“1917” cinematographer Roger Deakins, “Phantom Thread” actor Lesley Manville and “Line of Duty” creator Jed Mercurio are among those in the arts named in Britain’s New Year honors list. Deakins, Oscar winner for “1917” and “Blade Runner 2049,” and Oscar nominated for 13 other movies, has been made a Knight Bachelor for his services to
The title “Gaza Mon Amour” carries threatening echoes of those cutesy auteur short anthologies (“Paris je t’aime,” “New York, I Love You”) in which assorted drifting souls find love in the same scenic city streets. Happily, Palestinian twin filmmakers Arab and Tarzan Nasser’s entirely self-contained feature is nothing so slick or glib, though it boasts
To wrap up a tumultuous year in the absence of live music, many artists are returning to the virtual stage to celebrate the new year with their fans. Pay-per-view concerts providing an incentive to stay in include shows by BTS, Justin Bieber, Jason Isbell, the Avett Brothers, Bob Weir, Melissa Etheridge, Michael Franti and more.
Bluegrass legend Tony Rice died on Christmas Day at age 69. To properly memorialize his prowess and spirit, Variety turned to one of his truest acolytes and a recognized contemporary great — Chris Eldridge, of Punch Brothers and Infamous Stringdusters fame (pictured above with Rice in 2001) — who penned the following tribute to his
Exclusive Kylie Jenner says she’s getting harassed by a man who allegedly keeps sneaking into her neighborhood looking for her … so, a judge is granting her a protective order. Kylie request for a temporary restraining order against a guy named Justin Bergquist was approved Wednesday, and not a day too soon for her because
“FOX 11 Special Report” co-host Dr. Drew Pinsky announced Tuesday that he tested positive for COVID-19. Pinsky shared the news on Instagram, adding that his fever is down and he has been feeling better. After revealing his diagnosis, Pinsky has also taken a number of videos to update followers of his condition. “I was supposed
A federal judge has denied WME’s bid to resume representing writers while its lawsuit against the Writers Guild of America plays out in court. Judge Andre Birotte of California’s Central District ruled Wednesday that he did not have the authority to issue the preliminary injunction sought by WME because the guild’s actions in this case
Alto Reed, the longtime saxophone player for Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, died Wednesday of complications from colon cancer. He was 72. Reed’s notable performances with the Silver Bullet Band include the introduction to “Turn the Page” and his saxophone solo in “Old Time Rock and Roll.” On stage, Reed was Seger’s visual
In 2020, the shortest route to a major label deal was undoubtedly TikTok. Thanks to the app’s music-centric platform and algorithm, its stars have come to define an “overnight success” — a term that was once used to deride a career boost, but is now simply a fact. In the last year, breakout artists like
The 2019 Viacom-CBS merger will undergo strict legal scrutiny now that a Delaware Chancery Court judge has allowed a lawsuit to proceed from shareholders who say they were shortchanged in the transaction because of pressure applied by ViacomCBS controlling shareholder Shari Redstone. Judge Joseph Slights ruled that the plaintiffs made a credible enough case, or
WME fired back at the WGA on Wednesday, faulting the union for failing to engage in negotiations to settle the fight that has kept WME from representing writers for nearly two years. WME issued a lengthy statement in response to a letter sent Tuesday evening to WGA members by the guild’s negotiating committee in which
“Jeopardy!” all-star Ken Jennings, who’s set to guest host the quiz show beginning on Jan. 11, has apologized after tweets with ableist messaging resurfaced earlier this year. “I just wanted to own up to the fact that over the years on Twitter, I’ve definitely tweeted some unartful and insensitive things,” he wrote in the first
The NBA delivered its most watched opener since 2012 last week. Over the Dec. 22-25 stretch, the league’s national telecasts across TNT, ESPN and TBS were up 67% from the previous season’s opening week — averaging 3.4 million total viewers vs. 2.0 million in 2019’s October opening week, according to Nielsen data. TNT’s Dec. 22
With 2020 officially getting kicked to the curb on Thursday night (Dec. 31), Ryan Seacrest is hoping to set the stage for a better year when he interviews President-Elect Joe Biden and wife Jill Biden just before the ball drops at midnight as part of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest.” “We
UFC fans are going to pay more to catch the promoter’s premiere fights on Disney’s ESPN Plus streaming sports package next year. As of Jan. 8, 2021, the price of UFC pay-per-view events on ESPN Plus — the exclusive home of the mixed martial arts fights in the U.S. — will increase by $5 apiece,
