Movies

For the 2020 Power of Women issue, Variety spoke with several women in the entertainment industry who are using their voices to benefit worthy causes. For more, click here. As people in U.K. households step out on front doorsteps every Thursday at 8 p.m. to eagerly applaud, whistle and clang pots and pans in appreciation

Leading Russian toon house Wizart Animation has closed deals for the U.K., India, and across the African continent for two of its leading feature film franchises. The deals were announced Tuesday during the Key Buyers Event: Digital Edition, a showcase of the latest Russian productions organized by film promotion body Roskino. Signature Entertainment has acquired

This week the Key Buyers Event: Digital Edition, organized by Russian film promotion body Roskino, launched its virtual showcase of new Russian productions with some 400 international participants slated to take part, including buyers, commissioners and producers from 55 countries. Exports of Russian films have been growing at a healthy 25% clip annually in recent

Alexander Rodnyansky, who produced Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Oscar-nominated pics “Leviathan” and “Loveless,” says that the Russian films best able to travel tend to be “serious dramas,” such as the works of Zvyagintsev and Alexander Sokurov, whose stories “at their core examine the complexity of human existence.” Rodnyansky is working with three up-and-coming filmmakers whom, he says,

Malaysia’s National Film Development Corporation (FINAS) has appointed Ahmad Idham Ahmad Nadzri as its new CEO. The move was announced by Zakaria Abdul Hamid who was last month announced as chairman Ahmad Nadzri was previously appointed CEO in March 2019. But he asked to leave the organization in March, 2020, after little more than one

Atsushi Sakahara, a survivor of the sarin gas attacks in Tokyo, unveils his documentary account of the Aum Shinrikyo cult and its continuing activities in “Me and the Cult Leader – A Modern Report on the Banality of Evil.” The film is expected to have its world premiere later this month at the U.K.’s digital

A rare letter of dissent circulating online slams China’s government for failing to help film industry workers whose livelihoods have been shaken by prolonged coronavirus-imposed shutdowns. Written this weekend as China hit its 136th day since cinemas shuttered nationwide, the letter has spread within film industry circles despite being censored on some platforms. Variety was

In today’s film news roundup, the Winklevoss twins are coming to Hollywood via a Bitcoin movie, the Newport Beach Film Festival announces its opener and Mutiny Pictures becomes a distributor. PROJECT LAUNCH The Winklevoss Twins — Cameron and Tyler — are teaming with Greg Silverman’s Stampede Ventures on a feature film adaptation of “Bitcoin Billionaires,”

“Evil Dead” star Bruce Campbell has revealed some details about the franchise’s next installment. “It’s called ‘Evil Dead Now,’” Campbell said in an interview with Empire. The star played Ash Williams in Sam Raimi’s original horror trilogy of “The Evil Dead,” “Evil Dead 2” and “Army of Darkness.” Campbell didn’t appear in the 2013 soft reboot

Movie theaters in California could begin reopening as early as June 12 under strict proposed guidelines that have been issued by the state’s Department of Public Health. Gov. Gavin Newsom has yet to weigh in on the proposed guidelines, which are part of family entertainment rules. The rules for movie theaters would include requiring face

“Harry Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe posted a lengthy response on Monday to controversial anti-trans tweets posted by author J.K. Rowling on June 6. “Transgender women are women,” Radcliffe wrote in an essay posted to the website of the Trevor Project, a non-profit dedicated to crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ people. “Any statement to

As fans patiently wait for Disney Plus’ upcoming “Percy Jackson” series, author Rick Riordan is slamming the film adaptations of his popular novels, writing that they’re his “life’s work going through a meat grinder.” Riordan took to Twitter to respond to fans who also shared their dissatisfaction with the “Percy Jackson” movies. “I don’t know,

Amid nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism, the 2011 drama “The Help” quickly became one of the most-watched movies on Netflix. But the film — based on Kathryn Stockett’s novel — also drew criticism for its white savior narrative. So one of its stars, Bryce Dallas Howard, recommended other movies to watch about racial

British Academy of Film and Television Arts chair Krishnendu Majumdar has addressed the killing of George Floyd and the lack of diversity in BAFTA’s nominations process in his first communication with members since being appointed last week. In a powerful letter to BAFTA members, Majumdar said: “It is no longer acceptable to be just non-racist:

Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions have opted to launch the supernatural thriller “You Should Have Left” on premium video-on-demand instead of its planned debut in theaters. The movie, starring Kevin Bacon and Amanda Seyfried, will be available to rent starting June 19. Along with the release shakeup, the studio also unveiled a new trailer. It’s

