The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is honoring the centenary of cinema giant Satyajit Ray with a major two-part retrospective. May 2, 2021 was the birth centenary of Ray, the Indian master who won an honorary Oscar in 1992, shortly before his death, and remains the country’s best known filmmaker internationally. The first part of
The Astroworld tragedy resulted in 10 deaths and hundreds of injuries, and has spawned some 275 lawsuits alleging negligence and misconduct on the part of the concert promoters, the venue and headliner Travis Scott. Attorneys on both sides of the sprawling litigation have filed a motion to consolidate those cases before a single judge for
For the three central members of Genesis, all 70 years of age and older, to title their latest concert showcase “The Last Domino? Tour” — with lead vocalist Phil Collins nestled into a chair — shows that the prog-pop ensemble has a black comic streak up its sleeves. But the tour is no joke. To
Argentina’s “Ayelén and the Forest Shadow,” Uruguay’s “The Eagle Heist,” Mexico’s “Journey to the Land of the Tarahumara,” Brazil’s “Berg’s Books”and Spain’s “Upiro” proved top winners at a Ventana Sur prize ceremony which in its very form stressed just how much the biggest film-TV market in Latin America has expanded. Prior to the pandemic, prize
As the content universe expands at a rapid clip, music has never been more appreciated as an essential aspect of visual storytelling. That’s the 30,000-foot view of the film and TV music marketplace from dozens of industry insiders, tunesmiths and top players who are taking part in Variety’s annual virtual Music for Screens Summit. The
As anthropology professor Camille (Meagan Good) puts it, the beginning of winter signals the beginning of a season full of giant sweaters, seasonal lattes, and the irrepressible urge to burrow at home in as cozy a fashion as possible. While Camille brings this all up to explain “cuffing season” (i.e. the colder months inspiring single
Eric Zemmour, the French far-right pundit and TV journalist who has been called “France’s Trump,” sparked a scandal in French media earlier this week when he announced his presidential bid with a video that incited nationalist fervor and included unauthorized footage from classic movies, TV shows, newscasts and soccer games. The controversy echoes musicians such
Yvonne Wilder, the actor known for her work in “West Side Story,” “Seems Like Old Times” and numerous TV shows, died Nov. 24 at her home in Los Angeles. She was 84. Wilder played the role of Consuelo in Robert Wise’s landmark 1961 film adaptation of the Broadway musical “West Side Story.” She also appeared
Since his career as a hitmaker first took off with Kelly Clarkson’s 2004 smash “Since U Been Gone,” Lukasz Gottwald — a.k.a. Dr. Luke, Tyler Trax and others — has reigned as one of the world’s top hitmakers via songs with Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball,” Katy Perry’s “California Gurls,” Britney Spears’ “Hold It Against Me,” Pink’s “U + Ur
When R&B-pop wunderkind Khalid tweeted in October that his next work “was no longer an EP, it’s way more special to me,” the heartfelt 23-year-old vocalist-songwriter set a high for what would become his first “tape” – don’t call it a mixtape! – “Scenic View.” Dropped Friday morning, “Scenic View” is a pulsating, minor marvel
The New Mexico prosecutor overseeing the investigation into the “Rust” shooting said Friday that she is “exploring various legal theories” in the case, and has not ruled out any criminal charges. Mary Carmack-Altwies, the district attorney for New Mexico’s First Judicial District, issued a statement apparently in response to Alec Baldwin’s interview on ABC on
Home of Fiat, birthplace of Gianni Agnelli, and site of one of cinema’s most memorable vehicular chases in 1969’s “The Italian Job,” the northern Italian city of Turin has always been car central. So when it comes to big screen representation, besting that iconic Michael Caine caper might be no easy task, but the local
There were several hurdles Peter Jackson’s “Get Back” had to mount before the eight-hour documentary could premiere on Disney Plus, including persuading the surviving members of the Beatles to OK this pursuit, and sifting through 150 hours of audio and 60 hours of vintage footage and then restoring that delicate footage into crystal-clear quality. The
As 2021 draws to a close, to say the hits keep on coming for Columbia Records would be an understatement. At press time, Variety’s Hitmakers Label of the Year, led by chairman and CEO Ron Perry (pictured at left) and executive VP-general manager Jenifer Mallory (right), had the top three songs on Mediabase’s Top 40
Ron and Russell Mael didn’t intend for 2021 to be the year they conquered Hollywood, but there’s serendipity in what wound up happening. The brothers, known for their longtime work in the band Sparks, found themselves overcoming decades of false starts in the movie business with not one but two highly acclaimed films. First up
