Movies

The Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon was a happy occasion full of hugs between stars, but also a sense of trepidation as the first Academy luncheon since the COVID-19 pandemic started in March 2020. With a live, in-person event held at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, with remarks from Oscars producer Will Packer

Vertical Entertainment has acquired North American rights to distribute “The Walk,” which tells the story of the court-ordered forced integration of the Boston School System in the 1970s. The film, starring Justin Chatwin and Terrence Howard, will be released in theaters and digitally on June 10. “The Walk” follows Bill Coughlin (Chatwin, pictured above), a

Jamie Lee Curtis recently told People magazine that she felt “embarrassed” going nude for “Trading Places” when she was 21 years old. Curtis starred as a call girl in the John Landis-directed 1983 comedy opposite Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy. Curtis appears topless in the film. “I was 21 years old and the part required

Disney CFO Christine McCarthy insisted that media giant’s move to introduce a cheaper, ad-supported version of Disney Plus later this year is not a “hail Mary” to try to hit aggressive streaming-acquisition goals with a lower entry price. The goal of Disney Plus with ads is to provide consumers an additional choice for how they

As the Walt Disney Co. takes heat for a report detailing how the company has financially backed all of the sponsors of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, employees and artists associated with Disney have taken to social media to criticize its response to the bill. Particularly upsetting many staffers is CEO Bob Chapek’s memo expressing

Nicole Kidman may be a nominated for her fifth Oscar for her work in “Being the Ricardos,” but she wasn’t at the annual nominees luncheon on Monday at the Fairmont Century Plaza hotel. Variety can exclusively reveal that Kidman is at home in Nashville under doctors’ orders, recovering from a torn hamstring. She was filming

The documentary short competition has long been a prime stage for nonfiction talent, and thanks to the renewed interest of streamers and new platforms, the format is as lively as ever. This year’s nominees encompass a wide range of subjects, from female sports pioneers to homelessness, love in a warzone and childhood bullying. And don’t

Michael Giacchino’s dark symphony for “The Batman” — from his brooding theme for Bruce Wayne to children’s choir for the Riddler and noirish stylings for Catwoman — is the year’s most talked-about score and among his most ambitious yet. When Warner’s WaterTower label released a “Batman” track in late January, it racked up an astounding

Greig Fraser’s first conversations with Matt Reeves began before the director ever signed on to the comic book film. While in post-production on his “Planet of the Apes” movies, Reeves talked to the cinematographer about being approached by Warner Bros. to helm a new film adaptation of the Caped Crusader. “There was no job offer

Memento International has sold Ursula Meier’s drama “The Line” to major markets, including the U.S. with Strand Releasing, on the heels of its world premiere in competition at the Berlin Film Festival. A poignant study of acceptance and delicate family bonds, “The Line” stars Valeria Bruni Tedeschi (“La Fracture”) and Stephanie Blanchoud (“Ennemi Public”) as

The newly reestablished Hammer Studios has acquired U.K. rights for B Good Picture Company’s “Doctor Jekyll.” In Nov. 2021, the U.K.’s Network Distributing sealed a deal with iconic British horror label Hammer Films to form Hammer Studios Ltd. “Doctor Jekyll,” directed by Joe Stephenson and currently shooting in the U.K., will be the first film

“It’s Quieter in the Twilight,” directed by Billy Miossi, will have its world premiere at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival on March 13, where it plays in the documentary feature competition. The film follows a select group of ageing engineers who, in an unremarkable office space, sacrificed promotion, postponed retirement and dedicated their

A screening of Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” was disrupted on opening night Friday at the Moviehouse & Eatery by Cinépolis in Austin, Texas after a moviegoer released a live bat inside the theater. Annelise Holyoak, a spokesperson at Cinépolis, confirmed the news with CBS Austin and said the moviegoer was pulling a prank and not

In the wake of controversy over Disney’s quiet response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, as well as a report that the company has given money to all of the bill’s sponsors, CEO Bob Chapek expressed Disney’s “unwavering commitment to the LGBTQ+ community” in a company-wide email obtained by Variety. “In terms of our communities,

Jennifer Lopez’s “Marry Me” is the most-streamed day-and-date movie on Peacock, and Will Smith’s gritty “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” reboot “Bel-Air,” which debuted on Super Bowl Sunday last month, is the platform’s top new series. “We launched a movie on Valentine’s Day, ‘Marry Me,’ [which is] day-and-date the most-streamed movie we’ve had,” Comcast CEO and

