A federal judge dismissed Genius Media Group’s lawsuit against Google and LyricFind alleging the companies ripped off song lyrics from Genius — ruling that Genius doesn’t have standing to sue them, since it doesn’t own the rights to the original lyrics. The Genius lawsuit, filed last December, had sought at least $50 million in damages
August is traditionally a vibrant period for India’s music industry, with myriad music festivals announced from October through February and tour dates booked for international artists — all of which provides a crucial boost for the independent community operating outside the film arena. In the cautious months throughout the pandemic, none of this has been
Joe Biden has chosen Sen. Kamala Harris as his vice presidential running mate, making her the first Black woman and the first Asian American to join a major party presidential ticket. Harris, 55, was seen as the frontrunner for the No. 2 spot for the last few months, especially in the wake of George Floyd’s
Trini Lopez, the pop singer and guitarist who also acted in Robert Aldrich’s “The Dirty Dozen,” died Tuesday of complications from COVID-19. Palm Springs Life magazine first reported his death; he was a longtime resident of the desert enclave. Filmmakers P. David Ebersole and Todd Hughes had recently completed a documentary about his life, which
The finale of “Perry Mason” season 1 certainly set things up nicely for the second installment, and delivered season high numbers for HBO in the process. Sunday’s episode drew a total of 1.1 million total viewers in its live network airing, which represents a season high and a 24% increase on the premiere. Overall, 1.6
Ray Parker Jr. is best known for writing, producing and performing the 1984 Grammy-winning No. 1 hit “Ghostbusters,” but by the time he turned “Who you gonna call?” and “I ain’t ‘fraid of no ghost” into national catchphrases, he had already logged more than a decade in the business. He was still a teenager when
If there’s one thing that can be said for Neil Young over the course of his nearly 60-year career, it’s that he stands behind his principles. He once spent hundreds of thousands of dollars recalling an album because he didn’t like the mix (which he’d earlier approved), and just last month he sued Donald Trump’s
Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, co-founded by Seth Green, John Harvatine IV, Matthew Senreich and Eric Towner, announced on Tuesday that Steve Bastien will lead the studio’s commercial division, Buddy Spots. The Burbank-based studio is responsible for shows like the Emmy-award winning, longest-running stop-motion show “Robot Chicken,” the Emmy-nominated “SuperMansion” with Bryan Cranston and “Crossing Swords,” which
Kal Penn is trying to help mobilize young voters. The actor and comedian is set to host an unscripted series at Freeform that looks to explore issues and topics relevant to Millennial and GenZ voters, Variety has confirmed. The Disney-owned network has issued a series order for the untitled comedy project. Precisely what kind of format the
Azazel Jacobs’ “French Exit,” the story of a Manhattan socialite who jettisons her old life for a new one in Paris, has been selected as the closing night feature of the 58th New York Film Festival. The film, which stars Oscar-nominees Michelle Pfeiffer and Lucas Hedges, will make its world premiere at the festival, which
Lionsgate has sold domestic rights to Sarah Paulson’s “Run” to streaming service Hulu, making the thriller the latest in a long line of titles to ditch its planned theatrical release amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “Run” is directed by Aneesh Chaganty. Natalie Qasabian and Sev Ohanian are producing from a script by Chaganty and Ohanian. Paulson
Airbnb is offering sleepovers at the world’s last Blockbuster store in Bend, Ore. On Aug. 17 at 1 p.m. PT, movie lovers can request to book a one-night stay from Sept. 18 through 20. Reservations are only open to residents of Deschutes County, and up to four guests per household are allowed per night. The
Against all odds, “The New Mutants,” Disney and Fox’s beleaguered superhero thriller that’s been delayed numerous times in the past two years, might end up being the film that revives moviegoing. Though Disney has shuffled around theatrical plans for nearly every movie slated for release in 2020 and beyond, “The New Mutants” has curiously stayed
At the beginning of 2020, Copenhagen Fashion Week launched an ambitious action plan to ensure designers are meeting a set of sustainable standards to reduce their environmental impact. During the intimate presentation for its spring 2021 collection this week, Ganni delivered its solution: Ganni Repeat. To start, Ganni joined forces with Levi’s to deliver a
Back in 2015, songwriter, producer and artist Pharrell Williams had all the reasons in the world to be smiling. His infectious hit song “Happy” was the previous year’s top seller in the U.S., an international smash and soon to be a major Grammy moment. But backstage during the rehearsals that February at Staples Center, Williams
The Weeknd, Roddy Ricch, Maluma and CNCO will join this year’s lineup for the 2020 Video Music Awards, set to air Aug. 30, MTV announced Tuesday. The four performers make up the second round of performers to be shared, following an earlier announcement that BTS, Doja Cat and J Balvin would take the stage. Ricch,
Continuing the trend of live fan events going virtual amid the coronavirus pandemic, New York Comic Con’s producer ReedPop announced on Tuesday that the annual fan convention is canceling its in-person event and partnering with YouTube to stream live panels from Oct. 8 to Oct. 11. NYCC was originally scheduled to take place at Javits
WarnerMedia has named Jessica Holscott as the new head of finance of its studios and networks group, the recently formed unit led by Warner Bros. chief Ann Sarnoff. Holscott, who will report to WarnerMedia CFO Pascal Desroches, is tasked with overseeing the group’s financial activities, including financial reporting, budgeting and planning for future business growth.
