Netflix’s upcoming docudrama “Queen Cleopatra” in which Britain’s Adele James, who is of mixed heritage, plays the first-century Egyptian ruler as a queen with African roots is sparking an uproar in Egypt. Egyptian academics are claiming that Cleopatra, who was born in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in 69 BC and belonged to a Greek-speaking
Movies
Is Take That back for good? “Greatest Days” — the screen adaptation of the British pop act’s stage musical “The Band” — has unveiled its first trailer, with a U.K. and Ireland release date set for June 16. News of the movie’s release comes just a week after the band was revealed as one of
The inside story behind the ascent of Finland’s outgoing prime minister, Sanna Marin, is the subject of a new three-part docuseries from HBO Max. The streamer has unveiled the Finnish original “First Five,” which is billed as an “intimate” portrait of Marin and her headline-grabbing female cabinet. The project comes just weeks after Marin and
Hot Docs and Netflix have revealed the five Canadian documentary projects that will share CAD 175,000 ($130,000) as part of the Hot Docs Incubator program, the latest instalment of the Canadian Storytellers Project. These five projects will each receive CAD 35,000 ($26,000). The program, designed to ignite developing doc projects that show creative and market
When it comes to entertainment marketing, TikTok is the new “ground zero.” That was among the views expressed by a panel of five top film and TV marketing executives held Wednesday as part of Variety’s Entertainment Marketing Summit at the One Hotel in West Hollywood. The lively conversation, moderated by Claudia Eller, Variety’s chief production
As Jonathan Majors prepares for a May 8 court appearance on domestic violence charges, his PR problems are about to get bigger. Sources familiar with the matter tell Variety that multiple alleged abuse victims of Majors have come forward following his March arrest and are cooperating with the Manhattan district attorney’s office. The prospect of more women
Joaquin Phoenix “just started screaming” on the set of Ari Aster’s “Beau Is Afraid” before filming one of the nightmare comedy’s most intense scenes. During a podcast interview for A24, the Oscar winner and Aster remembered filming a scene in which the eponymous Beau is taking a bath. Aster wanted to shoot the scene in
Little Richard — music icon, legend and the man behind hits such as “Tutti Frutti” and “Good Golly Miss Molly” — inspired a generation. But despite his success, there were points in his career where “he doesn’t feel he’s been recognized,” says filmmaker Lisa Cortés. Her latest documentary, “Little Richard: I Am Everything,” in theaters
One year after Los Angeles’ beloved Landmark closed, the city’s exhibition scene is looking a little brighter – or at least, it will be when a few long-awaited venues open or reopen in 2023, including the Vista, the Egyptian and the new Vidiots outpost at the Eagle Theatre. Between grappling with the stratospherically priced L.A.
Steven Soderbergh’s beloved 2001 heist comedy “Ocean’s Eleven” remains one of the director’s most star-studded affairs thanks to an ensemble that included George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Don Cheadle and more. It turns out the group wanted even more star power, as Clooney recently confirmed reports that both Mark Wahlberg and Johnny
“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” will rule again in its third weekend at the box office. In maintaining the No. 1 spot in North America, the family film is expected to take down two newcomers, the supernatural horror sequel “Evil Dead Rise” and action-war thriller “Guy Ritchie’s the Covenant,” as well as A24’s mind-bender “Beau
The Cannes Film Festival has unveiled the poster for the 76th edition featuring none other than Gallic cinema icon Catherine Deneuve. The black and white photo pictures the noted performer in the film “La Chamade” (Heartbeat), directed by Alain Cavalier. Shot in 1968 on Pampelonne beach, near Saint-Tropez, the film stars Deneuve as Lucile, who
Bestselling author and screenwriter Caroline Kepnes has signed with CAA, Variety can report exclusively. Kepnes is the writer-creator behind the four-book “You” series, following the exploits of magnetic serial killer Joe Goldberg. Her novels are the source material for the Netflix scripted juggernaut “You,” adapted by Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble. The series reinvigorated the
Lee Cronin is very particular about blood. Cronin, the Irish writer and director of “Evil Dead Rise,” the fifth feature installment in the cult horror series, lights up when discussing gore on set. “We used 6,500 liters [1,717 gallons] of blood on the movie,” he said. “That is real, sticky, cooked movie blood. We had
To paraphrase dear Hannah Horvath from “Girls,” Rachel Sennott may not be the voice of her generation, but she certainly is a voice of a generation. And oh, what a voice. Smart, vulnerable, slightly neurotic, frequently ironic, always compelling. It’s a delicious style of comedy honed on Twitter, Instagram and other platforms, where the 27-year-old
