Movies

Not even the potent combination of the Avengers, Buzz Lightyear, and Luke Skywalker could push the 2019 box office to new heights. When the year wraps up, domestic ticket sales will be down more than 4% at $11.4 billion and admissions should dip by roughly the same percent. Looking ahead, most movie industry observers believe

December 30, 2019 11:50AM PT Actress Sharon Stone’s profile was temporarily blocked on the dating app Bumble after users incorrectly reported her account as fake. “I went on the @bumble dating sight [sic] and they closed my account. Some users reported that it couldn’t possibly be me,” she tweeted on Sunday night. “Hey @bumble, is

Even with stiff competition from Disney — a studio that ruled multiplexes in 2019 with “Avengers: Endgame,” “The Lion King,” “Toy Story 4,” “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” and more — a healthy number of small and medium-budgeted movies released this year still managed to find the audiences they were supposed to. “Hustlers” and

Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston’s “Murder Mystery,” Beyonce’s historic “Homecoming,” Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” and Disney’s “The Incredibles 2” rank among the most popular Netflix movies of 2019, the notoriously ratings-averse streamer announced Monday. Netflix has released a master list of its most-favored content in the United States, as well as individual rankings of films,

December 30, 2019 7:00AM PT Hasbro is poised to become a bigger player in entertainment now that the toy giant has completed its acquisition of Entertainment One. The $3.8 billion all-cash deal was unveiled in August. Entertainment One CEO Darren Throop will report to Hasbro chairman-CEO Brian Goldner. Olivier Dumont, eOne’s president of family &

“La Casa de Papel” (“Money Heist”) Part 3 was the most-watched content on Netflix in 2019 across major European markets, including France, Spain and Italy, according to information released Monday by the streaming giant. In the U.K., however, both Alex Pina’s “La Casa de Papel” and, more curiously, British royal family series “The Crown” were

Netflix released lists of its most popular content in Japan, Korea, India and Malaysia on Monday, showing that a mix of American shows and local-language content best captured hearts and eyeballs in Asia this year, with Michael Bay’s “6 Underground” the only title proving a top hit in all territories. Netflix said the most-watched lists

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” completely fizzled in its second weekend in China, setting it on track to become the least successful installment of the franchise by far in the world’s second largest film market. By Monday, “Skywalker” ranked seventh at the box office behind a pack of local Chinese action films and dramas.

“Knives Out,” the acclaimed whodunit from director Rian Johnson, hit a notable box office milestone this weekend, crossing $100 million in the U.S. and $200 million worldwide. It’s another triumph for original content — a form of entertainment once thought to be imperiled by the ubiquity of franchise fare. “Knives Out” became the de facto

It’s back to the litter box for “Cats.” Universal’s big-screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical flamed out at the international box office, igniting with a dismal $13.6 million from 38 foreign territories. Those ticket sales take the global tally of “Cats” to $38 million, including $17.8 million in North America. Directed by Tom Hooper,

December 29, 2019 10:19AM PT Adam Sandler’s “Uncut Gems,” a suspense thriller set in New York’s Diamond District, set a new box office benchmark for A24, the film’s indie distributor. Directed by brothers Josh and Benny Safdie, the movie generated a dazzling $18.8 million since opening on Wednesday. Those ticket sales bested “Midsommar” ($11 million)

It’s a sure bet that one reviewer’s high praise is another reviewer’s overpraise. So I fully own the subjective nature of this list. Nevertheless, as a film critic who sort of believes in objective reality (it’s a hard job to do if you don’t), I compiled this roster of movies I think got far too

December 28, 2019 9:21AM PT Disney’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” continues to reign supreme at the holiday box office, crossing $300 million domestically over the weekend after Friday’s tally of $26.2 million. J.J. Abrams’ third and final installment in the latest Star Wars trilogy is expected to earn over $76 million in its

Clint Eastwood’s “Richard Jewell” will hit a portion of Chinese theaters on Jan. 10, 2020, screening via the country’s National Alliance of Arthouse Cinemas. China has almost no dedicated art house theaters, and the Alliance seeks to rectify this by screening such films on a circuit of some 3,700 screens within commercial theaters — a

Sue Lyon, who was cast in Stanley Kubrick’s “Lolita” at the age of 14, died Thursday in Los Angeles. She was 73. Lyon’s longtime friend Phil Syracopoulos told the New York Times she had been experiencing poor health for some time. Lyon’s acting career lasted from 1959 to 1980, with her most significant role as