Zoë Kravitz is earning rave reviews for her performance as Selina Kyle/Catwoman in Matt Reeves’ “The Batman,” but the role was not the actor’s first attempt to break into the Caped Crusader universe on the big screen. Kravitz recently told The Observer that her attempt to audition for a role in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark

London-based documentary specialist Dogwoof has deepened its involvement with “Copa ’71,” directed by Rachel Ramsay (“Clarkson’s Farm”) and James Erskine (“Billie”). Dogwoof financed the project’s development through its production vehicle TDog and will now take it to market at the upcoming CPH:FORUM, CPH:DOX’s financing and co-production event, in March. “Copa ’71” recounts the story of

Tech-centric holding company Ballantyne Strong has launched Strong Studios to create content under the company’s Strong Entertainment division. David Ozer, formerly CEO of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment’s Landmark Studio Group, will serve as president of the new studio. Based in New York, Strong Studios will develop and produce original feature films and television

“The Batman” landed a bigger opening weekend than Warner Bros., the studio behind the comic book adventure, initially expected. The newest superhero epic, starring Robert Pattinson as an exceptionally moody Caped Crusader, collected $134 million in North American theaters over the weekend, above Sunday’s estimates of $128.5 million. Those ticket sales rank as the best

Cynthia Kaye McWilliams is one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors. Currently appearing opposite Kevin Hart in “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” which has just returned to screens for a reunion season after a six year hiatus, McWilliams is also the voice of Gamora in Marvel Studios’ animated series “What If…?” and is soon to be seen

The Film Independent Spirit Awards returned as a live, in-person event on the beach. The traditional blue carpet was rolled out for this year’s indie superstars, who gathered under a tent on the beach in Santa Monica for this year’s festivities on March 6. Hosted by Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman, the awards’ honorary chairperson

AWARDS Renowned singer Shirley Bassey is set to open this year’s BAFTA film awards with a James Bond tribute. Bassey has long been associated with 007, holding the record for an artist who has sung the most Bond theme songs with “Goldfinger” in 1964, “Diamonds Are Forever” in 1971 and “Moonraker” in 1979. The singer

A fortnight ago, documentary filmmaker Vera Krichevskaya was anticipating the Russia release of her latest feature, “F@ck This Job,” a spirited, behind-the-scenes portrait of the country’s last independent broadcaster, TV Rain. But just days before the film’s Moscow premiere, Russian military forces invaded Ukraine. On March 3, TV Rain bowed to political pressure and said

As the invasion of Ukraine continues, seven leading Ukrainian filmmakers allege complicity by the Russian artistic community. They are now calling for cultural sanctions against Russia. Valentyn Vasyanovych, director (“Black Level,” “Atlantis,” “Reflection”) Insidious shelling of residential areas with civilians, as well as blackmail of nuclear weapons – is a manifestation of the powerless rage

‘The Battle at Lake Changjin II’ headed the mainland Chinese box office for the fifth successive weekend as cinemas await significant new content. “Changjin II” earned $7.5 million over the latest weekend, according to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway. The increment expanded the film’s aggregate to $626 million since release on Feb. 1, 2022, the

Matt Reeves and production designer James Chinlund have worked together before “The Batman.” The pair’s collaboration has been focused on creating grounded worlds, based in reality. That approach was no different for building the world of the new DC adaptation. Reeves wanted fans to feel like they were in a complete world in which a

“Tonight is not about Yeezus. It’s about Jesus,” said DeVon Franklin, the TV and film producer, bestselling author and VP of the Motion Picture Academy’s board of governors, introducing a panel at NeueHouse in Hollywood this week. It was both, of course, as the event he was leading was sponsored by Netflix and at least

Matt Reeves never meant for Colin Farrell to look unrecognizable in “The Batman.” In the finished film, Farrell’s appearance is utterly obliterated in the role of Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot, the scarred and dumpy mid-level Gotham City gangster with the (unwelcome) nickname of “the Penguin.” But when the 55-year-old director — who co-wrote “The Batman” with

The winners of the 37th Film Independent Spirit Awards were announced on Sunday, March 6. The ceremony, hosted by Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally, honored the best in independent film and television in 2021. Held at the Santa Monica Pier in California, the event aired at 5 p.m. PT/2 p.m. ET on IFC and streamed

For years I’ve said that “The Dark Knight” is the one great comic-book movie. The films you might consider to be runners-up — “Spider-Man 2,” “Superman II,” “Guardians of the Galaxy” — are splendid entertainments, but none of them earn the G-word. Not really. “The Dark Knight,” though, had an operatic grandeur fused with a