Movies

Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White turned heads this year when fans noticed they packed on pounds of muscle for their A24 wrestling drama “The Iron Claw,” which is based on the lives of the Von Erich brothers. Efron, Allen and the rest of the cast put in serious work to look the part for

In Paul King’s “Wonka,” there is a scene where Noodle (Calah Lane) and Willy Wonka (Timothee Chalamet) have to sneak into a zoo so he can produce his one-of-a-kind chocolate. There the duo meets Abigail the giraffe and milks her. It cues up the musical number “For a Moment” where they fly over way the

When Rosamund Pike sat down to tea with Emerald Fennell to discuss “Saltburn,” the filmmaker’s follow-up to her Oscar-winning “Promising Young Woman,” she ordered coffee. Fennell asked if she was going to drink it black, to which Pike stated that she was going to add milk. Recalls Pike, “So she said, ‘Oh, thank God. I

Who says you can’t laugh and win Oscars, too? In a stunning year for cinema, the candidates for the coveted best picture category are overflowing with prime comedic endeavors that surpass their dramatic counterparts. From a toy doll to an author with a triumphant “Black book” to a reverse Frankenstein tale that shows a whole

Oscar voters tend to be big-screen enthusiasts. But the reality is that not every awards contender will be seen in the cinema — and that’s especially true during the holiday season, when all the family commitments, shopping and big meals can turn even a movie theater evangelist like Christopher Nolan into a couch potato. The

Leaning full-tilt into its duology structure, Tollywood action drama “Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire” has a winding, often confounding narrative aimed at building up a sequel, but its maximalist action tableaus always yield dividends. After his previous two-parter “K.G.F.” smashed Indian box-office records for Kannada-language films, director Prashanth Neel employs the talents of ultra-charismatic superstar

French broadcaster France Televisions has been blamed by supporters of Gerard Depardieu, the Oscar-nominated actor of “Cyrano de Bergerac,” for contributing to the downfall of one of country’s most iconic actors with a bombshell documentary about his history of sexual abuse allegations which aired on Dec. 7. The broadcaster’s head of film and international co-production,

As awards season ramps up and the best picture race begins to narrow, Variety staffers reflected on some of the most standout scenes from the year’s top contenders. For 2023, there’s been no shortage of imaginative and inspiring storytelling crafted by both award-winning pros and newcomers — and each one has gifted audiences memorable scenes

In a vibrant move reinforcing its commitment to Brazilian cinema, Paris-based MPM Premium has announced its acquisition of “Betânia,” prior to its Berlinale bow. The film will world premiere in the diverse Panorama strand of the festival.  The announcement marks another stride in MPM Premium’s journey of accompanying new and established Brazilian directors, having previously

Alexander Payne’s bittersweet Christmas dramedy “The Holdovers” is hitting Peacock on Dec. 29. The movie, from Focus Features, follows three lonely people stuck at a snowy boarding school over the holidays. It debuted in theaters in October and earned rave reviews, including from Variety‘s own chief film critic Peter Debruge, who wrote that Payne’s “portrait

“Aim for excellence — Brown exellence,” actor-producer Wilmer Valderrama told this year’s graduates of the National Hispanic Media Coalition‘s Series Scriptwriters Program as the eight-week intensive came to an end earlier this week. Valderamma, the “NCIS” and “That ’70s Show” star, is a multihyphenate, activist and entrepreneur and a member of NHMC’s Visionary Alliance of

Dan O’Neill was 53 years ahead of his time. In 1971, he launched a countercultural attack on Mickey Mouse. In his underground comic book, “Air Pirates Funnies,” the lovable mouse was seen smuggling drugs and performing oral sex on Minnie. As O’Neill had hoped, Disney sued him for copyright infringement. He believed it was a

Aquaman is slowly swimming his way back to theaters, but he may get washed up at the box office. The latest DC Universe movie, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” has made $4.5 million in Thursday previews at the domestic box office. The superhero sequel, which marks the final installment of the DCEU before it gets

Muvi Studios, the production arm of Saudi Arabia’s leading exhibition chain Muvi Cinemas, is ramping up production of Arabic movies with plans to release 10 titles spawned by its own pipeline in 2024, starting with comedy “Esabet Azeema” that will bow locally on Jan. 4. “Esabet Azeema,” which toplines Egyptian icon Esaad Younis making her

