Tis the season to face the music, literally. Are you embarrassed that you’re a full-blown adult with Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” as your No. 1 song? Maybe you’re a Swiftie that’s proud to be in the top 1% of her listeners. Do you feel superior for having your top artists be composed of indie cohorts
AT&T will sell Xandr, its programmatic advertising marketplace, to Microsoft, the telco announced. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed; the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory reviews. Xandr has formally been part of WarnerMedia, and the sale of the ad unit to Microsoft comes as WarnerMedia has set a deal
Princess Diana Archive Princess Diana wore many different coats—her style shape-shifting as she moved from young bride to mother to empowered divorcée—and we’re seeing them all this year. Fresh on the heels of the biopic Spencer, starring a Chanel-clad Kristen Stewart, and the Broadway version of Diana: The Musical, in late 2022 we’ll see Elizabeth
“My perfect cozy afternoon?” Addison Rae muses over the phone with ELLE.com. “Probably hot chocolate with a lot of marshmallows and a really good rom-com. Maybe an older rom-com…any Jennifer Aniston romcom, really. That is my perfect afternoon with lots of blankets and maybe no makeup, just lounging.” Rae is TikTok’s sweetheart. Not too sweet,
BMG and KKR have put their recently announced partnership to work, acquiring the “entire music interests” of long-running American rock band ZZ Top for a sum sources place at around $50 million. The agreement includes a buyout of the band’s publishing catalogue and their income from recorded royalties and performance royalties. Previously, BMG served as
Don’t count Nielsen out as the media industry scrambles to find new ways to tabulate audiences increasingly making their way to venues other than a traditional TV set. The media measurement giant, whose work serves as the bedrock for most TV-advertising deals, intends to launch new technology that can provide so-called “cross screen” viewership of
DOCUMENTARY Fremantle has won a bidding war for exclusive rights to produce a high-end documentary about Raffaella Carrà, the iconic Italian singer, actor, dancer and TV host who was a pop culture sensation across Europe and Latin America. Carrà, who died in July at 78, rose to fame in Italy as a singer and dancer
Winner of October’s MipJunior Project Pitch for “Princess Anabella,” Dutch studio Phanta Animation has boarded animated music feature “Rock Bottom,” one of Spain’s most singular and ambitious animation projects. Created by multi-prized Spanish animation director Maria Trenor Colomer, winner of a Berlinale Teddy Award for the 2004 short “With What Shall I Wash It?” “Rock
“RuPaul’s Drag Race: U.K. Versus The World” will be the centerpiece of the opening night on BBC Three, the U.K. digital platform that is being relaunched as a linear channel. The commission is one of three revealed by BBC Three on Tuesday. In “RuPaul’s Drag Race: U.K. Versus The World,” the U.K. will be the
Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler are Britain’s answer to Dr. Seuss. Ever since publishing “The Gruffalo” — written by Donaldson and illustrated by Scheffler — in 1999, the duo have delighted millions of children with their stories of robber rats, wandering whales and fantastical fish. In 2009, U.K. production company Magic Light Pictures turned “The
Rémi Chayé’s “Fleur,” Claude Barras’ “You’re Not the One I Expected” and Alberto Vázquez’s “Unicorn Wars” are some of the multiple potential standouts at the 24th edition of Cartoon Movie, Europe’s leading animated movie co-production event. Scheduled to take place in Bordeaux, France, over March 8-10, the 2022 Cartoon Movie lineup features 57 projects, 15
“Too much too soon” is a scenario that plays out in many life arenas, and it certainly does for the teenage protagonist swept into the professional sports world of “Tigers.” This year’s Swedish Oscar submission feature dramatizes Martin Bengtsson’s memoir of his brief, overwhelming stint in a leading Italian soccer club, whose pressures triggered a
Australia’s Cumulus VFX has received a state government grant of A$1 million ($710,000) to relocate within New South Wales from Byron Bay to Ballina, where it will be linked to the Byron Studios that are now in development. The move is just the latest in a succession of developments that are intended to keep Australia’s
Despite the cancellation of several major Hollywood events, the Critics Choice Association says the show must go on (for now). The Critics Choice Awards will proceed as an in-person ceremony on Jan. 9 at the Fairmont Century Plaza hotel with strict COVID protocols in place as cases continue to surge in the nation. “The Critics
“Emily in Paris” has a way of driving viewers crazy. There were groans when the Netflix series’ first season was nominated for best comedy at the Golden Globes and at the Emmys. And it occasioned a widely-circulated New Yorker piece that described it as part of a rising trend of “ambient TV,” describing it as
