Month: April 2020

Lifetime has greenlit a new “Dance Moms” series, subtitled “Abby’s Virtual Dance Off,” Variety has learned exclusively. The cabler and Abby Lee Miller are inviting dancers from across the country to submit their best moves to see who has what it takes to be dubbed “The Abby Dancer” in this new 12-episode series premiering this
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Evan Daugherty, who is best known for penning blockbuster fare like “Divergent” and “Snow White and the Huntsman,” is taking a crack at the short-form thriller format. Quibi is developing “Horror Accidental,” a “terrifyingly addictive” psychological thriller anthology written and directed by Daugherty. The series is based on the Japanese TV drama of the same
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No matter the destination, there are inevitabilities built into “boy meets girl” stories. They meet, they flirt, they kiss, they fight, they fall in love. But the best of them dig past the surface to find more specific truths; they find a vein and let the blood flow.  “Normal People,” as originally written by Sally
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Marianne Faithfull was discharged from a London hospital Wednesday, three weeks after the 73-year-old singer tested positive for coronavirus. “We are really happy to say that Marianne has been discharged from hospital today, 22 days after being admitted suffering from the symptoms of Covid-19. She will continue to recuperate in London,” a rep said in a statement.
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A Whitney Houston biopic, titled “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” is in development from “The Photograph” director Stella Meghie. The Whitney Houston Estate, Primary Wave, music producer Clive Davis and Anthony McCarten are producing the film about the iconic songwriter-performer, who died in 2012 at the age of 48. McCarten, whose credits include “The Two
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Spotify, the world’s largest audio streaming service, has ceased reporting market-level (i.e. regional) data for U.S. streams to Nielsen Music/ MRC Data, the company that tracks sales, streams and radio airplay for the music industry and powers Billboard’s charts. The change will not reduce Spotify’s impact on Billboard’s charts, which monitor national activity, but it
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Like most of us, Richard Marx found the first 10 days of quarantine and lockdown perplexing — and so his “#SocialDistancing” web series, where he talks with guests about politics, music and life, happened mostly by accident. “I was doing so much because it was occupying my brain,”  the “Right Here Waiting” and “Hazard” singer
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Get ready for a Fairy Godmother like no other. Billy Porter plays the iconic character in the upcoming “Cinderella” remake. He describes his take on the Fairy Godmother as “genderless” and “non-conforming.” “Magic is genderless,” Porter said during on an appearance on “Variety Live” on Tuesday night. “We have all these sort of genders that
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Pharrell Williams announced today that he will be hand-picking undiscovered artists for a Soundcloud compilation that will benefit Sweet Relief and Help Musicians charities. The compilation, called “SoundCloud Presents: i am OTHER, Volume 1,” will feature music genres, styles and sounds from across the global SoundCloud community, according to the announcement. SoundCloud has seen a 50% increase
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Liz Tigelaar, showrunner of “Little Fires Everywhere,” has been a fan of Ingrid Michaelson’s for years, and even used the singer/songwriter’s “Hate You” in Hulu series’ pilot. Songs by female musicians, including Alanis Morissette, Lauryn Hill and Annie Lennox, feature prominently in the series, and when it came to this season’s finale, Tigelaar says she
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When “Bad Education” premiered to a packed theater at the Toronto Intl. Film Festival in September, it drew enthusiastic reviews, and raves for star Hugh Jackman — Variety chief film critic Peter Debruge wrote of Jackman’s performance, “‘Bad Education’ is the best work he’s ever done.” Awards talk began immediately. Directed by Cory Finley (“Thoroughbreds”)
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Cost-cutting measures at Hollywood conglomerate Endeavor will affect up to one-third of the company’s workforce by the end of May, Variety has learned. The cuts will manifest as layoffs, reduced pay for reduced hours for select employees and furloughs, a company spokesperson said. Endeavor currently employs 7,500 people worldwide in more than 90 offices. The
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YouTube has shaken up its slate of originals, bringing out a revamped lineup of shows and specials over the next two months designed for stay-at-home viewers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new lineup includes weekly series “Stay Home With: Yungblud,” following the U.K. recording artist and his band as they adjust to a remote lifestyle
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As evidenced by many of the performers in last weekend’s “One World: Together at Home” benefit, the livestreamed-from-home concert concept is showing its limitations. The show saw Elton John performing from his driveway, complete with a basketball hoop in the background, and Paul McCartney singing straight into his iPhone, using the device’s vertical mode. More
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YouTube Music will host The Beatles’ animated “Yellow Submarine” film singalong in a special live-streaming event, available free worldwide. The event will take place this Saturday, April 25, at 9 a.m. PDT/12 p.m. EDT/5 p.m. BST via YouTube Premieres on The Beatles’ YouTube channel (available at this link). The restored film’s singalong version includes lyrics
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Brad Bird knows his classics, and he’ll share 20 of his favorite films this season on Turner Classic Movies’ “The Essentials” with TCM Primetime host Ben Mankiewicz. Bird — known for such films as “The Iron Giant,” “Ratatouille,” “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” and “The Incredibles” — curated this season’s selection, which will air Saturdays
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Red Bull today released “The Cut,” an original songwriting series hosted by producer and DJ OG Parker. Available exclusively on Red Bull TV, “The Cut” features 18 unsigned songwriters and producers who have never met, as they’re randomly paired up and tasked with creating an original song from scratch with the hopes of winning a publishing deal. The contestants are given just
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Tom Cruise expected to spend his summer in Italy, hanging onto the sides of planes, dodging bullets and engaging in elaborate car chases. The arrival of COVID-19 spoiled those plans, indefinitely postponing the shooting of “Mission: Impossible 7,” the latest installment of the globe-trotting espionage franchise. With signs that the virus is starting to plateau, Cruise is
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