The romantic comedy as we’ve known it may well be on its last legs. There is now a whole generation that sees through its synthetic stylings and princess fakery — and, more than that, feels fundamentally insulted by them. Yet “Isn’t It Romantic,” the beguiling meta version of a kitschy-koo romantic comedy, proves (among other
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The 91st Academy Awards are just four days away. This year’s broadcast, the first in decades without a host, should be a memorable one. For once, comic book movies such as “Black Panther” have been invited to the party and the crop of best picture contenders includes a number of blockbusters such as “A Star
Stars party all around Hollywood before, during, and after the Oscars. Here, Variety hits the town to give you the inside scoop on all the star-studded soirées. Keep checking back throughout the weekend for the latest updates… Variety x Armani Beauty Makeup Artistry DinnerSunset Tower, Los Angeles, Feb. 20 Variety and Giorgio Armani Beauty honored makeup artists Molly
February 22, 2019 6:02AM PT “Monty Python’s Life of Brian” is heading back into movie theaters to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the classic comedy film. Trafalgar Releasing took the rights to the film last year. The event cinema specialist is planning a 400-screen release on April 18 that will span the U.K. and
February 22, 2019 6:00AM PT Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Ava DuVernay is among the six notable industry figures who have been appointed to the Television Academy’s executive committee by new chairman/CEO Frank Scherma. DuVernay, whose recent TV credits include the documentary “13th” and drama “Queen Sugar,” will be joined on the committee by HBO
MADRID — Woody Allen is re-teaming with Spain’s Mediapro, one of Europe’s biggest independent film-TV companies, to develop his next film with an eye it seems to shooting in Spain. Mediapro co-financed and co-produced two of Allen’s highest-grossing movies, 2008’s “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” which grossed $96.4 million worldwide, and 2011’s “Midnight in Paris” which earned
February 22, 2019 1:20AM PT A seamstress who believes she was deceived years earlier by doctors who claimed her baby was stillborn, discovers an unsettling truth. An elegant hybrid of true-story exposé and slow-moving arthouse thriller, Serbian director Miroslav Terzić’s sober sophomore feature “Stitches” takes a familiar idea — a lone crusader taking on a corrupt
February 22, 2019 1:09AM PT The BBC has greenlit “The Goes Wrong Show,” a new series based on Mischief Theatre’s popular “The Play That Goes Wrong” stage production about a troupe that puts on disastrous plays. The stage show has transferred from London’s West End to Broadway for a J.J. Abrams-produced version described by Variety
Chinese video streaming firm iQIYI lost over $1.3 billion in 2018, as revenues and subscriber numbers ballooned. The deepening losses reflected ever higher spending on original content production. Announcing its first full-year financials since a March IPO that launched it onto the NASDAQ, iQIYI said that it lost $1.3 billion (RMB9.1 billion) last compared with
February 22, 2019 12:21AM PT Fabulous food and engaging characters surmount tricky tonal issues in an entertaining crowd-pleaser by Indonesian filmmaker Edwin When mouthwatering Indonesian cuisine and romance are on the table, “Aruna & Her Palate” is a bouncy crowd-pleaser. Less tasty is the backdrop of a suspected bird flu outbreak that brings a food-loving
February 21, 2019 11:38PM PT Impersonating cops is a dangerous pastime for two brothers in this uneven but arresting drama. If you can envision “Let’s Be Cops” reconstituted as a noirish psychodrama, you may be adequately prepared for “Duke,” an uneven but arresting indie thriller about two siblings who are driven to heroic extremes by
After a sudden suicide turns a small eel-farming town upside down, an investigation unearths troubling secrets about the town’s past. Those discoveries will bring together two women trapped in solitary lives, offering each a chance to find salvation. “The Miracle of the Sargasso Sea” is the third feature by Greek director Syllas Tzoumerkas. Starring frequent
Since 2011, France’s Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma has steadfastly held its annual awards ceremony the Friday before the Academy Awards. And if launching the Césars two days before the Oscars holds a real, practical benefit — allowing those walking both red carpets time to linger over their last flutes of Champagne before
Graham Burke, the Australian film industry veteran, is to step down from Village Roadshow by the end of the year. His move follows a period of feuding among the family owners, and significant corporate restructuring. Describing the 2018-19 financial year, which runs to June, as a “reset and transition to FY20,” the group presented a
Bright-eyed Australian director Damon Gameau set out in his previous movie, “That Sugar Film” to challenge everyday thoughtlessness about the dangers of our modern lifestyle — and became profoundly sick while doing so. In his new film “2040,” which plays in Berlin’s Generation Kplus section and which he styles as a “hybrid feature documentary,” Gameau
February 21, 2019 8:13PM PT [embedded content] As the Jussie Smollett saga continues to unravel, late night hosts are echoing the incredulity expressed by many by poking fun at the “Empire” actor’s alleged attempt to fake a hate crime, reportedly because he was dissatisfied with his salary. “This dude may have faked a hate crime
Leaders of the Writers Guild of America have sent Hollywood talent agencies a proposed “Code of Conduct” with tough new restrictions on how they operate as agents for writer clients. The WGA made the disclosure Thursday night in an email to its 12,000 members, a day after announcing that it will hold a March 25
Ariana Grande is at the top of her game. Between dropping a controversial music video and telling Grammy producers off, shes truly mastered the art of being a part of the conversation. We dive into how Ariana has taken a page out of the playbook from masters like Beyoncé and Madonna.
