Movies

Actor Hari Nef is pulling up to the Malibu dream house, landing a role in the feature film adaptation of “Barbie.” Directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie as the iconic doll, Nef joins a steep bench of supporting players, including Ryan Gosling, Kate McKinnon, America Ferrera, Simu Liu and Will Ferrell. Nef is

Altered Innocence has picked up all U.S. rights to Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson’s second feature film “Beautiful Beings,” which was an official selection in the Panorama section of Berlinale this year. A theatrical release is planned for early next year. The follow-up to the critically acclaimed “Heartstone” is an exploration of the deep bonds of adolescent

The new owners of all things Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman are exploring an overhaul of DC Entertainment, multiple sources close to the situation told Variety. It’s been less than a week since Discovery closed its $43 billion deal for WarnerMedia, joining one of the largest producers of reality programming with one of the most

A therapist who worked with Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in 2015 testified that the couple engaged in “mutual abuse,” and that Depp could be “triggered” by Heard. Laurel Avis Anderson’s testimony was played for jurors on the third day of the $50 million defamation trial underway in Fairfax, Va. Depp has sued Heard for

Composer Brian Tyler is set to receive BMI’s top honor, the Icon Award, as the BMI Film, TV and Visual Media Awards resume the tradition of in-person ceremonies with a dinner in May in Beverly Hills. Also being bestowed as part of the 38th annual awards will be a BMI Impact Award given out to

“Good Mourning,” the feature-length directorial debut of pop-punk musicians Colson Baker (better known as his stage name Machine Gun Kelly) and Mod Sun, has set its U.S. theatrical and TVOD release for May 20. Billed as a stoner comedy, “Good Mourning” stars Baker, Sun and Megan Fox. Baker plays movie star London Ransom, whose world

Alexandra Cocean has been appointed EVP international sales and distribution at Voltage Pictures. As part of the move, Cocean will join the company’s international sales exec team, reporting to Voltage Pictures’ president and COO Jonathan Deckter. Cocean moves back in-house after acting as international sales consultant for Blue Fox Entertainment, Myriad Pictures and Solstice Studios.

Vox Cinemas, the highest-grossing exhibitor in West Asia, will receive Variety’s inaugural Achievement in Intl. Exhibition Award at the 2022 CinemaCon, which runs April 25-28 at Caesar Palace in Las Vegas. Vox operates more than 600 screens in eight countries. Vox is optimistic about its future in such markets as Kuwait and Egypt, with plans

This year’s crop of filmmakers at the Cannes Film Festival does not represent a new benchmark in terms of gender diversity. Since becoming the first international festival to sign a gender parity pledge in 2018, Cannes has failed to make substantial progress in ramping up the representation of female directors in competition, which remains dominated

For Films, producer of “Labour of Love,” which won best debut for director Aditya Vikram Sengupta at the 2014 Venice Film Festival, has revealed a robust slate. Other films from the company include Rotterdam selection “Jonaki” (2018) and Venice selection “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta” (2021), both directed by Sengupta. For Films is now

There will be gore. David Cronenberg returns to the body horror genre that served him so well with his new film “Crimes of the Future,” his first big screen release in eight years. The movie will have its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it will inject some serious star power onto the

After going virtual for two consecutive years due to the pandemic, the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) festival is planning to reduce its core team by 15%. The new team, which will be announced in May during the Cannes Film Festival, will work across five divisions, content, communication and audience reach, funding and business growth,

Lee Jung-jae, the lead star of Netflix hit series “Squid Game” will be at the Cannes Film Festival this year with the world premiere of his feature directing debut “Hunt.” The film (aka “Namsun”) will be presented next month in the Cannes festival’s Midnight Screening section. Two other films will receive midnight screenings: “Fumer Fait

During the pandemic, no major film festival was all shook up more than Cannes, forced to cancel the 2019 event and shifting dates to mid-summer for an overstocked comeback event the following year. Now, this all-important showcase for global art cinema looks to be finding its feet again, announcing new films from George Miller, David

On March 8, 1991, Mario Van Peebles’ feature directorial debut “New Jack City” premiered at the Mann Village Theatre in Westwood. On Saturday, a little more than 30 years later, Van Peebles walked the red carpet outside the very same cinema — now renamed the Regency Village Theatre — for a special screening of his

