Movies

Veteran acquisitions executive Josh Thomashow has joined the team of international sales outfit Kaleidoscope ahead of the American Film Market (AFM). Thomashow, who previously had stints as VP of acquisitions at Cinedigm Entertainment and as executive director of acquisitions at Starz Entertainment/Anchor Bay, serve as head of acquisitions, on an exclusive basis at Kaleidoscope. He

Blue Fox Entertainment is launching worldwide sales at the American Film Market on two new slasher features that complete its “Butchers Trilogy” horror project. The global film sales and U.S. domestic distributor has greenlit production on “Butchers Book Three: Bonesaw,”which is due to go into production this fall in Canada. The second title in the trilogy,

“Terrifier 2” is the gory little horror that could. Despite having a budget of less than $250,000, director Damien Leone’s ultra-slasher sequel has made more than $5 million at the box office since releasing in early October — and he already has plans for more. A word-of-mouth phenomenon, the film launched from relative obscurity into

When Camerimage Film Festival founder Marek Zydowicz launched his cinematography-centered event in the fall of 1993, the film world spun on a rather different axis. In Hollywood, star-driven dramas like “The Fugitive” and “The Firm” drove the local box office, while in Europe, auteur Krzysztof Kieślowski was right in the midst of his “Three Colors”

Emmy-winning actor Guy Pearce (“L.A. Confidential,” “Memento”) and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (“The Walking Dead,” “Rampage”) have boarded “Neponset Circle,” a dark and gritty crime thriller based on a real-life murder that shook the Boston area and remains unsolved to this day. The Exchange, handling the international sales rights, is introducing the title to buyers at

“Dampyr,” an ambitious live-action movie adaptation of the eponymous cult fantasy franchise from Italy’s independent publisher Sergio Bonelli is launching Oct. 28 in Italian cinemas and opening Lucca Comics & Games, the unique event dedicated to cosplay and comics held in the medieval Tuscan town of Lucca. Based on the first two comics in the

Berlin-based sales company M-Appeal has boarded Gentian Koçi’s Albanian drama “A Cup of Coffee and New Shoes On,” which will world premiere in Tallinn Film Festival’s Main Competition and is Albania’s official submission for the Academy Awards. Set in urban Tirana, the film follows the emotional story and close bond of two identical twin brothers

Spun Gold, the go-to production company for royal events and documentaries, have been appointed a co-producer of the BAFTA film and TV awards. The company recently produced Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations for ITV and are known for their royal documentaries, including “Prince William: Monarch in the Making” and “Secrets of the Royals: Inside

Vertigo Releasing has acquired “Nocebo,” starring Eva Green (“Proxima”) and Mark Strong (“Tár”) for the U.K. and Ireland. Directed by IFTA-winning filmmaker Lorcan Finnegan (“Vivarium”) and written by Garret Shanley (“Without Name”), the film follows a fashion designer (Green) who is suffering from a mysterious illness that puzzles her doctors and frustrates her husband (Strong).

Quentin Tarantino has dismissed Kanye West’s claim that he and Jamie Foxx “got the idea” for the concept of their 2012 film “Django Unchained” from him. West — who legally changed his name to Ye in 2021 — said he pitched a similar idea when initially brainstorming the music video for his 2005 song “Gold

In “Terrifier 2,” a slasher named Art the Clown wears a jester costume with pom-pom buttons and a white bald harlequin head cover, and he’s got licorice-black teeth frozen into a rictus grin (it’s literally a dirty mouth), a hooked nose that looks like something out of an anti-Semitic caricature from the ’30s, a small

Twelve years ago director Daniel Stamm was considered in some quarters as having revivified a subgenre with “The Last Exorcism.” That sleeper hit that was no classic, but it took itself seriously in the right ways, as put across by a good cast including the estimable (and still underused) Ashley Bell. Since 2014’s less successful

William Jackson Harper has entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sources tell Variety that the actor will appear in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” though his role remains a closely guarded secret. Marvel declined to comment on his casting. Harper joins a “Quantumania” cast that includes Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michelle Pfeiffer and Michael Douglas reprising

A supporting witness testified on Thursday that Harvey Weinstein masturbated on her at his hotel room in 2003. Former actress Ashley Matthau, a “prior bad acts” witness whose claims aren’t among the 11 counts of sexual assault that Weinstein faces, was visibly rattled while taking the stand. Matthau’s hand shook as she was being sworn in