Adolfo “Shabba Doo” Quiñones, the dancer-actor who rose to fame starring in “Breakin‘” and its sequel “Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo,” died Wednesday. He was 65. No cause of death has been announced. Just a day before he was discovered unconscious, Quiñones had posted a photo of himself smiling and giving the peace sign in bed,
Rudy Salas, who was a member of the Latin R&B band Tierra and soul group El Chicano, died on Tuesday, Tierra announced. He was 72. “It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Rudy Salas, the leader and co-founder of Tierra, early this morning,” the group posted on Facebook on Tuesday. “We
One of the final shoes to drop on the awards season is Shaka King’s “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Starring Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield, the official category submissions for the upcoming Oscars have been named. Kaluuya, who portrays Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton, will campaign for best supporting actor while Stanfield, as FBI
The OG Aunt Viv is pissed … this time she’s taking aim at Lori Loughlin, claiming Hollywood’s about to reward her — after a super light prison sentence — simply because Lori’s white. “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” star Janet Hubert‘s been railing against Lori ever since the actress got out of federal prison on Monday
Dawn Wells, who starred as “good girl” Mary Ann in popular 1960s sitcom “Gilligan’s Island,” died Wednesday of causes related to COVID-19 in Los Angeles. She was 82. Pig-tailed and attired in her ubiquitous dungarees or gingham dress, which is on display at the Hollywood Museum, the Mary Ann character was the girl-next-door to Tina
A set of five “Jeopardy!” episodes with late host Alex Trebek are scheduled to air from Jan. 4 to Jan. 8, marking the last new installments of the series to include the beloved host. Taped in late October, the upcoming episodes took place just before Trebek died on Nov. 8. The first episode in the
When the history of the so-called streaming wars is eventually written, 2020 will be looked back on as an absolutely pivotal period. That’s what prompted the final episode of the year for Variety podcast “Strictly Business” to dispense with the usual guest interview and instead feature a marathon monologue filled with candid assessments of how
Hilaria Baldwin has expanded on her comments about her heritage after posting an Instagram video on Sunday responding to the story that captivated the internet over the holiday break. A Twitter thread posted on Dec. 21 explained how Baldwin had spoken on and off with a Spanish accent, listed her birthplace as Mallorca, Spain, and
It’s been a year many are eager to put in the past — especially those who were involved in 2020’s biggest tech and digital flops. The most epic fails of 2020 included Quibi’s spectacular flameout; the release of “Cyberpunk 2077,” unplayable for many; Twitter’s unprecedented celebrity hack; and President Trump’s failure to outlaw Chinese-owned TikTok
After a year spent surrounded by the same four walls, the latest short film from Yves Saint Laurent is a welcome taste of a different world. On December 30, YSL unveiled Summer of ’21, a short from Argentine filmmaker Gaspar Noé and guided by brand creative director Anthony Vaccarello. It takes place in a grand
Normally around this time of year, the bleachers have already been erected through Pasadena, and hundreds of thousands of people are preparing to camp out on city streets to catch a glimpse of the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day. It’s a tradition that dates back to 1891, and has only been canceled
The writers of some of the biggest perennial Christmas hits — or their estates, given how far back some of these songs go — are making some decent coin via streaming every year, according to a study released Wednesday that calculated the likely payouts from Spotify this season for the holiday songs that dominate music
President-elect Joe Biden will appear on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest” to ring in the new year. Biden, who will take office on Jan. 20, will chat with host Ryan Seacrest ahead of the midnight ball drop in Times Square. This will mark the future president’s last interview of the calendar
Frances McDormand could make history for women at the Oscars. The 63-year-old actor has received raves for her performance in “Nomadland” from Chloé Zhao, landing her in contention for her sixth acting nomination after winning two best actress Oscars (1996’s “Fargo” and 2018’s “Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri”). McDormand is also one of the credited
Charlotte Rampling stars as a mysterious entertainer in a new film for fashion house Saint Laurent. The eight-minute video titled “Summer of ‘21,” commissioned by Saint Laurent creative director Anthony Vaccarello and directed by Gaspar Noé, begins with a woman running and screaming in terror through a forest. As an instrumental cover of Donna Summer’s