Movies

The impressive animated memoir “My Favorite War” revisits writer-director Ilze Burkovska-Jacobsen’s childhood in Soviet Latvia in the 1970s and ’80s. The result of a nine-year labor of love from a Norwegian-Latvian team, it combines distinctive cutout animation with family photos and archival footage to forge a look at an authoritarian society through a young girl’s

“Bios,” an upcoming sci-fi movie starring Tom Hanks and a pup named Goodyear, has been delayed. The movie, from Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, was initially scheduled for April 16, 2021. It has been pushed back by four months and will now open on Aug. 13. “Bios” is taking the place of an untitled Blumhouse

Cinematographer and producer Jake Swantko had to move quickly if he and director Bryan Fogel wanted to dive into the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post journalist who was captured, killed and dismembered at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul. The story was still moving as Fogel and Swantko were starting to think

Warner Bros. executive Tom Ascheim has been promoted and will oversee the studio’s Harry Potter franchise and Wizarding World properties. Ascheim also serves as the president of kids, young adults and classics at Warners. He reports to WarnerMedia chief Ann Sarnoff. As part of his new responsibilities, Ascheim acts as the chief representative of WarnerMedia

The Oscars were built to highlight the cinematic year’s most audacious and outstanding achievements. Past snubs have left many of the industry’s finest filmmakers, actors and technical artists waiting for their first Dolby Theatre invitation. This year, multiple contenders are angling for an inaugural mention, even though it should be one of many. So who

Daniel Kaluuya’s performance in “Judas and the Black Messiah” has garnered a lot of awards buzz for the actor, who plays Fred Hampton, the iconic Chairman of the Black Panther Party. “It’s not about me,” he told Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast. “This film is bigger than us. There was something coming through us. It’s hard

Anton Chekhov operated under an overarching philosophy when it came to structuring his novels and plays. “If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off,” the Russian writer famously stated. Well, the characters in “The Killing of

In the 1996 romantic comedy “One Fine Day,” Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney play single parents who have to join forces to get through an extremely chaotic work day for both of them. Though they start out bickering — and at first work together to co-parent only reluctantly — by the end of the day,

In Netflix’s “The Midnight Sky,” George Clooney — also the film’s director and producer — plays dying scientist Augustine Lofthouse. The year is 2049, the setting is the Arctic Circle, and before he dies, Augustine desperately wants to tell a spaceship returning to decimated Earth to go back to the inhabitable moon of Jupiter it had been

George Clooney (“The Midnight Sky”) and Michelle Pfeiffer (“French Exit”) sat down for a virtual chat for Variety‘s Actors on Actors, presented by Amazon Studios. For more, click here. In Netflix’s “The Midnight Sky,” George Clooney — also the film’s director and producer — plays dying scientist Augustine Lofthouse. The year is 2049, the setting

Nithin Lukose’s Malayalam-language “Paka: The River of Blood,” Chhatrapal Ninawe’s Marathi-language “Ghaath” (Ambush) and Sreejith Karanavar’s Konkani-language “Aiz Maka Falea Tuka” (Today Me Tomorrow You) were among the winners at India’s Film Bazaar project market that concluded on Thursday. “Paka” and “Ghaath” were presented in the Work in Progress lab strand of the Bazaar, while

Academy Award winning documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney said audiences are becoming less likely to distinguish between scripted films and nonfiction storytelling, regarding both as examples of compelling cinema. In the Variety Streaming Room hosted by film awards editor Clayton Davis, Neon documentary filmmakers explored their various projects’ tie-ins with current political realities, such as the

Priyanka Chopra Jonas has brought beauty and grace to her brand and now is pushing her boundaries by starring as Pinky Madam in writer and director Ramin Bahrani’s adaptation of “The White Tiger” from author Aravind Adiga. The Netflix movie features her finest moments as an actor yet, and is generating awards talk. Later in

Tim Richards, the founder and CEO of global cinema chain Vue Entertainment, is one of three candidates shortlisted to be the next chair of the British Film Institute (BFI). Richards is also a sitting governor of the BFI. Other candidates for the position are understood to be Caroline Michel, CEO and literary agent at U.K.

