Movies

Robust subscriber growth at Starz lifted Lionsgate’s earnings at a time when movie theaters are still struggling to reemerge from their COVID-era closures and the entertainment landscape is shifting rapidly. The better-than-expected results come as Lionsgate is seen as a potential acquisition target for tech giants and media conglomerates looking to get bigger. AT&T’s decision

In 1981’s “Lili Marleen,” directed by German provocateur R.W. Fassbinder, the titular song is repeatedly played to an imprisoned man in an effort to break his spirit. In “American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally,” it takes only one rendition to have much the same effect on the viewer, though that may be because by

The 2019 Indian Film Festival Los Angeles concluded on May 27 with the grand prize going to Thamizh’s directorial debut “Seththumaan” (Pig) and Karishma Dev Dube’s short “Bittu.” “It’s a phenomenal first feature, gentle and impactful, done with heart and guts, that is at the same time very candid and very mature and complex,” the

In a perfect symbol of our times, James Bond and Whole Foods will soon have the same owner. Tech giant Amazon on Wednesday officially announced plans to merge with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the 97-year-old studio that’s home to the 007 franchise, Rocky Balboa and “Thelma and Louise.” The eye-popping $8.45 billion sale is the second-biggest acquisition in

Many a chef will tell you that fish and cheese don’t go together, but “Blue Miracle” says otherwise. Based on the true, headline-making story of an amateur Mexican team who won the world’s richest fishing tournament in 2014, Julio Quintana’s likable family film misses nary a cornball trick in Hollywood’s underdog-drama playbook, and just about

Universal Pictures has released the official trailer for M. Night Shyamalan’s supernatural thriller “Old,” which is set to hit theaters on July 23. After a group of travelers finds the body of a dead woman on a beach that swiftly decomposes, they begin to realize that there is something mysterious about this seemingly idyllic vacation

All products and services featured by Variety are independently selected by Variety editors. However, Variety may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. After a year of shuttered theaters the blockbuster business is slowly reopening. Thanks to a strict code of

With speculation swirling about Jason Kilar’s potential exit from WarnerMedia — given the conglomerate’s looming combo with Discovery — the CEO told staffers at a town hall meeting Thursday that he plans to stay with the company at least through the early part of next year. “My plan and my focus is to remain here

Cinematographer Polly Morgan remembers seeing “A Quiet Place” when it hit theaters and being terrified. As a young mother watching Emily Blunt’s Evelyn Abbott giving birth in a tub and later putting her crying baby in a box to save it from the creatures, she was fearful. “It was a family drama, and I cared

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced Thursday that it has hired a team of experts in diversity, ethics and workplace legal issues to help meet its goal of reforming the organization that votes on the Golden Globes. Two outside law firms were hired on Monday to independently investigate reports made to the hotline that allows

Universal Pictures has preemptively nabbed a live action project from Phil Lord and Chris Miller, to be produced with Erik Feig’s Picturestart. Titled “Strays,” the film is an adult comedy and original pitch from writer Dan Perrault (“American Vandal”), about an abandoned dog who teams up with other strays to get revenge on his former

In today’s Global Bulletin, Cannes creche returns; Andrei Konchalovsky to deliver Russian Key Buyers Event keynote; European Film Promotion elects board; drama series “The Holiday” sets lead cast; Canada opens women talent development initiatives; and Chinese blockbuster “The Eight Hundred” to premiere at Udine. The Cannes Marché du Film and Parenting at Film Festivals are

Following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, Wes Anderson’s latest “The French Dispatch” is coming to theaters in the fall. The comedic drama, from Searchlight Pictures, has been scheduled to release on Oct. 22. With its new release date, “The French Dispatch” is opening on the big screen on the same weekend as Edgar

Roku, in its latest bid to pack more exclusive content into The Roku Channel, landed a deal with Saban Films giving the streaming platform pay-one window streaming rights to a select batch of movies from the boutique film acquisition and distribution company’s current slate. It’s the first pay-one licensing agreement for Roku, making The Roku

A promise made between leading Asian film producer Bill Kong and the late Canto-pop super star Anita Mui will soon be fulfilled. Kong’s Edko Films has finally completed production of “Anita,” its long-awaited biopic of the legendary singer-actress who died 18 years ago. Recalling a meeting with Mui in 2003, Kong (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,”

Fukada Kyoko, 38, a Japanese actor with a long list of major film and TV credits, has been diagnosed with adjustment disorder, her agency, Hori Production, announced Thursday. She is withdrawing from all work commitments while she recovers. It is rare for a Japanese talent of her stature to publicly announce that they are suffering

