Despite nearly six months of cinema closures due to COVID-19, China actually built nearly 6,000 more new screens in 2020, according to a new report from the country’s film authorities. The data contradicts the disastrous predictions made over the summer about the extent to which the pandemic would devastate the Chinese exhibition sector. China now
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Larry King’s widow has gone to court to challenge a handwritten will which purports to divide the talk show host’s estate among his children. Shawn Southwick King argues that her husband had “questionable mental capacity” at the time the will was signed, just two months after he filed for divorce. According to her lawyers, King
Richard Stumpf, who acted as CEO of Atlas Music Publishing for more than 7 years, has quietly left the company. His January exit comes in the wake of an internal investigation for workplace misconduct, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation. It’s alleged that Stumpf spoke inappropriately to female staffers specifically. One insider confirms
In an essay-long praise of film legend Federico Fellini as part of the March issue of Harper’s Magazine, Martin Scorsese laments over the devaluing of cinema. “As recently as fifteen years ago, the term “content” was heard only when people were discussing the cinema on a serious level, and it was contrasted with and measured
Eighty-two minutes is not a long time. And yet Shatara Michelle Ford’s intelligent and engrossing feature debut packs an enormous amount in, while still finding room to let characters, moments and difficult, provocative issues breathe. An ostensibly small-scale drama that traces a couple of days in the aftermath of a sexual assault, it’s a remarkable
Veteran rock journalist Lisa Robinson is joining SiriusXM’s Volume channel with a new weekly talk show, “Call Me With Lisa Robinson,” airing Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. EST, starting tomorrow (Feb. 17). Robinson, who authored the book “There Goes Gravity: A Life in Rock and Roll” about her years as a music journalist, will offer
A new “NCIS” spinoff set in Hawaii is in development at CBS, Variety has learned from sources. Few plot details are available on the potential series, other than it will follow a team of Naval criminal investigators who operate on the Hawaiian islands. According to sources, Chris Silber, Jan Nash, and Matt Bosack are attached
In today’s TV news roundup, Cartoon Network released its third anti-racism “Steven Universe” PSA, and FX will host a “Snowfall”-themed fan experience in Los Angeles. DATES CBS News will expand its series “Unifying America” through a joint effort with CBS television stations on Feb. 17. CBS local newscasts, digital properties and CBS News will dedicate
The Mechanical Licensing Collective announced Tuesday that it has received a total of $424,384,787 in accrued historical unmatched royalties from Spotify, Apple Music and other digital service providers, along with corresponding data reports that identify the usage related to these royalties. In other words, some songwriters and publishers will be receiving a windfall once the MLC reviews and
Keke Palmer is joining Jordan Peele’s ever-growing troupe of actors, starring in the Oscar-winning filmmaker’s latest secret project at Universal Pictures. “Get Out” star Daniel Kaluuya is also in talks for a role in the film, which would mark a sweet reunion for the actor and director, who set Hollywood aflame with their first collaboration,
Check out newly announced release dates, which movies are coming to home video this week, and recommendations from your host Khail Anonymous and critic at Vulture Angelica Jade Bastién, in this new episode of ‘Weekly Ticket’! ► Watch the Silence of the Lambs 2-Film Collection on FandangoNOW: https://www.fandangonow.com/details/bundle/the-silence-of-the-lambs-hannibal-2-film-collection-2001/MMV9C8415428DA41D1EB0769C7160B64436B?cmp=MCYT_YouTube_Desc See our Decade Recap here: https://www.fandango.com/movie-news/fandango-decade-recap-box-office-results-for-each-year-753998?cmp=MCYT_YouTube_Desc Tune-in
Quinta Brunson has set up a single-camera comedy pilot at ABC which she will star in in addition to writing and executive producing. The project is titled “Harrity Elementary.” Per the official description, it is a workplace comedy about a group of teachers brought together in one of the worst public schools in the country,
Monday’s primetime crown winner among adults ages 18-49 Live+Same Day ratings was, for the seventh week in a row, ABC’s competitive long-running dating show “The Bachelor.” The newest episode of Matt James’ season landed at the top of fast affiliate rankings with a 1.4 rating in the demo and approximately 5.23 million viewers. These numbers
“Lingua Franca” filmmaker Isabel Sandoval has signed with CAA. In 2019, Sandoval made history as the first trans woman of color to direct and star in a film screening in competition at the Venice Film Festival, where “Lingua Franca” premiered. The film was acquired and released by Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY and is now streaming on
