Gladiator 2 To Resume Production In Malta Next Week

Nov 28 2023

The sequel to “Gladiator” is set to resume filming in Malta on December 4 after a delay caused by a 118-day actors’ strike that began in July.

The strike concluded on November 8, following a tentative three-year contract agreement between SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) and studios.

This landmark agreement provides unprecedented protections for the use of artificial intelligence in film and television, alongside a significant pay increase.

Directed by Ridley Scott, the “Gladiator” sequel features Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, and Pedro Pascal in leading roles, with Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi reprising their characters from the original 2000 film. Notably absent is Russell Crowe, as his character met his demise in the first instalment.

The sequel, distributed globally by Paramount Pictures, is slated for release on November 22, 2024.

Ridley Scott, whose recent film “Napoleon” premiered last week, shared insights into the sequel’s progress, revealing that during the strike, he spent time editing 90 minutes of footage.

Among the scenes is an intriguing encounter where the protagonist battles a group of baboons, inspired by real-life incidents in South Africa where baboons attacked tourists. Scott emphasised the unique physical abilities of baboons, underscoring the distinctive challenges they pose in the film.

#MaltaDaily

‘Milied Mingħajr Tiżjin’: Michael Azzopardi’s New Song

Nov 28 2023

As we all start to get into the Christmas spirit, local singer and songwriter Michael Azzopardi released a brand new song titled ‘Milied Mingħajr Tiżjin’ (A Christmas Without Decorations).

The song is written from the point of view of someone who is scared of Christmas, Azzopardi told MaltaDaily. Due to this fear, the person does not decorate for Christmas due to not wanting to remember the past. However, that lack of decoration becomes driven by a realisation that one does not really need to decorate at all.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Michael Azzopardi (@michaelazzo)

It’s an early Christmas gift by the Maltese artist, and in the Maltese no language. With most Christmas carols and songs being in English, a ballad like this is a sweet entry into the festive season, especially those who aren’t too keen on the holidays.

The song was written by Azzopardi himself, produced and mixed by Jimmy Bartolo and mastered by David Vella (Temple). It is now available on all streaming platforms.

#MaltaDaily

Roberta Metsola Amongst Politico’s Class Of 2024

Nov 28 2023

Listed as ‘the young gun’, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has been listed on Politico’s Class of 2024.

The annual ranking covers the most influential people in Europe, divided into three categories – doers, disrupters and dreamers. Metsola was listed on the latter list and praised for the way she led the EU Parliament during challenging times.

‘Metsola came out of the gates strong, becoming the first president of an EU institution to visit Ukraine after Vladimir Putin launched his lethal invasion (and strongly championing the war-struck country’s efforts to join the EU since)’, wrote Politico.

‘Perhaps Metsola’s most challenging mission has been to steer her institution through the Qatargate scandal the year before the EU election, amid lurid revelations that MEPs allegedly took bribes from Qatar and Morocco.’

‘Over the past two years, Metsola has steered the institution through turbulent times and positioned herself as a credible candidate for a second term.’

#MaltaDaily

Negotiations With Teacher Unions To Restart As Directives End

Nov 28 2023

Taking to social media in an official statement, Education and Sport Minister Clifton Grima announced that now that the strike is over, the negotiations with the representatives of teachers and their unions will start again.

Grima wrote how the education sector was on a lot of people’s minds yesterday (Monday 27th November 2023), and that he hopes that everyone understands how important the education system is to our country.

‘In the past few days I did not mind taking responsibility for the role I was assigned and I reiterate that we should always, first and foremost, keep our respect for each other and educators’.

‘I always emphasised that teachers deserve more respect by the Maltese and Gozitan people, as well as an increase and improvement in their conditions of work.’

‘I always stuck to these principles and I will keep working so as to ensure that these principles guide all those who will sit down at the negotiation table to reach a common goal for everyone.’

‘After tonight, the directives were suspended and we can sit down again to reach the goal together’, he wrote, saying that he is not alone in tolerating ‘whoever tried to turn this process into a political issue’.

He ended by saying that the only way the goals can be reached is by focusing on the fact that everyone wants education to improve for the common good.

#MaltaDaily