“Sex and the City” actors Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis on Monday addressed sexual assault allegations leveled at their longtime co-star Chris Noth. “We are deeply saddened to hear the allegations against Chris Noth. We support the women who have come forward and shared their painful experiences. We know it must be
“Girls Will Be Girls,” a female-led drama written and to be directed by debutant Shuchi Talati, has received a production grant from France’s Aide aux cinémas du monde. The grant will cover approximately 25% of the film’s production budget. The film is produced by Pushing Buttons Studios, an outfit founded by Indian actors Ali Fazal
“Jagged Little Pill” has closed on Broadway. After announcing the cancellation of performances on Saturday due to positive COVID-19 tests among the production, the musical has determined that it will not reopen at N.Y.’s Broadhurst Theater, citing “the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.” “The drastic turn of events this week with the rapid spread
Jamie Spears, who was suspended by a judge from his famous daughter’s conservatorship, is asking that Britney Spears’ estate continue to pay his legal fees. The pop star’s attorney is calling the request an “abomination.” In documents filed last week, Spears’ father petitioned to seek the court’s “confirmation, authorization and direction” for his daughter’s estate
Heads up, Critters! “The Legend of Vox Machina,” the animated fantasy series from D&D role-playing collective Critical Role, is hitting Prime Video a week earlier than previously announced. Amazon announced that the 12-episode Season 1 of the show will now premiere on Jan. 28, 2022, available to Prime and Prime Video members in more than
The much-anticipated second-season debut of “The Witcher” landed at the top of Variety’s Trending TV chart for the week of Dec. 13 to Dec. 19. The Netflix series had been long delayed as a result of COVID, but eight fresh episodes finally dropped on Friday, to the joy of fantasy fans everywhere. The fact that
Misery loves company — that old adage rings true in the first trailer for “I Want You Back,” a new romantic comedy starring Jenny Slate and Charlie Day. On Monday, Amazon Studios debuted first-look footage — naturally scored to the Jackson 5 song that inspired the movie’s title — which begins as Slate and Day’s
The 2022 AFI Awards luncheon is the latest Hollywood event to be postponed due to a surge of positive COVID-19 cases as the Omicron variant spreads. The awards ceremony was planned for Friday, Jan. 7, but, in a release late Monday, the American Film Institute (AFI) announced plans to reschedule the event for a later
Director Matthew Mishory and producer and financier Bradford L. Schlei announced the start of production for Rubber Ring Films’ and Schlei’s Stone Canyon Entertainment’s “Finding Fioretta,” which will start early next year. The feature documentary chronicles the life of genealogist Randol Schoenberg who is on a quest to find the centuries-old gravestone of his oldest
Jeff Garlin’s sudden depature from “The Goldbergs” over multiple misconduct allegations — which resulted last week in a mutual agreement to leave the Sony Pictures Television-produced ABC sitcom — has left the show in an unusual bind. How should Garlin’s character, Murray Goldberg, be dealt with on the show, given that Season 9 of “The
Chris Noth has been dropped from CBS’ series “The Equalizer” after being accused of sexual assault by two women, Variety has learned. Noth will be seen in one original upcoming episode of the series that has already been filmed, as well as future encores of episodes that have already aired, but will no longer be a part
Music supervisors are now solely eligible to win the Emmy in their category, as part of rules changes announced today by the Television Academy. Previously, showrunners who contributed musical ideas to their shows were eligible too, and have won three times. The new rules clarified entry requirements in the category. Emmys can only be awarded
Showtime Documentary Films announced “We Need To Talk About Cosby” will premiere on Jan. 30 at 10 p.m., following its Sundance Film Festival premiere. From Emmy-winning director W. Kamau Bell, the four-part docuseries will take a deep dive into Bill Cosby’s influential career and ultimate downfall — due to accusations of rape, drug facilitated sexual
When it comes to holiday gifting, Katie Sturino prefers to think outside the box, which really should come as no surprise to those familiar with her beauty brand, Megababe, which reimagines personal care products, and/or eponymous blog, known for changing perceptions around plus-size fashion. “I’ve always been a practical gift giver,” Sturino says. “I want
“Spider-Man: No Way Home” annihilated expectations in its box office debut, capturing a towering $260 million over the weekend. How mighty were initial ticket sales? The comic book adventure, featuring Tom Holland as Marvel’s web-slinging hero, has generated more money in a single weekend than any other pandemic-era movie has managed to earn in its