Movies

The European Film Market kicks off Feb. 16 with a wide assortment of films from sellers around the world. Below is a healthy selection of what’s on offer for buyers. The Adults   Director: Alex Winter Key cast: Evan Rachel Wood, Josh Gad, Anthony Carrigan Synopsis: A sister and brother, Megan and Nathan are barely hanging on and

Idris Elba ignited a firestorm on social media after he told Esquire UK that he has stopped calling himself a “Black actor” because it creates limitations for his career. While some accused Elba of renouncing his Blackness, others came to the “Luther” actor’s defense and agreed with him regarding Hollywood’s penchant to put labels on and stereotype

At the center of the two biggest pop culture empires of this generation, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the “Star Wars” franchise, lies one architect who helped launch them into modern greatness: Jon Favreau. Fifteen years ago, the actor-turned-filmmaker directed a film about a B-list superhero with a not-yet-bankable movie star when comic-book films were more

Bruce Springsteen has penned an original song for Rebecca Miller’s new film “She Came to Me,” which will have its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival this week. The song, “Addicted to Romance,” was written and performed by Springsteen, and will be heard by audiences for the first time during the movie’s Feb. 16

Ready Life founder & CEO Ashley D. Bell announced the creation Ready Entertainment, a new production company dedicated to creating movies and TV shows with strong social justice messages. Bell is a corporate finance attorney and the former White House policy advisor for entrepreneurship & innovation. Dr. Bernice A. King, the daughter of Dr. Martin

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to make an appearance at the Berlinale, Variety has learned. A spokesperson for the Berlin Film Festival, which kicks off on Thursday, confirmed that the Ukrainian leader “will be present at Berlinale in some kind of form,” although “which and when is not confirmed yet.” Zelenskyy is the subject

Bill Nighy is set to be honored with an Icon Award at Newport Beach Film Festival’s U.K. honors on Thursday. Nighy has been selected as the recipient of the annual event’s highest accolade this year in light of his accomplished and vast portfolio of work across film and television, including recent performances in “The Man

Lionsgate has picked up domestic distribution rights to Guy Ritchie’s World War II movie “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.” The film stars Henry Cavill, Eiza González, Henry Golding, Alex Pettyfer and Cary Elwes, among others. The studio is targeting a 2024 wide theatrical release. Prime Video has secured most of the international rights for the

Note: This article is an offshoot of Variety Intelligence Platform’s special report “The New Face of Content Piracy,” available exclusively to VIP+ subscribers. After dipping during the great COVID lockdown, media piracy has come roaring back.  The proliferation of popular streaming TV content and the return of robust wide-release film slates have helped drive steady

A sequel to “Plane” is officially taking flight — or rather, setting sail. Mike Colter, who played accused murderer Louis Gaspare in the original film, will headline the new, nautical movie, which is aptly titled “Ship.” Producers MadRiver Pictures, Di Bonaventura Pictures and G-BASE Productions are returning for the sequel, with director Jean-François Richet also

Actor-director Marco D’Amore, who played the ruthless central character Ciro Di Marzio on the Italian mob show “Gomorrah,” is directing “Caracas” a Naples-set drama in which he stars opposite Toni Servillo (“The Great Beauty,” “Strangeness”). “Caracas” is a co-production between Picomedia, Mad Entertainment and Vision Distribution, which will release the film in Italy. Vision Distribution’s

Sean Penn went to war and a movie broke out. That is, in effect, the story behind the making of the documentary “Superpower,” a gripping cinematic portrait of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on the eve of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.  Co-directed by Penn and Aaron Kaufman, who helmed

Zia Mohyeddin, a British-Pakistani actor known for films “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Immaculate Conception” and the stage version of “A Passage to India,” died on Monday in Karachi. He was 91. Mohyeddin was ill and was on life support in a Karachi hospital, his family said. Mohyeddin was born in Lylallpur (now Faisalabad), British India,

James Flynn, an experienced Irish producer and executive, who recently co-produced Oscar favorite “The Banshees of Inisherin,” has died age 57. He died on Feb 11 of an undisclosed illness, Irish media reported. Early in his career, Flynn was appointed as head of development at John Boorman’s Merlin Films International. Later he co-founded Metropolitan Film

The European Film Market (EFM) is hosting a day-long event on diversity, equity and inclusion on Feb. 16, bringing together a host of industry stakeholders in an effort to set the agenda for better representation — both on and off screen — in Europe’s film and television industries. The Equity and Inclusion Pathways Seminar will

