Movies

Angelina Jolie’s survival action thriller “Those Who Wish Me Dead” didn’t do much to revive the North American box office. The Warner Bros. film, which debuted simultaneously on the streaming service HBO Max, took in a paltry $2.8 million in its opening weekend. The movie’s hybrid release on HBO Max likely isn’t the reason “Those

Moviegoers had never seen anything quite like “Top Gun” when it jetted across screens in the summer of 1986. The propulsive story of a hot shot group of pilots had dazzling aerial sequences that gave audiences a cockpit view of the action, as well as a star on the rise in Tom Cruise, fresh off

Zack Snyder’s new apocalyptic epic “Army of the Dead” almost didn’t happen. “Quite frankly, this movie wouldn’t have gotten made had it not been for Netflix because it sat at Warner Bros. for years and years,” producer Deborah Snyder said in a panel discussion on Friday. When asked why, Deborah Snyder said the film “couldn’t

Cinemas in Taipei and surrounding areas have been ordered to close for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis. Taiwan authorities issued an order on Saturday morning putting the capital city on a level three alert. This requires the shutdown of cinemas, sports venues, libraries and other entertainment spots. Family get-togethers will

While the “Saw” franchise lost some cultural cachet after releasing nine films over 17 years, it’s remained a great party franchise for horror fans. Living and dying by Jigsaw’s gruesome traps, the overarching story has become increasingly convoluted in the pursuit of keeping the elderly (and, midway through the series, dead!) antagonist’s work alive. Originally

Director Robert Eggers’ “The Northman” will release in theaters on April 8, 2022, Focus Features announced on Friday. Universal Pictures International will premiere the film internationally on the same day. Starring Alexander Skarsgard, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe and Björk, the revenge thriller explores the depths at which a Viking prince will

Bron Studios is lending a helping hand to AAPI Creatives, a networking group started by Zosimo Maximo to amplify Asian American voices working in the industry. Maximo used Clubhouse to form a group of AAPI filmmakers who are inspired to change the narrative in Hollywood and build new opportunities for themselves. The group consists of

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can resume most typical pre-pandemic activities without wearing a face mask or social distancing, there was an important exception to the agency’s guidance. The national guidelines state that people may go without masks “except where required by

After months of development, production and fine-tuning, it’s decision time for dozens of broadcast pilots hopeful of getting the greenlight to series for the 2021-2022 TV season. As the major studios rack up series orders over the coming week of network upfront presentations, it’s time to tally the wins and losses. The clear theme of

British actor Shazad Latif is ready for his close-up. After a decade of racking up impressive TV credits including “Spooks,” “Toast of London,” “Penny Dreadful,” “Star Trek: Discovery” and “Departure,” the actor is currently in the BBC’s “The Pursuit of Love,” Emily Mortimer’s adaptation of Nancy Mitford’s novel, where he stars alongside Lily James. Latif

David White is stepping down as SAG-AFTRA’s national executive director and chief negotiator after 12 years at the head of Hollywood’s largest union. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA’s chief operating officer, is eyed as his successor. White’s resignation was confirmed following a SAG-AFTRA national executive board meeting on Friday. He is expected to depart within a few

About a decade ago, Samantha Ofole-Prince got a message from a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Ofole-Prince, who is Black, grew up in the United Kingdom, and had been writing entertainment stories from Los Angeles for publications in the U.K., Africa and the Caribbean. The HFPA member — whom Ofole-Prince declined to identify

Production designer Kevin Thompson knew Joe Wright’s film adaptation of “The Woman in the Window” would be a darkly lit movie and noirish. In bringing the A.J. Finn novel to life, he would have to find a color palette that was specific to Amy Adams’ Anna Fox, who suffers from severe agoraphobia and watches the

Mikey Alfred is no stranger to rejection. When pitching the script for his feature directorial debut, “North Hollywood,” to distributors, the 26-year-old L.A. native was met with the same response from all of them: “No.” “I didn’t even get like, ‘Yeah, we’ll hit you back,’” Alfred tells Variety. “It was just like, ‘no,’ everywhere.” It’s

The average Briton watched 36 films across different platforms during the pandemic-stricken 2020, new research shows. Cinemas were closed for large stretches of 2020, but 31% of all U.K. adults watched at least one film at the cinema in 2020, according to research published Friday by the British Film Institute (BFI) from its audience study.

