The ‘Peaky Blinders’ are back! Cillian Murphy returns to the streets of Birmingham, in an all-new spinoff film based on the hit series. Coming in four years after he hung up his hat and trotted away on his horse, the makers on Friday, dropped a new poster for ‘Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man’. Featuring Cillian front and centre, the poster also sees Barry Keoghan making his first official appearance in the franchise. The poster, sees the two leading stars suited up with their signature hats on their heads while standing amid the rubble of a war-torn city with fighter planes soaring overhead. As the poster indicates, the film will reportedly be set amid the World War 2 backdrop.
Heavy lies the crown. Cillian Murphy and Barry Keoghan star in PEAKY BLINDERS: THE IMMORTAL MAN. Premieres 6 March in select cinemas and 20 March 2026 on Netflix pic.twitter.com/8GDqYvTvJa
Directed by Tom Harper, the film continues the story of the Shelby family, now set in 1940s Birmingham. Alongside Murphy and Keoghan, the ensemble cast includes Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Roth, Sophie Rundle, Stephen Graham and Jay Lycurgo.
Cillian Murphy Returns In ’28 Years Later’? Trailer Gives Glimpse Of ’28 Days Later’ Character | WATCH
The film with a runtime of 112 minutes, will also feature a returning cast of the series, including Ned Dennehy, Packy Lee and Ian Peck. The Netflix Original marks the final chapter following the six-season run, which came to a close in 2022. According to writer Steven Knight, the film will mark “a very fitting way to end this part of the Peaky story.” The film is also touted to be the saga’s most ‘explosive’ chapter yet, which will see the Peaky Blinders “at war.”
As McKenna Grace gears up to embody Maysilee Donner in the highly anticipated prequel ‘Sunrise on the Reaping,’ she has turned to Josh Hutcherson for insights. The ‘Hunger Games’ star shared valuable insights about the fierce conditions within the arena.
]While McKenna Grace prepares for her upcoming film ‘Sunrise on the Reaping,’ the actress has been leaning on ‘Hunger Games’ alum and her ‘Five Nights At Freddy’s 2’ co-star Josh Hutcherson for some advice. Though fans will have to wait a little bit longer to see how McKenna’s experience in the arena plays out, McKenna is looking forward to appearing in the iconic franchise.
McKenna Grace is taking advice from Josh Hutcherson
On February 11, at the Coach Fall Show, McKenna told E! News, “I just talk to Josh a lot because we were on that press tour together and spent a lot of time together.” She revealed she used to spend a lot of time asking him stuff, ““I spent a lot of time asking him, ‘Was your arena experience as intense as ours was?’ And he was like, ‘Oh yeah, yeah it was.’” she added.
More about McKenna Grace’s next project ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’
The movie ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ is based on Suzanne Collins’ 2025 novel of the same name. It follows young Haymitch Abernathy, played by Joseph Zada, as he’s selected to appear in the 50th Hunger Games known as the Second Quarter Quell, set more than two decades before the original series takes place. McKenna, meanwhile, plays Haymitch’s fellow District 12 competitor Maysilee Donner.The star-studded cast also includes Whitney Peak, Glenn Close, Elle Fanning, Ralph Fiennes, Jesse Plemons, Kieran Culkin, and Billy Porter.
Mckenna Grace says fans will be ‘sobbing’ in the theatres
McKenna previously revealed fans will want to bring a box of tissues when the film hits theaters in November. “Everybody’s going to be, like, freaking sobbing in the theaters,” the Regretting You actress told Collider last fall. “It’s rough. Because I’m supposed to be the mean, most stuck-up girl in town, but I’m watching him do his thing and, like, oof, it’s very gut-punchy.”‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ is set to release on November 20, 2026.
In his groundbreaking role in ‘O’Romeo,’ Shahid Kapoor dives deep into the gritty world of ‘Mafia Queens of Mumbai.’ He passionately advocates for portraying multifaceted characters, revealing the complexities of their choices without sugarcoating their flaws. Kapoor asserts that the essence of art lies in truthfulness, not merely in winning audience approval.
