Broadway star Karen Olivo says she won’t return to “Moulin Rouge” once the musical reopens. She’s leaving her Tony-nominated role in protest of the theater industry’s silence on allegations of workplace harassment and abuse leveled against the prolific theater producer Scott Rudin. “I could easily go back to the show and make a lot of
Movies
On April 7, Annapurna CEO Megan Ellison made headlines as the only notable show business figure to openly criticize Scott Rudin on social media after the latest expose of the super-producer’s alleged workplace abuse and toxicity was published last week. While some activists and film enthusiasts applauded Ellison for speaking out, others found it hypocritical
Jacob Tremblay is set to co-star alongside Peter Dinklage in Legendary’s “Toxic Avenger” film, a reboot of Troma Entertainment’s 1984 low-budget action-comedy splatter film. The reboot will follow a mild-mannered janitor at a health club who’s pushed out of a second-story window by bullies into a vat of toxic waste. The chemicals cause him to
Sisse Graum Jørgensen, the Zentropa producer behind Thomas Vinterberg’s BAFTA-winning, Oscar-nominated “Another Round,” spoke to Variety about working with Vinterberg, making her TV debut, as well as opportunities and challenges ahead for independent producers. Graum Jørgensen is primarily known for her long and successful partnerships with some of the most celebrated filmmakers in Denmark, including
Billy Crystal and Tiffany Haddish’s new film “Here Today” will be here soon. The comedy starring Emmy and Tony Award winner Crystal and Emmy and Grammy winner Haddish will launch on May 7. Crystal plays a veteran comedy writer named Charlie Burnz, who forms an unlikely, yet hilarious and touching friendship with New York singer
Martin Campbell’s action thriller ‘Memory’ has rounded out its ensemble cast, adding Emmy winner Guy Pearce, Monica Bellucci, Harold Torres, Taj Atwal and Ray Fearon. The actors will star alongside Liam Neeson, who plays Alex Lewis, an expert assassin “with a reputation for discreet precision.” According to the logline, when Alex refuses to complete a
“Tomorrow’s Hope,” a documentary about the importance of quality early childhood education, has sold North American rights to the independent distributor Abramorama. Following a virtual live premiere on May 20, the company plans to release the film nationwide on demand on May 21. “Tomorrow’s Hope” spotlights passionate educators and tenacious kids and their families, who
We’ve seen countless male-led action films of men saving their daughters or avenging the deaths of their wives. So “Promising Young Woman” writer, director and producer Emerald Fennell sought to flip the trope on its head and make a revenge movie that felt innately female and put a spotlight on the friendship between two women.
On the heels of opening weekend for “Godzilla vs. Kong,” Warner Bros., which distributed the film, celebrated its $48.5 million debut, the biggest showing in the coronavirus era. In a note to press, the studio cheered itself on with an all-caps message: “BIG MOVIES ARE BACK WITH OUR KAIJU-SIZED OPENING!” The tone was markedly different
Hot Docs, one of the world’s top documentary feature film festivals, has selected 36 projects from 18 countries to take part in Hot Docs Deal Maker, a curated one-on-one pitch meeting program for producers seeking financing from the international marketplace. Since the program’s launch in 2013, the number of decision makers taking part has more
The announcement that Hollywood’s Cinerama Dome and ArcLight Cinemas would not reopen left Los Angeles film buffs in shock. Built as a showcase for the three-panel Cinerama process, the Dome became a Hollywood landmark and beloved theater. But by the time construction was finished in 1963, the three-panel Cinerama process was no longer in use.
Debuting just over a year after “F9: The Fast Saga” was originally set to open in theaters, the new trailer for the latest installment in the 20-year-old film franchise showcases even more wild vehicular shenanigans deployed by Vin Diesel’s Dom, Michelle Rodriguez’s Letty, and the rest of the “Fast & Furious” family. (It’s embedded below.)
