Movies

When Apple announced in October that it would be releasing “Emancipation” in theaters by the end of the year, many moviegoers were left scratching their heads: How can any studio release a Will Smith vehicle in the same year he slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars? For “Emancipation” director Antoine Fuqua, there was never any

Andrew Garfield made a beloved return to his Spider-Man role in last year’s blockbuster “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” completing an arc for the character that he first started when he was only 25 years old. In a new interview with GQ UK, the Oscar nominee said accepting the life-changing role of Spider-Man at such a

Walter Hamada, the former president of DC Films, has signed an exclusive, multi-year production deal with Paramount Pictures.  Under the agreement, which begins on Jan. 1, 2023, Hamada will spearhead the studio’s mainstream horror movies, with the goal of releasing several low-to mid-budget films per year across theatrical and streaming. The studio recently scored at the box

Peter Billingsley, the blond moppet from “A Christmas Story,” was 11 years old when he starred in that 1983 holiday-sleeper-that-became-a-classic (though it depends who you ask — I’ve always been something of a Scrooge about it). The image of Billingsley from “A Christmas Story” — goggle-ish glasses, beaming gopher grin — became, in its way, as

After Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav mentioned the possibility of working with J.K. Rowling on more “Harry Potter” content, Voldemort actor Ralph Fiennes expressed his interest in reprising his villainous role in the Wizarding World. “Sure, of course,” Fiennes told Variety when asked if he wants to play Voldemort again. If Warner Bros. or

National Geographic Documentary Films has revealed the air dates for feature documentary “The Territory.” The critically acclaimed film, which marks the feature documentary debut from director Alex Pritz, will premiere on National Geographic Channel on Dec. 1, at 10 p.m. EST/PST and will then be available to stream Dec. 2 on Disney+. “The Territory” provides

Magic Mike is back for one last ride. Warner Bros. has released the first trailer for “Magic Mike’s Last Dance,” the third and final entry in Channing Tatum’s star-making male stripper series. Tatum first pulled the curtain back on “Last Dance” in October, releasing a first-look image of a character played by Salma Hayek brushing

In “The Taste of Apples Is Red,” Syrian director Ehab Tarabieh tells an enchanted tale of religion, war, family and unforgotten sins of a distant past. As a native of the occupied Golan Heights and an opponent of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Tarabieh was eager to make a film about what was happening in Syria. A

MARRAKECH – Chain smoking in a green, pleated Issey Miyake outfit, paired with cream loafers, his hair tied neatly back, Tahar Rahim, 41,  speaks, between puffs, in such a convincing, powerful American accent, that you would never imagine that the actor grew up in the Paris banlieue, in a poor French-Algerian family packed with children.  His

The title “Poker Face” suggests a droll, methodical cunning that unfortunately proves elusive everywhere else in Russell Crowe’s sophomore effort as writer-director. As handsomely produced as his first, 2014’s historical drama “The Water Diviner,” it offers an even more overstuffed narrative whose myriad elements barely have time to register before we arrive at a nearly

First-time filmmaker Asimina Proedrou makes her auspicious debut with “Behind the Haystacks,” a family drama set against the Greek refugee crisis that won six awards after premiering at the recently wrapped Thessaloniki Film Festival. The film tells the story of a middle-aged fisherman who, faced with mounting debt, begins to smuggle refugees across a lake

MARRAKECH  —  One Moroccan highlight at this year’s Atlas Workshops has been given a special berth, as its director merits: “Deserts” from actor-helmer Faouzi Bensaidi whose films have played Berlin (“Death for Sale,” 2011) and Venice (“Volubilis,” 2017).  A modern take on the Western, “It will be an abstract Western, but not a Spaghetti Western. It will be more

Italy’s 102 Distribution (“A School In Cerro Hueso”) has boarded Egyptian filmmaker Shaimaa Elgawady’s debut feature-length documentary “Independent Scene.” It joins first-time producer and the film’s cinematographer, Amr Nazeer, as a production partner and will handle global distribution of the project. The pickup comes as 102 Distribution is preparing to premiering Carlos Kaiser Eichelmann’s redemption

Paramount has pulled the curtain back on “Babylon,” Damien Chazelle’s period comedy documenting the excess of the early age of Hollywood. An early screening Monday evening at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills has opened the floodgates for first reactions. The 188-minute epic represents a return to awards season for Chazelle, who became the

Krishna, a major star in the 1980s Telugu language film industry, has died. He was 79. Indian media reported that he was taken to hospital in Hyderabad on Monday with severe cardiac problems that needed resuscitation. He died in hospital on Tuesday morning. In addition to his own career as actor, director and producer over

