Month: July 2022

Welcome to this week’s “Just for Variety.” Tommy Chong says reuniting with the “That ’70s Show” cast for the upcoming “That ’90s Show” reboot felt like no time had passed. Chong reprises his role as Leo in the Netflix series, which also sees the return of Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp as Red and
0 Comments
Television icon Norman Lear is celebrating his 100th birthday on Wednesday with some big news befitting the legend: ABC has revealed plans to celebrate Lear’s centennial with a primetime special this fall. Variety has exclusively learned that ABC will air “Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter” on Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9 p.m.
0 Comments
Banijay is acquiring Sony Pictures Television Germany. Led by Astrid Quentell and Mirek Nitsch, who will remain in position, the company will join Banijay Germany’s portfolio of labels. The deal is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval. The company is also set to undergo a name change. Based in Cologne and in operation
0 Comments
However this tweetstorm ends, Elon Musk will come out a loser. This spring, the right-wing celebrity tech CEO agreed to pay $44 billion for Twitter — boasting that he would turn his favorite social media site into a bigger revenue machine and a bastion of “free speech.” (Critics interpreted that as Musk condoning a flood
0 Comments
Verizon has upped its streaming pact with the Mouse House. Starting today, the telco is offering Disney+ to prepaid wireless customers free for six months when they activate or upgrade to Prepaid Unlimited plans. Verizon has already offered the six-months-free deal to customers on qualifying postpaid unlimited plans. Now it’s extending the promotional deal to
0 Comments
July 27, WednesdayBillie Eilish, Debbie Harry, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Seth MacFarlane perform during the Count Basie Orchestra tribute to Peggy Lee and Frank Sinatra.Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles Nickelodeon screens “Are You Afraid of the Dark? GhostIsland” with stars Telci Huynh, Luca Padovan, Chance Hurstfield and Julian Curtis and showrunner JT Billings.The London West Hollywood
0 Comments
The Newark Museum of Art is presenting two stunning exhibits of photography featuring Billie Holiday and a selection of jazz legends. “Jazz Greats: Classic Photographs from the Bank of America Collection” and “Billie Holiday at Sugar Hill: Photographs by Jerry Dantzic” opened last month and will run through August 22, 2022. Eartha Kitt 1956 Tony
0 Comments
Sony Pictures International Productions is venturing into local-language movies in Italy with the comedy “Un Natale in Famiglia” (“A Family Christmas”), which is currently shooting in Rome. Alessandro Usai and Iginio Straffi of Colorado Film, which is owned by Straffi’s Rainbow Group, serve as producers on the film, which is the first of a three-picture
0 Comments
The question of what it means to be a Hong Konger is examined in Chan Tze-woo’s innovative and affecting hybrid documentary “Blue Island.” Artfully editing footage of the 2019-2020 protests with dramatic recreations of events that have shaped the British colony turned Chinese special administrative region since 1967, “Blue Island” balances its unavoidably sobering picture
0 Comments
Last week, the French government reappointed Dominique Boutonnat for a second three-year term as president of the National Film Board (CNC), the country’s most powerful film institution, in a controversial decision that illustrates the country’s halfhearted embrace of the #MeToo movement. Boutonnat, a former producer and financier with close ties with newly reelected French president
0 Comments
Sony Pictures Entertainment has promoted Shony Panjikaran and Lada Guruden Singh to take over the reins of its film distribution and production business in India. Singh has been appointed to GM and head of Sony Pictures International Productions, India. He will oversee SPIP India’s local film development and production slate as well as its expansion
0 Comments
Hulu will now start accepting ads for political issues, according to Disney — a move that comes after Democrats lambasted Hulu for rejecting ads calling out the GOP on abortion and gun issues. “After a thorough review of ad policies across its linear networks and streaming platforms over the last few months, Disney is now
0 Comments
Spotify turned in strong numbers for the second quarter, beating expectations for total and paid subscriber adds and reporting 23% revenue growth. Premium subscribers grew 14% to 188 million, a net gain of 6 million (and 1 million above guidance), “aided by promotional intake and household plans,” the company said in announcing results. That included
0 Comments
France has rejigged its Oscar submission committee, changing the group that decides which French film to submit for an international feature film Oscar. As part of the overhaul, permanent members such as Cannes Film Festival’s general delegate Thierry Fremaux, Cesar Académie president Veronique Cayla and Unifrance boss Serge Toubiana will no longer be part of
0 Comments
STAKE Newen Studios, the Paris-headquartered production and distribution group, has taken a majority stake in London-based production house, Rise Films, the outfit behind “All That Breathes,” which won the top documentary prizes at Sundance and Cannes this year. The move is part of Newen’s premium documentary ambitions and U.K. expansion plans. Founded in 2006 by
0 Comments