Shahid Kapoor‘s ‘O’Romeo’ has arrived in cinemas today. The film is based on Hussain Zaidi’s novel ‘Mafia Queens of Mumbai’ and stars the actor in the role of Ustara. Ahead of the release, the actor talked about why he loves playing gray characters. Let’s take a look at what Shahid Kapoor has to say on it.
Shahid Kapoor playing violent characters who cross moral lines
In an interview with Mid-Day, Shahid Kapoor was asked if he worried about the audience response since he has played violent characters in multiple movies like ‘Kabir Singh‘, ‘Haider’, ‘Deva’, and more. To which the actor said, “If you start worrying about being liked, you will begin adjusting things.”
Shahid Kapoor wraps fourth Vishal Bhardwaj film — calls it ‘super special’ and ‘madly different’
The actor smiled and quickly added, “Once you commit to the character, that stops mattering.” Shahid shared that his character, Ustara, has been written a certain way, and his job was to serve that honestly. He said, “I hope people see the honesty with which he has been played.”
Shahid Kapoor on graphic violence shown in the film
Shahid Kapoor on collaborating with Vishal Bhardwaj for the fourth time
In the same interaction, Shahid Kapoor opened up about collaborating with Vishal Bhardwaj for playing gray roles. He said, “Our sensibilities and the way we look at characters [are similar].”The actor added that working with the filmmaker four times is “like returning to a space that pushes you to think differently every time.” He added that both of them have evolved, and it reflects on how they approach a character. He said, “I’ve always gravitated towards the gray, and with ‘O’Romeo’, I didn’t feel the need to soften anything.”
More about ‘O’Romeo’
Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film features Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri in the lead roles. Apart from them, it also stars Nana Patekar, Avinash Tiwary, Vikrant Massey, Tamannaah Bhatia, Disha Patani, and Farida Jalal. The movie has arrived in cinemas today, February 13, 2026.
Caleb McLaughlin, known for his role as Lucas, recently shared his thoughts on the buzzing fan theories surrounding a possible continuation of ‘Stranger Things.’ Initially dismissing the ideas as ‘silly,’ he later empathized with the fans’ longing for more stories. He insisted that the show wrapped up perfectly, maintaining its spirit through an uplifting conclusion.
The ‘Stranger Things’ finale brought out a lot of emotions in people from all across the world. While many were happy with the way the show ended, there were many others who craved for something more. This gave birth to the ‘conformity gate’ theory. In a recent interview, actor Caleb McLaughlin, who plays Lucas in the OTT series, weighed in on the matter and what he thought of the fan theories that went viral online soon after the gang had their showdown with Vecna and the Mind Flayer.
Caleb McLaughlin talks about fan theories for ‘Stranger Things’
While talking to The Hollywood Reporter in a recent interview, McLaughlin weighed in on how, at first, he thought the theories of there being another season finale were “dumb.” He further detailed the matter and cited that it did not seem like a great concept; however, he understood where the fans were coming from. He further added, “I get that people want to live in this optimistic place of, ‘Oh, we want more Stranger Things,’ but the show is done, guys. I was like, ‘Guys, it’s over. It’s been 10 years. We were full-on kids, and now we’re full-on adults, and we don’t need any more of us.’”He further shared that a lot of people pointed out that the show was too optimistic. He detailed that if they had not gone for an optimistic ending to the show, it would not have been true to the actual theme of the show. “So if they left the show without that, we would have left Stranger Things without the true essence of what we’ve been representing forever.”
Caleb McLaughlin weighs in on the series finale
The finale scene of the ‘Stranger Things’ finale episode showed the gang, now with Max, all playing Dungeons and Dragons enthusiastically in Mike’s basement. The scene pays homage to the first episode of the show, where the gang was sitting around the table in the basement playing the game just like that.McLaughlin shared that the scene brought the series to a full circle. He shared that, “We started off season one playing Dungeons & Dragons, and we ended just like that, and Mike’s storytelling and writing ability [that’s rooted in D&D] is how the show should have ended.”Caleb McLaughlin will next appear in the animated film ‘GOAT.’
