Ryan Reynolds took to Twitter to announce a new initiative supporting aspiring filmmakers from unrepresented communities. In a two-minute video, the actor acknowledged that despite its collaborative work, the film industry continues to leave out certain voices. “Making a movie, well it’s a group effort,” he said. “But for entirely too long, that group has
Netflix will now let all users of its Android app play back video at different rates — ranging from half-speed to 1.5 times faster — a feature that elicited a strongly negative response from some Hollywood creators when the streamer began testing it out last fall. According to Netflix’s Keela Robison, VP of product innovation,
British star Idris Elba says a movie version of his hit BBC TV series “Luther” is happening. Speaking to the press on Friday after receiving one of BAFTA’s highest honours, the BAFTA Special Award at the Virgin Media BAFTA Television Awards, Elba said: “I’ve maintained I’d like to see it come to a film, and
HBO and Sky Atlantic’s “Chernobyl,” Channel 4’s “Stath Lets Flats” and Channel 4 and Netflix’s “The End of the F—king World” emerged with two BAFTAs apiece at this year’s awards. “Chernobyl” won for mini-series and leading actor for Jared Harris, adding two prizes to its existing haul of seven gongs at the BAFTA TV Craft
The “Mission: Impossible” movies promise two things: Tom Cruise risking his life to entertain audiences and a plethora of mask hijinks. The films, based on the 1966 television series of the same name, follow the adventures of Cruise’s Ethan Hunt and his team of spies traveling the globe. Members of the Impossible Mission Force, A.K.A.
Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull will give a keynote address at the 2020 VIEW Conference in October and Tomm Moore, co-director of the upcoming Apple TV Plus animated feature “Wolfwalkers,” will also be speaking at the event, which will be a mix of virtual and in-person talks and masterclasses this year, due to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic.
The cast of “Nine Perfect Strangers” just keeps on getting more perfect and strange. Michel Shannon is the latest name to sign on for the Hulu series, joining previously announced cast members Melissa McCarthy, Nicole Kidman, Manny Jacinto, Luke Evans, and Tiffany Boone, among others. The show, which was received a greenlight from by Hulu
Tamar Braxton and WE tv are officially cutting ties, following Braxton’s call out of the network over its “excessive and unfair” work demands. In a new statement from WE tv, obtained exclusively by Variety, the network says it “will work with her representatives to honor her request to end all future work for the network.” The
How does the man who wrote “Rockin’ in the Free World” feel about the putative leader of the free world? There hasn’t been much doubt about that, as Neil Young has made headlines several times for his resistance to having his songs played at Donald Trump rallies, as they mysteriously often are. Last week, he
If you’ve watched Beyoncé’s “Black Is King” — now streaming on Disney Plus — then you’ve seen Folajomi “FJ” Akinmurele in action. Starring as a young Simba who is driven out of his home by Scar and must go on a journey of self-discovery, the star potential of the 7-year-old actor is already clear. Here’s
Jeff Logan, owner of Logan Luxury Theatres, has been struggling to make ends meet for most of 2020. After being closed for months due to coronavirus, he recently reopened the three movie theaters he runs in South Dakota, screening classics like Indiana Jones and Star Wars. But ticket sales are slow and Logan’s cinemas are
Basketball fans can’t sit courtside these days, but they might just get the ultimate view of NBA action when ESPN opens its coverage of the league’s season this evening. Fans who use the ESPN App will be able to access full games with a “rail-cam” view, which lets the streaming audience see the action through
Two years after agreeing to pay $17 million to settle a landmark privacy case, TV maker Vizio is back in court, accusing two insurers of failing to defend the suit. Vizio filed suit against Navigators Insurance Co. and Arch Insurance Co. on Thursday, accusing both of wrongfully denying coverage. The lawsuit is particularly harsh about
Toni Braxton is set to release her tenth studio album, “Spell My Name,” on August 28 through Island, a Universal Music Group label. The album’s new single, “Dance,” is a feel-good disco stomper and follows on the heels of “Do It,” co-written with longtime collaborator Babyface, which was the most added song at adult R&B
Jessica Swale’s World War II-era “Summerland,” debuting on demand via IFC on July 31, turns the English coastal countryside into a character in the tale of a reclusive writer played by Gemma Arterton — and the house in which much of the action takes place serves as a portal to those surroundings. Making her