In several disturbing (and since deleted) videos posted to his Instagram last week that were then picked up by TMZ, “Jackass” star and skateboarder Bam Margera lashed out at the production of the latest installment of the franchise, saying he was being cut out of the movie and that they were stealing his ideas. Margera,
Neil Patrick Harris still has a big item on his bucket list that he’s “dying” to do — he wants to be in a superhero movie. “Big scale, CG elements, like a big, large movie,” the Tony and Emmy winner tells me on today’s episode of the “Just for Variety” podcast. “Like it could be
Production begins this month on “Surviving Summer,” a teen-surfing drama series for Netflix and ZDF Enterprises. The show is produced by Werner Film Production, a three-time Emmy-nominated Australian firm headed by Joanna Werner. Skylar Katz (Disney Channel’s “Raven’s Home,” “Bunk’d”) stars as the titular character Summer, a fierce Brooklyn teen who is sent ‘Down Under’ to live with family friends
Disney alums Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs are in the early stages of shopping for content companies to roll up into a larger operating company with backing from private equity giant Blackstone. High on the pair’s wish list is Scooter Braun’s media and management firm SB Projects. A source close to the situation characterized the
Regé-Jean Page has nabbed a leading role in the film adaptation of “Dungeons & Dragons,” Variety has confirmed. The fantasy adventure will be Page’s follow-up to his breakout role in Netflix’s “Bridgerton,” on which he causes hearts to flutter, corsets to loosen and generally monopolizes the lusts and affections of a broad swath of Regency-era
The awards season’s narrative has been the “year of the women,” as female filmmakers, screenwriters and artisans have been making strong cases for nominations at the Oscars in categories like best picture and director. The Writers Guild of America Awards, however, might have missed the memo, only nominating four women over two films: Emerald Fennell
Don Lemon may be looking for a new drinking buddy. Brooke Baldwin, a CNN anchor who for a time became the face of the cable-news outlet’s daytime schedule, announced on air Monday that she intended to leave the WarnerMedia-backed outlet by the middle of April. “The next chapter of my life will be focused on
Gremlins, the fluffy and cute-until-they’re-creepy pint-sized Mogwai monsters that made their debut on the big screen the summer of ’84, will be making a comeback to wreak havoc soon enough. Variety has confirmed the voice cast for “Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai,” the upcoming animated family series from Warner Bros. Animation and Amblin Television for
Roku is evidently gearing up to produce its own original TV shows and movies to bulk up its free, ad-supported VOD business. The company placed an ad in January seeking a “lead production attorney,” to work on its “expanding slate of original content.” According to the job listing, which was first reported by Protocol and
Dev Hynes (Blood Orange), Jewel, Colin Stetson, DJ Shadow, Pos (De La Soul), Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman are a few of the artists set to make virtual appearances at the 6th Annual ‘State of Music in Media’ Conference, taking place on Feb. 19 and 20. The virtual event is free to all members of
Participant has tapped Endeavor Content veteran Liesl Copland to step into the newly established role of executive vice president of content and platform strategy, where she will be tasked with designing and implementing how the company’s film and TV slate fits into the global distribution infrastructure. Copland will oversee all sales and guide the company’s
Almost nine full days after the Super Bowl, the final chart numbers are in, and the Weeknd — who turns 31 today, Feb. 16 — saw an enormous bump in streams and sales thanks to his dazzling halftime performance at the big game: in fact, nearly every single song he performed in those 12-ish minutes
News site Vox has found its new editor-in-chief: Swati Sharma, who joins the digital media publication after serving as managing editor at The Atlantic for a little over three years. Sharma will start as Vox’s EIC in March. She takes over the role from Lauren Williams, former editor-in-chief and senior VP who exited the publication
“Young Rock,” NBC’s new sitcom about the early days of Dwayne Johnson, can’t resist peeking into the future. And there, the wrestler-turned-movie star is on the path to political glory. The show is mainly consumed with telling cute and likable stories about Johnson’s upbringing as a child and his coming into his own as a
Archie Panjabi has joined the third season of “Snowpiercer” at TNT, Variety has learned. The show was renewed for a third season in January. Details on Panjabi’s character are being kept under wraps aside from the fact her character is named Asha. She joins a cast that currently includes Jennifer Connelly, Daveed Diggs, Sean Bean, Rowan
The upcoming “Peacemaker” series at HBO Max has cast Alison Araya and Lenny Jacobson in recurring roles, Variety has learned exclusively. They join previously announced series lead John Cena as well as series regulars Danielle Brooks, Chris Conrad, Jennifer Holland, Steve Agee, Robert Patrick, and Chukwudi Iwuji. Araya and Jacobson will play the married couple Amber