Due in part to its strong production activities and growing digital business, German broadcasting group ProSiebenSat.1 saw a 3% increase in revenue and a 65% boost in profit in 2019, despite a weakening TV ad market. The Munich-based company, which counts the transatlantic production group Red Arrow Studios among its many assets, on Thursday posted
Voot Select, Viacom18’s newly launched Indian premium streaming service, is looking to build on the success of its AVOD service Voot with a focus on content. “The biggest advantage for us, which doesn’t exist at least with the international OTT platforms that exist here is that we have a very strong AVOD business, and this
Carolyn McCall, CEO of U.K. broadcaster ITV, has quashed any speculation around a run for the BBC’s top job. In an earnings call following the release of ITV’s full-year results on Thursday, the executive was asked about any ambitions to potentially succeed BBC director general Tony Hall, who will depart the role by July. McCall’s
An impoverished laborer returns home one day to find that social services have taken his children, after the family’s increasingly dire circumstances push his wife to commit a desperate act. With a corrupt local administrator blocking the way to a fair hearing to get them back, the man decides to cross the country on foot
Katy Perry has some news to share: she’s pregnant. The singer released a new song, “Never Worn White,” and video revealing a sizable bump at the end of the clip. Perry has been dating actor Orlando Bloom for over three years — they became Instagram official on May 20, 2016. A rep for the singer
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you have not watched Season 3, episode 6 of “The Masked Singer,” which aired March 4 on Fox. Tom Bergeron just gave “The Masked Singer” viewers something to taco ’bout. The “Dancing with the Stars” host, who had performed in the Taco costume, was eliminated from “The Masked
Netflix is the latest company to pull out of SXSW 2020, a source familiar with the situation tells Variety, canceling five film screenings and a panel for #BlackExcellence. Screenings of five films have been canceled, including feature film “Uncorked,” and four documentaries: “A Secret Love,” “L.A. Originals,” “Mucho Mucho Amor,” “Have a Good Trip: Adventures
March 4, 2020 5:04PM PT Troian Bellisario has been cast in one of the lead roles of the CBS drama pilot “Ways and Means.” It was previously announced that Patrick Dempsey would star in the series, with Amanda Warren also being part of the cast. The show centers on a powerful congressional leader (Dempsey) who
Jon Seda could well be starring in yet another NBC series. The actor, who is best known for his recent role in NBC’s “Chicago” franchise, has been cast alongside Michael Raymond-James and Natalie Zea in “La Brea,” a drama pilot which hails from writer and executive producer David Appelbaum. In the prospective series, when a
Apple is no longer participating in the SXSW 2020 festival, as concerns heighten over the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), Variety has confirmed. The tech giant had been set to premiere three new Apple TV Plus originals at the 2020 SXSW Film Festival, including Spike Jonze’s documentary film “Beastie Boys Story,” and also was scheduled
In today’s film news roundup, a “Clueless”-themed restaurant is coming, Dolly Parton’s literacy efforts are showcased in a movie and “The Artist’s Wife” gets release dates. ‘CLUELESS’ RESTAURANT Paramount Pictures is bringing back a slice of its iconic 1995 comedy “Clueless” with an “As If!” pop-up restaurant in West Hollywood starting on March 31. The
Skydance’s long-in-development Bermuda Triangle thriller, “Bermuda,” looks to be gaining steam, as sources tell Variety that “Doctor Strange” helmer Scott Derrickson has signed on to rewrite and direct the pic, with Chris Evans circling the lead role. Derrickson’s deal has closed, but sources close to Evans say after meeting with Derrickson, the “Captain America” actor
March 4, 2020 4:00PM PT Oprah Winfrey will premiere her interview with “American Dirt” author Jeanine Cummins as a two-part episode on her Apple Plus starting Friday, despite the recent controversy in which critics have claimed the novel to be a misrepresentation of the immigrant experience. “If you read the book there is no doubt
In today’s TV news roundup, MTV announced the premiere date and cast for the 35th season of “The Challenge,” and the CW announces premiere dates for three summer shows. CASTING MTV has revealed the lineup for season 35 of the reality-competition series “The Challenge,” dubbed “The Challenge: Total Madness.” To commemorate the landmark season, the
Pop TV is paring down its scripted programming commitments as dust continues to settle from the Viacom-CBS merger. Variety has learned exclusively that three original series — “Flack,” “Florida Girls,” and “Best Intentions” — will not move ahead at the network. Their respective studios will be free to shop the shows to other outlets. According
