There was a moment back in 2008 that casual science enthusiasts might remember, just before the Large Hadron Collider was first activated, when armchair observers experienced a frisson of semi-superstitious worry. The nuclear research device, after all, was specifically designed not just to discover the unknown but to create the conditions under which to examine
ANNECY– France’s Annecy Animation Film Festival and Mexico’s Pixelatl will launch Short Way, an initiative to boost artistic animation shorts production by Latin American creators. The first call for projects will be made officially at the next Pixelatl Festival, which unspools in September in Cuernavaca, Pixelatl’s headquarters, 50 miles south of Mexico City. Among the
European movie technology company Motion will be in Shanghai from this week seeking investors and content partners for its online distribution tool. The company positions itself as enabling paid-for peer-to-peer streaming, by connecting movie producers and sales agents directly with their audience. Backed by a trio of companies — Cinemarket, White Rabbit and LeapDAO –
ANNECY — Set in a typical cosy Japanese suburb – – a two-storey detached tile-roofed house, leafy tree-lined streets, a garden – Netflix series “Dino Girl Gauko” delivers a sometimes riotous left-of-field portrait of the coming of age of an almost totally normal tween girl. Naoko Watanabi’s worries are typical: In “Dad’s Little Secret,·the episode
ANNECY — Set in a typical cosy Japanese suburb – – a two-storey detached tile-roofed house, leafy tree-lined streets, a garden – Netflix series “Dino Girl Gauko” delivers a sometimes riotous left-of-field portrait of the coming of age of an almost totally normal tween girl. Naoko Watanabi’s worries are typical: In “Dad’s Little Secret,·the episode
Eva Longoria, Patricia Arquette, Claire Forlani, Marta Milans and Julia Stiles are among stars expected on the island of Sardegna (or Sardinia for English speakers) for the second edition of the Filming Italy Sardegna Festival, the Italian summer shindig celebrating the ongoing crossover between high-end film and TV content and the power of women driving
For decades, Italy’s box office has suffered the summertime blues due to a scarcity of blockbusters from the Hollywood studios, which noted that Italian audiences were more interested in going to the beach than a movie theater. However, that is changing. The Filming Italy Sardegna Festival, which runs June 13-16 and is Italy’s single start
The new “Shaft” is an upgrade that’s also a downgrade. It’s not a “blaxploitation” movie, whatever that would now look like (at this point, the concept is meaningless). It is, rather, a rudely conventional, entertainingly junky badass-for-the-megaplex action comedy. Yet since the film has the audacity — or maybe it’s just the shameless huckster savvy
Network presidents, CMOs, talent, showrunners, producers and more gathered at Variety’s annual TV Summit on Wednesday to discuss how to successfully navigate the rapidly changing industry. During the daylong event, which took place at 1 Hotel in West Hollywood, advertising execs shared personalized strategies for a competitive market, casting directors for shows such as “Catch-22”
Several prominent documentary producers lauded the fact that the medium has seen a major resurgence in recent years during Variety’s TV Summit on Wednesday. “People are starving for the truth,” said Lance Bass, former NSYNC member and producer of the documentary “The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story.” “It’s crazy how all of our stories
Jessica Biel joined the controversial anti-vaccination advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lobby against a California state pro-vaccine bill on Tuesday, revealed in several social media posts. “Please say thank you to the courageous @jessicabiel for a busy and productive day at the California State House,” Kennedy posted on Tuesday with a series of pictures
In today’s film news roundup, Seann William Scott’s “Already Gone” and “High Strung: Free Dance” get releases, and Tom Skerritt, Mira Sorvino and Chloe Coleman get cast. ACQUISITION Gravitas Ventures has acquired worldwide rights to the Seann William Scott road drama “Already Gone,” executive produced by Keanu Reeves, Variety has learned exclusively. Christopher Kenneally directed
While Hulu drew attention to its most recent series by casting A-listers such as George Clooney in its “Catch-22” adaptation and Patricia Arquette in “The Act,” it was the younger actors in both of these series, Christopher Abbott and Calum Worthy, respectively, who took center stage and became breakout stars in the process. During Hulu’s
Ben Stiller began his directorial career in 1994 with the Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke rom-com “Reality Bites,” but it wasn’t until last year’s “Escape at Dannemora” that the multi-talented star finally helmed a project in which he didn’t also star. During his keynote conversation at Variety‘s TV Summit, Stiller talked about how his interest in
The Television Academy is getting serious about cracking down on what it calls “quid pro quo and block voting.” The org confirmed that it has found that some members of the Academy’s performers peer group have “engaged in or advocated for block voting” in the 2019 Emmy awards competition, and as a result, they have
