It’s been 36 years since Ice-T’s film debut in the film “Breakin’” — but he briefly relived those poppin’ and lockin’ moments Sunday night on the premiere episode of Fox’s “The Masked Dancer.” The “Law & Order” SVU” star and O.G. rapper was the first celebrity to be unmasked on the new “Masked Singer” spin-off,
President Donald Trump has signed a $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill into law, the White House announced Sunday night. Trump’s approval also averts a government shutdown, as funding was set to expire on Dec. 28. The relief package, which will provide much-needed economic support to businesses and individuals across the country, also includes $1.4 trillion
Cardi B‘s legal beef with her ex-manager is finally over — and she seems to be pretty dang pleased with the results. The rapper settled the dispute between her and Shaft, her ex-manager, who sued her for $10 mil in 2018 … claiming he discovered her, and that she left him out in the cold
Tuck Tucker, a veteran animator and storyboard director known for his work on “Hey Arnold!” and “SpongeBob SquarePants,” died on Dec. 22. He was 59. Tucker’s family announced his death on Facebook, writing: “It is with a heavy and broken heart that the Tucker family announces the death of Tuck Tucker, father, husband, son, brother,
One of 2020’s biggest deals in the historic Los Feliz neighborhood was the transfer of this lovely Mediterranean compound, which sold for exactly $7 million last month. Built in 1928, the house was restored and extensively upgraded by the sellers, filmmaker Guy Shelmerdine and his wife Ashley Jacobs. The estate’s new custodian is Andrew McClain
Diana Prince is officially heading back to the big screen for a third “Wonder Woman” movie. Warner Bros. has fast-tracked development on another installment in the DC Comics franchise, with Gal Gadot returning to star as the title heroine and Patty Jenkins back to write and direct the concluding entry in the superhero trilogy. The
In a guest column for Variety, on the eve of the 125th anniversary of the first commercial movie screening, Thierry Fremaux, director of the Lumiere Institute and the Cannes Film Festival, celebrates the legacy and resilience of cinema through history. The film was made by Louis and Auguste Lumiere, the iconic French brothers who developed
Christmas is often one of the most popular times of year to gather the family and watch a new movie, and this holiday was no different. The biggest distinction, however, is that the season’s biggest releases — “Wonder Woman 1984” and “Soul” — battled for streaming service subscribers rather than box office dollars. “Wonder Woman
The Nashville bomber may have had a motive that had nothing to do with hurting people … it seems the FBI believes he may have been paranoid over 5G technology. As you know, one of the structures damaged was the AT&T building. The person of interest authorities are honing in on — 63-year-old Anthony Quinn
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched “Death to 2020,” streaming now on Netflix. As “the most average person in the world,” Diane Morgan’s “Death to 2020” character sits on a couch in a comfy sweater during her talking-head interviews about the year that was 2020. She does not have a
Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year's contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long:
Tony Rice, one of the leading lights of bluegrass music since the 1970s, and a 2013 inductee into the International Bluegrass Music Association Hall of Fame, died suddenly on Christmas Day. He was 69. “It is with a heavy heart we say goodbye to one of the most iconic voices and musicians in bluegrass,” the
Tom Hanks has no doubt that movie theaters will survive the COVID-19 pandemic. During an interview with Collider for his new film, “News of the World,” Hanks addressed the impact this year has had on the movie theater business and the subsequent shift of many films to release on streaming services. “A sea change was
Play video content Exclusive TMZ.com The Nashville explosion that rocked downtown sent shards of glass and rubble flying all about in neighboring businesses — including this one … which was just a few short yards away from the blast. TMZ has obtained new video captured from inside a sports bar named Buffalo’s — which sits
“The Masked Dancer” sounds like a good idea on paper: Take megahit “The Masked Singer,” but the disguised celebrities get their groove — instead of their croon — on. But while Fox and executive producer Craig Plestis kicked around the idea of a spin-off in the wake of “Masked Singer’s” boffo ratings, they still weren’t
Sammy Hagar says he’s grateful he had the opportunity to speak with Eddie Van Halen one last time before the guitarist passed away earlier this year. Speaking to Variety from Big Sky, Montana, where he was launching Santo Reposado, the latest expression in his Santo Tequila line, Hagar says the distance between him and Van
