Disney’s “Frozen 2” may have failed to make the Oscar short list for VFX, but the crew certainly solved its share of technical challenges, most notably in the way the film handled the look of its liquid environment. Marlon West, co-head of the film’s effects animation alongside Dale Mayeda, says while it’s flattering for audiences to
Awards season doesn’t have to mean travel headaches for industryites jetting around L.A., New York City, San Francisco, London and various spots in-between. Helicopter rides, chartered jets and private terminal services are just a few of the options for those who want to avoid as much hassle as possible and have the financial resources to
Some viewers might have assumed that Carol Kaye, the legendary studio bassist who was part of the so-called Wrecking Crew in the 1960s, would be flattered by having a character loosely modeled on her, “Carole Keen,” introduced in the latest season of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” Noting that the real-life Kaye is now 84, Esquire
As Cynthia Erivo becomes a formidable Oscar contender for best actress and original song for her performance in the title role in “Harriet,” one thing remains clear: Diversity is good business. In recent years, Hollywood has seen “Wonder Woman,” “Black Panther,” “Us” and “Crazy Rich Asians” all become box office successes. Focus Features’ “Harriet” — the
A Condensed Year for ContendersIt may seem insignificant, but moving up the Academy Awards two weeks has caused a ripple effect in the industry that makes this year’s nominees more difficult than ever to predict. With the exception of the PGA and SAG awards, usually held in late January, most of the major precursors —
True stories have always had a way of getting the attention of the Academy, especially when it comes to the best picture race. Of the 2018 films that were nominated last year, only “Black Panther” and “A Star Is Born” were complete fiction. Many of this year’s contenders feature stories based on real events, but
The world of “Bombshell” is populated with familiar faces playing familiar faces; in addition to Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly and Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson, you’ll catch actors including Richard Kind playing Rudy Giuliani and John Lithgow as Fox News head Roger Ailes. But for maximum impact with minimum screen time, it’s Alanna Ubach
Starting Jan. 1, YouTube started treating content aimed at children differently from everything else uploaded to the world’s biggest video site. The changes are supposed to make YouTube a safer place for kids. The big problem is, nobody is sure what “child-directed content” means exactly, and producers and creators are worried they could be socked
Forget the critics’ best of lists — what are the movies that the people who starred in and created those awards season favorites consider their personal faves? Variety’s Marc Malkin asked: “What’s the one movie you can watch over and over again?” Jennifer Lopez “West Side Story” “It was the first musical that my mom
Excellence deserves at toast, and shouldn’t those celebrating a nomination or win at the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, Grammys or Oscars be drinking the best? Those watching awards shows at home can also imbibe in the celebratory spirits, and Variety polled cocktail experts on the best pairings for kudocasts as well as their own inventive
Rapper DaBaby was arrested in Miami on Tuesday in connection with an alleged robbery, but is being held on battery charges related to an earlier incident in Texas, according to multiple news reports. Authorities told NBC News that the rapper, whose real name is Jonathan Kirk, will remain in custody “until further notice.” The rapper,
Competition is fierce for showbiz largesse during event season. Venues all over compete with the latest sound systems, ultra-chic private dining rooms, of-the-moment food and drink and elevated service. Here are the latest party trends and the spots where premiere and wrap parties, product launches, celebratory dinners, meet-and-greets and award season events are welcomed year-round.
