Movies

After directing not one but two pivotal entries in the James Bond franchise, “GoldenEye” and “Casino Royale,” Martin Campbell has accomplished more than enough to earn a permanent place in the action movie firmament. But his sturdy, unshowy virtuosity on everything from “The Mask of Zorro” to two versions of “Edge of Darkness” to “Memory”

It’s only February, but 2025 has already been quite a year for the Spirit Awards. The nonprofit organization that runs it, Film Independent (FIND), is celebrating the ceremony’s 40th anniversary just weeks after devastating Los Angeles fires, the Dec. 31 passing of its longtime president Josh Welsh after his five-year battle with colon cancer, and

Lee Pace and his co-star Mia Maestro have been friends for more than a decade. “I can’t believe I’m saying this in an interview,” chuckles Pace, “but Mia and I did the last ‘Twilight’ film together. However, that was kind of just the very beginning of our friendship.” It was through Maestro, the lead in

Peter Jason, a character actor known for his roles in “Deadwood,” “48 Hrs.” and “Prince of Darkness,” along with his many television appearances, died Thursday in his West Hollywood home. He was 80. Jason’s death was confirmed by a rep from Tribesmen Pictures, with the cause of death being cancer. On X, “Halloween” director John

Blake Lively‘s attorneys are looking to keep a lid on the release of sensitive personal and financial information in the course of litigation against Justin Baldoni, citing violent and sexist threats she and her supporters have received. Noting that the case involves several “high-profile individuals,” Lively wants a court order to assure that certain information

Hanno Basse — chief tecnology officer of AI tech developer Stability AI, whose board members include James Cameron — discussed his company’s work and the evolution of generative AI in filmmaking during this week’s HPA Tech Retreat, saying, “The ultimate goal is to make more movies.” Pointing to the years it can take to make

John Malkovich says he didn’t know much about The Fantastic Four before signing on for a role in the upcoming reboot of the Marvel franchise. “I’m sure I read it when I was a kid because I did read comics when I was a kid, but that was a long, long time ago,” the actor

As Germany shifts to the right, will its movies and TV series become less diverse? After making major strides to promote diversity in film and TV productions in recent years, the German film industry could now be facing a setback in this effort. The country, which is home to the Berlin Film Festival and European

SPOILER WARNING: This story discusses multiple plot developments in “Captain America: Brave New World,” currently playing in theaters. When director Julius Onah called Variety on Feb. 13, he was in New York, in transit between promotional events for his Marvel Studios film “Captain America: Brave New World.” The day before, he had a packed day

“The Blue Trail,” one of the big highlights of the Berlin Film Festival that’s competing for a Golden Bear, has been acquired by a raft of international distributors. Paris-based sales banner Lucky Number launched the politically minded movie at the EFM, which runs alongside the festival and sold it to major territories, including Germany (Alamode), France (Paname),

The next two installments of A24‘s monthly screening series with Imax are “Moonlight” and “Spring Breakers.” “Moonlight,” Barry Jenkins’ best picture winner from 2016, will return to the big screen on Thursday, Feb. 27. “Spring Breakers,” Harmony Korine’s 2013 college crime comedy, will be re-released on Wednesday, March 19. Tickets are on sale for both

Indian screen legend Kamal Haasan has been tapped to head the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s (FICCI) Media and Entertainment Committee South, as announced at the org’s Media & Entertainment Business Conclave South Connect 2025 in Chennai. The two-day conference, inaugurated by Haasan alongside actor and producer Udhayanidhi Stalin, who now serves

Sometimes there’s a song within you that just needs to come out, as many a musician has said in a puff-piece interview. But what if you’re not sure it’s your voice fighting its way up your throat? Argentine writer-director Lucio Castro dangles this question in “After This Death,” a quivery, elusive and strangely moving psychological

Mexico has had its first – and hopefully not its last – blockbuster of the year with wedding romcom ‘Mesa de Regalos’ (roughly translated to Wedding Gift Table or Wedding Registry) with more than 1.7 million admissions, far surpassing other Mexican titles this year by over a million.   Produced by Spain’s The Mediapro Studio

London- and Paris-based production, finance and sales company Film Constellation is reporting a raft of sales from Berlin on chef drama “Grande Maison Paris,” a standalone feature film from the world of Japanese hit series “La Grande Maison: Tokyo.” The film has sold in Taiwan (Cai Chang), South Korea (Media Castle), Mainland China (DDDream), Hong

