Across the first few months of 2025, HBO is bringing back both The White Lotus and The Last of Us — and if you feel like you've been waiting a while for the two hit shows to return, then you mustn't be a Euphoria fan. 2022 closed with the second season of the US network's vacation anthology. 2023 began with the debut run of its game-to-TV smash. It was before all of that, at the start of 2022, that Euphoria last dropped new episodes, though — and its third season isn't expected to arrive until 2026. Here's the good Euphoria news, however: HBO has finally started production on season three of the award-winning favourite. And, while there's still a wait to see how it pans out, a first-look image of Zendaya in the new season has also arrived to give viewers a sneak peek. View this post on Instagram A post shared by euphoria (@euphoria) The show's cast haven't been sitting around doing nothing for the past three years. Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, Sydney Sweeney, Hunter Schafer, Colman Domingo and company have been busy — and our screens have been full of movies and TV shows to prove it. Challengers, Dune: Part Two, Saltburn, Priscilla, Reality, Anyone But You, Madame Web, Immaculate, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Cuckoo, Kinds of Kindness, The Color Purple. Drive-Away Dolls, The Madness: they're just some of the projects that've featured Euphoria stars since 2022, and the list goes on. Elordi has been back in Australia making miniseries The Narrow Road to the Deep North, which hits streaming in April — and will also be seen as Frankenstein's monster for Guillermo del Toro (Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio) before 2025 is out. Domingo was nominated for an Oscar for Rustin, then scored another nomination for Sing Sing. Storm Reid won an Emmy for The Last of Us. Maude Apatow has been doing voice work on Pantheon, Alexa Demie popped up in Fantasmas, Dominic Fike was in Earth Mama — and played Laneway 2024. Season three of Euphoria has experienced delays for a heap of reasons. Back in 2024, it was reported that scripts were still being worked on, but shooting had been pushed back. "HBO and Sam Levinson remain committed to making an exceptional third season. In the interim, we are allowing our in-demand cast to pursue other opportunities," a HBO spokesperson told Deadline and Variety in a statement at the time. Apparently the idea of doing a movie instead of a new season was floated, but obviously isn't the plan that's moving ahead. Given the passage of time — come 2026, it will have been four years since season two — there'll be a time jump within the narrative in season three and the show's main characters will no longer be in high school, Zendaya has mentioned in interviews. There's obviously no trailer for Euphoria season three yet, but you can watch HBO's 2024–25 roundup trailer below: Euphoria season three doesn't have an exact release date yet, but is expected to arrive in 2026 — we'll update you when further details are announced. Images:HBO.
Even if plans for a globe-trotting overseas holiday aren't in the cards for you this year, there's an easy fix for your travel blues, and it's located just three hours south of Sydney in the picturesque South Coast region of Shoalhaven. With white sandy beaches and a breezy pace of life, this coastal stretch makes for a dream getaway destination, whenever you need a timeout from big city living. And it's brimming with beautiful stays located by the water, befitting your next, much-deserved break. We've done the hard work for you and rounded up 12 of the most blissful coastal escapes you can book in Shoalhaven. Choose a winner, pack that swimsuit and get set for a hard-earned beachside getaway. Recommended reads: The Best Places to Go Glamping in NSW The Best Tiny Houses You Can Book Around NSW The Best Hotels in Sydney The Best Places to Stay in the Blue Mountains Bayview Magnificent, Mollymook Beach This cheery coastal getaway boasts its own backyard pool and space for the whole gang. Plus, a top-notch deck, overlooking North Mollymook Beach. From $270 a night, sleeps 12. Escape at Shady Acres, Narrawallee Soak up the serenity at this self-contained coastal retreat, featuring thoughtful modern touches, private sunny backyard and a primo location close to Narrawallee Beach. From $446 a night, sleeps eight. Drop In, Bendalong Break from reality with a stay at this gorgeously updated 50s beach cottage, rocking a suite of luxurious features, plus firepit and outdoor tub. From $392 a night, sleeps two. Banniester Head Cottage, Mollymook Beach A breezy modern cottage, boasting absolute ocean frontage. Unwind in style, with luxe furnishings, epic views and an in-ground pool overlooking the water. From $750 a night, sleeps four. Atra, Callala Beach This is the kind of stunning beachfront home you'll never want to leave. Enjoy luxurious, group-friendly spaces, dedicated media room and private beach access. From $1553 a night, sleeps 12. Barefoot, Callala Beach A luxe, modern riff on the classic beach house, with open-plan living spaces spilling right out onto private lawn and sandy shoreline. From $900 a night, sleeps four. Izba, Callala Bay Revel in your own Mediterranean-inspired paradise right on Callala Bay. This one's a lofty pad with dreamy outlook, luxury features and absolute water frontage. From $867 a night, sleeps nine. Gorgeous Beachside Cottage, Vincentia With its stylish fit-out and peaceful setting amongst sandy shoreline and natural bushland, this beachside bungalow makes for an idyllic couples' coast escape. From $229 a night, sleeps two. Cloud Nine Luxury Villa, Vincentia This architectural stunner boasts an incredible outlook over Jervis Bay, with luxurious interiors to match. Expect high-end features and a stunning deck for soaking up those views. From $690 a night, sleeps six. The River Retreat, Sussex Inlet A pet-friendly holiday paradise, set right on the river's edge. This one's got a breezy indoor-outdoor set-up with sunny waterfront lawn and its own private jetty. From $632 a night, sleeps six. The Old Bottleshop, Currarong If you're after irresistible ocean views, direct beach access and a bright, modern pad to unwind in, this is it. Pool table and roomy verandahs, included. From $814 a night, sleeps eight. Prince Edward Escape, Culburra Beach Metres from the sand, with newly renovated interiors, an enviable outdoor set-up and a separate studio apartment, this chic coastal cottage is a summer holiday dream. From $665 a night, sleeps eight. Top image: Atra FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
Near, far, no matter how much of a Titanic and/or Celine Dion fan you are, there's no denying how apt the lyrics to 'My Heart Will Go On' have proven. The film's fame went on, and continues to do so nearing three decades since the movie became the king of the boat-set blockbuster world. Dion's Oscar-winning theme tune goes on, including as an earworm that's hard to get out of your head. Ways to nod to both the picture and its central track keep going on as well — and Titanique, the stage production that riffs on Titanic and adores Dion, is doing exactly that in Sydney by extending its Australian-exclusive (and -debut) season. What if you were at a Titanic museum and Dion was there? What if she was not only your narrator, but her songs accompanied the tale that she was telling? What if Titanic got an off-Broadway musical-comedy parody that went heavy on Dion, then? That's Titanique, as Aussie audiences have been enjoying in the Harbour City since September 2024, and now can continue to see until the beginning of winter 2025. The production's Australian run will now play until Sunday, June 1, adding an extra nine weeks to a season that's already been lengthy. Yes, you could call the show's Aussie stay at The Grand Electric in Surry Hills titanic if you want to. The amusing ode to James Cameron's (Avatar: The Way of Water) movie dives back into the story of Jack and Rose, with Drew Weston and Georgina Hopson stepping into Leonardo DiCaprio (Killers of the Flower Moon) and Kate Winslet's (The Regime) shoes as Jack and Rose — and Marney McQueen playing Dion. It was back in 2017 that the show premiered in Los Angeles, and in 2022 that it set a course for off-Broadway. It has also sailed into both Canada and the UK — but Australia was its first international stop. So far, the production has three Lucille Lortel Awards to its name, plus two Dorian Awards and the Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best New Musical, among other gongs. And as for the songs, co-writers Blue, Marla Mindelle (Sister Act) and Constantine Rousouli (Cruel Intentions) — with the latter two originally starring as Céline and Jack — have worked in everything from Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On', of course, to 'Where Does My Heart Beat Now' and 'A New Day Has Come'. If you haven't caught Titanique in Australia yet and you're keen to step onboard (well, into the theatre) with the gang, it's also doing party packages. Titanique plays The Grand Electric, 199 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills, Sydney until Sunday, June 1, 2025, with the next batch of tickets available from 10am on Thursday, February 13, 2025 — head to the show's website for purchases and further information. Images: Daniel Boud.
Chances are, you're well overdue for a relaxed group getaway with your besties, and it just so happens that Australia's chock full of world-class vacation spots to suit all types. And for that group escape, Byron Bay is delivering the goods, as always. In northern NSW, you'll find a healthy dose of sun, sea and subtropical rainforest awaiting your arrival. Plus, an array of waterfront villas and roomy coastal retreats ideal for a beach vacay with your besties. We've done the hard work and rounded up the best group Airbnbs you can book in Byron Bay. Pack those bags and get set for a hard-earned beach adventure. Recommended Reads: The Best Places to Go Glamping in NSW The Best Tiny Houses You Can Book Around NSW The Best Hotels in Sydney The Best Places to Stay in the Blue Mountains Elevation, Byron Bay Luxe vacation vibes abound at this newly renovated architectural stunner, complete with heated pool and spa, and enormous sun-drenched deck. From $1321 a night, sleeps eight. Paradiso Property, Byron Bay Sporting soothing whites and natural finishes, this group retreat feels instantly relaxing. There's loads of space indoors and out, plus a brand-new pool. From $750 a night, sleeps eight. Belongil on the Beach, Byron Bay Swap city life for a weekend of blissful Byron beachfront. This sprawling house boasts cheery nautical styling and a backyard right on the water's edge. From $700 a night, sleeps six. Havana Lodge, Byron Bay With its contemporary boho styling, nature-filled surrounds and dreamy meditation loft, this eclectic retreat is the ultimate antidote to fast-paced city living. From $449 a night, sleeps four. Byron Superluxe, Byron Bay Boasting loads of outdoor living, a pool and space to sleep 14, this supersized retreat is group holiday perfection. And the beach is just metres away. From $1220 a night, sleeps 14. Beaumonts House, Byron Bay Perched overlooking the sand, this spacious beach house is a true surfer's dream. Expect incredible views and plenty of room to move. From $799 a night, sleeps ten. Eternity Beach House, Byron Bay A leafy oasis just moments from Belongil Beach, this relaxed holiday retreat comes complete with luxury furnishings and state-of-the-art features. From $990 a night, sleeps six. Ayana at the Pass, Byron Bay With its tropical setting and designer interiors, this modern abode is a study in holiday luxury. Enjoy a heated spa, outdoor shower and dedicated yoga deck. From $1380 a night, sleeps eight. Old 55, Byron Bay This beautifully restored Wategos Beach treehouse makes for an inviting beach escape, with roomy open-plan living and lots of outdoor space. From $949 a night, sleeps 11. Memories at Wategos, Byron Bay Just a short six-minute walk from Wategos Beach, this fabulous modern abode is perfect for a day in the sand or lounging by its top-tier pool with your best friends. From $1190 at night, sleeps eight. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy. Images: courtesy of Airbnb.
It's safe to say that as we enter the final month of summer, it's still boiling out there and we could all use a little something to help us through the hot summer days. So why not cool things down (like, -196°C down) with the help of Suntory -196? And if anyone knows how to keep it cool, it's Suntory -196, thanks to their patented Freeze Crush Infuse Technology. This involves flash-freezing whole fruit at -196 degrees Celsius before crushing and infusing it with shochu and vodka, enhancing the flavour profile and providing an extra burst of fruity intensity. See out summer with Suntory and be in the running to win one of 80 Suntory -196 prize packs. While temperatures are still scorching, cool down with -196's refreshing, fruit-flavoured drinks and exclusive, never-seen-before merch created in partnership with Japanese artist Kentaro Yoshida. Lucky winners will score a Suntory -196 Double Lemon four-pack, plus a limited-edition Kentaro Yoshida x Minus -196 A2 screenprint and embroidered cap. The brand new merch designs a one-time-only run of Yoshida's ongoing partnership with Suntory -196 and can't be purchased anywhere else. Thirsty? Enter your details below to go in the running. [competition]988725[/competition] If you can't wait that long for a refreshing tipple, you can head to your nearest store to get your hands on a limited-edition Variety Pack featuring all the classic Suntory -196 flavours — Double Lemon, Double Grape and Double Peach — in a handy 10-pack. The perfect shareable option for you and your mates this summer. Check out Kenny Yoshida's work for an idea of the aesthetics in store, and what you've got to look for next time you're in the bottle shop. Enter now to beat the heat with Suntory -196 or head in store to pick up a Variety Pack now. The competition is for Australian residents aged 18 years and over; T&Cs apply. Images: Supplied.
Each February, there's an easy way to find out what's hitting cinemas in the months ahead. When American football's biggest event of the year arrives, so does a heap of big-name movie trailers. In 2025, the week leading up to the Super Bowl has seen everything from Fantastic Four: First Steps to Jurassic World Rebirth debut sneak peeks. Also capitalising on prime timing: F1. The Formula 1 racing thriller already unveiled a sneak peek in 2024, but now another look has dropped linked to the Super Bowl. In it, Brad Pitt (Wolfs) feels the need for speed as a former driver who returns to the track. Filmmaker Joseph Kosinski clearly experiences the same sensation, too, given that this is his latest flick heading to cinemas after 2022 smash Top Gun: Maverick. "Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, Aston and now McLaren all have a speed on the straights. Our shot is battling in the turns. We need to build our car for combat," said Pitt as Hayes in 2024's teaser trailer — if you're wondering how competitive the storyline will get. Zooming onto the silver screen at the end of June 2025, F1 focuses on fictional team APXGP, with Pitt as Sonny Hayes and Damson Idris (Snowfall) as his colleague Joshua Pearce. Also featuring on-screen: Kerry Condon (Skeleton Crew) and Javier Bardem (Dune: Part Two), giving the movie a recent Oscar-nominee (for The Banshees of Inisherin), plus another winner (for No Country for Old Men) alongside Pitt — and also Tobias Menzies (Manhunt), Sarah Niles (Fallen), Kim Bodnia (Nefarious) and Samson Kayo (House of the Dragon). If Kosinski's feats with his Top Gun sequel didn't already bode well for F1's racetrack action — and they do, and Top Gun: Maverick screenwriter Ehren Kruger (Dumbo) is also onboard here as well — then the fact that the movie shot during actual Grand Prix weekends should, too. F1's racing pedigree includes seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton's involvement, courtesy of his Dawn Apollo Films production company. The feature is also being badged as a collaboration with the Formula 1 community, spanning its teams, drivers and promoters. Check out the trailers for F1 below: F1 releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, June 26, 2025.
How do you choose Australia's best beach from the country's 11,761 coastal locations? That's the enviable annual job of beach expert Brad Farmer AM. It might sound like one of the best gigs that there is, but it's also far from an easy decision given that there's so many places to pick from in this nation girt by sea. So for 2025, Farmer hasn't been able to select just one — he's opted to anoint a ten-kilometre stretch of beaches as the country's finest instead. You'll find the top spots for some beach time in 2025 along the Tasmanian coastline, at the Bay of Fires Conservation Reserve. Farmer has chosen an expanse across the site's southern portion as his pick for the year. In doing so, he's given his list a few firsts. [caption id="attachment_666210" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sean Scott[/caption] Never before has Tasmania taken out top spot for Farmer's recommendations for sun-, sand- and surf-fuelled getaways for the year ahead. Bay of Fires earns the honour after Squeaky Beach in Victoria did the same in 2024 and South Australia's Stokes Bay on Kangaroo Island achieved the feat in 2023. Other past winners include Misery Beach in Western Australia in 2022, Cabarita Beach in New South Wales in 2020, Nudey Beach on Fitzroy island in Far North Queensland in 2018 and Cossies Beach in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, in the Indian Ocean, in 2017. Similarly making history: Farmer selecting a cluster of beaches over a single winner. "I spent plenty of time in Tasmania assessing the beaches and in the end there were so many incredible options I couldn't even settle on one, which is why, for the first time, I'm awarding the best beach to a cluster of neighbouring beach bays in the Bay of Fires," he advised. "They say the colder water is good for you, but even if you're not up for a refreshing dip there is still plenty to do and see along this ten-kilometre stretch of coast. It's a location made for photography or painting, fishing and surfing." [caption id="attachment_990475" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Liz McGinnes[/caption] As always, Farmer has spread the love across his top-ten list around the country. Woolgoolga in New South Wales came in second, then Emily Bay Lagoon on Norfolk Island placed third, Queensland's North Kirra Beach ranked fourth and Little Lagoon in Western Australia sits fifth. After that, South Australia's Fishery Bay earned sixth position, before Queensland, WA and NSW all pop up again — with 1770, Scarborough Beach and Caves Beach, respectively, in that order. Then, Victoria makes a showing thanks to Cowes Beach in tenth place. Situated on the Coffs Coast, Woolgoolga has notched up an impressive feat, too: its second-place ranking makes it Australia's best mainland beach and finished in second spot. Farmer has dubbed it "the quintessential Aussie beach destination". [caption id="attachment_990476" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Norfolk Island Tourism[/caption] He's also badged Emily Bay Lagoon as "Australia's hidden gem in the South Pacific" and North Kirra on the Gold Coast as "Australia's best airport beach". The praise goes on; Shark Bay's Little Lagoon is "a unique oasis", Eyre Peninsula's Fishery Bay is recognised for its sacred First Nations connections and 1770 near Agnes Waters is highlighted for being "a beautiful Queensland inlet shoreline environment". Perth's Scarborough Beach is "Australia's number-one integrated foreshore development", while Caves Beach in Lake Macquarie has the best caves and rock pools to explore, and Cowes Beach on Phillip Island earns affection for its lack of pretence. [caption id="attachment_990477" align="alignnone" width="1920"] www.coastalreflections.com.au[/caption] "Every beach which makes the list is a winner and this year really highlights the incredible diversity of the beach offerings we have here in Australia. It really is like nowhere else in the world. In 2025 we recognise beaches of all shapes and sizes right around the country," he continues. Farmer might've unveiled his picks with less than a month left of summer 2024–25, but you still know what to do from here: start making holiday plans that involve a splash. For Aussies in most states, there's a site on the list in your own backyard. And if there isn't or you're just keen on heading further afield for a gorgeous beach trip, you have options. [caption id="attachment_990478" align="alignnone" width="1920"] @theultimateaus Chris Bulloch[/caption] The Top Ten Best Australian Beaches for 2025 1. Bay of Fires, Tasmania 2. Woolgoolga, New South Wales 3. Emily Bay Lagoon, Norfolk Island 4. North Kirra Beach, Queensland 5. Little Lagoon, Western Australia 6. Fishery Bay, South Australia 7. 1770, Queensland 8. Scarborough Beach, Western Australia 9. Caves Beach, New South Wales 10. Cowes Beach, Victoria [caption id="attachment_990479" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Serio Photography[/caption] [caption id="attachment_990480" align="alignnone" width="1920"] londonerinsydney.com[/caption] [caption id="attachment_990481" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Will Wardle Media[/caption] [caption id="attachment_990482" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lake Macquarie City[/caption] [caption id="attachment_990483" align="alignnone" width="1920"] www.coastalreflections.com.au[/caption] For more of Brad Farmer's beach tips, head to his Best Australian Beaches website. Top image: Will Wardle Media. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
First, Trent Dalton's Brisbane-set Boy Swallows Universe earned love on the page. Then, it became a stage hit. Next, it wowed audiences as a streaming miniseries — and from 22 nominations, now that show is a 12-time AACTA winner. Across two ceremonies on Wednesday, February 5, 2025 and Friday, February 7, 2025, the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts crowned its picks of the past year. Among its accolades, Boy Swallows Universe picked up Best Miniseries, Best Screenplay in Television, and every TV acting gong it could, with Felix Cameron, Phoebe Tonkin, Lee Tiger Halley and Deborah Mailman all collecting trophies. The AACTAs award both small- and big-screen excellence, with more multiple winners coming from the cinema side of the ceremony. After making history with 16 nominations, the most of any movie ever, unconventional Robbie Williams biopic Better Man — which portrays the British singer as a chimpanzee — nabbed nine prizes. Among them: Best Film, Best Lead Actor for Jonno Davies and Best Director for Michael Gracey. From 15 nominations, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga went home with five awards — with George Miller's fifth film in the iconic dystopian franchise rewarded for its cinematography, costume design, hair and makeup, production design and sound. Adam Elliot's gorgeous and heartfelt (and Oscar-nominated) Memoir of a Snail earned two awards, both for its voice acting, for Sarah Snook and Jacki Weaver. Other titles to emerge victorious include Best Drama and Best Soundtrack recipient Heartbreak High; music-to-screen production How to Make Gravy, which aptly earned the Best Original Song prize; Birdeater, anointed Best Indie Film; TV's Fisk, winning for Best Narrative Comedy Series and Best Acting in a Comedy for Kitty Flanagan; Bluey, taking home Best Children's Program and Best Original Score in Television; and Hard Quiz for Best Comedy Entertainment Program and Best Comedy Performer for Tom Gleeson. Also, Otto by Otto won Best Documentary, Anne Edmonds: Why Is My Bag All Wet? collected Best Stand-Up Special and Ladies in Black was awarded Best Costume Design in Television — and the list of winners goes on, spanning Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line, Mozart's Sister, The Musical Mind: A Portrait in Process, Spicks and Specks, Muster Dogs, Miriam Margolyes Impossibly Australian, Grand Designs Australia and MasterChef Australia as well. As always, not everything deserving of love went home with a trophy — but that doesn't mean that Thou Shalt Not Steal, Colin From Accounts and The Artful Dodger, or Audrey, High Country, Christmess, You'll Never Find Me or Territory aren't all great. Here's everything that won — and was nominated: 2025 AACTA Award Winners and Nominees Film Awards Best Film Better Man — WINNER Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga How to Make Gravy Late Night with the Devil Memoir of a Snail Runt Best Indie Film Before Dawn Birdeater — WINNER Christmess Just a Farmer The Emu War You'll Never Find Me Best Direction in Film Better Man, Michael Gracey — WINNER Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, George Miller How to Make Gravy, Nick Waterman Late Night with the Devil, Colin Cairnes, Cameron Cairnes Memoir of a Snail, Adam Elliot Best Lead Actress in Film Laura Gordon, Late Night with the Devil Sarah Snook, Memoir of a Snail — WINNER Jackie van Beek, Audrey Anya Taylor-Joy, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Anna Torv, Force of Nature: The Dry 2 Phoebe Tonkin, Kid Snow Best Lead Actor in Film Eric Bana, Force of Nature: The Dry 2 David Dastmalchian, Late Night with the Devil Jonno Davies, Better Man — WINNER Daniel Henshall, How to Make Gravy Guy Pearce, The Convert Kodi Smit-McPhee, Memoir of a Snail Best Supporting Actress in Film Alyla Browne, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Hannah Diviney, Audrey Kate Mulvany, Better Man Kate Mulvany, How to Make Gravy Ingrid Torelli, Late Night with the Devil Jacki Weaver, Memoir of a Snail — WINNER Best Supporting Actor in Film Fayssal Bazzi, Late Night with the Devil Chris Hemsworth, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Damon Herriman, Better Man — WINNER Damon Herriman, How to Make Gravy Richard Roxburgh, Force of Nature: The Dry 2 Hugo Weaving, How to Make Gravy Best Screenplay in Film Better Man, Simon Gleeson, Oliver Cole, Michael Gracey — WINNER Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, George Miller, Nico Lathouris How to Make Gravy, Meg Washington, Nick Waterman Late Night with the Devil, Colin Cairnes, Cameron Cairnes Memoir of a Snail, Adam Elliot Best Cinematography in Film Better Man, Erik A. Wilson, Matt