Movies

Jeff Wald, longtime manager, producer and boxing promoter, died on Friday in Los Angeles. He was 77. Wald’s death was confirmed to Variety by his daughter Traci Wald. A cause of death was not available. “To the very end, he was laughing and fighting for the life he lived with epic proportions in every way,” Traci Wald

Juice WRLD’s untimely death two years ago did little to snuff out his burgeoning stardom — quite the opposite, in fact. As evidenced by the very existence of Tommy Oliver’s documentary “Juice WRLD: Into the Abyss,” the rapper’s impact on those around him — to say nothing of his legions of fans — continues to

Dubbed the “Polish Marilyn Monroe,” the late actor and singer Kalina Jędrusik used to electrify the audiences of the Polish People’s Republic with her risqué outfits, performance in Andrzej Wajda’s Oscar-nominated “The Promised Land” or unconventional relationship with husband, writer Stanisław Dygat. But “Autumn Girl” – which screens this week in the Polish Competition of

In setting the frame for the Cold War Poland thriller “Operation Hyacinth” – which plays in the Polish Films Competition section of this week’s EnergaCamerimage Film Festival – cinematographer Piotr Sobocinski says he found himself in a race against time. The DP, who’s filmed dark stories in critical successes such as “Corpus Christi” and “Hatred,”

“Eternals” will keep its crown at the domestic box office, as the Marvel entry is projected to repeat as No. 1 with an estimated $27 million gross in its second weekend. Should current projections pan out, the MCU entry will fall approximately 62% in its sophomore outing. Measured against the second weekends of other Marvel

It’s been 14 years since Kirsten Dunst last played Mary Jane Watson in the “Spider-Man” franchise. Dunst now says that she’s open to returning to the web-slinger’s world. “I would do it. Why not? That would be fun,” she told me Thursday night at “The Power of the Dog” screening at AFI Fest at the

Lady Gaga has released a short film exploring the connection between kindness and mental health to coincide with World Kindness Day on Nov. 13. The 30-minute special supported by Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation follows Gaga and mental health expert Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble speaking with a group of 11 young people exploring their personal mental

With a reputation for nuanced color tones and tweaks that may evoke a suffocating Buckingham Palace in “The Crown” or a ghostly time shift in “Last Night in Soho,” Asa Shoul, senior colorist at Warner Bros. De Lane Lea in London, is increasingly tough to book. A veteran of post production on some 50 feature

Before shooting David Lowery’s medieval fantasy “The Green Knight,” which screens this week at EnergaCamerimage Film Festival, cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo watched every King Arthur movie he could find, he tells Variety. “To me, these films always tend to be gray, desaturated. But we wanted to make something modern, also when it comes to the

Academy voters need to bring an open mind and a box of tissues for the heart-wrenching and moving “Swan Song.” Spearheaded by two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali and Oscar nominee Naomie Harris, it’s difficult to find more pure and deliberate performances from two of today’s most revered actors. If this late-bloomer in the awards season

Writer-director Benjamin Cleary’s “Swan Song” wastes little time posing deep, morally complex and compelling questions: If we could spare our loved ones from oppressive despair and heartache, would we make any sacrifice to do so? If we could clone ourselves without anyone knowing, would we? How do we identify to others and ourselves? Part unconventionally-deconstructed love story,

Bruce Springsteen made an appearance ahead of an exclusive screening of the film “The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts” at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey on Friday night (Nov. 12). Springsteen was joined on stage by director Thom Zimny and Sirius XM E Street Radio host Jim Rotolo and gave a

A poignant script, attractive production design and appealing performances bring something fresh to familiar coming-of-age tropes in “On the Water.” Estonia’s submission for the international feature Oscar, the film unfolds in rural Soviet Estonia in the early 1980s, during a pivotal year in the life of the shy teen protagonist that finds him slowly unlocking

The latest entry into the beloved “Home Alone” franchise hails from a stacked roster of comedy veterans. “Borat” and “Bridget Jones’ Baby” co-writer Dan Mazer directs the film from a screenplay by Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell of “Saturday Night Live” (and of Variety’s list of 10 Screenwriters to Watch in 2021). The cast includes

Will Smith’s book tour took over the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Thursday night. The 3,400 seat theater was packed to the rafters for the two hour event, as Smith brought his own special brand of smoke to the stage both in the form of pyrotechnics, as well as a fresh verse. Part rap show,

