BAFTA has said it was unaware of any sexual misconduct allegations against actor Noel Clarke before naming him as the recipient of its Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema award in March. In a memo to membership on Friday morning, the Academy said, “To be very clear, we did not know about any allegations relating to
Zhang Yimou’s “Cliff Walkers” is kicking off a multi-territory release this weekend, with day and date outings in North America, New Zealand, and Singapore coordinating with the espionage thriller’s official launch in mainland Chinese theaters on Friday. That makes it one of the first major Chinese pictures to take advantage of the improving theatrical conditions
“Behind the Headlines,” Daniel Andreas Sager’s thrilling look at how German investigative journalists triggered a political earthquake in Austria that toppled the country’s government, is having its world premiere at Danish doc fest CPH:DOX, where it’s competing for the Fact Award, before unspooling at Toronto’s Hot Docs Festival and opening next month’s DOK.fest München. Sager
Gabin Rivoire’s documentary “Laurent Garnier: Off the Record,” which explores the origins and rise of techno music through the eyes of one of its pioneers, is set to world premiere on May 7 in front of a live audience at the CPH:DOX festival in Copenhagen. Anton, which is handling world sales, has released its first
Actor Johnny Crawford, known for playing Chuck Connors’ son in ABC series “The Rifleman” from 1958-63, has died. He was 75. “It is with great sadness and heaviness of heart that the Johnny Crawford Legacy team announce the passing of Johnny Crawford,” it was posted on the Johnny Crawford Legacy website. “He passed away peacefully
Hollywood’s major production companies and key unions have agreed to extend COVID safety protocols for TV and film production until June 30. The extension comes as California is slowly but surely emerging from the grip of the coronavirus. All signs are pointing to Los Angeles County moving into the least restrictive yellow tier of social
In what Hollywood hopes is a sign that live events are finally on the rebound, FX and 20th Television launched the third and final season of “Pose” with a red carpet premiere Thursday night in New York. The event was held indoors at Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center. The socially-distanced, 200-foot carpet included
Anne Douglas, the wife of Kirk Douglas and producer known for her philanthropy work, has died. She was 102. The Douglas family announced she peacefully died at her home in Beverly Hills on Thursday afternoon. Her death comes about one year after the death of her husband, who died in February 2020. The couple were
With the 2021 Oscars in the rearview, Variety looks ahead to what could be a very packed and condensed year with the Awards Circuit Draft for Oscars 2022. A tradition for the past 16 years, I’ve always thrown shots in the dark in the week immediately following the Academy Awards. For the first time, my
One Million Truths is an interactive platform that allows Black Americans to share their own personal experiences and ongoing struggles with racism. An online community dedicated to truth and reconciliation, Common CEO Mark Eckhardt launched One Million Truths on April 26. On that same day, he published an article on Time where he laid out
Joseph Masher, a New York-based movie theater operator, understands that audiences may be reluctant to return to the movies. After all, it’s been at least a year since most people have stepped foot in their local multiplex — or any indoor recreational space, for that matter. What those folks may not realize, argues Masher, who
Hulu has ordered a one-hour drama pilot titled “Olga Dies Dreaming,” based on the yet-to-be-published novel of the same name. Author Xochitl Gonzalez and Alfonso Gómez-Rejón are attached to executive produce, with Gonzalez writing, and Gómez-Rejón directing. Twentieth Television will produce. Per the logline, “Olga Dies Dreaming” is the story of a Nuyorican brother and
There’s never been a TV show quite like “The Leftovers” and there may never be one again. Sure, it shares elements of other near-post-apocalyptics like “Revolution,” quasi-religious ontological mindbenders like “The OA” and grief dramas like “The Returned,” but none were as devastating as “The Leftovers.” The HBO show, for those who are unfamiliar, has
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Motion Picture Television Fund, the board of directors and a slate of guests gathered virtually to announce a new $300 million fundraising drive that aims to support industry workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. President and CEO Bob Beitcher said “the need hasn’t stopped” during the ongoing health crisis,
Goldman Sachs’ annual “Music in the Air” study is widely recognized in the music industry as an optimistic but authoritative survey of the business — and yet again, it will make Universal Music Group very happy, as it has valued the company at a whopping $53 billion ahead of its IPO, expected this fall. That’s
