Latest news with #NextLevel
Time of India
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
‘DD Next Level' OTT: Santhanam starrer to stream on THIS date
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) Tamil actor Santhanam made his grand comeback with the horror comedy film 'DD Next Level' and after a mediocre theatrical run, the movie is gearing up for OTT release The much-awaited Tamil horror comedy 'DD Next Level' is set to premiere on OTT on June 13. A franchise film with friction 'DD Next Level', starring comedian-actor Santhanam, generated buzz not only for its genre-bending plot but also for controversy. One of the songs in the film drew criticism for allegedly disrespecting the revered Tirupati shrine, sparking backlash from certain religious groups and fans. While the team refrained from a direct response, the incident overshadowed much of the film's promotional run. What's the story? Devil's Double Next Level - Official Telugu Trailer The film's core revolves around a film critic who suddenly finds himself trapped inside the very horror movies he routinely mocks. But this isn't your usual jump-scare fare. Instead, 'DD Next Level' dives into a surreal 'horror-verse,' ruled by a ghost — not just any spirit, but a failed filmmaker seeking posthumous vengeance. As the critic navigates this paranormal realm, he must follow eerie clues, confront supernatural dangers, and ultimately reckon with his own arrogance and cynicism. The narrative offers a mix of horror, satire, and self-awareness, giving the genre a meta twist. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like SNS에서 화제인 그 팔찌, 예쁜데 의미까지... 굿네이버스 더 알아보기 Undo Streaming details and what to expect; our review Zee5, in its announcement on X, called the film '2025's biggest horror comedy blast', highlighting its quirky premise. Whether the OTT audience will respond more favourably than theatregoers remains to be seen, but DD Next Level's quirky setup, paired with Santhanam's signature humour, could find its footing in the home viewing space. ETimes gave the movie a rating of 2 stars out of 5 and our review reads, 'On a technical level, the film isn't without merit; the set designs are reasonably imaginative, and the VFX are competent. But these polished visuals serve as mere window dressing for a comedic structure that feels decidedly shaky. When the most memorable parts of your comedy are the awkward silences where the jokes were supposed to be, it's a clear sign that the script might have needed a few more levels of refinement.'
Business Upturn
03-06-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
FreedomPay Powers Pret A Manger's Payment Experience Globally
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FreedomPay, an innovative leader in Next Level Commerce™ technologies, has partnered with freshly made food and organic coffee shop, Pret A Manger. This collaboration is already powering Pret in three major markets—the United Kingdom, United States and Hong Kong with further deployments planned in Europe later in 2025 —providing a seamless and resilient payment experience for customers worldwide. This partnership provides Pret with a robust and reliable platform to support its continued growth. FreedomPay's industry-leading solution ensuring payment acceptance is consistently available and operational, a critical factor for success in the fast-paced quick service restaurant (QSR) industry. The platform's store-and-forward functionality ensures uninterrupted transaction processing even during connectivity disruptions, allowing Pret to maintain business continuity and maximize revenue. Chris Matthews, Global Retail Technology Director at Pret A Manger said, 'At Pret, we are committed to providing a frictionless and enjoyable experience for our customers. Partnering with FreedomPay allows us to leverage their best-in-class technology to ensure secure and reliable payment processing, no matter where our customers are in the world. This partnership is a key ingredient in our recipe for international success, allowing us to focus on what we do best: delivering delicious, freshly made food and organic coffee.' 'We are thrilled to partner with Pret A Manger to bring our secure and innovative commerce solutions to their expanding global market,' said Chris Kronenthal, President at FreedomPay. 'This collaboration reflects our commitment to empowering QSR brands with the technology they need to thrive in today's digital landscape. We look forward to providing Pret with data-driven insights to enhance their operations and customer satisfaction through our integrated Next Level Commerce™ platform.' About FreedomPay FreedomPay's Next Level Commerce™ platform transforms existing payment systems and processes from legacy to leading edge and enables merchants to unleash the power of pay. As the premier choice for many of the largest companies across the globe in retail, hospitality, lodging, gaming, sports and entertainment, foodservice, education, healthcare and financial services, FreedomPay's technology has been purposely built to deliver rock solid performance in the highly complex environment of global commerce. The company maintains a world-class security environment and was one of the first payment solution providers in North America to be validated by the PCI Security Standards Council. FreedomPay's robust solutions across payments, security, identity, and data analytics are available in-store, online and on-mobile and are supported by rapid API adoption. The award winning FreedomPay Commerce Platform operates on a single, unified technology stack across multiple continents allowing enterprises to deliver an innovative Next Level experience on a global scale. About Pret A Manger Pret A Manger is a beloved sandwich and organic coffee chain commonly referred to as Pret and based in the United Kingdom. The first shop opened in London in 1986 where the company is headquartered today. Pret's sandwiches, salads and wraps are freshly handmade each day in shop kitchens using quality ingredients and all coffees, teas and hot chocolates are organic. Pret operates more than 650 shops worldwide with more than 9,500 team members in 18 markets (United Kingdom, Ireland, United States, Hong Kong, France, Dubai, Kuwait, India, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Belgium, Singapore, Germany, Canada, Italy, Spain, Qatar, Greece). For more information, please visit Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
SM Entertainment Artists Celebrate 30 Years With SMTown Live L.A.