For three hours on Friday morning, Disney flooded social media with a Main Street Parade of first looks, announcements, and title treatments for at least 45 series, features, and specials set to debut on its streaming service, Disney Plus. The promotional cavalcade covered every section of the service — Marvel, Lucasfilm, Pixar, Disney animation and

A melancholic memory piece that continues to follow the young, budding filmmaker Julie’s (Honor Swinton Byrne) personal and artistic journey, Joanna Hogg’s semi-autobiographical “The Souvenir: Part II” picks up her tale where the former film had left it off, sculpting a B-side just as haunting and immersive. Reuniting with Hogg after infusing “Part I” with

Nearly 15 years after their seminal documentary “The Business of Being Born” examined the birth experience in Western medicine, filmmakers Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein are reuniting to take on women’s reproductive health. “The Business of Birth Control,” which premiered on Thursday at DOC NYC, is described as a fearless look at the movement to

Regal is tweaking its subscription pass in several important ways. The service, dubbed Regal Unlimited, was launched in 2019 as the exhibition chain’s answer to MoviePass. Initially, users who signed up for the service had to commit to a year of the subscription plan. Now, users can sign up with only a 90-day commitment. The

The Mapuches checked Spain’s conquest of Chile’s south for three centuries. The indigenous community is now exploring new ways of fighting back against outside domination and abuse. Set to premiere as part of Al Jazeera English’s Witness series, “Mapuche Teen Rap Queen” draws a thoughtful portrait of Millaray Jara Collio, best known as MC Millaray.

Years before the “Rust” tragedy would cause urgent conversations about guns on set, Hollywood had a safe and realistic alternative that it ignored. The proprietary technology was shown to industry leaders and movie stars in the corners of conventions and trade shows, in the sleek offices of venture capital firms, and in dazzling proof-of-concept footage

Trinity Cine Asia has acquired “The Battle at Lake Changjin” from Taipei-based sales firm Distribution Workshop and is set to release the war epic in the U.K. and Ireland on Nov. 19. The film is currently the highest-grossing title in the world and in China so far in 2021, having earned $881 million in its

Netflix has released the first look of Lindsay Lohan’s forthcoming Christmas rom-com, which is still untitled. Lohan has largely foregone acting in recent years, so this movie — which will stream during the holiday season next year — marks her return to the screen. In “Untitled Holiday Rom-Com,” Lohan stars opposite Chord Overstreet. Variety exclusively broke

Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast” is a film he holds near and dear to his heart, as the semi-autobiographical movie is a touching love letter to his childhood. Jude Hill stars as Buddy, a young boy growing up amid the rising political tensions of Ireland in the ’60s. An explosion on the street where his home is early

“Kevin Garnett: Anything Is Possible” outlines the influential career of Basketball Hall of Famer and Celtic champion Kevin Garnett, who played a pivotal role in “Uncut Gems” opposite Adam Sandler. The Showtime documentary dives into his roots, where it all started and how he got the gold, making his mark on the sport and paving

The initial meeting between “The Humans” director Stephen Karam and production designer David Gropman included some personal history. “The first thing we did was, he walked me around his neighborhood,” Gropman says. Adapted from Karam’s play of the same name, “The Humans” is a New York-set drama dripping with anxiety and claustrophobia as it follows

Disney and Netflix are very different companies, with very different investor bases, but they’re head-to-head competitors in the streaming wars. And on Friday, Netflix’s market valuation climbed above Disney’s for the first time in about a year — ironically, coming on “Disney Plus Day,” the Mouse House’s company-wide marketing event designed to punch up excitement

Aunjanue Ellis is aware she’s having a bit of a career renaissance. The talented actor has been consistently delivering great performances in films like 2002’s “Undercover Brother,” 2004’s “Ray” and 2018’s “If Beale Street Could Talk.” But in the last three years, she has earned two Emmy nominations, one for 2019’s limited series “When They

Disney magic is alive and well! Amy Adams’ lovable princess-to-be, Giselle, returns to screens in Fall 2022 — 15 years after “Enchanted” bowed. The pic will stream exclusively on Disney Plus, Adams and co-star Patrick Dempsey teased in a pre-recorded video during Disney Plus Day. The follow-up to the 2007 hit reunites the duo with

“Prey,” which is set in the “Predator” universe — with an Indigenous woman as its lead — will stream on Hulu in the United States and on Star internationally in summer 2022. Reports about the existence of a “Predator” reboot were out there, but its first look, title and the timing of its release were