???? ON THE TUBE TONIGHT-

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Fellow sci-fi geeks rejoice: It’s your weekend.

Even folks who don’t consider themselves fans of the genre will want to check out Apple TV+’s adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation novels, which makes its debut on the streamer this weekend. Two episodes drop tomorrow, with a new installment every Friday thereafter. Showrunner David Goyer (known for his work on both superhero flicks and video games) sought permission from Asimov’s family to “gender flip” a handful of characters to get some women into Asimov’s almost-all-male books. Gizmodo has lots more and the really damn good trailer is here (watch, runtime: 2:48).

Looking for a more big screen experience? The lure of the 2021 remake of the sci-fi classic Dune is enough to have us debating whether to cancel covid, with the film now in screens across the capital city. Based on the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert, the film is the first of a two-part adaptation and covers the first half of the book. The all-star cast includes Timothée Chalamet, Stellan Skarsgård, Zendaya and Jason Momoa, among others. The film is set on a desert planet best known as Dune — the only place in the universe for a life-extending compound known as the “spice melange” that also happens to make you super freaking smart — and that permits faster-than-light travel. You can catch the trailer for the film here (watch, runtime: 3:27)

Why we’re very excited about this one: Often hailed as one of the best sci-fi novel series ever written, Dune dives into themes of environmentalism, allegorical geopolitics (a desert, tribal land with Mahdis and Jihad that contains the most important resource out there does sound familiar), and the dangers of falling for charismatic leaders. Dune has also influenced much of popular sci-fi, with elements of the novels being supplanted into works such as Star Wars. Critics are already calling this adaptation far superior to David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation, giving it a Rotten Tomatoes score of 90% certified fresh.

We’d suggest watching the original 1984 film on Apple TV or on Youtube (watch, runtime: 3:04:34) and then heading to Vox Cinema at Mall of Egypt or City Centre Almaza to catch the remake, which starts playing in Egypt today.

Classics including Willy Wonka, Matilda and The Witches are coming (some day) to Netflix: The streaming giant has snapped up the entire works of Roald Dahl, buying the rights from the late author’s family and acquiring Roald Dahl Story Company, Netflix said in a statement without disclosing the size of the transaction. But under the agreement, Netflix has the rights to remake any movies and/or adapt other characters and stories. There are several new projects already in the pipeline which include a Taika Waititi series inspired from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and another original take on the Oompa-Loompas. Also, a new live action feature film of Matilda will be released in 2022.

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⚽ Catch Barcelona v. Cadiz tonight in La Liga at 10pm. Also playing today are Granada and Real Sociedad as well as Osasuna and Real Betis, both at 7:30pm. On Saturday, gameweek seven will begin with Alaves playing Atletico Madrid at 2:00pm, before Valencia and Athletic Club hit the field at 4:15pm, Sevilla and Espanyol at 6:30pm, and last but not least, Real Madrid and Villareal at 9:00pm.

Serie A: Playing today are Sampdoria and Napoli at 6:30pm, Torino and Lazio at 6:30pm, and Roma versus Udinese at 8:45pm. Saturday will see gameweek six kick off with Spezia kciking off against Milan at 3:00pm. Afterwards, Inter Milan will play Atalanta at 6:00pm and Genoa will hit the field against Verona at 8:45pm.

Al Ahly is playing against Enppi in the Egypt Cup round of 16 on Saturday at 7pm.

Saturday is a big day for Premier League fixtures: Chelsea take on Man City and Man United kick off against Aston Villa at 1:30pm. Next up at 4:00pm are Leicester City vs. Burnley and Everton vs. Norwich City, while Leeds play West Ham, and Watford will look to get past Newcastle. Finally, Brentford kick off against Liverpool at 6:30pm.

???? EAT THIS TONIGHT-

Get Smack’d one bite at a time: This dessert shop at the Lake House in New Cairo is playing up its “instagrammable” credentials. Try their cruffins — the love child of a croissant and a muffin or the croissant cereal. Smack’d also offers mini Nutella and Lotus donuts as well as cakes in flavours including pistachio, vanilla caramel, and cookies and cream. Their caramel cookies cream frappe sent us into a diabetic coma at the end of the feast.

???? OUT AND ABOUT-

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It’s Sandbox Festival weekend in El Gouna, with the fun starting today and running through Saturday. Under the brand SBX Music Forum this year, the event is running at two large venues and includes smaller events all over the beach-side city. A ton of musical performers have come from across the globe to help you get your party on and you can check out the lineup or book a pass from their Instagram page.

Get a scent based on your personality at the Algorithmic Perfumery exhibition held by Cairotronica at the Tahrir Cultural Center. Participants will answer a 15 minute questionnaire which includes psychological, sociologica, and cultural questions. The results will include a mixture of scents for a perfume that reflects who you are. The exhibition is on until 30 September and you can buy tickets here.

Load the kiddies in the car and head to Kempinski's Circus Brunch which is taking place tomorrow at 1pm. The pool-side brunch includes entertainment including a clown show, acrobats, face painting, kids on-ground games, fun activities by WellSpring, and dazzling musical performances.