title: Czech Republic

text: During the 19th century stands the revival architectural styles. Some churches were restored to their presumed medieval appearance and there were constructed buildings in the Neo-Romanesque, Neo-Gothic and Neo-Renaissance styles. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the new art style appeared in the Czech lands – Art Nouveau.


title: Czech Republic

text: Bohemia contributed an unusual style to the world's architectural heritage when Czech architects attempted to transpose the Cubism of painting and sculpture into architecture.


title: Czech Republic

text: Between World Wars I and II, Functionalism, with its sober, progressive forms, took over as the main architectural style.


title: Czech Republic

text: After World War II and the Communist coup in 1948, art in Czechoslovakia became Soviet-influenced. The Czechoslovak avant-garde artistic movement is known as the "Brussels style came up" in the time of political liberalization of Czechoslovakia in the 1960s. Brutalism dominated in the 1970s and 1980s.


title: Czech Republic

text: The Czech Republic is not shying away from the more modern trends of international architecture, an example is the Dancing House (Tančící dům) in Prague, Golden Angel in Prague or Congress Centre in Zlín.


title: Czech Republic

text: Influential Czech architects include Peter Parler, Benedikt Rejt, Jan Santini Aichel, Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer, Josef Fanta, Josef Hlávka, Josef Gočár, Pavel Janák, Jan Kotěra, Věra Machoninová, Karel Prager, Karel Hubáček, Jan Kaplický, Eva Jiřičná or Josef Pleskot.


title: Czech Republic

text: The literature from the area of today's Czech Republic was mostly written in Czech, but also in Latin and German or even Old Church Slavonic. Franz Kafka, while bilingual in Czech and German, wrote his works ("The Trial", "The Castle") in German.


title: Czech Republic

text: In the second half of the 13th century, the royal court in Prague became one of the centers of German Minnesang and courtly literature. The Czech German-language literature can be seen in the first half of the 20th century.


title: Czech Republic

text: Bible translations played a role in the development of Czech literature. The oldest Czech translation of the Psalms originated in the late 13th century and the first complete Czech translation of the Bible was finished around 1360. The first complete printed Czech Bible was published in 1488. The first complete Czech Bible translation from the original languages was published between 1579 and 1593. The Codex Gigas from the 12th century is the largest extant medieval manuscript in the world.


title: Czech Republic

text: Czech-language literature can be divided into several periods: the Middle Ages; the Hussite period; the Renaissance humanism; the Baroque period; the Enlightenment and Czech reawakening in the first half of the 19th century, modern literature in the second half of the 19th century; the avant-garde of the interwar period; the years under Communism; and the Czech Republic.


title: Czech Republic

text: Czech literature and culture played a role on at least two occasions when Czechs lived under oppression and political activity was suppressed. On both of these occasions, in the early 19th century and then again in the 1960s, the Czechs used their cultural and literary effort to strive for political freedom, establishing a confident, politically aware nation.


title: Czech Republic

text: The musical tradition of the Czech lands arose from the first church hymns, whose first evidence is suggested at the break of the 10th and 11th centuries. Some pieces of Czech music include two chorales, which in their time performed the function of anthems: "Lord, Have Mercy on Us" and the hymn "Saint Wenceslaus" or "Saint Wenceslaus Chorale". The authorship of the anthem "Lord, Have Mercy on Us" is ascribed by some historians to Saint Adalbert of Prague (sv.Vojtěch), bishop of Prague, living between 956 and 997.


title: Czech Republic

text: The wealth of musical culture lies in the classical music tradition during all historical periods, especially in the Baroque, Classicism, Romantic, modern classical music and in the traditional folk music of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia. Since the early era of artificial music, Czech musicians and composers have been influenced the folk music of the region and dance.


title: Czech Republic

text: Czech music can be considered to have been "beneficial" in both the European and worldwide context, several times co-determined or even determined a newly arriving era in musical art, above all of Classical era, as well as by original attitudes in Baroque, Romantic and modern classical music. Some Czech musical works are "The Bartered Bride", "New World Symphony," "Sinfonietta" and "Jenůfa".


title: Czech Republic

text: A music festival in the country is Prague Spring International Music Festival of classical music, a permanent showcase for performing artists, symphony orchestras and chamber music ensembles of the world.


title: Czech Republic

text: The roots of Czech theatre can be found in the Middle Ages, especially in the cultural life of the Gothic period. In the 19th century, the theatre played a role in the national awakening movement and later, in the 20th century, it became a part of modern European theatre art. The original Czech cultural phenomenon came into being at the end of the 1950s. This project called Laterna magika, resulting in productions that combined theater, dance, and film in a poetic manner, considered the first multimedia art project in an international context.


title: Czech Republic

text: The country has a tradition of puppet theater. In 2016, Czech and Slovak Puppetry was included on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.


title: Czech Republic

text: The tradition of Czech cinematography started in the second half of the 1890s. Peaks of the production in the era of silent movies include the historical drama "The Builder of the Temple" and the social and erotic drama "Erotikon" directed by Gustav Machatý. The early Czech sound film era was productive, above all in mainstream genres, with the comedies of Martin Frič or Karel Lamač. There were dramatic movies sought internationally.


title: Czech Republic

text: Hermína Týrlová (11 December 1900 in Březové Hory – 3 May 1993 in Zlín) was a prominent Czech animator, screenwriter, and film director. She was often called the mother of Czech animation. Over the course of her career, she produced over 60 animated children's short films using puppets and the technique of stop motion animation.


title: Czech Republic

text: Before the German occupation, in 1933, filmmaker and animator Irena Dodalová established the first Czech animation studio "IRE Film" with her husband Karel Dodal.


title: Czech Republic

text: After the period of Nazi occupation and early communist official dramaturgy of socialist realism in movies at the turn of the 1940s and 1950s with fewer exceptions such as "Krakatit" or "Men without wings" (awarded by Palme d'Or in 1946), an era of the Czech film began with animated films, performed in anglophone countries under the name "The Fabulous World of Jules Verne" from 1958, which combined acted drama with animation, and Jiří Trnka, the founder of the modern puppet film. This began a tradition of animated films ("Mole" etc.).


title: Czech Republic

text: In the 1960s, the hallmark of Czechoslovak New Wave's films were improvised dialogues, black and absurd humor and the occupation of non-actors. Directors are trying to preserve natural atmosphere without refinement and artificial arrangement of scenes. A personality of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1970s with original manuscript and psychological impact is František Vláčil. Another international author is Jan Švankmajer, a filmmaker and artist whose work spans several media. He is a self-labeled surrealist known for animations and features.


title: Czech Republic

text: The Barrandov Studios in Prague are the largest film studios with film locations in the country. Filmmakers have come to Prague to shoot scenery no longer found in Berlin, Paris and Vienna. The city of Karlovy Vary was used as a location for the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale.


title: Czech Republic

text: The Czech Lion is the highest Czech award for film achievement. Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is one of the film festivals that have been given competitive status by the FIAPF. Other film festivals held in the country include Febiofest, Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival, One World Film Festival, Zlín Film Festival and Fresh Film Festival.


title: Czech Republic

text: Czech journalists and media enjoy a degree of freedom. There are restrictions against writing in support of Nazism, racism or violating Czech law. The Czech press was ranked as the 40th most free press in the World Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders in 2021. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has its headquarters in Prague.


title: Czech Republic

text: The national public television service is Czech Television that operates the 24-hour news channel ČT24 and the news website ct24.cz. As of 2020, Czech Television is the most watched television, followed by private televisions TV Nova and Prima TV. However, TV Nova has the most watched main news program and prime time program. Other public services include the Czech Radio and the Czech News Agency.


title: Czech Republic

text: The best-selling daily national newspapers in 2020/21 are Blesk (average 703,000 daily readers), Mladá fronta DNES (average 461,000 daily readers), Právo (average 182,000 daily readers), Lidové noviny (average 163,000 daily readers) and Hospodářské noviny (average 162,000 daily readers).


title: Czech Republic

text: Most Czechs (87%) read their news online, with Seznam.cz, iDNES.cz, Novinky.cz, iPrima.cz and Seznam Zprávy.cz being the most visited as of 2021.


title: Czech Republic

text: Czech cuisine is marked by an emphasis on meat dishes with pork, beef, and chicken. Goose, duck, rabbit, and venison are served. Fish is less common, with the occasional exception of fresh trout and carp, which is served at Christmas.


title: Czech Republic

text: There is a variety of local sausages, wurst, pâtés, and smoked and cured meats. Czech desserts include a variety of whipped cream, chocolate, and fruit pastries and tarts, crêpes, creme desserts and cheese, poppy-seed-filled and other types of traditional cakes such as "buchty", "koláče" and "štrúdl".


title: Czech Republic

text: Czech beer has a history extending more than a millennium; the earliest known brewery existed in 993. Today the Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption per capita in the world. The pilsner style beer (pils) originated in Plzeň, where the world's first blond lager Pilsner Urquell is still produced. It has served as the inspiration for more than two-thirds of the beer produced in the world today. The city of České Budějovice has similarly lent its name to its beer, known as Budweiser Budvar.


title: Czech Republic

text: The South Moravian region has been producing wine since the Middle Ages; about 94% of vineyards in the Czech Republic are Moravian. Aside from beer, slivovitz and wine, the Czech Republic also produces two liquors, Fernet Stock and Becherovka. Kofola is a non-alcoholic domestic cola soft drink which competes with Coca-Cola and Pepsi.


title: Czech Republic

text: The two leading sports in the Czech Republic are football and ice hockey. The most watched sporting events are the Olympic tournament and World Championships of ice hockey. Other most popular sports include tennis, volleyball, floorball, golf, ball hockey, athletics, basketball and skiing.


title: Czech Republic

text: The country has won 15 gold medals in the Summer Olympics and nine in the Winter Games. (See Olympic history.) The Czech ice hockey team won the gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics and has won twelve gold medals at the World Championships, including three straight from 1999 to 2001.


title: Czech Republic

text: The Škoda Motorsport is engaged in competition racing since 1901 and has gained a number of titles with various vehicles around the world. MTX automobile company was formerly engaged in the manufacture of racing and formula cars since 1969.


