Benedict Cumberbatch (“Avengers: Endgame”) and Claire Foy (“The Crown”) are set to star in “Louis Wain,” a biopic of the prolific English artist who rose to prominence at the end of the 19th century. “Louis Wain” will start shooting on Aug. 10 with BAFTA-nominated Will Sharpe (“Flowers”) directing the film, which was written by Sharpe
Lizzo has signed a global administration deal with Warner Chappell Music. The agreement covers her existing and future work, including the breakout hit “Juice” and follow-up “Truth Hurts” from debut album “Cuz I Love You.” Speaking to Variety of the success of “Truth Hurts,” Lizzo recently said: “I love being platinum. I worked so hard.
July 23, 2019 10:08AM PT Janelle Monáe has been tapped to star in the second season of “Homecoming.” Monáe’s character is described as a tenacious woman who finds herself floating in a canoe, with no memory of how she got there or who she is. Monáe takes over the top spot on the Amazon series
James Cameron is heading back underwater in “Mission OceanX,” a series for National Geographic that will follow a groundbreaking ocean exploration mission. The “Titanic” and “The Abyss” director is no stranger to the deep, having dived down to the Mariana Trench in a submarine in 2012, among other aquatic missions. “Mission OceanX” will follow the
July 23, 2019 9:55AM PT A lavish mansion in a quietly ritzy, guard-gated enclave discreetly nestled into the rugged foothills above L.A.’s Woodland Hills, long owned by Andre Young, aka rapper, record producer and near-billionaire entrepreneur Dr. Dre, has come for sale at $5.25 million. Dre himself, worth about $800 million, according to Forbes, hopes
Production resumed Tuesday on “Fast & Furious 9,” a day after an accident at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, near London, left a stuntman in hospital. The U.K. agency responsible for workplace safety confirmed that it is now investigating the accident. The stuntman, Joe Watts, was working on a second unit when he sustained head injuries
Iggy Azalea just unleashed her first album in five years, and the title speaks for itself. “In My Defense” sees the Australian pop star talking back, taking control of her masters and giving self-confidence to her fan base across the world. Azalea — real name: Amethyst Amelia Kelly — made a name for herself with
DURBAN–From the arresting opening sequence, in which the reflection of a woman carrying a giant wooden cross shimmers across the surface of a lake, Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese’s “Mother, I Am Suffocating. This is My Last Film About You” embarks on a poetic journey across an unnamed African landscape. Described by the filmmaker as a “lament,”
The list of top nominees for the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards suggests that pop music is the farthest thing from a dude ranch right now … with the exception, of course, of Lil Nas X and the horse he rode in on. The cowpoke-themed hip-hop artist was the only guy to show up on
Fazekas & Butters, a production company led by Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters, has named Juan Alfonso as the new head of television. There, he will develop and produce projects, and seek out and engage with writers, intellectual property and creative partners, “matchmaking talented people and ideas,” according to Alfonso. The pod, which launched in
Colcoa, the Los Angeles-based French film festival, will be hosting its 23rd edition in September, right before the start of the awards season. Created by the Franco-American Cultural Fund, Colcoa will also be showcasing a more contained lineup focused on film and TV at the Directors Guild of America’s newly-renovated venue. The festival was previously
“Western Stars,” the film that Bruce Springsteen has made to accompany his recent album of the same name, will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, it was announced Tuesday. The feature is being listed as a co-directing project between Springsteen and his longtime filmic collaborator, Thom Zimny, who just picked up
David Spade at the helm of a new late-night show? Viewers probably think they know what to expect. Yet Spade’s new program on Comedy Central will also be notable for what it doesn’t have to offer. Yes, this is the guy who served “Hollywood Minute” zingers on “Saturday Night Live,” made millions laugh with movies
The season 2 finale of “Big Little Lies,” headlined by a tense courtroom scene, was watched by just under 2 million total viewers during its initial broadcast. The 1.98 million figure is the highest initial viewership for the series to date. By comparison, the show’s first season concluded with 1.9 million total viewers in linear
“I don’t believe Sylvester Stallone carries around a wallet,” says Braden Aftergood, the executive in charge of scripted development at the movie star’s content company Balboa Prods. It’s not that Sly, as he’s known to friends and fans alike, is trying to duck out on a dinner bill. He never seems to have his license