A Justin Bieber tour that was scheduled to begin June 2 and run through the summer has been pushed back into 2022, with an official announcement likely to come soon, sources tell Variety. Postponement of at least some of the dates, if not the entire tour, has seemed like a fait accompli for months. It’s
Toni Collette will star alongside Colin Firth in the HBO Max limited series “The Staircase,” Variety has learned. The eight-episode series is based on the docuseries of the same name as well as various books and reports about the case of Michael Peterson (Firth), who was accused of murdering his wife, Kathleen (Collette), in 2001. He
Bassett Vance Productions, the production company formed by Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance, has hired Lynnette Ramirez as head of development, Variety has learned exclusively. Ramirez is tasked with finding and developing diverse stories with a strong emphasis on BIPOC voices in front of and behind the camera for multiple platforms. The first of these
Film Movement has acquired North American rights to Alexandre Rockwell’s “Sweet Thing,” which won the Berlin Film Festival’s Crystal Bear in 2020. The movie is slated for a theatrical release this summer, followed by a rollout on all digital and home entertainment platforms. An ode to childhood, “Sweet Thing” marks Rockwell’s directorial comeback since his
Move over, “Nomadland” — Italy’s “Pinocchio” is now set to become the first film nominated at this year’s Oscars to hit China. Although Chloé Zhao’s film nabbed best picture and two other major prizes at the Academy Awards on Sunday, it was pulled quietly from its planned China release on April 23 in the wake
The Los Angeles Police Department has arrested five suspects allegedly involved in the Feb. 24 shooting of Lady Gaga’s dogwalker and the kidnapping of her two French bulldogs. Three of the suspects — James Jackson, 18; Jaylin White, 19; and Lafayette Whaley, 27 — have been charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit robbery and
Amazon knocked the cover off the ball again in the first quarter of 2021 — and released a new data point: More than 175 million Prime members have streamed TV shows and movies in the past year. Founder Jeff Bezos revealed the new figure in announcing the Q1 results, adding that Prime Video streaming hours
Joe Rogan attempted to clear the air over his controversial statements suggesting that young people should not get vaccinated for COVID-19. In Thursday’s episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” on Spotify, the hugely popular podcaster maintained that he is not an anti-vaxxer — and he admitted that it “makes sense” for even young, healthy people
Lena Headey has joined the HBO series “The White House Plumbers,” which delves into the Watergate scandal, Variety has learned. Headey joins previously announced cast members Woody Harrelson, Justin Theroux, and Domhnall Gleeson. The five-episode series tells the story of how President Nixon’s own political saboteurs and Watergate masterminds, E. Howard Hunt (Harrelson) and G. Gordon
Whenever greatest-live-albums-of-all-time lists are compiled, it’s a safe bet that Motorhead’s classic 1981 “No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith” will be on them somewhere. Not only was Motorhead one of rock’s all-time classic bands — led by the late, legendary Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister, in their early years they were one of the rare groups accepted by both
UPDATE: BAFTA has suspended the membership of actor Noel Clarke, along with his recent Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award, following numerous sexual harassment and bullying allegations made in a Guardian investigation published Thursday. Meanwhile, All3Media, the super-indie backers of Clarke’s production company Unstoppable Film and Television, has told Variety it is conducting its own
Greg Kinnear and Sepideh Moafi have been cast in the upcoming Apple drama series “In With the Devil,” Variety has learned. The pair joins previously announced series leads Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser as well as Ray Liotta. The six-episode series was ordered at Apple in January. It based on the 2010 novel “In With
Following the success of Sundance-winning “Coda,” Patrick Wachsberger’s Picture Perfect Federation is reteaming with up-and-coming writer-helmer Siân Heder on her next directorial outing, “Impossible.” Picture Perfect Federation is developing the contemporary romantic comedy with Black Label Media. “Impossible” is based on a novel of the same title written by Sarah Lotz, and is being produced
More like a mayonnaise sandwich on Wonder Bread than the at-least-mildly-crunchy breakfast cereal of its title, “Eat Wheaties!” is a movie whose blandness ultimately triumphs over its annoyance — but only by a hair. This is the kind of underdog comedy in which you soon want to kick the dog. Starring Tony Hale of “Arrested
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