With the resolution of the Hollywood writers strike in September, hopes were high for a return to business as usual in bustling Budapest, host to such recent high-profile productions as Yorgos Lanthimos’ Venice sensation and Oscar frontrunner “Poor Things.” But the sudden breakdown in negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP in early October dampened that
Month: November 2023
When director Yorgos Lanthimos approached production designers James Price and Shona Heath with a vision for his latest feature, “Poor Things,” the Venice sensation and Golden Lion winner that’s landed the filmmaker and lead actress Emma Stone at the forefront of this year’s Oscar race, the notoriously meticulous and demanding director had no shortage of
With climate change and pollution making environmental concerns more urgent than ever, studios and productions are taking a lead role in incorporating sustainability into the workplace. And in some cases, it’s a necessity. Indeed, the AFM has a green filmmaking panel set for Nov. 3. As New York City experiences a boom in studio construction,
Zayn Malik is writing new music for upcoming animated feature “10 Lives” and is set to perform a duet with “Bridgerton” star Simone Ashley for the film, Variety can confirm. Malik and Ashley also both star in the film, with the former One Direction singer playing tough-guy twins Cameron and Kirk while Ashley voices student
Warner Bros. Discovery has revealed several leadership roles across its Asia Pacific (APAC) business, following the appointment of James Gibbons as president, Asia Pacific, in October. Reporting to Gibbons are Tony Qiu – GM, greater China and southeast Asia, leading a regional cluster of southeast Asia, mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, based in
Subscription video subscriptions in Taiwan increased by 315,000 in the July to September quarter, to reach 5.8 million, according toa new research report. Netflix and Disney+ were responsible for the bulk of the growth. The “Online Video in Taiwan” report from consultancy Media Partners Asia and its AMPD Research sister company showed premium VOD engagement
CBS has tapped stand-up comedian Taylor Tomlinson to host its new late night franchise “After Midnight.” The series is executive produced by Stephen Colbert, who announced Tomlinson during Wednesday’s episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Tomlinson then discussed the news with Colbert on stage. Tomlinson’s recent TV credits include her Netflix comedy specials
Walt Disney Animation Studios production workers have voted to unionize, the Animation Guild (IATSE Local 839) announced Wednesday. In a National Labor Relations Board ballot count, 63 production employees (or 93%) — including production coordinators, production managers and production supervisors — voted to join the Animation Guild. Out of a total of 68 voters, five workers voted against.
After reportedly being instructed by Warner Bros. last year to not dress up as the Joker, Diddy decided to go as Batman this year. Diddy posted a video on Halloween explaining that he received emails from Warner Bros. after videos of his 2022 Joker costume went viral online. He had told the same story to
Britney Spears‘ long-awaited memoir “The Woman in Me” — which details her fight for freedom and tumultuous relationships with the men in her life — has sold 1.1 million copies in its first week across print, pre-sales, e-books and audiobooks in the United States. “The Woman in Me” was released on Oct. 24 and has
“Baby, it’s Halloween / And we can be anything,” Phoebe Bridgers once promised, in a song named after the high holy day of Oct. 31. Bridgers did not sing that particular seasonal number as part of Boygenius‘ Halloween show at the Hollywood Bowl Tuesday night, but the band took the sentiment to heart, at least.
Writer/director David Ferino’s feature directorial debut, “Wardcliffe,” starring Joel McKinnon Miller (“The Staircase,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Big Love”) and Shane Coffey (“Pretty Little Liars,” “Good Girls”). Inspired by real events, Ferino’s script takes place over the course of a single day as Dennis (Miller) and his son Ronnie (Coffey) quarantine together during the 2020 pandemic lockdown.