Toll, Ashley Wallen Force of Nature: The Dry 2, Andrew Commis Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Simon Duggan — WINNER Late Night with the Devil, Matthew Temple Memoir of a Snail, Gerald Thompson Best Editing in Film Better Man, Martin Connor, Lee Smith, Spencer Susser, Jeff Groth, Patrick Correll — WINNER Force of Nature: The Dry 2, Alexandre de Franceschi, Maria Papoutsis Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Eliot Knapman, Margaret Sixel Late Night with the Devil, Cameron Cairnes, Colin Cairnes Memoir of a Snail, Bill Murphy Best Casting in Film Better Man, Alison Telford, Kate Leonard, Kate Dowd — WINNER Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Nikki Barrett How to Make Gravy, Nikki Barrett Late Night with the Devil, Leigh Pickford Runt, Kirsty McGregor, Annie Murtagh-Monks Best Costume Design in Film Better Man, Cappi Ireland Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Jenny Beavan — WINNER How to Make Gravy, Christina Validakis Late Night with the Devil, Steph Hooke Runt, Terri Lamera Best Original Score in Film Better Man, Batu Sener — WINNER Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Tom Holkenborg How to Make Gravy, Sam Dixon Late Night with the Devil, Roscoe James Irwin, Glenn Richards Memoir of a Snail, Elena Kats-Chernin Best Production Design in Film Better Man, Joel Chang, Lisa Brennan Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Colin Gibson, Katie Sharrock — WINNER How to Make Gravy, Benjamin Fountain, Peter Kodicek Late Night with the Devil, Otello Stolfo Memoir of a Snail, Adam Elliot Best Sound in Film Better Man, Paul Pirola, Guntis Sics, Greg P. Russell, Tom Marks, Andy Nelson, Tim Ryan Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Robert Mackenzie, Ben Osmo, James Ashton, Yulia Akerholt, Jessica Meier, Tom Holkenborg — WINNER How to Make Gravy, Craig Walmsley, Stuart Morton, Diego Ruiz, Sam Hayward, Evan McHugh Late Night with the Devil, Emma Bortignon, Manel Lopez, Pete Smith, Cameron Grant Memoir of a Snail, David Williams, Andy Wright, Lee Yee, Dylan Burgess Documentary Awards Best Documentary A Horse Named Winx Every Little Thing Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line Otto by Otto — WINNER Porcelain War The Musical Mind: A Portrait in Process Best Cinematography in a Documentary Megafauna: What Killed Australia's Giants?, Jeff Siberry Skategoat, Dan Freene, Jordan Ritz The Mission, Dean Brosche The Musical Mind: A Portrait in Process, Geoffrey Hall, Emerson Hoskin — WINNER The Speedway Murders, Maxx Corkindale Best Editing in a Documentary Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line, Gretchen Peterson — WINNER ONEFOUR: Against All Odds, Johanna Scott Revealed: Ben Roberts Smith Truth on Trial, Orly Danon The Speedway Murders, Sean Lahiff Welcome to Babel, Karen Johnson Best Original Score in a Documentary Aquarius, Damien Lane Brand Bollywood Downunder, Dmitri Golovko, Burkhard Dallwitz, Brett Aplin Mozart's Sister, Jessica Wells — WINNER Otto by Otto, Stefan Gregory The Speedway Murders, Antony Partos, Jackson Milas, Josh Pearson, Josie Mann Best Sound in a Documentary A Horse Named Winx, Abigail Sie Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line, Wayne Pashley, Travis Handley, Stephen Hopes, Jason King Mozart's Sister, Damian Jory — WINNER The Musical Mind: A Portrait in Process, Pete Smith, Tom Heuzenroeder The Speedway Murders, Michael Darren, Pete Smith, Des Kenneally, Hamish Keen Short Film Awards Best Short Film And the Ocean Agreed Before We Sleep Die Bully Die Favourites Gorgo — WINNER Why We Fight Television Awards Best Drama Series Fake Heartbreak High — WINNER The Artful Dodger The Twelve Thou Shalt Not Steal Total Control Best Narrative Comedy Series Austin Bump Colin From Accounts Fisk — WINNER Strife The Office Best Miniseries Boy Swallows Universe — WINNER Exposure Four Years Later House of Gods Human Error Last Days of the Space Age Best Lead Actor in a Drama Zac Burgess, Boy Swallows Universe Felix Cameron, Boy Swallows Universe — WINNER Rob Collins, Total Control Brendan Cowell, Plum Sam Neill, The Twelve Noah Taylor, Thou Shalt Not Steal Best Lead Actress in a Drama Asher Keddie, Fake Deborah Mailman, Total Control Leah Purcell, High Country Anna Torv, Territory Phoebe Tonkin, Boy Swallows Universe — WINNER Sherry-Lee Watson, Thou Shalt Not Steal Best Acting in a Comedy Patrick Brammall, Colin From Accounts Aaron Chen, Fisk Harriet Dyer, Colin From Accounts Kitty Flanagan, Fisk — WINNER Genevieve Hegney, Colin From Accounts Asher Keddie, Strife Michael Theo, Austin Felicity Ward, The Office Best Comedy Performer Wil Anderson, Taskmaster Australia Aaron Chen, Guy Montgomery's Guy-Mont Spelling Bee Anne Edmonds, Taskmaster Australia Tom Gleeson, Hard Quiz — WINNER Guy Montgomery, Guy Montgomery's Guy-Mont Spelling Bee Charlie Pickering, The Weekly with Charlie Pickering Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Essie Davis, Exposure Rachel Griffiths, Total Control Heather Mitchell, Fake Deborah Mailman, Boy Swallows Universe — WINNER Sophie Wilde, Boy Swallows Universe Asher Yasbincek, Heartbreak High Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Simon Baker, Boy Swallows Universe Wayne Blair, Total Control Bryan Brown, Boy Swallows Universe Travis Fimmel, Boy Swallows Universe Lee Tiger Halley, Boy Swallows Universe — WINNER Ewen Leslie, Prosper Best Direction in Drama or Comedy Boy Swallows Universe, Bharat Nalluri — WINNER Colin From Accounts, Trent O'Donnell Colin From Accounts, Madeline Dyer Fake, Emma Freeman Thou Shalt Not Steal, Dylan River Best Direction in Nonfiction Television Anne Edmonds: Why Is My Bag All Wet?, Simon Francis Better Date Than Never, Mariel Thomas Muster Dogs, Sally Browning — WINNER Stuff the British Stole, Marc Fennell The Jury: Death on the Staircase, Tosca Looby, Ben Lawrence Best Screenplay in Television Boy Swallows Universe, John Collee — WINNER Colin From Accounts, Patrick Brammall, Harriet Dyer Fake, Anya Beyersdorf Fisk, Penny Flanagan, Kitty Flanagan Thou Shalt Not Steal, Tanith Glynn-Maloney, Sophie Miller, Dylan River Best Cinematography in Television Boy Swallows Universe, Shelley Farthing-Dawe — WINNER Boy Swallows Universe, Mark Wareham Exposure, Aaron McLisky Territory, Simon Duggan Thou Shalt Not Steal, Tyson Perkins Best Editing in Television Boy Swallows Universe, Mark Perry — WINNER Colin From Accounts, Danielle Boesenberg Exposure, Leila Gaabi Fisk, Katie Flaxman The Artful Dodger, Rodrigo Balart Best Entertainment Program Dancing with the Stars LEGO® Masters Australia vs The World Mastermind Spicks and Specks — WINNER The 1% Club Tipping Point Australia Best Comedy Entertainment Program Guy Montgomery's Guy-Mont Spelling Bee Hard Quiz — WINNER Have You Been Paying Attention? Thank God You're Here The Cheap Seats The Weekly with Charlie Pickering Best Factual Entertainment Program Alone Australia Gogglebox Australia Muster Dogs — WINNER Stuff the British Stole Take 5 with Zan Rowe The Assembly Best Documentary or Factual Program Australia's Sleep Revolution with Dr Michael Mosley I Was Actually There Maggie Beer's Big Mission Miriam Margolyes Impossibly Australian — WINNER Ray Martin: The Last Goodbye Who Do You Think You Are? Best Children's Program Bluey — WINNER Eddie's Lil Homies Hard Quiz Kids Little J & Big Cuz Play School: Big Ted's Time Machine Spooky Files Best Stand-Up Special Anne Edmonds: Why Is My Bag All Wet? — WINNER Lloyd Langford: Current Mood Mel Buttle: Let Me Know Either Way? Melbourne International Comedy Festival — The Allstars Supershow Melbourne International Comedy Festival — The Gala Rove McManus: Loosey Goosey Best Lifestyle Program Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Australia Gardening Australia Grand Designs Australia — WINNER Grand Designs Transformations Restoration Australia Selling Houses Australia Best Reality Program Australian Idol Australian Survivor: Titans V Rebels MasterChef Australia — WINNER Shark Tank Australia The Amazing Race The Great Australian Bake Off Best Casting in Television Boy Swallows Universe, Nikki Barrett — WINNER Colin From Accounts, Kirsty McGregor, Stevie Ray Fake, Nathan Lloyd The Artful Dodger, Leigh Pickford The Twelve, Kirsty McGregor Best Costume Design in Television Boy Swallows Universe, Kerry Thompson Heartbreak High, Rita Carmody Ladies in Black, Marion Boyce — WINNER Swift Street, Ntombi Moyo The Artful Dodger, Xanthe Heubel Best Original Score in Television Bluey, Joff Bush, Daniel O'Brien, Jazz Darcy, Joseph Twist — WINNER Boy Swallows Universe, Johnny Klimek, Gabriel Isaac Mounsey Exposure, Mikey Young The Artful Dodger, Antony Partos Thou Shalt Not Steal, Vincent Goodyer Best Sound in Television Bluey, Dan Brumm Boy Swallows Universe, Sam Hayward, Scott Mulready, Danielle Wiessner, Nigel Christensen — WINNER Exposure, Paul Finlay, Andrew Miller, Joe Mount, Jared Dwyer Territory, Josh Williams, Pete Smith, Duncan Campbell, Tom Heuzenroeder Thou Shalt Not Steal, Dylan Barfield, Gavin Marsh, Luke Mynott, Tania Vlassova Online Awards Best Online Drama or Comedy Bad Ancestors Buried — WINNER Descent Girl Crush Urvi Went to an All Girls School Videoland Other Awards Best Hair and Makeup Boy Swallows Universe, Angela Conte, Karen Kelly, Anna Gray, Rachel Murphy Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Lesley Vanderwalt, Larry Van Duynhoven, Matteo Silvi, Luca Vannella — WINNER Ladies in Black, John Logue The Artful Dodger, Lynne O'Brien The Moogai, Nick Nicolaou, Paul Katte, Carol Cameron Best Original Song 'Dream On' by Meg Washington, Electric Fields and The Prison Choir, How to Make Gravy 'Fine' by Meg Washington, Electric Fields and The Prison Choir, How to Make Gravy — WINNER 'Forbidden Road' by Robbie Williams, Freddy Wexler and Sacha Skarbek, Better Man 'Side By Side' by Paul Kelly, Runt 'Streetlights' by Jacob Harvey, Under Streetlights Best Soundtrack Better Man, Jordan Carroll Boy Swallows Universe, Jemma Burns Heartbreak High, Jemma Burns — WINNER How to Make Gravy, Meg Washington Last Days of the Space Age, Allegra Caldwell Best Visual Effects or Animation Alien: Romulus, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser, Jhon Alvarado, Alé Melendez, Sebastian Ravagnani, Nicolas Caillier – Industrial Light & Magic Better Man, Luke Millar, Andy Taylor, Craig Young, Tim Walker – Wētā — WINNER Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Andrew Jackson, Jason Bath, Guido Wolter, Rachel Copp, Andy Williams, Lloyd Finnemore – Rising Sun Pictures The Fall Guy, Matt Sloan, Chris McClintock, Matt Greig, Rachel Copp, Dan Oliver – Rising Sun Pictures Transformers One, Frazer Churchill, Fiona Chilton, Stephen King, Feargal Stewart, Alex Popescu – Industrial Light & Magic The 2025 AACTAs took place on Wednesday, February 5, 2025 and Friday, February 7, 2025 at HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast — and you can check out the full list of nominees and winners on AACTA's website.
The year has only just started, but you wouldn't be blamed for planning a city escape already. Your destination could be Little Valley Summerhouse – a charming 50-acre working alpaca farm rich in eco-conscious inspiration, off-grid adventures and contemporary design. Set amid the remote Wollombi Valley – aka the Hunter Valley's wild side – this spot offers boundless rest and an authentic encounter with nature. Guided by the design of architect Matt Elkan, owner-builder Euan Wilcox spent two years shaping Little Valley Summerhouse's spectacular space. Rich in modern details while celebrating the surrounding landscape, this enchanting home drew inspiration from the hand-milled timber huts you can stumble upon in the local hills. Centred around an open breezeway, it's easy to imagine lazing away the day on the deck overlooking the pond. Meanwhile, seamless design helps blend indoor and outdoor spaces to foster atmospheric settings where inhabitants can dine with friends or soak up the peaceful setting in veritable solitude. Here, floor-to-ceiling windows invite plentiful natural light, while an entirely off-grid design enhances the mindfulness of your visit. For example, solar power and passive solar principles keep the need for artificial heating and cooling to a minimum. "I have always wanted the challenge to make a beautiful building, and living out here has given me that chance. Over the last two years, I think we have crafted something quite special," says Wilcox. While leaving behind these cosy walls could be a challenge, Little Valley Summerhouse is immersed in rich native bushland primed for laid-back adventures. Bursting to life with golden hues for the upcoming autumn, guests can also expect to encounter myriad wildlife on the property, from wallaroos to alpacas and miniature donkeys. Of course, there's also an abundance of tuneful birdlife soaring the skies to provide a daybreak soundtrack. For days when the weather takes a chilly turn, a French cast-iron fireplace and 100% alpaca wool duvets are bound to keep guests warm. Just know that Little Valley Summerhouse is proud of its connection to the land, with an approach that deliberately sets itself apart from curated country estates and resorts. By inviting guests to take pleasure in the little things, this agrarian stay offers a chance to embrace nature and refresh your spirit. Little Valley Summerhouse is located in Wollombi Valley, NSW. Head to the website for more information.
When Steven Soderbergh (Magic Mike's Last Dance) and David Koepp (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) work together, someone on-screen is watching on, listening in or both. With the former helming and the latter penning the screenplays, the veteran filmmakers have joined forces on three features so far: 2022's Kimi, as well as the 2025 duo of Presence and Black Bag. Surveillance plays a pivotal part in each. The first of their collaborations focused on an always-eavesdropping smart speaker, plus the company employee who hears something sinister in its audio streams. The third of their shared projects is a spy thriller that hits cinemas in March 2025. Then there's the duo's ghost story, about a family who moves into a home with an otherworldly existing resident. In Presence, the titular entity is indeed peering on and pricking up its ears. How does this ever-prolific pair, whose careers both date back to separate debut movies that screened at the 1989 Sundance Film Festival — Soderbergh's Sex, Lies, and Videotape and the Koepp-scripted Apartment Zero — not only take on the horror-genre staple that is haunted houses, but give it a new perspective? The answer is that very perspective. Presence adopts the viewpoint of the body doing the spooking, which means that the picture's sound and vision presents what its ghost sees and hears. For viewers, there's no question whether there's a spirit lingering about; that's clear immediately. The film's four key humans — matriarch Rebekah (Lucy Liu, Red One), her husband Chris (Chris Sullivan, a veteran of Soderbergh's excellent TV series The Knick), and their teenage children Chloe (Callina Liang, Foundation) and Tyler (debutant Eddy Maday) — aren't as clued in as the audience when Presence begins. They've simply relocated to a new house in the suburbs and are endeavouring to go about their daily lives. The ghost is there before them. It watches on as they navigate dinners, fights, secrets, romances and everything in-between. It spots how Rebekah favours Tyler, and only Chris treats Chloe with kindness. And soon, it starts to make its presence known. Soderbergh came to Koepp about Presence with the basics: "a handful of pages and a strong aesthetic concept," Koepp tells Concrete Playground. From there, for a director who also lensed and edited the film himself — and therefore, as the cinematographer, basically plays the ghost himself — the screenwriter fleshed out a narrative that's as much as family drama as a haunted-house flick. He's working with elements that he loves, and it both shows and pays off, as does the immersive, patient, long-take ghost's-eye camerawork. Koepp has both Stir of Echoes and Ghost Town on his resume, two other tales of haunting entities that he directed. He's no stranger to one-location setups, either, writing David Fincher's Panic Room. Real life was partly an inspiration for Presence, after strange things started happening in Soderbergh's own Los Angeles home, where he knew that someone had died before he moved in. Koepp has had his own encounter with odd occurrences that could possibly be chalked up to the supernatural — but he also knows the thrill that can and does spring from choosing to believe that something ghostly has happened. Building that feeling in, and also the 'has it/hasn't it?' sensation that everyone has had at least when a door swings open or an item has moved unexpectedly, is also one of his Presence feats. Koepp might find excitement and even a dash of optimism in Presence's concept, but that isn't the case with his other surveillance-heavy films with Soderbergh. "I think with a ghost story, yes," he advises. "But I don't find the idea that someone's watching or listening to be hopeful. I find it to be creepy." He continues: "And it's that sense of paranoia is what we're very consciously playing on. Certainly in Kimi. We're right. We've given permission to these devices to just listen to everything we say and do. Everybody's had the feeling of 'hey, I was just talking about Philadelphia, and now my phone is suggesting hotels in Philadelphia'. Well, there's a reason for that. You're not crazy." "And in this, those same feelings of unease — maybe even in this case dread — were things we wanted to play with." Two movies hitting cinemas within two months would be huge for most screenwriters. Koepp also has a third film on its way to picture palaces mid-2025: Jurassic World Rebirth, which sees him return to the franchise after co-penning the OG Jurassic Park script and The Lost World: Jurassic Park, both for Steven Spielberg. His resume highlights go on; Carlito's Way, the first Mission: Impossible, 2002's Spider-Man and Spielberg's War of the Worlds are all on Koepp's filmography, too, and represent just a selection of his wide-ranging array of projects. We also chatted with the Presence scribe about the intimacy of ghost stories, wanting to believe, working with a director who shoots and edits his pictures himself, the variety of films across his busy career and more. On the Intimacy of Ghost Stories — Including When a Haunted-House Film Is a Family Drama Shot From the Ghost's Perspective "Yes, as you point out, ghost stories are really intimate. I've done other ghost stories. I've done one that's meant to be scary, a comedy and this, and I often notice that in most stories, the person who is able to perceive the ghost is usually in some kind of difficult situation in their home life. And that's probably just because that's what makes for drama. You don't want to pick somebody who has everything going well. But I had this theory that perhaps that's also because having experienced a trauma opens you up to be more sensitive to things you couldn't perceive before. I know that there have been periods in my own life when I've gone through things I'd describe now as traumatic, and I felt much more in tune with the emotions of the people around me, because you're just opened up to the world in that way. And I thought 'if you're opened up to the world, why not the other world?'." On Using Real Life as a Starting Point — and Toying with the Excitement of Wanting to Believe "I think that with all of us personally — I can't speak to Steven's experience, but I know in my own, it's something that may or may not have happened, but I really wanted it to have happened. Because who doesn't want to believe these things? And because the very notion of believing in a ghost is optimistic, in that you believe there's something after we die. Who doesn't want to believe that? In Chloe's case, it quickly becomes pretty inarguable. The books were on the bed. The books are now not on the bed. And I guess she can question herself a little bit, but she's not an older person who can say 'oh, I forgot' — she is 16 years old. She knows very well where she left the books. But I do think that most of us who think something like that happened, it's terribly exciting and interesting. Why wouldn't we want it to have happened? And Chloe even says it to her brother later, she says 'can't part of you admit that this is the most-interesting thing that's ever happened in your life? Are you that scared of it that you can't admit that?'." On Writing for a Ghost — and, for a Ghost Basically Played by Steven Soderbergh as Presence's Cameraman "When I first said 'okay, let's do this' and I laid out the story, and then when I started writing it, at first I thought 'oh, this is going to be terribly limiting' — because I'm writing a four-character piece, but I can't ever cut. I can't, if I need a close-up of something, I can't. If I need a reverse, I can't. If I want to suddenly see another character's face for impact, I can't. I can't intercut between locations for suspense. All these tools that are usually available in writing for cinema were now off limits, and I thought 'how limiting'. Then I realised just a few pages into the writing 'no, no, no, you're not writing a four-character piece — you're writing a five-character piece. The fifth character is the presence, and it's played by the camera'. So when I embraced the presence as a character, it could then have feelings and that dictated what happened. It's anxious. It's restless. We know it's kind of fearful because it retreats into the closet frequently. So that made everything much easier, because now I'm writing for a character and I know how to do that." On Penning a Screenplay for a Film That Audiences Will See Differently the Second Time Around "I know everything before I go in, because I've outlined and I've written a summary of it, so I have a good idea who it is and what they're doing. So I'm dropping clues throughout — and there are a number of clues in the body of the film. From a character standpoint, knowing who the presence is and knowing some specifics about them tells me how they would behave. So I think I'm gratified by how many people fully understood it the first time. And I think it does reward a second viewing in that you see all the signposts that were there for you along the way." On the Importance of Presence Being a Film About a Family Struggling as Much as It Is a Haunted-House Film "That was what made it fun. When Steven told me the idea, he said it all needs to be in one house — I mean the aesthetic idea — he said it all needs to be in one house, and I'd like it to be a family. And it hit three of my top boxes for things that I'm interested in writing. It had a strong concept behind it that limited us in some way, and therefore freed us up or forced us into creative solutions. It was all set in a house. I like stories like that. I've done a few of them. Panic Room some years ago, all in one house. And it was a family drama. And one of the things that I like about the big resurgence in horror films in the last ten or 15 or 20 years, I don't know how long it's been now, is that you can you can smuggle in other kinds of stories in the box of a spooky movie. And so I love writing families. I have four kids, I've known a lot of families. We all have our birth families, and if we're lucky enough to have kids, we know that family — and they're very dynamic groups. And it was great fun to be able to write a family drama." On What Keeps Drawing Koepp to Two of Presence's Key Elements: Ghost Stories and One-Location Films "I don't know psychologically, but I do know practically. I call them bottles, in that there's a container for your wine — and much like the Hays Code of the Hollywood in the 30s, 40s and 50s had very strict rules about what you could do and what you couldn't do in terms of sex and innuendo, so the filmmakers were left to think of ways around it and clever ways to insinuate. And I think when you say 'okay, we can't leave the house', then you're compelled to think of creative solutions to your problems. And 'how do I make this interesting even though I'm stuck in this house for the whole movie?'. And 'how do I make that an advantage instead of a disadvantage?'. For me, when you sit down to write something, there's a sense that the world is too big. If you can go anywhere and have them do anything and have absolutely anyone be in it, where do you even begin? It just makes me want to take a nap. But when I'm limited in terms of who can be in it and where they can be, now suddenly I feel like I'm starting to have ideas. I think da Vinci — I don't want to be too highfalutin, but I think Leonardo da Vinci said that all great art is born out of limitation. I'm not saying we're great art, but I think he's right about that." On the Collaborative Process When Working with a Filmmaker Who Directs, Shoots and Edits — as Soderbergh Does on Kimi and Presence "Well, it's particular to the person. All the great directors I've worked with are very hands-on. They don't all do as many jobs as Steven does, shooting it and editing it. Confident people are easier to work with than people who lack confidence. And Steven is extremely confident and extremely decisive. And therefore, he lets other people do their jobs. I know he can do my job. He's an accomplished writer. So I assume if he wanted to, he'd be doing it. He would write it himself — the way he wants to shoot and he wants to edit, so he takes those jobs himself. So I think I appreciate that he guides me, but doesn't try to do it for me." On Jumping Between Indie Films and Blockbusters, Movies and TV, and Screenwriting and Directing Across Koepp's Career "It's what keeps it interesting. I continue to like all kinds of movies. I'll see pretty much anything in the cinema. So I like to try my hand at writing them. And I have this theory that it's like lifting weights. You're supposed to exercise your muscles to the point of failure. I feel like I've tried to exercise my creative muscles across genres to the point of failure — and I have failed. So you find 'oh, I wish I could do that particular type of movie' — turns out I'm not that great at it. But that's what keeps it interesting. You have to continually try different things. And you have to stay in service to the idea. If you have an idea, you can't try to bend it into the kind of film you're comfortable with. You need to become comfortable with the kind of film that the idea demands." Presence opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, February 6, 2025.