Cabin fever, stir-crazy, climbing the walls. We’ve heard these terms all our lives, but suddenly in the age of coronavirus, they have deeper resonance. We also have a newfound appreciation of movies about people losing their grip. In the past, it’s been entertaining to watch these characters, but the fun is diminished when it hits

U.K producer Mosley Studios and producer-financier Goldfinch are turning to virtual reality for the launch of their latest feature, action thriller “The Ascent.” Thought to be the first film premiere inside virtual reality, “The Ascent” will bow June 12 at 7 p.m. (BST) via AltspaceVR, and will be available to those with an Oculus headset,

Scott Carlin (Pete Davidson), the loser hero of “The King of Staten Island,” is a 24-year-old trash-talking punk stoner who lives with his mother in Staten Island and has no plans whatsoever — for a career, a life, or the next five minutes. He’s a slacker, a lout, and a self-pitying anger-management case who has

In honor of National Gun Violence Awareness Day on Friday (June 5), Pearl Jam officially released for the first time the original, uncensored 1992 video for its classic song “Jeremy,” directed by Mark Pellington. This version has circulated in varying degrees of quality online and on Pellington’s Web site for some time, but the update

As live sport is about to make a comeback, Eurosport has appointed Scott Young as senior vice president of production and content. Young will be in charge of developing a unique and integrated content offering across broadcast and digital, realizing opportunities presented by Eurosport’s enhanced digital products and broader technology transformation. Young’s experience in the

Russian film promotion body Roskino has organized a virtual content market showcasing the latest Russian productions to international buyers. Unspooling from June 8-15, the Key Buyers Event: Digital Edition features a program of live presentations, pitches, panel discussions, and matchmaking sessions, along with a dedicated co-development and co-production section and a screening room with more

Thousands of people attended anti-racism protests in the U.K. over the weekend, with gatherings in cities such as London, Bristol, Manchester, Wolverhampton, Nottingham, Glasgow and Edinburgh. On Sunday, protesters in Bristol used ropes to pull down the bronze statue of Edward Colston — a prominent 17th-Century slave trader. Colston was a member of the Royal

Russian multi-hyphenate Fedor Bondarchuk was riding high after a series of blockbuster hits when Hollywood came calling in 2014. Fresh off the domestic success of his alien invasion movie “Attraction,” and the World War II epic “Stalingrad,” Warner Bros. tapped him to direct a big-budget movie based on Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey.” But then

While much of Australia’s film and TV slate is currently being held up over insurance matters, production has now begun near Sydney on low budget feature “Dark Noise.” It is one of the first local films in Australia to start since the end of nationwide coronavirus lockdowns. The film features the rising star of the

Post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller “The Blackout” has secured distribution in more than 90 countries, including the U.S. and China. The movie is helmed by Egor Baranov, the director of the hit fantasy-horror trilogy “Gogol.” Leading Russian company Central Partnership, which is handling international distribution on the film, announced the news on Monday as Key Buyers Event,

The Match Factory, one of the world’s leading arthouse film sales companies, has revealed its slate for the Cannes Film Market, which runs June 22-26. Its lineup includes three market premieres: one new film, “Ballad for a Pierced Heart,” and two films that won jury awards at the online Tribeca Film Festival recently – “Kokoloko”

Camilla Hall’s debut documentary, “Copwatch,” wants viewers to know these names: Dave Whitt. Ramsey Orta. Kevin Moore. Not because these men of color have been lost to police violence but because they documented it. Ramsey Orta trained his cellphone on the arrest of Eric Garner as NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo applied the lethal (and banned)

Michael B. Jordan called on Hollywood to hire more Black creators and diversity its storytelling while protesting in Century City on Saturday. attended a protest in Century City, Los Angeles on Saturday to give a speech against police brutality and inequalities in the entertainment industry while marching in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

Kurt Thomas, the first U.S. male to win a gold medal at the Gymnastic World Championships, died Friday after suffering a stroke. He was 64. His stroke on May 24 was caused by a tear in the basilar artery in his brain stem, according to the Associated Press. “Yesterday I lost my universe, my best

Vadim Vereshchagin, CEO of leading Russian production and distribution company Central Partnership, says it’s time for the world to give a second look to Russian cinema—particularly the slick commercial titles that are racking up boffo box office back home. “The key thing for us right now is to explain to the foreign buyers primarily, ‘Look,