Actor, writer and filmmaker Honey Lauren (“Deadwood,” “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”) has set the cast for her feature directorial debut “Mistake.” The indie drama stars Dominic Bogart (“American Primeval,” “The Glass Castle,” “The Birth of a Nation”), Matt Bogart (“Jersey Boys Live!”), Emmy winner and Golden Globe nominee Kay Lenz (“House”), Brett Cullen (“Joker,” “The Dark

Ella Glendining is both the director and subject of documentary “Is There Anybody Out There?,” a global search for someone with a body that looks like hers. The film debuted at Sundance this year and went on to achieve global acclaim, winning a slew of awards along the way. Recent accolades include winning the BFI

Lionsgate unveiled details of the long-awaited separation of its studios business and the Starz TV network and streaming division. The company announced Friday that its studio business, comprising its TV and film production and distribution segments and a content library with 18,000-plus titles, will spin off in a merger with Screaming Eagle Acquisition Corp., a

South Korean director Hong Sang-soo was awarded the El Gouna Gold Star for best narrative film for his meditation on art and relationships, “In Our Day,” as the delayed edition of the El Gouna Film Festival held its closing ceremony on Thursday. The Italian animated film “A Greyhound of a Girl,” directed by Enzo D’Alò,

There has been little improvement in diversity among film directors over the last five years, as the total number of features as plummeted, according to a new report from the Directors Guild of America. The DGA report found that women directed 16% of the films released since 2018, while non-white directors accounted for 17%. The

Sony has dated an untitled Apple Original Films production starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum for July 12. Formerly known as “Project Artemis,” it’s set to screen in premium large formats with Columbia Pictures distributing. Meanwhile, the George Clooney-Brad Pitt starrer “Wolfs,” also from Apple Original Films, will open Sept. 20 in IMAX and premium

The 6th edition of the El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) has wrapped with a feeling of quiet triumph. The glitz and celebrities were largely absent, although Egyptian star Yousra and legendary French actor Christophe Lambert both appeared at In Conversation events. But in a way, this allowed festival organizers to better focus on the core

Jason Momoa cast doubt on his future as Aquaman in a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, and now DC Studios boss Peter Safran has weighed in by telling The Independent: “If it’s the end of the journey, fine. If it goes on, that’s also fine.” Both Momoa and Safran are waiting to see how big

Enid Blyton’s iconic series of adventure novels, “The Famous Five,” is being made into a TV series, thanks to a pact forged by the BBC Studios, Germany’s ZDF and Spain’s The Mediapro Studio, in the latter’s continued bid to partner in more English-language productions. Produced by Moonage Pictures and Nicolas Winding Refn’s byNWR, the series

A former assistant to Vin Diesel sued the actor on Thursday, alleging that in 2010 he pinned her against a wall in a hotel suite and masturbated in front of her. Asta Jonasson alleges that she was working for the actor in Atlanta, where he was filming “Fast Five,” when he brought her to his

Oscar’s music branch has had its say, naming 15 original scores and 15 songs to its shortlist for possible nomination at the 96th Academy Awards, with few surprises. As expected, all three “Barbie” songs that were entered — Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For,” Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” and Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the shortlists in 10 categories for the upcoming 96th Oscars ceremony. Overall, Greta Gerwig’s meta-comedy “Barbie” had the most mentions with five including sound, original song for its three submissions from Billie Eilish (“What I Was Made For?”), Dua Lipa (“Dance the Night”) and Mark

To say it was a terrible year for Marvel superheroes at this point in 2023 is a bit like saying it was an amazing year for Taylor Swift — yes, everybody knows. But it hasn’t been all bad. There were some genuine triumphs for Marvel amid the smoldering wreckage of the year, and 2024 is looking

“Ferrari” director Michael Mann sees similarities between Enzo Ferrari and Adam Driver, the actor playing him in their new film. Hitting theaters Christmas Day, “Ferrari” focuses on a pivotal time in the Ferrari founder’s life – his marriage to wife Laura (Penélope Cruz) is deteriorating and she is unaware of the other family he has

The Critics Choice Awards is moving back to Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar for its January 14 ceremony, rather than risk asking its nominees, presenters and attendees to cross a picket line at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel. The Fairmont is one of more than 50 hotels in Southern California that are currently involved in a

Jo Koy will host the 2024 Golden Globe Awards, marking the comedian’s first-ever appearance as a host for a major awards show. “We are thrilled to have Jo host the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards and bring his infectious energy and relatable humor to kick off Hollywood’s award season. We can’t wait to see what