Jay Jay Phillips, a heavy metal musician who appeared on the reality competition show “America’s Got Talent,” has died, his band announced. He was 30. Phillips’ band, Mettal Maffia, made the announcement on Tuesday that the keyboard player had died. TMZ reported on Friday that Phillips died after a battle with COVID-19 over Thanksgiving and
Mike Dean is fielding texts from Madonna, promoting his latest solo album, “4:22,” nursing a joint and trying to answer interview questions. But there’s beauty in the chaos. Variety’s Hitmakers Producer of the Year does it so effortlessly — like a modern-day maestro conducting his own symphony — as he tries to remember the news
“Doctor Who” star Peter Capaldi and Raindance founder Elliot Grove have been honored at the first ever British Short Film Awards. Capaldi was given the Icon Award while Grove was handed the Impact Award The British Short Film Awards, in partnership with the HearArt Project, were hosted by presenter Alex Zane on Friday evening. The
George Clooney’s “The Tender Bar,” set in the working-class neighborhood of Manhasset, Long Island, spans 15 years starting in 1973. In the film, which bows Dec. 17 in theaters, young JR Maguire, played by Daniel Ranieri, spends his time among family members: his mom (Lily Rabe), grandmother (Sondra James), grandfather (Christopher Lloyd) and uncle Charlie
Antoine Fuqua has entered a new creative partnership with Netflix, focusing on feature and documentary films. The multi-project agreement comes on the heels of the streaming premiere of “The Guilty,” for which star Jake Gyllenhaal is currently making awards rounds. As both a director and producer, Fuqua will execute the agreement under his newly renamed
During Celine’s summer 2022 collection presentation in Nice, France, BLACKPINK superstar Lalisa Manobal (known by fans as “Lisa”) made her runway debut as part of her ongoing Celine ambassadorship. In a film accompanying the event, close-up shots of Lisa’s blunt-cut bangs and face-framing bob prepped fans for the even more glamorous reveal to come: Draped
Paramount Plus has unveiled an official trailer for the “Yellowstone” prequel series “1883.” “1883” follows the Dutton family as they embark on a journey through the Great Plains toward the last bastion of untamed America, offering audiences a stark retelling of western expansion and a study of one family fleeing poverty to seek a better
The CW announced a new docuseries titled “March,” which will explore HBCU band culture. The series will premiere on Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. before moving to a Sunday 9 p.m. timeslot on Feb. 27. With eight parts, “March” focuses on The Marching Storm, the prestigious marching band at Prairie View A&M University, following how
Carter Burwell has scored 19 of the movies of Joel and Ethan Coen, including such classics as “Fargo,” “The Big Lebowski” and “No Country for Old Men,” yet he’s never been nominated for a major industry award for any of that music. That could change this year with his dark and disturbing sounds for Joel
Bono hasn’t taken up many offers to work as an actor despite his years in the public eye. But when writer-director Garth Jennings came calling with an opportunity to collaborate on Universal’s animated “Sing 2,” Bono embraced the challenge of becoming a leading man with a leading mane. He got into the head of his
The animated series adaptation of “The Supernatural Academy” books by Jaymin Eve has been ordered at Peacock, Variety has learned exclusively. Variety originally reported the series was in the works from 41 Entertainment back in October 2019. The half-hour series will debut on Peacock on Jan. 20, 2022. The first season will consist of 16
Fox announced that “Lego Masters” has been renewed for a third season, which is set to premiere in 2022. Will Arnett will return as host and executive producer of the series, which is based on the British edition of the same name and sees pairs of Lego enthusiasts compete in building challenges with an unlimited
Cairo-based Tunisian film and TV star Hend Sabry is debuting as an executive producer on upcoming Netflix Arab Original “Finding Ola,” a series she proposed to the streamer. The show sees Sabry reprise her role as the widely beloved Ola Abdel-Sabour character she played 10 years ago in groundbreaking social drama “I Want to Get Married”
Kevin Tedesco, the longtime “60 Minutes” publicist who has seen the show through nearly of its tenure on air, is retiring after a quarter century at CBS News. CBS News released no official statement about his departure, but the show revealed he was leaving via its Twitter feed on Friday. His last dispatches on behalf
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not watched “Harlem,” streaming now on Amazon Prime Video. Tracy Oliver’s “Harlem,” a 10-episode half-hour series for Amazon Prime Video, is the latest in her signature line of comedies that center on a group of Black female friends. But this is the one that started it all,