Between its stellar cast and soaring production values – not to mention the spirited Marvel hype train – it is easy to see why Eternals is one of the most anticipated films of late 2021.
The pandemic has made keeping track of film release schedules somewhat of a mercurial endeavour.
Despite Google suggesting Eternals will hit cinemas in the UAE this Thursday, fans will have to wait a little longer than that before they get their next Marvel fix.
Here is everything you need to know about Eternals ahead of its UAE release:
When is ‘Eternals’ coming out in the UAE?
On the heels of Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which became the first pandemic-era film to cross the $400 million global box office mark, Eternals will be coming out across UAE cinemas on Thursday, November 11.
The film can already be spotted on local cinemas’ coming-soon lists, with tickets expected to go up for early sale sometime next week.
What is 'Eternals' about?
Eternals is named after and tells the story of a group of immortal beings, who have secretly lived on Earth for seven millennia, as they reunite to protect the planet against the Deviants, their evil counterparts.
The film takes place in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame, when half of the world’s population, snapped into nonbeing by Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet, return to existence.
Who stars in 'Eternals'?
Perhaps the most alluring aspect of Eternals is the film’s cast.
The Chloe Zhao-directed film brings together a dream team of A-listers, from Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie to Game of Thrones’ Richard Madden and Kit Harington.
The film’s starry cast includes Crazy Rich Asians star Gemma Chan, Train to Busan actor Don Lee, comedian and The Big Sick actor Kumail Nanjiani, Atlanta star Brian Tyree Henry, Sound of Metal actor Lauren Ridloff, American Animals actor Barry Keoghan, The Lodge actor Lia McHugh, Four Weddings and a Funeral (miniseries) actor Harish Patel and even One Direction’s Harry Styles.
What are early reviews saying?
The Marvel Studios film had its world premiere in Los Angeles in October, and though it still has a few days to go before being released in the US, early reviews have started trickling in.
They’re not great.
Eternals is projected to become the first Marvel Studios film to receive a below 60 per cent score on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. The film currently has a critics' score of 58, designating it as "Rotten" and effectively ending Marvel Studios' 25-film "Fresh" streak.
While the first tide of reviews from those who attended the world premiere were favourable, negative comments have begun piling up, with critics slamming the film’s “dull and predictable” storyline, saying it had “too many characters” and “too little plot”.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics' consensus reads: “An ambitious superhero epic that soars as often as it strains, Eternals takes the MCU in intriguing – and occasionally confounding – new directions.”
However, there are plenty of positive remarks as well, particularly where the film’s visuals are concerned, with one critic writing that Eternals is the “single most unique and visually stunning Marvel movie ever”.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MATCH INFO
Crawley Town 3 (Tsaroulla 50', Nadesan 53', Tunnicliffe 70')
Leeds United 0
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Spec%20sheet
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