A slew of newcomers prove stiff competition in major categories, but recognizable names will likely still prevail at the 71st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Here, Variety analyzes the nominees in 14 of this year’s toughest races. CREDIT: Courtesy of HBO Drama SeriesAfter a year in which some heavy hitters opted to premiere just outside the
Check out the official Harriet trailer starring Cynthia Erivo! Let us know what you think in the comments below. ► Sign up for a Fandango FanAlert for Harriet: https://www.fandango.com/harriet-2019-219554/movie-overview?cmp=MCYT_YouTube_Desc Want to be notified of all the latest movie trailers? Subscribe to the channel and click the bell icon to stay up to date. US Release
After first launching a limited beta earlier this year, Pandora opened up its mobile voice control to all of its iOS and Android users Tuesday. The new feature allows users to ask for songs, albums, playlists, stations, and even soundtracks for activities or times of day, with simple voice commands. Pandora’s voice mode is similar
This year’s Toronto Film Festival will feature super-villain origin stories, splashy literary adaptations, and Tom Hanks as the most beloved performer in children’s television. The Canadian celebration of all things movies unveiled its 2019 lineup on Tuesday, and it appears to be an eclectic mixture of glossy awards bait, auteur-driven indies, and populist crowd-pleasers. It’s
Like clockwork, Netflix’s big miss on subscriber targets for the second quarter of 2019 have prompted lawsuits filed on behalf of shareholders. At least two suits seeking class-action standing were filed Monday, by the Rosen Law Firm and Schall Law Firm, which both specialize in investor litigation. The lawsuits allege Netflix violated SEC regulations by
Sylvester Stallone shares an uncanny, symbiotic connection with Rocky, the underdog boxer character he created four decades ago — a kindred spirit who served as his creative muse in spawning one of Hollywood’s most successful film franchises. In his long career Stallone also played another memorable screen role — John Rambo — but Rocky was
San Francisco-based audio startup Mixhalo has raised a $10.7 million Series A round of funding as it sets out to use earbuds and mobile phones to improve the audio experience at concerts and other live events. The funding round was led by Foundry Group, with participation from Sapphire Sport, Founders Fund, Defy Partners, Cowboy Ventures,
HBO Europe has greenlit original series “Tuff Money” (“Bani Negri”), a six-part crime caper from Cristian Mungiu’s Mobra Films, the company behind Mungiu’s Palme d’Or winner “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” and HBO Europe’s “Hackerville.” “Tuff Money” has been written and will be directed by Daniel Sandu, the writer and director of the
Adding to the momentum of Chile’s energetic push into upscale TV production, the Santiago Intl. Film Festival (Sanfic) is adding a TV strand, Sanfic Series. Focusing on drama series and part of the Sanfic Industry forum – after Ventana Sur now one of the biggest of any festival in South America – the section will
Former Filmstruck International general manager Kerensa Samanidis has been appointed Acorn TV’s first international chief. As general manager, international, she will spearhead the growth of the AMC Networks-owned streamer outside of North America and Latin America. Last year, Acorn TV expanded into Australia, and New Zealand, Argentina, Mexico, Spain, and Scandinavia. In the newly-created international
Boris Johnson is set to become Britain’s new prime minister, delighting fans of the colorful former mayor of London but dismaying critics who fear that he is intent on pulling the country out of the European Union without a deal in place. Despite being dismissed by detractors as a buffoon, Johnson will take the reins
Variety has been given exclusive access to the first trailer for Dag Johan Haugeruds’ politically and socially charged drama “Beware of Children,” which premieres as part of the Venice Film Festival’s Venice Days section. The pic, which is being sold at Venice by Picture Tree Intl., features the dramatic aftermath of a tragic incident in
July 23, 2019 3:57AM PT “The Tower,” Mats Grorud’s animation about the plight of the Palestinians, as viewed through the eyes of an 11-year-old girl in Beirut, won the grand prize in the international competition at the 16th edition of Skip City International D-Cinema Festival. The film also scooped the section’s audience award. The Skip
MipTV is moving inside the Palais des Festivals in Cannes as market organizers attempt to ensure that the April vent remains relevant in the face of falling attendance, increased competition and wider industry changes. Reed Midem organizes MipTV and its better-attended sibling, Mipcom, in October. After this year’s MipTV, it reached out to distributors, many
New York-based Filipina filmmaker Isabel Sandoval’s “Lingua Franca,” about a transgender immigrant, is among 11 competition entries, all world premieres, that will launch from the Venice Film Festival’s independently run Venice Days section. The only U.S. entry set to compete in the section modeled on Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight, “Lingua Franca” is Sandoval’s third work. It