Movies

Social media exploded last week when Celine Dion showed up at Lady Gaga’s new Enigma show in Las Vegas. Not only was the “My Heart Will Go On” songstress in the audience, but fans captured her on video dancing like no one was watching. Later, Gaga posted a photo of her and Dion backstage on

In a music world where streaming services now overwhelmingly rule the market, who still actually bothers to buy albums? One obvious answer: people who also buy movie tickets. BuzzAngle Music’s newly released data for 2018 shows that the two top selling albums of the year were the soundtracks for “The Greatest Showman” and “A Star

For many years, Oscar “shortlists” narrowed down the choices in a preliminary round that would eventually lead to the five nominees for original song and score. Academy executives discontinued that practice after the 1979 awards, but have brought it back for the 2018 honors. It was problematic then and it remains so now. Not everyone

Debra Granik, who directed and wrote “Leave No Trace,” has received Film Independent’s second Bonnie Award, given to recognize a mid-career female director. The trophy, which includes a $50,000 grant, was presented Saturday afternoon to “Leave No Trace” producer Anne Harrison at the organization’s Spirit Awards brunch at Boa Steakhouse in West Hollywood. Granik could

The National Society of Film Critics announced their 2019 award winners Saturday afternoon, with winners including Olivia Colman for “The Favourite” and Ethan Hawke for “First Reformed.” Chloe Zhao’s “The Rider” took home the best picture title, with Alfonso Cuaron taking best cinematography for “Roma” and Regina King earning a nod for “If Beale Street

January 5, 2019 11:30AM PT Timothee Chalamet will join Variety for a live chat Saturday at 12 p.m. PT on Facebook. The Q&A can be streamed on Variety‘s Facebook page at the link here or below. The Golden Globe nominee can be seen in theaters now in “Beautiful Boy,” which also stars Steve Carell. The pair play a son and father

Just call her Santa Claus! Sandra Bullock surprised the cast and crew of “Bird Box” with a holiday celebration while they were filming the hit thriller at the end of 2017. “I’m in shock by how organized Sandy is,” co-star Danielle Macdonald tells Variety. “Because we were filming it towards Christmas a year ago, she

January 5, 2019 9:20AM PT After CNN anchor Don Lemon delivered an emotional criticism of Kevin Hart’s “Ellen” interview, the possible Oscars host has posted what might be a response to the journalist. In an Instagram post, Hart emphasized the importance of learning and growth. “Basketball players aren’t great until they LEARN how to play

W magazine’s pre-Golden Globes party on the Friday night before the big show is often one of the hardest fetes to get into, and this year’s bash was no exception. As always, the soiree took place in the penthouse suite of the iconic Chateau Marmont hotel. But Keegan-Michael Key and Sarah Hyland were among some

“Aquaman” is ringing in the new year by topping the domestic box office for the third weekend in a row with an estimated $30.5 million. The aquatic adventure starring Jason Momoa has also become the highest grossing DC title overseas with $649.3 million to date after earning $12.4 million from 79 international markets on Friday.

In a gripping segment on his CNN news show Friday night, anchor Don Lemon opened up as a member of both the African-American and LGBT communities and called for a deeper response from comedian Kevin Hart in renewed controversy over his defunct Oscar hosting gig. Lemon addressed the spectacle of Hart’s Thursday appearance on Ellen

January 4, 2019 8:40PM PT Korean prosecutors have decided not to allow a defamation case against the actress who last year accused film maker Kim Ki-duk of sexual assault, and another against broadcaster MBC’s investigative news show “PD’s Notebook.” The actress, who maintains her anonymity, claimed sexual assault by Kim, and that he slapped her

There are always a slew of familiar faces that pop up every awards season. The former Oscar winner whose latest project has her looking at yet another nomination. Or the actor who seems to be a fixture on the circuit whether his latest performance is on the big or small screen. But often, it’s the

When audiences think about actorly transformations, their first thoughts are often of weight lost or gained, hair grown or sheared, and mannerisms shed or adopted. But even if their silhouette doesn’t quite match a level of physical deterioration commensurate with their character’s malady, or their demeanor isn’t quite befitting of, say, an 18th century courtesan,

To look at Felicity Jones as the young Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the opening scene of “On the Basis of Sex” is to glimpse a microcosm of the next two hours: Outfitted in a 1950s-silhouetted dress, jacket and seamed pantyhose, Ginsberg is one of the few women at a Harvard Law School introductory seminar among

