All the signs of impending major disruptions to the wobbly business model of the theatrical specialty film industry have been blasting at us like a neon marquee in Times Square for nearly two decades. ¶ Among the premonitory events that signaled loud warnings of big-time arthouse heartaches: The 2004 pic “Crash” was regarded at the
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Having followed the film awards season races closely for an even longer time than I’ve worked at Variety, I sometimes feel as if these decades of kudos scrutinizing have lulled this trade paper journo into thinking I’ve seen it all and I can’t really be surprised at any outcomes. Which is hard for a guy
Breaking News 5:46 AM PT — Meek Mill says he has apologized to Vanessa. “I apologized to her in private earlier today not to the public,” Meek early Tuesday morning. “Nothing I say on my page directed to a internet viral moment or the family of a grieving woman! If you care about someone grieving
Ted Farnsworth, the U.S. financier who set in motion the meteoric rise of MediaPass, and early TikTok investor Jaeson Ma, are behind a pair of moves which could create a new stock market-listed short video empire. Zash Global Media, which is backed by Farnsworth, Ma and Vincent Butta, have agreed plans to acquire Lomotif, a
Imagine teleporting into one of your favorite movie universes, and you’ll have some idea of how KiKi Layne feels right now. “It hasn’t fully hit me,” the 29-year-old actress says of playing opposite Eddie Murphy in Coming 2 America, the sequel to his 1988 comedy. Her eyes widen behind her glasses. “Like, ‘Yo, this is
The separation in the British Royal Family will be evident to the world in a tale of two broadcasts hours apart in March. On March 7, the Queen’s annual Commonwealth message alongside her family members, minus the voluntary estranged Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, will be broadcast on U.K. broadcaster BBC One. Just hours later,
Amazon Prime Video and Juventus soccer club have announced a new Italian Amazon original behind-the-scenes documentary series, “All or Nothing: Juventus.” The series will follow the popular Italian soccer club through the current 2020/21 season, and will stream on Amazon Prime Video worldwide later this year. It will take viewers on a behind the scenes
Red Arrow Studios International has closed a raft of global sales for controversial feature documentary “Framing Britney Spears.” The documentary shines a light on the Queen of Pop’s court battle for control of her estate and also re-examines the media’s handling of her life and career. Since its early February debut, the film has been
SF Studios has released the first teaser trailer for the anticipated action thriller “Omerta 6/12” which just wrapped shooting. The big-budget film is directed by Aku Louhimies and stars Finnish actor Jasper Pääkkönen (“Da 5 Bloods,” “BlacKkKlansman”) and Swedish actors Nanna Blondell (“Red Dot”) and Sverrir Gudnason (“Borg vs. McEnroe”). “Omertà 6/12” is expected to
Facebook has reversed its decision to block the sharing of news content in Australia. “After further discussions with the Australian government, we have come to an agreement that will allow us to support the publishers we choose to, including small and local publishers. We’re restoring news on Facebook in Australia in the coming days,” Campbell
China’s state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) announced late Monday evening that it has signed a strategic partnership in program development and online video with South Korean public broadcaster KBS. The move may be a strong indication of a thaw in tensions between the two countries that have for years left Korean content unofficially banned
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched the Feb. 22 episode of “The Bachelor.” The final four contestants headed to hometowns. Bachelor Matt James hosted four families at the Nemacolin Resort in Pennsylvania, welcoming guests of Michelle Young, Rachael Kirkconnell, Bri Springs and Serena Pitt. Each date included a day portion
To be young, gifted and banjo-playing … and, yes, Black: these were the requirements for inclusion in the group Our Native Daughters, which was assembled by Rhiannon Giddens to make an album for the Smithsonian Folkways label that started as a one-off collective project and turned into a real band. It also turned into a
The city of South Pasadena, Calif. has reached a settlement agreement in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of actor Vanessa Marquez, who was shot and killed by police in her home in 2018. According to the Los Angeles Times, Marquez’s mother, Delia McElfresh, and the city of South Pasadena agreed upon the
In “The Artist’s Wife,” Lena Olin plays Claire, the wife of an abstract artist, Richard, played by Bruce Dern. Her life is perfectly composed. That is, until Richard is diagnosed with dementia and their perfect world starts to disintegrate. Written and directed by Tom Dolby, the story is close to his heart, as it was
Author William Joyce is set to direct an animated version of the classic F. Scott Fitzgerald novel “The Great Gatsby.” Brian Selznick, who wrote and adapted 2017’s “Wonderstruck,” will work on the screenplay. Michael Siegel and DNEG Senior VP Creative Production David Prescott join Joyce as producers on the animated feature film. DNEG Feature Animation
