The recently launched Hollywood Support Staff Relief Fund, aimed at providing assistants and support staffers financial aid amid the coronavirus-induced production shutdown, is now shutting down its GoFundMe and merging with the Actors Fund. It will continue raising funds under that banner. “Despite its name, the Actors Fund was created to assist all industry members
This contains spoilers for the “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” Season 7 episode titled “Valloweaster.” To celebrate Detective Rosa Garcia’s third time winning “Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s” seasonal “heist” episode, Stephanie Beatriz — who has played Rosa for seven seasons — said her throaty, deadpan character would likely be eight beers in, egging on the rest of the zany members
Aaron Kaplan, the prolific TV producer, has been accused in a lawsuit of installing cameras in his sister-in-law’s bedroom closet in order to spy on her. The sister-in-law, Elizabeth Kaplan, filed suit on Wednesday against Kaplan and his lawyers at Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell, accusing them of conspiring to invade her privacy. Aaron Kaplan,
fRequa, FicarraIn today’s film news roundup, “Salem’s Lot” and “Hellraiser” draw directors, Tara Reid and Paul Mormando find new roles and zombie pandemic thriller “16 States” lands at Lionsgate. DEALS New Line has hired “It” writer Gary Dauberman to direct its adaptation of Stephen King’s 1975 horror novel “Salem’s Lot” from his own script. Dauberman
Allegra Shaw remembers a time, three or four years ago, when packages from brands—clothes and beauty products sent in the hope that Shaw, a YouTuber with nearly a million followers, would dedicate a video to them—came equipped with confetti explosions and television screens. “When you get a TV in a package, how do you dispose
An earnest, over-stuffed infomercial for the potential and benefits of practicing mindfulness, multi-hypenate Rob Beemer’s “The Mindfulness Movement” demonstrates the practice, offers an abbreviated history of its growth in the U.S., and cites examples of the therapeutic, scientific, corporate, academic and athletic benefits of living a more conscious life. After kicking off with celebrity endorsements
The coronavirus pandemic has driven a 30% year-to-year jump in video on demand viewing for March, data tracker Comscore has reported. Comscore said the jump came as millions of Americans sought entertainment while complying with pandemic public health safety measures. “Further driving the March 2020 VOD viewing surge is that in reaction to this unprecedented
In today’s TV news roundup, Netflix announced the premiere date of “Dead to Me” Season 2, and Quibi announced the premiere date of its “Reno 911” revival. DATES Netflix has announced Season 2 of “Dead to Me” will premiere May 8. The new season picks up in the aftermath of the bloody backyard reveal in
Since mid-March, the coronavirus pandemic has upended every aspect of life in the United States, causing stay-at-home mandates in most states in an attempt to contain the spread of COVID-19. As a consequence, the entertainment industry — a multi-billion-dollar global business — has come to a grinding halt, with every television show and movie indefinitely
Mariah Carey on Friday posted a version of her 1993 song “Hero,” dedicated to the “heroes who are making our daily lives possible: First respondersThe doctorsThe nursesThe midwivesThe store clerksThe janitorsThe postal workersThe pharmacistsThe delivery workersAnd so many more!” In the video, she gives an introductory speech (basically what was posted on YouTube below) and
Phoebe Waller-Bridge and her longtime friend and creative partner Vicky Jones once made a joke pact that if they ever found themselves in a sticky situation, such as a dead-end relationship or a dull social gathering, one of them would whisper to the other, “Run,” and they would drop everything and make a dash for
As “Killing Eve” enters Season 3, new head writer Suzanne Heathcote admits it’s getting tougher to sprinkle the show’s signature light-hearted moments into an increasingly darker storyline. “The temptation can be just to put a fun moment in just for the sake of it being a fun moment, as opposed to it being about the
Netflix’s new film “Love Wedding Repeat” is exactly the kind of entertainment the world could use right now. “We wanted it to be this really light, fun romantic comedy,” star Olivia Munn says on this week’s episode of the Variety and iHeart podcast “The Big Ticket.” The wedding ensemble (available now on Netflix), directed by
Rappers have a reputation for unabashed opulence. Remember 50 Cent’s outrageous Connecticut mansion or MC Hammer’s airport hangar-sized house in Fremont, California? Things didn’t work out too well for either of them. But Canadian rapper Drake, whose net worth is estimated at $170 million, is in a much better financial position than his big spending predecessors.
