Exclusive TMZ.com R. Kelly is a man truly trapped now that coronavirus lockdowns are in full swing — he can’t get to his lawyers … even though prison officials insist it ain’t personal. Kelly’s legal team tried going to see their client last Thursday at MCC Chicago — where he’s currently behind bars — but
AMC Theatres announced on Monday that it will close all theaters nationwide for six to 12 weeks in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The decision came as governors of a dozen states announced closures of movie theaters on Sunday and Monday, and as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued strict guidelines limiting public
Tencent Music Entertainment, China’s leading online music conglomerate, increased revenues and profits in its 2019 financial year. That follows growth in the number of paying subscribers and their average spend with the company. The New York Stock Exchange-listed group, which is poised to soon buy a chunk of Universal Music, said in in regulatory filing
A rideshare with a giggly geek driver who may be a serial killer. The staggering-through-the-ink-black-woods-with-nothing-but-a-flashlight look and mood of “The Blair Witch Project.” A mystic schlock demon like Candyman, the Slender Man, or the spectral figures from “The Strangers.” A Victrola in the middle of the road, cranking an ancient warbly ditty à la “The
Warner Bros. will make “Birds of Prey,” a spinoff of 2017’s “Suicide Squad,” available for digital purchase on March 24, earlier than its anticipated video-on-demand release. The film is expected to cost $19.99 to buy on platforms such as Amazon and iTunes, and will be available for rental in April, the studio confirmed to Variety.
For the first time in more than seven years, the country radio airplay chart has three solo female artists in the top 10 — another sign of hope for proponents of greater gender parity at the heavily male-dominated format. The number holds true on both the Mediabase and Billboard airplay charts for this week. On
In today’s film news roundup, a disaster fund for SAG-AFTRA members is launched, the Doc10 festival is postponed and the Miami Film Festival plans to present awards, even though the event was called off in the middle of the festival with 27 films still to screen. DISASTER RELIEF The SAG-AFTRA Foundation and the SAG-AFTRA Motion
With film and television productions shutting down, concerts and other major events being canceled, and venues from amusement parks to select movie theaters closing their doors temporarily amid coronavirus concerns, there is one tried and true place to which to turn for entertainment and escapism: books. From Stephen King’s “The Stand” in 1978 to the
Some of the nation’s biggest media outlets and the White House are readying a blitz of public-service messages aimed at getting Americans to take as many steps as possible to fight the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. In a campaign orchestrated by the Ad Council, the non-profit organization that has helped to craft some of
Pop pop! Netflix has sealed a multi-year, non-exclusive global deal with Sony Pictures TV to start streaming all six seasons of the fan favorite comedy “” starting April 1. As part of the deal, Sony has also extended its license with Hulu for the show’s entire 110-episode library, but now on a non-exclusive basis. Since
After a tidal wave of more than 70 TV and film production shutdowns last week, Hollywood’s major players spent much of Monday sorting out the tricky question of how long crew members will be paid during the unexpected dark period. Industry sources said the issue of how to handle obligations to crew members was the
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have announced that they’ve donated $1 million to two hunger relief organizations on the frontlines helping some of the most vulnerable populations during the coronavirus pandemic. “I think we can all agree, Covid-19 is an a–hole,” Reynolds wrote on his Twitter feed. “If you can help, visit, http://FeedingAmerica.org and/or http://FoodBanksCanada.ca.”
The 2020 iHeartRadio Music Awards show has been postponed due to concerns over the spread of coronavirus. The event was due to take place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on March 29 and be broadcast on Fox. Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X and Ariana Grande were among the top nominees. Given the unlikelihood of
The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), the trade group that represents more than 600 indie labels, is exploring federal relief for smaller labels that have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, while music finance firm Sound Royalties has announced a $20 million fund to assist musicians, producers and songwriters. In an email to its
Movie theaters in multiple states — Colorado, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington — have been ordered to close in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The unprecedented move comes as theater chains — with the exception of Regal Cinemas — have tried to stay open while taking steps
March 16, 2020 4:04PM PT In today’s tv news roundup, Variety obtained an exclusive clip of “Torn From the Headlines: New York Post Reports” and AMC released a new promo for “The Walking Dead: World Beyond” Season 2. DATES Netflix announced the premiere date of “The Midnight Gospel,” streaming April 20. The story follows Clancy,
March 16, 2020 4:19PM PT WWE’s flagship pay-per-view, WrestleMania, will take place without an audience this year. The pro wrestling promotion announced Monday that the upcoming WrestleMania 36 will now take place at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida instead of in Tampa Bay as originally planned. “In coordination with local partners and government
Leaders of the Directors Guild of America have told the 18,000 DGA members that they are working on a variety of initiatives amid the coronavirus crisis, such as financial relief legislation and speeding up residual payments. “We will weather this storm together,” said president Thomas Schlamme and national executive director Russell Hollander in a message
March 16, 2020 4:40PM PT NBC News will feature taped segments during the 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. hours of “Today,” according to a person familiar with the matter, while co-anchors Al Roker and Craig Melvin remain at home, the latest change to some of TV’s best-known news programming in the wake of the spread
Hollywood is grappling with a new reality. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread, movie and television productions have shut down, theaters and cinemas have closed, and red carpet premieres and concerts have been canceled or pushed back indefinitely. These abrupt moves have resulted in layoffs and a lot of workers staring at an uncertain
The 21st Annual Newport Beach Film Festival has been postponed amid concerns about COVID-19, Variety has learned exclusively. Eugene Levy was set to receive the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award from the festival on April 24. The festival, in partnership with Variety, was also prepping its first-ever TV Showcase during this year’s event. Originally scheduled for April
Guangdong province, China’s top movie-going region, announced Monday that it will allocate nearly $7 million in funding to support more than 1,000 cinemas there slammed by forced closures due to coronavirus. Though other local Chinese governments have acknowledged the need to step in and help the country’s suffering film industry, Guangdong is the first to
As Hollywood scrambles to stay active while preventing the spread of coronavirus, one international studio is ready to send people back to work — in China. Legendary Entertainment has devised a rotation strategy that will allow its Beijing-based staff to return to work safely, insiders familiar with the company told Variety. Under the direction of
Kristofer Hivju, best known for playing the formidable, bearded Tormund on “Game of Thrones,” is the latest actor to test positive for the coronavirus. Hivju revealed the diagnosis in an Instagram post, saying that he is currently self-quarantining with his family in Norway. Sorry to say that I, today, have tested positive for COVID19, Corona
March 16, 2020 2:45PM PT An ABC News employee who works out the division’s Los Angeles bureau has tested positive for having coronavirus, the latest in a series of TV-news personnel to be stricken with the virus as it spreads across the United States. ABC News President James Goldston told employees in a memo Monday
Regal Cinemas, which operates 543 locations in the United States, will be shutting down all of its movie theaters starting Tuesday due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The move came following White House news conference telling Americans to avoid social gatherings of more than 10 people. On Sunday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and
The happiest place on earth also looked like one of the most crowded over the weekend in Florida. Disney World, which was shut down Monday due to the coronavirus outbreak, faced intense backlash online over its decision to keep the theme park until late Sunday – as photos from a Disney World fansite went viral,
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced that the upcoming Met Gala in New York City has been postponed indefinitely. The event, an annual fundraiser for the museum’s Costume Institute, was set to take place on May 4. The theme was “About Time: Fashion and Duration.” “The Museum will remain closed through Saturday, April 4.
The governor of Ohio on Monday called for Tuesday’s presidential primary to be delayed until June in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Ohio is one of four states set to vote on Tuesday. The others are Illinois, Florida and Arizona. Last week, the secretaries of state of all four states issued a joint statement saying
March 16, 2020 1:04PM PT Sony is the latest studio to pause filming on a major movie, halting pre-production on “Uncharted” for six weeks. The video game adaptation was about to start shooting next month in Berlin, but in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, execs felt it was best for the safety of all involved