Fans of SM Entertainment-signed K-Pop acts braved an unseasonably hot day for a chance to see members from 13 groups perform at Carson's Dignity Health Sports earlier this month. Known as one of Korea's 'big three' K-Pop agencies, SM brought members from acts dating back to 2003 as a part of their well-known SMTown Live concert series. This year marked the agency's 30th anniversary. It's been 13 years since the last SMTown Live in California, which took place in Anaheim. More from The Hollywood Reporter Bono Weighs in on Trump-Bruce Springsteen Drama: "There's Only One Boss in America" Sean "Diddy" Combs' Assistant of 8 Years Accuses Him of Multiple Sexual Assaults During Testimony Sean "Diddy" Combs' Ex-Assistant Testifies He Sexually Assaulted Her and Used Violence to Get His Way It was an all-day affair for fans who opted to purchase the red-carpet ticket, which gave them a chance to see their idols relatively close and kicked off before 1 p.m. Some performers stopped by the barricade of fans to snap selfies or say a quick hello. Several groups teased new music and exciting performances. TVXQ, Super Junior, SHINee's Key and Minho, EXO's Suho, Chanyeol and Kai, Red Velvet, NCT 127, NCT Dream, WayV, aespa, Riize, Hearts2Hearts and SMTR25 all performed; NCT Wish was slated to perform but was unable to attend due to visa issues. Girl group aespa seemingly teased their future plans at SMTown Live. 'We're about to release music very, very soon, so please stay tuned for that,' Winter told The Hollywood Reporter. The group described their performance of the night in one word: fire. The crowd went wild for the four-piece group, performing hits such as 'Whiplash' and 'Next Level.' 'It's our first time in L.A. for SMTown, and it's not every year that we can come here as a whole SMTown family,' Riize's Anton said before the concert. The group recently released their first album, Odyssey, which they previewed for fans during the L.A. show. 'It's a really special opportunity,' Anton continued. TVXQ, the eldest of the crop of performers, told THR that fans could expect to hear the duo's older songs, a promise they delivered on when they sang their 2008 K-Pop classic 'Mirotic.' The undeniably catchy track had the entire stadium singing along. 'We just want this performance to be a place where we can show a lot of synergy between the senior and the junior groups,' member Changmin told THR. Other groups like girl group Red Velvet decided to play older fan favorites. The three members who performed during the show surprised the audience with their 2018 song 'Bad Boy.' The group told THR they included it as a special treat. It was Red Velvet's first performance in L.A. in years, so they said they knew fans were 'going to love it.' On the other end of the spectrum was SM's latest endeavor, girl group Hearts2Hearts, who were fresh off a Saturday performance at Wango Tango. The eight-member outfit expressed how excited they were to be in L.A. for the first time. Stella, a vocalist, said the group was particularly looking forward to the show's final song, 'Hope from Kwangya,' where all of the night's performers come together to sing farewell. To perform that final song, all artists flocked to the stage and later waved goodbye to fans all together. SM Entertainment's next SMTown Live is set for June 28 in London. Another in Japan is scheduled for August. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More
Hindustan Times
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
aespa's agency issues clarification, apologises after Karina shares, then deletes post
The agency of Karina, a member of the K-pop group aespa, has issued a clarification after she posted and deleted several of her photos on Instagram. As per Soompi, on Tuesday, Karina posted her pictures, wearing a jacket with red accents and the number 'two' written on it. She posted it on the platform along with a red rose emoji. (Also Read | aespa's Karina and Lee Jae Wook have broken up because of 'mental strain': Agency confirms) A section of people on social media platforms questioned whether she was supporting a South Korean political party ahead of the upcoming presidential election. On Wednesday, SM Entertainment issued a statement saying that Karina simply posted the photos with "absolutely no other intention or purpose." The agency also apologised for causing any distress to its fans. The statement read, as reported by Soompi, "This is SM Entertainment. We apologise for causing concern due to our artist Karina's recent post. Karina simply shared something from her daily life on social media, with absolutely no other intention or purpose. Once she realised that the post could be misunderstood, she immediately deleted it. We sincerely apologise for any distress this may have caused unintentionally." SM Entertainment added that it will make sure that any misunderstanding in the future are avoided. "Our agency will also be more careful and make greater efforts to prevent such incidents from happening in the future. We hope that our artist's intentions will no longer be misrepresented or consumed with a particular agenda, and we will do our utmost to protect Karina and all of our artists. Thank you," concluded the statement. aespa, comprising Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning, debuted in 2020 with the single Black Mamba. Their third single, Next Level, was released in May 2021. The same year, aespa released their first extended play (EP), Savage. In 2022, aespa released their second EP Girls. Their third EP, My World, released in 2023. The group released their first studio album, Armageddon, in 2024.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Ongoing security concerns' spark closure of West Burnside burger joint
PORTLAND, Ore. () — A Bend-founded burger chain is closing one of its Portland outposts due to safety concerns. On Wednesday morning, Next Level Burger informed customers of the closure of its 1972 W Burnside restaurant. Memorial Day weekend 2025 travel forecast: Rush expected for Oregonians driving, flying 'At Next Level, we're committed to creating safe, welcoming spaces for our team, our guests, and the communities we serve,' Next Level wrote. 'Following a pause in operations due to a significant incident during service, we've made the difficult decision to close our West Burnside location due to ongoing security concerns in the surrounding area. This decision was not made lightly, but nothing comes before the safety of our team members and guests.' The company has multiple plant-based burger joints remaining in the Portland area, including a location on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard and another in Lake Oswego. Next Level also owns Veggie Grill, which has a downtown restaurant in addition to a space in Beaverton's Cedar Hills Crossing. But Next Level's Burnside business has faced several challenges. According to a Portland Police Bureau spokesperson, that location last called officers to report an incident in July 2022. Later in November 2023, to reveal they had faced vandalism twice in that month alone. City Council says water, sewer rate increases will 'help maintain the system' Additionally, there were 1,302 offenses reported in the surrounding Goose Hollow neighborhood from March 2024 to March 2025. Vandalism accounted for 200 of those offenses. This is a developing story. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
