Exclusive TMZ Composite Tyler Perry is not convinced his nephew hanged himself in prison, and he’s hired a famous medical examiner to determine if he committed suicide or if he was killed in his cell. TMZ broke the story … Tyler’s nephew, 26-year-old Gavin Porter, was serving 20 years for shooting and killing his dad
February 27, 2020 1:00PM PT Apple is developing a limited series based on the story of WeWork, Variety has learned. The potential series is based on the Wondery podcast “WeCrashed: The Rise and Fall of WeWork.” Lee Eisenberg and Drew Crevello will co-write and executive produce the project. Eisenberg is fresh off the critical success
February 27, 2020 1:50PM PT Kevin Weatherly, who made his mark at L.A.’s leading alternative station KROQ and has been a renowned radio programmer for nearly three decades, is leaving his post as SVP programming at Entercom for a reported new post at Spotify, which a source suggests will likely be in an editorial capacity.
YouTube TV, Google’s internet pay-TV service, said it will drop the Fox regional sports networks and the YES Network from customer lineups this Saturday, Feb. 29 — citing an impasse in negotiations with Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns the RSNs. “We purchase rights from Sinclair to distribute content to you,” the YouTube TV account said
The future of iconic French film publication Cahiers du Cinéma is in question after the outlet’s entire staff quit in protest over the brand’s new ownership. The 15-member editorial staff has spoken out against a perceived conflict of interest posed by the Cahier’s owners — a group of bankers, tech entrepreneurs and film producers that
There’s a tradition in movies, as vital as a hypnotic action scene or a swooning love scene, of dialogue so witty and nimble and rapid-fire that it comes at you like something out of a stylized dream. I first encountered that brand of high-velocity verbal jousting in “A Hard Day’s Night,” and later on in
It doesn’t take a sixth sense to realize that Amazon is looking to send “Goliath” off with a bang. The Billy Bob Thornton-led legal drama has added a trio of players for its upcoming fourth and final season, Variety has learned exclusively. The three in question are Haley Joel Osment in a recurring role, and “Hunger Games”
Working on “Human Capital” was a reunion for Alex Wolff and Maya Hawke. The two play love interests in the indie thriller about a horrific accident that causes two families to fracture as secrets are uncovered and threatened to be exposed. It turns out that Wolff and Hawke went to pre-school together in New York
In 2019, the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative reported that 2018 was a historic year for black filmmakers, noting a “record high when it came to hiring black directors.” The report reflected a significant change, showing the push for diversity both behind and in front of the camera. Though the numbers are increasing, the report also
Jon M. Chu is adding a broadcast pilot to his busy directing schedule. The “Crazy Rich Asians” helmer is teaming with Erica Messer, the “Criminal Minds” showrunner, for a drama pilot at ABC. Titled “Triage,” the prospective series is a character-driven medical drama that follows a pioneering surgeon, Finley Briar, over three distinct decades at the
Five-time Grammy Award recipient Mervyn “Merv” Warren is ready to sing a new real estate tune, having punted his longtime Hollywood Hills home onto the market with a $3.089 million ask. The prolific songwriter, producer and conductor — best-known for his work in the soul and gospel genres — has owned the desirably private property
Only 10 months after the release of its last chart-topping album, K-pop kings BTS are primed to reign again with “Map of the Soul: 7” which is on target to be the group’s fourth No. 1 album in the U.S. With industry analysts predicting first-week consumption of more than 340,000 project units (album sales plus
February 27, 2020 11:04AM PT Placido Domingo, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 20 women, has dialed back his most recent apology as European opera houses consider whether to cancel his future appearances. “My apology was sincere and wholehearted,” he said of the statement he made on Tuesday, adding that he
Three and a half decades after being one of the driving forces behind “We Are the World” and “Hands Across America,” manager Ken Kragen is shifting the focus of his charitable efforts from hunger to the big heat. He’s looking to marshal the same kind of all-star forces and populist appeal that came together in
SPOILER ALERT: Do not keep reading if you have not yet watched Season 2 of “Altered Carbon,” streaming now on Netflix. “Altered Carbon” Season 2 sees Anthony Mackie take over the role of Takashi Kovacs, the so-called Last Envoy. In the new season, Kovacs is on an intergalactic hunt for revolutionary leader Quellcrist Falconer (Renée
Universal Content Productions (UCP) has signed a multi-year first-look deal with iHeartMedia, Variety has learned exclusively. Under the deal, UCP will have the first right at adapting iHeartRadio’s original podcasts for television. Another part of the deal will give UCP’s new podcast platform, UCP Audio, the option to develop and co-produce original podcast series with the iHeartPodcast
The worldwide coronavirus pandemic has prompted Facebook to cancel this year’s F8 developers conference. The F8 2020 was scheduled for May 5-6 at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, Calif. The social giant had held the conference every year since 2007, and last year’s F8 drew more than 5,000 attendees, according to the company.
