The economy gained 2.5 million jobs in May, while the unemployment rate dropped to 13.3%, according to the Labor Department. The slight improvement in an otherwise bleak economic picture was due to the reopening of businesses in several states. Unemployment levels leapt to 14.7% in April, as the coronavirus pandemic ground American life to a
Production has been completed on “Ahimsa – Gandhi: The Power of the Powerless” a new feature length documentary about Mahatma Gandhi and the concept of non-violence. It features the song “Ahimsa” performed by U2 and A.R. Rahman, with the written by Bono and Rahman. The film was produced to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth
Sir David Clementi is stepping down as chairman of the BBC in February. Variety has confirmed that Clementi will not seek a second term as chairman of the U.K. public broadcaster after completing four years in the post, which allows for two consecutive four-year terms. The chairman of the BBC is officially appointed by the
The BBC has appointed BBC Studios CEO and ex-marketing maven Tim Davie as the successor to Tony Hall. Davie is an experienced BBC operator and is believed to have been interviewed formally in the last week for the role, alongside the other internal candidate, director of content Charlotte Moore. Hall announced his decision to stand
Paris-based sales company Luxbox has acquired world sales rights to “Toll,” an involved, discomforting social drama that marks the highly-anticipated feature film debut of Brazilian-based writer-director Carolina Markowicz, hailed especially for her short “The Orphan,” which won Cannes 2018 Queer Palm. Produced by Karen Castanbo at Brazil’s Bionica Films – and part of its remarkably
ViacomCBS Networks U.K. has bolstered its digital channels and acquisitions team under director of programs Ben Frow. Gemma Hewlett has been promoted to VP of digital channels, while Anna-Belen Dunlop will serve as senior director of acquisitions. Both roles report into Frow — the former director of programs for Channel 5 who was promoted to
Whoopi Goldberg has teamed up with Extinction Rebellion and “Searching for Sugar Man” producer Passion Pictures for an environmental short entitled “The Gigantic Change.” The three-minute animated short film is set in 2050 and looks back on how people united to save the world from the climate crisis. The date is significant as 2050 is
A video posted by Donald Trump’s 2020 election campaign — decrying civil unrest in the wake of the killing of George Floyd — was removed Thursday by Twitter, citing a copyright-infringement claim. A June 3 tweet by the @TeamTrump account with the video now displays the message: “This media has been disabled in response to
Lionsgate has set a June 24 re-opening of its Chinese theme park, which has been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lionsgate Entertainment World, touted as the world’s first “vertical” theme park, is located in Novotown on China’s Henqin Island near Hong Kong and Macau. The park features immersive attractions based on Lionsgate movie
Several of the most prominent stars in the National Football League posted a video demanding the league condemn racism and admit it was wrong to silence protesting players. The video comes after the death of George Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes, after Floyd repeatedly said
Lauren London opened up on gun violence in America a little more than a year after her partner Nipsey Hussle was shot and killed in Los Angeles. On Wednesday’s episode of “Red Table Talk,” London joined host Jada Pinkett Smith to discuss Hussle’s legacy and the lasting trauma of gun violence in her life. “In
Steve Priest, bassist and singer for long-running glam-era rock band The Sweet, has died, according to statements from the band and Priest’s family. The cause of death was not announced; he was 72. “It is with a heavy heart that we announce at 8:25am PT today, Steve Priest, founding member of The Sweet, passed away.
China said Thursday it would allow more foreign airlines to run flights into the country, a day after the U.S. said it would bar inbound Chinese passenger flights by June 16 in retaliation for Beijing’s restrictions. The U.S. Department of Transportation will issue a revised order that will allow some Chinese carriers to continue service,
The Writers Guild of America has told the major studios that television writers need improved per-episode compensation and looser rules over how long writers can be held to a show. “TV series on television and streaming platforms provide the majority of employment opportunities for our members,” the WGA negotiating committee said in a message to
In today’s film news roundup, Kazakh action-adventure movie “Tomiris” and Scottish music film “Beats” find U.S. homes and the Lulu Wilson thriller “Becky” opens at more than 40 drive-ins. ACQUISITION Arclight Films and Well Go USA have bought U.S. distribution rights to the historical action-adventure “Tomiris,” centered on Queen Tomiris during the 6th Century B.C.