title: Czech Republic

text: Hiking is a popular sport. The word for 'tourist' in Czech, "turista", also means 'trekker' or 'hiker'. For hikers, thanks to the more than 120-year-old tradition, there is a Czech Hiking Markers System of trail blazing, that has been adopted by countries worldwide. There is a network of around 40,000 km of marked short- and long-distance trails crossing the whole country and all the Czech mountains.


title: Chris Pratt

text: Christopher Michael Pratt (born June 21, 1979) is an American actor. He rose to prominence for playing Andy Dwyer in the NBC sitcom "Parks and Recreation" (2009–2015). He also appeared in The WB drama series "Everwood" (2002–2006) and had supporting roles in the films "Wanted" (2008), "Jennifer's Body" (2009), "Moneyball" (2011), "Zero Dark Thirty" (2012), and "Her" (2013).


title: Chris Pratt

text: Pratt established himself as a Hollywood leading man by starring in two lucrative film series. He played Star-Lord in superhero films set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including "Guardians of the Galaxy" (2014), "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" (2017), "" (2018), and "" (2019). He has also starred as Owen Grady in the action adventure film "Jurassic World" (2015), and its sequels "" (2018) and "Jurassic World Dominion" (2022).


title: Chris Pratt

text: Pratt's other starring roles were in "The Magnificent Seven" (2016), "Passengers" (2016), and "The Tomorrow War" (2021), and the action thriller television series "The Terminal List" (2022). In 2015, "Time" magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.


title: Chris Pratt

text: Christopher Michael Pratt was born on June 21, 1979, in Virginia, Minnesota. His mother worked at a Safeway supermarket, and his father worked in mining and later remodeling houses. Pratt's father died in 2014 from multiple sclerosis. His mother is of Norwegian descent. When Pratt was seven years old, the family moved to Lake Stevens, Washington. Pratt placed fifth in a high school state wrestling tournament. He also was a shot putter for his high school's track team. He later recalled that when his wrestling coach asked him what he wished to do with his life, he said I don't know, but I know I'll be famous and I know I'll make a shit ton of money.' I had no idea how. I'd done nothing proactive." He graduated from Lake Stevens High School in 1997.


title: Chris Pratt

text: Pratt dropped out of community college halfway through the first semester and, after working as a discount ticket salesman and daytime stripper, he ended up homeless in Maui, Hawaii, sleeping in a van and a tent on the beach. He told "The Independent", "It's a pretty awesome place to be homeless. We just drank and smoked weed and worked minimal hours, just enough to cover gas, food, and fishing supplies." He recalled listening to the Dr. Dre album "2001" daily, to the point where he knew every lyric; years later, he rapped Eminem's verses from the song "Forgot About Dre" extemporaneously during an interview. During his time in Maui, he worked for Christian missionary organization Jews for Jesus.


title: Chris Pratt

text: When Pratt was age 19, he waited tables at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company restaurant in Maui when he was discovered by actress and director Rae Dawn Chong. She cast him in her directorial debut, the short horror film "Cursed Part 3", which was filmed in Los Angeles. Pratt's first regular television role was as Harold Brighton "Bright" Abbott on the series "Everwood". After "Everwood" cancellation, he joined the cast of "The O.C." for its fourth season, playing activist Winchester "Ché" Cook. He also had an appearance in the 2008 action film "Wanted", where James McAvoy hits him with a keyboard.


title: Chris Pratt

text: In 2009, Pratt began playing Andy Dwyer on the NBC comedy series "Parks and Recreation". Originally meant to be a temporary character, producers liked Pratt so much they asked him to become a series regular. This proved to be his breakthrough role.


title: Chris Pratt

text: Pratt portrayed Oakland Athletics first baseman/catcher Scott Hatteberg in the 2011 film "Moneyball". He was initially told that he was too fat to play Hatteberg, as he had gained , which Pratt attributed to the cooking of his then-girlfriend, actress Anna Faris. Deciding to lose weight, he worked out continuously, regularly checking to see if the part was cast, losing a total of . When he felt he had lost enough, he sent a photo of himself to the casting director and won the part. Before the release of "Moneyball", Pratt was typecast as youthful and somewhat immature characters. In "Moneyball", he played a dramatic role as a father and dejected baseball player who once feared his career was over and who had the difficult task of learning a new defensive position.


title: Chris Pratt

text: He gained back the weight he had lost to appear in the film "10 Years" (2011), then lost it again to portray a Navy SEAL in the film "Zero Dark Thirty" (2012). He played the co-worker of Joaquin Phoenix character in Spike Jonze's sci-fi romance "Her" in December 2013.


title: Chris Pratt

text: While Pratt had been known to this point for playing supporting characters and he was best known for his portly character on "Parks and Recreation", 2014 marked a turning point in his career when he headlined two major studio films: Emmet Brickowski in "The Lego Movie", which grossed $469.1 million; and Peter Quill / Star-Lord in Marvel Studios' "Guardians of the Galaxy", which grossed $773.3 million. Pratt had initially turned down the role of Peter Quill, explaining he did not "want another Captain Kirk or "Avatar" moment" (after humbling auditions for both). The film's casting director, Sarah Finn, suggested Pratt to the director James Gunn, who had struggled to cast that role and dismissed the idea. In spite of this, Finn arranged for a meeting between the two, at which point Gunn was convinced that Pratt was perfect for the role. Pratt also won over Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, despite having gained weight again for the comedy film "Delivery Man". The role was part of a multi-film deal that Pratt signed with Marvel. Bruce Diones of "The New Yorker" noted, "Pratt, overflowing with charisma, plays the leader of the pack of misfits, and his blissed-out space cowboy (with a love for seventies music) is so full of good will that he buoys the film and its requisite whizbang special effects."


title: Chris Pratt

text: In November 2013, Pratt, an avid fan of "Jurassic Park" (1993) who has referred to the film as "my "Star Wars"", replaced Josh Brolin as the lead in "Jurassic World" (2015). He played Owen Grady, who works training "Velociraptors". "Jurassic World" grossed $652.3 million in North America and $1.018 billion overseas for a worldwide total of $1.670 billion. His performance was praised, with Peter Travers of "Rolling Stone" stating that Pratt "ace[d] it as an action hero and invests his sexual banter with a comic flair the movie could have used more of." He reprised the role in the sequel, "", which was released on June 22, 2018. Although a commercial success, the sequel received mixed reviews, with Brian Lowry of CNN criticizing the film for "largely neutralizing [...] Pratt's charm and comedic skills."


title: Chris Pratt

text: His next film role was as Josh Faraday, a gambler, in "The Magnificent Seven", a remake of the 1960 Western with the same name, in which he starred alongside Denzel Washington. The film was released on September 23, 2016. Pratt's second 2016 release was "Passengers", a science fiction film which opened in December, co-starring Jennifer Lawrence. Pratt played Jim Preston, "a mechanic, who wants to get off an Earth that no longer seems to value a guy who works with his hands".


title: Chris Pratt

text: Pratt reprised his role as Peter Quill / Star-Lord in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" sequel "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2", which was released in May 2017. The film focuses on Quill's and his team's search for his father. Pratt also reprised the character in "", which was released in April 2018, and in "", which was released on April 26, 2019.


title: Chris Pratt

text: Additionally, Pratt reprised the voice role of Emmet in "" along with another character Rex Dangervest. In August 2017, Pratt was confirmed to star in the western drama "The Kid". He is also set to appear as Duncan in the action film "Cowboy Ninja Viking" alongside Priyanka Chopra. Initially the movie was decided to be released in June 2019, however, on August 7, 2018, the film was pulled from the release list, nullifying the previous release date. In March 2020, Pratt had a lead voice role in the Disney/Pixar animated feature film "Onward", alongside his "Avengers" co-star Tom Holland.


title: Chris Pratt

text: In May 2021, Pratt and "Parks and Recreation" announced the upcoming release of a new album based on Pratt's character Andy Dwyer. In June 2021, they officially released a pair of singles, "The Pit" and "Two Birds Holding Hands". The album, which is called "Mouse Rat: The Awesome Album," was released in August 2021. In September 2021, it was announced that Pratt would be voicing the Nintendo mascot Mario in "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" based on the video game series of the same name. In November 2021, it was announced that he would be voicing the titular cat of the upcoming animated film "Garfield", being directed by Mark Dindal from a script by David Reynolds. In June 2022, he was announced to star in "The Electric State" alongside Millie Bobby Brown.


title: Chris Pratt

text: In March 2014, Pratt was awarded the CinemaCon Award for Breakthrough Performer. In 2014, he was ranked at number two on "People" magazine's annual list of Sexiest Men Alive. Pratt was the featured cover story of the July 18 issue of "Entertainment Weekly", which documented the evolution of his physique over the course of the previous twelve years, going from for his role on "Everwood" to for "Delivery Man", to for his roles in "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Guardians of the Galaxy". Pratt poked fun at his fluctuating physique in a musical number he performed during his monologue when he hosted the September 27, 2014 episode of "Saturday Night Live". On April 21, 2017, Pratt received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the motion picture industry, located at 6834 Hollywood Boulevard.


title: Chris Pratt

text: In 2007, on the set of "Take Me Home Tonight", Pratt met actress Anna Faris, who played his love interest in the film. They were engaged in late 2008 and married in Bali, Indonesia, on July 9, 2009, eloping on a whim after a friend's wedding. They lived in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. Their son was born in 2012, nine weeks premature and weighing only . Pratt stated that the birth of his preterm son "really defined" his faith in God, after both he and his wife "prayed a lot" as they were initially afraid of the baby's prognosis. The couple split in 2017 and finalized their divorce the following year.


title: Chris Pratt

text: Pratt began a relationship with author Katherine Schwarzenegger in June 2018. On January 13, 2019, Pratt announced that he and Schwarzenegger were engaged. They were married on June 8, 2019, in Montecito, California. In 2020 their first child was born. Through his marriage to Schwarzenegger, he is a member of the Kennedy family. In May 2022, their second daughter was born.


