October 4, 2019 12:33PM PT A movie theater in Huntington Beach, Calif., showing the film “Joker” was closed down on Thursday night after a “credible” threat was reported to police, the Huntington Beach Police Department said on Friday. The final two showings of the movie at the Century Huntington Beach and XD theater in the
October 4, 2019 12:09PM PT “The Crown” creator Peter Morgan is staying in business with Netflix. Morgan has signed a multi-year overall deal at the streaming giant for both film and television projects. News of the deal comes ahead of the premiere of “The Crown” Season 3 on Nov. 17. In addition to his work
October 4, 2019 12:01PM PT The Beatles’ iconic 1969 album “Abbey Road” — which was reissued last week in a lavish 50th anniversary deluxe edition — album has returned to the top of the U.K. album charts after a record-breaking 49 years and 252 days. The chart-topping feat, which has been officially recognized as a Guinness World
Microsoft has filed a patent application for a dedicated floor mat for virtual reality (VR), which could help users avoid obstacles while wearing a headset. The patent application also suggests that the company hasn’t given up entirely on the idea of bringing VR to its Xbox game console. A Microsoft spokesperson declined to comment. The
Longtime HBO execs Karen Jones, Ronni Cobern-Basis and Laura Young are expanding their roles throughout WarnerMedia’s entertainment and direct-to-consumer units, a restructuring of the company’s communications exec team amid the departure of veteran HBO comms chief Nancy Lesser, who is leaving her post after 35 years at the premium cabler. “When I arrived here a
Quentin Tarantino surely wouldn’t mind getting an Oscar (or two) for “Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood.” But he’s already got a couple of those, at least. In an appearance at the Grammy Museum Wednesday, he was upfront about hoping for another prize that has so far eluded him over the course of three prior
Diahann Carroll, the Tony-winning, Oscar-nominated singer and actress who paved the way for black actors by becoming the first African American woman to star in her own TV series, “Julia,” died on Friday after a battle with cancer. She was 84. Carroll is also known for her work on “Dynasty,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and her Oscar-nominated
October 4, 2019 10:54AM PT ABC’s new drama “Stumptown” was among the strongest performers in the Live+3 ratings for premiere week. The Cobie Smulders drama doubled its rating from Live+Same Day, jumping from a 0.7 rating to a 1.4, and up the freshman show leaderboard to second place. The top new show remained Fox’s “Prodigal
In ELLE.com’s Style Files we ask our most stylish friends how they got that way. With more than 5 million followers on Instagram, a New York Times best selling book, and a Revolve-backed clothing line under her belt, it’s safe to say that Aimee Song is more than just a blogger. Song is an OG
October 4, 2019 10:30AM PT A new musical based on the life and career of Michael Jackson is getting a title change, Variety has learned. Originally christened “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” the show will now be known as “MJ.” It’s currently in a multi-week development phase in New York City and is scheduled
Seven Bucks Productions and The Nacelle Company are teaming to produce the docuseries “Behind the Attraction” for Disney Plus, Variety has learned exclusively. The series takes viewers into the history of how popular Disney attractions and destinations came to be, how they have changed over time, and how fans continue to obsess over them. The series
Long before Tyler Perry entered Hollywood, he built an audience through plays that he wrote, produced and often starred in. His strategy was spurred by his pursuit of ownership, and he says his prayers led him to create and showcase stories about religion, family and their triumphs over worldly evils. Since then, he has built
October 4, 2019 9:53AM PT Apple has acquired a U.K.-based started called IKinema that is using motion capture for real-time video production. Financial details of the deals haven’t been disclosed. The acquisition of IKinema was first reported by MacRumors this week, which got hold of regulatory filings showing that an Apple lawyer became director of
UPDATED: Amazon’s Prime Video app was restored to Apple’s App Store for iOS and Apple TV app menu on Friday afternoon, after it had mysteriously disappeared earlier in the day. The ecommerce giant’s video-streaming app on Friday morning was no longer available in Apple’s App Store for iOS or Apple TV and it wasn’t showing
October 4, 2019 9:41AM PT Tidal announced today that it has promoted Tony Gervino to executive vice president, editor-in-chief and Elliott Wilson to chief content officer. Both appointments are effective immediately, and both will report to Tidal CEO Richard Sanders. According to the announcement, Gervino will oversee all editorial direction at the streaming platform, including leading
