Movies

Variety has been nominated for 62 Southern California Journalism Awards, including two for entertainment journalist of the year, one for print journalist of the year, traditional news website, and in-house or corporate publication. The awards, given out by the Los Angeles Press Club, honor outstanding journalism in the region across print, digital, radio and broadcast

Establishing itself as the most consistent buyers of top titles at Fantasia, Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, has acquired period horror feature “The Last Thing Mary Saw” ahead of its Aug. 15 world premiere at the Canadian genre fest. Directed by Edoardo Vitaletti, “The Last Thing Mary Saw”

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s highly anticipated movie “Tick, Tick…Boom!” will make its world premiere as the opening night screening of AFI Fest 2021. The 35th edition of AFI Fest runs from Nov. 10 to Nov. 14, with the 48th AFI Life Achievement Award tribute to Julie Andrews set to take place on Nov. 11 at the Dolby

Netflix and nonprofit organization Ghetto Film School (GFS) announced ten finalists chosen for its year-long nonfiction and directing fellowship.  The selected fellows will be placed on unscripted and documentary series in production at Netflix while participating in networking opportunities provided by the program.  The ten fellows are Ashley O’Shay, Eloise King, Eric Seals, Maya Cueva,

Cargo Film & Releasing has revealed the trailer for documentary “The Conservation Game,” directed and produced by Michael Webber (“The Elephant in the Living Room”) via his Nightfly Entertainment banner. The film explores the largely unregulated U.S. trade in exotic animals, especially big cats like lions, tigers, and leopards and their connection to celebrity conservationists.

To re-create iconic looks for Aretha Franklin biopic “Respect,” which opens in theaters Aug. 13, Tony award-winning costume designer Clint Ramos immersed himself in books about the Queen of Soul. There were very few photos of Franklin in her early years, but he read how singing in church shaped her life. Unlike Diane Ross or

Koch Media has acquired German and Italian VOD rights to Russian filmmaker Anna Zaytseva’s feature debut “#Blue_Whale” ahead of its Aug. 17 world premiere at the 25th Fantasia Int’l Film Festival. “Searching” and “Profile” creator and Screenlife format pioneer Timur Bekmambetov is a co-producer of “#Blue_Whale.” The cautionary tale is inspired by a news story Zaytseva

Andre Braugher has joined the cast of “She Said,” the film retelling of the investigation into sexual assault and harassment perpetrated by Harvey Weinstein. Braugher will play New York Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet, who oversaw groundbreaking reporting from journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. Their 2017 probe led to Hollywood mogul Weinstein’s disgrace and

Indonesian film director Edwin, a festival darling whose films have been the trump card for Berlinale and Rotterdam, returns to the circuit with a new gem. “Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash,” which just had its world premiere in Locarno’s International Competition, is a genre-bending portrayal of an angry impotent young man stuck in

PRODUCTION Shooting kicked off in Dublin on Monday for ITV and BBC streamer BritBox’s latest commission, a new dramedy series titled “The Dry” to be produced by Element Pictures (“Normal People,” “The Favourite”) in association with Screen Ireland and ITV Studios. Irish broadcaster RTÉ is also partnering on production. Roisin Gallagher (“The Fall”) Ciarán Hinds

Swiss-based sales outfit First Hand Films has added major territories to Tribeca and Haugesund entry “A-ha: The Movie” doc, helmed by Thomas Robsahm (“Modern Slavery,” “Punx”) together with Aslaug Holm (“Generation Utøya”). Lighthouse Entertainment has snapped rights for the U.S., Modern Films for the U.K., A Contracorriente for Spain, Periscoop for Benelux, Pannania for Hungary

Two boys are sitting on a hill at the edge of a forest, under a massive stone wall towering above them. Dreaming, laughing, joking, like any other teenagers. The menacing sound of a doorbell foreshadows their happiness, and we begin to understand: the protagonists of the film are living between the walls of a juvenile

The Melbourne International Film Festival in Australia has canceled its in-person screening component, due to the rising number of coronavirus cases in the city. After a fully online edition in 2020, the 2021 festival was scheduled to run Aug. 12-22 as a hybrid combining online and real-world elements. But on Wednesday, the premier of Victoria

Pat Hitchcock, director Alfred Hitchcock’s only child, has died at 93. Her daughter, Katie O’Connell-Fiala, confirmed that she died Monday in Thousand Oaks, Calif. She appeared in her father’s films including “Strangers on a Train,” “Psycho” and “Stage Fright.” In “Psycho,” Hitchcock played Janet Leigh’s office mate Caroline, who offers to share her tranquilizers. In