title: Chris Pratt

text: Pratt was raised Lutheran and later worked for Jews for Jesus, eventually becoming a non-denominational Christian. Pratt reportedly attends the Zoe Church in Los Angeles, which is affiliated with the Hillsong Church and has been criticized by some as anti-LGBTQ. He responded by saying, "It has recently been suggested that I belong to a church which 'hates a certain group of people' and is 'infamously anti-LGBTQ.' Nothing could be further from the truth. I go to a church that opens its doors to absolutely everyone." Brian Houston of Hillsong has denied that Pratt was ever a member of his church. "Guardians of the Galaxy" director James Gunn also defended Pratt, stating that he "know[s] the church he currently goes to" and scolded those wishing to have him recast as Star-Lord. Pratt addressed the controversy in a 2022 "Men's Health" interview, stating, "Maybe it was hubris. For me to stand up on the stage and say the things that I said, I'm not sure I touched anybody... Religion has been oppressive as fuck for a long time... I didn't know that I would kind of become the face of religion when really I'm not a religious person." He said that he still had a strong belief in God but was never a member of Hillsong, having chosen not to denounce them at the time so as not to "throw a church under the bus".


title: Chris Pratt

text: Politically, Pratt has stated he does not feel represented by either side of the political spectrum and has expressed a desire to find common ground. He donated over $1,000 to Barack Obama's 2012 campaign.


title: Chris Pratt

text: In 2015, Pratt and Anna Faris donated $1 million to a charity which provided eyeglasses to underprivileged children. The donation was allegedly inspired by Pratt's son who was born premature and visually impaired. They also donated to neonatal intensive care unit of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and also supported March of Dimes which works to end premature births, birth defects and infant mortality.


title: Chris Pratt

text: In December 2016, Pratt donated $500,000 to a teen center in his hometown of Lake Stevens. The teen center was named in memory of his father.


title: Chris Pratt

text: In February 2021, Pratt donated $20,000 to fight hunger in South Carolina. The donation was part of a fundraiser by Pratt and an organization to raise $650,000 in order to fight food insecurity amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Pratt also helped create the charity Feed Thy Neighbor to which he donated $100,000. Also in February 2021, he donated $10,000 to the Edmonds Food Bank as part of his organization and also donated to the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce and Edmonds Waterfront Center in Washington state.


title: Tom Hardy

text: Edward Thomas "Tom" Hardy (born 15 September 1977) is an English actor. After studying acting at the Drama Centre London, he made his film debut in Ridley Scott's "Black Hawk Down" (2001). He has since been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, two Critics' Choice Movie Awards, and two British Academy Film Awards, and received the 2011 BAFTA Rising Star Award.


title: Tom Hardy

text: Hardy has appeared in films such as "" (2002), "RocknRolla" (2008), "Bronson" (2008), "Warrior" (2011), "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" (2011), "Lawless" (2012), "This Means War" (2012), "Locke" (2013), "The Drop" (2014), and "The Revenant" (2015), for which he received his Academy Award nomination. In 2015, he portrayed "Mad" Max Rockatansky in "" and both Kray twins in "Legend". He has appeared in three Christopher Nolan films: "Inception" (2010) as Eames, "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012) as Bane, and "Dunkirk" (2017) as an RAF fighter-pilot. He starred as both Eddie Brock and Venom in the 2018 anti-hero film "Venom" and its sequel "" (2021).


title: Tom Hardy

text: Hardy's television roles include the HBO war drama mini-series "Band of Brothers" (2001), the BBC historical drama mini-series "The Virgin Queen" (2005), Bill Sikes in the BBC's mini-series "Oliver Twist" (2007), Heathcliff in ITV's "Wuthering Heights" (2009), the Sky 1 drama series "The Take" (2009), and as Alfie Solomons in the BBC historical crime drama series "Peaky Blinders" (2014–2022). He created, co-produced, and took the lead in the eight-part historical fiction series "Taboo" (2017) on BBC One and FX. In 2020, he also contributed narration work to the Amazon docuseries "".


title: Tom Hardy

text: Hardy has performed on both British and American stages. He was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer for his role as Skank in the production of "In Arabia We'd All Be Kings" (2003), and was awarded the 2003 "Evening Standard" Theatre Award for Outstanding Newcomer for his performances in both "In Arabia We'd All Be Kings" and "Blood", in which he played Luca. He starred in the production of "The Man of Mode" (2007) and received positive reviews for his role in the play "The Long Red Road" (2010). Hardy is active in charity work and is an ambassador for the Prince's Trust. He was appointed a CBE in the 2018 Birthday Honours for services to drama.


title: Tom Hardy

text: Edward Thomas Hardy was born in the Hammersmith district of London on 15 September 1977, the only child of artist and painter Anne (née Barrett) and novelist and comedy writer Edward "Chips" Hardy. He is of Irish descent on his mother's side. He was raised in London's East Sheen suburb. Hardy attended Tower House School, Reed's School, and Duff Miller Sixth Form College. He later studied at Richmond Drama School and the Drama Centre London, now a part of Central Saint Martins. He has named Gary Oldman, with whom he would later work on "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy", as his "hero" and added that he mirrored scenes from Oldman while at drama school.


title: Tom Hardy

text: In 1998, Hardy won "The Big Breakfast" "Find Me a Supermodel" competition at the age of 21, earning him a brief contract with Models 1. Hardy joined Drama Centre London in September 1998, and was taken out early after winning the part of US Army Private John Janovec in the HBO-BBC mini-series "Band of Brothers". He made his feature film debut in Ridley Scott's war thriller "Black Hawk Down" (2001). During this time, Hardy also had a brief stint as a rapper and hip hop producer with his friend Edward Tracy (under the name "Tommy No 1 + Eddie Too Tall"), with whom he recorded a mixtape called "Falling On Your Arse in 1999" that remained unreleased until 2018.


title: Tom Hardy

text: In 2002, Hardy appeared as the Reman Praetor Shinzon, a clone of USS "Enterprise" Captain Jean-Luc Picard in "". The following year, he appeared in the film "Dot the i", and then travelled to North Africa for "Simon: An English Legionnaire", a story of the French Foreign Legion. He then returned to the United Kingdom to feature in the horror film "LD 50 Lethal Dose" (2003).


title: Tom Hardy

text: Hardy was awarded the 2003 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Outstanding Newcomer for his performances in "Blood" and "In Arabia We'd All Be Kings" performed at the Royal Court Theatre and Hampstead Theatre. He was also nominated for a 2004 Laurence Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer of 2003 in a Society of London Theatre Affiliate for his performance as Skank in the aforementioned production of "In Arabia We'd All Be Kings". Hardy appeared with Emilia Fox in the BBC mini-series "The Virgin Queen" (2005) as Robert Dudley, a childhood friend of Elizabeth I. Dudley's character has been described as an ambiguous young man who is torn between the affection of his wife (played by Fox), his love for Elizabeth and his own ambitions. Hardy featured in the BBC Four adaptation of the 1960s science fiction series "A for Andromeda".


title: Tom Hardy

text: In 2007, he appeared in BBC Two's drama based on a true story, "". He played the lead role of Stuart Shorter, a homeless man who had been subjected to years of abuse and whose death was possibly a suicide. The same year he played Bill Sikes in the BBC mini-series "Oliver Twist", an adaptation of Charles Dickens's novel that aired on PBS "Masterpiece Classic" in the US. In February 2008, he played a drug-addicted rapist in the British horror-thriller "WΔZ". In September 2008, he appeared in Guy Ritchie's London gangster film, "RocknRolla"; Hardy played the role of gay gangster Handsome Bob. In 2008, Hardy starred in the film "Bronson", about the real-life English prisoner Charles Bronson, who has spent most of his adult life in solitary confinement. For the film, he put on three stone (42 lb or 19 kg).


title: Tom Hardy

text: In June 2009, Hardy starred in Martina Cole's four-part TV drama "The Take" on Sky One, as a drug and alcohol-fuelled gangster. The role gained him a Best Actor nomination at the 2009 Crime Thriller Awards. In August 2009, he appeared in ITV's "Wuthering Heights", playing the role of Heathcliff. In early 2010, Hardy starred in "The Long Red Road" at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. The play was written by Brett C. Leonard and directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Hardy won some good reviews for his portrayal of Sam, an alcoholic trying to drink away his past. In 2010, he starred as Eames in Christopher Nolan's science fiction thriller "Inception" for which he won a BAFTA Rising Star award. Hardy replaced Michael Fassbender in the 2011 film adaptation of "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy", released on 5 September 2011 at the 68th edition of the Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica in Venice. In March 2010, Hardy signed a first-look deal at Warner Bros.


title: Tom Hardy

text: In 2011, Hardy appeared in the film "Warrior", which was released on 9 September 2011 by Lionsgate Films. His performance as Tommy Riordan, who is trained by his father to fight in a mixed martial arts tournament against his brother, gained praise from critics. Hardy also starred in "This Means War" (2012), a romantic comedy directed by McG. He played the supervillain Bane in "The Dark Knight Rises", the final film in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight Trilogy", released on 20 July 2012. He played a bootlegger in John Hillcoat's crime drama "Lawless" (2012). Hardy has signed up to play the lead role of Sam Fisher in Ubisoft's forthcoming film adaptation of their video game series "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell". He also appeared in Riz Mc's music video for the song "Sour Times".


title: Tom Hardy

text: In 2014, Hardy appeared in the crime film "The Drop" alongside James Gandolfini, in what would be the latter's final appearance in a feature film before his death. Hardy also joined the cast of the BBC crime drama "Peaky Blinders" in its second series. He portrays Alfie Solomons, the head of a Jewish gang and runner of a distillery which disguises itself as a bakery.


title: Tom Hardy

text: Hardy starred in five films in 2015. The first, "Child 44", set in 1950s Soviet Union, saw him playing Leo Demidov, a Soviet secret police agent who investigates a series of child murders. Despite mild praise for his acting, "Child 44" was reviewed negatively by critics and was a box office failure. Hardy then played the title character, Max Rockatansky, in the action film "" (2015). His performance was praised by critics and overall the film received critical acclaim and became a box office success, grossing over $378 million against a $150 million budget, becoming the highest-grossing film in the "Mad Max" franchise. He played a dual role as London gangsters Reggie and Ronnie Kray in the crime thriller "Legend" (2015). On 7 December 2015, Hardy won Best Actor at the British Independent Film Awards for his portrayal of the Kray twins, and on the same night attended the premiere of the biographical western thriller "The Revenant", in which he reunited with his "Inception" co-star Leonardo DiCaprio, at Leicester Square, London. On 14 January 2016, Hardy received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in "The Revenant".


