Jane Fonda will receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award at this year’s Golden Globes. The honor recognizes Fonda’s illustrious career in film, one that saw her top the box office and cement her name in movie history by starring in such classics as “Klute,” “The China Syndrome” and “9 to 5.” More recently, Fonda has
Movies
Caroline Vignal’s “My Donkey, My Lover and I,” Chloé Mazlo’s “Skies of Lebanon” and Aurel’s “Josep” are among the nine French features that will play in the U.S. as part of the 7th edition of the Young French Cinema Program. Seven shorts have also been selected. The initiative, which is organized by the French Embassy
Variety has been given exclusive access to the trailer for Itonje Søimer Guttormsen’s feature debut “Gritt,” which has its world premiere at the Rotterdam Film Festival on Feb. 2, and then goes straight to Göteborg, where it plays in the Dragon competition. International sales are being handled by Mer Film, its production company. It is
Nearly three years after the Weinstein Co. declared bankruptcy, a judge on Monday confirmed a liquidation plan that provides a $17.1 million fund for Weinstein’s sexual misconduct victims. The plan also provides $9.7 million to the former officers and directors of the Weinstein Co., allowing them to pay a portion of their legal bills over
“Ready or Not” star Samara Weaving has been cast in “Liz,” a biopic about one of America’s forgotten founding mothers Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte. Described as a U.S.-set “Bridgerton” or “The Great,” “Liz” tells the story of the country’s first modern celebrity. Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte gained prominence as the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte’s youngest brother,
As coronavirus vaccines trickle out across the country and new infections and deaths rise at alarming rates in cities like Los Angeles, some power players in entertainment and media are leveraging their clout and connections to be amongst the first to get inoculated. Numerous high-flying executives and dealmakers have been cycling through private physicians and
The award-winning environmental documentary: “Kiss the Ground” will be made free to educators, as well as a follow-up curriculum by the National Science Teaching Association, starting Jan. 28. Narrated by Woody Harrelson, the Grade 6-12 version of the critically acclaimed eco-doc will include new sequences and a supplementary curriculum. Directors Josh Tickell and Rebecca Harrell
Pioneer Italian documentary director Cecilia Mangini, whose political works exploring hot-button topics such as youth contending with Italy’s postwar poverty, the condition of women, and the roots of fascism made her a legendary figure on the international film festival circuit, died on Jan. 21. She was 93. Mangini made her mark from her very first
AMC Theaters delivered a sobering message last December, warning that the world’s largest cinema chain could run out of cash by early 2021 due to mounting challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, the company announced a reversal of fortune. It raised nearly $917 million in funding since then, allowing AMC to avert bankruptcy
Newly formed cinema collective Indian Women Rising has boarded Student Academy Award-winning short film “Bittu” as presenter. IWR will shepherd the film through its Oscar campaign. Based on a real life incident from 2013, “Bittu” is based on the story of a close friendship between two girls (played by Rani Kumari and Renu Kumari) in
Hulu has released a commentary cut of its 2020 hit “Palm Springs,” Variety has learned exclusively, featuring stars Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti. The Disney-owned streamer says this version is the first of its kind — a full cast and filmmaker commentary straight out of the DVD era, come to streaming. The commentary cut, available
The Palm Springs International Film Awards will honor Chloé Zhao with the Director of the Year award for her film “Nomadland.” She is the first-ever female director to receive this accolade in the 32 years the festival has been running. The festival and film awards gala will not take place as an in-person event, but
Pete Davidson (“The King of Staten Island”) and Glenn Close (“Hillbilly Elegy”) sat down for a virtual chat for Variety‘s Actors on Actors, presented by Amazon Studios. For more, click here. Even with her seven Oscar nominations and five decades of screen and stage credits, Glenn Close felt butterflies — as, perhaps, many people would —
NBCUniversal has opened applications for its 2021 writers program. The initiative, which is operated by the company’s global talent development and inclusion team, will accept submissions via its website through Feb. 21. Universal Writers Program aims to find rising screenwriters who have unique points of view. Those selected for the one-year, paid program will be
Even with her seven Oscar nominations and five decades of screen and stage credits, Glenn Close felt butterflies — as, perhaps, many people would — at the prospect of talking to Pete Davidson. “I was nervous when I woke up because you just seem so cool,” she told him. But surprisingly, the 73-year-old screen legend
