Broadly speaking, record-label bosses tend to have similar backgrounds, rising through A&R, promotion or management ranks, usually hitting a massive success that lands them the big job. And while Max Lousada, Warner Music Group’s head of recorded music, has followed some of that model, his background is unusual by any stretch, and is reflected not
Los Angeles-based Outsider Pictures has picked up North American rights to the award-winning Brazilian stop-motion feature “Bob Spit: We Do Not Like People,” this year’s Best Film winner from Annecy’s Contrechamp section for innovative and outside-the-box toon features and the Best Animated Feature at the Ottawa International Animation Festival. Outsider is currently planning an Academy
In his film “The Mute Man of Sardinia” (“Il Muto di Gallura”) Turin-born Matteo Fresi reignites the feud between the Vasa and Mamia families, which caused the deaths of more than 70 people in mid-19th century Sardinia. Focusing on deaf-mute Bastiano Tansu, he shows an outsider who – mistreated and marginalized all his life –
Unlike a lot of kids, Lin-Manuel Miranda says he never dreamed of becoming president. “I was never that kid. I fell in love with musical storytelling because of ‘The Little Mermaid’” — he has the VHS on hand — “and wanted to know how those songs got written.” The “Hamilton” creator got his taste of
Les Arcs Film Festival has unveiled the 15-title lineup of its Work-in-Progress session, the popular industry sidebar whose alumni roster include Vladimar Jóhannsson’s “Lamb,” Lukas Dhont’s “Girl” and Nora Fingscheidt’s “System Crasher.” The section, curated by Frederic Boyer, the artistic director of Tribeca and Les Arcs Film Festival, will include “Opponent,” a drama by Swedish
Check out the Studio 666 Official Trailer starring Dave Grohl! Let us know what you think in the comments below. ► Sign up for a Fandango FanALERT for Studio 666: https://www.fandango.com/studio-666-2022-226502/movie-overview?cmp=MCYT_YouTube_Desc Want to be notified of all the latest movie trailers? Subscribe to the channel and click the bell icon to stay up to date.
UPDATED: Ludwig Ahgren, an esports commentator and pro gamer who had amassed a large following on Twitch, inked an exclusive livestreaming deal with YouTube Gaming that commenced Dec. 1. Then, on Dec. 2, YouTube abruptly suspended Ludwig’s livestream. The YouTube block came Thursday in the middle of his second exclusive broadcast on the platform —
A new documentary is in the works exploring the mysterious founder of Bitcoin and the larger state of cryptocurrency. Director Matthew Miele (“Always at the Carlyle,” “Quixotic Endeavors”) will helm the project, titled “Finding Satoshi.” The film will investigate the origins of Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, whose identity and invention remains secret.
Probably never before in history did as much time transpire between the release of a film’s theme song and the actual release of the movie as in the case of “No Time to Die.” Billie Eilish’s title song, written with her producer and brother, Finneas, came out 20 months before the James Bond film it
A new chapter in Netflix’s “Tiger King” saga is coming next week. A three-part documentary about private zoo operator Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, titled “Tiger King: The Doc Antle Story,” is set to premiere on the streamer Dec. 10. Directed by “Tiger King” and “Tiger King 2” documentarians Rebecca Chaiklin and Eric Goode, the series will
Former Nickelodeon exec Sharon Kroll Cohen has been tapped to head up marketing for Sensical, a new streaming service geared toward kids 2-10. Common Sense Networks CEO Eric Berger, to whom she will report, announced the hire on Friday. Cohen had previously been serving as a senior advisor to Common Sense Networks, which launched Sensical
Even by the standards of the choose-your-own-adventure TV landscape, exceptional TV spread diffusely across the landscape this year — so much so that two critics making Top 10 lists only shared three series in common. Beyond those three consensus shows — HBO Max’s “Hacks,” HBO’s “Succession,” and Amazon Prime Video’s “The Underground Railroad” — the
Ariana Grande is aiming for the Oscars with her best original song contender, “Just Look Up,” and she’s bringing Kid Cudi with her. The song features in Adam McKay’s new comedy satire, “Don’t Look Up,” (in theaters Dec. 10) about a giant comet headed for earth. Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Wolf of Wall Street”), Jennifer Lawrence
The New York Film Critics Circle will begin announcing its winners on Friday morning, as one of the early critics’ groups to weigh in on awards season. The organization is made up of about 50 critics and journalists based on the East Coast, from publications that include Time, Vanity Fair and Variety. The group started
When “Summit of the Gods” director Patrick Imbert graduated from France’s Les Gobelins school of animation in the late 1990s, he entered an industry still looking for its right footing. “The market and industry was not as developed as it is today,” Imbert tells Variety. “There were much fewer projects because there were much fewer
