The WGA is looking to enlist support of Hollywood managers in its battle against the industry’s largest talent agencies. The WGA has invited a slew of top managers to attend meetings set for this week and next to explain the guild’s rationale for its bid to impose tough restrictions on talent agency packaging fees. The
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When Jussie Smollett’s bombshell story of being assaulted in a vicious hate crime first surfaced on Jan. 29, it encapsulated the worst aspects of an America riven by racial and ethnic tension, homophobia, intolerance, xenophobia and unchecked aggression toward perceived enemies. Now that Chicago police say they have debunked the “Empire” actor’s key claims, and
February 27, 2019 6:42AM PT Oprah Winfrey is set to host a Q&A with Michael Jackson accusers Wade Robson and James Safechuck that will air on HBO and OWN after the documentary “Leaving Neverland,” which details allegations of sexual abuse by the late pop superstar. “Oprah Winfrey Presents: After Neverland” will air at 10 p.m.
Spotify is finally officially available in India, and it’s offering Indian music fans a perk available nowhere else in the world — the ability to play any song on-demand on the free version of the smartphone app. Spotify began rolling out its app in India on Tuesday, and the company announced Wednesday morning local time
WASHINGTON — Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former lawyer, is set to deliver explosive public testimony to the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, calling him a “racist,” a “conman,” and a “cheat.” He is also expected to provide documents that he says back up his claims, including the copy of a check that Cohen says the
The iHeart Radio Music Awards are right around the corner, with Taylor Swift slated to receive the “Tour of the Year” prize for her Reputation tour. Along with Swift, the sixth annual awards show will feature some of the biggest names in music, with performances in the works from stars like Alicia Keys, Ariana Grande,
Alfonso Cuarón looks tired. He was out partying until three in the morning, and the high from winning three Oscars for “Roma” has worn off. He’d like a glass of water, please, and maybe some orange juice. Cuarón has only recently roused himself from bed to don a slightly rumpled tuxedo for a photo shoot
The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas is holding a festival of sorts for the opening weekend of its new KAOS venue, with Travis Scott, Cardi B, Alicia Keys, J Balvin, Skrillex, G-Eazy and more performing over three nights, April 5-7. According to the announcement, KAOS is “a spectacular new entertainment experience consisting of a
Fresh off its four Oscar wins, Fox’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” will hit theaters in China, the company announced on social media Wednesday – a surprising development, considering the country’s restrictions on LGBT content. The Freddie Mercury biopic was approved for a limited release by China’s National Alliance of Arthouse Cinemas. The release date is listed as
As the generalist streamers dive deeper into sports programming, specialist sports player DAZN is growing its lineup of originals alongside its coverage of live events. Next up is “In Our Blood,” a three-part series about three generations of iconic Spanish MotoGP riders: Alex Criville, Jorge Lorenzo, and Marc Marquez. Former BT, ESPN, and Sky programming
U.S. President Donald Trump began meeting Wednesday with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in their second summit together in less than a year. Held in the Vietnamese city of Hanoi, the meeting is intended to bring about North Korea’s de-nuclearization, and possibly provide a formal end to the Korean War. The two men previously met
February 27, 2019 2:36AM PT Sony Pictures International Productions is continuing its drive into Indian local movie-making with the green-lighting of “Major,” a stirringly nationalist tale about a soldier who became a hero during the Taj Mahal Hotel siege. Adivi Sesh, who previously starred in and wrote two breakout Telugu hits-“Kshanam” and “Goodachari,” will play
The film industry, which plays a prominent role in both India and Pakistan, has felt the immediate impact of warlike tensions being ratcheted up between the South Asian neighbors and rivals. The Pakistan Film Exhibitors Association says it is boycotting Indian content, and that no Indian film will be released in Pakistan. Pakistan’s Information Minister
February 27, 2019 1:55AM PT Food Network will add a raft of Jamie Oliver shows to its menu. The Discovery-owned channel has acquired a smorgasbord of the celebrity chef’s programs that have previously aired on Channel 4 including “Jamie’s Quick & Easy Food,” “Jamie’s Money Saving Meals,” and “Jamie’s Super Food.” It has also bought
MADRID — Finalists in nine categories for the 2nd Ibero-American Animation Quirino Awards were announced last week in Madrid’s stunning Casa de América. The awards will be held again this year in the Spanish Canary Islands city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife on April 6. In total, 25 films representing seven countries received recognition on
