movies

‘Wham! 10 Days In China’ For BBC Shows George Michael Conquer America

Published

17 hours ago

July 28, 2026

Welcome to Global Breakouts, Deadline’s strand in which, each fortnight, we shine a spotlight on the TV shows and films making a splash internationally. The industry is more global than ever and breakout projects are appearing in pockets of the world all the time, making it hard to keep track, so we’re doing the hard work for you.

This time round we’re looking at Wham! 10 Days in China. Today, the BBC feature documentary has a rare one-day theatrical release that will see it play on 1,000 cinema screens around the world in territories including the U.S., the UK and Australia.

Name: Wham! 10 Days In China
Country: UK
Network: BBC
Producers: Sony Music Entertainment UK, Supercollider
For fans of: Buena Vista Social Club and music docs with a wider cultural lens
Distributor: Sony Music Vision (UK/U.S.), White Light (RoW)

When Wham! became the first Western pop group to play in communist China in 1985, the goal was wider than simply introducing Chinese audiences to Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go. The band was on a mission to generate a whirlwind of press attention that would be a springboard to success in the U.S.

Luckily, there was a film crew and Oscar-winning director in tow. The planned documentary did not turn out as planned, however, and was quickly shelved. Now, new footage from that trip captures the moments when George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley played their historic shows in Beijing and Guangzhou in Wham! 10 Days in China. The film follows the pop duo and also shows how Chinese audiences reacted to their first taste of a major Western pop phenomenon.

“Everyone knew the rushes existed and that they were effectively buried in a warehouse, and everyone knew that the whole trip happened and that it was intriguing, but no-one really knew what went on,” says Mike Christie, who directed Wham! 10 Days in China, which is produced by Zinc Media’s Supercollider and Sony Music. “It’s one of those unicorn projects that everyone has wanted to make.”

The rushes come from footage shot by Lindsay Anderson, the British New Wave filmmaker. His credits include If… and This Sporting Life. Anderson himself appears in the footage and it becomes evident that he had little connection with Wham! or the project, and there’s friction. One cringe-inducing scene shows George Michael literally cold-shoulder the esteemed director. Anderson did make a film, If You Were There …, but it did not pass muster with the band and was largely confined to the archives. A different doc was cut from the footage called Wham! in China: Foreign Skies.

Christie and the Wham! 10 Days In China team started out with the footage from these two documentaries, but obtained the treasure trove of original rushes when Ridgeley and the George Michael Estate (GME) got behind the new project.

“We knew these cans existed, but no one knew what was in them,” Christie says. “It took seven months of restoration and projection and capturing to get the actual rushes into the edit suite. We suddenly realized that we were actually cutting a whole new film from rushes and we weren’t relying on anything else.”

It was Christie’s approach to the project that won over Ridgeley and the George Michael Estate. The director wanted to pan out and tell a wider story, offering different viewpoints on Wham!’s journey east.

“We had George and Andrew’s personal perspective, the band’s perspective, the press perspective, the documentary [makers’] perspective and the Chinese perspective,” the director explains. “The approach we were proposing worked because it was looking at the bigger picture rather than just endlessly focusing on George and Andrew. Suddenly it stops being a celebrity vehicle.”

Today, Trafalgar Releasing is behind a one-day cinema release of the film across 1000 screens in the UK and U.S. among other territories, a rare feat for a BBC documentary. On TV, the film will bow on BBC Two in late August and the UK pubcaster is getting in the Wham! mood by scheduling a night of Wham! and George Michael programming to accompany the doc.

A hugely challenging tour

George Michael & Andrew Ridgeley on the the Great Wall — George Michael & Andrew Ridgeley on the Great Wall

Supercollider

Christie interviewed dozens of contributors across China, the UK and U.S. to tell the story of Wham!’s time in China from different angles.

There is, of course, also plenty of Wham-tastic footage of messrs Ridgeley and Michael as they are ushered between meetings with Chinese and British dignitaries, grand banquets and encounters with wide-eyed fans before taking to the stage during what became a hugely challenging tour. We also see them battling the British tabloid press, underscoring one of the ironies that the film highlights. Namely, that the primary reason they were there was to generate the coverage and attention that would catapult them into U.S. staduims, and yet they were often at loggerheads with the press pack that was following them.

The film covers the trip’s rougher edges. Christie says the team wanted to step outside of the realm of the perfectly manicured music doc.

“How comfortable were we showing George having a massage, you know, pretty naked? How comfortable were we with things that were just backstage? How comfortable were we having Andrew and George at the press conference, being outspoken?,” he questions.

“Andrew and GME held true to the authenticity of it. I think in a day and age where we see very carefully manicured public images of celebrities and documentaries that seem to not really look behind the curtain, this was an incredibly honest account of what happened.”

What shines through, even when they’re at odds, is the bond between the two Wham! stars. “What we’re appreciating is the authenticity, the quality of the performances. The other thing you get from the film is actually seeing George and Andrew’s friendship unfolding before your eyes.”

A quick cut to Wham! playing a sell-out show in America shows that the China trip had achieved its goal. Soon after, the band would split. The new film captures 10 days that became a pivotal part of their story and a bona fide moment in pop history.

movies

‘Blast’ Actress Preity Mukhundhan Lands IMDb Breakout Star Award

Published

41 minutes ago

July 29, 2026

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EXCLUSIVE: Blast and Idhayam Murali star Preity Mukhundhan is the latest recipient of IMDb‘s ‘Breakout Star’ STARmeter Award.

