“Old” star Rufus Sewell and “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’s” Shirley Henderson are set to lead dark comedy “The Trouble With Jessica.” Sewell will also be reunited with his “A Knight’s Tale” co-star Alan Tudyk in the film. Olivia Williams (“The Father”) and Indira Varma (“Obi Wan Kenobi”) round out the cast. Parkland
The world is not the same place it was in 1986, when “Top Gun” ruled the box office. In Ronald Reagan, America had a movie star for a president, and producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson as its honorary ministers of propaganda. The same year that “Platoon” challenged the United States’ militaristic track record, “Top
Brazilian streaming giant Globoplay is partnering with Lionsgate-backed streaming service Starzplay for a merged offering in Brazil. As of Thursday, Globoplay subscribers and non-subscribers will be able to purchase a Starzplay subscription that combines both services for R$35.80 (approximately $7 per month). The agreement unlocks access to the entire Starzplay catalogue within Globoplay. Existing Globoplay
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. It’s Harry’s House and we’re all just living in it. Ahead of his second solo album, out May 20, and following two powerhouse headlining performances at Coachella last month, Harry Styles has announced a
Telemundo is building its 2022-23 season lineup around the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the return of two of the Spanish-language outlet’s biggest star drama vehicles: Kate del Castillo in Season 3 of “La Reina del Sur” and Rafael Amaya rising from the dead for an eighth round of “El Señor de los Cielos.” The
The heads of the U.K. public service broadcasters (PSBs) are in agreement that the market is undergoing seismic changes and evolution is the way forward. “There’ll be huge changes going on in this market and we underestimate it at our peril,” said Tim Davie, director general of the BBC. “We’ve got to innovate, innovate, keep
James Corden is heading home — to visit, as part of a week-long trip to Blighty for “The Late Late Show” on CBS. This will mark the fourth time “The Late Late Show with James Corden” has filmed from the U.K., but marks the first major initiative for the show since Corden announced that he
Wattpad Webtoon Studios, the user-generated fiction entertainment outfit, and Italy’s Leone Film Group have announced a deal to co-develop a slate of films for the Italian and international marketplace based on original fiction stories from Wattpad. The pact is an expansion of their previously announced deal to make a film based on Blair Holden’s “The
Naomi Judd, the country music icon who died on April 30 at the age of 75, died of a self-inflicted firearm wound, her daughter, Ashley Judd, disclosed on Thursday morning. Ashley Judd made an appearance on “Good Morning America” to speak with Diane Sawyer about her mother’s death and how the Judd family has been
Pay TV operator Sky is continuing to invest big in the U.K. The Comcast owned outfit has trebled its output of U.K.-originated content from 2019 to 200 originals in 2022 with an investment of $500 million, said Dana Strong, group CEO of Sky, on Thursday. Strong was bullish about the impending opening of the Sky
Studiocanal will launch rights sales at Cannes on “Kangaroo,” the first Australia-New Zealand production from the local arm of the French film and TV group Canal Plus. The film is inspired by the real-life story of The Kangaroo Sanctuary founder Chris ‘Brolga’ Barns, who has been saving and raising baby kangaroos in Central Australia since
In its continued bid to ramp up its programming content, ViX Plus, the upcoming premium SVOD service from TelevisaUnivision, has formed a strategic alliance with Spain’s The Mediapro Studio, which will produce exclusive original content for the new Spanish-language streamer slated to launch in the second half of this year. First out the gate are
“Nanny McPhee” director Kirk Jones is set to take on Donald Trump in his first television series, “You’ve Been Trumped.” The drama, based on Anthony Baxter’s 2011 documentary, tells the story of a small Scottish village who took on the then-reality TV star when he tried to build a golf course in a nature reserve.
