Alexander Abaturov’s “Paradise,” Eugenio and Mara Polgovsky’s “Malintzin 17” and Lola Arias’ “Reas” triumphed at the 2020 Visions du Réel Industry Awards, taking three of its weightiest prizes. Also winning big at project forum Pitching du Réel was Petter Aaberg and Sverre Kvamme’s “Nightcrawlers,” “Mashtat” and “In the Name of Roses.” “The Mission,” “Voice of
Month: May 2020
WarnerMedia has started to rev up the HBO Max promo engine with less than four weeks before its launch. The AT&T-owned media company just introduced a new promotional pricing offer — giving customers a 20% discount on the super-size HBO Max streaming package for 12 months. For $11.99 per month (versus the regular $14.99 rate),
NFL star JJ Watt is no stranger to competition — and with hosting Fox’s new competition series “Ultimate Tag,” he’s taking that competitive spirit and the childhood game the show’s based on to the next level. Hosting the show alongside his brothers (and fellow NFL players) Derek and TJ, Watt watches from the sidelines and
Leaders of the Writers Guild of America are seeking several improvements in the rapidly evolving world of television work in the WGA’s master contract with Hollywood studios, sources have told Variety. Representatives of the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers were not immediately available for comment. The two sides had agreed
David Rhodes, the former president of CBS News, has taken on a consulting role that might raise some eyebrows: He’s working again for one of the Murdoch family’s news operations. Rhodes is said to be working on an assignment related to video for News U.K., the British operating unit of News Corp., according to a
“Normal People,” Hulu’s 12-part adaptation of Sally Rooney’s 2018 bestselling novel about two teenagers navigating complicated relationships in modern-day Ireland, isn’t covered in wall-to-wall music and there’s a reason for that. Director Lenny Abrahamson (of “Room” fame) “is much more interested in score working as a reaction to what just happened rather than score telling
Netflix’s latest addictive series, “Too Hot to Handle,” has been the new talk of quarantine since its premiere on April 17, and as we continue to sit inside our homes, we can’t help but wonder what those horny young adults are up to now. Unlike the streaming platform’s other popular dating show “Love Is Blind,”
In today’s film news roundup, the documentary “You Cannot Kill David Arquette” and the thriller “Broil” find homes and AFI unveils winners of its Writers’ Room Ready Awards. ACQUISITIONS Super Ltd, Neon’s boutique division, has acquired North American rights to David Darg and Price James’ documentary, “You Cannot Kill David Arquette,” which is an official selection
Just weeks after departing CBS Entertainment’s alternative programming division, Sharon Vuong has boarded NBC as senior vice president of alternative programming and development, Variety has learned. Vuong spent nearly a decade at CBS, producing major reality franchises such as “Survivor,” “The Amazing Race,” and “Big Brother,” and rising to senior vice president of CBS’ alternative
Sam Lloyd, an actor best known for portraying lawyer Ted Buckland on “Scrubs,” has died, his agent confirmed to Variety. He was 56. In January 2019, Lloyd was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and cancer, which eventually spread to his lungs, jaw, liver and spine. He received the diagnosis just weeks after his wife,
Anonymous Content has laid off roughly 15% of its staff due to the coronavirus pandemic, Variety has learned. In addition, Anonymous has implemented a temporary compensation reduction among executives, with the company’s partners shouldering the deepest pay cuts. The layoffs are across all of the company’s divisions, which include talent, television, motion picture, literary, media
[Editor’s note: “Le Choc du Futur” is one of more than 100 movies originally scheduled to screen at the SXSW Film Festival in March. After the coronavirus outbreak forced the festival to cancel, event organizers partnered with Amazon Prime to make seven of those features available to stream for free through Weds., May 6.] Turn
The “G.I. Joe” franchise continues to expand. Paramount Pictures and Hasbro are developing an untitled fourth “G.I. Joe” movie, with the studio in negotiations with the writing team of Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse to pen the script. The new project would be a follow-up to Paramount’s upcoming release “Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins,” with
Megan Thee Stallion caught up with Hot 97’s Ebro Darden on Apple Music on Friday to talk about collaborating with Beyonce for her “Savage” remix, how the song came together and what Queen Bey means to her as an artist. It turns out the rapper was as amazed as anyone that fellow Houston native Beyonce
Madonna announced via Instagram today that she has tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies, meaning that she has likely already been infected with the virus. The pop star broke the news in the 14th edition of her “Quarantine Diary” IGTV series, in which she sits at a typewriter and lets her thoughts flow freely. “Took a