“The Bachelor” lead Matt James has broken his silence on the escalating controversy surrounding the show, as longtime host Chris Harrison remains under fire for perpetuating racism during a recent interview. James, the first Black star of “The Bachelor,” is not just calling out Harrison for his “troubling and painful” words, but is also holding
While Black stories and creators face disproportionate barriers and a lack of representation in the television industry, many brilliant Black-led series can be found on streaming platforms right now. For Black History Month and beyond, Variety has you covered with 10 great shows from Black creators, so you can revisit old classics and view new fan-favorites
The groundbreaking French duo Daft Punk stunned the music world Monday morning by announcing their breakup via an elaborate video. The announcement was all the more surprisingly because the has been largely dormant since their 2013 album, “Random Access Memories,” won the Grammy for album of the year, and largely stopped performing live after their
Australia’s Stranger Than Fiction Films and the U.K.’s Arrow Pictures have teamed for theatrical documentary “River,” commissioned by BBC Arts and ABC Arts. Exploring the relationship between humans and rivers, the documentary spans six continents. It is directed by Jennifer Peedom, co-directed by Joseph Nizeti and produced by Jo-anne McGowan and Peedom from Stranger than
Martha Stewart, best known for co-starring alongside Joan Crawford and Humphrey Bogart in “Daisy Kenyon” and “In a Lonely Place,” respectively, died on Feb. 17, her daughter Colleen Shelly confirmed on Twitter. She was 98. “The original Martha Stewart left us yesterday,” Shelly wrote. “She had a new part to play in a movie with
In today’s TV news roundup, Netflix announced the premiere date for “The Irregulars,” and the Critics Choice Assn. opened up submissions for its nonfiction awards ceremony. RENEWALS ABC renewed extreme mini-golf competition series “Holey Moley” for third and fourth seasons. Rob Riggle and Joe Tessitore will return as commentators, as will sideline correspondent Jeannie Mai
“Could Taylor Swift’s remake of ‘Fearless’ be nominated for the Grammys?” It’s a question that has arisen repeatedly in the short time since Swift released “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” and promised that her full-length recreation of the blockbuster 2008 “Fearless” album would arrive in April. It’s an interesting question… in a completely theoretical, “Who’d win
As Hollywood continues to observe the alarming rise in anti-Asian hate crimes across the U.S., creative unions and content producers are speaking out. Following celebrity outcry last week, the Directors Guild of America has formally issued a condemnation of attacks — many of which affect elders in the AAPI community. “The DGA strongly condemns the
If your Twitter timeline recently has been dominated by tweets about HBO’s new docu-series “Allen v. Farrow,” you aren’t alone. The four-part documentary from filmmakers Amy Ziering, Kirby Dick, and Amy Herdy examines what happened when 7-year-old Dylan Farrow, the daughter of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen, accused her father of sexually abusing her in 1992. The sordid saga has provoked fiery debates for nearly 30 years.
Ronald D. Moore is in the process of developing multiple TV projects at Disney Plus that will be set in Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Variety has confirmed with sources. The first such project will be “The Society of Explorers and Adventurers,” which Moore will write and executive produce. The series is loosely based on the fiction
Chloe Zhao’s awards season frontrunner “Nomadland” has been approved for a limited release in China starting April 23 through the country’s arthouse cinema circuit, according to information published on the government-backed distributor China Film’s website. The date would put its debut just three days ahead of the Academy Awards, where the title is expected to
Sydney’s The Kid LAROI has signed a worldwide deal with Sony Music Publishing. The artist, songwriter, and producer, whose real name is Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard, is currently riding the success of his song “Without You” and 2020 debut mixtape, “Fuck Love.” In his native Australia, The Kid LAROI, who is signed to Columbia Records,
Entertainment and tech entrepreneur Scooter Braun is entering the cannabis business. Braun’s Ceres Acquisition Corp. and Atlanta-based Parallel, one of the world’s largest privately held multi-state cannabis companies, have entered into a “business combination” to launch a publicly traded U.S. cannabis “well-being” company. The new company will be listed on the Canadian NEO stock exchange.
Ray Halbritter, the Oneida Indian Nation Representative, CEO of Oneida Nation Enterprises, and a trustee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Museum, has launched Standing Arrow Productions, a privately-funded, independent film and TV production company aimed at increasing the representation and championing the narratives of Native American and Indigenous peoples on screen.