Movies

Helsinki-based helmer-writer Aino Suni makes her feature debut with “Heartbeast,” a queer love story with a dark twist about a Finnish teen whose mother moves her to France. It world premieres in Nordic competition at this year’s Göteborg Festival. What inspired the story? Suni: The documentary “Never Again” I made about Finnish rapper Mercedes Bentso

Berlin-based sales agency Picture Tree Intl. has added to its European Film Market slate “Love Thing,” starring top German actor Elyas M’Barek, whose credits include “The Collini Case.” Also on the slate is “Soul of a Beast,” which debuts its trailer below. Despite the virtual nature of the EFM, the company has taken additional office

France TV Distribution has boarded “Sugar and Stars” (“À la belle étoile”), an inspirational drama based on the true story of an underdog who became a famed pastry chef. The film marks the feature debut of Sébastien Tulard, who has directed several shorts and worked as assistant director on hit French comedies such as Tarek

Pencils down, pass your ballots to the front because the Oscar nomination voting is now closed. Speaking to voters over the past week, it’s been relatively clear about what voters like and who they’re supporting in a strong year for film. Nominations will be announced on Tuesday, Feb. 8, and we have the 10 burning

Last month, the Academy Museum launched “Branch Selects,” a series that screens every Tuesday night at the museum with the chosen film highlighting a distinct area of filmmaking. Bernardo Rondeau, the museum’s senior director of film programs, says the idea came from receiving a lot of recommendations and feedback across the board from its members.

A new bill would require film workers in New Mexico to pass a hunter safety course if firearms are present on set. The bill, SB 188, was introduced on Monday by Sen. Cliff Pirtle, R-Roswell. It is the Legislature’s first attempt to respond to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of

Brian Cox recently walked Vanity Fair through several of his most high profile roles, including his turn as Agamemnon in Wolfgang Peterson’s 2004 historical war film “Troy.” The swords-and-sandals epic cast Cox opposite Brad Pitt as Achilles. According to Cox, the role of Agamemnon in “Troy” was “the only part I’ve ever pursued” in his

After warming fans’ hearts as Pa in the awards season contender “Belfast,” Jamie Dornan has signed on to join Gal Gadot in the international spy thriller “Heart of Stone,” from Netflix and Skydance. Directed by Tom Harper and written by Greg Rucka and Allison Schroeder, the international spy thriller is produced by Skydance’s David Ellison,

Clifton Collins Jr., Michael Gandolfini, Josh Hamilton and Brooklynn MacKinzie have joined the cast of Cory Finley’s “Landscape With Invisible Hand.” The quartet join previously announced stars Asante Blackk, Tiffany Haddish and Kylie Rogers in the film adaptation from MGM, Plan B Entertainment and Annapurna Pictures. Based on National Book Award winner M.T. Anderson’s novel

Geoffrey Rush is set to play iconic comedian Groucho Marx in “Raised Eyebrows,” writer-director Oren Moverman’s upcoming adaptation of Steve Stoliar’s memoir “Raised Eyebrows: My Years Inside Groucho’s House.” Moverman, whose credits include co-writing the Brian Wilson biopic “Love & Mercy” and writing and directing “Time Out of Mind,”  worked on the “Raising Eyebrows” script

Prentice Penny, who served as showrunner on HBO’s popular series “Insecure,” is stepping behind the camera to direct a feature film for Universal Pictures. Penny has been hired to adapt “New Kid,” a movie version of Jerry Craft’s bestselling graphic novel. The children’s story follows a Black pre-teen named Jordan Banks, who experiences culture shock

The immediate challenge director Chai Vasarhelyi faced in making “The Rescue” was that there was no footage of the gripping 2018 rescue attempt to save 12 young members of a Thai soccer club and their coach from an underwater cave. Clips from the news was all they had to work with. But Vasharhelyi says that

A24 is partnering with Brain Dead Studios to develop a docuseries based on the Sundance short film “You Have Never Been Completely Honest,” Variety has learned exclusively. The docuseries will be titled “Self.” It will be a hybrid-format using archival footage, animation, and reenactments to chronicle the self-help movement throughout history. “You Have Never Been Completely

Yes Studios, the Tel Aviv-based producer and distributor behind hit series “Fauda” and “Shtisel,” has appointed Sharon Levi as managing director. Levi’s appointment follows the exit of Danna Stern, who spent two decades at the Israeli broadcaster. Levi, who is joining the Israeli banner from ITV Studios-owned Armoza Format, will take the lead of Yes

Bleecker Street has acquired the U.S. rights to Abi Damaris Corbin’s “892,” starring John Boyega and the late Michael K. Williams, following its Sundance premiere. News of the acquisition comes after the film was awarded the special jury award for ensemble cast in the U.S. Dramatic Competition on Friday. The deal was brokered between Bleecker

