Tom Rinaldi, the ESPN correspondent known for his enterprise features and video essays, has jumped to Fox Sports, a place that has in the past not been known for delivering such things. He is expected to take up duties for Fox in 2021, “contributing across the network’s world-class portfolio of live events.” “Tom is one
Apart from the shocking shutout of The Weeknd from all 2021 Grammy nominations, the hip-hop and R&B categories have arguably been the most controversial and criticized in the 2021 slate. At a time when hip-hop is the most popular and influential genre and R&B is a field of wide-ranging innovation, the nominees are a puzzling
Lars von Trier (“Melancholia,” “The House That Jack Built”) is set to direct “Kingdom Exodus,” the third and final season of “The Kingdom,” his cult 1990s TV show about the good, evil and paranormal inside the neurosurgical ward of Denmark’s main hospital. Louise Vesth at Zentropa Entertainments is producing the five-episode season, which will start
In a management shakeup at top Middle East broadcaster MBC Group, CEO Marc Antoine d’Halluin has stepped down. The executive has been replaced by his predecessor, Sam Barnett, who is returning as CEO following his resignation in December 2019 after 17 years with the company. Marc Antoine d’Halluin is not leaving MBC, however, having now been appointed
France president Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for COVID-19, the presidential Elysee Palace announced on Thursday. The Elysee statement said that the president took a test “as soon as the first symptoms appeared,” but did not elaborate on his symptoms. The president will self-isolate for seven days. “He will continue to work and take care
Mini-studio, Level Forward has acquired North American virtual theatrical rights and impact distribution privileges for “I’ll Meet You There,” a portrait of three generations of a Muslim-American family. The company will roll out the film from Feb. 3, 2021. The film was one of ten chosen from 1,305 submissions for SXSW’s narrative feature competition earlier
Police in Osaka, Japan have begun a legal case against a man who is alleged to have cyberbullied Kimura Hana, the reality TV star who died earlier this year, apparently by suicide. Kimura, a professional wrestler, was one of six cast-members of “Terrace House,” which played locally on Fuji Television and globally on Netflix. The
Japanese police on Wednesday formally charged 42-year-old local man Shinji Aoba with murder relating to the arson attack in July last year at Kyoto Animation. The blaze, set using gasoline, killed 33 people on the scene and three more in hospital. A further 33 were injured. The charges include murder, attempted murder, arson, trespass and
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you have not watched the two-hour Season 4 finale of “The Masked Singer,” which aired Dec. 17 on Fox. LeAnn Rimes shouldn’t feel “Blue”: The singer shined on Wednesday night, as she was unmasked as “The Masked Singer” Season 4 winner — the Sun. Also revealed: Runner-up Aloe
Clive Davis is going virtual. Among the most coveted invitations during Grammy week, the 45th annual pre-Grammy party will not be an in-person affair in 2021. The gala doubles as a salute to industry icons and honors a music executive every year in addition to providing a star-packed evening of performances. Davis, himself a music
When filmmakers gather these days, the conversation tends to turn to how the coronavirus pandemic has decimated movie theaters — as well as to the related topic of Warner Bros.’ bombshell decision to stream its entire 2021 slate on HBO Max the same day they’re to be released theatrically. During a panel among screenwriters for Variety‘s inaugural FYC Fest, Judd Apatow (Universal’s “The King of Staten Island”), Aaron Sorkin
Documentary and docuseries creators have found themselves amidst a rapidly expanding market for their work. During the FYC Fest documentary roundtable, Variety‘s Matt Donnelley discussed the state of documentary filmmaking with panelists including “Time” director Garrett Bradley, “Boys State” director Amanda McBaine, “Rebuilding Paradise” director Ron Howard, “The Dissident” director Bryan Fogle, “Welcome to Chechnya”
During a FYC Fest documentary roundtable, Variety‘s Matt Donnelley discussed the state of documentary filmmaking with panelists including “Time” director Garrett Bradley, “Boys State” director Amanda McBaine, “Rebuilding Paradise” director Ron Howard, “The Dissident” director Bryan Fogle, “Welcome to Chechnya” director David France and “Crip Camp” director Nicole Newnham. “So much of filmmaking, regardless of the
Actor Ali Larter responded on Wednesday to the account by her “Heroes” co-star Leonard Roberts — who, in a first-person essay for Variety published earlier in the day, said Larter mistreated him while working on the first season of the hit NBC series, eventually leading to his dismissal from the show. Roberts believes the fact
COVID-19 proposed an important question: In our current image-obsessed age, how does a music artist continue projecting an iconic image when they can’t go on tour? The answer: They hire an animator. As she often does, Billie Eilish had a visual in mind for her “My Future” music video: it would be night, lit by
