The team behind the blockbuster Michael Jordan docuseries “The Last Dance” are now taking their jam to space. Netflix has picked up “Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission To Space,” from producer Connor Schell and director Jason Hehir, which will chronicle this September’s SpaceX Dragon mission Inspiration4, in which four civilians will travel into space on a three-day
Month: August 2021
SALES Dori Media Group (DMG) has sold Israeli drama “Normal” to WarnerMedia in Latin America, where the series will be available on HBO Max. the series premiered in November of last year on Israel’s HOT, pulling strong reviews and ratings, finishing the year as one of the broadcasters top three most-watched dramas. Based on the
CAA has signed Academy Award nominee and Emmy-nominated “Indian Matchmaking” creator Smriti Mundhra for representation in all areas. Mundhra created and executive produced the Netflix original series, which is nominated for an Emmy award for outstanding unstructured reality program. “Indian Matchmaking” offered an inside look at the custom of matchmaking in Indian cultures through a
Facebook will host its first paid film premiere later this month: “The Outsider,” a documentary about the challenges and controversies involved in building the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum in lower Manhattan, will screen exclusively on the platform on Aug. 19. But for now, the one-off screening of “The Outsider” — to be available on
More than a year after HBO Max debuted, LG Electronics USA and WarnerMedia reached a deal to distribute the HBO Max app on recent-model LG smart TVs in the U.S. The arrival of HBO Max on LG smart TVs in the States comes after the streaming service went live on certain models of LG internet-connected
New York City will require proof of vaccination for people going to indoor activities like restaurants, gym and performances, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday. The program will launch August 16 and will be enforced beginning September 13. The policy is one of the first of its kind in the United States; other large cities,
Warner Music Group posted $1.34 billion in revenue for its fiscal third quarter ended June 30, the company announced on Tuesday, with a 32.7% year-over-year revenue boost and a 33% jump in streaming. The company saw a 33.8% growth in recorded-music revenues over the same, pandemic-struck quarter last year, up to $1.15 billion from $861
Apple TV Plus released a trailer for the second season of its anthological drama series “Truth Be Told,” premiering on Aug. 20. “Truth Be Told” stars Octavia Spencer, who also executive produces, as true-crime podcaster Poppy Parnell. In the first season of the NAACP Image award-winning series, Poppy reexamines the cast of a convicted murderer
Marina Zenovich’s “What Happens in Hollywood,” a docuseries about sex and power behind the scenes, will premiere later this month on the Roku Channel. Part of Roku Originals, a collection of 75 short-form series originally produced for Quibi, “What Happens In Hollywood” is a candid 10-part docuseries that examines Hollywood’s role in framing society’s overall
Comedian London Hughes (“London Hughes: To Catch a D*ck”) will deliver the Alternative MacTaggart lecture at this year’s Edinburgh TV Festival, which has also added Neil Gaiman (“Good Omens”), Steve Coogan (“Philomena”) and environmental speaker Greta Thunberg to its line-up. Hughes, the first British Black woman nominated for the Dave Edinburgh Comedy ‘Best Show’ Award in
Vizio is adding two more premium streamers to its smart TVs: The company announced deals to soon provide Discovery Plus and ViacomCBS’s BET Plus to the Vizio SmartCast platform. Discovery Plus, the recently launched non-fiction streaming service, will be available on Vizio SmartCast by September. BET Plus, which offers thousands of hours of movies, TV
Cameras have begun rolling on David Cronenberg’s sci-fi thriller “Crimes of the Future” with Tanaya Beatty (“Yellowstone”) and Nadia Litz (“Big Muddy”) joining the cast alongside Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux and Kristen Stewart. Principal photography has begun on the movie in Athens, Greece, where shooting will run until September. Additional cast members include Scott Speedman,
Discovery CEO David Zaslav has big ambition to build up the Warner Bros. Discovery venture to reach some 200 million streaming subscribers around the world. But first, he has to close the $43 billion WarnerMedia spinoff transaction with AT&T that surprised in the industry in May. On Discovery’s second-quarter earnings call Tuesday, Zaslav said progress
Activision Blizzard said longtime exec J. Allen Brack, president of Blizzard Entertainment, is leaving the company. Brack’s exit comes less than two weeks after Activision Blizzard was sued by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which alleged the company’s “pervasive frat boy workplace culture” resulted in women employees being continuously subjected to sexual
Tribeca Festival has announced its 21st edition will take place from June 8 through June 19. The annual event dropped the word “Film” from its title last year in an effort to embrace storytelling across movies, television, virtual reality, gaming and podcasts. Starting on Sept. 20, Tribeca will open submissions for all categories, including feature
With Academy Award-winning “Roma” and “Gravity” director Alfonso Cuarón already a fan, Charlotte Colbert’s feature debut “She Will” will no doubt similarly impress audiences when it premieres at the Locarno Film Festival this week. A psychological horror, the film stars Alice Krige (“Star Trek: First Contact”) as Veronica, a double mastectomy patient seeking respite at
Italian director Ferdinando Cito Filomarino first made a splash in Locarno in 2010 when his atmospheric short “Diarchia,” starring Louis Garrel, Riccardo Scamarcio and Alba Rohrwacher, scooped the Leopard of Tomorrow prize and went on to earn an honorable mention at Sundance. His feature debut, “Antonia,” was an intimate portrait of Italian poet Antonia Pozzi
Screen Media has acquired North American rights to James Nunn’s “One Shot,” a thriller about a team of trapped Navy SEALs that unfolds in real time. The movie features martial arts star Scott Adkins, who previously worked with Nunn on “Eliminators,” “Tower Block,” and “Green Street 3.” The cast also includes Ashley Greene Khoury of
Legendary songwriter, guitarist and singer Johnny Marr — formerly of the Smiths, the The, Electronic and Modest Mouse and a veteran solo artist as well — has signed a new worldwide album deal with BMG. The deal is an expansion of Marr’s relationship with BMG as a publisher, which includes his three U.K. Top Ten
Discovery said second-quarter profit increased as advertising rebounded from a pullback last year during the coronavirus pandemic and as the company attracted new customers — 18 million to date — to its new streaming operations. Net income came to $672 million, or $1.01 per share, compared with $271 million, or 40 cents a share. The
A whole lotta love is headed to the Venice Film Festival, which has just added the highly anticipated Led Zeppelin feature documentary to its lineup. Bernard MacMahon’s “Becoming Led Zeppelin,” which was recently completed, will screen out of competition at the Italian fest, which runs from Sept. 1-11. The film was co-written and produced by
French distributor Pathé has delayed the release of its big-budget historical drama “Eiffel,” starring Romain Duris (“Vernon Subutex,” “Mood Indigo”). The film is one of several that have been hanging in the balance as the French box office takes a major hit due to a mandatory COVID health pass for cinemas. The film, which will
Simone Biles earned a third place bronze medal in the balance beam final on Tuesday after returning to the Tokyo Olympics. Wearing the number 392, Biles was the second gymnast to perform. She looked strong and confident, and beamed a huge smile of relief after making a solid landing. Her grin slipped somewhat after learning
German sales outfit Patra Spanou Film has acquired the international sales rights to “Blue Moon,” the feature debut of Romanian director Alina Grigore, which will world premiere in main competition at September’s San Sebastian Film Festival. “Blue Moon” follows the psychological journey of a young woman, played by Ioana Chitu, who struggles to receive a
Australian drama “RFDS: Royal Flying Doctor Service” has been sold to a range of global broadcasters including PBS in the U.S. and Channel 4 in the U.K. It has also been acquired by Sweden’s TV4, Belgium’s SBS, Talpa in the Netherlands and New Zealand’s TVNZ. In the U.K. it will be broadcast on Channel 4’s
Memento International has acquired the international sales rights to “Captain Volkonogov Escaped,” from Russian writing and directing duo Natasha Merkulova and Aleksey Chupov, which will world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival, Variety can reveal. The film tells the story of the titular Captain Volkonogov, a well-respected and obedient law enforcer in the
The Locarno Film Festival, long known as a safe haven for indie cinema, is taking a turn into genre territory while remaining true toits origins. “People know what the mission is for Locarno,” says the fest’s new artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro, referring to the prestige of the event — the 74th edition runs Aug.
The Jerusalem Film Festival is gearing up for a late August start, with celebrated Cannes title “Where is Anne Frank?” set to open the 38th edition of the fest. Directed by Ari Folman, the animated film centres on Kitty, Anne Frank’s imaginary friend whom her diary was addressed to, who magically comes to life at
The 2021 edition of the Sydney Film Festival in Australia has been postponed again and is now expected to take place in November. The move follows a new lockdown in Sydney caused by a COVID-19 resurgence. “In light of the Sydney lockdown extension announced by the NSW Government last week, Sydney Film Festival will postpone
Charles Connor, best known as a drummer for Little Richard in his 1950s heyday, and decades later later a familiar sight to L.A. radio veterans as a security guard at KROQ, died Saturday at age 86. His daughter, Queenie Connor Sonnefeld, told the Associated Press he died peacefully in his sleep while under hospice care