title: Tom Hardy

text: Hardy played a Royal Air Force fighter pilot in Christopher Nolan's action-thriller "Dunkirk" (2017), based on the British military evacuation of the French port of Dunkirk in 1940 during the Second World War. He appeared alongside Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy and Harry Styles. Hardy also co-produced and starred in the eight-part BBC One television drama series "Taboo". It was created by Hardy, Steven Knight, and Hardy's father, Edward "Chips" Hardy. "Taboo" was aired in the United States by FX.


title: Tom Hardy

text: In 2018, Hardy starred in the film "Venom" as the title comic book sometime hero, Eddie Brock, and the symbiote Venom. Based on the Marvel source material, the film was released on 5 October, and is the first installment in Sony's Spider-Man Universe. In 2019, Hardy served as an executive producer in the 2019 BBC/FX three-part miniseries "A Christmas Carol". In 2020, Hardy starred in Josh Trank's Al Capone biopic "Capone."


title: Tom Hardy

text: Hardy is attached to star as British war photographer Don McCullin in a film based on McCullin's autobiography, "Unreasonable Behaviour". Hardy reprised the role of Eddie Brock and Venom in the sequel "" and co-wrote the story for the film. He is also slated to star as the Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton in a biopic being created by the same makers of "Taboo". The Shackleton film, which will cover one of the most harrowing stories of survival in exploration history, is also being produced by Hardy's production company Hardy Son & Baker.


title: Tom Hardy

text: In 2010, Hardy became an ambassador for the Prince's Trust, a UK youth charity which provides training, personal development, business start-up support, mentoring, and advice. In 2012, he and his then-girlfriend (now-wife) Charlotte Riley became patrons of Bowel Cancer UK. Prior to the inaugural Invictus Games held in London in September 2014, he, along with other entertainers and athletes, read the poem "Invictus" in a promotional video.


title: Tom Hardy

text: Hardy was married to Sarah Ward, a producer, from 1999 until they divorced in 2004. He met Rachael Speed, an assistant director, on the set of "The Virgin Queen" in 2005, and they had a son in April 2008 before separating in 2009. That year, Hardy began a relationship with actress Charlotte Riley after they met on the set of "Wuthering Heights". They were married in July 2014. They have two children; the first was born in October 2015 and the second in December 2018. They had two rescue dogs, Max and Woodstock, and Hardy appeared with Woodstock in a PETA advert to promote pet adoption. Woodstock died on 5 June 2017 due to an aggressive case of polymyositis.


title: Tom Hardy

text: Hardy has suffered from dysthymia, and spent much time in his youth drinking alcohol and using crack cocaine to cope with it; he has said that he was going "out of control" with his drink and drug use before deciding to seek psychological help when he was 20 years old.


title: Tom Hardy

text: While portraying prisoner Charles Bronson during the production of the film about his life, Hardy met Bronson several times and the two became friends. Bronson was impressed with how Hardy managed to match his muscularity and how well he could mimic Bronson's personality and voice; he stated that he believed Hardy was the only person who could play him.


title: Tom Hardy

text: Hardy was named one of "GQ" magazine's 50 best-dressed British men in 2015. He appeared on a 2016 Debrett's list of the most influential people in the United Kingdom. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2018 Birthday Honours for services to drama.


title: Tom Hardy

text: An avid Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, Hardy became the lead ambassador for the REORG Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Foundation, which was launched in association with the Royal Marines Charity with the mission to provide a platform for serving personnel and veterans to learn Brazilian jiu-jitsu as part of their recovery pathway and to combat the challenge of mental health and physical disabilities.


title: Tom Hardy

text: Hardy enjoys practising Brazilian jiu-jitsu and has been seen training at Roger Gracie's affiliate schools. As of December 2020, he holds the rank of blue belt. He has won a number of jiu-jitsu competitions including at the 2022 UMAC Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open Championships in September 2022 where he won gold.


title: X (2022 film)

text: X is a 2022 slasher film written, directed, produced and edited by Ti West. It stars Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Martin Henderson, Brittany Snow, Owen Campbell, Stephen Ure, and Scott Mescudi who also served as co-executive producer. The film's plot follows a cast and crew who gather to make a pornographic film on an elderly couple's rural Texas property, but find themselves threatened by an unlikely killer.


title: X (2022 film)

text: "X" was filmed in New Zealand, with production primarily in Fordell, near Whanganui. Its score was composed by Tyler Bates and Chelsea Wolfe, who collaborated to create a soundtrack with emphasis on vocals and synthesizers. The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest (SXSW) on March 13, 2022, and was theatrically released in the United States on March 18, 2022, by A24. It received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its homages to 20th-century slasher films, particularly 1974's "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre", and the performances of Goth, Snow and Ortega.


title: X (2022 film)

text: "X" is the first in a film series of the same name, consisting of a prequel film titled "Pearl" released on September 16, 2022, and a sequel titled "MaXXXine" in development.


title: X (2022 film)

text: In 1979, aspiring pornographic actress Maxine Minx embarks on a road trip through Texas with her producer boyfriend Wayne Gilroy, fellow actors Bobby-Lynne Parker and Jackson Hole, amateur director RJ Nichols, and RJ's girlfriend, Lorraine Day, to shoot an adult film for the booming theatrical pornography market. Bobby-Lynne and Jackson strike up a romance, while Lorraine is unimpressed with the film's content, and RJ attempts to make it seem like a serious cinematic piece.


title: X (2022 film)

text: The group arrives at the farm of Howard and Pearl, an elderly couple in whose guest house the group intends to shoot the film "The Farmer's Daughters". Howard is temperamental towards the group, brandishing a shotgun while Pearl silently stalks Maxine. As filming commences without Howard's knowledge, Maxine is invited inside the couple's home by Pearl, where they have a conversation. Pearl laments her age, expresses jealousy for Maxine's youth, and makes a sexual advance towards her. She later watches Maxine have sex with Jackson and is aroused. Pearl pleads with Howard to have sex with her, but he refuses, claiming his heart is too weak.


title: X (2022 film)

text: Night falls, and the film crew relaxes in the guesthouse. Lorraine, keen to shed her reputation as a prude and intrigued by the film, asks to participate in the shoot. RJ is immediately opposed to the idea and accuses the group of putting her up to it, though they assure him that they did not and that Lorraine’s choice to be in the movie falls on her alone, regardless of his feelings. RJ then films the scene of Lorraine and Jackson having sex. Frustrated with the change in the script and in shock by Lorraine’s unfaithfulness, RJ sets out to leave the crew stranded at the farm while they are asleep, but he is stopped by Pearl, who attempts to seduce him. When he rebuffs her, she stabs him to death. Lorraine and Wayne notice RJ is missing and go searching. Pearl stabs Wayne in an eye before finishing him with a pitchfork in front of the barn, while Lorraine is invited into the couple's house by Howard, who claims Pearl is missing and asks Lorraine to retrieve a flashlight from the basement. When Lorraine attempts to leave the basement, she discovers she has been locked in. After turning on the light, she discovers the rigid corpse of a male sex slave hanging from the ceiling.


title: X (2022 film)

text: Howard approaches the guest house and asks Jackson to help him locate Pearl. Jackson finds a submerged car in a pond (belonging to the corpse in the basement) before Howard shoots him dead. Meanwhile, Pearl enters the guest house, climbs into Maxine's bed naked and pets her. Maxine awakens and screams, causing Pearl to flee the house, which Bobby-Lynne witnesses. In the farmhouse, Lorraine uses a hatchet to try breaking through a panel in the basement door, but Howard attacks her, breaking her finger, and forces her back inside. Bobby-Lynne follows Pearl outside to the nearby lake and tries to guide her away from the water. Pearl angrily accuses Bobby-Lynne of being a whore before pushing her into the lake, where she is devoured by an alligator.


title: X (2022 film)

text: Maxine sees Pearl and Howard return to the guest house and hides under the bed. The elderly couple discusses the murders before having sex. Maxine manages to flee to the van, where she finds RJ's corpse and the tires to the van, slashed. Armed with a pistol from the glovebox, Maxine enters the farmhouse and frees Lorraine, who angrily blames Maxine for what has happened. Lorraine panics and runs out the front door, only to be shot by Howard. As Howard and Pearl begin moving the bodies, intent on framing the crew as intruders, a dying Lorraine moves, startling Howard, who has a heart attack and dies.


title: X (2022 film)

text: Maxine retrieves the keys to Howard and Pearl's truck and attempts to shoot Pearl, but the pistol is not loaded. Pearl tries to shoot Maxine, who dodges, while the recoil from the shotgun causes Pearl to fall and break her hip. As Pearl lies injured outside the house, she begs Maxine for help. Maxine refuses, and as Pearl berates her, Maxine runs her over with the truck, crushing Pearl's head. Maxine drives away from the farm. The next morning, the police arrive at the house to retrieve the bodies.


title: X (2022 film)

text: It is revealed that Maxine is the daughter of a fundamentalist Christian preacher, whose speeches frequently played on Howard and Pearl's television. The police discover RJ's camera and speculate about what it contains.


title: X (2022 film)

text: Nate Roscoe of "Fangoria" wrote in an essay on the film that "X" exemplifies a modern take on the psycho-biddy horror subgenre, in which aging or elderly women portray grotesque, violent characters. Roscoe also notes that the film's primary theme revolves around aging, youth, and longing over the past. "Snatching its inspo from the shadiest recesses of art and exploitation, it is the relationship between beauty, aging and self-worth that creeps most conspicuously through the architecture of "X"." He also notes that the film presents its antagonist—the murderous Pearl—in a manner that is sympathetic, writing that, at moments, "one can't help but feel crushingly sorry for this tragic figure."


title: X (2022 film)

text: Critics noted the influence of several films on "X", with multiple commentators observing homages to the 1974 film "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre". Other films cited by critics as having an influence on "X" include "Psycho" (1960), "Hardcore" (1979), "The Shining", "Alligator" (both 1980), and "Boogie Nights" (1997). Richard Roeper wrote that "X" also contains "echoes" of such pornographic films as "Blue Movie" (1969) and "Debbie Does Dallas" (1978).