Longtime talent manager Shirley Grant, who developed stars including the Jonas Brothers, Keshia Knight Pulliam and Allison Smith, died Tuesday evening in New Jersey. Dave McKeown, a talent manager and former employee of her firm, Shirley Grant Management, shared the news in a tribute. “I’m saddened to announce the passing of a golden woman in
Arts Alliance is opening Garden Studios, a 62,000-square-foot facility located in Park Royal, West London, in the first quarter of 2021. Garden Studios will offer four sound stages, workshops, technical facilities and fully equipped offices. At the center of the facility is a virtual production stage with state-of-the-art, sustainable technology, which is currently available for
Fox has unveiled the trailer to its long-awaited “The Masked Singer” spinoff series, “The Masked Dancer,” exclusively to Variety. The teaser introduces celeb contestants who will perform “unique dances, while covered from head to toe in elaborate costumes and face masks, leaving audiences to guess their identities.” According to the promo, there will be “clues
In today’s TV news roundup, Showtime announced the premiere date for Season 3 of “Desus & Mero,” and Rooster Teeth and All Elite Wrestling unveiled plans for a podcast premiering Jan. 18. DATES Showtime revealed that “Desus & Mero” will return for Season 3 on Jan. 31. The late-night talk show — which marked the
Snoop Dogg and the upcoming TBS talent competition series “Go-Big Show” have partnered to present a virtual New Year’s Eve special, Variety has learned exclusively. The celebration will be livestreamed from Snoop’s Compound on Dec. 31 beginning at 11 p.m. ET. The special will also feature Snoop’s “Go-Big Show” co-talent Bert Kreischer, Rosario Dawson, Jennifer Nettles,
Exclusive Joe Exotic‘s legal team is throwing a Hail Mary in hopes of getting his pardon request in front of Donald Trump before he leaves office — and they want a judge to force the issue. The ‘Tiger King’s’ legal team just filed new docs asking a court to compel the Office of the Pardon
NBC is developing the drama series “Heirs” from Carlos Portugal. The series is set in Miami Beach’s exclusive Star Island. It follows the heirs of a Latin American ex-dictator as they face an unexpected dilemma when a young girl is kidnapped from their home on the night of their own daughter’s lavish quinceañera. Portugal will
Matthew Rhys could be the lead of an FX series once again. “The Americans” star is developing a new drama called “Wyrd” at the network, teaming with “Up In the Air” writer Sheldon Turner. Rhys is in place to executive produce, alongside his wife and fellow “Americans” star Keri Russell, with an eye on playing
Numerically speaking, Beyoncé has received more love from the Grammy Awards than virtually any other artist. The 39-year-old performer is the most-nominated female artist in the awards’ history (both solo and as a member of Destiny’s Child), and is tied with Paul McCartney for second place on the all-time list — just one behind her
When it comes to music, TikTok is not your usual platform, so it’s not surprising that its first year-end report has a different approach. And considering the company’s famous secrecy, it’s also not surprising that the data supporting many of the lists in its year-end report is a little vague. Thus, we were pleasantly surprised
Before taking the world by storm in “Normal People,” Paul Mescal played the Phantom in “The Phantom of the Opera” at his school — and his mask kept falling off mid-production. “The Midnight Sky” star Tiffany Boone knew she was hooked on acting when, at age eight, she played an elf in the play “The
The Directors Guild of America has extended its commercials contract with producers — including recently approved COVID-19 safety protocols — for a year until Nov. 30, 2021. The DGA, which represents more than 18,000 members, has announced that its national board had unanimously approved the one-year extension of its National Commercial Agreement with the Association
Netflix named Strive Masiyiwa, founder and chairman of telecom and tech company Econet Group, to its board of directors. Masiyiwa’s appointment to the streamer’s board comes a week after Susan Rice, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said she was relinquishing her Netflix board seat to join president-elect Joe Biden’s administration as of Jan. 20,
Florence Pugh is producing and starring in the murder mystery “The Maid” for Universal Pictures, based on Nita Prose’s debut novel of the same name. Universal announced Wednesday it had acquired the rights to the “The Maid,” set for publication in 2022 via Penguin Random House in the U.S. and Canada, and HarperFiction in the
UPDATED: CAA has reached an agreement with the Writers Guild of America that will allow the agency to resume representing writers after a 20-month standoff with the union. “CAA and the WGA have concluded and signed a franchise agreement confirming CAA can resume representing writers and continue the important work of helping them realize their