Ever since “Nine Days” filmmaker Edson Oda won the Sundance Film Festival’s Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award in January 2020, the prize has been a great boost of confidence whenever a little imposter syndrome syndrome kicks in. “I keep it on another table so I can see it,” Edson tells Variety over Zoom, pointing at the

Festival regular Edwin delivers a withering critique of masculinity with the enjoyably gritty if over-obvious “Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash.” Usually when films deal with impotence, they tend to be coy or jokey, but there’s no beating around the bush here: Erectile dysfunction is the theme, with all the implications of disempowerment and

With the NBA still on the outs with China and Nike hit with Chinese backlash over Xinjiang, it might seem that “Space Jam: A New Legacy” has two serious fouls against its chances of entering the world’s largest film market. But signs indicate that Beijing may uniquely embrace the “Space Jam” star LeBron James in

SPOILER WARNING: Do not read if you’ve not seen “The Suicide Squad,” currently in theaters and streaming on HBO Max. Storm Reid has only two scenes in DC’s R-rated action spectacle “The Suicide Squad,” from writer-director James Gunn, but the 18-year-old acting veteran (“A Wrinkle in Time,” “The Invisible Man,” HBO’s “Euphoria”) makes the most of

“I was very struck by a quote by Fritz Lang, who said that ‘every film should criticize something,’ ” Axelle Ropert says. For the French filmmaker’s latest work “Petite Solange,” a world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival, it is the complicated aspects of familial life and interpersonal relationships that come under the microscope. Ropert’s

A group of Spanish filmmakers denounced the San Sebastian’s film festival’s announcement that it would honor Johnny Depp with the Donostia Award at the 69th annual festival next month. The Associated Press reported that the women filmmakers said awarding Depp the highest honor at San Sebastian gives the event a bad name after a British

NBA star Steph Curry will be the subject of a new documentary from A24 and producer Ryan Coogler. Titled “Underrated,” the film will chronicle Curry’s historic rise to prominence during March Madness when he played for the Davidson Wildcats. The all-star athlete, considered one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, currently plays for the

Hot off his starring role in “The Suicide Squad,” Idris Elba has joined the cast of “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” as the voice of Knuckles, Sonic’s scrappy nemesis-turned-compatriot, Paramount announced on Tuesday. The actor confirmed the casting by posting a first look at the character — or, rather, the character’s hand, including his signature spiked

Flying largely under the radar, startup shingle Randomix Productions has shared in exclusivity a clip to Southern Gothic horror movie “What Josiah Saw,” one of the titles with the highest-profile star casts at Fantasia: Robert Patrick (“The Terminator”), Nick Stahl (“Sin City”), Scott Haze (“Child of God”) and Kelli Garner (“Lars and the Real Girl”).

Two millennial in New York City form a friends-with-benefits contract… what could possibly go wrong? The first trailer for “Dating and New York,” the movie version of the TikTok trend “two best friends in a room… they might kiss,” explores the trials and tribulations of dating in the age of read receipts. The modern love

John Lithgow has joined the cast of Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” playing the role of a prosecutor. The two-time Oscar nominee will be be part of an ensemble that also includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Jesse Plemons. “Killers of the Flower Moon” is based on David Grann’s best-selling book, which

There is a lot that Thai director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke cannot say about his new project “A Useful Ghost.” But then again, when audiences in Thailand see the film, they will know exactly what it means. Set primarily in a family home, “A Useful Ghost” tells the story of a couple, March and Nat, and their young

The New York Film Festival has revealed the full lineup for its 59th edition, including Julia Ducournau’s “Titane,” Paul Verhoeven’s “Benedetta,” Todd Haynes’ “The Velvet Underground” and more. “Titane” won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Other Cannes prizewinners featured on this year’s slate include Nadav Lapid’s “Ahed’s Knee,” Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s “Memoria”

Rowan Blanchard and Auli’i Cravalho have signed on to lead Hulu’s upcoming queer teen movie from director Sammi Cohen. Blanchard will play Paige, an aspiring artist who’s thrust out of her comfort zone when forced to join the track team captained by her longtime crush, but she soon finds herself falling for an unexpected teammate,

Break out the culottes and crack open a can of plain Pringles: “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar,” the wacky vacation comedy, starring Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, is finally coming to movie theaters. Beloved cinema chain Alamo Drafthouse has announced plans to play “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar” beginning

The Deauville American Film Festival has unveiled the competition lineup of its 2021 edition, which includes Sean Baker’s “Red Rocket” and Michael Sarnoski’s “Pig.” Under the leadership of artistic director Bruno Barde, the festival’s competition will also showcase Pascual Sisto’s John and the Hole,” David Bruckner’s “The Night House,” Justin Chon’s “Blue Bayou,” Josef Kubota