Movies

For a filmmaker behind the most enduring box office hit in a decade, Joseph Kosinski is exceptionally humble about “Top Gun: Maverick.” Paramount’s action-packed blockbuster, featuring Tom Cruise’s return to the skies 36 years after the original film, has become an unexpected sensation, bringing audiences young and old back to the big screen at a

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Ready your wands: a new Harry Potter immersive experience is making its U.S. debut this fall, allowing muggles all over the country to become wizards for the day. “Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience,”

Projected Picture Works, the production company founded by Sean Penn last year, has signed on to produce “Killers & Diplomats.” The political thriller tells the true story of four American missionary women who raped and murdered in El Salvador in 1980. It follows a young U.S. diplomat who cracked the case by cultivating an improbable source — risking everything to gather the

John Boyega became an international breakout star playing Finn in the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy. But the actor, who stars in upcoming films “Breaking” and “The Woman King,” doesn’t have much of an interest in returning to the galactic franchise. “At this point I’m cool off it. I’m good off it,” Boyega said on SiriusXM’s

The 2023 Independent Spirit Awards will implement gender neutral acting categories, Film Independent announced on Tuesday. The award ceremony, which honors the best in independent filmmaking and television production, will now present three film acting awards and two TV acting awards that are all gender neutral. The gendered film categories — male lead, female lead,

Earlier this month, Warner Bros. Discovery kicked off a wave of cancellations and cost-cutting measures by scrapping DC’s $90 million “Batgirl” movie starring Leslie Grace, which was already in post-production. In a new interview with French outlet Skript, “Batgirl” co-directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah revealed that the studio blocked their access to footage

Before the iPhone, there was the mighty BlackBerry — the world’s first smartphone, which enjoyed a meteoric rise in the early 2000s only to meet a catastrophic demise. A new movie from “The Dirties” and “Operation Avalanche” director Matt Johnson, simply entitled “BlackBerry,” will detail the rise and fall of the once-ubiquitous device as its

Following outrage from Czech and international producers, the Czech Republic is bringing back its film production incentives – but at a reduced rate that’s being called a stop-gap measure until a new law can fully restore them. Czech President Milos Zeman has signed a new act to keep the incentives at 20% of rebate on

Weeks before its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, military drama film “The Inspection” has received a first trailer from A24. The distributor has also set a Nov. 18 theatrical release date. “The Inspection” is the narrative debut for writer-director Elegance Bratton, who previously helmed the feature documentary “Pier Kids,” which followed homeless

Five Nordic features are nominated for the Nordic Council Film Prize. The prestigious recognition, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, was first awarded to Aki Kaurismäki’s “The Man Without a Past.” Hlynur Pálmason’s “Godland,” Teemu Nikki’s “The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic,” “Lamb” by Valdimar Jóhannson, Joachim Trier’s Oscar-nominated “The Worst Person

Italian sales company True Colours has taken international sales on Venice Horizons opener “Princess,” a gritty drama about a young African sex trade victim, directed by Italian auteur Roberto De Paolis. De Paolis, whose 2017 debut “Pure Hearts” launched positively from Cannes, recently described the film to Variety as “the unfiltered story of a young Nigerian

German film director, screenwriter, and actor Margarethe von Trotta will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 35th European Film Awards. Set to take place on Dec. 10 in Reykjavik, Iceland, the award ceremony will pay tribute to von Trotta’s “unique contribution to the world of film.” Born in Berlin, von Trotta grew

REinvent International Sales has clinched a banner sale to Gussi for Latin America on the Norwegian pic “Storm,” which is screening at Haugesund’s New Nordic Films market, running Aug. 23-26. The Norwegian suspense drama, penned by Johan Fasting (“Home Ground”, “Ninjababy”), is the feature debut of Erika Calmeyer, episodic director of Netflix’s hit teen show

Vienna-based sales agent Square Eyes has acquired international rights to Theo Montoya’s debut feature “Anhell69,” ahead of its world premiere in Venice Film Festival’s International Critics’ Week. The producers include Bianca Oana, who also produced Alexander Nanau’s Oscar-nominated doc “Collective,” and Berlinale winner “Touch Me Not” by Adina Pintilie. A haunting, cinematic portrait of the

Although Daniel Kaluuya won’t be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” he seems plenty excited to experience the franchise as a fan this time around. The actor offered his reaction to the first trailer for “Wakanda Forever” during the Los Angeles premiere of “Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.” Kaluuya