For years, rumors persisted that Lucasfilm was developing movies based on “Star Wars” characters Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi. But by 2018, after disappointing box office returns for other stand-alone “Star Wars” films like “Solo,” both projects stalled. Today, limited series built around both characters are in the works at Disney Plus, with the actors
IFC Midnight has acquired North American rights to Wyatt Rockefeller’s “Settlers.” The film, which marks Rockefeller’s feature narrative debut, stars Sofia Boutella or “Kingsman: The Secret Service” fame, and Brooklynn Prince, who first captured audiences’ hearts in “The Florida Project.” Ismael Cruz Córdova, Nell Tiger Free, and Jonny Lee Miller round out the cast. IFC
Disney’s Launchpad, a new filmmaking program dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices, has unveiled the trailer for six original short films coming to Disney Plus. All six short films, each centering on the theme of “discover,” will launch on Disney Plus on May 28. The program’s inaugural year features stories by Ann Marie Pace, Aqsa Altaf,
Fortune 500 companies, A-list movie stars, filmmakers and corporate heavyweights came out swinging on April 14, condemning Georgia’s new voting restrictions in an open letter that was printed in The Washington Post and the New York Times. The hundreds of signatories included the likes of Netflix, Amazon, ViacomCBS, Starbucks, Facebook and UTA, as well as
The Oscars could be heading to the BFI Southbank in London for its U.K. satellite event. Multiple sources tell Variety that Academy producers are in late-stage discussions with the British Film Institute (BFI) about holding the studio event — which will host this year’s local nominees as part of the main ceremony — at its Southbank location,
Zurich-based First Hand Films has snapped up the Norwegian documentary “Trust Me” – about a Justin Bieber concert fraudster. The film is directed by Emil Trier, co-director with his brother Joachim Trier of “The Other Munch,” showcased at New York’s Lincoln Center in 2018. The pic produced by Thomas Robsahm and Nicolai Moland for Motlys
Bollywood star Ranveer Singh and filmmaker S. Shankar are teaming for a Hindi-language remake of 2005 Tamil-language blockbuster “Anniyan.” Shankar is known for his big-budget extravaganzas including “Sivaji” (2007), “Enthiran” (2010) and its sequel “2.0” (2018), all starring superstar Rajinikanth, and “Indian” (1996), starring actor-turned-politician Kamal Hassan. The “Anniyan” remake “will be mounted on a
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Mulan” led the 23rd annual Costume Designers Guild Awards. In the excellence in period film category, Oscar nominee Ann Roth won for her work on “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Bina Daigeler, who is also an Oscar nominee, was recognized for her work on “Mulan,” winning the excellence in sci-fi/fantasy film
Longtime NBCUniversal executive Cindy Gardner has been elevated to the newly-created role of Executive Vice President, West Coast. The venerable communications lead previously served as EVP of global comms for Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, working closely with chairman Donna Langley. In a Tuesday memo from NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell and chief administration officer Adam Miller,
The workers at the ArcLight Hollywood have been on furlough for more than a year, and have been waiting eagerly for the venue to reopen. On Monday, they got word that the theater would remain closed permanently. “It’s just sad,” said one of the employees, who asked not to be identified. “We’re just waiting for
For Elizabeth Keenan, the biggest challenge as “News of the World” set decorator were the buffalo hides. She specifically needed green hides, which are hides that have been salted on one side, but haven’t been tanned. “These characters back then just chopped their heads off and threw them on nails and put them all over
Riff Raff Entertainment, the company founded by Oscar nominee Jude Law and Ben Jackson, has signed a first-look deal with New Republic Pictures. The deal is for both feature film and television production. New Republic, which was founded Brian Oliver and counts Bradley Fischer as its president, has signed four first-look deals in the last
Oscar-nominated Danish director Thomas Vinterberg, whose latest movie “Another Round” is nominated for a pair of Oscars and just won a BAFTA award, is re-teaming with Danish production outfit Zentropa on his TV drama debut, “Families Like Ours.” The thought-provoking drama series has already been commissioned by Danish broadcaster TV2. A family saga, the six-part
“Mortal Kombat,” which hits theaters and HBO Max on April 23, marks Lewis Tan’s first time leading a major blockbuster — and it’s not a role he took on lightly. Tan, a martial artist and actor who performs his own stunts in action-heavy roles in “Iron Fist,” “Into the Badlands,” “Wu Assassins” and “Deadpool 2,”
Sister has acquired “Never Far Away,” the new novel from bestselling author Michael Koryta, and will develop it as a feature film. Oscar-winning producer Cathy Schulman, who previously oversaw “Crash,” will produce the thriller for the company. Koryta will adapt the novel for the screen and will also executive produce. “Never Far Away” centers on Nina
Italy’s 3zero2 shingle, which is a co-producer of Brendan Foley’s pan-European noir “Body of Water,” is ramping up and expanding into film after bringing on board producer Giuseppe Saccà who shepherded Berlin prizewinning drama “Bad Tales.” The Milan-based outfit founded and headed by veteran TV exec Piero Crispino (pictured, left) has been quietly gaining prominence
Will Packer Productions (WPP) and writer Felicia Pride are teaming up for a new romantic drama, set in the world of collegiate track and field. The project, titled “Like It’s the Last,” comes from an original idea from Pride (known for her work on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” OWN’s “Queen Sugar” and the upcoming “Really Love”),
Producer and creative executive Maya Rodrigo has joined M88, the full-service representation firm founded by former WME partner Phillip Sun and Macro founder and CEO Charles D. King. In her new position, Rodrigo will be focused on building and supporting the firm’s literary roster. “Maya’s expertise, keen eye for meaningful content and determination to continue