Thanks to its extremely photogenic Strawberry Watermelon Cake, Black Star Pastry's fame has spread far and wide beyond the two cities — Sydney and Melbourne — that the Australian bakery has called home over the past decade and a half. It currently only has stores in the New South Wales capital, but dessert lovers everywhere from the Gold Coast and Perth to New Zealand and Singapore can enjoy its two latest creations for the first time ever. Yes, Black Star Pastry is going both national and international. Black Star Pastry is spreading its wares thanks to a new collaboration — and February is indeed the right time for dream team-ups. For a month from Friday, February 14, 2025, the bakery is joining forces with QT Hotels to whip up an exclusive menu. If you're thinking that the two specials on offer really should have a romantic theme given when they're arriving, you're 100-percent right. Whether you're celebrating Valentine's Day or just keen on a super-indulgent treat until Friday, March 14, you can tuck into either The Love Bomb or The Ghost — or both. As their names make plain, these dishes do take their cues from aspects of the modern dating game. Prefer to enjoy one or two solo? No one's stopping you from doing that, either. With The Love Bomb, you'll be sending your tastebuds to chocolate heaven. The dish starts with chocolate financier as a bed, then features chocolate crèmeux and levels of chocolate sponge — with every layer coated in chocolate mousse ganache. On top: red streusel and raspberry chocolate shards. Opt for The Ghost and you'll be feasting on a tiered treat boasting sponge cake, what's been dubbed a "crunchy surprise", vanilla mousse, strawberry and raspberry compote, chocolate truffle garnish and milk-coconut coating. Each costs AU$18, comes with a love letter to keep nodding to the romance angle, and is on QT's limited-time Eat Your Heart Out menu at every QT Hotels & Resorts signature dining restaurant — and via its room service. So, that not only means that you can head to the Sydney, Bondi and Melbourne venues, but also to QT's Gold Coast, Perth, Newcastle, Canberra, Auckland, Wellington, Queenstown and Singapore locations. You have Black Star's Group Head Pastry Chef Arnaud Vodounou and QT Gold Coast Head Pastry Chef Daniel King to thank for the dishes. "The key for both Arnaud and I when creating the cakes was for it to feel like a true collaboration of brands and flavours. The V-Day cakes play on the subtle nods of flair we are known for at QT along with our use of premium ingredients, whilst creatively spinning a signature Black Star Pastry masterpiece to do things a little bit differently," said King. "We can't wait for Australians across the country and our international friends in New Zealand and Singapore to experience our indulgent and delicious creations, many for the very first time," added Vodounou. QT Hotels x Black Star Pastry: Eat Your Heart Out is available from Friday, February 14–Friday, March 14, 2025 at all QT locations — head to the hotel's website for more details.
Plenty can happen in six years. Since the last time that Hans Zimmer performed in Australia, his score for Dune won him his second Academy Award and his work on Dune: Part Two earned him his fifth Grammy, for instance. Over that period, the iconic composer has also given everything from No Time to Die, Wonder Woman 1984, Top Gun: Maverick and The Creator to Prehistoric Planet and Planet Earth III their tunes. One of the biggest names in big-screen music, he's clearly been busy — but he's not too busy to add a three-city Aussie tour to his 2025 calendar. Zimmer will head Down Under for the first time since 2019, again taking to the stage in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. If you've seen him live before, you'll know that this is quite the sonic experience, especially for movie lovers. And if you haven't caught him yet, you'll want to fix that at his April gigs at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney and Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena. [caption id="attachment_990222" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lee Kirby[/caption] For more than four decades now, Zimmer has given screens big and small a distinctive sound. The German composer helped put the bounce in The Lion King's score and the droning in Inception's memorable tunes, and has loaned his talents to everything from Thelma & Louise to Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy to Blade Runner 2049. It's an impressive list that just keeps going and growing — see: above — and it sounds even more impressive when played live and accompanied by an orchestra. The latest trip Down Under for the man who has worked his music magic on a wealth of titles — Hidden Figures, The Boss Baby, Dunkirk, Widows, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, The Lion King remake and The Crown are just a few more of his recent-ish credits — comes not only after his 2019 visit, but after he toured his Hans Zimmer Revealed concert series in 2017, including to Australia. His 2025 shows see the return of his Hans Zimmer Live gigs, complete with a 19-piece live band and full orchestra, as well as a huge stage production that features a luminous light show and other eye-catching visuals. [caption id="attachment_990219" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Suzanne Teresa[/caption] While the Oscar, Golden Globe, Grammy and Tony-winner obviously isn't going to perform every single one of his iconic film scores, expect to hear plenty of your favourites from a newly arranged lineup of tunes that includes Dune, Gladiator, Interstellar, The Dark Knight, The Lion King, The Last Samurai and Pirates of the Caribbean. Onstage, Zimmer will have Australian singer Lisa Gerrard for company, with some of the songs that she co-penned with him featuring in the set — so, tracks from Mission: Impossible, King Arthur, Black Hawk Down, Tears of the Sun and more. "I'm thrilled to return to Australia with my wonderful band and excited to share this phenomenal show. I love this feeling of uniting my family of extraordinary musicians with you, the audience. Just an unbelievable family of talents that — to me — makes them the best supergroup of musicians in the world," said Zimmer, announcing his new Aussie tour. "But nothing would have meaning without the good grace and support of you, the other part of the family — the audience. Ultimately, the music connects us all, and I promise you this: we will always play our best, straight from the heart." [caption id="attachment_990220" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Suzanne Teresa[/caption] Hans Zimmer Live Australian 2025 Dates Thursday, April 24 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre Saturday, April 26 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Tuesday, April 29 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne [caption id="attachment_724856" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Frank Embacher Photography[/caption] Hans Zimmer Live is touring Australia's east coast in April 2025. For more information, and for tickets — with presales from 11am local time on Tuesday, February 11 and general sales from 12pm local time on Wednesday, February 12 — head to the event's website. Top image: Suzanne Teresa.
Just can't wait for another date with The Lion King in one of its many guises? For more than three decades now, since the original animated flick first arrived and became a beloved favourite — as well as a box-office smash and an Oscar-winner — no one has had to. Movie sequels followed, as well as a photorealistic remake with its own prequel. Spinoffs and TV shows have popped up, too. For almost 30 years, The Lion King has also taken to the stage. No stranger to Australia, the film-to-theatre musical has just announced a new date Down Under in 2026. Let's call it the circle of stage productions: a local version of The Lion King initially trod the Aussie boards in 2003, then a second take arrived in 2013. Just as both of those two tours did, the new production will open in Sydney. In fact, it's playing at the same venue, the Capitol Theatre, that The Lion King first roared into when it made its Australian theatre debut. So far, only a month has been announced in terms of timing, with The Lion King set to open in April 2026. No other cities or dates have been revealed as yet, but prior productions have taken the story of Simba, Mufasa and Scar beyond the Harbour City. In the past, almost four-million audience members have enjoyed the show Down Under. Worldwide, that number is more than 120 million, all watching a performance that's played more than 100 cities in 24 countries, and is the biggest-grossing title in history. On the stage, The Lion King is as acclaimed as it is popular, including collecting six Tony Awards in 1998, Best Musical among them — and making its OG director Julie Taymor the first woman to receive a Tony for Direction of a Musical. Can you feel the love tonight? This theatre hit has, repeatedly. [caption id="attachment_990210" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Deen van Meer, Disney[/caption] "Every time we return to Australia, we are reminded of the region's considerable talent pool, both onstage and off, and we can't wait to gather a talented and exciting company for The Lion King," said Disney Theatrical Group Executive Producer Anne Quart and Managing Director Andrew Flatt, who have been with The Lion King onstage since its 1997 US premiere. "We are thrilled to welcome The Lion King back to Sydney, the place where it all began in Australia over 20 years ago. The Walt Disney Company ANZ is proud to be one of only three places in the world where, alongside Broadway and the West End, we self-produce musicals, directly employing hundreds of Australian theatre professionals," added The Walt Disney Company Australia and New Zealand Senior Vice President and Managing Director Kylie Watson-Wheeler. [caption id="attachment_803460" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matthew Murphy, Disney[/caption] [caption id="attachment_803461" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joan Marcus, Disney[/caption] The Lion King will open at the Capitol Theatre, 13 Campbell St, Haymarket, Sydney, from April 2026. For more details, and to join the ticket waitlist, head to the production's website. Top image: Matthew Murphy, Disney.
When that big city life feels like it's getting a little bit much, there's no better antidote than to whisk yourself away for a dose of countryside. Lots of fresh air, an abundance of nature and a slower pace that's guaranteed to relax and revive. And you can find all of that just a quick hop out of the big smoke, with idyllic country cottages, wilderness huts and secluded farm retreats dotted all across the state. Places where you can wake up to nature and spend your days lounging by the fire or exploring acres of surrounding bushland. Well, we've done the hard work for you and pulled together twenty of the most unique country stays you can book right now in NSW. Choose a favourite, pack those bags and get set for a taste of rural living. Recommended Reads: The Best Places to Go Glamping in NSW The Best Tiny Houses You Can Book Around NSW The Best Hotels in Sydney The Best Places to Stay in the Blue Mountains Wilderness Hut Studio, Worrowing Heights Embrace the best of country and coast, at this secluded, self-contained cabin. It's a modern beauty, surrounded by nature and crafted from reclaimed timber. From $335 a night, sleeps two. Casa Del Casson, Smiths Lake A little slice of Mexico in the coastal village of Smiths Lake. With a wood fireplace and dense wilderness surrounds, this log cabin is endlessly cosy. From $250 a night, sleeps six. Billabong Cottage, Termeil This secluded cottage for two overlooks its own lush billabong. Enjoy a cosy fireplace, sunny verandah and complete serenity throughout. From $160 a night, sleeps two. Laguna Sanctuary, Upper Colo A Balinese-inspired cottage, bordered by a freshwater lagoon. This one's got a firepit, heated outdoor spa and sun-drenched overwater deck. From $390 a night, sleeps four. The Stables, Holgate A secluded country escape, just minutes from the beach, this modern cabin is primed for relaxing and romancing. And that bath features incredible views. From $250 a night, sleeps two. JR's Hut, Nangus Escape the world at this mountaintop eco-hut, complete with 360-degree views. It's entirely off-grid, with a fire to keep things extra snug. From $660 a night, sleeps two The Shed at Broger's End, Upper Kangaroo River This former machinery shed is now a stylish cottage, cleverly built with reclaimed materials and boasting its own outdoor pizza oven. From $600 a night, sleeps seven. Japanese Studio, Fitzroy Falls Enjoy your own private Japanese-style retreat set among the lush surrounds of Fitzroy Falls, which is on the doorstep of both national parkland and wine country. From $250 a night, sleeps two. Nearest Neighbour Cabin, Cambridge Plateau Unplug at this charming, off-grid couples' cabin, backing onto heritage-listed rainforest and rolling green acreage. It's as private and peaceful as they come. From $80 a night, sleeps three. Spiral House, Robertson This unique tiny home comes complete with alfresco tub, sweeping views and 33 acres as your private backyard. From $277 a night, sleeps two. Warramba, Glen Alice A contemporary country cottage with styling that'll make you swoon. Unplug, recharge and soak up a taste of rural life. From $805 a night, sleeps six. Romantic Guesthouse, Foxground Recapture the romance at this private studio, overlooking rolling green hills. Enjoy cosy nights around the firepit and sunny days in the infinity pool. From $514 a night, sleeps two. Strikes 2, Eurunderee Enjoy an epic outlook and serenity aplenty when you book a stay at this eco-friendly couples' cottage, set high above the Eurunderee Valley. From $357 a night, sleeps two. The Treehouse, Kangaroo Valley Nab your own treehouse paradise, overlooking the Kangaroo River. This group-friendly retreat is enveloped in nature, featuring a firepit and sun-drenched deck. From $508 a night, sleeps four. The Shearing Shed, Cowra This stylishly repurposed shearing shed makes for a dreamy couples' escape, complete with log fire and loads of farm-style charm. From $250 a night, sleeps two Black Rose Cottage, Mudgee A sweet country cottage with room for ten, this stylish retreat sits just minutes from the heart of Mudgee and is surrounded by wine country. From $375 a night, sleeps ten. Kookawood, Rydal A quaint farmhouse cottage perched high overlooking the Blue Mountains. Enjoy the cosy log fireplace and some truly breathtaking views from the outdoor bath. From $550 a night, sleeps four. Loughmore Cottage, Kangaroo Valley Load up on country-style tranquility at this revamped Irish settler's hut, complete with comfy furnishings and a library full of books. From $250 a night, sleeps two. Barrington Eco Hut, Cobark An eco-friendly tiny home that's primed for an unplugged getaway, featuring a hot shower, cosy fire pit and delightfully remote wilderness setting. From $230 a night, sleeps two. Practice Ground, Glen Davis Surrounded by the rugged cliffs of the Capertree Valley, relax and unwind in this architectural wonder nestled on a 20-acre plot of bushland. From $455 a night, sleeps four. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy. Images: courtesy of Airbnb.
An escape to Aotearoa New Zealand can cater to all your holiday desires, whatever they may be. Whether your idea of a perfect getaway is to be gazing out at incredible scenery, absorbing it all on a hike, bike, paddle, swim or walk, or being pampered into a state of utter relaxation, New Zealand will take your breath away. Make where you stay part of your holiday too, rather than simply a place to rest your head after an experience-packed day. From camping out under the stars beneath one of the darkest skies on Earth to retreating into luxury residences next to vineyards and cellar doors, or even going completely off-grid, the getaways you'll find in New Zealand are uniquely extraordinary. Although New Zealand beckons for a holiday year-round, the seasons will shape your sojourn too. Revel in the charm of changing landscapes in autumn, catch your breath on alpine walks and in hot springs in winter, or experience the energy of spring as native wildlife and vegetation start afresh. No matter when you visit, you'll be welcomed with manaakitanga, a Maōri value encompassing a deep sense of connection and welcome, for a holiday you'll wish never had to end. We've partnered with 100% Pure New Zealand to curate some of our favourite stays in New Zealand, including which season they're best experienced in, to help you plan an unforgettable trip. Flick the switch for incredible getaway venues in autumn, winter and spring. Jump to switcher
Whether you're in Singapore for the first time or are lucky enough to have visited before, there's always more to do, see and experience around the Lion City. Rather than just stop in and marvel at iconic attractions, discover local stories and learn something new the next time you're in the city, with a guided tour by local experts. In partnership with Singapore Tourism, we've pulled together some fascinating tours — many of which are free — where you can get access to insider knowledge to uncover a new side to Singapore. Singapore Walking Tours Kick off your Singapore trip with a walking tour to get your lay of the land. There are several tour operators around the city, but Monster Day Tours is one of the few that offers free daily walking tours through different neighbourhoods. Over two-and-a-half hours, you'll be guided through the historic areas of Chinatown, Kampong Gelam or Little India. If you're more interested in the contemporary side of Singapore, there's also tours of Marina Bay and the Singapore City. You can try your luck joining in on the day, but priority is given to those who have booked a spot in advance. [caption id="attachment_976861" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marklin Ang[/caption] Gardens by the Bay With 1.5 million plants from across the globe spread across over 100 hectares, you could visit the Gardens by the Bay many times over and still not have seen it all. That's why the Gardens offers a series of free sustainability and nature tours around the massive park. Every Saturday and Sunday between 8.30–11.30am, you can learn about topics such as water conservation and sustainable design practices, biodiversity and ecosystems, the sensory features of plants, and the impact of carbon on our climate as a guide takes you through parts of the park. Although it's free to join, you'll have to reserve a spot ahead of time to ensure you don't miss out. Mandai Wildlife Reserve Make some new furry friends when you get a close-up look at local wildlife on a behind-the-scenes tour. Mandai Wildlife Reserve consists of Singapore Zoo, River Wonders, Bird Paradise and Night Safari, and each park offers a range of exciting experiences. Explore Asia's first river-themed animal park with a personal guide or embark on a nighttime adventure through the world's first nocturnal wildlife park. At the Singapore Zoo, you can jump aboard a private buggy for a tour of the orangutans, tigers, KidsWorld and Wild Africa, before you get to meet a giant tortoise and participate in feeding the giraffes. Be sure to add on a backstage experience when you book your ticket. Brass Lion Distillery Brass Lion Distillery is a gin distillery known for its flagship Singapore Dry Gin, along with atypical gins that incorporate local flavours and aromatics, such as osmanthus oolong, butterfly pea and jasmine. For an in-depth experience, book in for the 50-minute distillery tour. Not only will a guide take you through the history of the brand and its production process, but you'll also be treated to a welcome drink and tasting flight of three gins in the upstairs Tasting Room. For a bespoke souvenir, choose your own botanicals and make your own gin to take home at the Brass Lion Gin School. National Gallery Singapore Let's be honest — it can sometimes be a struggle to fully comprehend or appreciate complex works of art. Give the artists the admiration they deserve and delve into major works by Singapore, Southeast Asian and international artists with docent-led tours at the National Gallery of Singapore. There are free tours ranging from deep dives into specific exhibitions and artists to a highlight tour of the whole gallery or building tours of City Hall and the former Supreme Court. Some of these tours require admission passes and you can register for a spot once you're at the National Gallery. Peranakan Museum Explore a significant part of Singapore's history and culture at the Peranakan Museum. 'Peranakan' is derived from the Malay word meaning 'local descendants', and the museum showcases the origins of Peranakan culture in Southeast Asia, as well as contemporary expressions of the culture. Peruse historical artefacts alongside textiles, furnishings and ceramics. The museum also offers free guided tours every day, and you can register on the day once you've paid for admission to the museum. Book your Singapore holiday now with Flight Centre.
