Hollywood A-lister Will Ferrell is set to join a group of celebrity investors looking to back Leeds United as they look to regain promotion into the top flight and re-cement their position.
The Step Brothers, Anchorman, Zoolander star and former SNL comedian is reported to be one of several famous faces who will be investing in Leeds after buying up "a significant minority stake" in the club's owners, 49ers Enterprises.
Ferrell, who starred in a US soccer film called Kicking and Screaming in 2005, is said to have "fallen in love with English football" over recent years, having also featured in Soccer Aid back in 2012 and becoming co-owner of MLS side LA FC in 2016.
A big sports fan in general, he is now set to turn his interest in American football (both kinds) to Premier League prospects and the hope of lifting Leeds back out of the Championship after being relegated once again last season.
He's been flirting with proper football for years now.
Now bought into the sporting investment group which controls San Francisco's NFL team of the same name, the limited company also boasts a number of other big-name backers from the world of basketball.
Other sporting names involved include multiple NBA players like Russell Westbrook, pro golfers Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, as well as record-breaking Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps.
As for other celebrities, fellow TV and film star Russell Crowe is also tied to 49ers Enterprises, with a large portfolio of stakeholders and existing franchise pedigree making it one of the wealthiest investment groups in the world.
While no official announcement has come from the Whites yet and club media chose not to comment when asked about the acquisition over the last week, it looks as though Ferrell is now on board ahead of a big finish to the season.
The 56-year-old is obviously just the latest American celeb to buy into a UK football club, with the most notable example being Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's dreamland takeover of newly-promoted Wrexham AFC back in 2020.
With Leeds having just missed out on automatic promotion following a tightly-contested campaign all season, they must now hope to navigate the ever-dramatic EFL playoffs.
No stranger to a blockbuster himself, we can only wish him luck with surviving what will inevitably be an even more stressful few weeks than the entirety of this season.
The question is, will some extra money from the likes of Will Ferrell be the boost that helps Leeds United consolidate themselves as a Premier League club?
Featured Images — James (via Flickr)/LA FC (via YouTube)
Art & Culture
Inside the historic Leeds mill transformed into a thriving hub for creatives
Nestled in Armley, Assembly House is an independent creative hub bringing artists together.
Assembly House, based on Canal Road in Armley inside a historic Victorian mill, has become a home for creatives across Leeds since launching in 2013.
The artist-led organisation combines working studios with an independent gallery and project space, hosting everything from exhibitions and workshops to community events and live music.
The space is currently home to 80 creatives who make up their community, comprising of professional practitioners including educators, performers, painters, sculptors, illustrators, video artists and designers.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Their aim is simple - to offer affordable studios to emerging artists alongside technical support, producing support along with access to workshops, internal film screenings and events.
Assembly House offer a yearly program of exhibitions designed to showcase the studio holders and get their work out there. It's all aimed at helping the artists, whether it's their first show or tenth.
It has also helped bring art into the wider neighbourhood through community murals, public sculptures and activities for local people.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
They believe art has the power to bring people together and to evoke emotion and thought, and we've got to say that we absolutely agree.
The space can also be hired by students and independent creatives looking to put on their own exhibitions or bring a project to life.
The fabulous venue is generally open to visitors during exhibitions, workshops and events, with visits by appointment at other times, so it's worth checking its website before heading over.
To have a look at their current programme and to find out more about what Assembly House are doing for Leeds and the community, you can take a look at their website here.
Leeds Palestinian Film Festival announces dates for 12th annual edition
Clementine Hall
The Leeds Palestinian Film Festival has announced the dates for this year's festival.
This year's festival will explore the words of the celebrated Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour: "To make art is to say we are here."
These words will reflect the content of this year's festival, which aim to keep Palestinian stories alive; defy the erasure of history; and bring voices from the depths of destruction.
The Leeds Palestinian Film Festival will open Friday 13 November at the iconic Hyde Park Picture House with Life Support, a documentary about doctors in Gaza directed by Daniele Rugo.
Image: Supplied
The screening will be followed by a live Q&A with the director and doctors from the film, chaired by Healthworkers4Palestine.
Early programme highlights include the UK premiere of Conversation with the Sea, Muayad Alayan's family drama in which a 60-year-old Palestinian man in Jerusalem, ordered by an Israeli court to pay a debt allegedly owed by his son who drowned decades ago, sets out to discover what happened.
Also showing will be Maggie Lemere's documentary, Land of Canaan, follows Palestinian farmers and their olive trees, some more than 1,000 years old, and the fair-trade movement led by Dr Nasser Abufarha to protect them.
Image: Supplied
Frances Bernstein, Festival Director, said: “To make art is to say we are here. We chose the words of the celebrated Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour as this year's theme because they reflect what the programme is for: keeping Palestinian stories alive, defying the erasure of Palestinian history, culture and identity, and bringing voices from the depth of destruction to audiences in Leeds."
The full programme, guests and ticket information will be announced in the coming weeks. You can find out more here.
Danny Jones -
7th May 2024 
