Local stories will play an increasingly important role amid the accelerating globalization and exponential growth in OTT platforms, says Aileen Li, winning produce at the Golden Horse Film Project Promotion. “There have been lots of talks about co-production in the past, but I feel that local stories will take on a leading role. Characteristics of
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has inspired young creators to become more daring and to look for stories that are more relatable on a personal level as a response to global crisis, said one of the guest instructors of the Golden Horse FPP workshop. Yeh Jufeng (“The Great Buddha+,” “GF*BF”), chief executive producer of MandarinVision, said
Taiwan’s Studio76 is joining hands with Singapore’s MediaCorp launch a new script competition to be launched in 2021. The mission is to boost Chinese-language storytelling in the pan-Asia region. Unveiled at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest, “Rising Stories” will begin accepting applications from Feb. 1, 2021 to April 15, 2021. Five winners will be selected,
Kerry Washington is one of Hollywood’s more daring and experimental style stars today, but she’s also a strong believer in classic, timeless jewelry. And that is what makes her new partnership with jewelry brand Aurate such an organic business match. For Washington, who is not just the face of the new Aurate campaign but is
The Sundance Institute is honoring “The Forty-Year-Old Version” filmmaker Radha Blank with the 2020 vanguard award. The award honors the artistic achievement of her feature film directorial debut, “The Forty-Year-Old Version,” which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival — where it earned her a directing award — and was developed at the Institute’s Labs.
It’s Cris Abrego’s time to shine. The Endemol Shine North America CEO has been tapped to lead Banijay’s North America and Latin America operations. Abrego will now hold the title of Banijay’s chairman of the Americas, as well as president/CEO of Endemol Shine Holdings. He reports to Banijay CEO Marco Bassetti, who is putting his
ViacomCBS is looking ahead to a post-coronavirus world, one in which approximately 70% of its more-than-20,000 employees will work at least partly from home, according to an internal memo from CEO Bob Bakish that Variety has obtained exclusively. The move toward a hybrid work model allows staffers more flexibility, but it also has financial advantages.
“Adam Ruins Everything” star Adam Conover and the Obamas’ Higher Ground Productions are teaming up for a Netflix comedy series that explores the world of government. “The G Word with Adam Conover” is described as a blend of sketch comedy and documentary that takes viewers inside the complex machinery of the U.S. government. Conover will
ViacomCBS’ MTV Entertainment Group is launching Culture Code, a diversity, equity and inclusion orientation for its staff, talent and production partners, in a bid to “construct a communal set of values, understanding and baseline cultural norms to create a more inclusive and welcoming creative community.” A slew of social justice groups have partnered with the
HBO urged an appeals court on Thursday to throw out a lawsuit brought by the Michael Jackson estate over the “Leaving Neverland” documentary. The estate sued HBO for $100 million, arguing that the network broke a 27-year-old promise not to disparage the late pop star by accusing him of child sexual abuse. The estate has
Since “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” landed on Amazon Prime on Oct. 23, it’s been the talk of the town. Also the subject of much discussion: Maria Bakalova, the Bulgarian actor who plays Tutar, the daughter of Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat. The 24-year-old Bakalova proves to be as hilarious and adept at improvising as the seasoned Cohen,
Breaking News Almost 3 weeks after Lori Loughlin surrendered to authorities to begin her prison sentence … her hubby Mossimo Giannulli followed suit. The “Full House” star’s hubby reported to authorities Thursday at the Federal Correctional Institution in Lompoc, CA … about 2 and a half hours north of L.A. He reported on the November
Bunim-Murray Prods. chairman/CEO Gil Goldschein is leaving after a 20-year run at the pioneering unscripted production company. Goldschein, who was elevated to the supremo role in April 2015, said he plans to pursue other opportunities “at the intersection of technology and entertainment.” Goldschein will remain with Bunim-Murray (also abbreviated as BMP) until Feb. 15, 2021
“The Walking Dead’s” extended Season 10 will continue in February, AMC announced Thursday. The six extra episodes of the zombie apocalypse series will begin airing on Feb. 28 at 9 p.m. ET. All six episodes will debut early on the AMC streaming service, AMC Plus, every Thursday prior to the linear premiere on Sunday. Guest
Singer-rapper Jeremih is “still in ICU in critical condition,” his agent told Variety after news broke on Saturday that he had been hospitalized for COVID-19. “J was just pulled off the ventilator,” his agent said in a statement to Variety. “He’s still in ICU in critical condition. Please keep him in your prayers.” Jeremih, born
