When you watch the silent-screen star Louise Brooks in one of the films that made her a legend, most spectacularly the glittering femme-fatale drama “Pandora’s Box” (1929), it’s shocking to see how contemporary she looks. Haircuts that were once cutting edge — punk spikes, a ’50s ducktail, Jane Fonda’s “Klute” shag — look, almost inevitably
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March 29, 2019 6:05PM PT Octavia Spencer and Melissa McCarthy are in negotiations to star as women who obtain superpowers in Netflix’s “Thunder Force.” The film will be written and directed by McCarthy’s husband Ben Falcone. “Thunder Force” will be produced by Marc Platt, Falcone and McCarthy. Plot details are under wraps. Spencer was an
Lisa Simpson may be the newest Disney princess. With Disney finally completing its purchase of 21st Century Fox assets, the company could technically add Lisa Simpson to its ranks of iconic princesses like Snow White, Rapunzel, and Cinderella. Lisa’s voice actor, Yeardley Smith, told Variety at the GLAAD Media Awards on Thursday that Fox nearly
In today’s film news roundup, AMC sets free screenings of a Martin Luther King documentary, Participant comes on board “Monos,” and David Glasser’s 101 Studios hires three execs. SCREENINGS AMC Theatres will honor the life of Martin Luther King Jr. with free showings at 100 locations of the documentary “King: A Filmed Record…Montgomery to Memphis.”
March 29, 2019 5:10PM PT Don’t expect a Janet Jackson performance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony tonight. While the 52-year-old singer is in attendance to receive the honor, along with fellow honoree Stevie Nicks and members of Roxy Music, Duran Duran and Def Leppard, a source tells Variety she declined
Welcome to “TV Take,” Variety’s television podcast. In this week’s episode, Variety Senior Features Editor, TV Danielle Turchiano talks with David Farr, creator and executive producer of Amazon’s “Hanna.” Based on the 2011 film of the same name, which Farr co-wrote, “Hanna” tells the story of the titular young girl who has lived in a forest her
Sci-fi fantasy magazine Heavy Metal and Pete Townshend are partnering on the Who’s uncompleted rock opera “Lifehouse” for a graphic novel, with an eye to developing a movie and television projects. “Lifehouse,” which had originally been planned as a movie for Universal in 1970, will be published in July, 2020, as a 150-page graphic novel
Jada Pinkett Smith Unfollows Kris, Khloe and Kim … Because of Jordyn Woods Fallout 3/29/2019 4:39 PM PDT EXCLUSIVE There is a serious rupture in one of the most enduring relationships in Hollywood, because Jada Pinkett Smith has made a move signaling what could be the end of her relationship with longtime, close pal Kris
March 29, 2019 4:24PM PT Epix has canceled the espionage drama “Berlin Station” after three seasons, Variety has confirmed. The series aired its third season finale in February. The series starred Richard Armitage, Michelle Forbes, Leland Orser, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Ashley Judd, Keke Palmer, Richard Jenkins and Rhys Ifans. James Cromwell also appeared in Season 3
When Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) speaks on Saturday evening at the Human Rights Campaign’s Los Angeles dinner, she’ll be sandwiching it into a prolific schedule of fundraising this weekend. She has four of them. Sunday night at midnight is the first deadline of the 2020 presidential race — the end of the first quarter, and
March 29, 2019 3:45PM PT Jason Reitman has hired “Captain Marvel” actress Mckenna Grace for his new “Ghostbusters” movie, which centers on a family headed by a single mother. The news came after Variety reported this month that Carrie Coon is in talks to play the mom and Finn Wolfhard is in negotiations to play her son.
In today’s roundup, EPIX releases the first teaser for the Batman-spinoff “Pennyworth” and Funny or Die begins production on an interactive murder mystery. DATES The third season of Netflix’s anthology comedy series “Easy” will return on May 10, and the nine-episode run will follow new characters as they navigate love, sex, culture and technology in Chicago.
March 29, 2019 3:14PM PT Irish actor Cillian Murphy is in talks to join John Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place” sequel along with Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe. Krasinski is returning to direct the untitled sequel for Paramount. “A Quiet Place” grossed $340 million at the global box office last year. Since then, the
“Arrow” star Colton Haynes has revealed that he’s six months sober after struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. “In 10 years, there were maybe 25 days I didn’t drink,” he said in an interview with Attitude. “I remember when I started, it was a couple glasses of wine, and it regressed into really dark times.
