Month: February 2023

J.K. Rowling, nearly two years after she ignited a firestorm over her comments widely perceived as denigrating transgender women, is speaking out about the controversy in a new podcast — and claims that fans have “profoundly” misunderstood her point of view. In the forthcoming podcast, “The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling,” Rowling says, “What has
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Penn Badgley has been in the headlines recently, and not only because Part 1 of the fourth season of “You” dropped on Feb. 9: On his podcast “Podcrushed” last week, Badgley talked about his strong dislike of filming intimate scenes — and the internet exploded with thoughts about his remarks. He also said that he’d shared
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BAFTA’s new CEO Jane Millichip is preparing to welcome the largest group of nominees to ever turn up at this weekend’s film awards. It’s exciting, says the executive, both from a red carpet perspective, but also as a testament to the growing appeal of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. “It’s the real
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Three first features from Spain’s burgeoning next generation of female filmmakers, led by Cannes Critics’ Week winner Laura Ferrès, is one highlight at this year’s Málaga Work in Progress, an Málaga Festival industry centerpiece where productions such as “The Platform” first saw the light of day. Playing in Malaga WIP, “The Platform” was acquired by
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Italy’s Coccinelle Film Sales has acquired world rights to Nigerian director Babatunde Apalowo’s gay-themed drama “All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White,” ahead of the film’s Berlin Film Festival launch.  “All the Colours” is the feature film debut of Apalowo, who was born in Ogbagi-Akoko, Nigeria, and is U.K.-based. Pic is
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Grandave Intl. has acquired worldwide sales rights to action thriller feature “Joe Baby,” Tamara Nagahiro, Grandave Intl. head of sales, announced Tuesday. The film stars Dichen Lachman (“Jurassic World: Dominion,” Apple+’s “Severance,” Netflix’s “Altered Carbon”), Willa Fitzgerald (“Reacher,” Netflix’s “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Goldfinch”), Academy Award nominated actor Harvey Keitel, two-time
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Indian festival favorite and box office success “Dostojee” (“Two Friends”), directed by Prasun Chatterjee will release across the U.S., U.A.E. and Australia and New Zealand on March 17. California-based film distribution company Bioskope Films LLC has acquired U.S. theatrical rights and will release the film across 75 cities in 26 states. The theatrical release is an Oscar-qualifying
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SkyShowtime will complete its European roll-out this month with two remaining launches in Spain and Andorra, Variety can reveal. The two markets, which will launch on Feb. 28, take SkyShowtime’s footprint to over 20 markets and completes its European configuration, allowing the platform to now focus on building out a premium content offering that will
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India’s income tax department is conducting searches of the BBC’s offices in the country’s capital New Delhi, according to the Associated Press. Three BBC staffers informed AP about the searches, the agency said. Meanwhile, a team from the tax department also surveyed the BBC’s Mumbai offices, per the Press Trust of India quoting unnamed sources.
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Munich-based arthouse distribution company Prokino Filmverleih has locked German-language and Swiss rights for the unconventional Icelandic road trip film “Driving Mum” from production-distribution outfit Alief (“Matadero”). The project won the Grand Prix Prize for best film at the Tallinn Black Night Film Festival, earning additional accolades for its affecting score. It was also chosen as
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Through films as varied as “The Father,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead” and “Relic,” dementia and neurodegenerative disease have been extensively portrayed on screen in recent years — a subgenre that carries a trigger warning for anyone with off-screen experience of the subject. For those who think they cannot stomach one more, Maite Alberdi’s “The Eternal
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Banijay’s Endemol Shine India and Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan’s Black Knight Films will adapt hit Danish/Swedish scripted series “Bron/Broen” (“The Bridge”) for Indian audiences.  ” ‘The Bridge’ is actually something that I was actively looking to produce. So I went looking for it,” Khan told Variety. The original show opens with a dead body
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Nineties pop stars S Club 7 are reuniting for a 25th anniversary tour, the group announced on social media today (Feb. 13). Tina Barrett, Jon Lee, Paul Cattermole, Hannah Spearritt, Bradley McIntosh, Rachel Stevens and Jo O’Meara will hit the stage for an 11-date tour of the U.K. and Ireland. Formed in 1998, the group
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Dave Hollis, a former Disney executive who served as the company’s president of worldwide distribution until resigning in 2018, died Saturday night at his home in Austin, Texas. He was 47 years old. Hollis had been recently hospitalized for heart-related health issues, though no exact cause of death has been determined. Hollis became Disney’s theatrical
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Tom Cruise stole the show at the 95th Oscars luncheon, the annual gathering celebrating the nominees for the year’s Academy Awards. At the Beverly Hilton Hotel, the in-person event had opening remarks from Academy president Janet Yang. The roll call of this year’s 182 attendees was read by Devon Franklin, a member of the Board
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Netflix has released the first look photos and an official trailer for Season 2 of “Sex/Life.” “Sex/Life” will premiere on Netflix on March 2. The second season follows the 2021 premiere with an eight-episode season. Based on the book, “44 Chapters About 4 Men” by BB Easton, “Sex/Life” was created by Stacy Rukeyser. The series
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“The Penguin” continues to expand its ensemble, as the DC limited series has added Michael Kelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo and Deirdre O’Connell to its cast. Character details for the three actors remain under wraps. Kelly is best known for his roles in Netflix’s “House of Cards” and Amazon’s “Jack Ryan.” Aghdashloo earned critical acclaim for her
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Showtime laid off approximately 120 staffers Monday amid a streaming-focused restructuring that saw the exits of several top execs as the pay TV channel’s team was merged into MTV Entertainment Studios, a spokesperson confirmed. No other details were available regarding which departments within Showtime were impacted, though a source close to the situation tells Variety
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Three years into a pandemic, plenty of luxury houses are ready for us to get back to business. This season’s runways are no longer far removed from the classroom or the conference room. Academic prep style is back, albeit with an edge. Elevated capsule wardrobes—what some might call “real-world clothes”—are inherently chic. This New York
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Anthony Hopkins and Angela Bassett share a somewhat similar space in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Bassett stars in the “Black Panther” films as Queen Ramonda, mother of T’Challa and Shuri and ruler of Wakanda. Hopkins was a fixture of the “Thor” franchise as Odin, Thor’s father and the ruler of Asgard. Both actors play Marvel
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“Argentina 1985’s” director Santiago Mitre spent over two years researching his film on the story of th public prosecutors who took on the country’s brutal dictators. He said his film was able to get the audience thinking about the real-world problems that go on in their own countries. Mitre joined fellow international film directors on
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