Heather McComb, reflecting on the tragic passing of James Van Der Beek due to colorectal cancer, took a moment to honor his memory. In her heartfelt tribute, she extended her sympathy to Kimberly and the children, recalling James as ‘pure-hearted and generous.
Following James Van Der Beek’s untimely death to colorectal cancer on February 11, his ex-wife Heather McComb has been holding onto a lot, and has finally opened up in an emotional tribute she penned for the late actor. McComb, who was married to James from 2003 to 2009, detailed her heartbreak over saying goodbye to “beloved” James.
Heather McComb’s support to James Van Der Beek’s family
In an emotional Instagram post on February 12, Heather McComb wrote, “I am especially heartbroken for his incredible wife Kimberly, his beautiful children and his amazing family, and all of his family and friends who I know he loved deeply.”
This how Heather McComb will ‘remember James’
Accompanying her tribute was a black and white photo of a much younger version of her and James holding each other close, which she explained was taken on her 21st birthday. “This is how I will always see James,” Heather continued. “Innocent, kind and pure of heart. What a journey we shared over the years. I sit here in immense gratitude for the special connection, friendship and love that James and I shared that has endured through decades.”
‘A beautiful soul’
Noting she and James shared “last loving words,” she added that the late actor “was a beautiful soul filled with so much light, love, talent, humor, depth, sensitivity, knowledge and a deep love of God that shined through him.” Heather McComb’s heartfelt tribute James’ brave legacy She also commended James for sharing his diagnosis with colon cancer with the world in 2024. “James was a blessing to all that knew him,” she said, “and because of his boldness to share his journey with the world so bravely is now a blessing to all.”She finished her heartfelt tribute, which included reference to the GoFundMe that has been set up to support Kimberly and their kids, with the words, “Till we meet again you sweet soul you. Prayers up.”
Michael B. Jordan is taking on the role of executive producer for the much-anticipated ‘Fourth Wing’ series, igniting discussions across fan circles. When asked about his potential appearance in the show, he cryptically stated, “I don’t know.” Jordan highlighted his aim to harmonize established stars with rising performers so that audiences can embrace the characters free from preconceived ideas.
Rebecca Yarros’s famed book series ‘Fourth Wing’ had taken the world by storm. The dragons and magic and a world where war is an everyday part of life, the books went viral. Now, a series is said to be in development, and none other than ‘Black Panther’ actor Michael B. Jordan is connected to it! Fans have been wondering whether the actor will come in front of the camera or not for the project, and in a recent talk, Jordan provided some more clarification about the upcoming series.
Michael B. Jordan talks about the upcoming ‘Fourth Wing’ inspired series
Ever since it was confirmed that the books were being turned into a series for a popular OTT platform, fans had been left wondering about who would play their characters below it on the small screen. It was recently confirmed that Michael B. Jordan will be joining the project as one of the executive producers. While the news left many excited, they all wondered the same thing: Will he leave the producer chair and join the cast as one of the characters or not? While talking to the BBC about what he has in store for the project, which is still in its development, he also briefly addressed whether he will play one of the characters or not. He stated “I don’t know”, while keeping it short.
Michael B. Jordan talks about what he is planning for the upcoming ‘Fourth Wing’ series
During the same interview, the ‘Sinners’ actor further shared more details about what he wants out of the project. One thing that he shared was that he wishes to cast both well-known and renowned faces, as well as newcomers, for the roles.“When it’s done the right way, I think you can have a nice balance where casting won’t be distracting. It allows people to, like, fall in love with the characters that they have imagined in their head without any baggage, with projecting their own feelings on certain casts,” he further added.