title: X (2022 film)

text: In November 2020, it was announced that A24 would produce a horror film titled "X", which would be written and directed by Ti West and starring Mia Goth, Scott Mescudi (who also executive produces) and Jenna Ortega. In February 2021, Brittany Snow joined the cast.


title: X (2022 film)

text: A number of scenes were shot in and around the city of Whanganui. Production was predominantly based at a farm in the settlement of Fordell, where a large barn was constructed as part of the production. Photography also took place near the Rangitīkei town of Bulls, where producers made use of an old town hall.


title: X (2022 film)

text: Goth donned extensive prosthetic makeup to portray the elderly Pearl. Describing her experience, Goth stated, "It was a good 10 hours in the makeup chair, and then I'd go and do a 12-hour day on set, and the makeup artist, Sarah Rubano, who was incredible, would constantly be touching me up and making sure my contacts were all right and all those sorts of things."


title: X (2022 film)

text: The scene in which Pearl stabs RJ in the neck involved the use of a retractable prop knife, a prosthetic neck with a slit in it, and tubing to allow the passage of stage blood through the slit. The effect of RJ's subsequent decapitation was accomplished using a dummy head of RJ, with a stunt performer and a false floor; the stunt performer lay on his back, with his head and shoulders beneath the false floor and concealed by a prosthetic upper body. The performer then twitched his body during the filming of the scene, which, when paired with the disembodied dummy head, creates the illusion of RJ's body continuing to twitch after death. For the scene in which Pearl stabs Wayne in the eyes with a pitchfork, a dummy of Wayne's upper body and head was constructed by the Netherlands-based MimicFX Studio.


title: X (2022 film)

text: The film's score was composed by Tyler Bates and Chelsea Wolfe, and features a cover version of "Oui, Oui, Marie" performed by Wolfe, which was released as a digital single on March 11, 2022. Bates said that the pair intended to "create a vocal-centric score framed with organic synthesizers and atmospheres that evoke a sonic aesthetic of ’70s arthouse horror films". Wolfe, who had not soundtracked a film before, primarily contributed her voice to the score, and attempted to use non-singing sounds to emulate the character's emotions. Bates compared the score to that somewhere between that of "Debbie Does Dallas" and "Rosemary's Baby".


title: X (2022 film)

text: Aside from the score by Bates and Wolfe, the film incorporates a number of songs from the 1960s and 1970s, including "In the Summertime" by Mungo Jerry, "Act Naturally" by Loretta Lynn, and "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" by Blue Öyster Cult. Additionally, one scene in the film features Jackson (Scott Mescudi) and Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow) performing "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac, with the former playing acoustic guitar and the latter providing vocals.


title: X (2022 film)

text: "X" premiered at the 2022 South by Southwest (SXSW) festival on March 13, 2022. The film was released in the United States on March 18, 2022.


title: X (2022 film)

text: The film was released on video on demand services (including Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, and VUDU) on April 14, 2022. It was released on Blu-ray and DVD on May 24, 2022, by Lionsgate Home Entertainment.


title: X (2022 film)

text: "X" grossed $11.8 million in the United States and Canada, and $3.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $15.1 million, making it a box office success against its mere $1 million budget.


title: X (2022 film)

text: In the United States and Canada, "X" was released alongside "Jujutsu Kaisen 0", "The Outfit", and "Umma", and was projected to gross $2–5 million in its opening weekend. The film earned $4.3 million from 2,865 theaters in its opening weekend, finishing fourth. Men made up 55% of the audience during its opening, with those in the age range of 18–34 comprising 73% of ticket sales. The ethnic breakdown of the audience showed that 50% were Caucasian, 22% Hispanic and Latino Americans, 12% African American, and 16% Asian or other. The film made $2.2 million in its second weekend and $1 million in its third. It dropped out of the box office top ten in its fourth weekend with $359,067 (a drop of 65%).


title: X (2022 film)

text: On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 94% based on 218 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "A fresh spin on the classic slasher formula, "X" marks the spot where Ti West gets resoundingly back to his horror roots." On Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, the film has a score of 79 out of 100 based on 35 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by PostTrak gave the film a 68% positive score, with 45% saying they would definitely recommend it.


title: X (2022 film)

text: Reviewing the film following its SXSW premiere, Owen Gleiberman of "Variety" called it "a deliberate, loving, and meticulous homage" to 1974's "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre", as well as "a wily and entertaining slow-motion ride of terror that earns its shocks, along with its singular quease factor, which relates to the fact that the demons here are ancient specimens of humanity who actually have a touch of... humanity." John DeFore of "The Hollywood Reporter" commended the film's cast and noted that, "Before the gore begins (and even mid-action), West seems to truly consider the pain of irretrievable youth, and feel for those whose final years are consumed by it." "The A.V. Club"s Todd Gilchrist gave the film a grade of "B+", writing that it "examines the way that youth in others seems to bring out the feeling and impact of age in ourselves, not to mention how we resist or respond to that when it happens," and calling it "bloody, ballsy fun". Abby Olcese, writing for "RogerEbert.com", gave the film a score of three out of four stars, concluding: ""X" is plenty of fun; it also feels like a trifle that could easily have been much more."


title: X (2022 film)

text: Upon release, "The Atlantic"s David Sims called the film "a modern classic", comparing it with 2022's "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", which he felt failed creatively compared to "X". Richard Roeper of the "Chicago Sun-Times" awarded the film three-and-a-half out of four stars, calling it "the kind of movie that has you reeling in disgust at certain moments, then laughing at the blood-spattered absurdity of it all. It's a new twist on the period-piece slasher movie, smart and strange and fantastically depraved." A.O. Scott, in a review of the film for "The New York Times", wrote that "X" "isn't shy about appealing to voyeurism. There's nothing coy or arty about the bloodletting. [...] West, unlike his pornographers, has things to say as well as bodies to show. Most of all, he has an aesthetic that isn't all about terror or titillation. "X" is full of dreamy, haunting overhead shots and moments of surprising tenderness." Alfred Van Der Zwam of "Voices from the Balcony" awarded the movie 3.5 out of 5 stars, elaborating that ""X" mostly succeeds as an entertaining, calmly moving, nostalgic and ultimately unassuming horror film flavoured with an excellent 70s soundtrack."


title: X (2022 film)

text: Valerie Complex of "Deadline Hollywood" referred to the film as "a new love letter to the slasher film genre", writing: "I give West credit for having a vision and sticking to his influences. He knows what he wants to do and how to execute it unapologetically. "X" is surface-level entertainment [...] but still a satisfying piece of indie horror filmmaking that's worth taking a chance on." Dmitry Samarov of the "Chicago Reader" gave the film a mostly negative review, writing that "even the most casual horror fan won't miss" the references that "X" makes to 1974's "Texas Chain Saw Massacre", but that, "unlike Tobe Hooper's masterpiece, which has a point to make about economic desperation and cultural clash in 70s America, West just wants to punish everyone involved in gory ways played for laughs."


title: X (2022 film)

text: In March 2022, it was revealed that a prequel film, "Pearl", was shot back-to-back in secret with the first film. West directed and co-wrote the film with Goth. Principal photography took place in New Zealand, and upon official announcement was already in the post-production stage. Goth reprises her role as a younger-aged Pearl. A24 produced the project, with Jacob Jaffke, Harrison Kreiss and Kevin Turen serving as producers, and West, Goth, Mescudi and Sam Levinson as executive producers. A sneak preview was also shown in "X"'s post-credits scene for North American releases only. "Pearl" was released theatrically in North America on September 16, 2022, approximately six months after the release of "X".


title: X (2022 film)

text: A third installment in the series, "MaXXXine", was announced shortly before the release of "Pearl", which will focus on the Maxine character in 1980s Los Angeles, following the events depicted in "X".


title: Ted Lasso

text: Ted Lasso is an American sports comedy-drama television series developed by Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt, and Joe Kelly. It is based on a character of the same name that Sudeikis first portrayed in a series of promos for NBC Sports' coverage of the Premier League. The series follows Ted Lasso, an American college football coach who is hired to coach an English soccer team in an attempt by its owner to spite her ex-husband. Lasso tries to win over the skeptical English market with his folksy, optimistic demeanor while dealing with his inexperience in the sport.


title: Ted Lasso

text: The first season of 10 episodes premiered on Apple TV+ on August 14, 2020, with three episodes, followed by weekly installments. A second season of 12 episodes premiered on July 23, 2021. In October 2020, the series was renewed for a third season.


title: Ted Lasso

text: The series has received critical acclaim, with particular praise for its performances (specifically Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, and Brett Goldstein), humor, writing, themes, and uplifting tone. Among other accolades, its first season was nominated for 20 Primetime Emmy Awards, becoming the most nominated first-season comedy in Emmy Award history. Sudeikis, Waddingham, and Goldstein won for their performances, and the series won the 2021 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. Sudeikis also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series.


title: Ted Lasso

text: Ted Lasso, an American college football coach, is unexpectedly recruited to coach a fictional English Premier League soccer team, AFC Richmond, despite having no experience coaching soccer. The team's owner, Rebecca Welton, hires Lasso hoping he will fail as a means of exacting revenge on the team's previous owner, her unfaithful ex-husband. However, Ted's charm, personality, and humor begin to win over Rebecca, the team, and those who had been skeptical about his appointment.


title: Ted Lasso

text: The series was commissioned in October 2019 by Apple TV+, with Jason Sudeikis reprising his role as Lasso. Sudeikis originally portrayed the titular character in 2013 as part of a series of television commercials for NBC Sports promoting their coverage of the Premier League, in which Lasso is depicted as the new head coach of Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Television producer and "Scrubs" creator Bill Lawrence was brought in to work on a television series based around the character in 2017. The series is co-owned by Warner Bros. Television, where Lawrence's production company Doozer is based, and which controls linear distribution rights to the series, and NBC subsidiary Universal Television, which is a "passive partner".


title: Ted Lasso

text: On August 19, 2020, Apple TV+ renewed the series for a 10-episode second season. It was later confirmed that the second season had been expanded to 12 episodes. On October 28, 2020, the series was renewed for a third season. On an episode of the "Scrubs" rewatch podcast "Fake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach + Donald", Lawrence indicated that "Ted Lasso" will likely be a "three-season show" due to the limited availability of Sudeikis beyond the third season. Lawrence went on to say that the story has a planned resolution within those three seasons. In June 2022, Brett Goldstein also commented that the series is planned to end after three seasons and said, "We are writing it like that."