While attending grad school in New York City, Shoshana Akabas tutored a recently arrived Afghan refugee in English. The woman was pregnant and had a very small support system in the U.S., so Akabas asked a friend of hers who had recently given birth whether she had baby clothes to pass along. Akabas’ friend had
Bola Sete was an astonishing Brazilian guitarist whose music tread the line between jazz (he played with Dizzy Gillespie and Vince Guaraldi) and bossa nova. While his name isn’t as familiar as contemporaries like Joao Gilberto or the generation of Caetano Veloso and Jorge Ben, his instrumental music fits right alongside theirs — it’s surprising he’s
All products and services featured by Variety are independently selected by Variety editors. However, Variety may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. It’s only been a few months since Blackpink’s Lisa embarked on a solo career with her record-smashing debut
All products and services featured by Variety are independently selected by Variety editors. However, Variety may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Cinephiles know that movie magic is real. What other medium can transport us to different worlds, bring characters
Launched in 2015, IFF Panama’s rough-cut sidebar Primera Mirada has proved a vital launch pad for Central American and Caribbean films in post, providing that all-important impetus towards their final completion. A jury led by Diana Sánchez, Marcelo Quesada and Paula Gastaud along with head curators, festival director Pituka Ortega Heilbron and IFF Panama industry head
IFF Panama’s co-production forum, the Panama Film Match, launched in 2020 in a virtual format. It’s now holding its first in-person format between Dec. 2-4 as part of the 10th Panama Intl. Film Festival (IFF Panama). Creating a co-production forum has been a long-standing goal for IFF Panama, the highest-profile film event in Central America. The
George Clooney turned down an offer of $35 million for a day’s work for an airline commercial, the star revealed to the U.K.’s The Guardian newspaper. In an interview published in the newspaper on Friday, Clooney said: “I was offered $35 million for one day’s work for an airline commercial, but I talked to Amal
Prolific Singaporean producer Jeremy Chua (Cannes titles “Rehana,” “A Yellow Bird”) and compatriot Nicole Midori Woodford were among the many filmmakers affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic. The duo were prepping “Last Shadow at First Light,” the debut feature from Woodford who had made several acclaimed shorts including Clermont Ferrand selection “Permanent Resident” and Busan
Writer Jack Thorne (“His Dark Materials”) today launched the pressure group Underlying Health Conditions (UHC) alongside “The Silence” star Genevieve Barr, production manager Katie Player (“Churchill) and producer Holly Luban. To coincide with the launch, which took place at the Tate Gallery in London on International Day of Disabled Persons, the group also published a
Throughout the pandemic that has ravaged Central America, the region’s most prominent film event, the Panama International Film Festival (IFF Panama), has forged on virtually in its continued bid to bolster local projects and talent. To mark its 10th anniversary this year, a smaller hybrid edition kicks off on Dec. 3 with “Plaza Catedral,” Panama’s
Dean Reinhard, technical account manager, Southeast Asia, at Epic Games, and an evangelist for virtual production spoke this week at an Asia TV Forum & Market panel on virtual production. He chatted with Variety after the session and identified Asia’s strengths and weaknesses with the technique. Variety: What do you think the possibilities are and
A decade back, Clarissa Campolina burst on the filmmaking scene co-directing with Helvecio Marins Jr. “Swirl” (“Girimunho”), a portrait of an elderly faith healer on Brazil’s arid highlands and the beliefs, myths and habits of rural Brazil before they are swept aside by the passing of a generation. Activated by producer Luana Melgaço, Campolina and
The Indian arm of Sony is planning to produce local content that has the potential to travel globally. Speaking at Singapore’s Asia TV Forum and Market on Friday, Vivek Krishnani, MD at Sony Pictures Entertainment Films India, said: “We are strongly focusing on creating Indian IPs, which can crossover into the mainstream and therefore, to
Lifetime is trying to turn a commercial break into a holiday tradition. Last year, the A+E Networks-backed cable outlet showcased a 15 minute “mini-movie” that starred actor Mario Lopez as KFC scion Col. Harland Sanders. The steamy short poked fun at the network’s famous soapy dramas. At 8 p.m. Friday, Lifetime will bring out a
The perpetual troubles of a prepubescent protagonist are humorously placed at the center of Disney Plus’ “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.” After a successful run of four live-action features adapted from Jeff Kinney’s popular book series, director Swinton Scott refurbishes the franchise as an animated feature, and while the wholesome-minded product feels a tad redundant,