Italian writer-director Niccolò Ammaniti’s dystopian drama “Anna,” centered on a 13-year-old girl who must contend with a viral contagion that kills off all adults on the island of Sicily, has been sold by Fremantle to over 30 territories, including a multi-territory deal with Disney Plus for key European markets. The Sky Original production, produced by
The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced that Yvonne Orji will host the 49th International Emmy Awards, which takes place in person Nov. 22 at the Great Hall of Casa Cipriani in New York. Additionally, NBA All-Star Dirk Nowitzki will present the International Emmy Directorate Award to Thomas Bellut, director general of ZDF
“The Great British Bake Off” is set to remain on Channel 4 for at least another three years, the broadcaster confirmed today, after it re-upped its deal with Love Productions. The new agreement will run until 2024. The show is one of Channel 4’s biggest hits. The 2020 “Bake Off” final attracted 11.5 million viewers,
Military veterans who have transitioned to new forms of service in their civilian life were the focus of the second annual Variety and Voices Magnified “Salute to Service” special that aired Thursday on History in honor of Veterans Day. “Good Morning America” anchor Robin Roberts hosted the hourlong program, which featured appearances by President George
Nearly two decades ago, Megan Mylan co-directed “Lost Boys of Sudan,” a memorable documentary chronicling hope and upheaval among seven young men who landed in the U.S. after surviving village massacres during that nation’s second civil war. (There has since been a third.) Enough has happened in the interval that Mylan’s new “Simple as Water”
“What’s past is past,” Taylor Swift sang nine years ago on “Begin Again,” one of the original tracks from “Red.” And what a damnable lie that was. Sure, it was said in the context of one of the few unabashedly uplifting songs on that 2012 release, so she could be forgiven for getting caught up
It might have a core of ultra-rich high-calorie cheese, but the throwback song is a very specific and carefully calibrated art form. It must evoke and transcend the era it’s reviving in an affectionate or hilarious fashion (or both); it has to be a great song as well as a nostalgia trip for those who
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not watched “Bottle Up and Explode!,” the fifth episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 18. When E.R. Fightmaster landed the role of Dr. Kai Bartley on “Grey’s Anatomy,” the show’s first non-binary doctor in its 18-season run, they knew one person in particular would be excited. “I used to
The first reactions to Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Licorice Pizza” promise a film that is a “warm, funny memory-driven coming of age fever dream” and “definitely a vibe.” Starring Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman, the film follows the adventures of high schooler Gary Valentine (Hoffman) and Alana Kane (Haim), an enthralling woman in her 20s. Set
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched the “Station 19”/“Grey’s Anatomy” crossover event on Nov. 11. The promos had flatly stated that not everyone would survive the “Station 19”/“Grey’s Anatomy” crossover episodes Thursday night — and that was indeed true. Okieriete Onaodowan, who has played Seattle firefighter Dean Miller since “Station
Auteur Paul Thomas Anderson ushers in his breeziest, most light-hearted effort yet with “Licorice Pizza,” a film that could be an all-around awards player, possibly nabbing him an overdue Academy Award for best original screenplay. Add in debut performances from Cooper Hoffman — son of late Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman — and singer-songwriter Alana
KISS founder Gene Simmons has always had a sharp tongue, and he didn’t mince words during an appearance with host Steve Harkins on Talkshoplive’s Rock N’ Roll Channel when asked about his feelings regarding those who are still unvaccinated. “If you’re willing to walk among us unvaccinated, you are an enemy,” he said, pointedly. Simmons
“What if the mob, but funny?” is the question asked by “Love Songs for Tough Guys,” and if your answer is “Isn’t that just ‘Analyze This?’” you aren’t alone. Still, this French spin on the thug-with-a-heart-of-gold story distinguishes itself somewhat with a romantic bent that is, at least in fits and starts, genuinely romantic. The
Dave Gahan is no stranger to singing other people’s songs. Although for most of his career, those songs all came from the same source. As the lead singer and frontman for seminal synth-rock outfit Depeche Mode, Gahan spent his first flush of fame as an interpreter of sorts, using his plaintive, sensual baritone to turn
A man arrives at an airport. Situated in a remote place, surrounded by vast desolate landscapes, this modern building feels like a mirage, not so much out of place as out of time. The airport, he knows, is empty though not abandoned. There may be no planes but there are employees ambling about, traffic controllers