title: Ted Lasso

text: In October 2021, Apple TV+ reached a licensing deal with the Premier League worth as much as £500,000 (around $682,000) for the series to feature the league's logos, kits, and trophy starting from the third season. On March 6, 2022, a day before filming for season 3 began, Nike, Inc. posted on its official Twitter account a photo of its trademark Swoosh logo incorporated onto an AFC Richmond kit, implying that the show's production had reached a deal with the company to act as the fictional club's "official" kit manufacturer on future episodes.


title: Ted Lasso

text: Actors in the series Brett Goldstein and Brendan Hunt also joined the writing team along with Sudeikis as the second and third members of the main cast to do so. While Hunt and Sudeikis were part of both the cast and writing team from the start, Goldstein was initially a writer and story editor. It was only after sending a video audition of some already written Roy Kent scenes to the showrunner, Bill Lawrence, that led to Goldstein's casting.


title: Ted Lasso

text: The episodes "Carol of the Bells" and "Beard After Hours" were the two episodes developed when the second season was expanded by two episodes, fitting in to the continuity of the second season without impacting storylines of the already written episodes.


title: Ted Lasso

text: Theo Park serves as the casting director for the series. Nick Mohammed, who portrays Nate Shelley, originally auditioned for the role of Leslie Higgins, which in the end went to Jeremy Swift. Park pushed for Phil Dunster to play the role of Jamie Tartt, even though the character was originally supposed to be from Latin America and portrayed by Cristo Fernández. The character of Sam Obisanya was originally going to have been of Ghanaian heritage, but the character was changed after Toheeb Jimoh's casting. In March 2021, Sarah Niles was cast as Dr. Sharon Fieldstone, a sports psychologist for AFC Richmond in a main capacity for the second season. About Niles' casting, Park said that "It was really important with that role that [Niles] had a real sense of security and almost completely unflappable." Kiki May portrays Nora, Sassy's teenaged daughter, in a recurring capacity in the second season. Casting for season three was set to begin near the end of 2021. Jodi Balfour was cast as Jack, a venture capitalist, in a recurring capacity for the third season in April 2022.


title: Ted Lasso

text: Production began on the second season in January 2021. In March 2021, Jason Sudeikis and Hannah Waddingham were spotted filming outside a pub in London. Filming wrapped for the second season on June 4, 2021. Filming for the third season is set to take place between January and June 2022. Most of the pub and street scenes have been shot in the actual London Borough of Richmond. AFC Richmond's training field and complex in which Rebecca's office is based is filmed at the SkyEX Community Stadium which is the home ground of Hayes & Yeading United F.C. who are a semi-professional club playing in England's seventh level of competitive soccer, whereas Nelson Road, the home stadium of Richmond, is actually Selhurst Park, a real-life Premier League stadium used by London club Crystal Palace F.C. Exterior shots of Craven Cottage, the home stadium of Fulham F.C. were used in season 1 to pass off as fellow Premier League ground Goodison Park when AFC Richmond played away at Everton. Wembley Stadium was used in season 2 to portray the FA Cup semi-final with Manchester City F.C.


title: Ted Lasso

text: The show incorporates many real-life members of the British soccer and television entertainment community. This also includes using a number of genuine television shows which feature the actual presenters, sets and theme songs, including the Sky Sports programme "Soccer Saturday". The day-time ITV show "This Morning" also features in season 2.


title: Ted Lasso

text: Filming for season 3 began on March 7, 2022. The series filmed on location in Amsterdam for season 3.


title: Ted Lasso

text: In March 2021, Bill Lawrence revealed that official "Ted Lasso" merchandise would be for sale ahead of the season two premiere. The merchandise, including football jerseys, became available in June 2021.


title: Ted Lasso

text: Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 92% based on 73 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Warm and winsome, if not particularly hilarious, "Ted Lasso" fleshes out its promo premise with unrelenting optimism and a charming turn from Jason Sudeikis." Metacritic gave the first season a weighted average score of 71 out of 100 based on 21 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".


title: Ted Lasso

text: Kristen Baldwin of "Entertainment Weekly" gave the series an A− and wrote, "There's nothing groundbreaking about the way "Ted Lasso" story beats play out, but the show—a mix of workplace antics, sentimental sports inspo, and soapy romance—is undeniably winning." Reviewing the series for "Rolling Stone", Alan Sepinwall described the series as "extremely likable throughout, but it's more a hypothetical comedy than an actual one. There are long stretches where Juno Temple is the only actor even trying to sell what few jokes are in the scripts." and gave a rating of 3/5. Writing for "The Guardian", Benjamin Lee gave it 2/5, describing it as "a show that isn't unwatchably bad but isn't really much of anything", and suggesting that some of its humor was "rooted in some questionable and uneasy stereotypes".


title: Ted Lasso

text: As the season went on, critical appreciation for the show increased. After the eighth episode aired, Caroline Framke of "Variety" published a review with the headline "For Your Reconsideration: Ted Lasso". She went on to say, "Above all odds, "Ted Lasso" chipped away at my skepticism until there was none left—just like the character himself does to everyone he meets", adding, "At a time when just about everything feels catastrophic, there's something undeniably satisfying about spending some time with good people who are just trying to be the best they can, on and off the field." Keri Lumm of "Paste Magazine" said, after the airing of the penultimate episode, "Ted Lasso is the wholesome American hero we need", going on to say "... the landscape of television has felt kind of gloomy, so imagine my surprise when I turned on the TV to Ted Lasso and felt a swelling of a now unfamiliar emotion—hope." And after the finale aired, Lea Palmieri from "Decider" said: "Every step of the way, "Ted Lasso" proves to be comforting and entertaining and somehow both a distraction and a reminder that kindness is out there, not just on this fictional show, not just across the pond, but deep in the heart of America too."


title: Ted Lasso

text: The second season was met with critical acclaim. Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 97% based on 119 reviews, with an average rating of 8.6/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "As comforting as a buttery biscuit from a friend, "Ted Lasso"s sophomore season is a feel-good triumph that plays into the show's strengths while giving its supporting team more time on the pitch." Metacritic gave the second season a weighted average score of 85 out of 100 based on 35 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".


title: Ted Lasso

text: The first season received 20 nominations at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, becoming the most nominated freshman comedy in Emmy Award history. It won 7 awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series and acting awards for Jason Sudeikis, Brett Goldstein and Hannah Waddingham; while Brendan Hunt, Nick Mohammed, Jeremy Swift and Juno Temple received nominations. Sudeikis also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series for 2020 and 2021.


title: Ted Lasso

text: The series won in the categories for Outstanding New Program, Outstanding Achievement in Comedy and Program of the Year at the 37th TCA Awards and also won for best and at the 73rd Writers Guild of America Awards.


title: Ted Lasso

text: The second season received 20 nominations at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards. It won four awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series, acting awards for Sudeikis and Goldstein, and a directing award for MJ Delaney. Several actors received nominations, including Toheeb Jimoh, Mohammed, Temple, Waddingham, Sarah Niles, James Lance, Sam Richardson and Harriet Walter.


title: Ted Lasso

text: "Ted Lasso" became the most watched television series on Apple TV+. The first season premiere episode became Apple TV+'s most watched premiere and it ranked 89th overall among other television series or shows measured across streaming platforms from November 1, 2019, to July 18, 2021. According to TV analytics provider TVision, "Ted Lasso" has been viewed by panel members 8.4 times as much as the average Apple TV+ original series or shows TVision has measured since Apple TV+ launched in November 2019. Over the second season premiere weekend, Apple TV+ expanded its number of new viewers by 50% week over week. Apple also announced the second season of "Ted Lasso" "increased its viewership by six times over season one". In 2021, the final episode of the second season ranked ninth place among all SVOD programs and fifth place in the SVOD originals category with 507 million minutes (MM) viewed.


title: Ted Lasso

text: In September 2022, it was announced that AFC Richmond and Nelson Road would appear in the video game "FIFA 23". The team would be available in multiple online and offline modes, with players also able to select Ted Lasso to manage any team in the game, as well as have someone else manage the team. Ted Lasso, Coach Beard, Roy Kent, Jamie Tartt, Sam Obisanya, and Dani Rojas are featured in the game.


title: Malaysia

text: Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Malaysia. Peninsular Malaysia shares a land and maritime border with Thailand and maritime borders with Singapore, Vietnam, and Indonesia. East Malaysia shares land and maritime borders with Brunei and Indonesia, and a maritime border with the Philippines and Vietnam. Kuala Lumpur is the national capital, the country's largest city, and the seat of the legislative branch of the federal government. The nearby planned capital of Putrajaya is the administrative capital, which represents the seat of both the executive branch (the Cabinet, federal ministries, and agencies) and the judicial branch of the federal government. With a population of over 32 million, Malaysia is the world's 45th-most populous country. The southernmost point of continental Eurasia is in Tanjung Piai. In the tropics, Malaysia is one of 17 megadiverse countries, home to numerous endemic species.


title: Malaysia

text: Malaysia has its origins in the Malay kingdoms, which, from the 18th century on, became subject to the British Empire, along with the British Straits Settlements protectorate. Peninsular Malaysia was unified as the Malayan Union in 1946. Malaya was restructured as the Federation of Malaya in 1948 and achieved independence on 31 August 1957. The independent Malaya united with the then British crown colonies of North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore on 16 September 1963 to become Malaysia. In August 1965, Singapore was expelled from the federation and became a separate independent country.


title: Malaysia

text: The country is multiethnic and multicultural, which has a significant effect on its politics. About half the population is ethnically Malay, with minorities of Chinese, Indians, and indigenous peoples. The country's official language is Malaysian Malay, a standard form of the Malay language. English remains an active second language. While recognising Islam as the country's established religion, the constitution grants freedom of religion to non-Muslims. The government is modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system, and the legal system is based on common law. The head of state is an elected monarch, chosen from among the nine state sultans every five years. The head of government is the Prime Minister.


title: Malaysia

text: After independence, the Malaysian GDP grew at an average rate of 6.5% per annum for almost 50 years. The economy has traditionally been fuelled by its natural resources but is expanding in the sectors of science, tourism, commerce and medical tourism. Malaysia has a newly industrialised market economy, ranked third-largest in Southeast Asia and 36th-largest in the world. It is a founding member of ASEAN, EAS, and OIC and a member of APEC, the Commonwealth, and the Non-Aligned Movement.