“When They See Us,” Ava DuVernay’s dramatization of the wrongful arrest and conviction of five black teenagers in New York City after the rape of a Central Park jogger 20 years ago, has been the most-viewed series on Netflix for the past 13 days. “‘When They See Us’ has been the most-watched series on Netflix
In today’s roundup, Epix releases the official trailer for “Pennyworth” and LaLa Anthony will guest star in ABC’s “Reef Break.” FIRST LOOKS Epix has released the official trailer for “Pennyworth,” a drama focused on the origins of Bruce Wayne’s iconic butler Alfred Pennyworth, played by Jack Bannon. Premiering on July 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, the series shows Batman’s father
Elizabeth Debicki is looking to the future — which makes sense, since she was named Women in Film and Max Mara’s “Face of the Future” for 2019. “No pressure,” Debicki laughed when Variety asked the actress about the honor on the red carpet. “It means a great deal. I have always deeply respected the work
June 12, 2019 3:12PM PT Hope Hicks, the chief communications officer at Fox, has agreed to answer questions before the House Judiciary Committee next week. The hearing will be held behind closed doors, but the committee will make a transcript available afterward. The committee is continuing to follow up on the report of Special Counsel
Beta Cinema has acquired the dark, offbeat comedy “Patrick,” the feature debut of Flemish director Tim Mielants (“Peaky Blinders”), which will world premiere in competition next month at the Karlovy Vary Intl. Film Festival. Variety has the exclusive trailer. Featuring Kevin Janssens (“Revenge,” “The Ardennes”), Jemaine Clement (“Flight of the Conchords,” “Legion”) and Bouli Lanners (“Rust and
Several top unscripted TV executives and producers descended on the Variety TV Summit Wednesday to break down how the genre has impact the entertainment business. Rob Wade, Fox Entertainment’s president of alternative entertainment and specials, said having successful formats is clearly a good thing, but it does come with drawbacks from an economic point of
As the amount of streaming platforms entering the market multiplies, the risk of consumers getting lost in the rush increases, according to Universal Content Productions and Wilshire Studios president Dawn Olmstead. At Variety‘s TV Summit, Olmstead spoke on a panel about how streamers are taking over the business and the impacts they are having on content
It’s a wonder Bruce Springsteen never took up smoking in any serious way, because judging from his new album, he’s long harbored an ambition to be the Marlboro Man. And the Wichita lineman? That particular strong, silent type, too. Springsteen has cited the 1960s work of Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb as being a model
When “Younger” returns for its sixth season, everything will look a lot different. The hip wardrobe and sets will remain the same, but the people inhabiting those chic spaces will be navigating completely new territory. For starters, Charles (Peter Hermann) and Liza (Sutton Foster) are finally an out-and-proud couple that can exist together in the
June 12, 2019 2:41PM PT The WGA East and various New York City agencies have unveiled the 10 writers selected to take part in the second “Made in NY Writers Room” program designed to open doors to writers from backgrounds that are underrepresented in mainstream entertainment. The program is a partnership of the guild and
Netflix shareholders aren’t okay with the amount of money the company is spending on its senior executives: A slim majority of shareholders voted down the company’s executive officer compensation plan at its most recent shareholder meeting last week, Netflix revealed in a regulatory filing Wednesday. “The Board will consider the results and act in what
Bustle Digital Group, about six months after buying distressed digital-media company Mic, has set plans to relaunch the millennial news brand with the hire of former Complex Media editor Shanté Cosme as executive editor. BDG bought Mic — which had raised $60 million in funding — for a reported $5 million, after Mic laid off
Actress Sylvia Miles, who was Oscar-nominated for “Midnight Cowboy” and “Farewell, My Lovely,” died Wednesday at her home in New York. Her friends, journalist Michael Musto and actress Geraldine Smith, confirmed her death. She was reportedly 94, although she gave various accounts of her age. Celebrity journalist Musto, who was about to appear with Smith
June 12, 2019 2:08PM PT Netflix has hired “Coco” screenwriter Matthew Aldrich to oversee its live-action adaptations of C.S. Lewis’ “The Chronicles of Narnia” book series as films and TV shows. Aldrich will serve as a creative architect on all projects under the deal. He most recently co-wrote “Coco” with Adrian Molina for Disney and
June 12, 2019 2:00PM PT “World of Dance” judge Derek Hough has signed a first-look deal with Universal Television, Variety has learned. The deal encompasses both alternative and scripted programming. Hough has been a judge on the NBC competition series for three seasons since its launch in May 2017. He also co-starred in the network’s production of