Georgia Oakley, director of the BAFTA-nominated British film “Blue Jean,” says she “wrestles” with awards season and those it chooses to celebrate, when filmmaking is such a collaborative effort. “I wrestled with this idea in my head,” says Oakley while speaking to Variety about her feature debut “Blue Jean” scoring a BAFTA nomination for outstanding

Mohammad Rasoulof, winner of the 2020 Berlin Golden Bear for “There Is No Evil,” has been temporarily released from Tehran’s Evin prison after being arrested last July for criticizing the government on social media. Rasoulof, 50, was incarcerated on July 8 after posting an appeal urging Iranian security forces to stop using weapons during May

Heretic has closed a raft of deals on Sundance prize-winning documentary “And the King Said, What a Fantastic Machine,” with Picturehouse Entertainment acquiring U.K. rights ahead of the film’s European premiere in the Generation 14plus strand at the Berlin Film Festival. The Athens-based outfit also closed deals for Italy (Teodora Film), Benelux, (September Film), Poland

“Creed” fans have received one last peek at Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut during Super Bowl LVII. On March 3, Jordan will return as Adonis “Donnie” Creed in “Creed III,” marking the ninth installation of the “Rocky” franchise. But Jordan’s Creed no longer has Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa by his side. While Stallone isn’t returning

Now you know what to do with those pesky clogged pipes. Help has arrived in the form of Mario and Luigi, with plungers and snakes serving as their weapons of choice when combatting backed-up showers and sinks. A new and ingenious spot, pegged to the April 7 release of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” doubles

Disney unveiled a new look at “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” during the Super Bowl, giving franchise viewers a closer look at the flashbacks of a young Harrison Ford, and Jones’ relationship with his goddaughter Helena, played by “Fleabag” star Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The latest addition to the “Indiana Jones” series takes place in

Warner Bros. has released another look at “The Flash,” dropping new footage of the DC Comics film ahead of the Super Bowl. After first appearing in a cameo role way back in 2016’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” Miller is suited up as the Scarlet Speedster once again — this time for their own

The gang’s all back together in Marvel’s new trailer for “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” which aired during the Super Bowl on Sunday. But the Guardians’ reunion with Gamora, played by Zoe Saldaña, is far from sentimental. This Super Bowl trailer marked the first time Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord has reunited with his ex Gamora,

“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” director Joel Crawford wants more respect for the brilliant minds behind animation. The amount of work that goes into bringing heartfelt stories like Crawford’s animated feature to life involves countless hours and teams of artists. However, the medium is constantly overlooked and undervalued by the industry, Crawford argues. Crawford

Disney is stepping up consumer marketing for its year-long 100th anniversary celebration by unveiling a 90-second commercial during the Super Bowl that highlights the company’s centennial milestone. The spot features a range of images from Disney old and new, from “Steamboat Willie”-era Mickey Mouse to the Na’vi characters from “Avatar” and “Avatar: The Way of

James Cameron is the king of the box office as “Titanic” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” lead global box office charts over newcomer “Magic Mike’s Last Dance.” “Titanic,” which returns to theaters in honor of its 25th anniversary, grossed $22.3 million at the global box office, while “Avatar: The Way of Water” added $25.8

“#FilmTwitter is going to explode tonight,” director Ava DuVernay tweeted on Feb. 4, 2018, just minutes before kick-off for Super Bowl LII. “Something is coming that I can hardly believe. Lawd. History in the making.” A little over an hour later, the world found out what the celebrated director and producer was referring to. During

Grandave Intl. has acquired the international sales rights of dramatic feature “Deltopia,” executive produced by the late Olivia Newton-John, Tamara Nagahiro, Grandave Intl. head of sales, announced Sunday. CAA Film Finance and XYZ are handling U.S. rights. Newton-John, whose best known movie performances included “Grease,” “Xanadu” and “Two of a Kind,” was a four times

“Magic Mike’s Last Dance,” the third chapter in Channing Tatum’s steamy stripper series, topped a glacial Super Bowl weekend at the box office, generating a decent $8.2 million from only 1,500 North American theaters. It’s the lowest start yet in the decades-old franchise following 2012’s “Magic Mike” (which opened to $39 million) and 2015’s “Magic

The Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild (MUAHS, IATSE Local 706) held its 10th annual awards ceremony Saturday night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” dominated the night with two wins for best period and/or character make-up and period and/or character hair styling. Best special make-up effects went to Adrien Morot, Kathy Tse