title: Malaysia

text: The name "Malaysia" is a combination of the word "Malays" and the Latin-Greek suffix "-ia"/"-ία" which can be translated as "land of the Malays". The origin of the word 'Melayu' is subject to various theories. It may derive from the Sanskrit "Himalaya", referring to areas high in the mountains, or "Malaiyur-pura", meaning mountain town. Another similar theory claims its origin lies in the Tamil words ""malai"" and ""ur"" meaning "mountain" and "city, land", respectively. Another suggestion is that it derives from the Pamalayu campaign. A final suggestion is that it comes from a Javanese word meaning "to run", from which a river, the "Sungai Melayu" ('Melayu river'), was named due to its strong current. Similar-sounding variants have also appeared in accounts older than the 11th century, as toponyms for areas in Sumatra or referring to a larger region around the Strait of Malacca. The Sanskrit text Vayu Purana, thought to have been in existence since the first millennium CE, mentioned a land named 'Malayadvipa' which was identified by certain scholars as the modern Malay peninsula. Other notable accounts are by the 2nd century Ptolemy's Geographia that used the name "Malayu Kulon" for the west coast of Golden Chersonese, and the 7th century Yijing's account of "Malayu".


title: Malaysia

text: At some point, the Melayu Kingdom took its name from the "Sungai Melayu". 'Melayu' then became associated with Srivijaya, and remained associated with various parts of Sumatra, especially Palembang, where the founder of the Malacca Sultanate is thought to have come from. It is only thought to have developed into an ethnonym as Malacca became a regional power in the 15th century. Islamisation established an ethnoreligious identity in Malacca, with the term 'Melayu' beginning to appear as interchangeable with 'Melakans'. It may have specifically referred to local Malays speakers thought loyal to the Malaccan Sultan. The initial Portuguese use of "Malayos" reflected this, referring only to the ruling people of Malacca. The prominence of traders from Malacca led 'Melayu' to be associated with Muslim traders, and from there became associated with the wider cultural and linguistic group. Malacca and later Johor claimed they were the centre of Malay culture, a position supported by the British which led to the term 'Malay' becoming more usually linked to the Malay peninsula rather than Sumatra.


title: Malaysia

text: Before the onset of European colonisation, the Malay Peninsula was known natively as ""Tanah Melayu"" ("Malay Land"). Under a racial classification created by a German scholar Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, the natives of maritime Southeast Asia were grouped into a single category, the Malay race. Following the expedition of French navigator Jules Dumont d'Urville to Oceania in 1826, he later proposed the terms of "Malaysia", "Micronesia" and "Melanesia" to the "Société de Géographie" in 1831, distinguishing these Pacific cultures and island groups from the existing term "Polynesia". Dumont d'Urville described Malaysia as "an area commonly known as the East Indies". In 1850, the English ethnologist George Samuel Windsor Earl, writing in the "Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia", proposed naming the islands of Southeast Asia as "Melayunesia" or "Indunesia", favouring the former. The name Malaysia gained some use to label what is now the Malay Archipelago. In modern terminology, "Malay" remains the name of an ethnoreligious group of Austronesian people predominantly inhabiting the Malay Peninsula and portions of the adjacent islands of Southeast Asia, including the east coast of Sumatra, the coast of Borneo, and smaller islands that lie between these areas.


title: Malaysia

text: The state that gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1957 took the name the "Federation of Malaya", chosen in preference to other potential names such as "Langkasuka", after the historic kingdom located at the upper section of the Malay Peninsula in the first millennium CE. The name "Malaysia" was adopted in 1963 when the existing states of the Federation of Malaya, plus Singapore, North Borneo and Sarawak formed a new federation. One theory posits the name was chosen so that "si" represented the inclusion of Singapore, North Borneo, and Sarawak to Malaya in 1963. Politicians in the Philippines contemplated renaming their state "Malaysia" before the modern country took the name.


title: Malaysia

text: Evidence of modern human habitation in Malaysia dates back 40,000 years. In the Malay Peninsula, the first inhabitants are thought to be Negritos. Traders and settlers from India and China arrived as early as the first century AD, establishing trading ports and coastal towns in the second and third centuries. Their presence resulted in strong Indian and Chinese influences on the local cultures, and the people of the Malay Peninsula adopted the religions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Sanskrit inscriptions appear as early as the fourth or fifth century. The Kingdom of Langkasuka arose around the second century in the northern area of the Malay Peninsula, lasting until about the 15th century. Between the 7th and 13th centuries, much of the southern Malay Peninsula was part of the maritime Srivijayan empire. By the 13th and the 14th century, the Majapahit empire had successfully wrested control over most of the peninsula and the Malay Archipelago from Srivijaya. In the early 15th century, Parameswara, a runaway king of the former Kingdom of Singapura linked to the old Srivijayan court, founded the Malacca Sultanate. The spread of Islam increased following Parameswara's conversion to that religion. Malacca was an important commercial centre during this time, attracting trade from around the region.


title: Malaysia

text: In 1511, Malacca was conquered by Portugal, after which it was taken by the Dutch in 1641. In 1786, the British Empire established a presence in Malaya, when the Sultan of Kedah leased Penang Island to the British East India Company. The British obtained the town of Singapore in 1819, and in 1824 took control of Malacca following the Anglo-Dutch Treaty. By 1826, the British directly controlled Penang, Malacca, Singapore, and the island of Labuan, which they established as the crown colony of the Straits Settlements. By the 20th century, the states of Pahang, Selangor, Perak, and Negeri Sembilan, known together as the Federated Malay States, had British residents appointed to advise the Malay rulers, to whom the rulers were bound to defer by treaty. The remaining five states in the peninsula, known as the Unfederated Malay States, while not directly under British rule, also accepted British advisers around the turn of the 20th century. Development on the peninsula and Borneo were generally separate until the 19th century. Under British rule the immigration of Chinese and Indians to serve as labourers was encouraged. The area that is now Sabah came under British control as North Borneo when both the Sultan of Brunei and the Sultan of Sulu transferred their respective territorial rights of ownership, between 1877 and 1878. In 1842, Sarawak was ceded by the Sultan of Brunei to James Brooke, whose successors ruled as the White Rajahs over an independent kingdom until 1946, when it became a crown colony.


title: Malaysia

text: In the Second World War, the Japanese Army invaded and occupied Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore for over three years. During this time, ethnic tensions were raised and nationalism grew. Popular support for independence increased after Malaya was reconquered by Allied forces. Post-war British plans to unite the administration of Malaya under a single crown colony called the "Malayan Union" met with strong opposition from the Malays, who opposed the weakening of the Malay rulers and the granting of citizenship to the ethnic Chinese. The Malayan Union, established in 1946, and consisting of all the British possessions in the Malay Peninsula with the exception of Singapore, was quickly dissolved and replaced on 1 February 1948 by the Federation of Malaya, which restored the autonomy of the rulers of the Malay states under British protection.


title: Malaysia

text: During this time, the mostly ethnically Chinese rebels under the leadership of the Malayan Communist Party launched guerrilla operations designed to force the British out of Malaya. The Malayan Emergency (1948–1960) involved a long anti-insurgency campaign by Commonwealth troops in Malaya. On 31 August 1957, Malaya became an independent member of the Commonwealth of Nations. After this a plan was put in place to federate Malaya with the crown colonies of North Borneo (which joined as Sabah), Sarawak, and Singapore. The date of federation was planned to be 31 August 1963 so as to coincide with the anniversary of Malayan independence; however, federation was delayed until 16 September 1963 in order for a United Nations survey of support for federation in Sabah and Sarawak, called for by parties opposed to federation including Indonesia's Sukarno and the Sarawak United Peoples' Party, to be completed.


title: Malaysia

text: Federation brought heightened tensions including a conflict with Indonesia as well continuous conflicts against the Communists in Borneo and the Malayan Peninsula which escalates to the Sarawak Communist Insurgency and Second Malayan Emergency together with several other issues such as the cross border attacks into North Borneo by Moro pirates from the southern islands of the Philippines, Singapore being expelled from the Federation in 1965, and racial strife. This strife culminated in the 13 May race riots in 1969. After the riots, the controversial New Economic Policy was launched by Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak, trying to increase the share of the economy held by the "bumiputera". Under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad there was a period of rapid economic growth and urbanization beginning in the 1980s. The economy shifted from being agriculturally based to one based on manufacturing and industry. Numerous mega-projects were completed, such as the Petronas Towers, the North–South Expressway, the Multimedia Super Corridor, and the new federal administrative capital of Putrajaya. However, in the late 1990s, the Asian financial crisis almost caused the collapse of the currency and the stock and property markets, although they later recovered. The 1MDB scandal was a major global corruption scandal that implicated then-Prime Minister Najib Razak in 2015. The scandal contributed to the first change in the ruling political party since independence in the 2018 general election. In the 2020s, the country was gripped by a political crisis that coincided with health and economic crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This was then followed by an earlier general election in November 2022, which resulted in the first hung parliament in the nation's history. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition won 82 seats and former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s Perikatan Nasional (PN) gained 73 seats. Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition was the biggest loser securing just 30 seats in the 222-member parliament. On 24 November 2022, Anwar Ibrahim was sworn in as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia.


title: Malaysia

text: Malaysia is a federal constitutional elective monarchy; the only federal country in Southeast Asia. The system of government is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system, a legacy of British rule. The head of state is the King, whose official title is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. The King is elected to a five-year term by and from among the nine hereditary rulers of the Malay states. The other four states, which have titular Governors, do not participate in the selection. By informal agreement the position is rotated among the nine, and has been held by Abdullah of Pahang since 31 January 2019. The King's role has been largely ceremonial since changes to the constitution in 1994, picking ministers and members of the upper house.