As most televised awards shows continue to suffer ratings declines, the Golden Globes has a secret weapon: For the second year in a row, it will air behind an NFL Wild Card game on NBC. The Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles will face off at 4:40 p.m. ET on Sunday for a chance to move
Whether it’s playing a determined soldier in World War I, an enterprising hustler in a strip club, a polarizing television reporter, or the representative of Christ on Earth, authenticity was a crucial component in the actor’s performance. Some of the performers at the forefront of this year’s awards conversation went to extraordinary lengths to prepare
‘Deputy,’ Fox’s new cop drama, netted a decent debut Thursday night, bringing in a 0.8 rating in the key adult 18-49 demographic and 4.8 million total viewers, per final figures. For context, the network’s “Prodigal Son” notched a 0.96 and 4 million viewers when it debuted in the fall, and CBS’ ‘Carol’s Second Act” and
January 3, 2020 8:14AM PT ‘Killing Eve,’ starring Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer, has been picked up for Season 4 by BBC America ahead of its Season 3 premiere. “How could we not have massive confidence in Killing Eve? It has won big in every major award show and is the highest growing show on
January 3, 2020 7:50AM PT Sony Pictures and Screen Gems’ “The Grudge” took in a solid $1.8 million from previews on Thursday, as the low-budget horror film looks to elbow into a box office scene that’s been dominated throughout the holidays by “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” and “Jumanji: The Next Level.” The film
With long-rumored headliners Frank Ocean, Travis Scott and Rage Against the Machine, the Coachella 2020 lineup is a contemporary yet familiar combination of several of the festival’s traditional, interchangeable elements. The elusive Ocean is the big get, while Scott reps hip-hop (mandatory in 2020) and Rage checks both the Influential Throwback and Big Rock boxes;
In this week’s International TV Newswire, Variety looks at what Netflix overseas rankings say about its business model, a BBC iPlayer smash hit, Viacom’s latest production as it swells Spanish-language scripted titles at Miami-based Viacom Intl. Studios, a Netflix Egyptian puppet show, and HBO Latin America’ first fantasy suspense series in Brazil: Netflix: Rankings Suggest
iQIYI, a video streaming company that is often referred to as China’s Netflix, needs to raise new finance. Equally, there is an imperative for it to grow internationally. The two issues go hand in hand. That’s because its powerful growth surge in China has slowed dramatically, and so far has not yet yielded the profitability
Chinese streaming giant iQIYI has appointed Kelvin Yau as the new vice president of international business department and general manager of iQIYI Thailand. Yau will oversee the company’s strategic growth, operations and overall development in Thailand, and begin in early 2020. Yau comes to iQIYI from BBC Studios, where he was since 2015 the senior
U.S. news outlets scrambled to cover the nation’s attack on a top Iran military official by shaking up normal programming schedules, even as they had to work around the holiday vacation schedules of some of their best known correspondents. MSNBC brought Rachel Maddow back to its schedule at midnight eastern on Friday, assigning her an
The Variety staff picks the funny, tragic, weird and wonderful (some all at once) moments from 2019 films. Spoilers to follow! “1917”Beneath the visceral tension of the immersive action in “1917” lies a contemplative character study about the horrors of war as seen through the eyes of two young soldiers on an impossible mission. Palpable
Acid attacks on women by spurned men are endemic in South Asia. Top Indian actor Deepika Padukone is debuting as a producer and headlining the cast of Disney-owned Fox Star Studios’ “Splash” (“Chhapaak”), a film that deals with the issue. India’s Hindi-language film industry, known popularly — or pejoratively, depending on your point of view
Chinese authorities have approved a new set of comprehensive regulations that expand the scope of online censorship, emphasize the war against “negative” content and make platforms more liable for content violations. While China previously had numerous, separate regulations floating about for everything from live-streaming to news media to chat groups, the new “Provisions on the
When Tom Hanks jogged onto screen in his feature film debut in the 1980 slasher pic “He Knows You’re Alone,” one probably couldn’t have predicted he would go on to become one of the most successful and beloved actors of all time. Playing a psychology student who postulates about the appeal of fear, Hanks makes
Hollywood films had a historically unsuccessful year at the China box office in 2019, data from Chinese authorities and online ticketing platform Maoyan show, although the country’s theatrical revenues rose to a new all-time high. American titles accounted for just two of the country’s top ten grossers last year, with “Avengers: Endgame” placing third and
Celebrities really are just like us. Turns out that — like the rest of the Internet — Jennifer Lopez is a huge fan of Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The “Hustlers” star opened up about her appreciation for the judge and how she invited the 86-year-old to the Washington stop of her It’s My
The Directors Guild of America is scrambling to correct an accidental omission of “Transparent” creator Jill Soloway from the org’s awards ballot. In an email sent this week to DGA members (and in a note that also appears on its website), the org said Soloway was “inadvertently omitted from the comedy series ballot” for “Transparent
After about 90 minutes of one-at-a-time reveals via Twitter, the Coachella festival finally announced its 2020 lineup, with headliners Rage Against the Machine, Travis Scott and Frank Ocean. Judging by the poster’s font size (the key indication of status), other prominent acts include Lana Del Rey, Calvin Harris, Run the Jewels, Lil Uzi Vert, Rex