Next ‘Godzilla x Kong’ Movie Gets Title The title of the sequel to the 2021 monster battle, “Godzilla Vs. Kong,” was released Wednesday, and it’s “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.” The film’s producer Legendary tweeted “The #Monsterverse continues” with a brief teaser showing the fearsome reptile facing off against the massive primate. Rebecca Hall
From the importance of diversity in storytelling to the impact of Netflix and other streamers on the distribution marketplace, a panel of top content industry creatives and executives weighed pressing issues for the future of filmmaking. The panel, held March 31 as part of the World Film Industry Conference and hosted by the nonprofit org
Louis Leterrier is staying in Dominic Toretto’s family. The “Transporter” helmer will serve as director of the next film in the grand finale of the “Fast and Furious” franchise. The new project will serve as a companion film to “Fast X,” the 10th title in the Vin Diesel series which opens May 19. Leterrier replaced
Recent Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan and actor-producer Sandra Oh will be honored at the second annual Gold House Gala in May. Quan will be honored with the Leading Man Award, while Oh will receive the SeeHer Award. The event, taking place at the Jerry Moss Plaza at the Music Center in Downtown Los
Ashland Hill Media Finance has launched a global sales company headed by industry veteran Tamara Birkemoe. Palisades Park Pictures is launching ahead of next month’s Cannes Film Festival, with operations in Los Angeles and London. The venture, which will soon unveil its inaugural slate of projects, comes a year after the launch of Ashland Hill,
Bilal Lashari’s “The Legend of Maula Jatt,” Pakistan’s highest grossing film of all time, is getting an unprecedented theatrical rerelease in key international markets. South Asian films have almost never had theatrical rereleases due to satellite and streaming rights being assigned post the standard window after their theatrical releases. Six months after its theatrical debut,
Pixar will be back at the Cannes Film Festival on closing night (May 27) with the world premiere of their new feature “Elemental.” Presented Out of Competition, the film will be released in theaters on June 16 in the U.S. and on June 21 in France. “Elemental” is the fourth feature film from Pixar Animation
In a bid to showcase the utility of NFT’s in cinema, the team behind Mounia Meddour’s (“Papicha”) Rome-premiering film “Houria” is launching a limited impact NFT collection. Meddour’s follow up to her Cesar-winning feature debut “Papicha,” “Houria” is still playing in theaters in France and was recently boarded by “CODA” Star Troy Kotsur who is
Taskovski Films, the London-based world film sales company, has picked up “Grasshopper Republic,” which will have its world premiere in the International Competition at Visions du Réel documentary festival in Switzerland. Filmed by Daniel McCabe over the course of three seasons in Uganda, “Grasshopper Republic” follows a grasshopper trapping team in verité style as these
DISTRIBUTION “The Song of Scorpions,” starring Irrfan Khan, Golshifteh Farahani and Waheeda Rehman, written and directed by Anup Singh, will be released in India by Panorama Films and 70mm Talkies on April 28. The film’s release in India was withheld due to the pandemic in 2021. “The Song of Scorpions” is a story of twisted
Benito Zambrano’s “Jumping the Fence” joins Roya Sadat’s “Sima’s Song,” and Pau Calpe’s “Werewolf” in the lineup of Spanish Screenings Goes to Cannes, a selection of five pix in post which underscores the ever broadening compass – in genre, setting, protagonists, production bases and models – of film production in Spain. “Sima’s Song,” for example, is set
Jonathan Caouette, director of the award-winning autobiographical documentary “Tarnation,” is seeking donations to help cover the expenses of serious medical issues. Friends of Caouette, including Marie Therese Guirgis, Stephen Winter, Brian Kates, John Cameron Mitchell and Gus Van Sant have helped organize a GoFundMe to help gather donations. Caouette updated the fundraiser Monday stating that
Tao Group, a longtime creator of hot global nightlife brands and fine dining, has found harmony with billionaire Mark Scheinberg’s company Mohari. The latter has moved to acquire the hospitality giant in a deal that would value Tao Group at $550 million. Tao Group has launched clubs, pop-ups and eateries like the eponymous Tao, the
Jeremy Renner’s nephew recounts the “Avengers” star’s horrific snow plow accident in new body camera footage released by the Washoe County Sheriff’s Dept. On Jan. 1, Renner was run over by his Sno-Cat, a large snow plow that weighs at least 14,330 pounds, as he attempted to help his 27-year-old nephew, Alex Fries, free a
Welcome to this week’s “Just for Variety.” In his first comments since it was revealed that he and Justin Britt-Gibson are no longer writing the script for director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s “Star Wars” movie, Damon Lindelof tells me the project was a “true labor of love.” “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight is now penning the script.