Morgan Neville’s company Tremolo Productions is officially in production of an untitled Andy Kaufman documentary alongside Josh and Benny Safdie’s Elara Pictures. The Emmy-nominated Alex Braverman will direct the feature-length film. “No matter how many times I watch Andy Kaufman’s work, I feel like I’m seeing a magic trick for the very first time,” Braverman

Sienna Miller starred opposite Ben Affleck in the 2016 gangster drama “Live by Night,” which Affleck also directed. The Warner Bros. release starred Affleck as a bootlegger turned gangster and Miller as his love interest, who also happens to be the mistress of a powerful mob boss. According to Miller, her chemistry with Affleck hardly

Academy Award nominee Salma Hayek is joining the cast of Channing Tatum’s new “Magic Mike” sequel, replacing original female lead Thandiwe Newton. “Thandiwe Newton has made the difficult decision to step away from the production of Warner Bros. Pictures’ Magic Mike’s Last Dance to deal with family matters,” a spokesperson for the studio told Variety

“Moonage Daydream,” a David Bowie historical film featuring a bounty of previously unreleased footage and helmed by Brett Morgen, the director behind “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck,” “Jane” and “The Kid Stays in the Picture,” will be distributed in the U.S. by Neon and internationally by Universal Pictures Content Group, with a streaming premiere on

There is something nakedly revealing about singing karaoke. The activity invites singers of all stripes to tap into their inner divas even, or especially, if you really can’t hit those notes or truly master that tricky wording. Given this, karaoke often lends itself to being a liberating and rather joyful pastime, the kind of drunken

“Top Gun: Maverick” director Joseph Kosinski told Empire magazine that he shot approximately 800 hours of footage for the long-in-the-works Tom Cruise action sequel. The filmmaker put that number into perspective by saying the sequel “shot as much footage as the three ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies combined.” Kosinski reunited with his “Oblivion” star Cruise

Top industry awards at the 53rd edition of the international documentary film festival Visions du Réel have gone to “La Bonga,” “Anatomy of the Night,” “The Other Profile,” “Noor” and “Becoming Roosi.” A total of 27 projects were invited to participate in three key forums – VdR-Pitching, VdR-Work in Progress and VdR-Rough Cut Lab –

Italian director, screenwriter and producer Marco Bellocchio has opened up about his career and upcoming projects during a masterclass at the 53rd edition of Visions du Réel, where he received an honorary award. The 82-year-old master is guest of honor at the documentary film festival, which includes a retrospective of a dozen of his works

Brand executive Rich Santiago has joined Vice Media Group as senior vice president of brand strategy and creative experience, Variety has learned exclusively.  He will report to Nadja Bellan-White, Global Chief Marketing Officer, VICE Media Group, who announced the news on Wednesday. Santiago joins the company from Meta (formerly Facebook), and will partner with Vice’s

Cuba Gooding Jr. pleaded guilty to one count of forcible touching in a criminal case that accused him of violating three different women at Manhattan nightclubs in 2018 and 2019, according to the Associated Press. As part of his plea deal, Gooding avoids jail time and must continue his alcohol and behavior counseling, which he

A temporary restraining order against “The Flash” star Ezra Miller has been dropped, less than three weeks after it was filed and Miller was arrested for disorderly conduct and harassment in Hawaii. According to the Associated Press, a judge dismissed the restraining order on Tuesday after a request by the Hawaiian couple who had filed

The Cannes Film Marché has unveiled the full lineup of its Ukraine in Focus program which will provide Ukrainian filmmakers and producers with networking, pitching and co-financing opportunities over two days during the Cannes Film Festival, on May 21 and 22. Under the program, key market initiatives such as Goes to Cannes, Cannes Docs Showcase

Netflix has dropped a trailer for “The Takedown,” a cop comedy directed by “Lupin” helmer Louis Leterrier and starring Omar Sy and Laurent Lafitte. The movie is a sequel to the French comedy “On The Other Side Of The Tracks.” Sy and Lafitte star as two cops with very different styles and backgrounds who are

Mark Wahlberg’s new movie “Father Stu” tells the true story of Stuart Long, an amateur boxer who becomes a Catholic priest while suffering from inclusion body myositis. The film is way more than just an acting gig for Wahlberg, who recently told Insider that he spent “millions and millions of dollars” of his own money

Angelika Film Center and Sony Pictures Classics want you to go back to the movies…with a friend. In an effort to increase foot traffic at arthouse cinemas, Angelika and SPC have partnered to launch “Bring a Friend Back to the Movies.” The initiative is timed to the release of “The Duke,” a dramatic heist comedy