New to the Indian film and TV business having started in 2024, she has already worked across Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam cinema, and IMDb has now bestowed its award for online popularity on her.

The award recognizes those in Popular Indian Celebrities list published on the IMDb app, charting those who have achieved more than 250 million monthly visitors to IMDb worldwide.

IMDb has feted Mukhundhan on the back of her performances in Tamil movies Blast and Idhayam Murali, which released within two months of each other. The roles drove a surge in her popularity on IMDb, ranking as the second-most popular Indian celebrity one week and sixth biggest the following week.

Mukhundhan has five more projects scheduled, including the Telugu film Emo Emo Idi and an untitled Tamil film alongside Ashok Selvan.

“Receiving the IMDb ‘breakout star’ STARmeter Award is incredibly special and a moment I will always cherish,” said Mukhundhan. “This recognition means a lot to me because it comes directly from the interest and support of audiences around the world. I’m so grateful to my fans for all the love they have showered upon me.

“I don’t think I would be here without you, and I feel so encouraged to do better every day, to put out good movies, and to keep growing. To IMDb, as a movie buff, the kid in me is really happy, so this means a lot. This is recognition I’ve worked really hard for.”

She added: “As an actor, you hope that the characters you portray leave an impact, and the response to my work has reassured me that I am on the right path. This award motivates me to keep learning, challenging myself, and taking on roles that resonate with people.”

Previous IMDb Breakout Star STARmeter Award recipients include Akash Makhija, Ramandeep Yadav, Ambrish Verma, Ahaan Panday, Aneet Padda, Monika Panwar, Zahan Kapoor, Kani Kusruti, Sharvari, Nitanshi Goel, Adarsh Gourav, Ayo Edebiri, Maya Hawke and Regé-Jean Page.

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Wasserman Buy Out Moves Forward With Investment From Providence

Published

56 minutes ago

July 29, 2026

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Casey Wasserman is one step closer to selling his agency.

Providence Equity Partners today announced an additional investment in The Team (formerly Wasserman) to help the agency buy out its founder. Michael Watts will become the agency’s chief executive officer when the transaction closes. That is expected later this year. Terms were not dicslosed.

Also per the Wall Street Journal, Providence already had about a 60% stake in the agency this past April.

“We’re incredibly excited to further strengthen our partnership with THE•TEAM,” said Davis Noell, Senior Managing Director, Co-Head of North America at Providence. “The robust interest in the Company throughout this process only reinforced our belief in the business and enthusiasm for its next phase of growth. Our additional investment also reflects our conviction in the long-term growth in demand for in-person experiences across sports, music, and entertainment and the brands, talent, and partnerships that bring those moments to life.”

Providence also said in a statement that it is committed to “providing the capital and partnership needed to expand THE•TEAM’s capabilities.”

Among the entities that sought to make the Team their own were WME, CAA, Range Media Partners, UTA, Goldman Sachs and a smattering of equity firms. Almost all of the potential bidders are interested in the whole shebang: A-lister heavy Brillstein Entertainment Partners, what was once the Paradigm Talent Agency, the various consultancies and more.

Wasserman said he will leave with pride in what the company has become.

“The truest measure of anything you build is whether it can thrive beyond you — and that was always my goal when I founded what was then called the Wasserman Media Group 24 years ago,” he said. “What began as a small agency with big ambitions is today a global leader. THE•TEAM is powered by extraordinary people and trusted by the world’s greatest talent, brands, and properties. I leave with pride in what we created together, gratitude for those who made it possible, and confidence in what comes next. Sports, music, and entertainment are the languages the whole world speaks, and THE•TEAM’s future is bright.”

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Evan Rachel Wood Says Practical Magic 2 Is ‘Not Following the Book’

Published

1 hour ago

July 29, 2026

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Evan Rachel Wood is sharing the reason she believes she wasn’t asked to return for the upcoming Practical Magic sequel.

During a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, the actress said it doesn’t seem like Practical Magic 2 will be following the book. The sequel was adapted from author Alice Hoffman’s The Book of Magic, which was the follow-up to her first novel Practical Magic.

“I read the book and it seems like they’re not following the book,” Wood said. “I think in the book it would have made sense to bring me back; I think in the way they’re redoing it and approaching it, it didn’t make sense.”

The 1998 film followed two witch sisters (played by Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman), raised by their eccentric aunts, as they face a curse that threatens any man who falls in love with an Owens woman. Wood and Alexandra Artrip played the daughters of Bullock’s character, Sally Owens.

Earlier this month, Wood took to Instagram to confirm for fans that she wouldn’t be reprising her role in the new film. “I am getting asked about this a lot, so l’ll just clear it up now; I was not asked to come back and be in the Practical Magic sequel,” she wrote at the time. “l offered my services, even if it was one scene or one line. I was told they are recasting. I am sorry to disappoint the fans. It was not in my control or my choice. I would have happily rejoined my sisters.”

In the sequel, Joey King was recast to play Wood’s character, while Maisie Williams will be playing the younger sister of Artrip’s character from the first film. Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing will also be reprising their characters, Aunt Jet and Aunt Franny, respectively.

Wood also told ET that she’s “sad” she doesn’t get to return because “we bonded with that cast so much as children, and so to miss out on the opportunity to look at that cast and look at that house as an adult and see the history in our eyes, it’s something that can’t be faked.”

Practical Magic 2 hits theaters on Sept. 11.