Sheryl Lee Ralph is going behind the camera. I can exclusively reveal that the Emmy winner has signed on to produce “Unexpected,” a documentary short about women of color living with HIV in the South. Directed by Zeberiah Newman (“Right to Try”), the film chronicles Masonia Traylor and Cici Covin as they create care packages

Milcho Manchevski perfectly performed the role of art house celebrity at the Tokyo International Film Festival on Thursday, when he gave a masterclass that was eloquent, humorous, defiant and vaguely threatening. He is in Tokyo, not only as a star guest, but also as director of competition film “Kaymak.” The film, which Manchevski describes as

No more pencils, no more books, no more Oscar voters’ dirty looks! At least when it comes to accepting new forms of cinema.   Too often, the industry hears, “It’s good, but not for the Oscars,” or “That’s not something the branch will go for.” As the Academy heads into the future with new leadership in

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages are Davis’ assessment of the current standings of the race and

A former freelance television producer testified on Thursday that Paul Haggis allegedly assaulted and attempted to rape her at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015. Jurors in a lower Manhattan courtroom watched a 2019 video deposition of the woman, who recalled feeling physically and emotionally in fear at the time of their encounter. She

Showtime Documentary Films and Bleecker Street will release “2nd Chance,” an upcoming documentary from director Ramin Bahrani, in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, Dec. 2. The film will expand to additional cities on Dec. 9. Showtime will offer the doc on air, on streaming and on demand for its subscribers in

Mongrel Media has promoted company veteran Andrew Frank to co-president, Variety has learned. The executive joins current president and founder, Hussain Amarshi, who began the Toronto-based company in 1994. In the new role, Frank will handle all sales — including those for Mongrel International — and acquisitions. He will also executive produce all Canadian films

Jamie Lee Curtis is set to receive the Maltin Modern Master Award at the 38th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival next year. She will be honored with the award on Feb. 11 following an in-person conversation about her career. “Jamie Lee Curtis has long since proven that she has staying power,” said Leonard Maltin.

Lionsgate has hired JP Richards and Keri Moore to lead the studio’s worldwide theatrical marketing division. Richards, who formerly worked at Apple TV Plus and Warner Bros., will serve as president and Moore, an alum of STX and Universal, will be co-president. They will both begin their new jobs on Nov. 1 and will work

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. The cast of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” made a royal appearance on Wednesday night, as the stars walked the purple carpet in celebration of the Marvel sequel’s world premiere. From Angela Bassett’s purple ensemble

Timothée Chalamet admitted to his “Bones and All” co-star Taylor Russell in a recent interview for Homme Girls that the massive production for “Dune” blindsided him as a younger actor. The Denis Villeneuve-directed space epic was Chalamet’s first leading role in a big-scale Hollywood tentpole. “It’s something you don’t get to do with movies —

Although it hasn’t screened yet for critics or audiences, Paramount Pictures has revealed the awards submissions for Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon.” Initially published on the studio’s FYC site, the release had errors in the acting submissions, listing Brad Pitt as the lead actor and Diego Calva in supporting. Variety can exclusively report that newcomer Calva and

The Walt Disney Company’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) outpost unveiled its centenary celebration plans at a spectacular London launch event on Thursday (Oct. 27). The 100 Years of Wonder celebrations, as they’re titled, include a series of exclusive experiences, exhibitions, concerts and new products across the EMEA region in celebration of Disney’s 100-year

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Just two months after hitting theaters, “The Woman King” will be available to purchase digitally on Nov. 22, and on Blu-ray and DVD on Dec. 13. The digital release includes over an hour of

IFC Films has acquired North American rights to “God’s Time,” the kinetic debut feature from writer and director Daniel Antebi. “God’s Time” had its World Premiere at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival in the U.S. Narrative Competition, where it won a Best Performance Special Jury Mention for actress Liz Caribel. At the festival, Paste praised

American Cinema Editors announced that the organization will honor director Gina Prince-Bythewood with the esteemed ACE Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year Award, recognizing an artist who exemplifies distinguished achievement in the art and business of film. In addition, ACE will bestow career achievement honors to film editors Don Zimmerman, ACE and Lynne Willingham, ACE