Anthony Rapp has offered his first public comments since the conclusion of his $40 million civic lawsuit against Kevin Spacey. On Oct. 20, a New York jury sided with Spacey, finding that the Oscar-winning actor did not molest Rapp when he was a teenager. Rapp opened up about the trial and his original decision to

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. “Smile” is hitting Paramount+ this Tuesday. The Paramount original horror film, which made its theatrical debut in September, follows a devoted therapist named Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) who begins having bizarre, frightening experiences

Henry Winkler is a television icon thanks to “Happy Days” and an Emmy Award winner thanks to “Barry,” but that doesn’t mean his hugely successful acting career is without regret. There’s one role that got away that still pains Winkler: Danny Zuko in “Grease.” In a recent interview with CNN’s Chris Wallace, Winkler revealed he

Picturestart and Ghetto Film School (GFS) have announced the winners of their “Discover Your Voice” fellowship contest. The winning projects come from filmmakers Zenzele Ojore (grand prize), Danni Juhl (first prize) and Jenna Anderson and Mags Chamberlain (second prize), who were rewarded with prize money totaling $21,000. “Together with Ghetto Film School, we were inspired

A New York jury on Monday unanimously ordered Oscar-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis to pay $2.5 million in punitive damages after finding him liable for raping a film publicist. A civil rape lawsuit was filed against the filmmaker by former film publicist Haleigh Breest, who alleges the filmmaker forced her to perform oral sex on him

Newen Studios, a division of France’s TF1 Group-owned media banner Newen, has acquired Vanessa Djian’s French production banner Daï Daï Films. The acquisition of Daï Daï Films underscores the company’s strategy to ramp up its presence in the feature film landscape and aggregate talents, following the footsteps of French indie powerhouses such as Mediawan. Djian,

Actor and filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom began her testimony at Harvey Weinstein’s trial Monday, becoming emotional as soon as she took her oath on the stand. The most high-profile witness, named Jane Doe #4 in the case, Siebel Newsom is married to Gov. Gavin Newsom. A public advocate for gender equality and against sexual harassment,

Recently graduated from the Beaux-Arts de Paris, French painter Apolonia Sokol heads to the U.S. in pursuit of the bigger picture. She finds it, after a fashion, as a wealthy collector commissions her to churn out 10 canvases a month. It’s an industrial approach to art that docmaker Lea Glob views skeptically: “Why only buy

In writing the harrowing story of a Romanian stowaway trying to reach America aboard a cargo ship while hiding from merciless Taiwanese officers, Mihai Mincan found inspiration in the overwhelming fear that he once felt in his own dire predicament.   “To the North,” which screens in competition at the Thessaloniki Film Festival, is loosely

We all have that friend you share good news with first. Their reaction is jubilant, fizzing, maybe even a little OTT. They’re happier for you than you are for yourself. That was Lyra McKee for director Alison Millar. McKee, an investigative journalist from Belfast, was just 29 years old when she was shot in the

Quiver Distribution has acquired the U.S. rights for Toronto-premiering drama “Blueback,” starring Mia Wasikowska, Radha Mitchell and Eric Bana. Directed by Robert Connolly (“The Dry,” “Paper Planes”), “Blueback” world premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this fall. Based on Tim Winton’s novel of the same name, the story follows novice diver Abby (Wasikowska),

D.C. Comics new superhero Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson) calls on the Egyptian gods for hissuperpowers in “Black Adam.” One sequence sees Black Adam in a stand-off with the Justice Society of America — Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Cyclone and Atom Smasher — in a street battle scene. Weta FX stepped in for the first of many

Vendôme Pictures, the production house behind Sian Heder’s Oscar-winning film “CODA,” is set to produce “Ibelin,” a feature film which will be directed by Morten Tyldum (“The Imitation Game”). Penned by Kyle Killen (“Halo”), the film will be inspired by the real-life story of Mats Steen, a disabled boy from Norway who went by ‘Ibelin’

Impact, the LinkedIn-like professional network for the entertainment biz founded by filmmakers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, raised $15 million in Series B funding. The L.A.-based company, founded in 2020, has now landed more than $21 million in total funding. The Series B round was led by venture-capital firm Shasta Ventures with participation from Silicon

Magnolia Pictures has acquired U.S. rights to “Joyride,” a road-trip comedy starring Oscar-winner Olivia Colman and Charlie Reid. The indie studio will release the film in theaters and on demand on Dec. 23. The picture was directed by Emer Reynolds (“Songs for While I’m Away”) and written by Ailbhe Keogan (“Bad Sisters). The cast also