title: Malaysia

text: Legislative power is divided between federal and state legislatures. The bicameral federal parliament consists of the lower house, the House of Representatives and the upper house, the Senate. The 222-member House of Representatives is elected for a maximum term of five years from single-member constituencies. All 70 senators sit for three-year terms; 26 are elected by the 13 state assemblies, and the remaining 44 are appointed by the King upon the Prime Minister's recommendation. The parliament follows a multi-party system and the government is elected through a first-past-the-post system. Parliamentary elections are held at least once every five years, the most recent of which took place in May 2018. Before 2018, registered voters aged 21 and above could vote for the members of the House of Representatives and, in most of the states, for the state legislative chamber. Voting is not mandatory. In July 2019, a bill to lower the voting age to 18 years old was officially passed.


title: Malaysia

text: Executive power is vested in the Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister. The prime minister must be a member of the House of Representatives, who in the opinion of His Majesty the King, commands the support of a majority of members. The Cabinet is chosen from members of both houses of Parliament. The Prime Minister is both the head of cabinet and the head of government. As a result of the 2018 general election Malaysia was governed by the Pakatan Harapan political alliance, although Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad resigned amid a political crisis in 2020. In March 2020, the Perikatan Nasional coalition formed under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, before Muhyiddin lost majority support and was replaced by deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, a veteran politician from UMNO, in August 2021.As a result of the 2022 Malaysian general election, a hung parliament was elected. Anwar Ibrahim of the PH coalition was appointed as the new Prime Minister to lead the coalition government of PH, BN, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and several other political parties and independents. Meanwhile PN, the only political coalition not in the coalition government became the Opposition. Malaysia's legal system is based on English Common Law. Although the judiciary is theoretically independent, its independence has been called into question and the appointment of judges lacks accountability and transparency. The highest court in the judicial system is the Federal Court, followed by the Court of Appeal and two high courts, one for Peninsular Malaysia and one for East Malaysia. Malaysia also has a special court to hear cases brought by or against royalty.


title: Malaysia

text: Race is a significant force in politics. Affirmative actions such as the New Economic Policy and the National Development Policy which superseded it, were implemented to advance the standing of the "bumiputera", consisting of Malays and the indigenous tribes who are considered the original inhabitants of Malaysia, over non-"bumiputera" such as Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indians. These policies provide preferential treatment to "bumiputera" in employment, education, scholarships, business, and access to cheaper housing and assisted savings. However, it has generated greater interethnic resentment. There is ongoing debate over whether the laws and society of Malaysia should reflect Islamism or secularism. Islamic criminal laws passed by the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party with the support of United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) state assemblymen in the state legislative assembly of Kelantan have been blocked by the federal government on the basis that criminal laws are the responsibility of the federal government.


title: Malaysia

text: After the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) lost power at the 2018 Malaysian general election, Malaysia's ranking increased by 9 places in the 2019 Democracy Index to 43th compared to the previous year, and is classified as a 'flawed democracy'. Malaysia's ranking in the 2020 Press Freedom Index increased by 22 places to 101st compared to the previous year, making it one of two countries in Southeast Asia without a 'Difficult situation' or 'Very Serious situation' with regards to press freedom. However, it fell 18 places the following year due to the policies of the Perikatan Nasional government.


title: Malaysia

text: Malaysia is marked at 48 and 62nd place according to the 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index, indicating above average levels of corruption. Freedom House noted Malaysia as "partly free" in its 2018 survey. A lawsuit filed by Department of Justice (DOJ), alleged that at least $3.5 billion involving former prime minister Najib Razak had been stolen from Malaysia's 1MDB state-owned fund, known as the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal.


title: Malaysia

text: Malaysia is a federation of 13 states and three federal territories. These are divided between two regions, with 11 states and two federal territories on Peninsular Malaysia and the other two states and one federal territory in East Malaysia. Each state is divided into districts, which are then divided into mukim. In Sabah and Sarawak districts are grouped into divisions.


title: Malaysia

text: Governance of the states is divided between the federal and the state governments, with different powers reserved for each, and the Federal government has direct administration of the federal territories. Each state has a unicameral State Legislative Assembly whose members are elected from single-member constituencies. State governments are led by Chief Ministers, who are state assembly members from the majority party in the assembly. In each of the states with a hereditary ruler, the Chief Minister is normally required to be a Malay, appointed by the ruler upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Except for state elections in Sarawak, by convention state elections are held concurrently with the federal election.


title: Malaysia

text: Lower-level administration is carried out by local authorities, which include city councils, district councils, and municipal councils, although autonomous statutory bodies can be created by the federal and state governments to deal with certain tasks. The federal constitution puts local authorities outside of the federal territories under the exclusive jurisdictions of the state government, although in practice the federal government has intervened in the affairs of state local governments. There are 154 local authorities, consisting of 14 city councils, 38 municipal councils and 97 district councils.


title: Malaysia

text: The 13 states are based on historical Malay kingdoms, and 9 of the 11 Peninsular states, known as the Malay states, retain their royal families. The King is elected by and from the nine rulers to serve a five-year term. This King appoints governors serving a four-year term for the states without monarchies, after consultations with the chief minister of that state. Each state has its own written constitution. Sabah and Sarawak have considerably more autonomy than the other states, most notably having separate immigration policies and controls, and a unique residency status. Federal intervention in state affairs, lack of development, and disputes over oil royalties have occasionally led to statements about secession from leaders in several states such as Penang, Johor, Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak, although these have not been followed up and no serious independence movements exist.


title: Malaysia

text: A founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the country participates in many international organisations such as the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Developing 8 Countries, and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). It has chaired ASEAN, the OIC, and the NAM in the past. A former British colony, it is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Kuala Lumpur was the site of the first East Asia Summit in 2005.


title: Malaysia

text: Malaysia's foreign policy is officially based on the principle of neutrality and maintaining peaceful relations with all countries, regardless of their political system. The government attaches a high priority to the security and stability of Southeast Asia, and seeks to further develop relations with other countries in the region. Historically the government has tried to portray Malaysia as a progressive Islamic nation while strengthening relations with other Islamic states. A strong tenet of Malaysia's policy is national sovereignty and the right of a country to control its domestic affairs. Malaysia signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.


title: Malaysia

text: The Spratly Islands are disputed by many states in the area, and a large portion of the South China Sea is claimed by China. Unlike its neighbours of Vietnam and the Philippines, Malaysia historically avoided conflicts with China. However, after the encroachment of Chinese ships in Malaysian territorial waters, and breach of airspace by their military aircraft, Malaysia has become active in condemning China. Brunei and Malaysia in 2009 announced an end to claims of each other's land, and committed to resolve issues related to their maritime borders. The Philippines has a dormant claim to the eastern part of Sabah. Singapore's land reclamation has caused tensions, and minor maritime and land border disputes exist with Indonesia.


title: Malaysia

text: The Malaysian Armed Forces have three branches: the Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Air Force. There is no conscription, and the required age for voluntary military service is 18. The military uses 1.5% of the country's GDP, and employs 1.23% of Malaysia's manpower. Malaysian peacekeeping forces have contributed to many UN peacekeeping missions, such as in Congo, Iran–Iraq, Namibia, Cambodia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Somalia, Kosovo, East Timor and Lebanon.


title: Malaysia

text: The Five Power Defence Arrangements is a regional security initiative which has been in place for almost 40 years. It involves joint military exercises held among Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Joint exercises and war games have also been held with Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, and the United States. Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam have agreed to host joint security force exercises to secure their maritime border and tackle issues such as illegal immigration, piracy, and smuggling. Previously there were fears that extremist militants activities in the Muslim areas of the southern Philippines and southern Thailand would spill over into Malaysia. Because of this, Malaysia began to increase its border security.


title: Malaysia

text: Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia, and the authorities has imposed punishments such as caning and imprisonment. Human trafficking and sex trafficking in Malaysia are significant problems. There has also been cases of vigilante executions and beatings against LGBT individuals in Malaysia. The illegality of homosexuality in Malaysia has also been the forefront of Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy trials, which Anwar has responded to it being politically motivated, a response supported by the United Nations' (UN) Working Group on Arbitrary Detention along with Amnesty International and the Human Rights Watch.


title: Malaysia

text: The death penalty is in use for serious crimes such as murder, terrorism, drug trafficking, and kidnapping, but in June 2022, Malaysian law minister Wan Junaidi pledged to abolish the capital punishment and replace it with other punishments at the discretion of the court.


title: Malaysia

text: Malaysia is the 66th largest country by total land area, with a land area of . It has land borders with Thailand in West Malaysia, and Indonesia and Brunei in East Malaysia. It is linked to Singapore by a narrow causeway and a bridge. The country also has maritime boundaries with Vietnam and the Philippines. The land borders are defined in large part by geological features such as the Perlis River, the Golok River and the Pagalayan Canal, whilst some of the maritime boundaries are the subject of ongoing contention. Brunei forms what is almost an enclave in Malaysia, with the state of Sarawak dividing it into two parts. Malaysia is the only country with territory on both the Asian mainland and the Malay archipelago. The Strait of Malacca, lying between Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia, is one of the most important thoroughfares in global commerce, carrying 40 per cent of the world's trade.


title: Malaysia

text: The two parts of Malaysia, separated from each other by the South China Sea, share a largely similar landscape in that both Peninsular and East Malaysia feature coastal plains rising to hills and mountains. Peninsular Malaysia, containing 40 per cent of Malaysia's land area, extends from north to south, and its maximum width is . It is divided between its east and west coasts by the Titiwangsa Mountains, rising to a peak elevation of at Mount Korbu, part of a series of mountain ranges running down the centre of the peninsula. These mountains are heavily forested, and mainly composed of granite and other igneous rocks. Much of it has been eroded, creating a karst landscape. The range is the origin of some of Peninsular Malaysia's river systems. The coastal plains surrounding the peninsula reach a maximum width of , and the peninsula's coastline is nearly long, although harbours are only available on the western side.


title: Malaysia

text: East Malaysia, on the island of Borneo, has a coastline of . It is divided between coastal regions, hills and valleys, and a mountainous interior. The Crocker Range extends northwards from Sarawak, dividing the state of Sabah. It is the location of the high Mount Kinabalu, the tallest mountain in Malaysia. Mount Kinabalu is located in the Kinabalu National Park, which is protected as one of the four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Malaysia. The highest mountain ranges form the border between Malaysia and Indonesia. Sarawak contains the Mulu Caves, the largest cave system in the world, in the Gunung Mulu National Park which is also a World Heritage Site. The largest river in Malaysia is the Rajang.