Life keeps finding a way to bring new movies in the Jurassic franchise to cinemas — and its characters keep finding a way to come face to face with prehistoric creatures. Three years after Jurassic World Dominion, the saga's latest instalment will stomp into picture palaces come winter Down Under. Welcome to ... Jurassic World Rebirth. Also, welcome to a cast featuring Scarlett Johansson (Fly Me to the Moon), Jonathan Bailey (Wicked) and Mahershala Ali (Leave the World Behind) embarking upon a clandestine mission to a secret island that was home to the research facility for Jurassic Park's original dino sanctuary. The date for your diary to discover how that turns out (which, for the human characters involved, will be badly): Thursday, July 3, 2025. The idea at the heart of the series' seventh entry, as the just-dropped first trailer for the flick shows: on the landmass at the centre of the new movie, different species of dinosaurs to those that the films have featured before roam — species that were considered too dangerous for the park. Johannson plays covert operations expert Zora Bennett, who heads there with Bailey's palaeontologist Dr Henry Loomis and Ali as her righthand man Duncan Kincaid — and company — to obtain genetic material that could help develop drugs to save human lives. Accordingly, Rebirth turns a Jurassic World movie into a heist film — with pesky rampaging ancient beasts. As well Johansson, Bailey, and Moonlight and Green Book Oscar-winner Ali, the movie's lineup of on-screen talent also spans Rupert Friend (Companion) as a pharmaceutical executive; Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer) as a civilian who gets dragged into the mission after becoming shipwrecked; Luna Blaise (Manifest), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty) and Audrina Miranda (Lopez vs Lopez) as the latter's family members; and Philippine Velge (The Serpent Queen), Bechir Sylvain (Black Mafia Family) and Ed Skrein (Rebel Moon) among Zora and Krebs' crew. In the feature's storyline, five years have passed since the events of Jurassic World Dominion — which, for audiences, followed 2015's Jurassic World and 2018's Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom in the Jurassic World saga, plus 1993's Jurassic Park, 1997's The Lost World: Jurassic Park and 2001's Jurassic Park III in the OG Jurassic Park trilogy. Jurassic World Rebirth director Gareth Evans (The Creator) is new to the franchise, but knows a thing or two about flicks about fighting giant creatures courtesy of 2010's Monsters and 2014's Godzilla. Rebirth does have a key link back to the debut Jurassic Park movie, however, with screenwriter David Koepp returning after co-penning the initial film and scripting the second solo. (Koepp also returns to grappling with dinosaurs after a three-movie run writing screenplays for Steven Soderbergh with Kimi, Presence and Black Bag.) Check out the first trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth below: Jurassic World Rebirth releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, July 3, 2025.
Before getting a glimpse into everyone else's lives was as simple as logging into your social-media platform of choice, a game arrived that let its players do something similar with computerised characters. A spinoff from SimCity and its city-building follow-ups, The Sims allows whoever is mashing buttons to create and control virtual people, then step through their existence. First hitting in February 2000, it has spawned three sequels, plus a whole heap of expansion and compilation packs for each — and online, console and mobile versions as well. A quarter of a century since its debut, The Sims still keeps dropping new releases. To mark its 25th birthday, there's now The Sims: Birthday Bundle. That's one way to celebrate the game's latest anniversary. Here's another: stepping inside a three-day Australian pop-up dedicated to the beloved life simulator, which is heading to Melbourne's Australian Centre for the Moving Image from Friday, February 21–Sunday, February 23, 2025. Despite The Sims' more-recent titles, thinking about the game usually means thinking about the 2000s. So, this pop-up is taking that truth to heart by celebrating the Y2K era, too. Going along involves entering inside a 2000s-era pre-teen bedroom that's been decked out by Josh & Matt Design with all of the appropriate touches. Yes, it'll be nostalgic. Yes, there'll be CD towers and blow-up couches, just to name a few decor choices. The pop-up will also feature free stations where you can play The Sims: Birthday Bundle, if the best way for you to commeroate the occasion is by diving into the franchise virtually. In addition, there'll also be a free panel about the game on the Saturday, with speakers including Josh & Matt Design's Josh Jessup and Matt Moss — who are big The Sims fans — and EA/Firemonkeys' Simulation Division General Manager Mavis Chan. "As Australia's home of videogames, ACMI is so chuffed to be celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Sims! For 25 years, The Sims has provided a platform for so many kinds of imaginative play for multiple generations, allowing them to achieve great feats of digital architecture, guide their Sims to dizzying success — or cruelly remove their pool ladders. With each new expansion and sequel, The Sims has expanded its complex social world, reflecting changes to real-life society, and facilitating even more forms of self-expression in its passionate player base," said ACMI Curator Jini Maxwell, announcing the pop-up. "As a long-term Sims player myself, I'm so thrilled to celebrate the game's cultural legacy and personal significance in this event and free talk hosted by ACMI." EA Presents The Sims 25 is popping up from Friday, February 21–Sunday, February 23 at ACMI, Federation Square, Melbourne — head to the venue's website for more details.
Japan has a knack for turning something simple into an elite experience and its snack game is no exception. Whether you've experienced the joys of a Tokyo konbini (convenience store) for yourself or you've only seen the hauls all over social media, the sheer volume of unique and delicious treats can be mind-boggling. So, in partnership with Suntory -196, we've hand-picked our ultimate favourites — from a satisfying savoury bite to the sweet candies to stash in your desk drawer — and found the top spots around Australia to get your hands on them. Happy snacking. [caption id="attachment_820994" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sandoitchi, Leigh Griffiths[/caption] Sandos Grab-and-go food chains have never really taken off in Australia like they have in other parts of the world so actively seeking out a convenience store sandwich when in Tokyo can be a hard concept to grasp. But one bite of a tamago sando (Japanese egg sandwich) will smash through any preconceptions. Made with fluffy crustless milk bread (shokupan) and a rich, buttery egg filling, these decadent bites are beautiful in their simplicity and can be found in pretty much every one of the 50,000 konbini across Japan. Back in Australia, we'd recommend sticking to the dedicated cafes like Saint Dreux in Melbourne CBD which coats an egg slab with a nori (seaweed) sheet and panko breadcrumbs; Supernova, in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley, truffle-laced version served with a curry dipping sauce; or new-kid-on-the-Darlo-block Punpun in Sydney where the chefs steam the eggs into a custard-like consistency before slathering them with chive mayo. Once you've tried the cult classic, venture out to the other iterations, like the pork katsu sando or the fruit sando, stuffed with seasonal fruit and whipped cream — both are done to perfection by the legends at Sydney favourite Sandoitchi. Suntory -196 Japan may be nicknamed the Land of the Rising Sun but the major cities really come alive at night. From walking down neon-lit streets to chatting with locals at intimate vinyl bars and belting out your best rendition of 'My Heart Will Go On' at a karaoke joint, many of the iconic experiences travellers seek out in Japan happen after dark. And many of them happen with a Strong Zero in hand — the cult Japanese premixed drink, made with a blend of shochu, vodka and soda, available in 7-Elevens, Lawsons and Family Marts across the nation. When you're looking to capture a little of that Japanese spirit (both literally and figuratively) ahead of your next night out, pop to your local bottle-o to grab some Suntory -196s, brought to Australia by Suntory in honour of their number one premix in Japan. There are now three exceptional flavours to try — the zesty yet crisp OG Double Lemon; the sweet 'n' sour Double Grape and the oh-so-juicy Double Peach (Double Peach was released just last year and we can't wait to see what new stuff they've got in store for 2025). All three are made using Suntory's patented Freeze Crush Infusion Technology, which involves the flash freezing of real fruit at -196 degrees Celsius before crushing and infusing the fruits into spirits to intensify the flavour profile for double the fruity hit. Can't decide which one to go for? Opt for a variety ten-pack from all major bottle shops, including Dan Murphy's, and slowly sip your way through to find your favourite. Melonpan What happens when two classic comfort foods — bread and cookies — join forces? It creates the ultimate little snack to satisfy those 3pm sugar cravings. Featuring fluffy sweetbread covered by a crunchy cookie crust, melonpan is a slightly sturdier version of the famous Hong Kong pineapple bun and is named for its resemblance to rockmelon. Sydney's Azuki Bakery (Newtown and Wolli Creek) has gained a following for its melonpan — while you're there, grab the best-selling curry pan, a savoury doughnut filled with beef curry. In Melbourne, head to Japanese-inspired bakery and cafe Fuumi Fuumi in South Yarra for its flavoured versions (think matcha, strawberry or chocolate) straight from the oven. Brisbane's well-loved French patisserie Le Boulangerie Amour Fou, with locations in Sunnybank, Indooroopilly, Woollongabba and more, offers its own take on the treat in mocha and mango flavours. Kororo Gummy Candy File this one under 'there's nothing quite like it'. These colourful little gummies are popular across Japan as much for the affordability and novelty as they are for the actual taste — a pack will usually only set you back the equivalent of about AUD$1 and they somewhat resemble a grape, right down to the wrinkly skin that you can (but don't need to) peel off. Inside, the gummy is soft, chewy and bursting with flavour. The most popular flavours are grape, muscat (green) grape and white peach. Owing to these little gems going viral on TikTok a while ago, most Japanese grocery stores in Australia now stock these so check out Maruyu and Amami Mart in Sydney and Fuji Mart in Brisbane and Melbourne. Mochi This traditional rice cake snack comes in so many forms it could have its own article — you can get them stuffed with sweet fillings like red bean paste, fresh cream and fruit or tiny scoops of ice cream; in soup; toasted into a waffle; or transformed into a chewy doughnut. They're so popular that they're not very hard to find in Australia anymore — even the major supermarkets sell them — but quality can vary wildly. Seek out authentic, freshly made mochi at Torori Warabi Mochi in Haymarket, Sydney, in classic flavours like matcha, hojicha and Hokkaido milk. A Melbourne store is due to open later this year. In Brisbane, Sonder Dessert in Sunnybank has been the go-to for years, serving its version coated in roasted soy bean powder with a brown sugar dipping sauce. [caption id="attachment_988373" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 15cenchi[/caption] Japanese Cheesecake Many nations lay claim to having the best cheesecake. There's the New York-style version (uncooked cream cheese with a crumbled cookie base) and the bittersweet yet creamy burnt Basque-style option. But the Japanese version, a soufflé-esque concoction that is wobbly and oh-so-light, must not be overlooked. Uncle Tetsu takes the (literal) cake for bringing this masterpiece to the Aussie masses with stores in Sydney and Melbourne, and both cities now boast cult-favourite LeTAO, too. Meanwhile, Mountain River Patisserie in Runcorn has a good take on the treat for Brisbanites. If you're a ride-or-die basque cheesecake fan, make tracks to Sydney's lockdown darling, 15 cenchi, for the ultimate hybrid. Named for the '15 centimetres of happiness' it promises customers, 15cenchi offers Japanese-style basque desserts in innovative flavours like salted grapefruit and lychee or yuzu. Kit Kats Japanese Kit Kats have been the hot-ticket Japan souvenir for years. Every colleague that has ever been to Tokyo has returned to work with a stash of them. It's a small win for mandatory office days but the bad news? They almost always opt for the same flavours: matcha and strawberry. They're both delicious but it's a true shame when you learn there are over 300 flavours in the range in Japan — you could be treating your palette to a seasonal chocolate smorgasbord with flavours like wasabi, sakura, salt lychee and sweet potato. The next time you're at your local Japanese grocery store, keep an eye out and see what's available. Onigiri Considering how popular premade sushi rolls are here, it's a little surprising that onigiri hasn't had the same impact on Aussie lunchtime culture — until now. Otherwise known as Japanese rice balls, onigiri features steamed rice formed into a triangle and wrapped in a nori sheet. Just like its Japanese counterpart, 7-Eleven Australia has started stocking these portable snacks in three classic flavours: cooked spicy tuna, sweet chilli salmon and chicken teriyaki. If you want to try more unique takes, opt for one of the many hole-in-the-wall joints that have popped up recently. In Sydney, we're big fans of the one stuffed with an onsen egg at Mogu Mogu, the chashu (braised pork belly) and chilli from Parami (a collab with the iconic Chaco Ramen) and the plum kombu from Domo39. In Melbourne, West Melbourne's 279 offers traditional fillings like takana (mustard greens) or cured cod roe while Tokyo Lamington in Carlton gets a bit more experimental with the likes of miso eggplant, bacon and egg or chicken curry. Finally, Brisbane joined the trend a few months ago with the arrival of Shiro where onigiri comes packed with miso pork or salted seaweed. Babystar Crispy Ramen If Mamee Monster Noodle Snacks were a lunchbox staple for you growing up, it's time to graduate to Baby Star Ramen. This raw noodle snack has been around since the 1950s and is so well-loved it even has its own theme park, Oyatsu Town, in Tsu City, Japan. Available in flavours like tonkotsu, garlic, chicken or yakisoba, these noodle strands are salty, crunchy and incredibly moreish — don't be surprised if you finish the entire bag in just a few minutes. You can find them at most Japanese grocery stores around Australia and via JFC Online. Level up your next summer snack sesh by pairing Suntory -196 with any of these top-tier Japanese snacks. Head to Dan Murphy's to pick up a limited-edition 'Suntory -196 Variety Pack' featuring all three epic flavours: Double Lemon, Double Grape and Double Peach.
Running off to a tropical island is one of the ultimate getaway dreams. When the beach surrounds you — and plenty of greenery, too — how can everyday life's troubles cause any bother? On Hook Island in The Whitsundays in the near future, cabin stays will do their part to help you escape your normal existence. So will dining atop a cliff, hanging out at a beach club and swimming in forest pools. A yoga pavilion will assist as well, as will a lounge telling the island's history. If everything goes to plan, come 2027 you'll be able to head to the Great Barrier Reef to relax at the just-announced Hook Island Eco Lodge. More than a decade has passed since the landmass in the Coral Sea boasted its own place to stay, with the former Hook Island Wilderness Resort closing in 2013 after weathering damage from 2011's Cyclone Anthony. A group led by Epochal Hotels' CEO Glenn Piper is setting out to change that. Both sustainability and luxury will sit at the heart of the new eco lodge; indeed, setting a new standard for luxe sustainable travel for Australia is one of the venue's goals. After nabbing the leasehold in 2022, Piper and his team — working with design firm Luxury Frontiers — are also keen to revive the locale following several cyclones, and get visitors enjoying its 9.3-hectare expanse again, including by using Hook Island's natural features as the resort's inspiration. To slumber in, there'll be 39 cabins spanning six different types of accommodation (some at the beach, some in the forest). Multiple eateries will also be part of the site, including a fine-diner atop a cliff that'll pair dishes made with local produce with views out over Stingray Bay. For ocean swims, that's where the beach club will come in — complete with all-day dining, a bar, a pool, a lounge deck peering across Hook Passage and, for evenings, an outdoor firepit. Or, opt to take a splash in leafy surrounds thanks to the eco pools, which'll be among a forest spa. When travellers hit the island, they'll be welcomed at the arrival pavilion. For finding out more about the destination, the Explorer's Lounge will be your go-to. It's obvious what's on offer at the yoga pavilion — and there'll also be a family-friendly lounge, plus an adventure club for kids. Drawing from experience working on the Four Seasons' Naviva in Mexico, Nayara Tented Camp in Costa Rica and Madwaleni River Lodge in South Africa, Luxury Frontiers is set to deck out the eco lodge's interiors with brown, blue, green and coral hues, alongside other tones, that match the island — and design cyclone-resistant buildings made with sustainable materials. Ensuring that the resort settles in harmoniously with the landscape, including its plants and habitats, is also a key component of the plan. "Hook Island is a truly spectacular part of the world — its raw beauty deserves a sanctuary that both preserves and celebrates every facet of its charm. Our vision is bold: to create an experience that redefines luxury travel through a deep, authentic and wild-spirited connection to nature," said Piper. "This project has been a labour of love; we've poured our hearts into blending thoughtful design with a profound respect for the island's heritage and delicate ecosystem. After being closed for more than a decade, we can't wait to soon welcome overnight guests and day visitors alike to experience its magic firsthand." [caption id="attachment_807810" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] [caption id="attachment_604486" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Pierre Pouliquin.[/caption] Hook Island Eco Lodge is expected to open on Hook Island in The Whitsundays sometime in 2027 — we'll update you with more details when they're announced.
Each autumn, Australian movie lovers score a super-sized French treat: a feast of flicks hitting the big screen in cinemas around the country, all thanks to the Alliance Française French Film Festival. In 2025, the fest marks its 36th year. On the lineup: 42 pictures that span the breadth and depth of Gallic filmmaking. So, when you're not enjoying the latest version of the The Count of Monte Cristo, you'll be diving into France's newest black comedies, then plunging into French drama and seeing a restored masterpiece. AFFFF revealed eight of 2025's films late in 2024; now, however, arrives the full 42-title program. To venture to Paris and beyond from your cinema seat, you'll be heading along in March and April around Australia. Kicking off the fest: opening night's Tahar Rahim (Madame Web)-starring Monsieur Aznavour, about singer-songwriter Charles Aznavour — which has been doing big business in France, selling 1.8-million-plus tickets. If you're in Sydney, the fun starts on Tuesday, March 4. Melbourne's season launches the following day, then Brisbane and Canberra the day after that — and Byron Bay the day following. Perth's stint arrives the next week, while Adelaide gets into the action the week afterwards and the Gold Coast joins in another week later. There's more locations on the roster, too. Already the largest celebration of French cinema outside of France itself, AFFFF is even bigger in 2025, hitting up 18 cities — and adding five new locations, in Darwin, Ballina, Ballarat, Warriewood and Warrawong, to its slate. Across its full run, the festival is set to host 5500-plus screenings. After Monsieur Aznavour gets the 2025 event started, the highlights keep coming, right through to closing night's rom-com In the Sub for Love. The aforementioned The Count of Monte Cristo features Pierre Niney (The Book of Solutions) in the lead and takes AFFFF's centrepiece slot, while Jean-Pierre Melville's 1969 great Army of Shadows arrives in 4K Down Under after premiering its restored version at Cannes 2024. Or, catch a 50-years-later remake of Emmanuelle, this time starring Noémie Merlant (Lee) and Naomi Watts (Feud), with Audrey Diwan (Happening) directing — or see Mélanie Laurent (Freedom) and Guillaume Canet (All-Time High) portraying Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI in their final days in The Deluge. Plus, Meet the Leroys is a road-trip dramedy that marks Charlotte Gainsbourg's (Alphonse) latest film, while Prodigies delivers a tale of sibling rivalry with Emily in Paris' Camille Razat. Viewers can also look forward to The Divine Sarah Bernhardt, with Sandrine Kiberlain (Meet the Barbarians) as the eponymous actor; All Stirred Up, a comedy focusing on a customs officer on the border between Quebec and the United States, plus her daughter's attempts to win a cooking contest; and Riviera Revenge, where an affair almost four decade prior sparks a quest for vengeance in the French Riviera. Elsewhere, How to Make a Killing features regular AFFFF face and Call My Agent favourite Laure Calamy (The Origin of Evil), as does My Everything; Louis Garrel and Vincent Cassel (co-stars in the 2024 festival's The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan and The Three Musketeers: Milady) team up in Saint-Ex, about Argentinian pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupéry; When Fall Is Coming is the latest from acclaimed director François Ozon (The Crime Is Mine); and nonagenarian filmmaker Costa-Gavras (Adults in the Room) delivers the personal Before What Comes After. Or, get excited Beating Hearts, which is helmed by Gilles Lellouche (Sink or Swim), stars Adèle Exarchopoulos (Inside Out 2) and François Civil (The Three Musketeers), and played at Cannes International Film Festival 2024 — as did the music-loving My Brother's Band from The Big Hit writer/director Emmanuel Courcol. Also in the Cannes contingent are a range of movies exploring the stories of a courier facing a interview to obtain residency, plus artist Niki de Saint-Phalle, a midlife crisis, pastoral France and being a teenager amid Corsican gang politics, aka The Story of Souleymane, Niki, This Life of Mine, Holy Cow and The Kingdom. The lineup goes on — and so do your reasons to lock in more than a few French movie dates. Alliance Française French Film Festival 2025 Dates Tuesday, March 4–Wednesday, April 9 — Palace Central, Palace Norton Street, Chauvel Cinema, Palace Moore Park, Hayden Orpheum Cremorne, Roseville Cinemas, Warriewood, Sydney Wednesday, March 5–Wednesday, April 9 — Palace Cinema Como, The Kino, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Westgarth, Pentridge Cinema,The Astor Theatre, Palace Penny Lane, Palace Regent Ballarat, Melbourne Thursday, March 6–Tuesday, April 8 — Palace Cinema James Street, Palace Cinema Barracks, Brisbane Thursday, March 6–Wednesday, April 9 — Palace Electric Cinemas, Canberra Friday, March 7–Wednesday, April 2 — Palace Byron Bay, Byron Bay Thursday, March 13–Wednesday, April 16 — Palace Raine Square, Luna on SX, Luna Leedeerville, Windsor Cinema, Perth Wednesday, March 19–Wednesday, April 23 — Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas, Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Adelaide Tuesday, March 25–Tuesday, April 15 — Dendy Southport, Gold Coast The Alliance Française French Film Festival tours Australia in March and April 2025. For more information and tickets, visit the AFFFF website.
