U.K. regional funder Liverpool Film Office has launched a £250,000 ($312,000) single project development pot to support local talent during the coronavirus crisis using funds repurposed from its existing production fund. The new Liverpool City Region Film & TV Development Fund will support feature film and TV content, including both scripted and factual programs, with
Despite a global health crisis that’s left borders in Europe closed, theaters shut down and large events banned in multiple countries, including France, the Cannes Film Festival refuses to throw in the towel and continues to explore alternate options. The leading force behind the festival, director Thierry Fremaux, tells Variety that Cannes wants “to be
One of the buzz films at Visions Du Reel, Mexican filmmaker Laura Plancarte’s Montana-set “Non Western” explores the romantic journey of Thaddeus, a Cheyenne native, and Nanci, a Caucasian, and the challenges their interracial union faces. Through them, Plancarte explores the chains of oppression that persist from one generation to another. Thaddeus and Nanci were
After years of making a name for himself in New York theater, Mark Ruffalo was on the cusp of breaking in to high-profile movie roles when television came calling. In 1999, Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson had been handed a 13-episode order from UPN for a cop drama “The Beat.” Fontana and casting director Alexa
Disney Plus is trying is saying “May the fourth be with you” with some new behind-the-scenes “Mandalorian” content. On May 4, known of course as Star Wars Day, the streamer will premiere an eight-part docuseries on the making of the popular series which spawned Baby Yoda and has been a driving force behind the platform’s
“Better Call Saul” and “Breaking Bad” star Bob Odenkirk is launching a new production company, Cal-Gold Pictures, and has signed a first-look deal with Sony Pictures Television. The company’s mission is to develop stories that are compelling and unique, with dynamic characters and social relevance. “I started in this grand charade called showbizness as a
Performing Rights Organizations, including the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), and SESAC announced today that they are contributing to create a special fund as part of the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund to support music creators who are affected by the coronavirus pandemic. While the COVID-19 Relief Fund was created to help all music industry
Netflix — for now — is worth more than Disney, after the streaming company’s shares hit an all-time high Wednesday. Netflix’s stock, extending its three-day rally, closed up 3.2%, to $426.75 per share. That gives Netflix a current market capitalization of $187.3 billion, putting it just over Disney’s $186.6 billion, after the media conglomerate’s stock
“New Amsterdam” aired its season 2 finale on Tuesday night to strong numbers, while the finale of “NCIS” ticked down but still won the night. The NBC medical procedural’s final episode of the season, which introduced a new character played by Daniel Dae Kim, delivered a 1.0 rating among adults 18-49 and 5.9 million viewers,
The Writers Guild of America East is accusing NBC News of union-busting. The organization has filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board accusing NBCUniversal of undermining the union that was in place at the now shut-down Peacock Productions, an in-house non-fiction production unit. WGAE wants the collective bargaining agreement that applied to Peacock
As the scope of the coronavirus lockdown became clear last month, ABC was faced with a dilemma over what to do with “American Idol.” The network was counting on the show to fill many hours on ABC’s Sunday and Monday night schedule. Rob Mills, ABC’s senior VP of series, specials and late-night, said the “Idol”
Quarantine has been a productive time even for a hyper-prolific artist like The Weeknd, who today dropped another new video — of the Lil Uzi Vert remix of his hit “Heartless” — and remix — a Diplo-helmed Major Lazer retake of his other smash from the fall “Blinding Lights.” Since the drop of his latest
Variety has been given exclusive access to the first clip from David Bowie origin story “Stardust,” which receives its online premiere for distribution executives and select press on Wednesday. The film, written and directed by Gabriel Range, was slated to premiere at the Tribeca Festival Festival this week, but due to its postponement the filmmakers
Play video content Breaking News “The Hall of Fame” Podcast Booker T is putting Ronda Rousey on blast for her “fake” WWE comments … saying the remarks were a “slap in the face” to everybody in the org. — and he wants her to say sorry, ASAP. “It really is a slap in the face,”
Two remotely produced comedy series have been ordered by ViacomCBS Networks International brands MTV and Comedy Central. MTV International has greenlit “Lockdown Laughs with Charlotte Crosby” (working title), which sees the British reality TV star curate the best quarantine clips from across the globe. Meanwhile, Comedy Central International has commissioned short-form digital series “Comedians in