Courteney Cox will reprise her role as news reporter Gale Weathers in the upcoming “Scream” reboot. Spyglass Media Group and Paramount made the announcement Friday and said filming is expected to begin later this year in Wilmington, N.C. “Ready or Not” directors Matthew Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are helming the reboot from a script by
Agnes Chu, a 12-year Disney veteran, is leaving as senior VP of content for Disney Plus to join Condé Nast as head of the media and publishing company’s entertainment division. Chu will start as president of Condé Nast Entertainment in September 2020, reporting to Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch. There’s no immediate word on a
After canceling MipTV in April in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, Reed Midem will be hosting a hybrid physical edition of Mipcom, the international TV showcase, without exhibition stands. Named Mipcom Rendezvous, this year’s format will also see the launch of Mipcom Online +, a premium digital service which will run from Oct. 5
Variety has promoted Angelique Jackson to film and media reporter. In her new role, Jackson will cover the major Hollywood studios and streaming services, as well as the indie film scene. She will also contribute in-depth interviews and profiles of the industry’s top decision-makers and creative talent for print, online, and video. Jackson joined the
Music is at the heart of director Sergio Navarretta’s “The Cuban,” set for a limited theatrical release July 31. In the movie, pre-med student Mina, played by Ana Golja (“Degrassi”), is tasked with caring for Luis, portrayed by Louis Gossett Jr., who is struggling with Alzheimer’s and has retreated into himself. As she feeds him,
Facebook is unleashing hundreds of thousands of music videos in the U.S. starting this weekend — a direct challenge to YouTube, which has had a virtual lock on the internet music-video space for years. According to Facebook, its debut of official music videos in the States is about more than just watching the videos themselves:
Accurate multicultural representation in Hollywood starts crucially with hiring communities of color to make and star in films, “Suicide Squad” and “Bright” director David Ayer said Thursday at the ArcLight drive-in premiere of his new Los Angeles-based crime drama, “The Tax Collector.” “Hire them. Hire them for jobs,” Ayer said when asked about increasing Latino
Alan Parker, the British director whose exceptionally wide-ranging oeuvre ranged from “Bugsy Malone” to “Evita,” from “Midnight Express” to “The Road to Wellville,” has died. He was 76. The British Film Institute confirmed Parker’s death on Friday, noting he died after a long illness. Parker was twice Oscar-nominated for best director, for 1978’s “Midnight Express”
New comedy albums from the late Joan Rivers containing previously unreleased material will be released in 2021. Production-distribution company Comedy Dynamics announced Friday it has acquired hundreds of hours of content from the Joan Rivers Estate, with plans to release a box set and digital albums. Rivers rose to prominence in the mid 1960s, best
Netflix has revealed that the platform’s most successful Spanish-language series “Money Heist” (“Casa de papel”) will end with the conclusion of Part 5, tweeting on Friday that “The heist comes to an end.” Shooting is set to begin soon in Spain, Denmark and Portugal, with actors Miguel Ángel Silvestre, a Netflix alum of “Narcos” and
“Holey Moley” continued to card a solid round of golf, or ratings, leading ABC to a Thursday night win alongside Univision. The mini golf competition series hit the fairway with a 0.5 rating among adults 18-49 and just under 3 million viewers, on par with last episode ratings-wise, but down around 15% in terms of
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Leone Film Group’s Lotus Production shingle is setting up Lotus Factory, a new unit for high-profile genre projects out of Italy made for the international market. These currently include a live action TV series in development on the origins of Santa Clause, for which Lotus chief Marco Belardi has recruited top U.S. talent: Oscar-nominated writer
BBC Two has commissioned “Brain in Gear,” a new comedy series produced by BBC Studios, based on the eponymous 2019 BAFTA-nominated BBC short from creator Gbemisola Ikumelo. In the short, Ikumelo plays Remi, an anxious single woman living alone — except for the voices in her head. The series will continue Remi’s story as she
In one extended sequence of the 2017 documentary “Angry, White, and American,” Black British journalist Gary Younge faces off with alt-right leader Richard Spencer, who, at one point, says, “Look at the life of any African American living in the United States. It’s far better than any African living in Africa.” Translation: Slavery was good.