Courtney B. Vance has found his next leading role. The “American Crime Story” star has been cast in the upcoming AMC drama “61st Street,” which hails from showrunner and executive producer Peter Moffat as well as executive producer Michael B. Jordan. “61st Street,” which has been ordered as a two-season television event series with eight
Ariana Grande was sued on Thursday by a hip-hop artist who claims she ripped off the chorus of his song for her hit “7 Rings.” Josh Stone, who performs as DOT, wrote and recorded “You Need I Got It” in 2017. He alleges that he took the song to music industry executives, including producer Tommy
January 16, 2020 1:58PM PT Sony Pictures has tapped Parris Goebel to direct “Murder on the Dance Floor,” an adaptation of her acclaimed street-dance-based production. The movie will mark Goebel’s feature film directorial debut. In addition to choreographing “Murder on the Dance Floor,” Goebel — famous in the music and dance worlds — directed numerous
Artist Partner Group (APG) has strengthened its senior leadership team with several staff promotions, including: Miles Beard to SVP of A&R; Eli Piccarreta to VP of A&R; Jessica Kelm to VP of Digital Marketing; while Nikisha Bailey has been hired as VP of A&R Admin & Operations. Beard, Piccarreta, and Bailey will report to CEO Mike Caren,
Peacock unveiled more of its original programming slate just ahead of its investor presentation on Thursday. First up, the NBCUniversal streamer has ordered a comedy titled “Girls5Eva” from executive producer Tina Fey, about a one-hit-wonder girl group from the 90’s that reunites to give their pop star dreams one more shot. Peacock has also ordered
Peacock will unfold its tail feathers this spring for Comcast customers — and will launch widely across the U.S. this summer. The streaming service from Comcast and NBCUniversal will be available April 15 in an early version for Comcast’s Xfinity TV and broadband-only customers. It will debut nationally July 15, including a free, ad-supported version
January 16, 2020 1:00PM PT Ch-ching! The original “Law & Order” is finally make its streaming debut later this year on NBCUniversal’s Peacock. The deal between producer Dick Wolf and NBCU calls for six Wolf Entertainment series to be made available on Peacock. The pact covers more than 1,000 episodes of “Law & Order” plus
After landing her breakout role as Rachel Green on Friends, Jennifer Aniston took the lead as America’s sweetheart. The ELLE cover girl has starred in a slew of big-screen hits and graced countless best-dressed lists. While she’s known for her classic little black dresses, Jen knows what works for her and has always wowed on
The celebrity cannabis business club has a new member: Carlos Santana. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is partnering with Left Coast Ventures, the same California company that provides flower for Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart’s Mind Your Head brand and Marley Natural. Asked how the Left Coast partnership came together, Santana, 72, told
January 16, 2020 12:50PM PT “Mindhunter” is going on ice at Netflix. Variety has confirmed that the show’s cast members have been released from their contracts. The streamer is not ruling out a third season of the series, however, depending on executive producer David Fincher’s schedule. Fincher is currently working on directing the Netflix film
Jan Kounen’s comedy “My Cousin,” starring Vincent Lindon and François Damiens, will be one of the biggest French releases of the year. The film screens Friday at the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris. In an exclusive interview with Variety, he talks about his key motivations for the project. “My Cousin” is about two cousins (Lindon and
Less than two weeks after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle issued a controversial statement announcing they were “stepping back as senior members of the Royal Family,” Fox has scheduled a one-hour special investigating the royal crisis which has ensued. Titled “Harry & Meghan: The Royals in Crisis,” the investigation comes from TMZ and features more
Variety has unveiled its sixth edition of 10 Europeans to Watch, spotlighting 10 rising talents from across the continent who are poised for breakthroughs in 2020. The selection includes emerging actors, directors, writers and producers. The group will be feted at the upcoming Berlin Film Festival. They are: U.K. actor Sam Adewunmi, star of Sundance
Investigation Discovery (ID) has teamed up with Khloe Kardashian for a docuseries about “Twisted Love” and also greenlit a Jeffrey Epstein special as the first in its upcoming, tentatively titled “Who Killed…” series. “Who Killed Jeffrey Epstein?” will feature exclusive interviews and in-depth investigations into new clues about their titular subjects. When it comes to
January 16, 2020 11:19AM PT Following an extensive review period, Apple will release one of its first-ever original films, “The Banker,” in theaters this March. “We created Apple TV Plus as a home for stories that matter and believe ‘The Banker,’ inspired by the brave actions of Bernard Garrett Sr. and Joe Morris, two African
