The re-start of the National Basketball Association’s season late last summer after the pandemic put it on what seemed like an interminable pause may have been lackluster in terms of numbers, but that was then, and this is 2021. NBA ratings aren’t in “big trouble” like one former sitting president may have led you to
The CBS drama “Walker, Texas Ranger” — co-created by eventual Oscar-winner Paul Haggis and airing from 1993 to 2001 — was foundational to the myth of Chuck Norris. Sure, the actor had been in plenty of martial arts films before, but the idea of Norris as all-powerful that flourished in corny online jokes was nourished
The question of whether Donald Trump will ever be allowed back on Facebook or Instagram — after he incited a mob of supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol earlier this month — will be decided by the social network company’s Oversight Board. On Jan. 7, the day after the attack in D.C., Facebook said it
Anton Chekhov operated under an overarching philosophy when it came to structuring his novels and plays. “If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off,” the Russian writer famously stated. Well, the characters in “The Killing of
Daniel Kaluuya’s performance in “Judas and the Black Messiah” has garnered a lot of awards buzz for the actor, who plays Fred Hampton, the iconic Chairman of the Black Panther Party. “It’s not about me,” he told Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast. “This film is bigger than us. There was something coming through us. It’s hard
The Oscars were built to highlight the cinematic year’s most audacious and outstanding achievements. Past snubs have left many of the industry’s finest filmmakers, actors and technical artists waiting for their first Dolby Theatre invitation. This year, multiple contenders are angling for an inaugural mention, even though it should be one of many. So who
Warner Bros. executive Tom Ascheim has been promoted and will oversee the studio’s Harry Potter franchise and Wizarding World properties. Ascheim also serves as the president of kids, young adults and classics at Warners. He reports to WarnerMedia chief Ann Sarnoff. As part of his new responsibilities, Ascheim acts as the chief representative of WarnerMedia
In the fifth episode of Showtime’s “Your Honor,” Judge Michael Desiato (Bryan Cranston) finds his family dog unresponsive in his home and rushes him to the vet, telling them to do whatever they have to to save him. It is a moment of selflessness, serving to remind the audience that he has redeeming qualities, and
“Today the sun was shining, the birds were singing and McDonald’s share price in Florida just went way up because America just got a brand new dad.” Trevor Noah’s latest monologue breaks down some of the noteworthy moments from Joe Biden’s inauguration. He said the moment where Biden was sworn in would stay in his
Music manager Adam Mersel has brought his Immersive Records label to Interscope Geffen A&M (IGA). First to join the Immersive/Geffen roster is TikTok star LILHUDDY (aka Chase Hudson). The Los Angeles-based Mersel will continue to manage actor and singer Ben Platt. “Adam is a rising executive star with great taste and a remarkably intuitive business
As promised, Billie Eilish has finally dropped her long-awaited collaboration with Spanish singer Rosalia, “Lo Vas a Olvidar (You Will Forget Her),” is dropping Thursday, Jan. 21, at noon ET / 9 a.m. PT. The song will be part of the HBO hit series “Euphoria”’s “Part Two: Jules’” soundtrack. [embedded content] The episode’s teaser on social
Spotify and filmmaker Ava DuVernay signed a multiyear deal for a slate of exclusive podcast shows, the latest high-profile podcast pact for the audio streamer. Spotify and DuVernay will develop and produce exclusive original audio programming through Array, DuVernay’s multiplatform arts and social impact collective, in concert with Spotify’s Gimlet studio. The scripted and unscripted
George Clooney (“The Midnight Sky”) and Michelle Pfeiffer (“French Exit”) sat down for a virtual chat for Variety‘s Actors on Actors, presented by Amazon Studios. For more, click here. In Netflix’s “The Midnight Sky,” George Clooney — also the film’s director and producer — plays dying scientist Augustine Lofthouse. The year is 2049, the setting
In Netflix’s “The Midnight Sky,” George Clooney — also the film’s director and producer — plays dying scientist Augustine Lofthouse. The year is 2049, the setting is the Arctic Circle, and before he dies, Augustine desperately wants to tell a spaceship returning to decimated Earth to go back to the inhabitable moon of Jupiter it had been
In the 1996 romantic comedy “One Fine Day,” Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney play single parents who have to join forces to get through an extremely chaotic work day for both of them. Though they start out bickering — and at first work together to co-parent only reluctantly — by the end of the day,