In today’s Global Bulletin, ESPN scores LaLiga rights for the next eight years; the U.K. government looks to unload Channel 4; Bavaria Fiction wraps principle shooting on its Netflix horror feature “The Privilege”; and London to get 1,575-seater theater. SPORTS In a Disney earnings call on Tuesday evening, it was announced that ESPN had picked

She may not be a household name anywhere other than her native China, but Chinese helmer Jia Ling has officially overtaken Patty Jenkins as the world’s highest-grossing female director for a single film. After an extended three-month run, Jia’s Chinese New Year blockbuster “Hi, Mom,” finally left Chinese theaters Tuesday. It has grossed $838 million

The Cannes Film Festival has delayed its highly anticipated press conference by one week, to June 3, Variety has learned. The reason for the date change is an abundance of movies that have been submitted to the festival, according to an industry source. The Official Selection, in particular the competition, is expected to be larger

Polish film “365 Days,” a 2020 global success for Netflix, is getting two sequels. The giant streamer has announced the start of production on “365 Days” part 2 and part 3. The original film follows Massimo, a member of the Sicilian Mafia family and Laura, a sales director. She does not expect that on a

Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT Group) has renewed its hit Norwegian comedy-drama series “Pørni” for a second and third season. The comedy-drama was created by Henriette Steenstrup (“Lilyhammer”) who also stars. It launched on NENT Group’s Viaplay streaming service in May and scored the most successful premiere for a Norwegian Viaplay Original. The two new seasons

The Venice Film Festival is gearing up to take place as a full-fledged physical event in September with a back-to-normal atmosphere and what could be a high-profile selection of films. While the Toronto Film Festival, which runs Sept. 9-18, is sticking with a combination of digital and in-person screenings, as is Sundance 2022, Venice’s upcoming

Robert De Niro is returning home to New York after injuring his leg off-set in Oklahoma while filming Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” in which he is starring alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. Variety confirmed that he was injured, but it’s not known how serious it might be. The injury occurred on his own time,

Real-estate porn can work for a thriller — or against it. Sometimes, it’s part of a movie’s mystery and allure: the luxe nooks and crannies where bad vibes can hide. (See “Rosemary’s Baby” or “What Lies Beneath.”) But in “The Woman in the Window,” the stately Harlem brownstone in which Anna Fox (Amy Adams) lives

Michael Jai White, whose work as an an actor, director and writer includes “Arrow,” “The Dark Knight,” “Spawn” and “Mortal Kombat: Legacy,” announced the launch of Jaigantic Studios, which will be Connecticut’s first mini-major studio. White has long wanted to return to his home state to expand the industry with a studio that will provide

For 55 years, “Ultraman” has been one of Japan’s A-list superheroes — defending the planet from alien kaiju and inspiring all manner of global pop culture, from the “Power Rangers” to Paul Rudd’s “Ant-Man” suit. But while the character has a loyal following outside of Japan, Ultraman has never become a massive crossover phenomenon at

Marvel Studios’ “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and 20th Century’s “Free Guy” will open in movie theaters exclusively, Disney CEO Bob Chapek announced during a Q2 earnings call on Thursday. But both films will only play in theaters for 45 days before transitioning to home viewing on VOD and streaming. The decision

Streaming hits like “WandaVision” and “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” failed to deliver the kind of Disney Plus subscriber numbers that Wall Street was looking for, as the Walt Disney Company reported a mixed quarterly report on Thursday. The entertainment conglomerate’s stock fell sharply, dropping more than 4% in after-hours trading. Disney’s $15.61 billion

Camila Cabello is next in line to wear Cinderella’s famous glass slippers. Today, Amazon Prime Video released first look images at Cabello and Nicholas Galitzine as Cinderella and Prince Charming in the upcoming musical movie, due in September. Camilla Cabello stars in “Cinderella” Kerry Brown Camilla Cabello and Nicholas Galitzine star in “Cinderella” Christopher Raphael

The acclaimed filmmakers behind HBO Max’s recent nonfiction hit “Tina” have inked an exclusive first-look deal with Imagine Documentaries. Dan Lindsay and TJ Martin have entered into a one-year agreement with the division of Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine, it was announced today by leaders Justin Wilkes and Sara Bernstein. Under the deal, Lindsay

Kathryn Hahn will move from putting a hex on the Scarlet Witch to trying to outmaneuver Benoit Blanc. She joins the ever-expanding ensemble cast of “Knives Out 2,” where she will rub shoulders and drop clues alongside Dave Bautista, Janelle Monae, Edward Norton and, of course, Daniel Craig (reprising his role as expert detective Blanc).