Riders of New York City’s 7 train were surprised to hear the raspy voice of comedian Awkwafina as the first-ever celebrity enlisted to announce the 22 stops on the train that runs through the heart of Queens and into Manhattan. Comedy Central has set an unusual pact with MTA New York City Transit to have
Programming executives Sarah Babineau and Keith Cox have been promoted to new roles within ViacomCBS’ Entertainment & Youth Group. Babineau has been upped to head of Comedy Central Content and Creative Enterprises, overseeing all development for the cable channel and its expanding roster of podcasts, games and other endeavors. Cox has been named president of
Debut filmmaker Marine Levéel’s “Magnetic Harvest” arrives at the MyFrenchFilmFestival, the online film festival that runs Jan. 16-Feb. 16, capping a whirlwind year of awards and recognition. It first premiered at the Angers Film Festival, scooping the audience prize, before competing at the Hof Film Festival and France’s prestigious Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival. Produced
January 16, 2020 10:34AM PT Margot Robbie’s superhero team-up “Birds of Prey” is heading for an opening domestic weekend in the $50 million range, early tracking showed Thursday. Robbie stars as Harley Quinn in the Warner Bros. film, the eighth title in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) and a spinoff of 2016’s “Suicide Squad.” It’s
Just as the camera’s focus navigates viewers’ eyes, sound tells them where to target their attention within the frame. Sound design, editing and mixing often go under the radar in the slew of Hollywood awards ceremonies occurring throughout January and February, but they are just as important to how an audience will interpret and enjoy
After hanging up Iron Man’s suit last April, Robert Downey Jr. is discovering that it’s hard to find a follow-up franchise. “Dolittle,” the former Marvel star’s attempt to launch a kid-friendly series, is looking like a box office dud, one that shows that even his considerable charms have limits. Saddled with horrific reviews (The Atlantic’s
January 16, 2020 10:00AM PT The ‘camgirl’ world of the ’90s gets a commanding closeup from emerging writer-director Numa Perrier and leading lady Tiffany Tenille. There’s intimacy. And then there’s claustrophobia. Numa Perrier, the writer-director-co-star of “Jezebel,” delivers both in her nuanced debut feature. The semi-autobiographical story of a young woman finding her way as
When rapper Stormzy landed a headlining slot at the Glastonbury Festival last summer, black British music took center stage and set the cultural agenda in the U.K. The film and television industries haven’t had many of those defining moments — and there was outrage as BAFTA recently unveiled an all-white acting nominations list for its
A doctor who speaks to animals embarks on a journey to save a young royal’s life. The two baddest cops in Miami team up one last time to take down a drug cartel, while competing against a younger, tech-savvy next generation of the police force. Will you see ‘Dolittle’ or ‘Bad Boys For Life’ in
Universal Music Japan announced today that Ichiro Tamaki has been named as Corporate Executive responsible for Digital Strategy, data analytics and platform partnerships, effective February 15. According to the announcement, as a core member of Universal Music Japan’s executive team, he will oversee the Data & Analytics and Platform Partnerships teams, and will be responsible
As it heads toward its centenary in 2022, the world’s most famous public broadcaster is either making itself fighting-fit for the digital age or in danger of losing an entire generation of viewers, depending on your take — and in the U.K., everyone has a take on the BBC. More than 90% of Brits connect
When Bong Joon Ho appeared on the cover of Variety with Neon founder and CEO Tom Quinn, the “Parasite” director’s comments about Marvel movies went viral. He said he had no interest in making a superhero film because he “can’t stand people wearing tight-fitting clothes.” In fact, just seeing such outfits is “mentally difficult” for
January 16, 2020 9:06AM PT NBC’s trifecta of “Chicago” dramas dominated the Wednesday night TV ratings in the absence of “Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time.” “Chicago Med” and “Fire” both ticked up from a 1.1 rating among adults 18-49, to a 1.2 rating this time around. The former drew 8.4 million total viewers, up
Shannon Bream and Fox News Channel have struck a new agreement that will keep the late-night anchor and chief legal correspondent on board for the next few years. Fox News said Thursday that it had come to terms on a new “multi-year” pact with Bream that will keep her as an anchor of “Fox News
New York’s Governors Ball has announced the lineup for its 10th annual festival, and it’s a wide mix of styles, genres and eras: Missy Elliott — making her first major NYC performance in over a decade — Tame Impala, Stevie Nicks, Vampire Weekend, Solange, Miley Cyrus, Flume, Ellie Goulding, H.E.R., Swae Lee, Rufus Du Sol,