In today’s TV news roundup, HBO released the first look at its “Lovecraft Country” adaptation, and ABC revealed its lineup of stars for “The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II,” coming May 10. DATES Quibi has detailed all of the bite-sized shows coming to the platform in the month of May. In addition to the previously
Pamela Adlon is wiping away tears and sniffling a bit. She just finished watching the Season 4 finale of her FX series “Better Things.” “I’m so emotional,” she said during an appearance on Thursday night on Variety’s “After-Show” on Instagram. “It just killed me. It’s very many feelings.” A few minutes later, Adlon’s three daughters
A handful of movie theaters in San Antonio and Austin, Texas, are set to reopen in the coming days, providing an early test case for coronavirus protection measures. EVO Entertainment plans to open two theaters on Monday using “airport security-style check-in,” says CEO Mitchell Roberts. Guests will enter a cordoned area near the front door,
Lionsgate has pushed back “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” to 2021, and Keanu Reeves’ “John Wick: Chapter 4” to 2022 as part a massive revamp its upcoming slate. The studio announced Friday that it has also set its “Saw” reboot “Spiral,” starring Chris Rock and Jackson for May, 21, 2021 — a full year after its
Longtime CAA agent Jeremy Plager has departed the company to launch his own management and production entity. A 25-year veteran of the Hollywood dealmaking firm, Plager has represented top clients including Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson, Gerard Butler, Mila Kunis, Emilia Clarke, Hugh Grant, and Jane Fonda to name a few. Notably, he signed Lawrence and
As the world faces a global pandemic, another major television event has been canceled: the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour. While the TCA board members are working with networks to explore virtual alternatives to the usual in-person, ballroom-setting press panels, any such option would likely not take place during the usual July-August time frame
Desus and Mero have a message for anyone who played for the NBA in the 1990s: You have a standing invitation to be a guest on the duo’s late-night series on Showtime. The hosts of “Desus and Mero” joined Variety this week for a live webcast interview that touched on everything from ESPN’s buzzy docu-series “The
Exclusive Calvin Harris is allegedly a terrible neighbor who refuses to fix a steady flow of gross, disgusting water pouring from his house … at least that’s how one pissed off neighbor sees it. Julie Opperman is suing the famed DJ … claiming Calvin’s Bel-Air property leaks and leaks and leaks filthy water that’s coating
Checking into the Hotel California is turning out to be a lot tougher than leaving after all. Dates on a 2020 tour in which the Eagles were to perform the “Hotel California” album in its entirety have now been postponed for a second time. Once slated for this spring, then subsequently bumped to this fall,
This year’s annual Met Gala was supposed to be next Monday, May 4. Since that has been postponed indefinitely because of the coronavirus epidemic, Condé Nast’s Vogue is hosting a virtual event in its place: “A Moment With the Met,” a livestream exclusively on YouTube. The livestream will begin at 6 p.m. ET on May
Following the success of “Sausage Party,” Point Grey principals Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have found their next animated project for adults. Sources tell Variety that Sony Pictures Animation is developing a movie based on the 2018 podcast “Bubble” with Point Grey and “Jumanji’s” Matt Tolmach producing. Tolmach will produce through his Tolmach productions with
MGM’s Cassidy Lange and Adam Rosenberg have left their posts as co-presidents of production at MGM in the latest executive shuffle at the studio. The duo had been with MGM since 2011 and were jointly promoted in 2018 by Jonathan Glickman, who was president of MGM’s Motion Picture Group. They were tasked with being responsible
Breaking News R. Kelly has no shame … he’s making yet another plea to the judge to let him out of jail, but this time he claims he has proof he’s vulnerable to COVID-19. The disgraced singer’s lawyer filed docs, obtained by TMZ, asking the judge to release his client pending his trial and claiming
The American Film Market has announced that it remains on track to hold the 2020 market set for Nov. 3-8 in Santa Monica, Ca., despite the coronavirus pandemic. “We know how difficult the past few months have been for our industry around the world and our thoughts go out to those whose loved ones have been
While drive-in theaters remain virtually the only theaters still open in the U.S. (and a good place to see a new release like haunted-tree horror “The Wretched”), distributors are getting creative about how to release indie and foreign films. “Jackie” director Pablo Larraín’s latest, “Ema,” debuts for free on Mubi for one day, teasing a