On Tuesday, Ariana DeBose, Harris Dickinson, Lashana Lynch, Millicent Simmonds and Kodi Smit-McPhee were announced as the 2022 nominees for the BAFTA EE Rising Star Award. Nominees are selected for demonstrating “exceptional talent in film over the past year.” Previous winners of the award have included James McAvoy, Eva Green, Tom Hardy, Kristen Stewart, Tom

British pop singer Anne-Marie has landed a cameo in Pixar’s upcoming animated feature “Turning Red.” Anne-Marie will voice Lauren, a friend of lead character Mei’s in the film. “Turning Red” tells the story of 13-year-old Mei Lee (played by Rosalie Chiang) who sometimes turns into a red panda when she gets too excitable – a

You’re never too old to believe in magic. That’s the guiding philosophy behind writer-director Kate Tsang’s “Marvelous and the Black Hole,” which tells the story of a young delinquent who forms an unlikely friendship with an older magician. FilmRise has given Variety exclusive access to the trailer for the film (above), which opens in select

Canadian media giant Corus Entertainment has made a rare production investment, buying a majority stake in “The Breadwinner” and “Raising Expectations” producer Aircraft Pictures. Founded in 2005 by Canadian producers Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen, Aircraft was Oscar-nominated for 2017 animated feature “The Breadwinner,” about an 11-year-old girl living under Taliban rule in Afghanistan in

A24 has released the official trailer for “After Yang,” the sophomore feature of “Columbus” filmmaker Kogonada, releasing in theaters on March 4. Based on the short story “Saying Goodbye to Yang” by Alexander Weinstein, “After Yang” is set in a world where robots are purchased as live-in babysitters for children. Married couple Jake (Colin Farrell)

Jessie Buckley, Fiona Shaw and Vicky Krieps have signed on to star in “Hot Milk,” the debut directorial feature from “Colette” screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz. The film is based on Deborah Levy’s best-selling novel about a mother and daughter, Rose and Sofia, who travel to a Spanish clinic in the hoping of finding a cure for

The reign of Sony’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” atop the U.K. and Ireland box office has finally ended with Universal’s animation sequel “Sing 2” claiming the throne. “Sing 2,” directed by Garth Jennings and featuring a stellar voice cast of Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson and Taron Egerton among many others, debuted in pole

Kirill Serebrennikov, the iconoclastic Russian filmmaker behind Cannes competition titles “Petrov’s Flu” and “Leto,” is reteaming with French banner Charades on his next daring movie, “Tchaikovsky’s Wife.” Serebrennikov, who is under a three-year travel ban, sheds light on the tumultuous relationship between Pyotr Tchaikovsky, the most famous Russian composer of all time, and his wife

Munich-based world sales company Global Screen has closed further deals in major territories for the family entertainment adventure “School of Magical Animals,” the most successful German film at the local box office last year. Global Screen will also be selling the sequel, it announced Tuesday. Deals have been closed for China (A-Quest Culture Media), Japan

Actors Ariana DeBose, Harris Dickinson, Lashana Lynch, Millicent Symonds and Kodi Smit-McPhee are the 2022 nominees for the BAFTA EE Rising Star Award. The nominees were announced by 2021 Rising Star winner Bukky Bakray (“You Don’t Know Me”) and presenter Edith Bowman on Tuesday. The five actors have been selected for demonstrating “exceptional talent in

Amcomri Entertainment has come on board as financier and producer, alongside Ireland’s Studio Atlantic, on Victorian-era thriller “The Gates.” The film stars John Rhys-Davies, who played Gimli the dwarf in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Amcomri’s 101 Films Intl. will handle global sales. The film is set in London in the 1890s. Serial killer

Leonine Studios has secured all German and Austrian rights for Lionsgate’s upcoming film slate, including Keanu Reeves’ “John Wick 4” and its spin-off “Ballerina,” starring Ana de Armas. The deal, which extends Lionsgate’s existing relationship with Leonine, also includes culture-clash comedy “About My Father” from stand-up comedian Sebastian Maniscalco (“The Irishman”) starring opposite Oscar-winner Robert

If you asked a random group of Israelis and a random group of Palestinians to describe the events that surrounded the founding of Israel in 1948 (chief among them the War of Independence, which lasted close to a year), you’d probably come about as close as you could get to a world political “Rashomon.” The

Even by lone wolf standards, William Tell stands apart. Or so he tells himself. Out of prison and playing poker for money, Tell breaks his self-imposed isolation when he’s approached by La Linda, a sultry and mysterious backer of gamblers. “I’m always looking for a good thoroughbred,” La Linda says with a sly smile, before

France’s Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas kicks off Feb. 1 with a gala screening of Iranian auteur Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s 2001 Cannes winner “Kandahar” and will conclude on Feb. 8 with Kazakhstan filmmaker Yerlan Nurmukhambetov’s “The Horse Thieves. Roads of Time.” The guest of honor at the festival’s 28th edition will be Japanese filmmaker