Oprah Winfrey is set to host a two-night town hall to discuss systemic racism in America and the current state of a country which has seen mass protests since the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers in Minnesota. Titled “OWN Spotlight: Where Do We Go From Here?,” the town hall will
Paradigm talent agency has secured a new investment from Crescent Drive Media, a company owned by the brother of agency chief Sam Gores, and has recruited industry veteran Bruce Rosenblum as an investment adviser. The moves come as Paradigm is grappling with a cash flow crunch exacerbated by the coronavirus crisis. Gores also continues to
“Blackout Tuesday” may have been the day that the industry tasked itself with reflecting on ways that it can support the black community, but obviously it’s about much more than one day. The Task Force for Meaningful Change that Universal Music chief Lucian Grainge announced over the weekend has issued its call to action in
“Next in Fashion” has sewn its final thread — at least at Netflix. Netflix has canceled the fashion competition series hosted by Tan France and Alexa Chung after only a single season, Variety has learned exclusively. France confirmed the news, saying “we’re not doing a second a season,” before hinting that perhaps the series could be
Kanye West is not only the highest-paid musician of 2020 — he’s the second-highest-paid celebrity overall, according to Forbes annual list, which dropped on Thursday. While far behind extended-family member Kylie Jenner, who topped the main list with $590 million, West is No. 2 with $170 million, far ahead of the next musician on the
Director Nate Townsend opens “Wake Up: Stories From the Frontlines of Suicide Prevention” with an attention grabbing re-enactment of Ryan Candice’s frantic attempts to quell his severe anxiety hours before taking his own life. However, the most powerful moments can be found within the interviews and facts that bolster the project’s compassionate purpose. Playing as
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and O Cinema will work with Magnolia Pictures to make “I Am Not Your Negro,” “Whose Streets?” and “Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am” available to watch for free. The effort comes in the wake of protests that are sweeping across the U.S., as tens of thousands
As if to illustrate the hypothetical “So you think you’re having a bad day?,” Canadian thriller “Hammer” puts its characters through a Rube Goldbergian obstacle course of peril in the immediate hours after a hijacked drug deal. The pileup of disasters is such that this tale might easily have been spun as some kind of
Facebook will begin labeling ads, pages and posts from media outlets “wholly or partially” under the editorial control of their government, the company said Thursday as it faces pressure to take measures to prevent foreign influence in the upcoming U.S. elections. The news outlets that will be labeled include China’s official Xinhua news agency and
Gabrielle Union filed a harassment complaint Thursday in the state of California against the producers and network behind “America’s Got Talent.” In addition to the complaint, she raised a new accusation that NBC Entertainment Chairman Paul Telegdy threatened her over speaking out against racism on set. Union, through power attorney Bryan Freedman, filed the complaint
The National Basketball Association confirmed that it expects to return to play this summer, the latest big-league sport to pivot back to an active season after being shut down by the coronavirus pandemic. On Thursday, the league’s Board of Governors approved a plan under which 22 teams would each play eight regular-season games in Orlando,
It’s been nearly 10 days since the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hand of a Minneapolis police officer, during which time massive protests against police violence have taken place across the country. But while tens of thousands have taken to the streets to express their anger at the systemic racism that has
Jake Paul, a high-profile YouTube creator and digital influencer, was charged by police in Scottsdale, Ariz., with criminal trespassing and unlawful assembly after he was identified among a crowd of looters at a local mall Sunday. “In our continued investigation it was confirmed that Jake Paul was in attendance & remained inside after an unlawful
Netflix, Disney Sony, Cartoon Network Studios, Dean DeBlois and Aardman are reading presentations at France’s Annecy Film Festival — as 2020’s Annecy, even online, once more proves to be the biggest animation fest in the world and the international event with the largest Hollywood and now global platform presence. Put together, Annecy’s latest big wave
Strand Releasing has acquired North American rights to Ray Yeung’s “Twilight’s Kiss” (“Suk Suk”) which world premiered at Busan and played at this year’s Berlin Film Festival. Sold by Films Boutique, “Twilight’s Kiss” tells the story of two closeted married men in their twilight years, Pak, a 70 year-old taxi driver who refuses to retire,