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Saudi Film Commission Announces Opening of Virtual Production Platform in Collaboration with Sony and Pixomondo 

JAX Film Studios is a fully integrated, high-end production center, housing two 1,500-square-meter soundstages, a VIP lounge, a modern cinema screening room, and fully equipped production offices and prep spaces. (SPA)
JAX Film Studios is a fully integrated, high-end production center, housing two 1,500-square-meter soundstages, a VIP lounge, a modern cinema screening room, and fully equipped production offices and prep spaces. (SPA)
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Saudi Film Commission Announces Opening of Virtual Production Platform in Collaboration with Sony and Pixomondo 

JAX Film Studios is a fully integrated, high-end production center, housing two 1,500-square-meter soundstages, a VIP lounge, a modern cinema screening room, and fully equipped production offices and prep spaces. (SPA)
JAX Film Studios is a fully integrated, high-end production center, housing two 1,500-square-meter soundstages, a VIP lounge, a modern cinema screening room, and fully equipped production offices and prep spaces. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s Film Commission announced on Tuesday the opening of an advanced virtual production platform at JAX Film Studios, the latest cinematic production facility in the capital, Riyadh, marking a pivotal step in developing the Kingdom’s film industry infrastructure.

The platform was designed in collaboration with Pixomondo, a specialist in visual effects and virtual production, and built with Sony’s latest VERONA Crystal LED technology, making the virtual studio ready to host the most ambitious film productions.

The platform comprises 2,720 Sony VERONA Crystal LED panels with a 2.3 mm pixel pitch and stage dimensions of 23 meters wide, 27.5 meters deep and 10 meters high. It features advanced integration of camera tracking, real-time processing, and in-camera VFX, enabling high-fidelity, photoreal simulation that meets the demands of major Hollywood productions.

JAX Film Studios is a fully integrated, high-end production center, housing two 1,500-square-meter soundstages, a VIP lounge, a modern cinema screening room, and fully equipped production offices and prep spaces, providing filmmakers with an end-to-end work environment under one roof.

CEO of the Film Commission Abdullah bin Nasser Al-Qahtani said: “JAX Film Studios is a milestone in the trajectory of Saudi filmmaking. Investing in world-class virtual production infrastructure is a strategic step toward building a globally competitive film industry and reflects the commission’s commitment to empowering filmmakers with the technologies, facilities and partnerships that support their creativity and output at the highest levels.”

General Manager of Sector Development and Investment Attraction at the commission Abduljalil Alnasser emphasized that the project represents a qualitative leap in the regional production landscape, noting that the integration of Sony and Pixomondo expertise and the technologies used at JAX Film Studios provide a production environment to global standards, from pixel precision to the highest levels of technical integration.

With its strategic location in Riyadh, JAX Film Studios offers filmmakers direct access to luxury hotels, the international airport, and a growing ecosystem of production services and talent in the Kingdom, making it a preferred destination for local and international productions.

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Entertainment

In Partial Victory, Blake Lively Wins Legal Fees from Justin Baldoni

Blake Lively has been in a lengthy legal battle with Justin Baldoni. Leonardo MUNOZ / AFP/File
Blake Lively has been in a lengthy legal battle with Justin Baldoni. Leonardo MUNOZ / AFP/File
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In Partial Victory, Blake Lively Wins Legal Fees from Justin Baldoni

Blake Lively has been in a lengthy legal battle with Justin Baldoni. Leonardo MUNOZ / AFP/File
Blake Lively has been in a lengthy legal battle with Justin Baldoni. Leonardo MUNOZ / AFP/File

US actor Justin Baldoni must pay legal fees but not damages to "It Ends with Us" co-star Blake Lively, a New York judge ruled Friday, settling a years-long legal battle.

The decision marks a partial victory for Lively, who was fighting a defamation suit brought by Baldoni and his production company, which Lively claimed was retaliation for sexual harassment allegations she made, said AFP.

The pair settled their dispute in May, avoiding a costly civil trial, though no settlement figure was disclosed.

Lively's initial complaint said Baldoni -- who also directed "It Ends With Us" -- had spoken inappropriately about his sex life and sought to alter the film to include sex scenes that were not in the script.

It further said that Baldoni waged a PR campaign to wreck Lively's reputation.

Baldoni and the studio Wayfarer in turn countersued Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds with claims of extortion and defamation.

Federal judge Lewis Liman, who issued Friday's judgment, dismissed Baldoni's claims in June 2025 and struck down parts of Lively's complaints this April.

Based on a best-selling novel by US writer Colleen Hoover, "It Ends with Us" made more than $350 million at the box office in 2024, making it one of the biggest hits of the year.