As it speeds towards notching up two decades of superhero movies and TV shows, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has experienced both ups and downs — but in 2025, it's finally getting fantastic. This is the year that the Fantastic Four joins the franchise, stepping back to Mister Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, The Thing and The Human Torch's beginnings in the 1960s in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The movie hits cinemas in July; however, you can get your first sneak peek now courtesy of the just-dropped teaser trailer. Before there was a MCU, there were Fantastic Four movies. The initial two to earn a big-screen release arrived in 2005 and 2007, with the latter hitting the year before Iron Man kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As Deadpool and Wolverine did 2024's Deadpool and Wolverine, the Stan Lee- and Jack Kirby-created superhero quartet now join the list of characters who are being brought into the MCU fold, as has been on the cards ever since Disney bought 20th Century Fox. Stepping into Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm's shoes this time, as first revealed for Valentine's Day 2024 in the US: Pedro Pascal, who adds the MCU to his resume alongside the Star Wars realm (thanks to The Mandalorian) and page-to-TV smash The Last of Us, as stretchy group leader Richards; Vanessa Kirby (Napoleon), who is bending light as one of the Storm siblings; Joseph Quinn (Gladiator II) proving fiery as the other; and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear), who is no one's cousin here, instead getting huge, rocky and super strong. In The Fantastic Four: First Steps' debut sneak peek, the focus is on family: family dinners, as cooked by Grimm; family connections and quirks; and the strength of family helping the titular crew with existence's challenges. "Whatever life throws at us, we'll face it together — as a family," Sue notes in the trailer. Pascal and company are taking over from two batches of past movie takes on the superhero team. In the 2005 and 2007 movies, Ioan Gruffudd (Bad Boys: Ride or Die), Jessica Alba (Trigger Warning), a pre-Captain America Chris Evans (Red One) and Michael Chiklis (Accused) starred. Then, in 2015, Chronicle filmmaker Josh Trank gave the group a spin — still outside of the MCU — with Miles Teller (Top Gun: Maverick), Kate Mara (Friendship), a pre-Black Panther Michael B Jordan (Creed III) and Jamie Bell (All of Us Strangers). Directed by WandaVision, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and Succession's Matt Shakman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps pits Pascal, Kirby, Quinn and Moss-Bachrach against Ralph Ineson (Nosferatu) as space god Galactus and Julia Garner (Wolf Man) as the Silver Surfer. Also co-starring: Paul Walter Hauser (Cobra Kai), John Malkovich (Ripley), Natasha Lyonne (Fantasmas) and Sarah Niles (Fallen). Check out the first teaser trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps below: The Fantastic Four: First Steps releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, July 24, 2025. Images: courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and 2025 MARVEL.
Stakes at the ready: more than three decades after Buffy the Vampire Slayer first hit the big screen, and nearing the same span since the undead-vanquishing character first made the leap to television, another TV series looks set to continue the story. Into every generation a new slayer is born, after all. And if this new small-screen effort comes to fruition, it will indeed focus on a new character — but Sarah Michelle Gellar (Dexter: Original Sin) is also set to co-star. As per both Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, a sequel series to Buffy the Vampire Slayer is expected to receive a pilot order from US streamer Hulu, with Gellar in talks to reprise her performance as the Sunnydale resident who spent her nights dispensing with bloodsuckers. Narrative-wise, details from there are scarce, but a fresh face will take the spotlight, with Gellar featured in a recurring role. Behind the scenes, another big name is attached to the new Buffy: Oscar-winning Nomadland director Chloé Zhao, who is set to helm the pilot if it gets the greenlight, and also executive produce. If you're choosing not to get too excited until everything is official, however, that's understandable. Into every few years, reports of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer comeback are born, too. Back in 2018, a Buffy spinoff was in the works, for instance. Alas, like vamps and making daytime plans, nothing happened. Thanks to Audible, though, Slayers: A Buffyverse Story did continue the tale with a heap of the show's original cast, focusing on bleached-blonde vampire Spike (James Marsters, Isla Monstro). Until confirmation that Buffy really is rising again like the creatures its namesake has spent so long battling, it's time to start hoping that other cast members will return to the TV sequel. Among the show's lineup of talent during its 1997–2003 run, and spinoff Angel's span from 1999–2004: everyone from Alyson Hannigan (Office Race), David Boreanaz (SEAL Team), Michelle Trachtenberg (Gossip Girl) and Alexis Denisof (How I Met Your Father) to Charisma Carpenter (Going Home), Anthony Head (Ted Lasso), Juliet Landau (Claws), Emma Caulfield Ford (Agatha All Along) and Amber Benson (I Saw the TV Glow). If it goes ahead, the new Buffy will boast Nora Zuckerman and Lila Zuckerman (Poker Face) as writers, showrunners and executive producers, while Gellar would executive produce as well. There's obviously no trailer for the latest take on Buffy yet, but you can get a blast from the past with trailers from the OG TV series below: The new Buffy the Vampire Slayer doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you with more details when they're announced. Via Variety / The Hollywood Reporter.
It could've been stickier than a marmalade sandwich. After directing the first two Paddington movies so delightfully, and either writing or co-writing both 2014's Paddington and 2017's Paddington 2 as well, filmmaker Paul King opted to dance with another beloved pop-culture character instead of making a third date with a certain adored Peruvian-in-Britain bear. Wonka, starring Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown), as the chocolatier, was also a gem. With Dougal Wilson making his feature helming debut, Paddington in Peru has turned out charmingly as well. Wilson has been behind the lens for decades on music videos, short films and advertisements. If you've seen the clips for 'Fit But You Know It' by The Streets, 'Take Me Back to Your House' by Basement Jaxx, Dizzee Rascal's 'Dream', Jarvis Cocker's 'Don't Let Him Waste Your Time', 'Psyche' by Massive Attack, Goldfrapp's 'Happiness' and 'Life in Technicolor II' from Coldplay — among other vids — then you've seen his work. He's received Grammy, MTV Europe Music Awards and UK Music Video Awards nominations for his efforts, but taking over a big bear hug of a cinema franchise that's adored by audiences of all ages (and, in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, by the one and only Nicolas Cage) is quite a task. Was it daunting? How did Wilson approach it, knowing how much viewers have warmed to all things Paddington on the silver screen over the last decade — and knowing, of course, the character's history on the page, where the Michael Bond-created critter first popped up in 1958, too? "You try not to make the pressure make you have a nervous breakdown, really," he tells Concrete Playground with a laugh. While he was new to the series, he was "surrounded by a very good team who all worked on the previous films", which assisted. "I had the same cinematographer, Erik Wilson [who also lensed Better Man], as the first two films. Same producer, Rosie Alison [Wonka], who is fantastic. Mark Burton [an Aardman Animations veteran, including Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl] was one of the writers who worked on the first two films. And James and Jon, two of the other writers, Jon Foster and James Lamont [the creators of animated series The Adventures of Paddington], they'd also contributed to some of the writers' rooms on the first two films. Then I had the director of animation Pablo Grillo [The Little Mermaid], who was a huge part the first two films." "So I had a really good team to help me, who could, if not reassure me — because it's not something you should be reassuring yourself, but it's hard to work on that, and you just have to chip away and keep working and craft it as best you can — but they had been there before, so they were a great team to work with," Wilson continues. For the franchise's third instalment, Wilson, his veteran Paddington colleagues, plus a cast still led by Ben Whishaw (Black Doves) turning in a lovely and lively vocal performance, all have new terrain to traverse. Although Paddington hails from Peru, he's one of London's most-famous animal residents, and so the first two movies largely set their narratives in the UK. With a roster of actors that's added Emily Mortimer (The New Look) as Mrs Brown, taking over from Sally Hawkins (The Lost King) in the first two pictures, and also enlisted Olivia Colman (Wicked Little Letters) as the singing Reverend Mother at the Home for Retired Bears and Antonio Banderas (Babygirl) as riverboat captain Hunter Cabot, the third film unfurls as an adventure in the South American jungle. Paddington and the Browns (including The Agency's Hugh Bonneville, Houdini and Doyle's Samuel Joslin and Man Down's Madeleine Harris) arrive to visit Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget), then find themselves searching for her — and El Dorado. The job for Wilson, then, wasn't just stepping into a heartwarming saga that King had established and then furthered so wonderfully — it was also upping the stakes, playing with a new location, taking inspiration from Buster Keaton and Werner Herzog, and more. We also chatted with the filmmaker about how he came to make his feature directorial debut with a Paddington flick, what excited him most about the job, balancing the slapstick and emotionally resonant elements of the movie (and others), the importance of Whishaw's voicework, the cast's new big names, how his music-video background assisted and more. On How Wilson Came to Make His Feature Directorial Debut with a Paddington Movie "Well, I was quite happy doing short things. They're great fun and they're very distracting. I had made various attempts to start on a longer-form thing, but I'd always haver about whether I got the story right or get paranoid that it wasn't. And then another short thing would come along and it would be more of a delay before the long thing ever got made. But I was working on another thing — a much-smaller long thing. Then this opportunity came up and I thought 'well, unlike other attempts I was making with features, I knew this would definitely happen' — because they really wanted to make a third film. And while it wasn't what I anticipated the first thing I would maybe try to do in long-form, I realised it was a great opportunity, and as did lots of my friends. They said 'oh, it's Paddington, you've got to do that'. Also I really admired what Paul had done on the first two films. Paul was off doing Wonka, so wasn't going to do the third one. And I really admired the style. I thought the way he told those stories, the way he coordinated the world and created the character Paddington himself, and the tone of the scriptwriting was so good. And that the humour was great. It had this lovely, quite unique modern-British comedic sense. And, despite being a family franchise, he'd really made it quite smart, and you could be any age to enjoy it. So I admired all these things and I thought 'well, I should probably take this opportunity'. But I was really scared because the first two films are really cherished and really good — and very well done. And I was under no illusion that this would be easy. We had to work on the script quite a lot with the writers as well, and develop that. And then it's a real technical challenge — and we were taking Paddington out of the environment in the first two films and taking him somewhere completely new, where he'd only been fleetingly in the first two films. So yeah, it was terrifying. But I felt I had to try." On What Excited Wilson the Most About Diving Into Paddington's World "I find the first two films really funny, but also quite emotionally powerful, and I was excited to try — I guess, as well as being terrified, I was excited to try to create something that if it was at least half as good as those two films, then I felt like I would have been really happy. So that was exciting knowing that we were aspiring to make something that could be good. Specifically, I was very excited by the mixed-media approach that Paul had started in the first two films. Using animation for some parts, I loved that in my short-form work. I was really excited about how intricately and brilliantly the action sequences were done in the first two films. I was keen to get my teeth into the slapstick sequences in this film. I was very excited by the approach to the design of the cinematography and the heightened style which we were going to try to continue. It's challenging because we were in London, and London is a big character in those first two films. And it does really, the locations and buildings in London really contribute to the style. But we are obviously in a natural environment in Peru. So it was a challenge, but I was also excited to try to continue the style of the first two films in an environment that was novel to them. We tried to that by setting it within an Incan labyrinth that sort of became our stand-in for how the National History Museum works in the first film, or Hunter's riverboat becomes the same as the train in the second film. It was just trying to find proscenium arches for certain scenes that continued he style of the first two films in a way that was as fun and as intricate as they did." On the Juggling Required to Make a Warmhearted, Globe-Crossing, Treasure-Hunting Mystery Adventure That's Also About Identity, Acceptance and Kindness "If you don't have both, then it will feel quite one-dimensional. So while Paddington will always mess things up or get himself in quite serious spots of bother, it's all because he means well and it's all because he's trying to do the right thing. So that does guide you in the script-development process. Also, we were completing the circle of the trilogy, which was basically the story of an immigrant who's looking for a home, who's trying to find their home — and then in the second film, someone who becomes part of a wider community but loses that place and has to fight to get it again, and in doing so finds out finds out a bit more about himself. And in the third film, it's about the experience of an immigrant who has to ask themselves where their home really is and what home means. So there was a deeper theme lying behind all the fun and the action, and we had to bear that in mind the whole time. And it obviously comes into focus towards the end of the film where Paddington finds out something about how he ended up in that river in Paddington 2 and where he might really be from. So there was always the undercurrent of that guiding us, and Paddington's outlook on life guides us. Even in the smallest details, like there's a scene where he tries to drive the boat and ends up — spoiler alert — ends up sinking the boat by accident, and that's all just because he wants to help. He wants to do the right thing. And so it often steers you, his outlook on life. It's not gags for the sake of gags. It's gags because he's trying to do the right thing at that moment." On the Scene in Paddington in Peru, Amid the Film's Many Visually Imaginative Sequences, That Wilson Is Most Pleased About "There's a few, but the one I thought was very ambitious but hopefully we carried it off was the finale chase at the end of act three — where Paddington's being pursued by the character Hunter, played by Antonio Banderas, around an Incan labyrinth by an Incan citadel, which is very inspired by Machu Picchu. During the research and location-scouting phase of the project, I went to South America for two months and I saw a lot of Incan architecture. And I went to Machu Picchu twice and explored those ruins, and I realised that would be a great place for a chase and for all sorts of interesting physical comedic moments to develop. In the same way as Paul drew on Chaplin in Paddington 2, I'm an enormous fan of Buster Keaton, and we worked in some Buster Keaton — there's a literal homage to the famous moment where the wall falls on Buster Keaton in Steamboat Bill, Jr within this chase. Then there's references to Raiders of the Lost of the Ark. There's nods to Aguirre, Wrath of God and Fitzcarraldo. But that particular chase around the Incan ruins, that was really fun to do because we had to work out a sequence of comedic moments within a chase that we could then apply to an Incan citadel, and it just felt like a very good expression and condensation of the idea of Paddington in Peru. It's like, let's take Peru and put Paddington inside and hopefully fun will ensue." On Not Really Needing to Guide Ben Whishaw's Vocal Performance — or Imelda Staunton's as Aunt Lucy "They're somewhat old hands at this now, because they've both done two films already. And they're also just brilliant actors. So I often don't really have to tell them really much to do. I just, we get the first few performances, we might develop it, get some options — because sometimes you also don't quite know in the recording session with them exactly what will feel right within the edit, until you get the recordings back to the edit suites and then play those performances off against the other cast or the particular cut you have. But no, they really inhabit those characters. Ben is the heart and soul of Paddington. And when you hear his voice — because we didn't have his voice right at the start, we started just with scratch dialogue. You do a read-through with stand-ins. And often in the edit, it's sometimes my voice doing Paddington's voice, just because we needed Paddington to say something in particular we don't happen to have as a recording. So in the later stages of the edit, we start doing the voice sessions with Ben and with Imelda, and then those voices go in. And also, you don't have Paddington's animation to begin with. You just might have some — again, sometimes it's my incredibly crude drawings, which my editor Úna Ní Dhonghaíle [Young Woman and the Sea] had to up with. She had to do chase sequences where it's just this frozen awful drawing of Paddington. But then when you put Ben's voice on it, somehow it absolutely comes alive and the emotion sings through. And the same with Imelda. I think we got her voice quite late in the day and suddenly the scene just came alive when we put it on. I don't have to tell them to do very much. It's very, very easy with those actors because they are just so expert." On How Crucial Whishaw's Voice Is as Paddington, Especially Given That Colin Firth Was Initially Cast for the First Film "There's a magic to Ben's performance and it just shows you that it's very difficult to put your finger exactly on what it is that that really works when you see that animation combined with that voice. And I think it was very hard thing to predict. He wasn't originally the voice of Paddington, and it was switched during the editing of the first film, I believe — and then once you hear it, you think 'well, how could that ever have been a different choice?'. I think the fact that it maybe wasn't obvious when Paul and his team were making the first film, who Paddington's voice should be, is part of the magic of why Ben works. And it's quite hard to articulate why he works. He just has this — there's an element of wisdom to his voice, but there's also an element of childish innocence to his voice. It's a lovely, subtle, slightly contradictory combination. And there's a real intimacy to his performance. And also you really believe the character and you believe he cares. That's just something interwoven in the fabric of Ben's performance. What exactly, how exactly he does that, I don't know. That's the magic." On Adding Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas to the Cast "We needed an amusing British nun who just felt like she was in a Paddington film. And as soon as someone mentioned Olivia Colman, we couldn't really think of anyone else, so that just seemed to click together. Then we sent her the script and asked if she wanted to do it, and within the same day we got a response: 'love to, I'm already learning the guitar'. So that was it. It was pretty simple. Antonio was equally keen on the project. We needed a charming Spanish riverboat captain who was quite swashbuckling, and of course your mind immediately turns to Antonio Banderas. So they just seemed the right, obvious choices for two archetypal roles. And luckily, they were very, very into it." On the Sense of Responsibility That Comes with Making a Heartwarming, Joyous Film That Offers Viewers an Escape — But Also Have Some Darkness in It "It's a big responsibility. And it's lovely to see the reactions of people who've seen the film and have found joy in it and found their spirits lifted by it. That's a wonderful thing to do. Obviously they're joyful, but you have to have the dark moments as well in order for the joy to work. And also you can't slap the joy on in too saccharine a manner, otherwise they won't feel authentic. But yes, they have a very positive outlook on the world and that all just emanates from Paddington's character, which he has an optimistic view of the world. He always looks for the good in people, and he always believes that if we are kind and polite, the world will be right. So the joy from the films, I think it all emanates from Paddington's worldview and his ability to change people. He often doesn't change that much himself, but he can change other people for the better. He'll find the good in people and change them." On Why the Paddington Films Have Struck Such a Chord with Audiences "I think basically because Paul got it right. He managed to get the character right, managed to get the tone of the humour right and managed to get the execution right. It could have been done differently, but it was just very, very smartly done. And again, you mentioned Ben Whishaw — Ben Whishaw just inhabits Paddington. And then the animation, the director of animation on all the films has been a brilliant guy called Pablo Grillo, and the combination of the way Paddington is designed and moves and animates and emotes with Ben's voice is just something, there's something magical there, and it was to the credit of all the team on the first two films that they just managed to make that resonate. So, I can't take the credit for that myself. I think that's just something that I inherited and I did my best to continue." On How Wilson's Background in Music Videos Helped with Directing His First Feature "That format of filmmaking, short-form, especially short-form set to music, is — well, the way I've done it, is there's a lot of attention to detail because you only get a short amount of time to show stuff. I also try to put stories into these pieces of videos. And I love it when the pieces are as packed as possible and as intricate as possible. So I really enjoyed applying that to the sequences in Paddington. I also thought, for the first two films, they do feel very carefully crafted and every moment seems to count. So it didn't seem too different a style for this film. Although, story is king and the story comes from the script, so I very much had to respect the scenes where the actors have to deliver a story — but I love trying to entwine that with style and design, and how it was directed and how the shots slotted together. Then it really came into its own when I was doing an action sequence or a slapstick sequence, or even a musical sequence, obviously when the Reverend Mother sings a song. So it really helped, but it was also a good new experience to do long scenes with actors performing and delivering great performances. That was maybe something that I hadn't experienced as much when I did short-form of stuff, but I really enjoyed it. I really enjoyed attacking that sort of scene as well." Paddington in Peru released in Australian and New Zealand cinemas on Wednesday, January 1, 2025.
Everyone needs a holiday to look forward to. With 2025 now officially into its second month, and everyone's Christmas breaks feeling like a lifetime ago, planning your next getaway is a self-care essential. Fancy heading overseas, but not too far, to either laze around on a beach or see some mountainous sights? Enter Virgin's latest sale, which focuses on short-haul international flights. Trips to Bali, Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu and New Zealand this year just got cheaper — and you've got five days to grab a bargain. So, get your suitcases ready and book that annual leave. Fares start at $439 return, and are available until midnight AEST on Friday, February 7, 2025, unless sold out earlier. The cheapest option is Melbourne–Queenstown return, but you can also head there and back from Sydney for $469. Next comes Brisbane to Port Vila in Vanuatu from $479, while trips to Bali from Melbourne start at $499 and kick off at $509 from the Gold Coast. Or, get to Queenstown and back from Brisbane from $549 — or to Fiji from Sydney for $569, from Brisbane for $589 and from Melbourne for $599. Other deals include Sydney–Bali from $619, Brisbane–Bali from $659 and Brisbane–Samoa from $689. This sale began at 12.01am AEST on Monday, February 3, 2025, with prices covering Virgin's Economy Lite option. If you're wondering when you'll need to travel, these deals are for periods between Monday, February 17, 2025–Friday, December 12, 2025, with all dates varying per route. As always, inclusions also differ depending on your ticket — and, as usual when it comes to flight sales, you'll need to get in quick. Virgin's February 2025 international flight sale runs until midnight AEST on Friday, February 7, 2025 — unless sold out earlier. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Back in January, you should've already marked your diary for one of the dance-music highlights of 2025: The Warehouse Project making its second trip to Australia. Now, it's time to discover who'll be spinning tunes while you make shapes. Partiboi69, Hector Oaks, X-Coast, Miss Bashful, Carla Martinez: they're all on the just-dropped lineup. If you went to The Warehouse Project's first-ever Australian dates in 2024, then you experienced a slice of history, as this Manchester-born rave-scene mainstay finally made the leap Down Under. The event's Aussie debut clearly went well, hence the return for a second year running. The Warehouse Project is again hitting up Sydney and Melbourne, this time across Thursday, April 24–Friday, April 25. The Prodigy, Basement Jaxx, Fred again.., Skrillex and Happy Mondays have played it overseas. De La Soul, Aphex Twin, Carl Cox and deadmau5, too. For fans of dance music, and just music fans in general, The Warehouse Project's fame extends far past its UK home. For its second Australian trip, Melbourne's PICA will welcome The Warehouse Project for the second time; however, Sydney's event is taking place at Hordern Pavilion in 2025, after setting up shop at Munro Warehouse in Sydney Olympic Park in 2024. This year's events are one-day affairs in each city, too, rather than two nights apiece as happened last year. This remains a two-city tour, though, so if you're keen on hitting up The Warehouse Project in Australia and you live somewhere other than Sydney or Melbourne, you'll need to plan an interstate trip. The Manchester institution's Aussie debut in 2024 came after initially going international in 2023 in Rotterdam and Antwerp. It was back in 2006 that The Warehouse Project first unleashed its club nights on its birthplace, kicking off in a disused brewery and then moving underneath Manchester's Piccadilly station, in a space that's also been an air-raid shelter — and also to a warehouse that dates back to the 1920s. Now, it calls former railway station Depot Mayfield home when it's on in its home city. "After the incredible success of last year's debut, we're excited to revisit Sydney and Melbourne to build on the magic we created. Once again, we'll be pulling out all the stops in production and bringing a mix of both international and domestic artists to two special venues," said The Warehouse Project Co-Founder Sam Kandel about the event's Aussie comeback. "With the special atmosphere the Australian crowd creates, we know this will be an experience that resonates long after the music stops." The Warehouse Project Australia 2025 Dates Thursday, April 24 — Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Friday, April 25 — PICA, Melbourne The Warehouse Project Australia 2025 Lineup Partiboi69 Hector Oaks X-Coast Miss Bashful Carla Martinez The Warehouse Project returns to Australia across Thursday, April 24–Friday, April 25, 2025, with general ticket sales from 11am AEDT on Wednesday, February 5. Head to the event's website for further details. Images: Duncographic / Jordan Munns.