“Pieces of a Woman” marks the English-language debut for director Kornél Mundruczó, who gained a passionate following with his breakout film “White God” in 2014. The Hungarian filmmaker has brought his latest project to the streaming giant Netflix, earning acclaim for his singular vision and an outstanding performance by Vanessa Kirby. “Pieces of a Woman”
Illumination has hired Sam Bergen as chief marketing officer. In his new role, Bergen will oversee all aspects of the company’s creative and business marketing, including print and audio-visual advertising, as well as graphic and product design. He’s replacing Gail Harrison, who served as CMO since December 2018. Harrison is stepping down from her role
Isn’t it long past time that there was an honest discussion about why there are so many Holocaust films? Unquestionably some meet the challenge posed by the injunction “never forget,” but too many others exist because the market has proven that the Holocaust sells. The movies falling into this latter category trivialize as they sensationalize,
Vienna-based sales outlet Square Eyes has acquired Tim Leyendekker’s first feature “Feast” ahead of its world premiere in the Tiger Competition of the Rotterdam Film Festival. Variety has been given exclusive access to the trailer. [embedded content] Based on the Groningen HIV case, in which three men drugged other men and infected them with their
CAA has signed filmmaker Déa Kulumbegashvili, whose film “Beginning” is Georgia’s submission for best international feature at the 2021 Oscars. “Beginning” marks Kulumbegashvili’s feature directorial debut and has made major waves along the film festival circuit since its debut last fall at the Toronto International Film Festival, where the film won the Fipresci Prize. An
Oscar-nominated actor Keira Knightley (“The Imitation Game”) has revealed her discomfort in falling under the “male gaze” while filming intimate scenes. In conversation with “The Farewell” filmmaker Lulu Wang and writer-producer Diane Solway on the Chanel Connects podcast, Knightley said her decision to add a no nudity clause to her contract since becoming a mother
If there was any question about the original content ambitions of Comcast-backed pay-TV operator Sky under its new leadership, a 125-title film and TV slate for 2021 reflects a company poised to build a distinct, autonomous service that can compete with its deep-pocketed SVOD rivals. Sky in late 2019 renewed its output deal with HBO
Alberto Grimaldi, a film producer whose credits include the Spaghetti Western “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” and Martin Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York,” has died. He was 95. Grimaldi’s son, Maurizio Grimaldi, confirmed his death to Variety, adding that his father died of natural causes. Born in Naples, Italy on March 28, 1925,
Asia Argento is making fresh accusations of sexual abuse against “The Fast and the Furious” director Rob Cohen. The Italian actor and director — who has been one of the most outspoken voices against sexual harassment in the entertainment industry and is an early accuser of disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein — on Sunday confirmed to
Pray for movie theaters. “The Marksman,” a Liam Neeson thriller from Open Road, held onto first place for the second weekend in a row, grossing just over $2 million. The film has grossed $6.1 million after 10 days of release. That performance allows the movie to retain its box office crown, but that kind of
Two legendary titans face off in the first trailer for the new movie “Godzilla vs. Kong.” Released on Warner Bros.’ YouTube channel Sunday morning, the trailer gives viewers their first glimpse at the ultimate showdown between Godzilla and King Kong. The two exchange blows above the ocean, with Kong knocking Godzilla into the water, only
The “Fantastic Beasts” movies star Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, a wizard and Magizoologist who embarks on a series of adventures that take place decades before the Harry Potter books. In an interview for Variety’s Actors on Actors, presented by Amazon Studios, Jamie Dornan recalls celebrating with Eddie Redmayne on a vacation in Istanbul —
Jamie Dornan and Eddie Redmayne began their time in Hollywood as roommates: Reunited on a video chat a decade later, they reflect on driving their tiny red rental car around Los Angeles, only to be rejected at auditions over and over. It’s notable that both actors find themselves juggling art-house fare and franchise work, making
Jamie Dornan (“Wild Mountain Thyme”) and Eddie Redmayne (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”) sat down for a virtual chat for Variety‘s Actors on Actors, presented by Amazon Studios. For more, click here. Jamie Dornan and Eddie Redmayne began their time in Hollywood as roommates: Reunited on a video chat a decade later, they reflect
With a career spanning 63 years, Larry King had many memorable moments behind the mic. The veteran broadcaster, who died Saturday at the age of 87, became a household name as the host of CNN’s “Larry King Live,” which logged a record-setting run of hours from 1985 to 2010. When King signed off of CNN