The girls of “RWBY” will return at Rooster Teeth for at least two more seasons — or “volumes,” as the AT&T-owned media company calls the anime-style series. Rooster Teeth greenlit an additional two volumes of “RWBY” (Volumes 8 and 9) with more details to be released at a later date. The announcement came as RT
October 4, 2019 9:10AM PT Synergy is a strong thing in the music business, and Justin Bieber continues his expansion into other genres with his latest feature, joining country stars Dan + Shay — with whom he also shares a manager, Scooter Braun — on a new single released today called “10,000 Hours.” Dan +
October 4, 2019 8:48AM PT Warner Bros.’ “Joker” is dominating international moviegoing with $24.6 million in 47 markets, ranking as the top foreign film in every country. The Joaquin Phoenix vehicle took in $19 million on Thursday including previews. Russia was the top performer with $1.8 million on 1,907 screens for the second biggest opening day for
Director Thomas Kail has a very simple reason for staging “Freestyle Love Supreme.” “We wanted to let people in on the secret,” he said. That secret — an improvised hip-hop comedy show conceived by Anthony Veneziale, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Thomas Kail in the basement of the Drama Book Shop during early rehearsals for Miranda’s “In
October 4, 2019 7:49AM PT Vanishing Angle has boarded Sundance selection “Mope” by Lucas Heyne, which had its European premiere at the Sitges Film Festival in Spain this week. L.A.-based producer, distributor, and sales outfit Vanishing Angle will sell “Mope” internationally. XYZ is handling North America. The movie played in the Midnight section at Sundance.
October 4, 2019 7:44AM PT More than most, Taylor Swift knows that public humiliation naturally comes with the level of fame she has attained. But the trick that Jimmy Fallon and, apparently, her mother played on her would have mortified anyone. Unbeknown to most, Swift had lasik surgery on her eyes recently, and unbeknownst to
Giambattista Valli is all about making an entrance, whether it’s gowns in eye-catching prints, or a mini dress with an unforgettable train. So, it’s no surprise that to debut his collaboration with H&M, he tapped Kendall Jenner, Chiara Ferragni, and H.E.R. to show off dresses from his limited-edition drop at the epic amfAR gala during
October 4, 2019 7:32AM PT Joaquin Phoenix’s “Joker” scored a record $13.3 million on Thursday night in North America. The figure is above the $10 million in previews that was earned a year ago by “Venom,” which posted an $80 million opening weekend — both records for October. It’s the biggest preview number since “The
Canadian singer-songwriter Jessie Reyez delivers a stinging indictment of President Trump’s harsh immigration policies in the video for her new song “Far Away,” which is the first track from her forthcoming debut full-length album slated for release next year. While the track itself is essentially a love song about missing a lover — until it becomes
In this week’s International TV Newswire, series look to outscale the opposition, eOne make a key acquisition before Mipcom, Red Arrow’s Snowman a play for international co-production and Viacom International Studio’s flagship series clicks in Argentina. Size Matters: Amazon’s Cortés-Moctezuma Series On Thursday, Amazon Prime Video announced that Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal will
Haut et Court TV is re-teaming with “Possessions” showrunner Shahar Magen and co-writer Valérie Zenatti on “Labor,” an international war mystery series. “Labor” takes place during the Suez War in 1956 and brings together Israeli, French and British soldiers. Following a supernatural event, they have to deal with strange physical changes that will affect future
John Turturro’s “The Big Lebowski” spinoff, “The Jesus Rolls,” which follows his “Lebowski” character Jesus Quintana, will world premiere at the Rome Film Festival, which announced on Friday a lineup packed with potential awards contenders and plenty of big names booked for onstage conversations. “The Jesus Rolls,” which Turturro directed from his own script and
Adam DeVine‘s co-star in the new comedy “Jexi” is a cell phone, more specifically, a virtual assistant voiced by Rose Byrne. At the film’s premiere on Thursday in Los Angeles, DeVine told Variety that during filming, for timing, he listened through a crackling earpiece to another actress reading Byrne’s lines. “It was hard [acting opposite
“TED Talks India: Nayi Soch,” hosted by superstar Shah Rukh Khan, launched in 2017 on the Star Plus channel and earned 96 million viewers. Khan is back to host Season 2, titled “Ted Talks India: Nayi Baat.” The new title reflects a change of direction. “What stands out for us about Shah Rukh is his
In the century since its founding in 1919, United Artists has made and distributed hundreds of films and pioneered business models — such as UA Classics — that continue to resonate in the entertainment industry. From the founders to the period between the early ’50s through the late ’60s when Arthur Krim and Bob Benjamin