Since it premiered at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival, earning Nicole Kidman the event's Best Actress prize in the process, two scenes from Babygirl have received the internet's ample and avid attention. In one, intern Samuel (Harris Dickinson, The Iron Claw) orders CEO Romy Mathis (Kidman, The Perfect Couple) a glass of milk, unprompted on her part, in a public bar at after-work drinks with their colleagues, keeping his eyes affixed in her direction from across the room as she sips it. In another, George Michael's 'Father Figure' soundtracks a slinky hotel-suite dance — a romp that's equal parts seductive and awkward — that's given by Samuel as Romy watches on. As it charts the duo's heated affair, and the yearning for satisfaction that's driving it so deeply, Babygirl is filled with moments that linger. It's teeming with sequences that other movies to follow are bound to nod to, remake, covet and wish that they had conjured up first, too. It starts with one, with Romy and her theatre-director husband Jacob (Antonio Banderas, Paddington in Peru) getting intimate at home in bed, then Romy rushing to another room to finish the job alone. Another pivotal scene arrives early, as the picture's central pair initially meet on a New York City street. They're both headed to the same place — it's Samuel's first day at Romy's robotics automation company, in fact — but before she knows who he is or that he's working for her, she's spellbound by how he calms down a dog that lunges her way. With her third feature behind the lens — her debut, 2019 Dutch drama Instinct, inspired Kidman to get in touch; 2022's Bodies Bodies Bodies, her second, saw the filmmaker give horror-comedy a delightfully entertaining spin — writer/director Halina Reijn clearly knows how to get viewers to submit. Watching Babygirl means surrendering swiftly to a smart and savvy exploration of desire, identity, control and vulnerability. It means being plunged into Romy and Samuel's thorny relationship, and all of the emotions that it swirls up, as Kidman and Dickinson turn in magnetic, raw and fearless performances. It also means being taken in by a reimagining of the erotic thriller with an unyielding female gaze. And yes, Reijn is well-aware, as viewers also should be, that a film like this, that addresses the orgasm gap and follows a woman seeking sexual fulfilment, mightn't feel so bold and rare in a perfect world where more such movies existed. Part of Babygirl's complexity is the dynamic of submission and domination between Romy and Samuel. Often daring, confident, assertive and brazen, he's largely in the latter role, but he can also be vulnerable and uncertain. At the office, in their professional realm, at the business that she founded and now leads, she has the power. One thing is certain chatting with Reijn and Dickinson, however: making a picture that's not just an erotic thriller, but a comedy of manners in its own way, a clear fantasy, a relationship drama, a kinky romance and a workplace thriller as well, they both happily submit to Kidman worship. When he chats with Concrete Playground, Dickinson has his pile of discs from the Criterion Closet, aka every cinephile's dream location, within reach. Taking us through his picks, he holds each DVD up: "one of them is our dearest Nicole," he beams with To Die For in his hand. Reijn's admiration for Kidman started as an actor herself, with her performing career dating back to the 90s. For challenging theatre parts, the Black Book and Valkyrie star would think about the Aussie talent, and attempt to channel her bravery. "She's god," Reijn tells us. Dickinson's role in Babygirl joins a resume that features one of the all-time great big-screen debuts, with his also-hypnotic turn in 2017's Beach Rats instantly marking him as a certain star. His filmography since constantly proves that true; after parts in TV's Trust and as a Disney prince in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, the 2020s have kept him busy. See: everything from franchise entry The King's Man and the page-to-screen Where the Crawdads Sing to whodunnit See How They Run, Palme d'Or-winner Triangle of Sadness, Emma Corrin (Nosferatu)-led TV must-see A Murder at the End of the World and the World War II-set Blitz. With Beach Rats, The Souvenir: Part II, Scrapper and now Babygirl, he's also enjoyed a stellar run working with female filmmakers. "I've always been really lucky with the films that have come my way and the directors that have come my way, and a lot of them being women, and I've just been grateful for that," Dickinson advises. "Whether it's coincidence or not, I think that a lot of these women you're talking about have a deep access to a certain sensitivity, and an understanding and a humour, that maybe other people don't have. I guess I'll go where they go — and I'll go where they lead me." A couple of trends pop up with Babygirl for Reijn as well. Kidman sits at the heart of them. Casting her female lead in a New York-set, and Christmas-set, erotic thriller about a complicated marriage, Reijn sees the film as a female-skewed response to Eyes Wide Shut, which ticks all of the same boxes. As Australian viewers can't avoid noticing, there's more than just one Aussie touch to Babygirl, too, with Talk to Me's Sophie Wilde playing Romy's assistant Esme and 'Never Tear Us Apart' by INXS on the movie's soundtrack. "It is coincidental, but I don't think it is coincidental," Reijn notes. How did the writer/director shape Babygirl from hearing from a story about another woman from a friend? How did she purposely invert the status quo of 80s and 90s erotic thrillers — and also approach juggling her movie's eager mix of tones? Why was Dickinson initially a little reluctant to sign on, and what did he tap into as Samuel? What goes into a great dance scene for him? We also spoke with Reijn and Dickinson about all of the above, plus much more. On How Babygirl Evolved From Reijn Hearing From a Friend About a Woman Who Had Been Married for 25 Years Without Orgasming with Her Husband Halina: "Honestly, what happened was my response to it. Which was 'what, that's insane!' — something like that. And I went home and I was like 'wait, why did I react like that?'. It was almost like I was judging it. I was like 'no, that can't be true'. Then I started to think about my own experiences that I often had thought about in the past, that it took too long for me to orgasm at the hands of a man — and that I was very insecure, and that I had faked it on occasion just to make him feel better or to just get it over with, or because I was so ashamed and I didn't dare to really ask for him to change the way he was doing it or whatever. Then I started to talk to other women. I was losing it because I was so afraid to do it, but I just forced myself to talk to my girlfriends, to ask them like this, like 'can I ask you something?'. And then it turned out that a lot of my friends had similar stories. Then I started going online to research it, and then I just found out there's a huge orgasm gap. And we're not talking about it. Not enough, not in Hollywood movies. And part of the problem is that the stories that we see, for all the pornography that we see, but also the Hollywood movies — TV is a little bit ahead of us — Hollywood movies are letting women have orgasms in ways that are not possible physically. Even movies that are arthouse, even movies that are supposed to be half produced by women. So I felt it was time to really talk about that — and as a symbol for women in general, for women not orgasming or women not daring to ask for what they want on a deeper existential level, and women not having space enough to even explore themselves." On the Run of Projects That's Led Dickinson to Babygirl — and What It Means to Enjoy Such a Diverse Range of Work Harris: "It's been just a dream, and I've been so lucky that people have let me do this as a job still. I pinch myself every day with the realisation that I get to act and play all these different people, and get to do it with people that I admire. Triangle of Sadness was a huge thing for me. Being part of that was a real turning point. And same with Scrapper and The Iron Claw — all of those things you mentioned are just all in such different worlds. That's the goal for me, is to step into really different, unusual worlds that challenge me as a performer and force me into new versions of myself as well — new skins. Not to sound pretentious, but that's all I ever wished for, is just to have a versatile set of experiences and roles. And I've really been able to, I've been offered that, so I'm grateful." On How Reijn Fleshed Out Babygirl's Narrative Around a Woman in a Sexually Unfulfilling Long-Term Marriage Halina: "I think it all came from the question that I had, because I felt as women, we are so conditioned to become what others — or what we think others — want, and want us to be. So what society expects of us: that we should be perfect mothers and perfect career women and perfect daughters and perfect lovers, and have a perfect vagina and a perfect face. And look young. I felt that all of that, and the idea that we're playing all these different roles and that we're performing all of these different roles and forget to be our authentic self, that made me ask the question: is it possible to love all the different layers of myself? Because if I would accept the darker sides of myself, I would maybe be able to be more my authentic self and let go of all these ideas of perfection. So that is where all the ideas came from. I just thought 'what is the best profession, then, for her to have?'. It's all about chaos and control, really, and so I thought it would be very appropriate for her to be a CEO of a robotics company. Because she's a product of the sexual revolution, she grew up in cults and communes, she was named by a guru — and her whole life is an answer to that, which is the white picket fence, total control. And I thought it's kind of like the beast against machine, if you want to exaggerate it. And the whole movie is informed by that contradiction between control, surrender — the beasts, the civilised layer of ourselves." On What Dickinson Drew Upon to Play a Character Swinging Between Control and Surrender Harris: "Everything. Insecurity and pain and anger and love, it's all part of it, isn't it. It all boils down to what it means to be a human — and I think just normal everyday stuff as well. But the stakes for them, the stakes for them were higher. The stakes of the relationship and the affair, they were high. Confusion as well. Navigating something that you don't understand. Navigating feelings of your own that you don't understand." On How Reijn Knew That Dickinson Was Babygirl's Samuel Halina: "The moment that Nicole said 'I want to do this', first I couldn't sleep for joy and I was overexcited and full of adrenaline. But the next thing is, of course, who's going to play that young man opposite her? Who's going to be able to not only be challenging her as an actor, but be dominating her in these scenes? Someone like her, a total icon and one of the best actors on the planet, how are you going to find a young person to be able to match that? And then, weirdly, during that time I saw Triangle of Sadness. And I had never seen him before. I was so intrigued. And then I went home, and that night I saw Beach Rats, and I was mesmerised. Already Triangle of Sadness had me completely intrigued. But Beach Rats — and then I just saw all of his work, anything he did, the shortest movies, the old movies, everything. I a) got obsessed — and then I also found out that he was very tall, which might sound weird, but it is very important me. As an actress, I've had so many scene partners where I didn't feel that I could show my full strength because I was afraid that they couldn't hold it, not only physically but also emotionally. And so I felt 'this is just a perfect guy, he is the perfect age'. I was lucky enough to get a Zoom with him after he read the script, and and that only made me more confident that I had to have him. But it took me a couple of conversations with him because he was quite — he's very British, he's a very strong-willed person, and I really had to convince him that my movie would be an exploration of consent and power and surrendering control in a layered, complex way, and it was not going to be 50 Shades of Grey. And then he said 'yes', and both me and Nicole knew, even without — she didn't even meet him — we both knew it was going to work out. They met at the most-crazy place, they met at the Met Gala, because they were both there. I texted them both, I was like 'try to find each other'. And I was like a mother sitting here in my apartment — 'aaah, I hope it's going to work out'. Then they both texted me that they felt the other person was amazing, and then we were off to the races." On What Convinced Dickinson After His Initial Reluctance — and What He Was Keen to Explore Harris: "I think it was that initial fear that made me want to do it. And Halina, Halina, I trusted Halina, talking to her and understanding her vision for it and her approach. It made me trust her. It made me intrigued. I wanted to be in her world. I think the character itself was really complex. The opportunity to play someone that was kind of unreliable in their approach, they share information that is unreliable, I liked that. I liked that there was unanswered questions around who he was and where he came from and how he got there. I enjoyed those ambiguities. Also his manner and his directness, and his chameleon-like capabilities. They were all qualities that intrigued me about him. And getting to have fun within those scenes, play the humour and play the embarrassment, I thought it was all very nuanced and human stuff — so always exciting for an actor to jump into." On Reijn Casting Her Long-Held Source of Inspiration in Kidman Halina: "She contacted me after my first movie and that was, of course, a moment of total insanity for me. I thought I was having a psychosis when she contacted me, because I literally carried her around in my heart for so long as a torch against fear. Because I was part of a theatre group that made very, very radical theatre, so I had to do very scary things and I would always channel her. So it was insane to me when she called me. And then we just immediately hit it off, because I think what really connects us — and I mean, for me she's god, so I would never compare myself to her — but what is similar is that we both, however, in life we all have ego, we all have fear, we all have vanity, we all have all these worries about small things, but when she starts to act, or when she embarks on a creative journey, her vanity and ego is at the door; I think that is for me exactly the same. So whatever I am in my daily life, which is a totally a flawed, weird clown, when I start to be creative, there's ego death. There's complete ego death. And that is what connects us and makes — it's almost like a twin soulmate feeling. She calls it sometimes that we communicate through telepathy. And so working together became this really strange, almost-spiritual experience, in which we both just felt such an urgency to tell this story, and such dedication — and also to the humour of it and the playfulness of it and the lightness of it. And to bring warmth to this story, and to hopefully inspire women to liberate themselves a little bit more. That's what I think connects us." On What Excited Dickinson About Collaborating with Kidman Harris: "She's just got such an incredible body of work. She's so impressive. And everything that she's done, she's worked with some of our finest directors. I just was massively excited to get to watch her work, but also work alongside her and really get a chance to be close to that as a performer. But separate to that, she's just a lovely person. She makes everyone around her feel very encouraged and collaborative and creative, and that's just all you could ever ask for in this scenario. It's a difficult subject and it's some vulnerable stuff, and you want someone that's going to go there all the way with you." On Reijn's Embrace of the Eyes Wide Shut Connection, Knowing That Audiences Would Bring Their Knowledge of Kidman's Filmography to the Movie Halina: "When she came onboard, when she said 'I want to play this character' — and what also happened, so first of all, that, of course that it was going to be her, but then the strike happened. And I wrote the whole movie for summer, so I wrote that the second home is going be in The Hamptons, and they were going to be swimming in the ocean. It was completely, in that sense, a very different energy field. Then, because of the strike, we had to reschedule to Christmas. And A24 called me and said 'after the strike, the moment the strike ends, you need to rewrite, you need to rewrite the whole thing. It needs to be Christmas'. And then, of course, I thought Eyes Wide Shut, because it's the best Christmas movie ever. [caption id="attachment_652177" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eyes Wide Shut[/caption] But I also thought about Eyes Wide Shut that it was funny that, if you look at Eyes Wide Shut, of course it has a lot of similar themes about midlife crisis, about sexual exploration, about monogamy versus polygamy, and all of these things — but she only tells him her fantasy, then we go on the whole journey with him, almost as a revenge, as a kind of Pandora's box is opened and now he has to go on this journey. It's an amazing journey but what is her journey? We don't know. We don't go there. We just hear her talk about it. We get some flashes. So I thought it is actually an answer in a way, but I only thought this after the fact, to be honest with you — it's an answer to Eyes Wide Shut. It is a female's journey into what is sexuality, what is monogamy, what do I really want and how hard is it to talk about that in an intimate, very long-term relationship, and how easy, weirdly, is it to be with a stranger and to reinvent myself with this young, strange man? That paradox is amazing to me. I am very grateful that there is some sort of strange magical connection between those movies." On How Dickinson and Kidman Brought Both Chemistry and Awkwardness — and Attraction and Uncertainty — to Romy and Samuel Harris: "Well, we didn't do loads of work. We had some rehearsals, but we really tried to focus on just getting the reality there and finding the nuance. But mostly it just came from not discussing stuff and just trying it. And we didn't talk a bunch. We didn't get to know each other loads. We just did it and tried it and didn't get in the way of ourselves too much, and I think that ended up working out for the best." On the Babygirl's Tonal Balancing Act Harris: "It's always tricky figuring out the tone, what kind of thing you're in. But it starts to fall into place, especially when you have a very strong, assertive voice with a director like Halina — you end up just trusting them and trusting their vision for it, and you fall into place. And it becomes the film it's supposed to be. All of that stuff that you try, it gets mixed up into the pot and then the dish gets made. You throw it all in, you throw the ingredients and you see which ones come out the other side." Halina: "I thought it was incredibly hard to — I really, as an actress, I'm retired now, but I got so many scripts in my life that I didn't understand the tone. It was like 'what do they want?'. So I felt it was my duty to make it very clear, especially because I take this challenge of 'oh, I'm going to make my own genre' —well, then you better know what you put on the page. So I really try to capture the tone in my writing — and on purpose, because this is how I feel. This is where we stand, I feel, as women. We just got the right to vote. Until 1987, we had to have a male guardian with us to get a business loan. It's still proven that if we lose ten pounds of weight, that we get a promotion in our work easier than if we get a master's degree. We're nowhere. So I wanted to show that in how I use genres. So I start out with these very masculine sexual thriller references,of the 90s. And then I venture into a world where everybody turns out to be ambiguous, and it's way more relatable and human and complex and nuanced. I'm using, on purpose, I'm swapping gender — like the scene in 9 1/2 Weeks where Kim Basinger is stripping to a Joe Cocker song and Mickey Rourke is sitting there watching her, I wanted to really copy that scene, but then reverse the gender, swap the gender, where Nicole is sitting there and he's dancing to 'Father Figure'. And all these little Easter eggs, so that you can continually be confused about who has the power, who's chasing who, who's blackmailing who — and is the woman in control, or is she the mascochist, or is her masochism super dominant? And that is where the comedy of manners element steps in and it becomes more of a fable and a fairy tale. And yes, what was hard about it is that I wanted it to be funny. And sex and humour is not always easy to connect, just like horror and humor in Bodies Bodies Bodies was a hard balancing act. But I just love that kind of challenge. Not everybody gets it, because some people feel that when people are laughing in the audience at Babygirl, they feel they don't want that. They want people to not laugh about it because they take it so seriously. But it's meant to make you laugh. It's meant to show you how we're all helpless as humans. We're just trying to control the chaos, but we can't. And that's what my movie is about, it's about pure vulnerability. So it was a balancing act, but I really enjoyed it." On What Goes Into a Memorable Dance Scene, Such as Babygirl's Seductive-Yet-Awkward Hotel Moment, for Dickinson Harris: "Well, I think you said it: seductive, awkward. You don't want it to be too rehearsed. You want it to be silly. You want it to be meaningful. You want it to be awkward. You don't want to be like some Magic Mike planned thing — it's got to feel authentic to the character. But also, I think in that particular scene – well, there's the two dance scenes. There's the rave, which is something different, that's just total hedonism. And then in the hotel, it's almost like a little mating call. He's feeling it out. He's performing to her a little. He's embarrassed. But he's also kind of enjoying the freedom of it. It's like a little bit of liberation for him as well. So there was a lot a lot going on in that scene." Babygirl opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, January 30, 2025.
If you're a fan of Australian music festivals, a feeling of déjà vu might be sinking in right now. In 2024, both Groovin the Moo and Splendour in the Grass announced dates and big lineups, then scrapped their festivals mere weeks afterwards. In 2025, one week after another, both fests have now cancelled their 2025 plans as well. After Splendour confirmed that it wouldn't be back this year, Groovin the Moo has done the same. The latter hasn't advised that it will definitely will return in 2026, either — but the team behind it are asking for lineup suggestions for future fests. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Groovin the Moo (@groovinthemoo) "Groovin the Moo won't be happening in 2025, while we work on finding the most-sustainable model for Australia's most-loved regional touring festival," the event's organisers said via social media. "We will really miss seeing the smiling faces of all our beloved Moo crew — and that means you! In the meantime, which artist would you most like to see on a GTM lineup?" In 2024, the long-running regional music event was due to play six stops: Adelaide, Canberra, Bendigo, the Sunshine Coast, Bunbury and Newcastle, with the latter marking its debut in the New South Wales city. Wu-Tang Clan's GZA, Spice Girl Melanie C doing a DJ set, The Kooks, The Beaches and Alison Wonderland were among the talents on the bill, alongside Stephen Sanchez, Armani White, Kenya Grace, King Stingray, DMA's, Jet, The Jungle Giants, Mallrat and San Cisco, plus Hot Dub Time Machine, Mura Masa, Claire Rosinkranz, Jessie Reyez, Meduza and The Rions — and others. When Groovin the Moo pulled the plug last year, it named poor ticket sales as the reason. "We are extremely disappointed to announce that the Groovin the Moo 2024 tour has been forced to cancel," advised the statement at the time. "Ticket sales have not been sufficient to deliver a regional festival of this kind." "We hope to be able to bring Groovin the Moo back to regional communities in the future." Groovin the Moo won't be taking place in 2025. For more information, head to the festival's Instagram. Images: Jordan Munns.
What do Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night and Sunflowers, Katsushika Hokusai's The Great Wave off Kanagawa and Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa all have in common? Yes, they're all masterpieces. Yes, they all hail from iconic talents. And yes, they're all works that art lovers need to see in-person with their own eyes. Here's something else that they each share: they've all received the Lego treatment, letting you build them yourself, then hang them on your own wall. Lego has announced that Sunflowers is the latest great work to get turned into plastic bricks — and the latest reason that your own home can hold its own with the world's greatest galleries. The company's art range not only lets you display stunning art in your own house, but gets you recreating these masterpieces, too. To construct van Gogh's rendering of golden flowers, you'll be using 2615 blocks. Releasing on Saturday, March 1, 2025, but available to preorder already (for AU$299.99 and NZ$349.99), the new kit is a collaboration between Lego and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Together, they've designed a set that reimagines Sunflowers with 3D bricks, using the blocks to help convey brushstrokes, plus light and shade — and they've also fashioned a Lego creation that isn't small. The finished piece measures 54 centimetres in height and 41 centimetres in width, so you really will want to find the right space to display it. As you construct Sunflowers, you'll be putting together the painting's 16 sunflowers, all with adjustable petals, as well as a removable frame. The kit comes with a hanger, too, alongside a tile with the artist's signature. Lego and the Van Gogh Museum are also dropping a podcast via LEGO.com, YouTube and Spotify on Saturday, March 1, which'll chat through both the artwork's history and the Lego set's design — and is recommended listening while you build. "Working on one of the world's most-famous paintings can be quite daunting, but recreating Sunflowers has been a dream come true. We collaborated closely with the Van Gogh Museum and its experts, delving into the details to meticulously craft a 3D version of the original artwork," said LEGO Designer Stijn Oom. " One of the most challenging yet crucial aspects was translating the impasto effect into Lego bricks while preserving the painting's asymmetrical yet balanced composition. We are incredibly proud of the result and hope our fans enjoy building it as much as we enjoyed bringing Van Gogh's masterpiece to life." For more information about Lego's new Sunflowers kit, which goes on sale on Down Under on Saturday, March 1, 2025 — but is available to preorder already — head to the company's website.
