Movies

Six months after the unexpected death of 28-year-old Tim Bergling, the superstar DJ known the world over as Avicii, Levan Tsikurishvili’s documentary “Avicii: True Stories” will launch a limited theatrical run in order to qualify for Academy Awards consideration. The film will be shown in New York City from Dec. 21 to 27 and in

MEXICO CITY — Launched in 2012, now in its seventh year, and under new directors Alejandra Paulín and Maru Garzón, Los Cabos caters to one of the world’s most exciting two-way streets: the Mexico-U.S. film-TV axis. Add Canada, the third country to supply films, projects, talent and delegates to Los Cabos and the mix is

MEXICO CITY — TV producer Aaron Norris, showrunner of “Walker, Texas Ranger,” is teaming with Buffalo 8, producer of Spike Lee’s Netflix original “Rodney King,” to produce “Peace River,” a one-hour drama series set on the U.S.-Mexico border. Norris (“I Love You Phillip Morris”), created the series with Sheree J. Wilson – “Dallas’” April Stevens

Earnings at 21st Century Fox were in line with expectations on Wednesday, even as the media conglomerate’s revenues for its most recent financial quarter fell short of projections. The company’s television and cable assets delivered strong results, but a lack of major film releases meant that big screen contributions were minimal. The midterm elections, combined

MEXICO CITY — There’s a sense in many Los Cabos Mexican movies this year of a nation living after a fall, yearning for a Eden-like world of childhood or adolescence, facing insoluble problems – the gulf between rich and poor, cartel violence, the need to immigrate –  condemned to isolation, nostalgia, always saying ‘goodbye.’ One

With the midterm elections heavy on everyone’s mind, Jason Blum was booed offstage at the Israel Film Festival, where he was being honored, for making anti-Trump remarks during his speech. Blum was booed from the start, when he referenced the election results that were rolling in at the same time as the event. “A lot

November 6, 2018 7:40PM PT “Breaking Bad” may have had its finale in 2013, but Variety has confirmed that series creator Vince Gilligan is working on a new film with ties to the beloved series. Gilligan is working on a two-hour film, though whether it’s destined for multiplexes or television is unclear. Details are sparse,

In today’s film news roundup, Tom Berenger is starring in a new crime thriller, Freestyle Digital buys “Madhouse Mecca,” and “Sleepless in Seattle” is returning for two nights.  CASTINGS Tom Berenger (“Platoon”) will star in the independent thriller “Allagash” from writer/director John Barr, Variety has learned. “Allagash” marks the feature-length directorial debut for Barr following

With the country in the grip of midterm election fever Tuesday, Sony Pictures is opening the Hugh Jackman political drama “The Front Runner” in two theaters in Los Angeles and two in New York City. Jason Reitman, director of “The Front Runner,” told Variety that his film is especially relevant now — even though the

November 6, 2018 3:04PM PT Anna Kendrick’s sci-fi thriller “Stowaway,” from XYZ Films and CAA Media Finance, has closed sales in multiple overseas territories. Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions has bought rights to the United Kingdom and Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, South Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and most of Asia. Additional territories sold include

The Oscar circuit is roaring to life with soirees and cocktail gatherings booked throughout New York and Los Angeles until the end of the year and beyond. Campaigns are looking for the usual footholds, shipping in talent to hold court with members of the Hollywood Foreign Press and Broadcast Film Critics associations, angling for representation

It’s never too early to cash in on a little Yuletide spirit. Universal and Illumination are seeing green as “The Grinch” anticipates to earn between $55 million to $65 million when it launches on 4,140 screens. The animated comedy is expected to dominate over “The Girl In the Spider’s Web” and “Overlord,” the two other wide

November 6, 2018 12:22PM PT The Panama Papers, an incendiary data leak of some 11.5 million documents, revealed world leaders, celebrities, and politicians involved in offshore tax evasion and money laundering in 2015. Former actor and filmmaker Alex Winter gets to the heart of the scandal in “The Panama Papers,” a documentary that played the

MEXICO CITY — In what is already an extraordinary year for Mexican filmmaking, Piano, the Mexico City-based production-distribution house, has boarded “Memoria,” from Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul who dazzled the Cannes Festival in 2010 with Palme d-Or winner “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives.” The move comes after Piano, founded by Julio Chavezmontes

This year, Variety will honor its 10 Actors to Watch with the Newport Beach Film Festival at a brunch taking place on Nov. 11 at the Resort at Pelican Hill. NBFF will also present honors to several artists, including the Icon Award to Robert Forster (now on screens in “What They Had”) and Artist of

