Movies

New York-based outfit Grasshopper Film has acquired North American rights to Ephraim Asili’s debut feature, “The Inheritance,” following its premiere at Toronto and screening at the New York Film Festival. Grasshopper Film is planning to have “The Inheritance” open on March 12 in New York at Film at Lincoln Center, as well as in other

At first glance, “The Trial of the Chicago 7” and “Wonder Woman 1984” could scarcely be more different. The former is a sobering ensemble drama based on the real-life trial of the left-wing activists — including Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne) — who organized protests during the 1968 Democratic National

“Together Together,” a comedy staring Ed Helms and Patti Harrison that’s set to premiere at Sundance Film Festival, has been acquired by Bleecker Street. Written and directed by Nikole Beckwith, “Together Together” follows the unexpected relationship that unfolds between a young loner named Anna, who is hired as the surrogate for Matt, a single man

Actor, singer and longtime supporter of the United Nations Refugee Agency Kat Graham has been named a Goodwill Ambassador in the world. She is just one of five Americans to have received the title. Variety caught up the “Vampire Diaries” actor, who recently starred in Netflix’s “Operation Christmas Drop,” to talk about her work with

The leading contenders for the Academy Award for the best adapted screenplay stressed the importance of listening to and preserving the nuanced details while translating these precious stories for the screen. As part of Variety’s inaugural 3-day FYC Fest celebrating this award season’s premier filmmakers and creatives, an evening session featuring contenders in the adapted

In late director Hector Babenco’s last film, “My Hindu Friend,” the doctor attending to Willem Dafoe’s character, a cancer-stricken Babenco alter-ego, observes: “Those who have a dream to fulfill have a better chance of survival.” These sage words best encapsulate what kept Babenco alive for more than three decades after he was diagnosed with lymphatic

J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions has partnered with newly formed outfit NoneMore Productions to produce an adaptation of Charlie Mackesy’s illustrated book “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse.” The 30-minute short will feature hand-drawn animation capturing the look and spirit of the book, and will see a team of artists work alongside

Emmy winner Lena Waite’s production company has launched a 10-month mentorship lab to help shepherd a new generation of storytellers and executives. Hillman Grad Productions is now accepting applicants to its inaugural lab, one that provides opportunities for marginalized storytellers to connect, grow and accelerate their careers in television and film Tuition-free, the program grants

Everything I know about the “Monster Hunter” video game series is contained in Paul W.S. Anderson’s big-screen adaptation of the franchise, “Monster Hunter.” There will be critics who can tell you who these characters are, or what’s up with the “new world” where monsters live, or why those of us in the “old world” should

To celebrate Variety’s 115th anniversary, we went to the archives to see how some of Hollywood’s biggest stars first landed in the pages of our magazine. Read more from the archives here. Variety first mentioned Charles Chaplin, as he was billed, in his American stage debut, before he had made any films. In 1910, the British-born

Orange Studio is set to co-produce and represent in international markets a trio of ambitious French movies, “L’astronaute,” “Madame de Sevigné” and “Chien blanc.” All three films will start shooting during the first quarter of 2021 and will be co-distributed by Orange Studio in theaters. “Chien blanc,” to be directed by Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette, will be

Clayne Crawford and filmmaker Robert Machoian will re-team on “The Integrity of Joseph Chambers,” a drama about a family man who must learn to hunt in order to provide for his family. The film is Crawford and Machoian’s second collaboration, following “The Killing of Two Lovers,” a marital drama that premiered to smashing reviews at

Focus Features has acquired worldwide rights to Kenneth Branagh’s upcoming film “Belfast.” The drama — written and directed by Branagh — stars Caitriona Balfe, Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Ciaran Hinds and newcomer Jude Hill. “Belfast” tells the story of one boy’s childhood during the tumult of the late 1960s. Dornan and Balfe play a glamorous

Spyscape, a New York City museum experience dedicated to the art of espionage, announced plans today for a film and TV festival named Spyflix. The event will take place starting April 18 with international availability through virtual screenings. Submissions will be accepted now through Feb. 28, with the overarching theme being “secrets.” Anything revolving around

Seth MacFarlane is reviving the age old rivalry between jocks and nerds. The comedic actor is developing a reboot of the seminal ’80s comedy “Revenge of the Nerds” at 20th Century Studios. Keith and Kenny Lucas, identical twin brothers best known for their scene-stealing roles in “22 Jump Street,” are set to write and star