The titular matriarch in Jeremiah Lemohang Moses’ “Mother, I Am Suffocating. This is My Last Film About You.” is not really — or not only — a person. She is a concept, a country, an entire continent. The roving black and white cinematography that underscores a clipped, poetic voiceover (courtesy of Sivan Ben Yishai) addresses
After more than 13 years, a new beginning is on the horizon for pop star Britney Spears, who has been living under a restrictive conservatorship since 2008. It was at that time the singer, then in her mid-20s, had endured a series of public pitfalls — arguably brought on by the media’s heavy scrutiny of
Bharti Shahani, a 22-year-old senior at Texas A&M University, died on Wednesday night from injuries she sustained at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival, her family’s lawyer confirmed to the Associated Press. “Bharti was a shining star in the community,” attorney James Lassiter said during a press conference, according to the AP. “She was a sister, a
Spotify is acquiring Findaway, a digital audiobook distributor, as the streaming giant looks to steamroll into a new category of audio entertainment. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021, subject to regulatory review and approval. Spotify positioned the pact as letting it quickly
Coronji Calhoun Sr., the actor who played Tyrell, the son of Halle Berry and Sean “Diddy” Combs’ characters, in the 2001 film “Monster’s Ball,” died on Oct. 13. He was 30. Calhoun died of congestive heart failure and lung problems, CBS affiliate 4WWL confirmed. The news was shared by his mother Theresa Bailey with 4WWL
Strand Releasing has acquired U.S. rights to Georgis Grigorakis’ feature debut “Digger,” Greece’s official entry for the Oscars’ international feature film race. Set in the rich forests of Northern Greece, “Digger” is a modern-day psychological Western starring Vangelis Mourikis as an iconoclastic farmer at war against the encroachments of a ravenous industry and the demons
Jackie Chan’s latest martial arts comedy “Ride On” wrapped shoots on Thursday. It is set to release next year. Local media reports showed a teary-eyed Chan congratulating the crew on the successful production holding a bouquet of pink and orange flowers from director Larry Yang Zi, best known for his work on the 2019 heart-warming
Swiss sales outfit Lightdox has acquired “Museum of the Revolution,” the feature debut of U.S.-based, Serbian director Srđan Keča, ahead of its world premiere in IDFA’s Luminous strand, Variety has learned. The documentary is set in Belgrade, where, in 1961, there were plans to build a grand museum as a tribute to Socialist Yugoslavia. Meant
Hulu has released a first look photo featuring the cast of “How I Met Your Father” that also showcases Industrial Light and Magic’s new virtual production stage, the Infinity, on Disney’s Burbank lot. The sequel series to the hit CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother” stars Sophie (Hilary Duff) who is telling her son
Richard T. Jones is launching an independent production company dubbed Prophecy Pictures Entertainment, Variety has learned exclusively. Jones is starting the company with producing partners Jeremy Loethen and Kristy Horiuchi. The company’s emphasis is on developing and producing mainstream family, faith-based, and inspirational content across all platforms. The company already has multiple projects in development. Among
For 15 seasons the members of FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (B.A.U.) profiled — and caught — some of the most gruesome and dangerous serial killers ever featured on scripted television. During that time (324 episodes to be exact), viewers also gleaned insight into the main characters’ backgrounds through dark journeys to hometowns. They worked the term “unsub” into
Ada Maris has been a working actor in TV and film since the mid-1980s. Over her long career, which includes co-starring in the NBC drama “Nurses,” 1986’s “About Last Night” and most recently FX’s “Mayans M.C.” and HBO Max’s “The Garcias,” the Mexican American actor has been dismayed by the stereotypical and often racist portrayals
HBO is developing a limited series version of the Stitcher podcast “Mob Queens” with Lena Dunham, Ruth Wilson, and Dennis Lehane, Variety has learned. The series tells the story of Anna Genovese (Wilson), most widely known as the second wife of infamous crime boss Vito Genovese and a fixture in the Village’s drag bar scene in
It was supposed to be a lark, the joint album by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, and certainly not a cash-in or an awards play. So the first big surprise about “Raising Sand” — the 2007 collaborative effort by the erstwhile Led Zeppelin frontman and the bluegrass-turned-pop singer and violinist — was that it got
Film festivals have been the primary hatching-ground for Oscar contenders ever since the Academy’s tastes shifted predominantly from studio to independent cinema earlier this century — though in the international feature category, this has been the case for far longer. Rare is the non-English-language nominee that captures voters’ imaginations without a profile boost from one