Daisy Ridley (“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”) and Cécile de France (“The New Pope”) have narrated “Dawn of Art,” a VR experience executive produced by Atlas V for Google Arts & Culture and the Chauvet Cave, one of the world’s most famous prehistoric rock art sites. Launched Thursday on the platform Stream VR, the
Mychael Danna may be the leading proponent of musical multiculturalism in film music. An Oscar winner for “Life of Pi,” an Emmy winner for “World Without End,” composer of scores as diverse as “Moneyball” and “Girl Interrupted,” he often blends ethnic sounds with a traditional orchestra in ways that few would dare attempt. Pixar’s new
[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Kevin Feige is…. Thanos? Not quite, but the Marvel Studios president is the voice behind “Chinos,” a movie villain in the “The Simpsons” Cinematic Universe. Variety has obtained a first-look clip of Feige, making his acting debut on Sunday’s episode of the animated series. In the episode, “Bart the Bad Guy,” Bart accidentally sees a
Accepting his award for original screenplay at this year’s Oscars, director Bong Joon Ho triumphantly declared, “This is a very first Oscar to South Korea.” Little did he know that the second, third and fourth were swiftly coming his way on a night that saw “Parasite” make history. Combine that with the fact that two
Jordan Peele is back with another terrifying thriller, this time taking on the 1992 horror classic “Candyman.” The official trailer for MGM and Universal Pictures’ remake was released on Thursday and tells the story of an artist fixated on a mysterious hook-handed killer, deemed the Candyman. “The urban legend is, if you say his name
In 2018, director Leigh Whannell met with Universal Pictures executives, thinking that they wanted to talk about another project. Instead, they brought up a surprising idea, to reinvent H.G. Wells’ “The Invisible Man” as a stand-alone thriller targeted to a new generation. The studio had just endured a dismal start to the reboot of its monster
February 27, 2020 10:29AM PT John Krasinski’s follow-up to “A Quiet Place” is expected to make plenty of noise at the box office when it hits theaters on March 20. The sequel, “A Quiet Place Part II,” is on track to earn $55 million during opening weekend, according to early estimates. If the horror film
It has taken eight years for Benh Zeitlin to deliver the follow-up to his Oscar-nominated 2012 feature debut “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” But you could say the idea for “Wendy,” which reimagines the classic “Peter Pan” from the viewpoint of his female friend (played by first-time actor Devin France), has been percolating far longer
Rachel Whitney, formerly of YouTube, is joining Spotify as the Head of Editorial for Nashville, she announced in a social media post (which recently has become a method of the streaming giant announcing new employees). A source close to the situation points out that the company now has two female executives at the helm of
“The Proud Family” revival has officially been greenlit at Disney Plus. The Disney Channel animated series will return with all new episodes on the streamer, with most of the original voice cast returning. The returning cast members are: Kyla Pratt as Penny Proud, Tommy Davidson as Oscar Proud, Paula Jai Parker as Trudy Proud, Jo
February 27, 2020 9:00AM PT Katheryn Winnick has scored her next big TV role ahead of the series finale of “Vikings.” Variety has learned that Winnick is set for one of the two lead roles in “The Big Sky,” the upcoming ABC procedural series from David E. Kelley. She joins previously announced cast members John
February 27, 2020 9:30AM PT Tyrone Marshall Brown, who most will know from his starring role on OWN’s “Love Is ___” and his recent turn in the sixth and final season of “Power,” has boarded a Fox pilot. He is set to join Melissa Leo and Tate Donovan in “Blood Relative,” one of only four