“Schitt’s Creek” and “Blood Quantum” were the big winners in the television and film categories, respectively, at the 2021 Canadian Screen Awards. “Schitt’s Creek” led television honors with eight awards for it’s sixth and final season, including best comedy series; best direction, comedy for Andrew Cividino and Daniel Levy; and the sixth win in a
Netflix has dropped a teaser-trailer for Italian chiller “A Classic Horror Story,” which appears to reference Italy’s past horror masters like Dario Argento and Mario Bava but also looks like it will break new ground. The creepy pic, set to launch globally on the streamer July 14, is co-directed by young helmers Roberto De Feo
The long awaited movie adaptation of popular BBC series “Luther” is gearing up for a September production start, actor and executive producer Idris Elba has revealed. Speaking to Variety on Friday, Elba said: “We go into production, fingers crossed, in September. I’m so excited about it, it’s been a long time coming. “We’re very, very
Actor-producer Daniel Dae Kim urged those of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to work hard at “allyship” with other underrepresented communities in order to focus on the roots of systemic racism. Kim spoke on May 20 at a half-day virtual seminar hosted by Amazon Studios to examine API representation in film and media as part
Dwayne Johnson has been cast in the Warner Bros. movie “DC League of Super-Pets” and will voice the role of Krypto the Super-Dog. The animated DC film centers on Superman’s dog, who teams up with a flying cat to stop crime while the Man of Steel is on vacation. It’s slated to release in theaters
“How many times have you been subjected to mediocre, romantic, rom-com movies, starring white people?” asks Nepali-American designer Prabal Gurung. “When the AAPI community and minority communities are not just celebrated for their excellence, but allowed to exist in the mediocrity also, that is when we know true inclusivity is happening. You’re allowing them to
In its biggest-ever acquisition, Snap is buying U.K.-based WaveOptics, the company that makes the augmented-reality displays for Snap’s new Spectacles smart glasses, in a deal worth more than $500 million. A Snap spokesperson confirmed the company’s acquisition of WaveOptics, which was first reported by The Verge. A WaveOptics rep referred inquiries to Snap. Under the
At the beginning of the 1970s, mainstream Black music was a massive singles scene. A handful of Motown acts, including the Supremes and the Temptations, had managed to score Top 10 albums during the ‘60s, but with the exception of Aretha Franklin’s Atlantic Records releases post-“Respect” and Ray Charles’ run of early ‘60s hits on
We never learn the name of the main character in Samuel Van Grinsven’s fearless queer debut, “Sequin in a Blue Room.” Anonymous is just the way he likes it. Using a gay cruising app, he goes by the handle “Sequin,” seeking casual, no-strings sex from strangers. Once the hookup’s complete, he blocks the other party,
I’m an Israeli father of two young boys here in Tel Aviv. I love them to bits. I know that across the border in Gaza there’s a Palestinian father with kids who feels the same way about his. I know we both want to protect them more than anything. Like me, I’m sure he tells
Munich-based Beta Film, one of Europe’s biggest independent TV companies, has acquired worldwide distribution rights outside France to “The Island of Thirty Coffins,” a French series adaptation of a novel by “Lupin” author Maurice Leblanc. An atmospheric crime thriller from Leblanc – whose Arsène Lupin character, created in 1905, inspired Netflix biggest foreign-language global hit
Alexis von Wittgenstein’s Munich-based production shingle Violet Pictures is expanding its TV series pipeline with a slew of new projects, among them a historical drama about the role of women in the creation of modern Europe, the story of a mother of three who became one of the Soviet Union’s most successful spies, and a
Sky has canceled “Bulletproof,” three weeks after multiple sexual misconduct allegations emerged about the show’s lead Noel Clarke, Variety can reveal. A spokesperson for the Comcast-backed pay-TV operator confirmed the decision: “Sky will not be proceeding with any further series of ‘Bulletproof.’” Meanwhile, production company Vertigo Films has also said it “will not make any future
Set to air on May 26 on the U.K.’s Channel 4, “Before We Die,” the latest production from Eagle Eye, marks an adaptation of “Innan vi dör,” the hit Swedish show of the same international title. The six-episode series eloquently translates the precise and effective narrative of the original. Distributed by ZDF Enterprises, while the
Two keenly anticipated live performances at the Eurovision Song Contest grand final on May 22 will not take place because of positive COVID-19 tests. On May 19, a member of the Icelandic group Daði og Gagnamagnið, one of the competition favorites, tested positive for COVID-19, while the rest of the delegation tested negative. They took
