winning directors Spike Lee, George Miller and Gus Van Sant.

The pope "has expressed his desire to deepen dialogue with the World of Cinema... exploring the possibilities that artistic creativity offers to the mission of the Church and the promotion of human values," the Vatican said in a statement.

Papal events often feature high-ranking Catholic cardinals but rarely include Hollywood stars.

The late Pope Francis, however, hosted an event at the Vatican in June 2024 for comedians, including US late night hosts Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon.

Among others set to take part in Saturday's event with Leo are actors Alison Brie, Dave Franco, and Viggo Mortensen and directors Joanna Hogg, Tony Kaye and Julie Taymor.

Ahead of the new event, the Vatican shared four of the pope's favorite films: "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946); "The Sound of Music" (1965); "Ordinary People" (1980); and "Life Is Beautiful" (1997).

Saturday's event is being organized by the Vatican's culture office as part of the Church's ongoing Holy Year.

Entertainment

The 'Ordinary' Arnie? Glen Powell Reboots 'The Running Man'

US actor Glen Powell attends the New York premiere of Paramount's 'The Running Man'. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP
US actor Glen Powell attends the New York premiere of Paramount's 'The Running Man'. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP
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The 'Ordinary' Arnie? Glen Powell Reboots 'The Running Man'

US actor Glen Powell attends the New York premiere of Paramount's 'The Running Man'. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP
US actor Glen Powell attends the New York premiere of Paramount's 'The Running Man'. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP

It is often said Hollywood doesn't produce movie stars anymore.

So when someone with a square jaw and loads of charisma like Glen Powell is cast in Arnold Schwarzenegger's role for a reboot of "The Running Man," people get excited.

But Powell, an unfailingly courteous Texan, who quit the Los Angeles life and moved home to Austin as his fame grew, is having none of it.

"I don't find myself to be exceptional," the 37-year-old told AFP.

"That era of action stars and movie stars? You can't really compare apples to oranges," Powell said.

His role in the new "Running Man," out on Friday, is certainly a far cry from the indestructible bluster of Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Mel Gibson's 20th-century action heroes, who were usually soldiers, cops and trained fighters.

Powell's protagonist Ben Richards is an everyman, with no special skills beyond a rugged toughness and a very short fuse.

He reluctantly enters a deadly game show in which the entire world is trying to kill him: he needs to survive long enough to win prize money and buy life-saving medicine for his daughter.

"I've always identified myself as an underdog," Powell said.

"Some of my favorite movies are ordinary people against extraordinary odds. And you don't get more ordinary than Ben."

The movie sees Powell's hero get bashed and bruised, blown off a bridge, and has him abseiling down the side of a building in only a bath towel to escape from hoodlums.

The night before his AFP interview, Powell and director Edgar Wright screened the movie for Schwarzenegger.

Schwarzenegger's response? "Oh, I feel so bad for you... It must have hurt!" Powell recalled.

"Arnold knows the pain that it takes to do an action movie properly. It was pretty badass to get his blessing."

'Carnage'

The film hews more closely to the original Stephen King novel than its 1987 big-screen predecessor.

Powell's hero is pursued from city to city by professional killers. The contest's producers are rigging each moment for maximum TV ratings.

Eerily, King set his novel in the United States of 2025, a then-futuristic vision of divisive autocrats, deepfake videos, and a health care crisis that drives everyday people to extremes.

Was it a stretch for Powell to imagine today's public enjoying mayhem and slaughter, some of it fake and AI-generated, on their screens?

"We do live in this TikTok universe," Powell said.

"We are seeing carnage... and yet we're sort of away from it. You don't engage with it as a human anymore."

Powell said he is regularly sent deepfake videos by people who have not questioned the veracity or source of the content.

"That's a really fun thing that we get to play with in this movie... 'Where do you get the news from, and who is controlling information?'" Powell said.

'Wild West'

Though he has been acting for years, Powell only shot to prominence as cocky fighter pilot Hangman in 2022's "Top Gun: Maverick."

In a remarkable streak since, Powell appeared opposite Sydney Sweeney in rom-com "Anyone but You," chased deadly storms in "Twisters," and both co-wrote and starred in "Hit Man."

Up next, he will lead a new fantasy film from "Lost" creator J.J. Abrams. Powell's production company has a deal with Universal Pictures.

Those ventures into writing and producing are reminiscent of another classic action star, Stallone, who famously penned "Rocky" and insisted on being cast as the lead.