UPDATED with SAG-AFTRA statement: SAG-AFTRA and Hollywood’s major studios had a second consecutive day of constructive steps toward a settlement to what will go down as a TV and film strike of record duration for the union. SAG-AFTRA told its members late Wednesday that the union presented a counterproposal on AI issues that have been
Nicolas Cage has shared his thoughts on the use of AI in films, as well as his feelings about the final cut of his cameo as Superman in Warner Bros.’ “The Flash.” In a recent interview with Yahoo! Entertainment, Cage expressed his personal distaste for the technology, saying, “AI is a nightmare to me. It’s
Christopher Hampton, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of “The Father” and “Dangerous Liaisons,” is set to adapt Walter Isaacson’s acclaimed biography “Leonardo Da Vinci” for Universal Pictures. Universal Pictures had fiercely chased rights to the hot literary property six years ago, and was outbid by Paramount, which developed the project with Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way. Now that
The Academy Museum has set a new date for its annual fundraising gala, after initially postponing the event out of respect for the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. The event is now scheduled for the evening of Dec. 3. The fundraising gala is moving forward with the support of SAG-AFTRA, amid the actors union’s ongoing strike against
David Arquette, Ethan Peck, Katrina Bowden and Gianni Capaldi are saddling up to join the cast of “Unholy Trinity.” The Western adventure, which received an interim agreement to go into production during the actors strike from SAG-AFTRA, has begun filming at Yellowstone Ranch in Montana. It is directed by Richard Gray and stars the previously
Olivia Rodrigo‘s new song for Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” is titled “Can’t Catch Me Now” and has been revealed as the official song of the film. A short 60-second snippet of the upbeat track was released in a new preview for the film that premiered today. To align with
“As We Know It,” an apocalyptic zombie comedy starring Chris Parnell and Pam Grier, has sold rights to Buffalo 8. The Santa Monica-based production and distribution company will release the movie in theaters on Nov. 10 with plans for streaming and video-on-demand in late November or early December. “We are thrilled to announce the release
Jennifer Lawrence told Variety in June during her “No Hard Feelings” press tour that she is “totally” open to reprising her “Hunger Games” role of Katniss Everdeen should the right opportunity arise. She added at the time, “If Katniss ever could ever come back into my life, 100 percent.” But franchise producer Nina Jacobson and
Emily Hampshire, the actor best known for playing Stevie Budd on all six seasons of the Emmy-winning comedy series “Schitt’s Creek,” has issued an apology for dressing up with a friend as Johnny Depp and Amber Heard for Halloween. Hampshire posted and then deleted photos of the costumes, which ignited outrage on social media. The
Music Box Films has dropped the trailer for “The Crime Is Mine,” François Ozon’s screwball comedy set in 1930s Paris starring Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Rebecca Marder and Isabelle Huppert. A showbiz caper with a feminist edge in the vein of Ozon’s “8 Women” and “Potiche,” “The Crime Is Mine” will open in New York on Dec. 25,
Brooke Shields revealed in a new interview with Glamour that she suffered a seizure in September and none other than Bradley Cooper unexpectedly swooped in to support her. The incident occurred at a restaurant in New York City while Shields was waiting to be seated at a table. “Two women come up to me; I
In advance of Thursday’s release of the recently completed “Now and Then,” which is being billed as the final new track that will ever be finished and released under the Beatles‘ name, fans are hearing portions of the song — and more of the story behind it — in a 12-minute mini-documentary, “Now And Then
CBS is getting ready to let it all hang out after 12 a.m. The Paramount Global network said it will launch its newest late-night entry, now titled “After Midnight,” in early 2024. And while a host has yet to be named for the program, an array of producers and top writers are already in place.
David Corvo, the guiding force behind hundreds of hours of NBC’s signature “Dateline” newsmagazine, will step away from the role at the end of 2023, bringing to a close a TV-news career that has spanned four decades. Corvo has been with “Dateline” in some capacity since joining NBC News in 1995 as a vice president
As they were writing the pilot script for their new Max comedy series “Bookie,” co-creators Chuck Lorre and Nick Bakay thought it would be fun to add a real-life Hollywood star playing a version of themself as an inveterate gambler. The series stars stand-up comedian Sebastian Maniscalco as Los Angeles sports betting bookie, so it
When I first moved into my own apartment, the first thing I bought was a print of the floor plan of apartments 19 and 20 in “Friends.” Years — and one cross-country move — later, it still hangs in my kitchen. The reason is simple: It feels like home. Growing up, I remember watching “The
Heather Dietrick, CEO of IAC‘s Daily Beast, is leaving the news and opinion website at the end of 2023, Variety has learned. Dietrick has been hired as chief media officer at Outside Interactive, whose 13 editorial brands include Outside Magazine, Backpacker, Ski, Climbing, Yoga Journal, Velo, Pinkbike and Triathlete. She will remain with the Daily
Roku shares popped after the streaming-platform company beat Wall Street expectations for the third quarter of 2023 on the top line. But in providing forward-looking guidance, Roku told investors that the macroeconomic environment remains “uncertain.” The company reported Q3 revenue of $912 million, up 20%, and a net loss of $330 million (or $2.33 per