EntertainmentNews (03/28/23)

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ITZIAR ITUÑO and Najwa Nimri as Raquel Murillo and Alicia Sierra in Berlin —COURTESY OF NETFLIX

CEBUANO singer-songwriter Will Mikhael

ED SHEERAN single “Eyes Closed” cover art

ITCHYWORMS

Bumble launches a suite of new product features

Bumble, the app that puts women in charge when dating, has launched a suite of new product features in the Philippines which are designed to make dating kinder and more fun in 2023. The first new feature, Speed Dating, allows members to go in “blind” and prioritize personality over physical attraction. The feature requires people to start conversations without seeing any pictures of the other person, with profile photos hidden for the first three minutes of messaging. Once the time is up, each person will be asked if they would like to continue the conversation and if both people choose to match, their chat will live in their Date Mode queue and their profile will be available to view following the event. Speed Dating is held every Thursday from 7-8 p.m. The experience is available in Bumble’s Date Mode and people on Bumble can RSVP directly within the app each week by clicking on the stopwatch icon at the top of the app. Speed Dating pairings are based on location, age, and gender preferences. Speed Dating is part of a bundle of new features that also includes Compliments, a message before match feature that allows members to send a note before connecting, reinforcing that kindness matters. The final feature in the product bundle is Recommend to a Friend. If a Bumble user comes across a profile that’s not right for them but might be for someone they know, they can now directly share a link to the friend’s Bumble profile.

Itziar Ituño, Najwa Nimriin Casa de Papel spinoff

Itziar Ituño and Najwa Nimri play police officers Raquel Murillo and Alicia Sierra once again in Berlin, the La Casa de Papel spinoff which Netflix will release in December. The eight-episode series focuses on the golden years of the character played by Pedro Alonso and tells the story of one of the most extraordinary heists he carried out along with the gang played by Michelle Jenner, Tristán Ulloa, Begoña Vargas, Julio Peña Fernández and Joel Sánchez. The series started production last October in Paris and is still currently being shot in Madrid.

New streaming app offers movies and concerts

Jungo Pinoy is the newest streaming app in the Philippines and hosts a large Tagalog-dubbed movie library, as well as original films and TV series. Concerts and blockbuster movies are just some of Jungo Pinoy’s specialties, along with free movies and other titles accessible with a friendly subscription. Its current top five suggestions for summer viewing are: the high-definition performance of Coldplay Live at the Glastonbury Festival 2016; the Viva movie Abay Babes about a girl who gets engaged to a man she has never met, starring Kylie Versoza, Roxanne Barcelo, Cristine Reyes, Nathalie Hart, Meg Imperial, Tom Rodriguez, Marco Gumabao, Ronnie Liang, and Mark Bautista; Wine of Summer, about a frustrated actor who travels to Spain in search of a playwright, and is unexpectedly bound up with a group of five previously unconnected people, starring Marcia Gay Harden, Ethan Peck, Bob Well, Elsa Pataky, and Sonia Braga; Go Back to China, a film about a spoiled rich girl spends who, after decimating her trust fund, is cut off and forced her to go back to China and work for the family toy business, featuring social media star Anna Akana, Kelly Hu, Richard Ng, and Lynn Chen; and, Kids in Love, all about young love on summer holiday starring supermodel Cara Delavingne, Will Poulter, Alma Jodorowsky, and Sebastian De Souza. The Jungo Pinoy app is available on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

Cebuano singer releases new single

The young Cebuano singer-songwriter Will Mikhael has unveiled his new original single, “Swing By To You,” which was inspired by the summer season. “This song came about when I was having a blast one summertime. I experienced what it felt like to be on a pristine, beautiful beach and having a wonderful time with my family. And while I was enjoying myself, I thought of a record that would get people to dance and vibe along to, and in that moment, everything just clicked right into place especially with me being in that summer vibe,” the singer says in a statement. “Swing By To You” is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music.

