“Black-ish” and “Little” star Marsai Martin and her Genius Entertainment production company have signed with UTA for representation in all areas. In 2019, Martin starred in “Little,” a feature that she conceptualized, pitched, sold and then executive produced with Will Packer for Universal. The move made Martin, who was just 14, the youngest person to
Month: November 2021
It’s hard to over-exaggerate just how big of a phenomenon “Joe Millionaire” was in 2003. Part of the early “Outlandish Age” of reality TV — particularly under the watch of then-Fox alternative boss Mike Darnell — “Joe Millionaire” set ratings records for an unscripted series, some of which still stand to this day. “Joe Millionaire”
Lux Vide, the Italian company behind high-end series “Medici” and “Leonardo,” has scored international sales on high-concept smaller cop show “Blanca” featuring a blind policewoman specialized in an analytical listening and decoding technique that helps her solve tough cases. The six-part “Blanca” has been sold by Lux to M6, which is France’s number two terrestrial
Variety is pleased to announce the honorees for its fifth annual Hitmakers celebration. The Dec. 2 issue recognizes the writers, producers, publishers, managers and executives who helped make — and break — the 25 most consumed songs of the year. Hitmakers culminates in an invitation-only brunch held on Saturday, Dec. 4, presented by Peacock and
Halloween may be over, but the ghosts are here to stay. “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” picked up $4.5 million in Thursday previews. The spooky Sony sequel is expected to generate a three-day total of around $27-30 million, taking a first-place finish at the domestic box office over fellow releases “King Richard” from Warner Bros. and A24’s “C’mon
Benjamin Elalouf’s Moonshaker, the Paris-based banner behind Netfix’s popular documentary “Lords of Scam,” has joined forces with TF1-owned Newen to expand its scope, and is developing Noé Debré’s “The Last of the Jews,” among other director-driven projects. “The Last of the Jews” will mark the anticipated feature debut of Debré, the critically acclaimed co-screenwriter of
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will be on tour together for the first time in 13 years next summer when they team up for a joint outing in the U.S. and Europe behind a new album that comes out today, “Raise the Roof.” The tour isn’t an extensive one, at least as currently announced. In
Two weeks after the tragedy at Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival, which left ten people dead as the crowd rampaged, Public Enemy’s Chuck D. has issued an open letter defending Travis Scott and calling on Live Nation and all concert promoters to stop, as he puts it, “shucking their most crucial responsibility. “Travis Scott is a
Jessica Chastain will receive the Desert Palm Achievement award for her performance in “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” at the Palm Springs International Film Awards on Jan. 6. “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” details the rise, fall and redemption of Jim (Andrew Garfield) and Tammy Faye Bakker (Chastain) during the 1970s and ‘80s. The Bakkers
Noah Sheer, a 22-year year veteran of Def Jam Recordings, has been promoted to executive vice president and head of promotion. The announcement was made by executive VP and GM Nicki Farag; Sheer, who is based in Santa Monica, will report jointly to incoming chairman & CEO Tunji Balogun, and to Farag. “I have had the pleasure and
When Salma Hayek Pinault began her career, she was told that it would be over by the age of 30. And yet, she points out, “I’ve been an actress 37 years. And I feel like my career is better than ever.” It’s hard to argue with the star of “Eternals,” the No. 1 movie at
France’s leading film group Pathé isn’t done earning critical laurels with Sian Heder’s “Coda,” having just won the Hollywood Critics Association’s Spotlight Award, as well as the Hamilton Behind The Camera award for the film’s craft team. “Coda,” produced by Philippe Rousselet’s Vendôme Group and Pathé as part of their production partnership, also received a
David Chute, a longtime film critic and writer who tirelessly championed Hong Kong films in the U.S., died Nov. 8 in Los Angeles. His daughter, Nora Chute, confirmed that he died of esophageal cancer. Chute wrote for publications including the Boston Phoenix, Film Comment, the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, Vanity Fair, the Los Angeles Times
AWARDS As Europe faces a fresh wave of COVID-19, the 34th European Film Awards will take place as a distanced live event, with attendance limited to nominees and award recipients. The in-person ceremony, which will also be broadcast and streamed from Berlin on Dec. 11, will not include the usual audience of academy members, partners
One of the BBC’s veteran presenters, Andrew Marr, is leaving the corporation after more than 20 years. The host of the “Andrew Marr Show” on BBC One, a mainstay political program on Sunday mornings, revealed on Friday that he is joining media org Global, where he will continue to present and write for various programs
Just after China’s long National Day holiday on Oct. 10, Chinese social media was plastered in red-and-gold memes and posts celebrating the annual box office to date hitting the $6.26 billion (RMB40 billion) mark. The tone was jubilant, celebrating the market’s triumph over the pandemic on the back of patriotic hit “The Battle at Lake
Chinese real estate giant Evergrande has sold its entire remaining stake in the film and TV streaming company HengTen Networks Group for $273 million, part of efforts to avoid defaulting on its massive debts. The world’s most indebted developer, some $300 billion in the red, is struggling to meet interest payments on its loans, and
U.K. public service broadcaster Channel 4 has revealed several further steps to increase Black representation in the U.K. industry following its “Black to Front” day of programming on Sept. 10. The measures include a dedicated fund for commissions from ethnically diverse-led independent production companies, tripling current spend to £22 million ($29.5 million) by 2023. Starting
German director Oliver Hirschbiegel, whose movie “Downfall” was nominated for an Oscar, shot his latest film “The Painter” in only four days. The docu-fiction, which screens Saturday at IDFA, is a collaboration with German artist Albert Oehlen, who is played by Teutonic thesp Ben Becker (“Comedian Harmonists). Now Hirschbiegel and Oehlen are working together on
Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired North American rights to Stalin-era stylish thriller “Captain Volkonogov Escaped,” which world premiered in competition at Venice and earned stellar reviews. Sold by Memento International (“A Hero,” “Call Me By Your Name”), the film will have its North American premiere at the Chicago International Film Festival. Penned and directed by
Academy Award nominee Cynthia Erivo is set to appear on the “Strictly Come Dancing” judging panel this weekend following Craig Revel Horwood’s COVID-19 diagnosis. The Tony, Emmy and Grammy-award winning actor will join judges Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke, and head judge Shirley Balla for Musical Week on Saturday and Sunday night. Erivo has starred
Discovery has commissioned “Johnny vs Amber,” a two-episode documentary that tells the story of the breakdown of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s relationship, and how it spiralled into a celebrity court case. Being produced as a double bill by Optomen, each film is told from one of their perspectives. The documentary will feature interviews with
The Industry Program of documentary festival IDFA launches Friday as an in-person event, while also offering remote access for those who are unable to get to Amsterdam. Head of industry Adriek van Nieuwenhuijzen and market manager Selin Murat speak to Variety about what participants can expect. What was learned from the digital experimentation put in
In “The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain,” everything that might (hope against hope) go right doesn’t. Everything that could go wrong does, prompted by the disregard, bias or outright bigotry that has been at work when police officers encounter people of color or people with mental illness. Chamberlain was Black and lived with bipolar disorder. Writer-director
“Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time” is two documentaries in one. It’s a film about the life and work of Kurt Vonnegut, and on that score it covers most of the bases and captures what it was that made Vonnegut the quintessential pop-philosopher novelist of his era — the quips and catchphrases and sci-fi curlicues, the
Mick Rock, a legendary music photographer for artists like David Bowie, Queen, Lou Reed, the Stooges, the Sex Pistols and more, has died. He was 72. Rock’s death was announced via his official Twitter account on Thursday night. “It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share our beloved psychedelic renegade Mick Rock has
South Korean entertainment conglomerate CJ ENM is making a nearly $1 billion bet to grow into a bigger player in the global content business by buying an an 80% stake in Endeavor Content, the production entity that Endeavor was forced to divest after losing a showdown with the Writers Guild of America. CJ ENM described
Here’s what Willis is talkin’ about. Jimmy Kimmel and Norman Lear are bringing back their “Live in Front of a Studio Audience” franchise for a third edition this December, and this time they’ll be taking on the iconic sitcom “Diff’rent Strokes’ and its spin-off, “The Facts of Life.” Already cast in the “Diff’rent Strokes” installment
“Don’t Look Up” is the last shoe to drop for Netflix this awards season, and there’s a 50/50 chance of it making a seismic impact (pun intended). Director Adam McKay assembles a sprawling ensemble that includes Oscar-winners Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Revenant”), Jennifer Lawrence (“Silver Linings Playbook”), Meryl Streep (“Kramer vs. Kramer,” “Sophie’s Choice” and “The
Honors were given out in more than 30 categories at Wednesday’s 12th annual Hollywood Music in Media Awards, with singer-songwriters like Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Adam Levine and Rufus Wainwright being celebrated in the live webcast as well as composers including Hans Zimmer, Rachel Portman, Alberto Iglesias and Nicholas Britell. The HMMAs reward songwriters, composers and
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