It’s not hard to spot familiar names on the drama side of this year’s guest actor and actress Emmy ballot, whether that’s Ron Cephas Jones in NBC’s “This Is Us” or Cicely Tyson in ABC’s “How to Get Away With Murder,” who have each recurred heavily over the course of several seasons. But on the
Fox Sports Films is set to air “Tua,” a documentary about Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Variety has learned exclusively. “Tua is a beloved young star with an incredible story,” said Charlie Dixon, Executive Vice President of Content at Fox Sports. “We like to say, ‘Fox is Football’, and since it’s in our DNA, that means
Not even the COVID-19 pandemic could stop Shark Week. The annual Discovery Channel franchise, now in its 32nd edition, remains a juggernaut for the company — which this year is using Shark Week to launch five new series while giving the network (and cable in general) a needed boost. “I’ve worked at Discovery as a
Taylor Swift’s “Folklore” spent an expected second week atop the album chart in the U.S. Its second frame saw 139,700 album units being added to its tally, following a first-week debut of 852,700. The two weeks combined put her total at just under a million album units. The only album debuting in the top 10
Eugene Levy has been a consistent part of popular culture for more than forty years, spanning multiple comedy franchises from “SCTV” in the 1970s and 1980s, all the way up to Pop TV’s “Schitt’s Creek,” the Emmy-nominated comedy hit that recently ended its run after six seasons. Now, the accolades are following. Levy just earned
As a reliance on established intellectual property has engulfed the industry as a whole, the 72nd annual Primetime Emmy Awards have also put a spotlight on adaptations, reboots and brand extensions. Examples abound, from HBO’s graphic novel adaptation “Watchmen” to Netflix’s interactive “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” movie “Kimmy vs. the Reverend” and “Breaking Bad” stand-alone follow-up
“Penny Dreadful” star Eva Green has fired back at allegations made in a lawsuit lodged at London’s High Court last week, alleging that the former Bond actor derailed £4 million ($5.22 million) sci-fi thriller, “A Patriot,” in which she was to star alongside Helen Hunt and Charles Dance. Green is currently embroiled in a legal
The entrance of a number of newcomers could shake up long-time favorites’ odds to win at this year’s Creative Arts Emmy ceremonies. Here, Variety takes a closer look at six of those important races. Main Title DesignThis is one category in which the nominees get to be wholly creative when it comes to visual styles. They
Even before the final-round voting ballots have been sent out, the 72nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards have made history. The nominees include the most Black performers ever nominated in a single year (with more than 30% of all male and female performers across drama, comedy and limited series/TV movie being Black). Not only is the
Fox Corp. is joining the parade of big U.S. media companies seeking to stream their best-known content abroad. The company’s Fox News Media unit plans to launch Fox News International, a live-streaming outlet that will make programming available from Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network in various countries. The company said the new direct-to-consumer
A dramatic reboot of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” is in the works, Variety has confirmed. It will be based on Morgan Cooper’s viral video that reimagined the NBC comedy series as a drama titled “Bel-Air.” The trailer, which Cooper posted online last year, has racked up over five million views on YouTube alone. Watch it
Blue Note Records has created a general manager position directly under president Don Was and promoted Justin Seltzer to manage the day-to-day operations of the storied jazz label in the new role. “Justin is a passionate advocate for jazz and is innovative in his approach to expanding the jazz audience in our ever-evolving industry,” said