Mumbai-based Banijay Asia has struck a deal with ITV Studios’ Armoza Formats to bring an official adaptation of the award-winning Canadian mini-series, “Vertige,” to screen. The high-profile French-language show deconstructs the alleged suicide of a young girl, Daphne Roussel. Banijay Asia will reimagine the psychological thriller for the Indian audience. With a remit focused on
Europe’s movie production levels bounced back to pre-pandemic levels in 2021. The continent’s box office, however, lagged way behind, gross revenues coming in at less than half those before COVID-19, according to the 2022 edition of Focus – World Film Market Trends. A reference for much of the film industry in Europe, the annual
Warner Bros. Discovery and telco giant BT are to launch a premium sports venture in the U.K. and Ireland. The planned 50-50 joint venture will see BT Sport transferred to Warner Bros. Discovery, meaning that BT Sport and Eurosport U.K. are operated together. BT Sports’ parent company BT plc will receive £93m ($113 million) from
CBS has canceled the Chuck Lorre-produced sitcom “United States of Al” after two seasons, Variety has confirmed. “United States of Al” centers on the relationship between Marine combat veteran Riley (Parker Young) and his Afghan interpreter Awalmir, or “Al” (Adhir Kalyan), who finally lands a visa allowing him passage into the United States. Riley, who
If Brad Pitt were a geek, and a gravely serious one — not a more serious actor but a more doleful and pensive presence — he’d be something like Owen Teague. At 23, Teague has been acting since his teens, mostly on television and in occasional movies like “It,” and he resembles Pitt — the
Music publishing, a part of the industry that rarely raises its hand to be its hottest or most controversial subject, has recently been an uncharacteristic source of news headlines again and again, due to a seeming gold rush that has major artist-songwriters selling off their catalogs for huge figures. As the chairman-CEO of Sony Music
Johanna Fuentes is about to exit her post as head of global communications for WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group. Tom Ascheim, former head of the Kids and Family division, is also leaving in the latest round of high-level executive changes spurred by the WarnerMedia-Discovery merger. Fuentes joined the studio in 2020 as executive vice president
NBC’s comedy pilot “Lopez vs. Lopez” starring George Lopez and his daughter Mayan Lopez has been ordered to series. The multi-cam is described as a working-class family comedy about dysfunction, reconnection and all the pain and joy in between. In April, Variety learned exclusively that Selenis Leyva, Brice Gonzalez and Matt Shively would also star,
Jean Smart and her “Hacks” co-stars are under pressure. A lot of pressure. After an award-winning first season of the HBO Max series, they’re back for their sophomore outing. “Season 2 for any show means you have to prove yourself,” Smart told me at the second season premiere earlier this week at the Directors Guild
Emily Blunt will star in “Pain Hustlers,” a criminal-conspiracy film directed by “Fantastic Beasts” helmer David Yates that will be introduced to buyers at Cannes. From a script by “The True American” writer Wells Tower, the film is produced by Lawrence Grey through his Grey Matter Productions banner and Wychwood Pictures. The movie’s official logline
Fans who’ve been clamoring to see Hayden Panettiere return to the “Scream” franchise have gotten their wish. Spyglass Media and Paramount Pictures announced Wednesday that Panettiere will appear in the upcoming sixth movie, reprising her role from 2011’s “Scream 4,” where she played Kirby Reed, a Woodsboro High School student and horror fanatic, who ultimately
The hilarity of Black women on television has been sorely missed and ignored by the Television Academy over multiple decades. However, with this year’s slate of outstanding comedy series as robust as ever, it’s presented an incredible amount of worthy Black women to land Emmy recognition in the lead and supporting comedy categories. With freshman
David Duchovny will write, direct and star in “Bucky F*cking Dent.” But those aren’t the only ways in which this is a true David Duchovny production from start to finish. The film is also based on Duchovny’s book of the same name, a novel that topped the best-seller list and was embraced by critics. “Bucky
In another blow to the Los Angeles movie theater landscape, the Landmark Pico cinemas will close at the end of May, the company said. “For months, we’ve worked to extend our tenancy of The Landmark Pico but have been unable reach terms,” said Landmark Theaters’ president Kevin Holloway in a statement. “We send our deepest
Gloria Estefan, Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, Bad Bunny, Maluma … all are on a first-name basis with Bruno Del Granado, head of the global Latin music touring group at CAA, and our guest on this week’s edition of Variety‘s Strictly Business podcast. And it’s no wonder, seeing as he’s played no small role in their
Much hoopla has been over the NC-17 rating assigned to “Blonde,” the upcoming Marilyn Monroe drama that casts Ana de Armas as the Hollywood icon. The film’s director Andrew Dominik has defended the rating, arguing that “the NC-17 version of the Marilyn Monroe story” is what viewers want, although that doesn’t mean he was always
Backgrid; Courtesy of YSL; The Image Direct To be frank, any accessory that’s been worn by the likes of Zoë Kravitz, Hailey Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and Sydney Sweeney doesn’t require any further convincing. Their endorsements alone are enough to give said item top billing on my wish list. This season, that item is the Icare