About ‘Fourt Wing’
‘Fourth Wing’ is a popular fantasy book written by author Rebecca Yarros. The story follows a war college made for dragon riders and other sets of people in the war against a growing evil. As of right now, there are three books released in the series, namely ‘Fourth Wing’, ‘Iron Flame’, and ‘Onyx Storm.’
The crème de la crème of Hollywood’s artists and actors have increasingly expressed concerns over how artificial intelligence poses a significant risk to their craft and livelihood and even to the very core of what it means to be creative as humans. This has been particularly visible through strikes and other lawsuits, as actresses Scarlett Johansson, Cate Blanchett, Nicolas Cage, Samuel L. Jackson, and Natasha Lyonne have been at the forefront. This started through the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike and has continued through 2026.Scarlett Johansson launches anti-theft campaign. Actress Scarlett Johansson came up as a vocal critic after OpenAI used a voice similar to hers for their product, an assistant tool, Chat GPT, in 2024. She issued a cease and desist statement following her issue with her voice being used without her permission. In January 2026, Scarlett Johansson supported the “Stealing Isn’t Innovation” campaign by the Human Artistry Campaign. Over 700 creatives signed on, arguing, “Stealing our work is not innovation. It’s not progress. It’s theft—plain and simple,” as stated in the campaign’s manifesto. Scarlett Johansson reiterated to The News International, emphasizing dangers to the U.S. creative sector that supports millions of jobs.
Cate Blanchett joins forces
Cate Blanchett aligned with Scarlett Johansson in the same 2026 initiative, underscoring ethical AI development. The campaign, launched January 22, called for licensing deals over exploitation. “A better way exists. It is possible to have it all. We can have advanced, rapidly developing AI and ensure creators’ rights are respected,” the joint statement proposed. Cate Blanchett’s support highlighted threats across film, TV, music, and publishing, warning that unchecked AI erodes cultural power.
Nicolas Cage warns of robotic dreams.
Nicolas Cage delivered a passionate plea at the 2025 National Board of Review Awards. “I am a big believer in not letting robots dream for us. Robots cannot reflect the human condition for us,” Nicolas Cage declared. He continued, “That is a dead end if an actor lets one AI robot manipulate his or her performance even a little bit; an inch will eventually become a mile, and all integrity, purity, and truth of art will be replaced by financial interests only. We can’t let that happen,” as reported by Lifestyle Fortress. Nicolas Cage fears AI dilutes authentic performances central to acting.
Samuel L. Jackson on AI
Samuel L. Jackson took practical steps against posthumous AI misuse. In a Rolling Stone interview, he advised, “Future actors should do what I always do when I get a contract, and it has the words ‘in perpetuity’ and ‘known and unknown’ on it: I cross that s**t out.” Samuel L. Jackson explained, “It’s my way of saying, ‘No, I do not approve of this,’” ensuring studios cannot exploit his likeness indefinitely.
Natasha Lyonne calls for boycotts
Natasha Lyonne rallied against AI-generated “actress” Tilly Norwood in September 2025. “Any talent agency involved with [Norwood] should be boycotted by guilds,” Natasha Lyonne stated on social media, per BBC News. She added, “This is profoundly misguided and utterly unsettling.” Natasha Lyonne, who led a 2025 open letter with over 420 insiders, including Bette Midler and Mark Ruffalo, urged copyright enforcement. The SAG-AFTRA union echoed, “Norwood is not an actress but a character created by a computer program that has been trained on the performances of numerous professional artists.”These stars champion human artistry amid rapid AI advances. Their advocacy pushes for regulations balancing innovation with fair compensation—safeguarding Hollywood’s soul for generations.
NEW DELHI: Nearly one-third of posts in the National Medical Commission (NMC), the country’s apex medical education regulator, are lying vacant, the Centre informed the Rajya Sabha on February 10, 2026.
Replying to a question by Vivek K. Tankha, minister of state for health Anupriya Patel said the sanctioned strength of the NMC and its four autonomous boards is 54, of which 19 posts are vacant. At present, only 35 positions are filled across the Commission and its boards.