Considering Matt Bomer regularly appears at the top of “Sexiest Man Alive” lists and has voiced Superman, the most famously hunky superhero of them all, it might be considered ironic that in his new role in the DC Universe show “Doom Patrol,” he plays a character whose entire body is covered in bandages. However, at
February 26, 2019 10:30PM PT Invar Studios Global, a production entity with offices in Los Angeles, Mumbai and Silicon Valley, will produce three seasons of English and Hindi language crime series “Snake” for Indian OTT platform Zee 5. The series will focus on the life of French national Charles Sobhraj, nicknamed the ‘Bikini Killer’ for
February 26, 2019 9:19PM PT In this week’s edition of the Variety Movie Commercial Tracker, powered by the TV advertising attention analytics company iSpot.tv, Paramount Pictures claims the top spot in spending with “Wonder Park.” Ads placed for the animated film had an estimated media value of $6.9 million through Sunday for 1,167 national ad
Alejandro G. Iñárritu has been named president of the Cannes Film Festival jury. The Oscar-winning director of “Birdman” and “The Revenant” will be the first Mexican artist to chair the panel. Iñárritu has a long history with Cannes, starting with his debut feature, “Amores Perros,” in 2000, and last attended two years ago with his
Indian drama film “Mom,” which marks the one of the final on-screen performances by actress Sridevi, is set for theatrical release in China from next month. Sridevi died in February last year, seven months’ after the India release of “Mom” in July 2017. The film is set for release in China on March 22. It
Andy Anderson, a former drummer for English rock band the Cure and punk singer Iggy Pop, died from terminal cancer on Tuesday. He was 68. Anderson played on the Cure’s hit single “Love Cats” and on the 1984 album “The Top.” The musician, originally from Essex, England, shared the news of his stage 4 cancer
The out-of-this-world success of China’s first-ever sci-fi blockbuster, “The Wandering Earth,” proves that when it comes to watching special-effects extravaganzas in which stock characters scramble to intervene while the planet faces obliteration, it’s a small world after all. Director Frant Gwo’s adaptation of the 2000 novella by Liu Cixin is no genre classic, but its
In today’s film news roundup, “American Futbol” finds a distributor, Alfred Molina gets an honor, Paramount promotes Dan Cohen and Train singer Patrick Monahan gets a movie gig. ACQUISITION Byron Allen’s Freestyle Digital Media has acquired North American distribution rights for the documentary “American Futbol” and will release it on demand and DVD on March
Creatives from every discipline have tried to make Lewis Carroll’s classic children’s tale “Alice in Wonderland” their own, only to find themselves falling down an artistic rabbit hole. The new interpretation now inaugurating a spiffy new home for Off Broadway’s MCC Theater, “Alice by Heart,” also joins the ranks of adaptations that have gotten tangled
With eight Emmys and four Golden Globes under its belt, HBO’s hit drama “Big Little Lies” returns for a second season this summer. For new viewers and returning fans, here is everything you need to know ahead of the season’s premiere. When Is the Premiere? HBO says the limited series will return in June, but
Camille Hyde and Lucien Laviscount have joined the “Katy Keene” pilot at CW, Variety has learned. They will play siblings Alexandra and Alexander Cabot respectively. Alexandra is described as a powerful, savvy and chic New York socialite. She is a Senior Vice President at her father’s company. Both respected and feared, Alexandra is competitive with her
February 26, 2019 5:01PM PT [embedded content] Pokémon aren’t the only recognizable faces popping up in the latest “Detective Pikachu” trailer. Diplo appears in a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo in the new trailer for Warner Bros.’ live-action Pokémon film. The DJ can be seen about halfway through the clip wearing a pair of headphones and sitting behind
February 26, 2019 5:00PM PT With many economists predicting a recession could hit the U.S. economy in the coming months, the media business could be in for a rough ride. But there’s a lot more roiling this sector right now that must be taken into account to understand what the future might bring. On the
AT&T is considering major structural changes to the Turner division of WarnerMedia now that the last legal threat to the telco giant’s acquisition of Time Warner has been removed. On Tuesday, a federal appeals court rejected the Justice Department’s appeal of the decision last June that allowed AT&T to proceed with its $85.4 billion purchase
In their first television interview since the HBO documentary “Leaving Neverland” debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, Tito, Marlon, Jackie, and Taj Jackson are advocating for Michael Jackson’s innocence. As part of a two-part interview special, the Jackson family sat down with Gayle King on “CBS This Morning” to respond to claims that Jackson sexually