Dave McNary, a veteran reporter who tirelessly covered the film and labor beats at Variety for more than 20 years, died Saturday in Pasadena, Calif. He was 69. McNary suffered a stroke and had been hospitalized since Dec. 19, according to his wife, Sharon McNary, veteran journalist and KPCC-FM infrastructure correspondent. McNary had a more
“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” about protesters at the 1968 Democratic National Convention and the ensuing trial, features great work by writer-director Aaron Sorkin, who is quick to salute his below-the-line colleagues: “They’re not there to take my instructions; they’re there to top my instructions. I consider these people to be co-authors of the
As just about every other facet of life ground to a halt, television somehow made it through 2020 intact. With enough shows already shot and millions of people stuck at home, TV provided something of an escape at a time when many of us needed it most. Sure, some shows did try to catch up
Donald Trump has too many grievances to count … the latest being his anger that Melania has not graced a single magazine cover in the 4 years he’s been President, and he thinks he knows why. Trump tweeted his outrage that, as he called her, “the most elegant First Lady” has been blackballed from mag
Lin Qi, the billionaire CEO of Chinese video-game publisher Yoozoo set to executive produce the upcoming Netflix sci-fi series “The Three-Body Problem,” died at 39 on Christmas Day Friday amidst an investigation into whether he was murdered by poison. Lin was an executive producer alongside “Game of Thrones” creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss on
She’s famously known for being all about that bass, but this holiday season Meghan Trainor is all about the bling. The Nantucket native has tossed out $6.6 million for a dizzyingly glitzy mansion in the upscale L.A. neighborhood of Encino, the same part of town where a host of other celebrity musicians — Gwen Stefani
Emma Thompson was characteristically frank about Hollywood’s double standard during a recent interview with the CultureBlast podcast. The “Nanny McPhee” star, who is also a prolific screenwriter, was talking about her upcoming film “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande,” which she said is a refreshing change of pace from the the typical Hollywood film about
Michael Alig, the New York City club promoter who in the early- to mid-1990s made a name for himself as the leader of the “Club Kids,” and was subsequently convicted of first-degree manslaughter for the 1996 death of Andre “Angel” Melendez — the inspiration for the 2003 film “Party Monster” starring Macauley Kulkin — has
Costume designer Michael Wilkinson is the mastermind behind the looks in “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey,” a period musical that’s now streaming on Netflix. The idea, Wilkinson says of the holiday movie, was to design something viewers hadn’t seen before while paying homage to beloved titles such as “Mary Poppins.” Directed by David Talbert, the
Is journalism the best training ground for screenwriting? Two-thirds of the writers of Pixar’s “Soul” have backgrounds as reporters: Mike Jones (whose resume includes expert work at Variety, 2007-2009) and Kemp Powers (17 years on the beat, including stints at Forbes, Reuters and Newsweek). They wrote “Soul” with director Pete Docter; Powers is also co-director
“When I get a call saying, ‘Do you want to do a Western?,’ my answer is always yes,” says “News of the World” composer James Newton Howard. “I love Westerns.” Previous horse dramas for the eight-time Oscar nominee have included “Wyatt Earp” and “Hidalgo.” His collaboration with director Paul Greengrass was his first, and he
There are few entertainers like Jamie Foxx; he’s a multihyphenate superstar with the trophy case to back it up. Though Foxx has the range and a backlog of dramatic, comedic and generally off-the wall characters to pull from, when it came to voicing Joe Gardner in Disney-Pixar’s “Soul,” the film’s creative team just wanted the
This tribute to director Bob Clark and the 1983 chestnut “A Christmas Story” was originally published Dec. 20, 2007 on the Variety blog “Littleton On the Air” It’s that wonderful time of year, time for repeated viewings of the holiday pic that never, ever gets old, 1983’s “A Christmas Story.” TBS is obliging with its
Nexstar TV stations returned to Dish Network’s lineup on Christmas after a 23-day blackout. The sides struck a deal late on Christmas Eve to restore 164 Nexstar stations and WGN America to the satcaster’s lineup. WGN America, which has transformed its primetime lineup into a national newscast, will also launch on Dish’s virtual MVPD, Sling,