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story premieres May 4

Netflix and Shondaland’s upcoming prequel series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, will premier on the streaming service on May 4. The prequel to Bridgerton centers on Queen Charlotte’s rise to prominence and power, telling the story of how the young Queen’s marriage to King George sparked both a great love story and a societal shift, creating the world of the Ton inherited by the characters in Bridgerton. Golda Rosheuvel (Queen Charlotte), Adjoa Andoh (Lady Agatha Danbury), and Ruth Gemmell (Lady Violet Bridgerton) reprise their roles from Bridgerton in this series. India Amarteifio plays Young Queen Charlotte, Michelle Fairley plays Princess Augusta, and Corey Mylchreest plays Young King George. Arsema Thomas plays Young Agatha Danbury.

IPOPHL publishes copyright guide book for writers

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), through its Bureau of Copyright and Related Rights (BCRR), recently completed a coaching workshop and saw the publication of the first copyright guide book for writers, both geared to expand writers and publishers’ knowledge on the copyright system and ensure they benefit when their works hit the markets. The e-book, The Written Property, is touted as the first book on copyright to guide writers in the Philippine publishing industry. It was virtually launched earlier this month by the Freelance Writers’ Guild of the Philippines in collaboration with the BCRR. The e-book provides comprehensive answers to the most common questions freelance writers and publishers have on copyright, which range from the basics of copyright law, to protected works and derivative works, and remedies against copyright infringement. The e-book can be downloaded through https://fwgp.org/new-book-the-written-property/ for P200. A printed version will be available for sale in the coming months. The BCRR this month also conducted a hybrid coaching activity for young future writers and publishers in partnership with the World IP Organization. The event was aimed to help writers and publishers develop, publish, and market their books while sufficiently protecting present and future sales of their copyrighted works. Around 250 writers and publishers took part in the hybrid workshop.

Ed Sheeran releases new single, official video

Singer Ed Sheeran has released his new single, “Eyes Closed,” alongside the official video. He originally wrote it a few years back as a break-up song, but the lyrics took on a whole new meaning after Mr. Sheeran suffered heart-breaking loss, which led him to revisit and reimagine the original version of the track. One of the most pop-leaning sonics on his upcoming record, “Eyes Closed” captures the essence of love and loss, which is also reflected in the official video. Sheeran’ new album, whose title is a hyphen, will be released on May 5 through Asylum/Atlantic. The 14-track record was written by Mr. Sheeran with Aaron Dessner (The National) in February last year after a series of hard-hitting events impacted his life. Meanwhile, a new four-part documentary, Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All, will air on Disney+ starting May 3. Blending never-before-seen personal archive, interviews, and performances, the intimate documentary explores how his personal experiences have shaped him to become the artist he is today.

The Itchyworms dedicates new song to Chino Singson

The Itchyworms are back with an upbeat, retro-pop tune that deals with the dread of knowing that your loved one will be moving away to a different place for good. The single “Panic In My Mind” was specifically written for their bandmate Chino Singson, who moved to Canada with his family to start a new life. But according to Jazz Nicolas (lead vocals, drums, piano, keyboards, and keytar), who wrote the song based on a real-life event, the meaning behind “Panic In My Mind” can be taken in multiple ways. “The second half of the song shifts the narrative to a bitter person whose ex-partner in now with someone else, and is having a jealous existential crisis because of that.” The song blends intricate vocal harmonies and colorful melodies with 1960s-style pop. “Panic In My Mind” is produced by Jazz Nicolas and Mikey Amistoso, a long-time friend and collaborator, who is now officially part of the band. The Itchyworms are set to embark on their first US tour, dubbed Akin Ka Na Lang, Amerika, which kicks off on March 24 in New York City, New York and will wrap up on April 7 in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information about the tour, visit the band’s official social media pages and revamped website: www.itchyworms.com. “Panic In My Mind” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment.