Incoming: Fantastic fall features 

One Battle After Another. (Supplied)
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Updated 14 August 2025
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Incoming: Fantastic fall features 

  • Some of the biggest movies coming your way over the next few months 

‘Spinal Tap II: The End Continues’ 

Starring: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer 

Director: Rob Reiner 

In cinemas: Sept. 12 

The long-awaited sequel to one of the greatest comedy films of all time, and the original — if you will — mockumentary, sees Guest, McKean and Shearer reunited as the hapless heavy rockers who have decided to reunite after 15 years for one final show. There’s a hitch, naturally: they need a drummer — a tricky sell when so many who previously sat the stool for Tap have met untimely ends. Along for the ride, of course, is documentary maker Martin Di Bergi (Reiner) to ensure that the historic occasion is recorded for posterity.  

‘The Roses’   

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Coleman, Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon 

Director: Jay Roach 

In cinemas: Aug. 29 

This star-studded remake of the 1989 black-comedy movie “The War of the Roses” (itself based on Warren Adler’s 1981 novel) sees Coleman and Cumberbatch play Ivy and Theo Rose, an apparently idyllically married couple — he an architect, she a chef. But when Theo’s career trajectory starts to plummet just as Ivy’s starts to soar, the underlying tensions and competitiveness in their relationships begin to surface, with devastating and hilarious results. With some A-list comedy talent on the cast list, and Roach (the “Austin Powers” movies, “Meet the Parents”) at the helm, this might be that rare thing — a comedy movie that actually gets audiences into the cinema.  

‘One Battle After Another’ 

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall 

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson 

In cinemas: Sept. 25 

The latest feature from one of the most acclaimed writer-directors of his generation (although not hugely successful at the box office) is an action-thriller with a touch of satirical black humor thrown in. DiCaprio plays Bob Ferguson, who was once a member of a revolutionary group called the French 75. Well over a decade since the group disbanded, their nemesis — white supremacist Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw (Penn) — resurfaces, and Ferguson must call on his former fellow activists to help him rescue his daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti), herself a budding revolutionary. Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood is the film’s composer — his sixth collaboration with Anderson. 

‘After The Hunt’ 

Starring: Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, Ayo Edebiri 

Director: Luca Guadagnino 

In cinemas: Oct. 10 

Italian director Guadagnino’s films — which included “Call Me By Your Name,” “Suspiria,” and “Challengers” — are rarely a disappointment, and this one brings some serious cross-generational star power to the big screen. Roberts plays Alma Olsson, an Ivy League professor whose close friend and colleague Hank Gibson (Garfield) is accused of assault by Olsson’s protégée Maggie Price (Edebiri — winner of an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her role as Syd in “The Bear”). In trying to deal with that situation, Olsson must face up to some long-buried secrets from her past. Even if none of the cast manage to bag an Oscar, then composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross probably have a good shout. 

‘Good Fortune’ 

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Seth Rogen, Aziz Ansari 

Director: Aziz Ansari 

In cinemas: Oct. 17 

Ansari’s feature debut as director is a comedy about a low-ranking angel called Gabriel (Reeves) who comes down to Earth to try and show Arj (Ansari) that money can’t solve your problems by allowing him to swap places with his rich tech-bro employer Jeff (Rogen). It doesn’t quite go the way Gabriel expected, and he ends up having his wings taken off him and being banished to live among humans. Gabriel and the now-homeless Jeff move in together as all the work Gabriel did as an angel is undone. Keke Palmer and Sandra Oh also star.  

‘A House of Dynamite’ 

Starring: Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso 

Director: Kathryn Bigelow 

On Netflix: Oct. 24 

Little has been revealed about Netflix’s upcoming thriller, but the stars and director alone are enough to build hype. Bigelow made history in 2009 when she became the first woman to win the Best Director Oscar (for “The Hurt Locker”) and “A House of Dynamite” will be her first feature since 2017’s “Detroit.” And with Elba and Ferguson heading the cast list, it’s a safe bet there’ll be some seriously strong performances in this tale told in real time about a group of White House officials frantically dealing with a missile attack on America.  

‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’ 

Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Stephen Graham, Jeremy Strong 

Director: Scott Cooper 

In cinemas: Oct. 24 

Timothée Chalamet has already wowed critics with his portrayal of Bob Dylan this year in “A Complete Unknown,” and now “The Bear” star Jeremy Allen White takes on Dylan’s closest contender for the title of greatest living US songwriter: Bruce Springsteen. Cooper’s biopic isn’t the tale of how Springsteen became a star — at the time the film begins he’s already a hit. Instead, it’s the story of the making of his stripped-back 1982 masterpiece “Nebraska,” recorded on a four-track in his bedroom at a time when he was struggling with his fame and the demons of his past. White has already received praise from The Boss himself, as has Graham as Springsteen’s domineering father.  


Riyadh celebrates Sudanese heritage in cultural week finale

Updated 15 December 2025
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Riyadh celebrates Sudanese heritage in cultural week finale

  • Visitors experience sounds of dalooka, rababa in lively spectacle
  • Global Harmony 2 initiative has offered an integrated cultural experience highlighting 14 cultures

RIYADH: The Sudanese Culture Week continues in Riyadh until Dec. 20, attracting visitors from a variety of nationalities to diverse cultural performances, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The Ministry of Media has organized the events as part of the Global Harmony 2 initiative, in cooperation with the General Entertainment Authority and the Quality of Life Program.

Held at Al-Suwaidi Park, one of Riyadh Season’s zones, the week began with a celebratory parade featuring traditional Sudanese music which included the sounds of the dalooka and the rababa. A traditional Sudanese bridal procession was the subject of a tableau that also engaged visitors.

Sudanese Culture Week also includes musical concerts, entertainment sections, and cultural pavilions, with participation from Sudanese singers and influencers presenting activities that reflect the cultural diversity of the country’s regions and communities.

The event’s stage hosted the opening concerts, which were attended by thousands who enjoyed rababa performances and popular Sudanese songs.

Citizens and residents explored Sudanese culture through its folk arts, traditional music, and customs.

The celebration marks the final week of the Global Harmony 2 initiative’s cultural events. These have built on the program’s success in promoting cultural exchange and showcasing the cultures of communities residing in the Kingdom, reflecting the values of coexistence and cultural openness.

Over more than 40 days the Global Harmony 2 initiative has offered an integrated cultural experience highlighting 14 cultures.

Indian Culture Week was the first in a series featuring countries from Asia, Africa, and the Arab world.

Other weeks have placed the spotlight on regions such as the Philippines, Egypt, Pakistan, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Bangladesh, Yemen, Uganda, and Ethiopia, providing traditional arts and music, cuisine, and social activities.

The initiative has included more than 100 artists and creators presenting artistic and musical performances, along with areas showcasing traditional cuisine, clothing, handicrafts, and family-friendly interactive activities.

It has received wide acclaim for highlighting the lives of residents in the Kingdom and the services provided to them.