Movies

The odds are not good for “V/H/S” — which is to say it’s the even-numbered entries in this horror omnibus franchise that have been by far the best to date. As No. 5, “V/H/S/99” unfortunately maintains that pattern, providing an uninspired extension of the series that had rebounded after a seven-year lull with last fall’s

Veteran film, theater and opera director Julie Taymor has been set as the president of the competition jury at next month’s Tokyo International Film Festival. Taymor (“The Lion King”) will head a small group that selects the winners from the 15 competition titles that unspool in Tokyo between Oct. 24 and Nov. 2, 2022. The

The television industry has been laser-focused on the transition to streaming in recent years, but that doesn’t mean that the linear side is being ignored or neglected. That was the message Thursday from Kareem Daniel, chairman of Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, the unit that oversees all TV and film distribution and monetization within the

It’s been a good year for several documentary filmmakers who sought and found distribution for independently made projects at major festivals. But for many nonfiction helmers, this year’s festival circuit hasn’t proven to be as fruitful as it once was. Pre-pandemic, streaming services went to film fests to fill their slates, but now with media

The first time “Blonde” star Adrien Brody saw Ana de Armas’ transformation into Marilyn Monroe was on set right before filming their first scene together. “I was transported to another time and place,” Brody, who plays Arthur Miller (aka The Playwright), told Variety at the U.S. premiere of “Blonde” in Hollywood Tuesday night. “I really

With leading turns in Luca Guadagnino’s cannibal coming-of-age story “Bones and All” and Denis Villeneuve’s fantasy epic “Dune: Part Two,” Timothée Chalamet is wearing many different hats. Next December, he will add a more colorful top hat in Paul King’s movie musical “Wonka,” an origin story about Roald Dahl’s sugary chocolatier. While details about the

The controversial defamation case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard is the subject of a new movie, “Hot Take: The Depp/Heard Trial,” set to debut exclusively on the free Tubi streaming service. The film stars Mark Hapka (“Parallels,” “Days of Our Lives”) as Depp and Megan Davis (“Alone in the Dark”) as Heard. It’s set

Sublime is the latest rock band getting the biopic treatment. Sony’s 3000 Pictures is developing a movie with “Hunger Games” director Francis Lawrence about the group from Long Beach, Calif. The band is best known for its fusion of reggae, punk, ska and hip-hop, all wrapped into a subgenre of alternative rock that they were

Disney has removed “Rogue Squadron,” the “Star Wars” film from director Patty Jenkins, from its release calendar. The move comes as little surprise since the tentpole, which was scheduled for Dec. 22, 2023, was taken off the studio’s production schedule in 2021. The announcement is more-or-less pro forma, as the window for “Rogue Squadron” to start filming

Turning a piece of filmed entertainment into a cultural phenomenon is both an art and a science, say marketers.  But in the 2020s, the science has turbocharged the art.  Variety spoke to two marketing gurus who promoted such blockbusters: Pia Chaozon Barlow, executive VP of HBO and HBO Max originals marketing, who aims to recapture

GKIDS has acquired the North American distribution rights to “Unicorn Wars,” ahead of the adult animated film’s U.S. premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. The news was announced Thursday. Set during an ancestral war between teddy bears and unicorns, the horror-comedy film follows Bluet and Tubby, teddy bear brothers who are polar opposites to

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NewFest, a New York-based LGBTQ+ film festival, has announced the full lineup for its 34th iteration. The 2022 edition will run from Oct. 13 to Oct. 25. With world, North American, U.S. and New York premieres for more than 130 films from 23 countries, the festival will be headlined by the world premiere of HBO

Sony is bringing the spirit of Whitney Houston to theaters. The studio has released the first trailer for “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” a biographical drama about the life and times of the iconic singer. “The End of the F***ing World” star Naomi Ackie has the daunting task of portraying the legendary vocal powerhouse in

Timothée Chalamet has worn the crown of Hollywood “it boy” ever since his turn in Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me by Your Name.” Since then, he’s starred in indie favorites like “Lady Bird” and “Beautiful Boy,” as well as headlined fantasy blockbuster “Dune.” Up next: Guadagnino’s film festival darling “Bones and All,” a cannibal love story

Netflix is readying the debut of crime original “Santo,” which bows Sept., 16, marking a new milestone for the U.S. streaming giant – its first fiction project shot between Spain and Brazil, two of its key overseas markets.  A major undertaking, the series packs experienced partners and behind-the-camera talent. Produced by Nostromo Pictures (“Through My Window”)