Rita Wilson delivered a love letter to Hollywood in her speech while accepting her new star on the Walk of Fame. “This street has drawn people from around the world to come walk the boulevard, where these beautiful stars allowed them to dream about what it must be like to live in Hollywood, and who
March 29, 2019 2:26PM PT “Law & Order: SVU,” which was just renewed for a record 21st season by NBC, was one of the top gaining shows in the Live+3 ratings for the week of March 18. “SVU” was one of five shows to double their ratings in delayed viewing, bumping from a 0.8 to
June Harding, who starred in “The Trouble With Angels” and “The Richard Boone Show,” has died. She was 81. Harding died in hospice care in Deer Isle, Maine, on March 22, her brother, John, confirmed with the Richmond Times-Dispatch of Richmond, Va. The actress made her debut on Broadway in the comedy “Take Her, She’s
Tone Loc Confederate Flag Pisses Me Off!!! Not Sorry for Raging in TX Airport 3/29/2019 1:23 PM PDT EXCLUSIVE For Tone Loc, the sight of someone rocking the Confederate flag reminds him prejudice is alive and well in this country … which is why he went off on a teen who was wearing it. The rapper
The Grammys have yet to overcome their lack of diversity, but music’s other conferrer of ultimate honors, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, initially showed an impressive color blindness. Its inaugural batch of inductees — the Class of ’86 — included 10 “performer” acts, and six of them were black. The next year, 15
March 29, 2019 2:15PM PT “Eighth Grade” director Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, and Connie Britton have joined Carey Mulligan’s thriller “Promising Young Woman.” Other new cast members include Adam Brody, Jennifer Coolidge, Laverne Cox, Max Greenfield, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Sam Richardson, and Molly Shannon. The pic has started production in Los Angeles. Mulligan will play a
March 29, 2019 2:13PM PT The Writers Guild of America has blasted Endeavor, the parent of WME, over a report that it’s planning an initial public offering. “Today’s announcement that Endeavor plans to become a publicly-traded company only strengthens the call for the conflicted and illegal practices of the major talent agencies to end,” the
LaVar Ball Big Baller Brand’s Alive ‘We Were Bit By a Snake’ 3/29/2019 2:03 PM PDT Breaking News Don’t put a fork in the Big Baller Brand just yet … LaVar Ball says the brand is NOT folding — despite the fact Lonzo Ball just covered up his BBB tattoo. The Big Baller appeared on
Spending any amount of time with the often precious singer-songwriter Justin Vernon — the central figure behind Bon Iver — is akin to hanging with J.D. Salinger, stuck in a Quonset hut, plotting his return to the Great American Novel. There’s a hallowed “genius at work” vibe happening, even when the output might be, on
Tim Burton’s “Dumbo” is flying toward a $48 million opening weekend in North America, while the second session of Jordan Peele’s “Us” should take in about $32 million, early estimates showed on Friday. “Dumbo’s” launch is slightly lower than recent Disney forecasts for the live-action re-imagining of the 1941 animated movie. “Dumbo” earned $2.6 million
Tim Burton’s “Dumbo” is flying toward a $48 million opening weekend in North America, while the second session of Jordan Peele’s “Us” should take in about $32 million, early estimates showed on Friday. “Dumbo’s” launch is slightly lower than recent Disney forecasts for the live-action re-imagining of the 1941 animated movie. “Dumbo” earned $2.6 million
Is it chicken soup for the AVOD soul that will create a category leader? Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, a relatively small entertainment and media company, is hoping to vault into one of the industry’s top ad-supported video-on-demand players through its deal to take control of Sony’s Crackle — the latest in its roll-up
March 29, 2019 1:30PM PT While “Law & Order: SVU” was renewed for a 21st season this morning, not all members of the cast will be returning for that record-breaking season. Philip Winchester, who plays Assistant District Attorney Peter Stone, announced via Twitter that he is leaving the show. “Sadly for me, Peter stone and
Weeks after generating controversy for discussing a past event in which he wanted to bait a black man into fighting him to avenge a recently raped friend, Liam Neeson has released an apology for the remarks. “Over the last several weeks, I have reflected on and spoken to a variety of people who were hurt
March 29, 2019 1:10PM PT Saban Films has acquired U.S. rights to Casey Affleck’s narrative feature debut, “Light of My Life.” The dystopian survival drama is written, directed by, and stars Affleck along with Anna Pniowsky (“PEN15”) and Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”). “Light of My Life” had its world premiere at last month’s Berlin
Until today, if you had asked me to name the greatest living filmmaker, I would have answered Agnès Varda. What a loss that the 90-year-old director — who died Friday, leaving behind such intimate masterpieces as “Cléo from 5 to 7,” “Vagabond,” and “The Gleaners and I” — will create no more. Her passing is