Illumination founder Chris Meledandri wants to make an animated version of  “Super Mario Bros.”  and Variety has the inside scoop on his plans for bringing the Mushroom Kingdom to the multiplexes. It’s a daunting challenge. The classic Nintendo game about a pair of Italian plumbers who must rescue Princess Peach from the villainous Bowser has already inspired

With a soundtrack recorded by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in Wellington and sound engineer John Neill of Peter Jackson’s Park Road Studio serving as recording producer and score mixer, Latin America’s first multi-million dollar science fiction horror movie “Pacific,” is set to make a splash when it bows next year. Producer Mauricio Brunetti estimates

“The China Syndrome” (1979)“It goes back to ‘The China Syndrome’ when I first became actively involved,” says Douglas of the decades he’s spent working for various nuclear disarmament groups, including the Ploughshares Fund and the United Nations, which, under former secretary-general Kofi Annan, named Douglas a Messenger of Peace. “I didn’t choose the picture because

When we meet at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills, Michael Douglas has just battled afternoon traffic from Pasadena, where he was doing an errand while in town to present at the Emmys and do promotional press for “The Kominsky Method,” the Netflix comedy created by Chuck Lorre that bows Nov. 16 and in which

BARCELONA — Paris-based Cat & Docs has taken all international rights to Bettina Perut and Iván Osnovikoff’s “Los Reyes,” a documentary feature which screens in competition at the 31st International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA). The feature is produced by Chile’s foremost young documentary director Maite Alberdi (“The Grown-Ups,” “Tea Time”) in association with Perut

November 6, 2018 9:30AM PT European authorities have approved Disney’s purchase of 21st Century Fox assets, with conditions attached. The European Commission said that Disney had agreed to offload it’s A&E channels in Europe to alleviate concerns that the Fox deal would eliminate competition in the realm of factual channels. Through its A&E joint venture

MoviePass rival Sinemia has announced a weekday discounting pricing for its movie subscription plans for the lower-attendance days of Monday through Thursday. The new pricing plans covers the U.S., UK, Canadian, and Australian markets. The lowest price is a $4.99 package for one movie ticket per month, which will now drop to $3.99 on weekdays,

Nadine Labaki made “Capernaum,” her arresting new drama about a young boy who sues his parents for giving birth to him, after observing the soul-crushing poverty around her in Beirut. She wondered what happened to the children she saw begging on the streets or working dead end jobs as delivery boys or assistants in mechanic

“Shrek” and “Puss ’n’ Boots” are getting rebooted and Chris Meledandri, the man behind “Despicable Me,” is overseeing their revival. Universal Pictures has tasked Meledandri with finding some fresh story lines to reintroduce the lovable ogre and the sword-wielding feline to new generations of moviegoers. One thing the animation guru doesn’t want to mess with

Netflix is unveiling six new animated projects as the streaming giant continues to bolster its family entertainment slate. The offerings span film and television, and spring from the minds of some of the most acclaimed names in media. The movies include “My Father’s Dragon,” a 2D animated family feature film from Oscar-nominated director Nora Twomey

Jorge R. Gutiérrez knew he couldn’t turn down the invitation. In January, the “Book of Life” director was one of a select group of animators asked to attend a special presentation at Netflix’s Hollywood offices. Even though the event coincided with Gutiérrez’s 43rd birthday, the filmmaker felt he had to make the time. “My wife kept asking

Chris Meledandri is Hollywood’s most reluctant mogul. With Jeffrey Katzenberg selling DreamWorks and John Lasseter forced out at Disney over harassment allegations, the founder of Illumination Entertainment is the last person standing among the trio of industry animation titans. Whereas Lasseter for decades cut a larger-than-life figure at Pixar’s sprawling campus in Emeryville, Calif., dominating

MEXICO CITY —  Los Cabos Film Festival’s Mexico Primero section is intended to encourage and promote both up-and-coming and against-the-grain Mexican filmmakers. Five films make up this year’s edition of Mexico Primero, spanning from intimate indie dramas to thrillers to fantasy and horror. Each film offers something unique to the slate, while sharing an almost

MEXICO CITY  — Capricci Films, the French producer on Argentine director Pablo Agüero’s upcoming comedy-horror project “Sangria,” will be joined by the newly formed, all-female Mexican production company Calouma Films. “Sangria” turns on Xavier, a carefree Canadian on vacation in Mexico who visits the worship space of a pagan saint. There, he meets beautiful Flor,

Auli’i Cravalho has given her official approval for all “Moana” Halloween costumes regardless of skin color. “I think Moana is a character for anyone who wants to be the hero or heroine of their own story. If you resonate with the character, you dress up as that character. For me, that’s what that is,” the