“This is a total step up,” Ryan Tedder says of the impending return of “Songland” on NBC April 13. “It’s like ‘The Office’ Season 2 versus ‘The Office’ Season 1. You figure out what you’re doing. You figure out what the characters are.” And success had bred confidence. “The panel came back in like they were
Apple and Google on Friday announced a joint effort to embed technology into their smartphone operating systems that could detect if you’ve come into close contact with an individual who has contracted the coronavirus. The “contact tracing” project, the tech giants said, is being designed with user privacy and security at the forefront. It’s a
Though “Will & Grace” star Debra Messing has often been compared to TV icon Lucille Ball for her comedic timing and their trademark red hair, it still took hours for the hair and makeup department to get her look perfect for the show’s tribute episode to “I Love Lucy.” When the Emmy-winner posted a selfie
Disney is in early development on a remake of its 1973 animated musical comedy “Robin Hood” for Disney Plus. “Blindspotting” director Carlos Lopez Estrada is on board to helm the movie. Kari Granlund, who wrote the script for 2019’s Disney Plus reboot of “Lady and the Tramp,” is attached to pen the new “Robin Hood.”
Icelandic quintet Of Monsters and Men released today an Amazon Original Cover of Post Malone’s “Circles.” The track is available to stream and purchase only on Amazon Music, HERE. In the past few weeks the band have been teasing the track on socials with photos taken at their studio in Iceland (shot by Chad Moore, see here) and today posted a teaser
Justin Simien, the filmmaker behind “Bad Hair” and “Dear White People,” has signed with CAA. “Dear White People,” starring Logan Browning and Brandon Bell, is set at a predominantly white Ivy League college and follows a group of black students navigate various forms of racial and other types of discrimination.” The film was a big
AMC has tapped “Walking Dead” star Jeffrey Dean Morgan to host a weekly talk show with his wife, actor Hilarie Burton Morgan, that will originate from the couple’s farm in upstate New York. Set to bow at 10 p.m. ET on April 17, “Friday Night In With the Morgans” will originate from the couple’s 100-acre
For 16 seasons, Ellen Pompeo has played Dr. Meredith Grey on “Grey’s Anatomy,” one of the most empowered heroines on network TV. The head of surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital has demonstrated poise during the most complicated surgical procedures and unthinkable tragedies, but last month the coronavirus brought production of her ABC medical drama
You wouldn’t be the first person to tell Debra Messing that she looks like Lucille Ball. You also wouldn’t be the most important person to mention it — that honor belongs to Ball’s daughter, Lucie Arnaz. Last year, the cast of “Will & Grace” filmed a very special “I Love Lucy” tribute episode, which aired
Exclusive Harvey Weinstein beat the coronavirus, but he’s got more problems ahead in Los Angeles … including a new sexual battery charge. The L.A. County District’s Office has hit Weinstein with a new count stemming from an incident that allegedly occurred at a Beverly Hills hotel back in May of 2010. Law enforcement sources say
Quarantine viewing means seeking out old favorites and hidden gems. That means more time to explore older releases on Netflix or dive into the service’s growing volume of original programming. Josh and Benny Safdie’s “Good Time,” has arrived on the platform, while their popular “Uncut Gems” is now available for digital rental and purchase. Other
German actor Dieter Laser, who played evil scientist Dr. Josef Heiter in “The Human Centipede,” died on Feb. 29 in Germany. He was 78. Laser’s death has only now come to light via an announcement posted to his Facebook page on Thursday. “We are very sorry to have to inform you that Dieter Laser passed
“I wanted the film to provide kind of a vicarious experience,” says Chris Perkel, director and producer of the documentary “Coachella: 20 Years in the Desert,” confirming that there’s absolutely nothing coincidental about the film’s debut today coinciding with what would have been day one of Coachella 2020. “We obviously debated what to do with
On March 9, Pearl Jam was one of the first bands to scrap a tour as COVID-19 became a global pandemic, and on Friday morning, the group also postponed the European leg of the jaunt, which was scheduled to begin in late June, until June of 2021. While the announcement hadn’t been made when PJ guitarists
When Dr. Deborah Birx delivers indispensable information on the federal government’s response to the pandemic, she does it in Hermès. The doctor is one of two women on the White House task force trying to slow the spread of an outbreak that, at the time of publication, has claimed more than 17,800 American lives. And
The XFL is suspending operations and is laying off nearly all employees. XFL CEO Jeffrey Pollack broke the news to staff in a conference call on Friday morning. The league does not intend to return for the 2021 season. ESPN first reported the news. Variety obtained audio of the call, in which Pollack says that “it’s