In today’s film news roundup, the M. Night Shyamalanathon is unveiled, Black List founder Franklin Leonard is honored, and “Brown’s Canyon” gets a release. SCREENINGS Alamo Drafthouse and Universal Pictures are launching the M. Night Shyamalanathon, the first-ever marathon screening of the filmmaker’s trilogy of “Unbreakable,” “Split,” and “Glass.” The screenings will take place at

Following a traditional playbook, the movies contending for the best picture Oscar sometimes attempt to justify their worth through an appeal to historical importance. But this year, things have taken a more personal turn, with stories that come from the heart. In Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma,” for example, the director’s intimate connection to the story of

Richard Marks, an Oscar-nominated film editor for “Apocalypse Now,” best picture winner “Terms of Endearment,” “Broadcast News,” and “As Good as It Gets,” died unexpectedly on Dec. 31 in New York City, his widow, film editor Barbara Marks, confirmed to Variety. He was 75. His other editing credits include “The Godfather: Part II,” “You’ve Got

January 4, 2019 4:43PM PT Kevin Hart’s appearance on Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show on Friday drew a terse response from GLAAD, one of the country’s leading LGBTQ advocacy groups. The comedian was tapped to host the Oscars, but stepped down after controversy erupted over a series of homophobic jokes he made in the past. “From

January 4, 2019 3:39PM PT Donald Sutherland plays a judge taken hostage by a psycho who puts him on trial-by-Internet in a “timely” trash thriller with too much on its mind. “American Hangman” belongs to that species of grade-Z movie that’s at once grisly and pretentious. It’s trash with a lot on its mind. Most

There was wall-to-wall star power at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills on Friday, with Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Mahershala Ali, and actors ranging from Elsie Fisher (age 15) to Angela Lansbury (age 93), but Spike Lee stole the show at the AFI Awards. In opening remarks, AFI president-CEO Bob Gazzale said everyone was a

It was a starry Friday morning at the Parker Palm Springs, where celebrities ranging from Bradley Cooper to Olivia Wilde to Emily Blunt gathered at the Creative Impact Awards brunch feting the 22nd edition of Variety‘s 10 Directors to Watch. On this year’s list of helmers on the rise: Ali Abbasi (“Border”); Alejandra Marquez Abella

“A Star Is Born,” “Mary Poppins Returns,” “Vice,” “The Hate U Give,” and “Deadpool 2” are among the films nominated for the 34th annual Artios Awards from the Casting Society of America. Simultaneous ceremonies will take place on both coasts on Thursday, Jan. 31, with the Los Angeles awards being held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Actress June

Key parties involved in the annual Oscars telecast are open to the return of Kevin Hart as host, one insider close to the event told Variety, following an alternately contrite and defiant appearance on “The Ellen Show” on Thursday. Leadership at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and ABC, the network that broadcasts

The third frame of “Aquaman” is again leaving rivals under water at the North American box office, with about $25 million for the first weekend of the year, early estimates showed on Friday. “Mary Poppins Returns” has been forecast to finish with about $20 million, while Sony’s launch of the thriller “Escape Room” is coming

Jake Ryan“Eighth Grade”Writer: Bo BurnhamDirector: Bo Burnham Former YouTube star and actor Bo Burnham makes his feature film writing/directing debut in “Eighth Grade,” a realistic take on coming of age in the era of social media. In the film, Kayla’s (Elsie Fisher) confidence-building YouTube self-help videos starkly contrast with her own life as an awkward

“The Front Runner”Writer: Matt Bai (screenplay and based upon the book by) and Jason Reitman and Jay Carson (Screenplay)Director: Jason Reitman In “the Front Runner,” big-eyed blonde Sara Paxton plays notorious other woman Donna Rice opposite Hugh Jackman’s dynamic Sen. Gary Hart. Jason Reitman’s political drama revisits the sex scandal that scrapped the promising Democratic

Friday, the Producers Guild of America joined what will soon grow to a blaring chorus of year-end nominations announcements from guilds and industry groups next week. The results weren’t entirely shocking, as the PGA — which has historically shown an affinity to box office successes — rallied behind films like “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Crazy Rich Asians,”

The Grammys’ visual media-related categories tend to be buried as you scroll through the list of hundreds of Grammy nominations, but they represent some of the key music flashpoints of the past 12 to 15 months. There was probably no musical moment that put more chills down more spines than Keala Settle and a backing ensemble’s

“BlacKkKlansman,” “Black Panther,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Crazy Rich Asians,” “The Favourite,” “Green Book,” “A Quiet Place,” “Roma,” “A Star Is Born,” and “Vice” have been nominated for the Producers Guild’s Darryl F. Zanuck Award as the top feature film of 2018. Awards contenders “Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” “Eighth Grade,” “First Man,” “First Reformed,” and “If