Two-time Oscar nominated Italian cinematographer Dante Spinotti will receive this year’s Pardo Alla Carriera Achievement Award at August’s 74th Locarno Film Festival. Locarno will also host screenings of two of Spinotti’s standout films resulting from his long-time partnership with director Michael Mann: Oscar-nominated “The Insider” and classic heist thriller “Heat.” Spinotti will receive the prize

Hopeful Cannes attendees from the U.K. could face some hard decisions as France imposes a seven-day quarantine for visitors from the country, but festival organizers have been already been exploring different solutions in case these restrictions persist beyond June, Variety has learned. The quarantine rules will come into effect from Monday, but they will likely

A new state-of the-art movie theatre called Cinema Troisi is set to open in a Fascist-era building in central Rome on September 30, an event rife with symbolic significance. The projector is latest generation 4K; the sound Dolby 7.1 surround; the bar/bistro will serve gourmet food; and the venue’s plush 300 seats are the same

TrustNordisk has unveiled the trailer for “The North Sea,” the Norwegian disaster movie directed by John Andreas Andersen, and produced by the banner behind the Scandinavian blockbusters “The Quake” and “The Wave.” “The North Sea” was co-written by Harald Rosenløw Eeg, who also penned “The Quake” and “The Wave,” and Lars Gudmestad, whose credits include

SAG-AFTRA made it official on Wednesday, appointing longtime general counsel Duncan Crabtree-Ireland as the group’s new national executive director. Crabtree-Ireland takes over for David White, who announced on May 14 that he was stepping down after 12 years on the job. Crabtree-Ireland has served as the organization’s general counsel for 15 years, and for the

Amazon’s 8.45 billion purchase of MGM is inciting concerns from the federal government. “This is a major acquisition that has the potential to impact millions of consumers,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) said in a statement. “The Department of Justice must conduct a thorough investigation to ensure that this deal won’t risk harming competition.” Amazon and

Sony has found its greatest hunter. Aaron Taylor-Johnson will headline “Kraven the Hunter,” further expanding Sony Pictures’ efforts to capitalize on its trove of Marvel comics characters with connections to Spider-Man. J.C. Chandor (“Triple Frontier”) is set to direct, from a script by Art Marcum & Matt Holloway and Richard Wenk. Avi Arad and Matt

Kevin Clark, who played kid drummer Freddy Jones in “School of Rock,” died on Wednesday, the Chicago Sun-Times and several other local outlets reported. He was 32. Clark was riding his bicycle early Wednesday morning through the Avondale neighborhood of Chicago when a driver of a Hyundai Sonata struck him around 1:20 a.m., according to

Michael De Luca may be the big winner from Wednesday’s blockbuster news that Amazon will purchase Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for $8.45 billion. Though insiders caution that no decisions have been made, there is speculation around Hollywood that De Luca will play a major role in helping the e-commerce giant monetize its new library of 4,000 MGM film

Disney’s “Cruella” is both a live-action “101 Dalmatians” origin story and an ode to 1970s London. It’s set at the height of the punk rock era, when an “anything goes” mentality ruled music, fashion and makeup. When she took on the job, makeup head Nadia Stacey, who had previously worked with “Cruella” star Emma Stone

Veteran brand executive Monique Francis is joining UTA Marketing, the brand consulting division of the talent, entertainment and sports company, United Talent Agency announced on Wednesday. Francis will serve as an executive in the client strategy team, working across the department’s roster of corporate clients on the development of impact-focused marketing initiatives. In the announcement,

Eminent actor Vanessa Redgrave has put daylight between herself and “The Man Who Drew God,” the Italian project that’s meant to be Kevin Spacey’s big comeback movie. Redgrave’s name was widely mentioned as being attached to the film, known in Italian as “L’uomo Che Disegnò Dio,” directed by Franco Nero, her husband of 15 years.

From the black leather jacket in “Fatal Attraction” to her zebra-print coat dress from “101 Dalmatians,” Glenn Close has more than 56 costumes and accessories from characters she has played on display in the new exhibit “The Art of the Character” at the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University Bloomington, which

Last week, 13 of Hollywood’s rival studios and indies miraculously came together for a show and tell celebrating a return to theaters after a pandemic year in which consumers stayed home and watched their favorite movies on Netflix, Disney Plus and HBO Max. With cinemas now opening up, this summer’s would-be blockbusters and potentially alluring