Within the Commission itself, out of 33 sanctioned posts — comprising the Chairman, ex-officio members and part-time members — 28 are in position. The Secretary’s post is filled. However, vacancies are more visible across the autonomous boards responsible for regulating undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, medical assessment and accreditation, and ethics and medical registration.
Parliamentary data indicate that some boards are functioning with only a limited number of members in place, with several President and whole-time member posts unfilled. These boards play a crucial role in approving medical colleges, monitoring standards of training and enforcing professional ethics.
Addressing concerns about functioning amid vacancies, the Commission informed the government that “appropriate institutional mechanisms” are in place to ensure continued discharge of statutory responsibilities under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019.
The ministry added that filling up vacancies is a continuous process and action is taken as per provisions of the Act, including issuing advertisements from time to time to fill vacant posts.
The disclosure comes at a time when India is expanding its medical education capacity, increasing the number of colleges and seats, making full staffing at the regulatory level critical to maintaining standards and oversight.>
Published On Feb 12, 2026 at 01:21 PM IST
Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals.
Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox.
All about ETHealthworld industry right on your smartphone!
New Delhi, Over 13 per cent of heart failure cases among people living with diabetes in India could be linked to physical inactivity, a global study has estimated.
The findings, published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science, also show that 9.6 per cent of coronary heart disease and 9.4 per cent of cardiovascular complication cases among people living with diabetes in India could be attributed to lack of physical activity.
Globally, one in ten cases of macrovascular (large blood vessel) complications and retinopathy in people with diabetes is due to physical inactivity, researchers said.
“Diabetes complications are often seen as inevitable consequences of the disease. Our findings challenge this idea by showing that a meaningful proportion of these complications could be prevented through achievable increases in physical activity among people living with diabetes,” lead author Jayne Feter, researcher in the school of medicine at Brazil’s Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. The researchers analysed data from more than 2.3 million adults with diabetes across world regions, including South Asia.
Physical inactivity was found to account for more than 10 per cent of strokes, 9.7 per cent of diabetic retinopathy, 7.3 per cent of heart failure and around five to seven per cent of cardiovascular and coronary heart disease cases in people with diabetes.
Women and people with lower education levels were consistently seen to experience a higher proportion of complications attributable to physical inactivity, highlighting deep social inequities, the researchers said.
India is estimated to be home to more than one-fourth of the world’s diabetics, according to a 2024 study published in The Lancet journal. Complications can arise due to long-term high blood sugar, which may damage blood vessels and nerves throughout the body.
Treating complications consumes a growing share of health budgets, especially in regions already facing strained health systems, the researchers said.
“This study reframes physical activity as a core component of diabetes complication prevention. Promoting physical activity among people with diabetes could reduce hospitalisations, disability, and healthcare costs, while improving quality of life,” Feter said.
The analysis combined population-based cohort studies and national surveys with risk estimates from large international meta-analyses (analysis of multiple studies) and global physical activity surveillance systems.
“Integrating physical activity promotion into routine diabetes care and national noncommunicable disease strategies is no longer optional. Policies must be tailored to local realities and explicitly address social and gender inequalities,” co-author Natan Feter, researcher in the department of biological sciences at the University of Southern California, said.
Published On Feb 12, 2026 at 04:07 PM IST
Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals.
Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox.
All about ETHealthworld industry right on your smartphone!
New Delhi: While India’s medtech startups are steadily gaining ground, with rising numbers, growing funding, and stronger policy support, experts lament that many innovators are sticking to low-hanging fruit instead of pursuing the riskier bets that could drive real disruption and unlock real value.
Speaking at the Pfizer INDovation Program, Dr Shailendra Saraf, Director, NIPER-Ahmedabad, said that medtech startups in India are showing promising innovations and capabilities. Yet many remain focused on “low-hanging fruit,” such as low-risk IVD kits, instead of pursuing higher-end, transformative technologies.