Tucked away deep in Van Nuys, Calif., Ethan Gruska is working with members of Manchester Orchestra at the unassuming but historic Sound City recording studio, the analog birthplace of such iconic albums as Nirvana’s “Nevermind,” Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” and Johnny Cash’s Rick Rubin-helmed 1996 comeback, “Unchained.” Gruska’s name might not be immediately familiar, but he
March 4, 2020 4:49PM PT In response to the global coronavirus pandemic, CAA has issued a temporary policy in which its agents have been asked to hold virtual meetings instead of bringing clients and guests to CAA headquarters. They’ve also been asked to avoid any travel that is business-related for the next two weeks. Sources
After being taken into custody last week when he was found guilty on two charges, including rape, Harvey Weinstein complained of chest pains and was diverted to the hospital, instead of prison, on his way out of the New York City criminal courthouse. With his sentencing exactly one week away, it appears Weinstein will remain
Breaking News TMZ/Getty Composite Journey’s leader, Neal Schon, is sending his bassist and drummer on their “Separate Ways” … for allegedly trying to hijack the group name in a scheme that’s landed them all in court. Lead guitarist Neal, a founding member, and keyboard player Jonathan Cain are suing their long-time bassist Russ Valory and
Exclusive TMZ Composite Nicki Minaj‘s husband’s past is coming back to bite him in the ass — he’s been arrested by U.S. Marshals on an indictment for failing to register as a sex offender … TMZ has learned. Kenneth Petty was in federal custody Wednesday — we’re told he turned himself in to the Marshals.
E3, the annual video-games conference in Los Angeles, is still on for now amid the spread of the coronavirus — but the event’s organizers said they are “monitoring and evaluating the situation daily.” Last year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, better known as E3, drew 66,100 attendees. The 2020 gaming showcase is scheduled to run June 9-11
March 4, 2020 3:00PM PT Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin are teaming up for their first-ever arena tour. Kicking off in Phoenix on Sept. 5, the two will hit venues all over North America through the end of October. Latin newcomer Sebastián Yatra will open. Produced by Live Nation, the trek brings together two of
March 4, 2020 3:55PM PT Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville announced on Wednesday that Anna Weisband has joined its team as vice president of creative. In this role, Anna is responsible for contributing to the company’s A&R strategy, creating marketing opportunities for Sony/ATV’s catalog, fostering relationships with songwriters, and helping to discover and sign new songwriter
Sharon Levy is on a roll. For two years in a row, Endemol Shine North America — where Levy serves as president of unscripted and scripted programming — has been a part of the top-rated new show in primetime. This year, it’s “Lego Masters,” which is averaging a 2.1 rating among adults 18-49 in Live+7
March 4, 2020 2:58PM PT British singer-songwriter Zayn Malik has signed with CAA in all areas, the company announced today. He was previously with WME. The former One Direction member has released two solo albums, 2016’s “Mind of Mine” and “Icarus Falls,” which dropped in December of 2018. The former album made him the first
March 4, 2020 1:02PM PT [embedded content] BTS dropped a music video for “Black Swan” and reached 7 million views in the first few hours, with no prior announcement. Most releases in the K-pop industry come with a release calendar for teaser images, tracklists and music video releases that fans anticipate and count down the
Miami’s Ultra Music Festival will reportedly be postponed, according to the Miami Herald. A story published online on Wednesday afternoon cites sources who claim the massive electronic music gathering will be bumped until 2021. The news follows earlier reports that two of Miami’s elected officials, including Mayor Francis Suarez, have called for the postponement of
Tom of Finland has a lot to answer for. His gorgeously lurid illustrations of bulging male musculature, tumescent crotches, extravagant mustaches and granite jawlines not only defined the iconography for a joyously irreverent gay subculture that had previously been given little expression, it also established a hypermasc gay dreamboat ideal that derives a lot of
March 4, 2020 1:30PM PT Emayatzy Corinealdi has been cast in “At That Age,” a drama pilot set up at NBC. The show is described as an exploration of an African-American family’s legacy. After the Cooper family’s golden child suffers a catastrophic event, seven family members face a foundational shift, make life-altering decisions and deal
California has overtaken New York in terms of production for U.S.-based narrative feature films, according to a new study by FilmLA. The Golden State generated 62 movies, compared to 57 in the Big Apple. “Feature Films: A Profile of Production” analyzed 291 live-action movies that were released in theaters and 56 titles that debuted on