That’s Sir Steve, Sir Sam and Dame Olivia, if you please. Director Sam Mendes, whose World War I film “1917” is causing serious Oscar buzz, is being awarded a knighthood in the latest round of honors handed out by Queen Elizabeth II. Mendes is being recognized for “services to drama” in the annual New Year’s

December 27, 2019 1:49PM PT Emma Watson aptly compared “Little Women’s” turning moment of Jo March asking for the copyrights to her debut novel to Taylor Swift’s ownership struggle with Big Machine. “It’s about believing in yourself and knowing your worth and owning your worth,” Watson told Variety about the importance of Jo owning her

Ryan Reynolds has confirmed what numerous executives have danced around since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox this year — “Deadpool 3” is coming, and will now be in the hands of Marvel Studios. Appearing on a holiday edition of “Live With Kelly and Ryan,” the actor told hosts Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest that his

“Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker” continues to reign over the box office, generating another $30.5 million on Thursday, putting the tentpole on pace for a five-day haul around $155 million. To date, Disney and Lucasfilm’s blockbuster has amassed $289.7 million in North America and $282 million overseas for a global bounty of $573 million. Though

December 27, 2019 2:08AM PT U.S. animation “Spies in Disguise,” which stars the voices of Will Smith and Tom Holland, will hit Chinese cinemas on Jan. 3. It was produced by Blue Sky Studios, which is best known for the “Ice Age” and “Rio” franchises and has recently come under the Disney umbrella. The film

“Cats” has been declawed. Universal has pretty much put the final nail in the musical movie’s efforts to win awards by removing the film from its FYC page. The page lists the studio’s qualifying movies along with a guide to their individual categories and a schedule of upcoming screenings in various cities. A source also

December 26, 2019 2:49PM PT In this week’s edition of the Variety Movie Commercial Tracker, powered by the always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company iSpot.tv, Twentieth Century Fox claims the top spot in spending with “Spies in Disguise.” Ads placed for the animated film had an estimated media value of $6.63 million through Sunday

Evan Rachel Wood really hates “Cats.” The “Frozen II” star unleashed a flurry of disparaging comments about the Tom Hooper-directed musical on Christmas night. Not only does Wood think “Cats” is the worst movie of the year, it’s the worst movie she’s ever seen. “……..#cats is actually worse than I thought it would be, And

“Uncut Gems” doesn’t just offer up the anomaly of Adam Sandler, an actor best known for broad comedies, venturing into dramatic territory. Even more unusual, it’s the rare modern movie to include a Passover seder. Directed by brothers Josh and Benny Safdie, “Uncut Gems” follows Howard Ratner (Sandler), a jeweler in New York’s Diamond District.

There was no chance that Greta Gerwig was not going to direct “Little Women.” She was originally hired to write the screenplay, but then insisted on directing, too. “I told them no one else could direct it; I must direct it,” Gerwig recalls on Thursday’s episode of “The Big Ticket,” Variety and iHeart’s movie podcast.

The Palm Springs Film Festival will present Jamie Foxx with the spotlight award at its annual gala on Jan. 2 for his starring role in “Just Mercy.” “Just Mercy” tells the true story of a lawyer attempting to free a man wrongfully convicted of the murder of an 18-year-old girl. Foxx has already received critical

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” dominated the box office during Christmas, collecting $32 million on Wednesday. That bounty marks the second-best Christmas Day showing behind 2015’s “The Force Awakens” ($49 million). J.J. Abrams’ conclusion to the nine-chapter Skywalker saga could earn another $150 million to $155 million through Sunday. “The Rise of Skywalker” has hauled

The Force is no longer with us. Don’t deny it. Just say it and accept it. Let go of the fear. In losing the Force, much to regain we have. Maybe even our souls. “Star Wars” is over! Long live “Star Wars”! But not, if there is a God, for too long. Have you seen

Prolific movie producer David Foster, who collaborated with Steve McQueen on “The Getaway” and shepherded Robert Altman’s “McCabe and Mrs. Miller,” died Monday in Los Angeles. He was 90. Foster started in the business as a publicist representing McQueen along with Peter Sellers, Richard Attenborough, Shirley MacLaine, Andy Williams and Sonny and Cher. He left

December 24, 2019 12:09PM PT Gal Gadot is partnering with Keshet International on a film adaptation of a novel banned from school reading lists by the Israeli government because of its depiction of an Israeli-Palestinian romance. The “Wonder Woman” star and her husband, Jaron Varsano, will be co-producing the film with Keshet Studios through Pilot