“Moreover, on the broader scale, 90 per cent of all pharma and medtech firms in India are purely production units with no R&D-driven operations. To unlock real value, the industry must embrace bolder, innovation-led research,” he added.
Most startups target only low-risk Class A and B devices, which keeps them exposed to competition from global giants. Part of the challenge is the stiff competition from China, where scaling at this level is difficult, Dr Saraf told ETHealthWorld at the sidelines of the summit.
“Venturing into deeper, high-tech domains could unlock untapped opportunities, yet few startups are taking that leap. The best way to do this is by striking the right balance between industry and academia, where both are interdependent on each other, he added.
Leading countries like the UK and Ireland have built robust networks with US universities—particularly Stanford—that help startups strengthen product pipelines and access top talent. In these ecosystems, students are also required to register startups as a mandatory condition for earning a PhD, Aman Sharma, Joint Secretary Department of Pharmaceuticals, sahred.
At the event, Sanjiv Singh, Joint Secretary at the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, pointed to limited corporate investment in R&D as a key reason why deep-tech innovation remains limited.
A senior government official at the event, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the business of high-end medtech is highly complex. Today, global giants hold as many as 400 patents for their novel products, with up to 35 patents for each component.
“Meanwhile, existing startups in India, are largely focusing on the traditional diagnostic playbook, and importing reagents from China. As a result, they lack the scope for truly frugal innovation tag that a potential investor will look to support the their commercial stages,” it added.
Under the Biopharma SHAKTI scheme announced in the recent Budget to support biopharmaceuticals, Sharma told ETHealthWorld that of the Rs 10,000 crore corpus, Rs 1,000 crore is now set aside for injectable devices.
“Such drugs require a particular dosing mechanism, and companies will be supported to build manufacturing capacities for these products,” he said.
According to government officials, as of 2025, India’s medical device imports stand at $9 billion—almost double the $4 billion worth goods exported by the domestic industry.
Besides this, India’s export basket largely features low-risk consumables such as bandages and rubber gloves, while imports include high-end critical care technologies like surgical robots, MRI scanners, and CT scanners.
Speaking at the event, Piyush Goyhal, Minister of Commerce and Industry noted that over the last three years the government has signed nine free trade agreements (FTA) that has unlocked duty free access to around 70 per cent of the global GDP and medtech startups must look to explore this opportunity.
Outlining a trend of equity dilution Goyal remarked that, by the time startups start delivering results, their founders are often left with very “low levels of equity” and are unable to reap the rewards of their own assets.
Looking at these concerns, the Pfizer INDovation Program has selected 14 medtech startups—eight for supporting ideation and six for development.
Under its CSR initiative, Pfizer has committed Rs 60 lakh to each startup, to support clinical validation, IP filing and other related aspects.
Startups selected in the development category currently hold a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 6 and aim to reach TRL 9 by the end of the program, with all of them deployed in real-world settings.
One of these projects includes an AI-assisted early gastric cancer detection Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) solution developed by RNT Health Insights.
Notably, the device has recently received US FDA Breakthrough Device designation, opening the fast-track approval pathway for the lucrative device market.
Ria Khurana, the startup co-founder, shared that the device works on a deep learning algorithm to detect cancer at an early stage and has outperformed gold-standard endoscopy tests in terms of efficacy.
In a trial of 250 people at PGI Chandigarh, the device demonstrated 96 per cent efficacy compared to endoscopy. The trial results are yet to be published in any peer-reviewed journal.
The other startups selected by the US giant for mentorship included Cervicheck, Utopic Tech, AiSteth and 10 others.
Pfizer also announced the launch of an IP protection program, committing Rs 2 lakh each for 20 selected startups to help cover IP filing fees and other expenses, for securing and safeguarding their innovations.
Published On Feb 12, 2026 at 07:27 PM IST
Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals.
Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox.
All about ETHealthworld industry right on your smartphone!