Turkish director Nisan Dag, who is a Columbia Film School Graduate, made a splash at Slamdance and other fests in 2015 with debut feature “Across the Sea,” a relationship drama that she co-directed. Her followup “When I’m Done Dying,” directed solo this time, delves into the world of hip-hop subculture in Istanbul’s slums where the
With COVID resurgence meaning that only the naughty are likely to risk large gatherings this holiday season, there will be even more reliance on home-viewing comfort food in the vein of “The Princess Switch: Switched Again.” Bringing back the same director, writers and lead actors from Netflix’s original 2018 success, this pleasant sequel provides the
Netflix has signed “Stranger Things” producer Shawn Levy and his 21 Laps Entertainment to a first-look deal for features and extended his current television overall deal. Levy signed his overall TV deal with Netflix in 2017, a year after “Stranger Things” became a hit for Netflix. The series has been renewed for an upcoming fourth season
Amazon Studios’ espionage thriller “All the Old Knives” has added actors Jonathan Pryce and Laurence Fishburne. Directed by Janus Metz, the stage and screen stars join the previously announced Chris Pine and Thandie Newton in the project. Based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by Olen Steinhauer, who also adapted the screenplay, “Knives”
At the center of BET’s latest documentary, “Smoke: Marijuana + Black America,” is a deep analysis of how cannabis has influenced pop culture through the lens of two very contradicting lanes: entertainment and the legal system. Cannabis business owner and former NBA player Al Harrington has occupied two of those fields in his career. After
Drew Barrymore has been exploring her own talk show for years. But never in a million years did the star of “The Wedding Singer,” “50 First Dates” and “Never Been Kissed” imagine that when the day finally arrived, “The Drew Barrymore Show” would air during a pandemic. “I have worked really hard on a lot
Variety is pleased to announce that Mary J. Blige and Marcus Mumford will be keynote speakers at its Music for Screens Week, airing Nov. 30-Dec. 3. Expanded for the first time over four days in this all-digital installment, Variety’s Music for Screens Summit 2020 will celebrate excellence in musical artistry and storytelling for film, TV,
BuzzFeed is acquiring HuffPost, the 15-year-old internet news outlet, in a stock deal with Verizon Media, the companies announced. The HuffPost purchase is part of a larger strategic partnership across content and advertising between BuzzFeed and Verizon, under which Verizon Media will take a minority investment stake in BuzzFeed. Terms of the deal were not
Original “Da 5 Bloods”(Netflix)Written by: Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, Kevin Willmott, Spike LeeLee and Willmott won theOscar for adapted screenplay for 2018’s “BlacKkKlansman” and their examination of PTSD and the aftermath of the fallen from Vietnam in “Da 5 Bloods,” encompassing the final performance of Chadwick Boseman, was deeply felt. Netflix is positioning the
There’s a pivotal scene in Phyllida Lloyd’s keenly observed domestic abuse drama “Herself” in which Sandra, a battered single mother of two little girls, is pitted opposite a judge in a Dublin courtroom. Sandra — played by Irish actor Clare Dunne, who also co-wrote the film — has only recently managed to escape Gary, her
“Mank” cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt and director David Fincher have a shorthand way of communicating: They worked together on Netflix’s “Mindhunter,” and Messerschmidt served as gaffer on 2014’s “Gone Girl.” Messerschmidt makes his feature film debut as director of photography on “Mank,” the story of screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz’s stay on a secluded ranch, where he
Kino Lorber has acquired the North American rights to Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert’s drama “Never Gonna Snow Again,” Poland’s Academy Awards entry. “Never Gonna Snow Again” follows a Russian masseur — played by Alec Utgoff of “Stranger Things” — who enriches the lives of the rich, unfulfilled residents living in a walled-off community. Kino
Singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile has completed a memoir, “Broken Horses,” which Random House’s Crown imprint will release April 6, 2021, the publisher announced Thursday. Along with the print and digital versions of the book, Carlile is recording an audio version, to be released simultaneously by Penguin Random House Audio. Although this marked the first formal announcement
Sia has announced her eighth studio album “Music – Songs From And Inspired By The Motion Picture,” and dropped “Hey Boy,” the first song and video from the project, which is her feature film directorial debut. The film, about a young girl named Music who sees the world in a unique way, stars Kate Hudson (“Almost Famous”),
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: