Top Hollywood executives including James Murdoch have been recruited to help the United States counter Islamic extremist propaganda, according to hacked Sony Pictures emails published by WikiLeaks. Secret exchanges between the US State Department and Sony have also included a bizarre plan to recruit hip-hop artists to produce a Muslim We Are the World video to support the fight against Islamic State (IS).  

No longer content simply to build movie sets and provide extras in Hollywood films, Chinese studios are moving up the value chain, helping to develop, design and produce world-class films and animated features. They want a bigger role in the creative process, one that will allow them to reap more rewards, financially and artistically.

Mexico's international image is taking a beating these days, even from two worlds that rarely see eye-to-eye: The Holy See and Hollywood.

For 11 years, the G'Day USA gala has brought together business leaders, tourism experts, government representatives and the ubiquitous celebrities, performers, sportspeople and screen stars who serve to attract media interest.

Hollywood film studios are courting Chinese investors to gain access to the world’s most populous nation, brushing aside concerns that their new partners will seek to censor the next generation of films and TV shows.

In fact it may be that the distinction between "hard" and "soft" power may be morphing into a new concept put forward by Prof Nye, that of "smart power".

Hollywood has been beguiled by this romantic quest for liberation, offering a tantalizing glimpse at the leading role the film industry could play in an independent Scotland if voters choose freedom in Thursday’s referendum.