Brittany Howard has recorded a new version of her recent song “Stay High” for the Spotify Singles program — but fans may be more excited by the single’s “B-Side,” a cover of Funkadelic’s “You And Your Folks, Me And My Folks.” As the announcement says, the song – which originally appeared on Funkadelic’s classic 1971 album, “Maggot Brain” – “takes on fresh urgency as
Mark Ruffalo wants to reprise his role as Bruce Banner and his mean, green alter-ego the Hulk in future Avengers sequels and spinoffs. However, the actor admits that it’s unclear when or if the strongest man alive will resurface after Earth’s Mightiest Heroes defeated Thanos in 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame.” “There’s nothing completely at a place
With countless medical professionals fighting on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic, one timely documentary about a healthcare activist caught the eyes of Bradley Whitford and brothers Mark and Jay Duplass. Whitford and Duplass Brothers Productions have signed on to executive produce “Not Going Quietly,” Variety has learned. The documentary, which will premiere at the
Directors’ Fortnight and Critics Week, the two sections running alongside the Cannes Film Festival, have canceled their 2020 editions. The joint decision comes two days after France’s President Emmanuel Macron said all festivals and events gathering large crowds would be banned in the country until mid-July. “The Directors’ Fortnight, La Semaine de la Critique and
Thomas Imbach didn’t have to go far for the inspiration and execution of his latest feature documentary “Nemesis,” premiering in the International Competition section of the digital version of Switzerland’s Visions du Réel documentary film festival. Shot over seven years from his own window, a trick Imbach previously used in 2011’s “Day is Done,” the
With Cannes and Venice both up in the air due to the coronavirus pandemic, Italy’s film promotion org. Filmitalia has teamed up with festival streaming platform Festival Scope Pro to launch its annual Italian Screenings market online in July. Filmitalia, a unit of Italian national film entity Luce-Cinecittà, “is the first of Europe’s roughly 30
Amazon has piled more free-to-stream content into Prime Video, including HBO original series, Warner Bros. movies and 20 “Sesame Street” episodes. Through a deal with HBO, Prime Video is making free — to anyone in the U.S. with an Amazon account — all episodes of “Big Little Lies,” “Barry,” “Ballers,” “Silicon Valley” and “Succession”; Warner
RoadNation, a platform that enables artists and fans to build tours together, and A2IM (American Association of Independent Music) today announced a new program that aims to help independent artists earn money from livestream performances. The program will kick off with a livestreamed concert Friday featuring performances by AZRA, Rayvon Owen, RuthAnne Cunningham, Stefan Poole
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a former Democratic presidential hopeful, has endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden in the race for the White House. Warren’s endorsement is important to Biden as the senator from Massachusetts is a respected liberal standard-bearer for the Democratic Party. Warren’s thumbs up comes on the heels of Biden secure the endorsement of
Andrea Bocelli is officially YouTube’s newest superstar. The Italian tenor’s live-streaming solo performance on this Easter Sunday, streamed on April 12 exclusively via YouTube from the Duomo in Milan, has gone into the record books as drawing the biggest audience for a classical live stream in YouTube’s history. Bocelli’s “Music For Hope — Live From
Here’s a first look at Irish “Poldark” star Aidan Turner as legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci in upcoming international co-production “Leonardo,” set to be released next year. The first glimpse of Turner as da Vinci shows him learning his craft as a young apprentice and then reaching for greatness with his commission to paint The
With the Cannes Film Festival now in limbo due to France’s ban on events with big crowds until mid-July, the Marché du Film is now setting up a full-on virtual market from June 22-28, Variety has confirmed. In addition, the Marché du Film, which has always run alongside the festival, will this year run at
Branded Harry Potter buses that usually convey fans to Warner Bros.’ The Making of Harry Potter studio tour in the U.K. are being used to transport key National Health Service (NHS) workers for free between hospitals fighting coronavirus. The buses have been provided by Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden and bus operator Golden Tours to transport
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has indefinitely suspended the lucrative and hugely popular Indian Premier League cricket tournament, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The BCCI governing board, led by president and former India cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly, held a conference call Tuesday. On Wednesday, IPL COO Hemang Amin informed all
“Game of Thrones” and “His Dark Materials” actor Lucian Msamati is to narrate wildlife documentary film “Okavango – A Flood of Life” from “River Monsters” producer Icon Films, which has partnered with international producer-distributor Fremantle on global sales. Originally filmed in full 8K, the documentary special explores Africa’s greatest oasis, the Okavango Delta, and is