- Muslim women break taboos navigating east London's waterways
- Nepal dam-building spree powers electric vehicle boom
- More than 60 dead from storm Helene as rescue, cleanup efforts grow
- Dozens missing, 9 dead in migrant boat wreck off Spanish Canaries
- Death toll from Hurricane John hits eight in Mexico
- Storm Helene's toll rises as rescue and cleanup efforts gain pace
- SpaceX launches mission to return stranded astronauts
- Storm Helene kills 44, threatens more 'catastrophic' flooding as cleanup begins
- SpaceX set to launch mission to return stranded astronauts
- Storm Helene kills 44, threatens more 'catastrophic' flooding
- Boeing strike grinds on as latest talks fail to reach agreement
- Iran 'news' sites, hackers target Trump ahead of US election
- US ports brace for potential dockworkers strike
- Japan's speedy, spotless Shinkansen bullet trains turn 60
- US hurricane deaths rise to 44, fears of more 'catastrophic' flooding
- Global stocks mostly rise, cheering Beijing stimulus
- Europe en route for Moon with new simulator, says astronaut Pesquet
- Fireworks forecast if comet survives risky Sun flypast
- Argentina judge orders dictionary to delete pejorative definition of 'Jewish'
- Global stocks rise on rate hopes, Beijing stimulus
- S.African woman turns 118, among the oldest in the world
- UK clears $4 bn AI partnership between Amazon, Anthropic
- Barca fans barred from Champions League away game over racist banner
- Chinese stocks extend surge, Europe higher on Beijing stimulus
- Pope says Church must 'seek forgiveness' for child sexual abuse
- China caps week of 'bazooka' stimulus for ailing economy with rate cut
- Cuts, cash, credit: China bids to jumpstart flagging economy
- France's debt weighs heavier ahead of budget debate
- Iran treads carefully, backing Hezbollah while avoiding war
- Return to sender: waste stranded at sea stirs toxic dispute
- 'Broken' news industry faces uncertain future
- On remote Greek island, migratory birds offer climate clues
- Taken from mother by nuns, victim seeks answers as pope visits Belgium
- China cuts amount banks hold in reserve to boost lending
- Hong Kong, Shanghai extend surge as China optimism boosts markets
- Vietnam president reiterates support for Cuba during official visit
- Drought reduces Amazon River in Colombia by as much as 90%: report
- Stay or go? Pacific Islanders face climate's grim choice
- Florida bracing for 'unsurvivable' Hurricane Helene
- Poverty rises to over 52 percent in Milei's Argentina
- Chloe's see-through look may not be for Kamala Harris
- Champagne houses abuzz over English sparkling wine
- Macron, Trudeau pledge to work for 'decarbonized' economies
- Hurricanes, storms, typhoons... Is September wetter than usual?
- China stimulus, tech optimism boost stock markets
- 'Unsurvivable' Hurricane Helene races towards Florida
- Macron meets Trudeau in Canada as both face political setbacks
- South Korea surges in UN innovation index
- Chloe's see-through look may not be for Kamala
- Floods threaten Niger's historic 'gateway to the desert'
Netflix pulls out big Hollywood guns for new production push
Netflix has enlisted an A-list roster of actors for a new slate of film and TV series this year, with several potential blockbusters on deck as the US giant battles to retain its lead in the fiercely competitive streaming market.
An armada of more than 80 films including widely anticipated works from star directors is planned for 2022, accelerating the firm's push into exclusive content production, executives announced at a Paris press conference Thursday.
Netflix has already muscled its way into the Hollywood echelon, most recently with "Don't Look Up" and the gothic Western "The Power of the Dog," which is leading the pack of Oscar contenders with 12 nominations.
But the company has seen subscriber growth stall in recent months despite knockout hits like the macabre South Korean series "Squid Game," as viewers are tempted by rival offers from Apple, Amazon, HBO and others.
This year will see its first super-production, "The Gray Man," an action thriller starring Ryan Gosling that will be directed by the Russo brothers behind "Captain America: Winter Soldier" and other Marvel superhero movies.
Daniel Craig, fresh from hanging up his svelt James Bond suits, will star in a sequel to "Knives Out," this time trying to crack a case in Greece, while Guillermo del Toro will finally get to release the "Pinocchio" announced nearly four years ago.
Charlize Theron, Ana de Armas, Asa Butterfield, Jamie Foxx, Henry Cavill, Tilda Swinton and Adam Driver are among the barrage of stars set for other comedies, dramas, horror and family offerings.
Overseas productions that have often proved to have global appeal haven't been forgotten, with 25 releases set for France for example and already 20 more in production.
Overall Netflix is investing 200 million euros ($220) in the French audiovisual industry this year, of which around 40 million euros to produce 10 films that will also be released in cinemas.
The company did not provide an overall figure of its planned production investments this year.
In January, Netflix reported net profit of $607 million for the fourth quarter on revenue of $7.7 billion, and warned that subscriber growth was likely to slow again in the coming months.
The company said it had a total of 221.8 million subscribers, a number that failed to meet analyst expectations.
S.F.Lacroix--CPN