If you were to round up three friends, hit up a chain of bars that are also mini-golf joints, play a couple of games and earn a $20,000 cash prize for your efforts, how would you react? Exclaiming "holy moly" might be the tamest response. You'll probably say those words — well, Holey Moley, to be specific — at least once just by signing up for this putting contest, however. Meet the Holey Moley Open, as hosted by the venues that first launched in Brisbane in 2016. At seven Queensland locations, nine spots in New South Wales, seven more in Victoria, four in Western Australia, and one apiece in South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory, Holey Moley welcomes in mini-golf lovers to get tap, tap, tapping their way through pop culture-themed courses — including over cocktails if that's what takes your fancy. That's been the setup for almost a decade now. With the Holey Moley Open, the same is still on the agenda, but in a tournament that'll whittle down the contenders to 25 teams in each state, and then send one from each to hit the national finals. Here's how it works: first, you need a team of four, and also you all need to be over the age of 18. Then, you're required to register online between Saturday, February 1–Wednesday, February 12, 2025. The Holey Moley crew will select the best entries for the state finals, which'll take place at the OG Holey Moley in Fortitude Valley in Brisbane, Alexandria in Sydney, Crown Casino in Melbourne, Northbridge in Perth, and at the Adelaide and Canberra venues on Tuesday, February 25. If you win on home soil by achieving the lowest combined score, you're then off to Darlinghurst, Sydney on Tuesday, March 11 to vie for the $20,000. And yes, your flights and accommodation there from outside of the Harbour City will be covered by Holey Moley. Seasoned Holey Moley patrons knows that hitting the greens here means playing your way around everything from windmills and clowns to whatever other theming that the venues have dreamed up — usually inspired by movies and TV shows. At the grand final, there'll also be a string quartet providing tunes, champagne to drink, caddies helping the players, live commentary, and a food spread featuring mud cake, sausage rolls and party pies. If you want in on the fun without entering the contest, that's also on option across February — including a nine-hole round for $10 all month with the code TEEOFF. To enter the Holey Moley Open, register a team of four between Saturday, February 1–Wednesday, February 12, 2025 — with state finals set to be held on Tuesday, February 25 and the grand final taking place in Darlinghurst, Sydney on Tuesday, March 11. Head to the event's website for more details.
When you get cosy on the couch with Netflix for entertainment in 2025, you'll be getting sleuthing and tap, tap, tapping; returning to the Upside Down and Nevermore Academy; seeing Oscar Isaac bring Jacob Elordi to life; and discovering which new twisted visions of humanity's use of technology that Charlie Brooker has dreamed up now. They're just some of the movies and TV shows that are set to join your streaming queue this year, with the platform unveiling its annual overview (see also: 2022, 2023 and 2024) of what's hitting its catalogue. 2025's slate also boasts Squid Game's final season, a sequel to The Old Guard, a new Fear Street flick and more Nobody Wants This. From the above, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery marks the third film in the Benoit Blanc franchise, this time with Daniel Craig (Queer) joined by Josh O'Connor (Challengers), Glenn Close (Back in Action), Josh Brolin (Outer Range), Mila Kunis (Goodrich), Jeremy Renner (Mayor of Kingstown), Kerry Washington (The Six Triple Eight), Andrew Scott (Ripley), Cailee Spaeny (Civil War), Daryl McCormack (Bad Sisters) and Thomas Haden Church (Twisted Metal). Adam Sandler (Spaceman) is back on the green in Happy Gilmore 2, which arrives almost three decades after the franchise's first golfing comedy. And, after riffing on Frankenstein in various ways for much of his career, Guillermo del Toro (Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio) has finally officially adapted Mary Shelley's novel — with Isaac (Moon Knight) as its namesake and Elordi (Priscilla) as his creature. As well as more of Charlize Theron (Fast X) in action mode and more RL Stine-based horror, Netflix's list of upcoming movies also sports more Sandler — this time with George Clooney (Wolfs) and Laura Dern (Lonely Planet) in Noah Baumbach's (White Noise) comedy Jay Kelly. Netflix's roster also features Conclave director Edward Berger's The Ballad of a Small Player, a gambling drama with Colin Farrell (The Penguin) and Tilda Swinton (The Room Next Door); Vanessa Kirby (Napoleon)-led page-to-screen thriller Night Always Comes; and Matt Damon (The Instigators) and Ben Affleck (The Flash) sharing the screen again in the Miami-set RIP, which co-stars Steven Yeun (Beef). Or, there's Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) portraying a fraying teacher in Steve — and Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow making her first film since 2017's Detroit, with Idris Elba (Sonic the Hedgehog 3), Rebecca Ferguson (Silo), Anthony Ramos (Twisters) and Greta Lee (Past Lives) among the cast. Australian filmmaker Simon Stone (The Dig) adapts The Woman in Cabin 10 into a movie, starring Keira Knightley (Black Doves), Guy Pearce (The Brutalist) and Hannah Waddingham (The Fall Guy). Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club is hitting the screen with Helen Mirren (1923), Pierce Brosnan (Four Letters of Love) and Ben Kingsley (The Killer's Game); Roald Dahl's The Twits is getting the animated treatment; and documentaries on Eddie Murphy, the Manson murders and the Titan submersible are on the way. Even just among the movie options, the lineup goes on. So, a reboot of 1975 Japanese thriller The Bullet Train, this time called Bullet Train Explosion, sits alongside the Omar Sy (The Killer)-led French Lover, South Korean missing-person flick Revelations and Troll sequel Troll 2 — and plenty more. TV fans can get excited about the returns of Stranger Things and Wednesday, with the former saying farewell — but the Duffer brothers have advised that they're executive producing two new shows, The Boroughs and Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, that'll debut in 2026. Back on 2025, the television comebacks also span Black Mirror, A Man on the Inside, The Vince Staples Show, Alice in Borderland, The Sandman, The Witcher, Cobra Kai, You, Big Mouth, Emily in Paris, The Diplomat and MONSTER. There's much to look forward to among Netflix's new TV shows for the year as well, such as heading back to 1850s Oregon with Lena Headey (Beacon 23) and Gillian Anderson (Scoop) in The Abandons, Claire Danes (Full Circle) playing a writer facing grief in The Beast in Me, Jude Law (Skeleton Crew) and Jason Bateman (Carry-On) starring in Black Rabbit, and the Danish Department Q novels receiving an English-language adaptation led by Matthew Goode (Abigail). Tina Fey (Mean Girls), Steve Carell (Despicable Me 4), Will Forte (Bodkin) and Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) team up for The Four Seasons, playing friends going away for a weekend; The Residence sets a whodunnit in the White House; Last Samurai Standing journeys back to 19th-century Japan; and Italian historical drama The Leopard, which already jumped from a novel to cinemas in the 60s, is now headed to television. Plus, you can also make a date with Agatha Christie adaptation The Seven Dials Mystery, with Helena Bonham Carter (One Life) and Martin Freeman (The Responder) featuring — plus Sirens with Julianne Moore (May December), Meghann Fahy (The Perfect Couple), Milly Alcock (House of the Dragon), Kevin Bacon (MaXXXine), Glenn Howerton (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Josh Segarra (The Big Door Prize). Conspiracy thriller Zero Day boasts Robert De Niro (Killers of the Flower Moon), Angela Bassett (9-1-1), Lizzy Caplan (Fatal Attraction) and Jesse Plemons (Kinds of Kindness) among its stars; Victoria Beckham gets her own documentary to match her husband's; Eric Bana (Force of Nature: The Dry 2) plays a special agent for the National Parks Service in Untamed; and Hacks' Megan Stalter leads Lena Dunham's Too Much. Apple Cider Vinegar and The Survivors are among the new shows made in Australia, the first ripped from the headlines and led by Kaitlyn Dever (Good Grief), and the second adapting The Dry author Jane Harper's Tasmania-set novel. Check out Netflix's ads and teasers for its 2025 slate below: New movies and TV shows will hit Netflix throughout 2025 — head to the streaming platform for its current catalogue. Top image:
The game is ending. That the deadly contest at the heart of Squid Game just keeps going, continuing to pit new batches of 456 players against each other in a battle to the death to win 45.6 billion won, sits at the heart of the award-winning Netflix hit — but the show itself is wrapping up. That the series will say goodbye with its third season was announced in 2024, as was the fact that its final run will arrive in 2025. The streaming platform has now confirmed exactly when: Friday, June 27. Mark your diaries — and get ready to see what happens next in Seong Gi-hun's (Lee Jung-jae, The Acolyte) quest to bring down those responsible for the killer contest. If you've watched season two, which dropped on Boxing Day 2024, then you'll know that Player 456 went back in the game with new fellow competitors for company, and also found himself closer to the person pulling the strings than he knew. Season three will see Gi-hun keep at his pursuit to stop the game. It'll also feature more of his nemesis Front Man's (Lee Byung-hun, The Magnificent Seven) attempts to thwart his plan. However their respective efforts pan out, the show's last run is also set to feature a finale written and directed by series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk. Squid Game is now Netflix's most-popular non-English show of all time; in fact, it holds both the first and second spots on the list, for its first and second seasons respectively. Money Heist season four is third, Lupin season one is fourth, while La Palma, Who Killed Sara? and Berlin are also in the top ten. That Squid Game is a smash isn't new news, of course. It proved such a huge success in its first season that Netflix was quick to confirm that more was on the way — even if season two arrived after a three-year gap. In the show's second season, Gong Yoo (Train to Busan) returned as the man in the suit who got Gi-hun into the game in the first place, as did Wi Ha-joon (Little Women) as detective Hwang Jun-ho, but a series about a deadly contest comes with a hefty bodycount. Accordingly, new faces were always going to be essential — which is where Yim Si-wan (Emergency Declaration), Kang Ha-neul (Insider), Park Sung-hoon (The Glory) and Yang Dong-geun (Yaksha: Ruthless Operations) all came in. If you've somehow missed all things Squid Game until now, even after it became bigger than everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton, the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning series serves up a puzzle-like storyline and unflinching savagery, which unsurprisingly makes quite the combination. It also steps into societal divides within South Korea, a topic that wasn't invented by Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's excellent Oscar-winning 2019 thriller, but has been given a boost after that stellar flick's success. As a result, it's easy to see thematic and narrative parallels between Parasite and Squid Game, although Netflix's highly addictive series goes with a Battle Royale and Hunger Games-style setup. Netflix turned the show's whole premise into an IRL competition series as well, which debuted in 2023 — without any murders, of course. Squid Game: The Challenge has already been picked up for a second season. There's no dedicated trailer for Squid Game season three yet, but you can watch a teaser Netflix's big returning 2025 shows below — and revisit the trailer from Squid Game season two: Squid Game season three streams via Netflix from Friday, June 27, 2025. Season one and two are available to stream now. Images: Netflix.
Right now, Adore Beauty is a huge Aussie-owned retailer known for offering up deals on thousands of beauty products exclusively to online customers. It's also much-loved for its generous free samples and for giving away Tim Tams with every single purchase. But come Saturday, February 1, Adore Beauty will officially have a permanent bricks-and-mortar shop in Melbourne's Westfield Southland. The new store will house skincare, haircare, fragrances, makeup and a heap of other wellness items from over 300 beauty brands — both Australian and international. But team is seeking to make the most of the in-person shopping experience by not merely setting up a bunch of aisles full of products and leaving it there. At the centre of the flagship Adore Beauty store, visitors will find a large curved table that will host regular masterclasses, activations and even the odd live podcast recording. There'll even be a leading-edge digital skin analysis system, which will help punters gain a deeper understanding of their personal skin type and needs. You'll also still get a free Tim Tam with every purchase — thank the chocolate gods. And to entice folks in on the opening day, the Adore Beauty crew is giving the first 250 visitors a free goodie bag chock-full of 20 samples. This is the first retail store out of many more to come for Adore Beauty, with plans for a national store network set to roll out over the next few years. Adore Beauty's CEO Sacha Laing shared, "The Southland store is the first step in a new and exciting chapter for Adore Beauty that will see us bring our online experience that our customers know and love into physical settings where they can explore, learn and play with beauty with the guidance of our in-store experts." Adore Beauty's first-ever retail store opens on Saturday, February 1, and can be found at Level 2 of Westfield Southland, Cheltenham. For more details, you can check out the company's website.
Perfect for a nature-filled long weekend, Grampians National Park boasts some of Victoria's best mountain views, waterfalls, and wildlife. For those looking to temporarily ditch the hustle and bustle of city life, or are after a secluded getaway surrounded by lush greenery, visitors to Halls Gap and surrounding areas can hike to famous mountain lookouts including the Pinnacle, explore the town's food and drink options, or just stay in, light a fire and take in the scenery. That sounds relaxing. In order to keep it relaxing, we did the research and found some of the best stays in the area to rest, relax and enjoy great views. These are some of the region's best Airbnbs for your next kangaroo-and-cockatoo-filled weekend getaway. Recommended reads: The Best Hotels in Melbourne The Best Places to Go Glamping in Victoria The Best Dog-Friendly Stays in Victoria The Best Places to Stay on the Great Ocean Road Blue Ridge Retreat, Halls Gap After a day of exploring Grampians National Park's bushland, pour yourself a glass of wine and settle into this property's spa bath with leafy outlooks from all angles. From $370 a night, sleeps five. Hemley House, Halls Gap Take in the picturesque view of the Grampians' notable wildlife against the backdrop of the mountains from your seat in this property's heated jacuzzi. From $368 a night, sleeps eight. Wine Down, Halls Gap Within walking distance to Halls Gap town centre, this cosy spot offers plenty of activity options. Explore the town's food and drink options, walk any of the several nearby nature trails, or light a fire and unwind in the outdoor kitchen area. From $210 a night, sleeps four. School House Villa, Halls Gap Nestled amongst the trees not far from Halls Gap town centre, visitors of this cottage can enjoy the best of both worlds: the creature comforts of town and the rugged charm of the bushland. From $190 a night, sleeps two. Aztec Escape, Halls Gap Light a fire and ease into a bottle of wine in property's picturesque living area, or step outside and relax on either of its patio areas. From $240 a night, sleeps four. Awonga Cabins, Halls Gap Rent out one of these six cabins for their proximity to an easy 1.3 km walking path to Main Street or to enjoy an evening BBQ on the deck. From $180 a night, sleeps two. The Escarpment, Halls Gap What better way to end a day than by relaxing in the outdoor hanging chair of this treetop-level home with sandstone cliff views — plus, this particular stay is kid-friendly with highchairs and cots provided. From $180 a night, sleeps six. Mountain Hideaway, Halls Gap Enjoy views of the Pinnacle from this property's front verandah or take the 20 minute stroll along the path into Halls Gap for an evening in town. From $205 a night, sleeps six. Heath House, Halls Gap You'd be hard-pressed to find better panoramic mountain views than from the floor-to-ceiling windows of Heath House. From $514 a night, sleeps eight. Redgum Log Cottage, Halls Gap Trade out your usual address for this rustic log cabin with epic mountain views and you might be personally greeted by the local emus, kangaroos, birdlife, and the property's free-ranging chooks. From $289 a night, sleeps six. Halls Gap Cottages Couples Retreat, Halls Gap Under the famous Pinnacle, lay out on this property's outdoor sectional and enjoy the fresh mountain air, views and nearby wildlife. From $317 a night, sleeps two. Hillrise Cottage, Moyston If you're willing to venture a little further, this remote cottage is the perfect base for the explorer. And, if you happen to overheat during your adventures, you can cool off in the nearby dam. From $250 a night, sleeps five. Ironstone, Hills Gap If you want to splurge, check out Ironstone. Designed to be the ultimate couples' retreat, this home's best asset is its spectacular mountain views from the living area, bathroom and bedroom. From $524 a night, sleeps two. Views at Pomonal, Pomonal Settle onto this home's front porch that is the epitome of rural single-level Australiana living with a drink in hand and watch as sunsets colour the skies. From $175 a night, sleeps five. Bush Lodge Retreat, Halls Gap Centrally located in Halls Gap, this cosy holiday home has all you need to relax indoors or out. From $317 a night, sleeps four. Romantic Tiny Home, Halls Gap If you're looking to see if the tiny house craze is for you, this tiny home is compact without sacrificing comfort. However, it also has easy access to trails into the mountains and to town just in case you decide you need to temporarily escape the close quarters. From $177 a night, sleeps three. Dacelo, Halls Gap If you're seeking out an eco-friendly option, there are many places to take in the mountain views in this two-storey home, although the soaker tub might be hard to beat. From $310 a night, sleeps eight. Mount Ida View, Halls Gap Hang out with the visiting cockatoos and kangaroos and take in the scenery on this home's shaded back deck. Or, enjoy a short stroll to the town of Halls Gap and explore the area. From $220 a night, sleeps six. Top image: Redgum Log Cottage courtesy of Airbnb. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
With exciting outdoor explorations, remarkable eateries, eye-opening cultural experiences and an effortless transit system, Singapore is a no-brainer for your next family getaway. Thanks to Singapore Tourism, we've rounded up some insider tips on activities around the Lion City to delight any kids (and kids at heart) and make your family trip to Singapore unforgettable. Skip the tourist haunts for these lesser known adventures when you're here. Race at Hyperspeed at The Palawan at Sentosa Sentosa is a haven for family fun, with everything from tranquil beaches, shops and eateries to theme parks, indoor skydiving, zip-lining and treetop obstacle courses, a dolphin island, and a role-play city for kids. Can't decide where to start? Kick off your Sentosa adventures at The Palawan, where you can get a bite at the food trucks before letting your tiny tots run wild at Singapore's only floating water park, HydroDash, or at the beachside mini-golf course, UltraGolf. The Palawan is also home to a massive go-karting circuit, which spans 308 metres across three levels. What makes HyperDrive stand out is not only its sheer size, state-of-the-art electric go-karts and immersive lighting and sound features, but its innovative Game of Karts experience. Instead of just zooming around the track, drivers can participate in an interactive virtual game while racing, collecting weapons or boosts along the track to beat out the competition. Stimulate Your Senses at Sentosa's Sensoryscape While you're at Sentosa, be sure to explore the newly opened Sensoryscape. As the name suggests, this 350-metre passageway is a treat for the senses, making use of pioneering architecture, soundscapes, augmented reality and light projections. Linking Resorts World Sentosa to the beaches in the south, Sensoryscape features six stops — the Lookout Loop, Tactile Trellis, Scented Sphere, Symphony Streams, Palate Playground and Glow Garden. From verdant views and streams of water to textured plants, scented flora and edible greenery, each garden is designed to be interactive and immersive. As the sun sets, Sensoryscape comes alive with digital projections, sounds and lights to complement the installations. Be a Zookeeper for a Day at Mandai Wildlife Reserve Get up close and personal with Singapore's wildlife at Mandai Wildlife Reserve, which consists of the Singapore Zoo, Bird Paradise, Night Safari and River Wonders. Do more than just marvel at the animals when you visit the Singapore Zoo — children above the age of six can become a zookeeper for a day and learn about Mandai Wildlife's conservation efforts, meet some of the animals, try their hand at basic caring duties and enjoy lunch at Ah Meng terrace. There are two programs: the Kid Edition runs from 9am–1.45pm on Saturdays for little ones between the ages of 6–12, while the Junior Edition runs from 9am–4pm on Saturdays for teens above the age of 13. Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth at the Museum of Ice Cream With 14 themed rooms, interactive experiences, delightful photo opportunities and of course, unlimited ice cream, the Museum of Ice Cream is a pastel-hued paradise. Embrace your love of all things sweet as you play giant games, do arts and crafts, leap around in an inflatable room and dive into a pool of sprinkles. A general admission ticket will also get you unlimited amounts of five different ice cream desserts, but for only 10 SGD more, you can unlock additional flavours with a premium ticket. Marvel at Nature at the Jacob Ballas Children's Garden Located in the Singapore Botanic Gardens, this enchanting park is specifically designed for children under the age of 14 and is the first of its kind in Asia. Intended to educate little ones and foster their appreciation for nature, the gardens include a maze, playground, treehouse, pond, flying fox, potting garden, fruit orchard and classrooms, with interactive activities and educational signs dotted throughout. To preserve the magic of the grounds (and for safety reasons), adults are only permitted if accompanying a child. [caption id="attachment_983728" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Oo La Lab Facebook[/caption] Create Your Own Scent at Oo La Lab For a one-of-a-kind souvenir, book in for a workshop at Chinatown perfumerie Oo La Lab. Adults and teens can have a go at mixing their own scents to create a bespoke perfume, incense or candle. If any little ones want to have a go, there's also a 60-minute workshop for kids aged five and older, where they'll get to learn about smells, play around with fragrances and make their own scented body wash to bring home. Book your Singapore holiday now with Flight Centre.