"I really didn't ever want to wait for the phone to ring. Because I realized it never will, at least not with the calls you want," Powell said.

"That's sort of how I've moved through this town, trying to do it with a sense of initiative.

"Hollywood, it's the Wild West right now," he added. "I can't really look backwards."

Entertainment

'Predator: Badlands' Tops Box Office With $80 Million Worldwide

US actress Elle Fanning attends the world premiere of 20th Century Studio's "Predator: Badlands" at the TCL Chinese theatre in Los Angeles on November 3, 2025. (AFP)
US actress Elle Fanning attends the world premiere of 20th Century Studio's "Predator: Badlands" at the TCL Chinese theatre in Los Angeles on November 3, 2025. (AFP)
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'Predator: Badlands' Tops Box Office With $80 Million Worldwide

US actress Elle Fanning attends the world premiere of 20th Century Studio's "Predator: Badlands" at the TCL Chinese theatre in Los Angeles on November 3, 2025. (AFP)
US actress Elle Fanning attends the world premiere of 20th Century Studio's "Predator: Badlands" at the TCL Chinese theatre in Los Angeles on November 3, 2025. (AFP)

“Predator: Badlands” led all films in North American theaters with a debut of $40 million, according to studio estimates Sunday, a better-than-expected result that slightly lifted the box office from its autumn doldrums.

On the heels of the worst box office weekend of 2025, “Predator: Badlands” faced little competition from new titles. Not accounting for inflation, the $40 million opening marked a new high for the dreadlocked alien franchise, besting the $38.3 million launch of 2004’s “Alien vs. Predator.”

“Predator: Badlands,” written and directed by Dan Trachtenberg, collected another $40 million overseas for the Walt Disney Co.’s 20th Century Studios. A key factor for “Predator: Badlands” is that, with a budget of $105 million, it’s also the most expensive “Predator” film.

“Badlands,” the eighth movie in the franchise that began with 1987’s “Predator,” offers a novel twist for the sci-fi series. On a remote planet, a young, outcast predator (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) encounters an android researcher (Elle Fanning), and the two set off on a journey. Reviews (85% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) have been good. Moviegoers gave it an “A-” CinemaScore.

Good news had lately been hard to find in movie theaters. On Wednesday, AMC Theaters, the largest theater chain, posted a $298.2 million quarterly loss, partly due to a less-than-stellar summer season. But the fall has been worse. Last month was the lowest-grossing October in nearly three decades. Few awards hopefuls have made much of a mark.

This weekend, a new wave hit theaters. But despite plenty of star power, most fell flat.

“Die My Love,” starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, launched with $2.8 million from 1,983 theaters. The film, directed by Lynne Ramsay, stars Lawrence as a new mother and Pattinson as her husband. Mubi plunked down a reported $24 million for “Die My Love” after its debut at the Cannes Film Festival. Audience slammed it with a “D+” CinemaScore.

“Christy,” starring Sydney Sweeney as the professional boxer Christy Martin, debuted with $1.3 million in 2,011 theaters. The film, the first one distributed by production company Black Bear Pictures, has earned Sweeney awards buzz since its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Sony Pictures Classics’ “Nuremberg,” a post-World War II drama about the Nuremberg trials starring Rami Malek and Russell Crowe, managed to do a bit better. It opened with $4.1 million in 1,802 theaters.

It was slightly edged by the best performer of the newcomers: “Sarah’s Oil.” The Amazon MGM release opened with $4.5 million from 2,410 locations. It stars Naya Desir-Johnson as a young Black girl in the early 1900s who learns that her Oklahoma land allotment is rich with oil. “Sarah’s Oil” scored a rare “A+” CinemaScore from ticket buyers.

Arguably the most promising of the prospective awards movies to open in theaters over the weekend was Neon’s “Sentimental Value.” The film, a prize-winner at Cannes, directed by Norwegian-Danish filmmaker Joachim Trier, has been tabbed as a major Oscar contender this year. The family drama’s cast includes Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, and, in her second movie of the weekend, Elle Fanning. It opened in four theaters with $200,000, giving it a $50,000 per-screen average. That’s the third best of the year.

The debut of “Predator: Badlands” sealed the Walt Disney Co.’s fourth straight year of $4 billion in worldwide ticket sales. It also broke a short streak of disappointments for the studio, including “Tron: Ares” and “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.” With potentially two of the biggest box-office hits of the year still to come in “Zootopia 2” and “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” Disney is poised to surpass $5 billion.