Announced on Tuesday as one of 10 films playing the 2021 Sundance World Cinema Dramatic Competition, “El Perro Que No Calla” (“The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be Quiet”), from distinguished Argentine auteur Ana Katz, has been acquired by Paris-based Luxbox. A doyen of French sales agents of Latin American films, handling high-profile, multi-prized art titles such

Hot on the heels of its Sundance selection, London-based sales agent and distributor Dogwoof has acquired Hogir Hirori’s documentary “Sabaya” and will shop global rights. The film will receive its world premiere in the World Cinema Documentary section of the 2021 festival. Dogwoof previously repped Hirori’s IDFA-winning documentary “The Deminer” (2017), which follows a former

Global streaming giant Netflix has acquired rights to “The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity,” a period fantasy action film by the ferociously talented and divisive director Guo Jingming. The film is set for a major theatrical release in mainland China on Dec. 25. Netflix, which acquired rights excluding China, will release it in the rest

In 1970, Gil Scott-Heron recorded his famous poem-song “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.” But that anthemic line, as forceful as it was, has been proved wrong time and again. Two years earlier, starting on Sept. 12, 1968, the revolution was televised, in a captivating and astounding way. “Mr. Soul!” is a documentary that’s been

Tom Cruise expressed his frustration with crew members on the set of “Mission: Impossible 7” after he saw them breaking COVID-19 guidelines, two sources close to the production confirm to Variety. As first reported by The Sun, after Cruise saw two crew members standing too close to one another in front of a computer screen,

Robert Werden, a longtime Academy Awards publicist, died on Oct. 31 at his home in Los Angeles of natural causes. He was 94. His daughter Franchesca Werden made the announcement Tuesday. Werden handled the publicity for the Oscars between 1975 and 1993 as press liaison for the Academy Awards when he worked at Ruder Finn

The DC Cinematic Universe seems to have found another success with “Wonder Woman 1984.” Reviews began to flood in on Tuesday, with the majority of the critics favoring the film for its escapist qualities and director Patty Jenkins’ take on the 1980s. The movie, releasing in theaters and on HBO Max on Dec. 25, finds

Cinetic Media has signed “Collective” writer-director Alexander Nanau for management, representing the filmmaker across scripted and documentary film and television. After debuting at the Venice International Film Festival in 2019, Nanau’s documentary film “Collective” (from Magnolia Pictures and Participant) has earned widespread acclaim and has been designated as Romania’s official submission for best international feature

Naomi Ackie is in final negotiations to portray Whitney Houston in Sony’s upcoming musical biopic “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” Stella Meghie (“The Photograph”) is directing the film from a screenplay by “Bohemian Rhapsody” writer Anthony McCarten. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” is slated to release at Thanksgiving of 2022. “We spent the better part

Producer-writer Scott Marshall Smith, who received his first screenplay credit on “Men of Honor,” died following a stroke, his family said Tuesday. He was 62. Smith was a native of Monterey, Calif., and was raised in the Midwest. A graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Smith began his career in entertainment

Just confirmed for the 2021 Sundance World Cinema Dramatic Competition, Brazilian Iuli Gerbase’s sci-fi thriller “The Pink Cloud” begins, like the trailer shared in exclusivity with Variety, with a young woman walking her dog, staring at dainty pink clouds encroaching the horizon. She drops dead 10 seconds later. Sirens awake Giovana and Yago, who only

Brussels-based company Best Friend Forever has acquired “Mother Schmuckers,” which will world premiere at Sundance. The film marks the feature debut of Lenny and Harpo Guit, and is the first Belgian movie set to play in Sundance’s midnight section. Set in contemporary Brussels, the film tells the story of two brothers in their twenties, supremely

The Sundance Institute announced a smaller, more focused lineup for the upcoming 2021 Sundance Film Festival — down to 72 feature films from last year’s 128. That program, which will be made available to a much wider audience via a tight, seven-day virtual edition, makes room for 29 countries and 38 first features, including debuts

Prop master Michael Sexton has almost four decades of experience under his belt, yet Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” managed to present multiple firsts. A key scene in the blockbuster features a Boeing 747 that Nolan purchased while location scouting in Victorville, Calif. “It was pretty much one of the craziest things I’ve done in the 35

Disney’s Searchlight has scheduled awards contender Chloe Zhao’s “Nomadland” for a Feb. 19, 2021, launch in North America. “Nomadland” premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 11 and won the Golden Lion. The film is set after the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, with Frances McDormand’s character Fern exploring a life