Spider-Man returns to cinemas this weekend with the release of Spider-Man: Far from Home, which has the web-slinging warrior visiting Europe, ostensibly on a school trip.
Naturally – this being Spider-Man – things don't run entirely smoothly, and it's not long before he finds himself traversing the continent fighting a legion of mythical elemental creatures who want to destroy the planet.
A second Homecoming
Ironically, while Spider-Man's alter ego Peter Parker may be far from home in the new movie, Holland is back home – most of the film was shot at London's Leavesden Studios, not much more than half an hour from Holland's southwest London home, with further location shoots in London itself, Prague, Vienna and New York.
“The fact that we got to shoot it in London was a nice surprise,” the actor says.
"The first one was Spider-Man: Homecoming and I shot it thousands of miles away and this one is called Spider-Man: Far from Home and I'm forty minutes from my home."
The new movie is certainly on a grander scale than Homecoming, perhaps inevitably now the bar has been raised by Spider-Man's appearance in the epic Avengers films Infinity War and Endgame, and Holland admits the new movie has been a different prospect to its predecessor: "The action is bigger than the first one for sure. But the film is [also] bigger than the first one," he says.
“The action in the first one we were able to keep it quite contained – I don’t feel like it was a worldwide event.
"This one, with Spider-Man unable to keep these events a secret, is far more global after the events of Avengers: Endgame. So the spotlight really is on Spider-Man, whereas in the first one I felt he was flying under the radar."
Both Spider-man and stuntman
Holland has also received praise for performing many of his own stunts, although the modest actor is keen to play down his stuntman abilities: "I don't do everything. There are some things that I just can't do and I am very happy for my double to do it if he can do it better. If there is a version of the stunt where it just looks better with him doing it, then he should do it for the sake of the movie. But sometimes there are things where we can just rehearse it and work really hard. I love doing my own stunts. It comes with a nice adrenalin rush. If it makes the film better, then I am all for it."
Despite his young age – Holland turned 23 last month and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest actor to play a lead role in the MCU – his role in the Marvel Universe has enabled him to work with some of the biggest names in the business, including his on-screen (and off-screen) mentor Tony Stark, or Iron Man, played by Robert Downey Jr. With Stark's dramatic death at the end of Endgame, Far from Home finds Spider-Man without his role model, and it sounds like Samuel L Jackson's Nick Fury could be set to step into the father-figure role in the new film.
Holland is a big fan of Jackson's body of work: "Working with Sam is great – really, really fun," he says. "I have been such a big fan of his, not just since the beginning of the MCU, but very early on in my life with Pulp Fiction. It is an interesting character to see on the screen with Peter Parker because obviously Peter is kind of upbeat and Nick Fury is so scary. Kind of like Robert Downey Jr, just without the sass. What can I say? It's been a fun ride."
The latest film also brings Oscar-winning indie darling Jake Gyllenhall into the Marvel Universe, playing fellow super hero Mysterio, and the Brokeback Mountain and Donnie Darko star is another name that Holland has huge amount of respect for: "I am very lucky with the people I get to work with."
Upping the game
The young actor reveals that working with Gyllenhall was a unique experience: “He’s amazing. Every actor I have ever worked with has a switch. When they say action you can tell that they are acting,” he says.
“Jake doesn’t have that. He’s seamless in and out of character. Sometimes it is quite disconcerting because you think he’s just talking to you, then you realise he is doing the scene right now. I have learnt a lot.”
When you are working with someone who is that good, it makes you think more about minor details you have made for the character and you try to piece things together.
The star adds that working with actors of this calibre also presents an opportunity to further hone his own talent: “[Acting] is similar to playing tennis. If you are playing tennis against someone who is really good you sort of rise up,” he says.
"You try your best to play better. It is a similar sort of thing. When you are working with someone who is that good, it makes you think more about minor details you have made for the character and you try to piece things together."
Although Peter Parker's relationships with his older crime-fighting buddies is a key component of the film, the real heart of the movie is his developing relationship with Zendaya's MJ: "We get to see in more detail a relationship blossom than we did in the first one," he says. "And I think audiences will really connect with her and the way that Zendaya is playing the role will broaden the amount of people who can relate to her character."
Spider-Man: Far from Home is in cinemas across the UAE from today
WHAT%20MACRO%20FACTORS%20ARE%20IMPACTING%20META%20TECH%20MARKETS%3F
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs
Engine: 2.5-litre, turbocharged 5-cylinder
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 400hp
Torque: 500Nm
Price: Dh300,000 (estimate)
On sale: 2022
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
Company%20profile
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The%20specs
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Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
KYLIAN MBAPPE 2016/17 STATS
Ligue 1: Appearances - 29, Goals - 15, Assists - 8
UCL: Appearances - 9, Goals - 6
French Cup: Appearances - 3, Goals - 3
France U19: Appearances - 5, Goals - 5, Assists - 1
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
The%20specs
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MATCH INFO
Day 2 at Mount Maunganui
England 353
Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88
New Zealand 144-4
Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28