Entertainment

An Astronaut, Movie Stars and a Knight: US Brings Glitz for World Cup Opener

Tom Cruise, David Beckham and Victoria Beckham attend the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
Tom Cruise, David Beckham and Victoria Beckham attend the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
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An Astronaut, Movie Stars and a Knight: US Brings Glitz for World Cup Opener

Tom Cruise, David Beckham and Victoria Beckham attend the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
Tom Cruise, David Beckham and Victoria Beckham attend the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images/AFP)

The World Cup arrived in the United States on Friday in a blizzard of celebrity and glamour, with Los Angeles pulling out all the stops for the opening game between Team USA and Paraguay.

The stands at SoFi stadium were a who's who of famous folk in the world's entertainment capital, with movie legends like Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio and "Star Wars" director George Lucas joined by the likes of socialite Paris Hilton and Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

Other Hollywood names included Oscar winner Halle Berry, actor and director Owen Wilson and "West Wing" alum Rob Lowe.

Singer -- and one-time astronaut -- Katy Perry, who performed in the opening ceremony, repaired to the seats to watch the action on the pitch while she cuddled up to former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau. The pair have recently gone "Insta-official" with their relationship.

British footballing giant David Beckham was also in the stands -- sitting next to Cruise -- hours after he had been feted with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The honor was the latest in a long line for the former England captain, who was knighted by Britain's King Charles last year to become Sir David Beckham.

Basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was also cheering for the USA, who romped to a 4-1 victory over a hapless-looking Paraguay, giving the host nation its highest-scoring World Cup result.

Before the game began, a packed SoFi Stadium was bid a booming "Welcome to the USA" in a glitzy ceremony that kicked off more than five weeks of football in the US, which is sharing the tournament with Mexico and Canada.

The stadium's giant "jumbotron" screen flashed a close-up of the city's famous Hollywood sign, before a marching band struck up and were joined by singers including Future, Tyla, Anitta and K-pop star Lisa.

Costumes and props were designed to evoke Los Angeles street art, and the city's creative industries.

Suspended from the roof of the space-age venue were enormous "FIFA" letters in the gold favored by US President Donald Trump -- who did not attend.

He instead spoke to the team via phone beforehand, telling them "I think you've a really good chance of going all the way. I just want to wish you a lot of luck."

Fellow co-hosts Mexico and Canada have already played their first matches, each featuring a separate opening ceremony on home soil.

Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0, while Canada came from behind to secure a 1-1 draw and their first ever World Cup finals point, against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Entertainment

Ariana Grande to White House: Don't Use My Music for 'Heinous Nonsense'

US singer-songwriter Ariana Grande (R) and US music video director Christian Breslauer accept the award for Video of the Year for "Brighter Days Ahead" on stage during the MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on September 7, 2025. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)
US singer-songwriter Ariana Grande (R) and US music video director Christian Breslauer accept the award for Video of the Year for "Brighter Days Ahead" on stage during the MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on September 7, 2025. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)
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Ariana Grande to White House: Don't Use My Music for 'Heinous Nonsense'

US singer-songwriter Ariana Grande (R) and US music video director Christian Breslauer accept the award for Video of the Year for "Brighter Days Ahead" on stage during the MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on September 7, 2025. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)
US singer-songwriter Ariana Grande (R) and US music video director Christian Breslauer accept the award for Video of the Year for "Brighter Days Ahead" on stage during the MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on September 7, 2025. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)

American pop star Ariana Grande told President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday to stop using her music to promote its policies.

The comment came after the White House shared a video on TikTok earlier this week highlighting its immigration policy. The video, which depicts federal agents arresting and handcuffing people, features the Grammy Award-winning singer's 2024 song "Bye."

"Please ‌do not ‌ever use my music in ‌relation ⁠to this barbaric, inhumane, ⁠heinous nonsense," Grande wrote in a comment posted on the White House video on TikTok on Thursday.

A source close to the singer said her team is looking into how to remove the music from the video ⁠as soon as possible. Responding to Grande, ‌White House spokesperson ‌Abigail Jackson said: "We’ll say this one last time: what’s ‌actually barbaric, inhumane, and heinous are the criminal ‌illegal aliens who have injured and murdered innocent American citizens."

Grande, a singer and Academy Award-nominated actress, was critical of the Trump administration last year after ‌sharing a post on Instagram asking people who voted for Trump if ⁠their lives ⁠had gotten better since he returned to office.

Trump, now in his second non-consecutive term, has an active social media presence. Members of his communications team often post short videos that feature popular songs to illustrate the president's efforts to deliver on his campaign promises. Some of the videos have featured hit songs while depicting images showing Trump's immigration crackdown, US military operations against Iran and the arrest of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.