BTS’ new English-language single “Butter” broke records and slid to the top of the U.S. iTunes chart all within the first two hours of its release. “Butter” became the fastest video ever on YouTube to hit 10 million views, passing the mark in just 13 minutes to break a record that BTS set last summer
Distinguished British actor Tim McMullan is playing the role of detective Atticus Pünd in the PBS Masterpiece, BritBox U.K. and Eleventh Hour Films series adaptation of “Magpie Murders,” Anthony Horowitz’s international bestseller. Previously announced actor Timothy Spall had to step away from the production due to a scheduling clash. The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 and NBCUniversal streamer Peacock’s riotous new comedy “We Are Lady Parts” is releasing an official soundtrack, Variety can reveal. The stereotype-busting, Working Title-produced series about a fictional Muslim female punk band premiered on Channel 4 on Thursday to effusive praise from the U.K. press, which has widely noted that the show’s
Chances are that, on the first or second listen, Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album, “Sour,” will remind you of Billie Eilish’s own freshman effort from a little over two years ago. It’s not so much that, at 18, Rodrigo is still young enough to count a 19-year-old as an influence — although you do get the
The credits on BTS’ new single, the synth-heavy dance pop track “Butter,” will be familiar to people who follow such things, with names like Rob Grimaldi, Stephen Kirk, Alex Bilowitz, Sebastian Garcia and the group’s RM as well as Jenna Andrews, who received a vocal production credit on the K-pop titans’ global breakthrough song “Dynamite.”
The Los Angeles Public Library kicked off its celebration of AAPI Heritage Month on May 4, in line with its “TEENtastic Tuesdays,” with a performance from youthful Los Angeles band The Linda Lindas. But it wasn’t until today that their set exploded over social media when the LAPL posted their performance of “Racist Sexist Boy”
“F9,” the latest installment in the “Fast & Furious” franchise, is already revving up for a box office takeover — though a notably less spectacular one than other franchise films in years past. Its release appears not to have been marred by what Universal Pictures called a security “threat” earlier this week that forced the
In his personal life, Prince Harry has emerged only recently from a period of great pain. In his professional life, as evidenced by his new Apple TV Plus series “The Me You Can’t See,” the tricky part is just beginning. Oprah Winfrey’s interview, earlier this year, with the former working royal and his wife Meghan
The Force is strong with Dave Filoni. And so, it seems, is Twitter. Last summer, Lucasfilm quietly promoted the executive producer and frequent writer and director of “The Mandalorian” to executive creative director for the entire studio, a rep confirms with Variety. But the company didn’t update its website with Filoni’s new title until this
Last month, producer Andrew Coles spoke out against Scott Rudin, bringing to light disturbing allegations of workplace abuse. Once a development executive for Scott Rudin Productions, Coles, who is now a producer on projects like “Queen & Slim,” went on the record in the bombshell report that led to Rudin’s downfall, following decades of bullying
“F9,” the latest installment in the “Fast & Furious” franchise, is already revving up for a box office takeover — though a notably less spectacular one than other franchise films in years past. Its release appears not to have been marred by what Universal Pictures called a security “threat” earlier this week that forced the
Michelle Zauner, who records under the alias Japanese Breakfast, has released a new song, “Savage Good Boy,” accompanied by a self-directed music video starring Michael Imperioli. In the video, Imperioli plays poker with Zauner until she bites the “Sopranos” star in the neck and leaves him bleeding out. “‘Savage Good Boy’ came from a headline
U.K. public service broadcaster BBC, already on the ropes due to fallout from an investigation into a 1995 Princess Diana interview, has suffered a further body blow with a damning report from a parliamentary committee. The U.K. parliament House of Commons’ Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has reported concerns that the BBC, “at a critical juncture”
Salma Hayek and Lady Gaga began working on “House of Gucci” before director Ridley Scott even called, “Action!” In the upcoming film, Gaga plays Patrizia Reggiani, who orchestrated the 1995 killing of her ex-husband Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), an heir to the Gucci fashion empire. Hayek portrays a clairvoyant who was convicted of helping plan
The TV biz did its best to serve up the usual razzle-dazzle at this week’s virtual upfront presentations, tapping stars for extended bits and queuing up sizzle reels for the Madison Avenue crowd. But even they tacitly acknowledged all the changes that have been rocking the television landscape since the last in-person upfronts in New