“Fast and Furious” fans around the world are excited for the return of the franchise with the 10th installment, “Fast X,” next April. The residents of Los Angeles’ historic Angelino Heights neighborhood, not so much. Ever since it premiered in 2001, “Fast and the Furious” fans have made a beeline to Angelino Heights to gawk

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not watched “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” now playing in theaters. A24’s “Bodies Bodies Bodies” starts with seven young partiers drinking, doing drugs and hooking up during a hurricane party, but the debauchery turns deadly as the night goes on, until just two people are left alive. Young lovers Sophie

Since the pandemic, it’s been feast or famine at the box office. And after dining out in spectacular fashion for much of the summer, movie theaters are bracing for a starvation diet this fall. With a series of question marks on the calendar through the remainder of the year, there’s at least one movie that

Method acting has taken something of a beating from celebrities in recent years, with stars like Brian Cox, David Harbour and Mads Mikkelsen calling the process “dangerous,” “pretentious” and even a “disease.” But the art form has a defender in Andrew Garfield, who spoke about the method in an interview on popular podcast “WTF with

Since becoming the toast of the Coachella Festival in April performing his first rock concerts in decades, Danny Elfman has been a little cagey about some of the questions fans had on their minds about future live plans — namely: Might he take that show on the road, or at least repeat it in some

The line-up for Grimmfest’s International Festival of Fantastic Film 2022 edition has been unveiled. “The Loneliest Boy In The World” (U.K.) is set to open the U.K. horror and genre festival. The dark comedy, which stars Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Ashley Benson and Ben Miller is directed by Martin Owen and tells the story of “an

Brendan Fraser will receive the TIFF Tribute Award for Performance for his role in A24’s upcoming film “The Whale.” TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey announced the news.  “Brendan Fraser gives a performance of staggering depth, power and nuance in ‘The Whale,’” Bailey said. “This former Torontonian has been an action star, a screen comic and a

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. “Get your couches ready,” Chris Hemsworth wrote Monday morning on Instagram, announcing that “Thor: Love and Thunder” will be available to stream on Disney+ starting Sept. 8. The Marvel film is one of dozens

The 18th edition of the Camden Intl. Film Festival, kicking off Sept. 15, will feature a handful of award-contending documentaries fresh off showings at Telluride and the Toronto film festivals. The Maine-based festival will unfold in a hybrid format, with both in-person events over a three-day period concluding Sept. 18, and online screenings available from

Brussels-based company Best Friend Forever has acquired Laura Baumeister’s feature debut “Daughter of Rage” ahead of its world premiere at Toronto and San Sebastian film festivals. Baumeister previously directed the shorts “Isabel im Winter” which played at Cannes Critics’ Week in 2014 and “Ombligo De Agua” which screened in Rotterdam and Clermont-Ferrand in 2018. The

James Denton will star alongside his son, Sheppard Denton, in Hallmark‘s “Perfect Harmony,” a new original moving premiering in the fall on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. Sherri Saum will also star. In, “Perfect Harmony,” Denton portrays Jack Chandeller while Saum plays Barrett Woodword. When thier mutual friends, Naomi (Julia Benson) and Simon (Peter Benson), are

In a sprawling new Rolling Stone interview, Harry Styles takes time to address several issues on the minds of his fans, which involve his personal life and how it impacts his art. Styles discussed his new role in the upcoming film “My Policeman,” a romantic period piece set in the ’50s, when it was illegal

Industry veteran Aghi Koh is joining Stuart Ford’s AGC Studios as a consultant to spearhead the company’s move into the family and young adult spaces across film and TV. Koh, who has over 20 years experience as a creative executive in the kids, family and young adult space, has been a creative executive at DreamWorks

Paris-based Alief has secured international rights to Icelandic documentary “Band.” Following its world premiere at HotDocs earlier this year, the film will now be shown in Haugesund’s New Nordic Films section, with an Icelandic premiere set for Nov. 4. Sena and Siminn handle Icelandic rights. Directed by debuting helmer Álfrún Örnólfsdóttir, the melancholic yet humorous doc has already

After reports last week saying that debt-laden exhibition giant Cineworld was considering bankruptcy, the group has issued a statement revealing a possible Chapter 11 filing in the U.S. “In response to media speculation, Cineworld is today providing an update to its announcement on 17 August 2022 regarding an evaluation of strategic options to both obtain