Daniel Kaluuya first realized that “Black Panther” would become a cultural phenomenon when he was shooting the 2018 Marvel superhero movie. In an interview for Variety’s Actors on Actors, Kaluuya and Tom Holland spoke together about their latest projects. In “Judas and the Black Messiah,” Kaluuya stars as civil rights leader Fred Hampton. And in

Tom Holland is best known for his role as Spider-Man in the Marvel comic superhero movies. But it turns out, getting the role wasn’t an easy process for the 24-year-old British actor. Holland spent months agonizing about whether or not he’d be cast as Spider-Man, and he even worried about getting fired after his first

In “Cherry,” Tom Holland transforms into a war veteran-turnedbank robber, broken by PTSD and drug addiction. The role is intentional counter-programming from Holland’s heroic Peter Parker, although it comes from the same team that brought you several Marvel movies, including “Avengers: Endgame.” The Russo brothers — directors Anthony and Joe — recruited Holland for this

Tom Holland (“Cherry”) and Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”) sat down for a virtual chat for Variety‘s Actors on Actors, presented by Amazon Studios. For more, click here.  In “Cherry,” Tom Holland transforms into a war veteran-turnedbank robber, broken by PTSD and drug addiction. The role is intentional counter-programming from Holland’s heroic Peter

Altered Innocence has picked up U.S. rights to Fabrice du Welz’s dark contemporary fairytale “Adoration,” which premiered at Locarno Film Festival. A release is planned for summer. “Adoration” combines a violent thriller with a romantic sexual awakening story, capturing the teenage intensity of “amour fou.” It features rising stars Thomas Gioria (“Custody”) and Fantine Harduin

Sony Pictures International Productions has picked up the German remake rights to two comedy titles from FilmSharks International subsidiary, The Remake Company: Argentine family comedy “Ten Days Without Mom” and Brazil’s risqué romp, “Upside Down.” “High concept family-driven and erotic comedies are the hottest trending genres for holiday and summer releases in cinemas and on

The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) is launching an initiative to promote the country’s acting talent on the world stage. It will roll out from March, ahead of the year’s major film festivals. The Korean Actors 200 campaign, akin to the Shooting Stars operation backed by the European Film Promotion program, is described as a “methodical

In the alluring art-world documentary “My Rembrandt,” someone describes the experience of being in sudden, direct proximity to a Rembrandt portrait of a standing figure. He says that it was spooky, like seeing a live human loom right up in front of him. Rembrandt, who painted images of astonishing dark tactile severity (“He creates shadows

Tues. Jan. 19 AMPAS Names Fernando Garcia as its Executive Vice President, Member Relations and Awards The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has named Fernando Garcia as its Executive Vice President, Member Relations and Awards. Garcia will lead engagement and outreach initiatives for the organization’s worldwide membership of over 10,000 artists, filmmakers and

Bob Iger and Bob Chapek, the two men in charge of the Walt Disney Company, saw their pay packages shrink in 2020 after forgoing bonuses that could have added millions of dollars to their compensation. The belt-tightening came after Disney announced it would lay off 32,000 people, with most of those cuts coming in its

Peter J. Nygard and Louis Bacon were two of the world’s richest men, who also happened to be neighbors in a posh corner of the Bahamas. A bitter feud between the billionaire hedge fund operator and the Canadian fashion mogul, one that initally stemmed from a noise complaint, dominated headlines, and eventually led to Nygard’s

Josh Duhamel is in talks to star opposite Jennifer Lopez in the Lionsgate romantic adventure “Shotgun Wedding,” replacing Armie Hammer in the lead role. Hammer dropped out of the project last Wednesday, with a representative for the production explaining, “Given the imminent start date, Armie has requested to step away from the film and we

Over the past decade, New York real estate billionaire Charles S. Cohen has become a leading patron of art-house cinema. He has distributed a string of foreign language Oscar contenders, amassed a vast library of classic films and bought specialty theaters in the U.K., France and the U.S. But greater prominence in the film industry

Emmanuel Mouret’s “Love Affairs” (“The Things We Say, the Things We Do”) won best film at the 26th Lumieres Awards, which are prizes given by France-based members of the foreign press. The film weaves together a series of romantic tales with an ensemble cast including Camelia Jordana and Niels Schneider. This year, the ceremony became

Jodie Foster (“The Mauritanian”) and Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”) reunited for a virtual chat for Variety’s Actors on Actors series, presented by Amazon Studios. For more, pick up the Jan. 20 issue of Variety, or stay tuned on Variety.com. A little over 30 years ago, Anthony Hopkins received a script that he thought was a children’s story.

The San Francisco International Film Festival has announced that Jessie Fairbanks will join the organization, leading the festival, year-round offerings and off-screen programming. Fairbanks, who has worked with DOC NYC and Tribeca Film Festival, joins SFFILM on Jan. 25. The 2021 festival is scheduled for April 9-18. The longest-running film festival in the Americas, it