Jason Howden, the writer and director behind 2015 cult horror hit “Deathgasm,” is returning for “Deathgasm 2.” The sequel, which is produced by Raven Banner Entertainment, is set to start shooting in New Zealand next year. Howden, who also wrote and directed “Guns Akimbo” starring Daniel Radcliffe and Samara Weaving, will write and direct. He

The 2022 edition of InFocus: Latinx & Hispanic Cinema Film Festival from NewFilmmakers LA (NFMLA) will be held from Sept. 23-24 in association with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. For the first time since 2019, the festival will be held in-person at the Academy’s Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. The lineup consists

Mindy Kaling is known for her creating groundbreaking content — including the hit Netflix comedy “Never Have I Ever,” HBO’s “Sex Life of College Girls” and “The Mindy Project,” plus serving as a producer on the Broadway musical “A Strange Loop” — and now her efforts are being recognized the USC’s School of Dramatic Arts

Spanish indie production shingle Nadie es Perfecto, producer of Alex de la Iglesia’s hit comedy “Perfectos Desconocidos,” has tapped former Netflix exec Juan Mayne to join the company as it revs up its slate with a slew of new projects. These include two pics in pre-production: “La navidad en sus manos,” in co-production with Bowfinger and

Finland’s leading film festival Love & Anarchy is ready to celebrate its 35th edition, free of COVID restrictions and finally able to focus on the films and the audience, says executive director Anna Möttölä in Helsinki. But it has been a bittersweet time, marked by the loss of Jean-Luc Godard and Lina Wertmüller back in

The National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS) has partnered with the Singapore Film Commission (SFC), the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) for the inaugural Malaysian Development Lab for Fiction Feature Films (mylab). An incubator program for scriptwriters, directors, producers to work on developing scripts and film projects

“Vikram Vedha,” starring Hrithik Roshan, Saif Ali Khan and Radhika Apte, is releasing worldwide in over 100 countries, making it one of the widest openings for a Bollywood film. Besides India, the film is releasing in territories where Bollywood films normally release day-and-date, including North America, U.K., the Middle East and Australia and New Zealand,

Is there a bidding war brewing over Hulu? Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts called Hulu a “phenomenal business” — and said that if Disney were willing to sell it, the cable and media company would be interested in buying it out. “Hulu’s a phenomenal business. Its scale is fantastic. It has wonderful content,” Roberts

Irene Papas, the Greek actress known for such films as “Zorba the Greek,” “Z” and “The Guns of Navarone,” has died. She was 93. Greece’s Ministry of Culture and Sports confirmed the news Wednesday in a statement. Papas starred in over 70 films and stage productions throughout her career spanning nearly six decades, from Hollywood

Richard Setlowe, a longtime entertainment journalist who transitioned from his Variety staff job to become a network exec and later a prolific novelist, died Aug. 25 at Kaiser Permanente in Panorama City, Calif. after long-term health issues. He was 89. Setlowe worked as a writer and editor at the San Francisco Examiner and contributed to Time,

Jean Luc-Godard, who died Tuesday at the age of 91, was widely known as the King of the French New Wave. Since coming onto the scene in the 1960s, his seminal films such as “Breathless,” “Masculin, Feminin” and “Pierrot Le Fou,” introduced avante-garde techniques that have been since been replicated by innumerable filmmakers in the

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you haven’t watched all of “Cobra Kai” Season 5, now streaming on Netflix Every season of “Cobra Kai” seems to one-up itself in dramatic fights, returning “Karate Kid” characters and tantalizing cliffhangers leaving you wanting more. Season 5, now streaming on Netflix, is no exception, with the finale teasing

Baz Luhrmann revealed in June that his first assembly cut of “Elvis” ran four hours long, and it appears fans might one day get to see the director’s extended vision come to life… just not right now. Luhrmann recently told ScreenRant (via IndieWire) that a four-hour “Elvis” cut would take another four to six months

“The Little Mermaid” star Halle Bailey is in “awe” over the reaction to the live-action film’s first trailer, which debuted Sept. 9 at D23. The brief clip includes a first look at Bailey singing “Part of Your World” as the mermaid Ariel. Parents on TikTok have been uploading clips of their young children watching the