February 21, 2019 6:10PM PT Jussie Smollett’s legal team issued a defiant statement on Thursday night, saying the “Empire” actor feels betrayed by the justice system and hinting at a political motive for his prosecution. Smollett was arrested early Thursday on a felony charge of filing a false police report. He was released after a
As part of Variety’s Artisans series, “First Man” director Damien Chazelle; re-recording mixer, sound designer, and supervising sound editor Ai-Ling Lee; and supervising sound editor Mildred Iatrou Morgan discussed creating the sound of the Neil Armstrong biopic, which stars Ryan Gosling as the first man to set foot on the moon. Lee explained that she was
Several high-profile projects set up at Live Nation Productions are moving forward following the ouster of top executive Heather Parry — including a David Bowie IMAX experience and a TV series about the moms who raised rock stars. In her capacity as filmed content head, Parry was the music giant’s ambassador to Hollywood. She secured Live
February 21, 2019 5:45PM PT The composer recently underwent vocal-cord surgery. Best score nominee Alexandre Desplat will be unable to attend Sunday’s Oscar ceremonies because of recent throat surgery, a rep for the composer confirms. The French native, already a two-time Oscar winner (for 2014’s “Grand Budapest Hotel” and 2017’s “The Shape of Water”), is
Warner Bros. has set a July 16, 2021, date for its live-action/animated sports comedy “Space Jam 2,” starring LeBron James. Terence Nance, creator of the HBO show “Random Acts of Flyness,” is directing the sequel. His credits include “An Oversimplification of Her Beauty,” “Swimming in Your Skin Again,” and “Univitellin.” The movie marks James’ first
From the scorched earth rock and anti-racist (and anti-Trump-ian) howl of its title tune to the pounding country-blues of “The Governor,” with its cynical take on social justice issues, Gary Clark Jr.’s third studio effort, “This Land,” does what none of the 35-year-old singer-guitarist’s albums have in the past: it puts his mouth where his
Fox has announced the casting of three lead characters for its multi-cam comedy pilot “Patty’s Auto,” including the eponymous Patty. Inspired by Patrice Banks’ Girls Auto Clinic, an auto repair shop with all female mechanics, the project centers on Patty, the intimidating owner of Patty’s Auto who will be played by “Straight Outta Compton” alumna
In today’s film news roundup, Gwendoline Christie is cast in “The Friend,” film preservationist Kevin Brownlow is honored, Demi Moore’s “Corporate Animals” gets sold, and BondIt Media Capital hires a CFO. CASTINGS “Game of Thrones” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” star Gwendoline Christie has joined the cast of “The Friend” starring Jason Segel, Dakota
Karl Lagerfeld died earlier this week at 85 and the fashion industry will never be the same. As the creative director of Fendi, Chanel, and his namesake label, this monumental loss will be felt across multiple brands, but especially Chanel and Fendi, the latter where he worked for 54 years. “The bond between Karl Lagerfeld
February 21, 2019 4:00PM PT NBC pilot “Uninsured” has cast four of its series regulars, with Adam Pally (“The Mindy Project,” “The President Show”) and Abby Elliott (“Saturday Night Live,” “Odd Mom Out”) playing the young married couple at the center of the show. Pally will play Dave, who is described as a “natural hype man
In May 2018, Jussie Smollett appeared as the narrator and correspondent in an episode of the Epix documentary series “America Divided” that explored the subject of hate crimes, specifically lynching, in the state of Tennessee. Now that the “Empire” actor has been charged with filing a false police report and Chicago police are convinced he
Agostino Osio/ Courtesy of Moncler Puffer gowns are a thing I’ve never thought about, but now I can’t get them off my mind thanks to Milan Fashion Week and Moncler. The brand reimagined the down coat with the help of a few friends like Valentino, Alyx, and Simone Rocha. Sown at their newly christened Genius