Among the many great filmmaker-actor pairings that cinema has gifted the world, Ryan Coogler and Michael B Jordan have spent more than a decade cementing their spot on the list. It was back in 2013 that the two first joined forces, one for his feature directorial debut and the other for his first lead film role, on Fruitvale Station. Each time that a new Coogler movie has arrived since, including 2015's Creed, then 2018's Black Panther and its 2022 sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Jordan (Creed III) has been a key part — and after playing Oscar Grant, Adonis Johnson and Killmonger for his go-to helmer, Jordan is at the heart of 2025's Sinners, too. Five pictures into their collaboration now, how does Coogler manage to double down on working with Jordan? Literally, actually. This time, in the director's first horror film, he has cast his favourite actor in two roles. Sinners focuses on brothers — twins, in fact, called Elijah and Elias — who find more than familiar faces awaiting when they try to start afresh upon returning to their home town. They also find much greater troubles than have been haunting them in their lives elsewhere. This is a movie set in America's south in the Jim Crow-era, as well as a film where being able to enjoy blues music at their local bar is a welcome escape for Sinners' Black characters. But as the just-released second trailer for the feature makes clear, there's more than a touch of the supernatural to Coogler's new flick. Yes, things get bloody. Cast-wise, the movie also gets stacked, with Hailee Steinfeld (The Marvels), Wunmi Mosaku (Loki), Delroy Lindo (Unprisoned), Jack O'Connell (Back to Black), Jayme Lawson (The Penguin) and Omar Benson Miller (True Lies) co-starring. Sinners marks the first time that Coogler hasn't either explored a true story, jumped into an existing franchise or brought an already-known character to the screen — and alongside him working with an original tale, he's also telling a personal one. Inspiration came from members of his family, including for the film's setting and pivotal use of music. But Coogler also considers every feature that he's made to be personal. Asked at a press Q&A about the movie and its new trailer if this tops the list in that regard, he advises that "it's interesting because at each point in my life, that statement has been correct — but never like this one". [caption id="attachment_988567" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] "I don't want to give all of this away, but each time I make something — and none of the films that I worked on have had the horror or the thriller element like this one has — but each time I'm conquering a fear, a personal fear of mine, and this one is no different," Coogler also shared. For Sinners, Jordan isn't the writer/director's only returning collaborator. For a picture that's partly shot on IMAX — "I got to get some advice from Chris and Emma, who are masters of the form," Coogler offered, speaking about Christopher Nolan and his producer and wife Emma Thomas — he also reteamed with pivotal talents behind the lens. Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw (The Last Showgirl), production designer Hannah Beachler (Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé), editor Michael P Shawver (Abigail), composer Ludwig Göransson (Oppenheimer) and costume designer Ruth E Carter (Coming 2 America) each return from either Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever or both — some, such as Göransson and Carter, with Oscars for their past efforts working with Coogler. The filmmaker also chatted about his clearly rewarding creative partnership with Jordan, Sinners' origins, its mix of genres and supernatural elements, and his aim with using large-format visuals — plus how Stephen King's Salem's Lot proved pivotal, the eeriness of twins, why making movies is a form of catharsis for him and more. On Making Five Films Now with Michael B Jordan — and How Their Collaboration Pushes Coogler Creatively "It's incredible. With Mike, he was a working actor when I met him. He had been on some incredible television shows, basically been a professional actor since he was a school-aged kid, but he hadn't had a feature-length role where he was the lead just yet. So when we worked together on Fruitvale, that was his first time in a lead role in a movie, and it was my first time making a movie — so in many ways, we've grown up together in the industry, in these situations. I've definitely found a kindred spirit in him. He's somebody who's incredibly gifted. In some ways, it's god-given: his charisma, his ability to channel empathy without even trying. But the other facets are the things under his control: his work ethic, his dedication to the craft. And the other thing is his constant desire to want to push himself, to increase his capacity, to continue to stretch. Having both those things rolled up into one, and being somebody who's around the same age, we became work friends and eventually have become like family since. It's an incredible gift to have somebody like that, who you can call up and say 'hey, I've got a new one for you, what do you think?'. And I know he is always trying to look for new challenges constantly. He doesn't want to rest on his on his laurels. And I thought that this role would be something where we could challenge each other." On Injecting Personal Elements Into Coogler's First Horror Film "Each time I've made a film, it's become more and more personal. With this one, I was really digging into two relationships. One with my maternal grandfather, who I never met, he died about a year before I was born — but he was from Merrill, Mississippi, and eventually moved to Oakland, married my grandmother, and actually built the house that our whole family was based out of in Oakland. And I had an uncle named Uncle James who I came up with my whole life, he actually passed away while I was in post-production on Creed, and he was from another town in Mississippi — and he wouldn't really talk about Mississippi unless he was listening to the blues, unless he had a little sip of old Italian whisky, then he would reminisce. And I miss him profoundly. With this film, I got a chance to dig into my own ancestral history here in the States — not dissimilar to what I was doing with the Panther films, like that generational ancestral history, this is right there for me. And I had a chance to really go to the south and scout and think. And the film is about the music that was so special to my to my uncle — and I couldn't be happier with the film that we'll be able to show you guys in a few months." On the Movie's Supernatural Aspects "The film is very genre-fluid. It switches in and out of a lot of different genres. Yes, vampires are an element of the movie. But that's not the only element. It's not the only supernatural element. The film is about more than just that, and I think it's going to surprise folks in a good way. My favourite films in the in the genre, you could take the supernatural element out and the films would still work — but the supernatural element actually helps to heighten it, helps to elevate it. So I was aspiring to make something in that in that tradition. And the film has elements of all of the things that I that I love. It's really a personal love letter for me to cinema, to the art form, specifically the theatrical experience. It's interesting working in a post-COVID time, when everybody was sequestered — and I know I found myself missing that experience of experiencing things in a room with folks I didn't know, but still reacting in the same way, or maybe reacting in different ways and getting to enjoy that. The film is meant to be seen in that capacity." On Using Large-Format Visuals, Such as Shooting in IMAX, to Draw Audiences In "The whole effort was for the experience to be immersive. We wanted to let folks experience this world. And for me, it's the world that my grandparents were a part of. It's the world that they came up in. And it's a time that's often overlooked in American history, specifically for Black folks, because it was a time associated with a lot of things that maybe we're ashamed to talk about — but I got to talk to my have conversation with my grandmother, who's nearly 100 years old, and do some really heavy research, and it was exciting. To bring that time period to life with the celluloid format that was around then, but with the technological advancements that IMAX can provide, it's really exciting — really exciting." On How a Stephen King-Penned Vampire Novel Proved an Influence "A big inspiration for the film is a novel called Salem's Lot, and in the novel — it's been adapted quite a few times and in some really cool ways, but what's great about that novel is when Stephen King talks about it, for him it was Peyton Place, which is another novel, meets Dracula. What happens when a town that's got a lot of its own issues, a lot of interesting characters, meets up with a mythological force of nature and it starts to influence the town? So that idea for me was a great way to explore some of the real things in this place that my grandparents and uncles who influenced my life came from — but also that a lot of American pop culture came from, right there. One of the things we explore in the film is blues music and blues culture, and that became so many other things that affect what we do today. So it was great to be able to explore that. And that music has a has a very close relationship with the macabre, so to speak, with the supernatural. You hear stories about Tommy Johnson and Robert Johnson selling that souls to be able to play the guitar the way they do — the deals being struck. It was called the devil's music — and the dichotomy of these incredible singers, even still to this day, they learned how to make music in the church, but yet they chose to make music that maybe was frowned upon." On the Catharsis of Making Movies for Coogler "I'm blessed to have been able to have found this medium. I found it out by accident. But where I can work out deep, philosophical, existential questions that I may be struggling with, I get to work them out while contributing to an artform that that means so much to me and my family. Watching movies for us was a pastime, and it was a way to connect, it was how we travelled. So I feel like the luckiest person on the planet — but yeah, it is a form of therapy. Each film brings me closer to understanding myself and the world around me, I think." On Jordan Portraying Twins — and Why Twins Feel Supernatural "These are guys who there's nothing supernatural about them outside of them being identical twins. Now, when you dig into the research on twins, it is pretty strange. We still don't totally understand how we have specific identical twins, because it's not something that can be inherited. It's an anomaly. What we did on this was I hired a couple friends of mine who are filmmakers, Noah and Logan Miller — we hired them as twin consultants. They're about the same age as me and Mike, and they were able to talk to Mike and myself while we were working on the script, and he was working on prepping the characters, on what it is like to have an identical twin. Some of that work was just fascinating — like this idea of ever since you achieved consciousness, there was another version of you, right there, right there in front of you, sharing space. And how they see the world — how they see the world as 'us versus everybody else'. The other aspect of it is the fact that they're not totally different. They're actually are quite alike. They're different in subtle ways that Mike found. But it's an absolutely brilliant performance — both performances. I can't wait for folks to see him. It's Mike unlike I've ever seen him before, and I know him pretty well." On Why the Time Was Right for Coogler to Tell an Original Story "I think in terms of timing — and timing is everything, it can really make or break a project, now more than ever. But for me, in being a writer/director, the timing first has to start with me. And it felt like I was at a point in my life where I did want to try to do something original. And I realised I had been working on things that were based on pre-existing things, maybe a real-life situation, maybe a pre-existing franchise and cinema, a pre-existing comic-book franchise, and so I felt the itch to want to try. I could kind of feel like the kids are growing up, I'm getting older, I can feel time on my on my backside. So it turned out to be the perfect timing for me, personally. And at terms of looking around at the world and where we are, those two things seem to be lining up. But at the same time, you don't have any control over that one. You've got to kind of start with yourself. Even then, I did want to still play with archetypes. I guess it's original, but I'm dealing with a lot of archetypes — not just a vampire, but the supernaturally gifted musician, the twins. When I was coming up, every neighbourhood would have those twins who were well-known, sometimes notorious, just had a reputation as local celebrities. That idea is something that we're exploring in this, and a lot of other ideas. So I'm still digging into pre-existing things and culture as best I can, but synthesising them through my own personal lens." Sinners releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, April 17, 2025.
He's going to Newport: Johnny Cash, that is. Twice in A Complete Unknown, the iconic singer-songwriter graces the lineup at the famous folk festival in Rhode Island in the 60s. Twice in the Bob Dylan biopic, he crosses paths with the film's subject at the event. The details depicted are in the service of Dylan's story — while James Mangold is in the director's chair, he's not remaking Walk the Line — but these wouldn't be the moments that they are, and nor would A Complete Unknown be the movie that it is, without Boyd Holbrook (The Bikeriders) as Cash opposite Timothée Chalamet's (Dune: Part Two) Dylan. The term "goes electric" will always be synonymous with Dylan at 1965's Newport Folk Festival, where he dared to play an electric guitar in one of his sets — and the response as much as the act ensured that it went down in history. Cash helped him get there, not only by picking up the same type of instrument at the same place the year before, but through his pen-pal friendship with and encouragement of Dylan. The eight-time Oscar-nominated picture makes clear how much that Cash's words, and the effort of him taking time to commit them to paper, meant to Dylan. It goes electric, too, when Chalamet and Holbrook share scenes. A Complete Unknown is a movie with Chalamet as Dylan, Monica Barbaro (Fubar) as Joan Baez, Edward Norton (Asteroid City) as Pete Seeger and Scoot McNairy (Speak No Evil) as Woody Guthrie. So, it's a flick filled with impressive actors portraying music greats. Given that this a film by Walk the Line director Mangold, however, it's also a picture that gives Holbrook a completely different job to his co-stars, since he's portraying Cash. What happens when the filmmaker behind an Academy Award-winning Man in Black biopic asks you to be the next actor to slip into the legend's shoes? Holbrook had been keen on a different role in the feature, he tells Concrete Playground, at a time when Cash wasn't even in the script — then found himself with a "daunting task". Still, for anyone who has charted Holbrook's career since his 2008 big-screen debut in Milk — a span that's taken him through Behind the Candelabra, The Skeleton Twins, Gone Girl, Jane Got a Gun, The Predator, Narcos and The Sandman, just to name a few projects — it should come as no surprise that he feels like he's been preparing for this part for more than a decade. It helped that he'd made two previous films with Mangold, Logan (which uses a Cash song over its closing credits and in its trailer) and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. In fact, he sees his relationship with the filmmaker as similar to Dylan and Cash's, but with Mangold as the mentor and Holbrook the protégé. And, it equally assists that he'd also perfected swagger on-screen, which can be an elusive trait, including in his two prior roles in The Bikeriders and Justified: City Primeval. Yes, his A Complete Unknown performance meant facing "the Joaquin element", Holbrook explains — with Joaquin Phoenix (Joker: Folie á Deux) Oscar- and BAFTA-nominated, and the winner of a Golden Globe, for playing Cash two decades back for Mangold. But he also knew that the filmmaker, who worked with fellow screenwriter Jay Cocks (Silence) to adapt Elijah Wald's 2015 book Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties, had a fresh angle into Cash here. As Mangold himself also told us about the pair's relationship as pen pals, "this correspondence suddenly became central to me, because as I was trying to assemble — as much as I was trying to tell Dylan's story, he is a bit inscrutable, and I felt like you could learn more by also telling the story of those that surrounded Dylan, and the way his genius affected each of them differently". "And what was so necessary about bringing Johnny into the story was that he's the devil on that shoulder. If you have Pete and Lomax and Joan Baez all on this shoulder saying 'stick with the team; don't cross over to that dangerous, suspicious popular music', you had Johnny Cash on the other shoulder who was saying 'track mud on someone's carpet'," Mangold continued. "Which was literally one of Johnny's lines in his letters to Bob. And that he made it his business to encourage Dylan to stay bold and to stay on the leading edge, was so wonderful to me." For Holbrook, taking on the part meant exaggerating his music skills to Mangold to begin with; however, the quest to make good on that promise became a key part of his preparation process. We also chatted with Holbrook about his repeat collaborations with Mangold, perfecting swagger on-screen, drunk acting as Cash in one of the movie's standout scenes, and what excites him about working on a new movie or TV show — next he'll pop up in season four of The Morning Show — at this stage of his filmography. On Having a Cash-and-Dylan Relationship with Director James Mangold After Logan, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Now A Complete Unknown "I don't think I would have gone anywhere near the Johnny Cash character unless it was Jim making the movie. And it was odd, because I'd read the script before we did Indiana Jones together, and I was angling at a part that I was probably too young for, but the Johnny Cash role wasn't even in there yet at the time. And so we went off and did Indiana Jones, and then I got a call, like maybe six months before we made it. And he said 'hey, I want you to play Johnny Cash'. And I said 'how's that possible? He's not in the script'. And so he had added him because he didn't know that when he made Walk the Line that him and Bob Dylan were these pen pals. And so by his research into Bob, he found out this because Bob had kept the letters and Johnny hadn't kept the letters. So he really just let me go off and do what I had to do, which is conjure up a character and an impression in the daunting task of playing Johnny Cash. Jim really gives you a lot of space. And the great thing about when you get to work with Jim, on the day, if you come in prepared, he enhances your performance in a very cinematic way." On Exaggerating His Music Skills Going Into the Film — and How Learning to Make Good on That Promise Helped Holbrook Step Into Cash's Shoes "I knew at the end of the day that they could shoot from here up [Holbrook motions to his mid-chest] and we could get by. But it feels like I've been preparing for the last 15 or ten years to play this part. Because I played guitar. I couldn't count music. I couldn't hold a tune. I couldn't play and sing at the same time. But there is this awesome opportunity where if I just eat, breathe and sleep this character, I can pull it off. And I think there's something really exciting about that amount of pressure, being a performer — I want to have a performance and I want to build this thing. So it almost bottlenecks down into the day of this, like 'well, you're going to sink, or you're going to swim'. And I think that's pretty exciting. So yeah, I think the week of it all started like 'okay, I can do it at the tempo' — and it wasn't just hanging on. I was able to control the song and control the voice, control the pacing." On Bringing Swagger to the Screen — as Johnny Cash, and Across Holbrook's Career "Film acting is really different from theatre acting, and there's also the practical of being relaxed enough that, you know, there's this 800-pound gorilla being the camera staring at me at all times. Like, how do I just relax and embody this? And really it's from a bunch of stuff of the art of not giving a fuck — being really adamant that 'this is who I am, take it or leave it'. And having a sense of humour about yourself. And doing all this so many times that it's just become existence. I'm not even thinking about it anymore. I'm sort of lost in what I'm doing. It comes down to that. It comes down to a lot of rehearsals, a lot of preparation. I almost prefer the preparation to making a movie than making the movie." On What Went Into Capturing Not Just the Essence of Cash, But the Essence of Drunk Cash "It was from one line in particular, 'I saw the ocean', that I just knew how. I just knew where he was in a daydream. You catch yourself doing laundry or whatever around the house and you are just in a dream, and you kind of see the performance, or I do — and you just understand it. So now it's a real idea. Then it just takes the physicalisation of staying on a word and just finding it, or whatever it is. The super subtlety of that is difficult to verbalise, but comes down to playing around with it. I definitely wouldn't recommend going method on a long work day like that." On Whether the Unique Task of Playing an IRL Figure for a Filmmaker Who Has Already Made a Separate Movie About Him Helped Holbrook Prepare "I was concerned that I had to portray someone who was an iconic person and so people, so many people, have strong memories of him and who he is. Then there's the Joaquin element, facing his great performance and following that up. But I think that Jim and I made the film, and he really understood the importance of Johnny's role in Bob's life at that time, because Johnny had been so — he's doing 200 shows a year on the road. I mean, you are a road dog. You have so much experience in this. And when you're becoming the most-famous person in the world within a year's time, Johnny was able to meet him at that fork in a road where 'hey, it's going to get weird if you don't keep your voice' or 'it's going to be okay if you just stay true to who you are'. And I think in commerce and industries and stuff like that, when a lot of money is on the table, your voice can be compromised — and I think it's really all about that moment in the film where Bob is choosing what his voice is telling him, what he wants to say, how he wants to express himself. And that's going electric in that particular time, because he's just skyrocketing with creativity. And so I think Johnny was able to nudge him in the right direction, remind him who he is." On What Excites Holbrook About a New Project, Including A Complete Unknown, at This Stage in His Career "The performance element. I never really have never sang in front of a bunch of people before. There is a sensation that goes along with that that's exciting. I just did The Morning Show and I found out that the guy was a stand-up comic. I don't know how funny I am, but I like to be funny. I like to practice being funny. But I'd never been onstage and done a set in of people. So that's exciting. That's like 'wow', that's slightly — not terrifying at all, but I want to know what that feels like and to do that. And I think there's all an art and a craft to how the instrument of our humanness can be used. So I just love seeing which way I can bend and which way I can go — and how different I can sound, how different I can look? 'What is this character? What is this character going to go through? At what level? Is it kind of like he's going through like a number-two heartbreak?' But no, I want a number ten on everything. And so I really look for that highest value of expression." A Complete Unknown released in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, January 23, 2025. Images: courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
Lunar New Year is famously a food-focused holiday. With celebrations traditionally stretching over about a two-week period, Lunar New Year dinner is one of the holiday's highlights. The dinner, which typically happens on the eve of Lunar New Year, is more accurately described as a feast — one where families gather, and the table teems with mouth-watering, home-cooked dishes. [caption id="attachment_987282" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] We love a celebration at home centred around good food, so, in partnership with Oriental Merchant, we sought out expert advice from chef Jason Chan on what essentials to stock our pantries with for Lunar New Year and beyond. Not only is Chan the owner of Rice Kid, a newly opened pan-Asian restaurant inspired by the flavours of Southeast Asian cuisine, but he's also clocked up well over a decade as a chef in leading Chinese restaurants in Sydney. He snuck us into his pantry to show us exactly what he'll be cooking with come this Lunar New Year. Our best discovery? His go-to essentials aren't reserved exclusively for Lunar New Year — they're versatile ingredients that are just as invaluable for special celebrations as they are for midweek meals. [caption id="attachment_987274" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] Surprisingly, Chan reveals that despite going all out on premium ingredients for Lunar New Year, he'll season them during the cooking process with everyday pantry staples. "Lunar New Year is more about the family gathering. You'll splurge and have things you don't normally have everyday, I think that's what makes it special. For our Lunar New Year feast, we usually have e-fu noodles, mudcrab, pipis — we go all out." On Capturing the Essence of Asian Cuisine The flavours of Asian cuisine though, are achieved with familiar products like "soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing [wine]." "Asian — Chinese — flavours [are] bold. I wouldn't use the word heavy, but it's flavoursome. It's every bite that you take. There's sweet, sour, bitter, salty, umami, you get the taste of all that." "I think that's what Asian cooking is all about, especially Chinese cooking, where there are so many different ingredients and so much variety [to choose between]. It's just packed with flavour." "In my pantry at the moment, I've got the Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Oyster Sauce, the Lee Kum Kee Dark Soy Sauce, the Lee Kum Kee Premium Soy Sauce." [caption id="attachment_987275" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] He also showed us his stash of Hakubaku noodles and Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli Oil. "It's about what you can do with the ingredients out of the pantry to create something amazing," explains Chan. Some staples are genuine must-haves for Chan. "You can't cook without soy sauce, that's what I say. I think every household should have [it]." Meanwhile, others he believes are slept on. "I think oyster sauce is amazing ... it gives more body and more depth [to dishes]." [caption id="attachment_987280" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] Ultimately though, it's not about a single ingredient. "It's more about how you incorporate everything together. I think every dish has a different element to it and every ingredient in our pantry, I think, works with a certain dish to enhance its flavour." On Making the Most of Pantry Essentials Chan says the special dishes of Lunar New Year can easily be translated into everyday dishes too." Let's say we did a lobster, for example, for Lunar New Year. How do you tone it down and still use all the pantry ingredients that you have? You choose a different protein. You might use fish, you might use prawns." The same applies to the e-fu Lunar New Year noodles he calls out. [caption id="attachment_987276" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] "[You could substitute] egg noodles — thin egg noodles, thick egg noodles. If you're [feeling] brave, you can use ramen noodles, soba noodles, udon noodles. It's how far you want to explore, but they're all good." Experience the flavours of Lunar New Year everyday with Oriental Merchant authentic Asian ingredients.