Oscar and BAFTA-nominated writer Steven Knight (“Dirty Pretty Things”) is a busy man these days. Production on the sixth season of his hit series “Peaky Blinders” is underway, to be followed by a film; his take on the Lady Diana story, “Spencer,” starring Kristen Stewart and directed by Pablo Larrain, is due to roll soon;
ViacomCBS International Studios (VIS) has unveiled a new slate of projects tapping talents as diverse as “Guilt” writer-creator Neil Forsyth, “The Great” writer Vanessa Alexander, “Wild District” originator Cristian Conti and “High School Musical” writer Peter Barsocchini. Underscoring VIS’ ambitions to play in the big league of international local content producer-distributors, both in production volume
Lady Whistledown has made it official to her readers: “Bridgerton” is back for Season 2. To almost no one’s surprise, Netflix has renewed the hit Shondaland series created by Chris Van Dusen after teasing the news in its fourth-quarter earnings report Tuesday. The announcement, in the form of a cheeky little letter from Whistledown herself
Late on the day that Lil Wayne officially received his long-rumored pardon from former President Trump, he dropped a new song called “Ain’t Got Time.” While the song’s lyrics don’t specifically address the pardon, he does reference the December 2019 federal weapons charges that were cleared by it. Wayne pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm
Dallas Martin, the Atlantic Records A&R executive whose successes include records by Roddy Ricch and Meek Mill, has been promoted to executive vice president of A&R at Atlantic and president of Asylum Records, the company announced. Based in Los Angeles, he will dual-report into Eliah Seton, president of independent music & creator services for Atlantic
President Joe Biden and VP Kamala Harris ostensibly were the main attractions on Inauguration Day. But Amanda Gorman stole the show with her reading of uplifting poem “The Hill We Climb,” becoming an overnight media and internet star. The work by Gorman, 22, the youngest poet to read at a presidential inauguration, focused on themes
Spain’s Movistar Plus, the pay TV arm of Telefonica, and global sports streaming platform DAZN, have closed a deal that will offer extensive live sports and factual sports content to clients of both companies. Through the alliance, Movistar subscribers will be given the option of receiving DAZN content through new linear channels on Movistar Plus,
Nithin Lukose’s Malayalam-language “Paka: The River of Blood,” Chhatrapal Ninawe’s Marathi-language “Ghaath” (Ambush) and Sreejith Karanavar’s Konkani-language “Aiz Maka Falea Tuka” (Today Me Tomorrow You) were among the winners at India’s Film Bazaar project market that concluded on Thursday. “Paka” and “Ghaath” were presented in the Work in Progress lab strand of the Bazaar, while
Understanding what audiences want at any given time, creating services that switch seamlessly between linear and VOD, and providing in-app interactivity for live programming are key to attracting audiences, according to a NATPE Miami panel on the subject. First up was Jessica Rodriguez, president of entertainment and chief marketing officer of Spanish-language network Univision, which
The U.K.’s biggest music event, Glastonbury, has been canceled for a second consecutive year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The festival normally takes place in June, but faced with continued uncertainty about the state of the U.K.’s precarious handle on the pandemic, founder Michael Eavis and daughter Emily Eavis have pulled the plug on what
Since instating a new chair in Richard Sharp and a newish director general in Tim Davie, and in the wake of a U.K. National Audit Office (NAO) report flagging its financial challenges, public broadcaster BBC has sent a wide-ranging survey to license fee payers. The £3.52 billion ($4.8 billion) license fee is the BBC’s primary
Pluto TV, the free streaming service owned by ViacomCBS Networks International, is set to launch in France on Feb. 8 as it aims to grow its presence further across Europe. The service, which doesn’t require a registration, will boast 40 curated channels for French audiences with a library of content from ViacomCBS brands, as well
There are two songs that are completely guaranteed to be played over the PA at any 4th of July celebration in America: Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” and Katy Perry’s “Firework.” Since Greenwood allowed himself to become the closest thing Donald J. Trump had for a house band, there wasn’t much suspense over what
During his brief appearance in the primetime special honoring his inauguration, President Joe Biden nonetheless insisted that he and Vice President Kamala Harris “wanted to make sure our inauguration wasn’t about us, but about you, the American people.” It was a nice sentiment, even if it wasn’t especially possible to achieve; by default, the first
As President Joe Biden gained access to the official @POTUS Twitter account on Wednesday, he followed just 12 users – one of them being Chrissy Teigen. Wake Up to Politics newsletter author Gabe Fleisher was the first to point out that Biden had followed Teigen alongside several of his aides, Vice President Kamala Harris, Second