Ellen DeGeneres has signed a multi-year deal with Discovery to develop and produce a slate of natural history content for Discovery Channel and Discovery Plus. The line-up of specials, series and documentaries will highlight the many wonders of the natural world and the incredible wildlife that inhabit it. From Discovery and the BBC Natural History
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The team behind “Justified” is reuniting to develop an FX series based on the Elmore Leonard novel “City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit,” with Timothy Olyphant potentially returning as Raylan Givens, Variety has learned exclusively. “Justfied” creator Graham Yost will serve as executive producer, with “Justified” writers and executive producers Michael Dinner and Dave Andron
Hollywood’s streaming wars are likely to spur clashes on Madison Avenue. The priciest stuff on TV for advertisers always runs in primetime. When viewers can stream “This Is Us” or “Young Rock” at moments of their own choosing, however, primetime is anytime. NBCUniversal thinks both types of TV watching should command top rates. In what
The toughest of the five senses to transmit through the screen, smell compels writer-director Grégory Magne’s “Perfumes,” an enchanting journey into life’s assorted aromas. Smell is also at the center of Anne Walberg’s existence and profession as “a nose” — meaning, someone blessed with highly advanced olfactory receptors, like a sommelier, but for fragrance. A
Kenneth Brangh’s upcoming drama “Belfast” will be released theatrically on Nov. 12. Written and directed by Branagh, the film stars Caitriona Balfe, Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Ciaran Hinds and newcomer Jude Hill. “Belfast” tells the story of one boy’s childhood amid the music and social tumult of the late 1960s. Dornan and Balfe play a
After a story in Variety in November exposed the fact that registered sex offender — and noted cinematographer — Adam Kimmel has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 2007, the organization has taken action and removed him. An Academy source confirmed to Variety that Kimmel is no longer a
Francois Ozon, one of France’s most prestigious and prolific filmmakers, will next direct Isabelle Adjani and Denis Menochet (“Custody”) in “Petra Von Kant,” a film adaptation of Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s cult play “The Bitter Tears.” “Petra Von Kant” will star Menochet as Fassbinder, while Adjani will play the German director’s muse, according to Satellifax, which
James Levine, one of the most renowned conductors of the modern era, whose career at the helm of the Metropolitan Opera crashed amid sexual abuse allegations in 2018, has died at age 77. He was reported Wednesday to have died at home in Palm Springs on March 9. No cause of death was given, nor
Lena Headey will star in and executive produce the Spectrum-AMC Networks series “Beacon 23,” which hails from Zak Penn, Variety has learned. The series is described as a sci-fi psychological thriller. It follows two people whose fates become entangled after they find themselves trapped together at the end of the known universe. A tense battle of
The cast and creator of The CW’s upcoming “Kung Fu” reboot are using their platform to condemn the recent influx in anti-Asian hate crimes. “So much about representation and inclusion is not so much that we as Asians need to see ourselves represented on the screens, but we need to be invited into people’s homes
Outspoken TV presenter Piers Morgan’s remarks about Meghan Markle is the new record holder for most complaints made to U.K. media regulator Ofcom, but the British personality is unperturbed. “Only 57,000? I’ve had more people than that come up & congratulate me in the street for what I said. The vast majority of Britons are
When someone insists they’re “fine,” it’s seldom the case. Take Danny, the recently widowed mom in the low-budget charmer “I’m Fine (Thanks for Asking),” which directors Kelley Kali and Angelique Molina’s made on coronavirus stimulus check funds. Having lost her apartment during the COVID-19 crunch, Danny roller skates around a neighborhood of housing projects, fast-food
Leading documentary festival Hot Docs has selected the 20 projects that will be presented during the online edition of its project market, Hot Docs Forum, which runs May 4-5. Among the projects’ 25 filmmakers, 10 helmers are Black, Indigenous or People of Color, and 20 directors are women. The projects represent 16 countries. Lisa Valencia-Svensson,
Utopia Media, the fledgling sales and distribution company co-founded by filmmaker Robert Schwartzman, has picked up North American rights to artist Amalia Ulman’s debut feature ‘El Planeta.’ The dark comedy was one of the buzz titles at Sundance’s World Dramatic competition. Danielle DiGiacomo, Utopia’s Head of Content commented: “Amalia Ulman’s “El Planeta” is a pure, transportive
Mickey Mouse is back. After a more-than-yearlong closure, Disneyland is set to reopen on April 30, Disney CEO Bob Chapek told CNBC’s “Squawk Alley” Wednesday morning. The Anaheim, Calif. theme park and resort will start out with limited capacity, per state guidelines. Rides such as the new Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, the Incredicoaster