Austrian-German production company Schubert is moving forward with a slate of films by distinctive auteur filmmakers, among them the historical drama “Rose,” by Austrian writer-director Markus Schleinzer and starring Sandra Hüller (“The Zone of Interest”). Founded by Johannes Schubert in 2020, the Vienna and Berlin-based company partnered with ROW Pictures in Leipzig and Munich’s Walker

When Alex Russell arrived for the first day of shooting his feature directorial debut, “Lurker,” he realized he probably had the least on-set experience of anyone involved. “I had no idea what I was doing,” admits the 34-year-old writer-director, who got his start in the writers’ room of FX’s “Dave” and then moved up to

Excursions to a galaxy far, far away aside, Daisy Ridley’s career of late has been refreshingly grounded with projects of all scales. From the modest but fiendishly entertaining domestic thriller “Magpie” to the soulful office dramedy “Sometimes I Think About Dying” and the inspirational sports movie “Young Woman and the Sea,” the wide-ranging filmography Ridley

It turns out they were right to kill off James Bond. Three years ago, reviewing the final Daniel Craig Bond film, “No Time to Die,” I praised the filmmakers’ decision to end the movie with the death of Craig’s 007. I called it “the send-off he deserves” and wrote, “What happens in the climactic scene

Nicole Kidman made a vow in 2017 to work with a woman director every 18 months. To say she has made good on that promise would be an understatement. The Oscar winner has teamed up with a women director either as a producer or as an actor 19 times over the last eight years, with

Regal Cinemas will celebrate the life of late Senator Joe Lieberman with a two-night screening of the documentary “Centered: Joe Lieberman.” Directed by Jonathan Gruber, the doc chronicles the Senator’s life and 40-plus-year political career. The film highlights Lieberman’s commitment to the American people and his run in 2000 to become the first Jewish Vice

Zachary Levi appeared on “The Megyn Kelly Show” to promote his new movie, “The Unbreakable Boy,” and said he was “at peace” when he made the decision last year to publicly support Donald Trump for president. The “Shazam” actor originally endorsed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. but fully backed Trump when the latter became the Republican

Set during the May 1968 revolution in Paris, Lionel Baier’s “The Safe House” is a comic family portrait filled with ideas that never fully cohere. The film is based on Christophe Boltanski’s Prix Femina-winning biographical novel of the same name, a fact of which we’re reminded numerous times via authorial voiceover. Its snappy, postmodern unfurling,

Angela Bassett recently told Town & Country magazine that she was “deserving” of the best supporting actress Oscar for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Bassett was nominated in 2023 but lost to Jamie Lee Curtis for “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Her stoic reaction as Curtis’ name was called went viral on social media. “I found

Daniel Craig is raising a (martini) glass to James Bond‘s long-time producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. The duo announced on Thursday their plans to step back from the 007 franchise and cede creative control to Amazon MGM. “My respect, admiration and love for Barbara and Michael remain constant and undiminished,” Craig, who played the suave

For more than 60 years, one family has determined everything about James Bond, from how he takes his martini (“shaken, not stirred”) to his firearm (Walther PPK) and vehicle (Aston Martin) of choice. But on Thursday, a landmark deal with Amazon MGM reshaped the course of cinema’s most enduring franchise. As part of the pact,

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is bringing exclusive Oscar night viewing parties to New York, Los Angeles, and London. These parties are open to Academy members and invited film industry guests. The New York event will be held at the Mandarin Oriental, kicking off the evening with a cocktail reception and crafted

The Michael Jackson documentary “Leaving Neverland” is officially getting a sequel. An hour-long follow-up film, subtitled “Surviving Michael Jackson,” will debut on the U.K.’s Channel 4 on March 18, Variety has confirmed. The sequel will catch up with Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who accused the King of Pop of sexually abusing them when they

Copenhagen documentary festival CPH:DOX is set to launch a Summit in partnership with Documentary Campus and the Danish Producers’ Assn. on March 24. The Summit will bring together politicians, thought leaders and film and TV professionals to discuss the future of the industry. It aims to make possible “cross-sector dialogues, enabling key decision-makers to address

Amazon founder and current executive chair Jeff Bezos has a question: “Who’d you pick as the next Bond?” Following the shocking news that Amazon MGM Studios has taken full creative control of the 007 franchise, Bezos riled up the fandom on X by asking his 6.8 million followers for their thoughts on who should succeed