In a drive for authenticity, Chile’s Parox, producer of “Invisible Heroes,” has attached Katherina Harder to direct “Silver Bridge” (Puente de Plata), a Latin American drug trade origins saga billed by Parox and Harder as a feminist romantic melodrama. Produced by Alvaro Cabello and Parox founders Sergio Gándara and Leonora González, “Silver Bridge” weighs in
The house arrest of two members of Russian feminist protest group Pussy Riot, Maria Alekhina and Lucy Shtein, is likely to be extended by a few months, with their case coming up for hearing Thursday and Friday. The pair are accused of calling for a rally in support of political prisoners through posts on Instagram
Snap wants to get Snapchat’s young-skewing user base to buy more stuff through the social app. As part of that strategy, Snap has acquired Fit Analytics, a German apparel size-recommendation engine that helps online shoppers virtually find the right clothing size. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Founded in 2010, Berlin-based Fit Analytics
The talented and amazing Kurt Russell celebrates his 70th birthday on March 17. A staple of the Hollywood industry for over five decades, Russell navigated being a teen idol and graduating to become one of the most bankable and skilled actors of his generation. To celebrate, we chose 10 of the best performances of his
Fresh off of being named to BBC Radio 1’s 2021 Brit List and landing a publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group, UK newcomer Holly Humberstone has signed with Polydor Records, Darkroom and Interscope Records. The 21-year-old singer-songwriter released several singles in 2020 to rave reviews and had completed a European tour opening for Lewis
In recent years, the Grammy Awards have taken advantage of having so many top artists in one place by taping a second show a day or two after the main Grammy ceremony, all-star tributes to artists like Prince, Elton John, Stevie Wonder and others. While this year was different in many ways, they did it
Minnie Driver, in her first-ever podcast, will plumb the psyches of celebrity guests with the same stock list of questions — seven existential queries aimed at finding common human truths. The actor and singer-songwriter’s “Minnie Questions With Minnie Driver,” an iHeartRadio original podcast, will premiere March 24 with new episodes airing every Wednesday. The podcast’s
Madison Avenue is paying more money to podcasting. Now a group of people focused on the industry wants advertisers to pay more attention. The Media Roundtable, a group of organizations that aims to promote civility and stronger dialogue in media, is launching a chart of what it considers to be the podcasts that display the
The Paris-based European Producers Club (EPC), which represents top independent film and TV drama producers across continental Europe, has issued a so-called Code of Fair Practices for streamers when commissioning content from indie producers. The proposed rules — which the lobby group is hoping will provide a stimulus for an ongoing EU regulatory effort —
Almost four months after the BBC reformed its television division, the corporation has appointed the two leads for its most prominent channels. Syeda Irtizaali and Jo Smith have been tapped as the two new Portfolio Editors working across BBC One and BBC Two and Four. Irtizaali will take on BBC One, while Smith will manage
“Chopped,” that Food Network perennial, is getting a few new ingredients. When the Discovery-owned outlet launches two new versions of the long-running series on streaming-video hub Discovery Plus, it will do with an aim to win younger audiences to its cause. “Chopped 420” gives four chefs the chance to incorporate cannabis or cannabis-infused ingredients into
“Her Lullaby” from Hong Kong and “The Catch” from India were the winners of the top fiction prizes at the 2021 edition of the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum. A total of 17 cash and in-kind prizes worth a combined HK$1,200,000 ($157,000) were awarded at the conclusion of the three day (March 15-17, 2021) project
“Top Gear” presenter and famed racing driver Sabine Schmitz has died following a battle with cancer. She was 51. Schmitz is best known for winning Germany’s Nurburgring Nordschleife, one of the toughest racing circuits in the world, in 1996 and 1997, the only woman to do so. She is known as the “Queen of the
The Chinese government has reportedly told its local media channels not to transmit live coverage of the Oscars and to downplay the awards ceremony. The move follows the nomination of “Do Not Split,” a 35-minute chronicle of the pro-democracy struggles in Hong Kong, in the documentary short subject category. The order reportedly came from the
Amazon Prime Video is making its first foray into Indian feature movie co-production with Bollywood film “Ram Setu,” starring Akshay Kumar. Directed by Abhishek Sharma (“Parmanu”) with Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi (“Prithviraj Chauhan”) as creative producer, the film is an action-adventure drama that is rooted in Indian cultural and historical heritage. The title is a reference