Korean filmmakers have a knack for turning their national crises into riveting entertainment, choice examples being last year’s “A Taxi Driver” and “1987: When the Day Comes.” Following in that tradition, domestic hit “Default” (which opened Nov. 30 in the U.S.) manages to make currency crashes and the Asian Financial Crisis a juicy subject onscreen.
December 24, 2018 1:44PM PT [embedded content] Fox is finally settling the age-old debate about whether “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie. The studio recently re-cut the classic film’s original trailer to give it a holiday spin. Declaring it “the greatest Christmas story ever told,” Twentieth Century Fox also released a new log line: Facing
Kevin Spacey is facing a felony charge of sexual assault for allegedly assaulting a former Boston TV news anchor’s teenage son in 2016, Variety has confirmed. According to the Barnstable County Superior Court clerk’s office, Spacey will be arraigned on a charge of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or over at Nantucket District Court
Hollywood got the best gift of all on Christmas Eve. The domestic box office reached a new benchmark even before the busiest time of year for moviegoing commences. Blockbusters including Disney’s “Black Panther” and “Incredibles 2,” Universal’s “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” and Fox’s “Deadpool 2” drove sales past $11.383 billion, according to Comscore. That puts
Every year, the Oscars, Emmys and Grammys must choose which notable performers and creators to memorialize in their In Memoriam segments, and the three organizations will have many talented entertainers to remember at 2019’s ceremonies. The past year saw the loss of celebrated stars of the big screen, such “Smokey and the Bandit” star Burt Reynolds,
Welcome back to Tune In: our weekly newsletter offering a guide to the best of the week’s TV. Each week, Variety’s TV team combs through the week’s schedule, selecting our picks of what to watch and when/how to watch them. This week, “The Orville” begins its second season and “Escape at Dannemora” concludes. “Alexa &
While actor Gabriel Sloyer has an impressive filmography, with roles in hit Netflix Original Series “Narcos” and “Orange is the New Black,” and more, perhaps his most demanding role to date is that of Javier Escuella of the Van der Linde Gang in the wildly successful “Red Dead Redemption II,” released in October. With performances
It’s shaping up to be a pretty bleak holiday season for Steve Carell and Robert Zemeckis after “Welcome to Marwen” flopped last weekend in spectacular fashion. The $40 million drama about a man’s attempts to overcome his PTSD is one of the biggest bombs of the year, debuting to a disastrous $2.4 million from 1,191
courtesy Once upon a time, sweatpants were an abomination. Even Karl Lagerfeld, creative director for Chanel and Fendi, once balked at the leisure garment, saying, “Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life so you bought some sweatpants.” But as trends ebb and flow, the comfy piece has moved outside of
Can “Aquaman” save the DC Universe? Every time Warner Bros. releases a new Justice League adventure, it’s become de rigueur to ask what the film’s box office results mean for the studio’s on-going attempts to fashion together a Marvel alternative. It may be frustrating for the powers that be at DC, but it’s a valid
December 24, 2018 6:47AM PT For many people, the holidays bring with them fond memories of video game firsts: time playing with your family, new gaming systems revealed amidst shredded papers and squeals of delight, long snowbound days lounging through a favorite title. Over the summer, we asked Twitter for their favorite memories and were
The European Commission is in talks with the entertainment industry and national authorities to finalize the details of its European content quota for on-demand players. Amazon and Netflix, the biggest streamers in the European Union, are bracing for the introduction of the 30% quota, but their planning for the new rule is being hampered by
MADRID — In an emblematic move for Spain’s film industry, José Alba’s Pecado Films, producer of “Gernika” and San Sebastian breakout “Journey to A Mother’s Room,” is moving into TV production with a series type in ever-larger demand in Spain: Social issue half-hour comedies. With “Arde Madrid,” a comedy about Ava Gardner’s domestic entourage during
Asia Argento Accuser Jimmy Bennett Goes MIA … Investigation Stalls 12/24/2018 1:00 AM PST EXCLUSIVE Jimmy Bennett has yet to file a police report against Asia Argento for allegedly sexually assaulting him when he was 17 and cops haven’t been able to reach him … so the case is on ice. Law enforcement sources tell
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” flew to the top of China’s box office this weekend, earning $26 million. That marked the fourth-largest opening of all time for an animated Hollywood film in the Middle Kingdom. It also marked the best opening of the year for a foreign animated feature. The figure beat earlier studio projections of
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched “Family Separation Part 1,” the fifth midseason finale of “Madam Secretary.” There are few shows on television that tackle sensitive topics such as nuclear power, climate change, or the 25th amendment with vigor in each episode, let alone one that also often opts for
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched, “Wilmington,” the eight episode of the fourth season of “Outlander.” After a season that started by depicting slavery up-close-and-personal, “Outlander” once again waded into a controversial subject matter with its latest Season 4 episode, “Wilmington.” In it, Brianna (Sophie Skelton) was brutally assaulted in a
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched “Wilmington,” the eighth episode of “Outlander” Season 4. The latest “Outlander” episode picked up with both Roger (Richard Rankin) and Brianna (Sophie Skelton) finding themselves in Wilmington, N.C. Brianna’s entire sea voyage was skipped, but nothing terribly important happened during the voyage in the
If you only see one Korean War tap-dance musical this year, well, you’re probably watching “Swing Kids.” A brash, busy and often bizarre genre mashup from South Korean blockbuster merchant Kang Hyeong-Cheol, this far-fetched tale of an African-American G.I. finding terpsichorean kinship with a group of Asian misfits in a POW camp brings a bit
“Aquaman” retained its reign at the international box office for the third consecutive weekend, generating another $91.3 million from 70 overseas territories. James Wan’s superhero adventure starring Jason Momoa has now amassed $482.8 million, with $410.7 million of that number coming from foreign markets. China accounted for $23.3 million of this weekend’s bounty, bringing “Aquaman’s”
December 23, 2018 10:15AM PT President Donald Trump announced Sunday in a tweet that Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan will take over as Acting Secretary of Defense after the resignation of Jim Mattis due to Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria. The tweet also revealed that Mattis, who was originally scheduled to
Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma,” as everyone knows by now, is the most acclaimed work of art in the history of mankind. Okay, I exaggerate. From the start, though, there’s been an aura surrounding this movie — a holy aesthetic halo. From the moment I saw it before the Venice Film Festival, I knew “Roma” would be
Jason Momoa’s “Aquaman” is the King of the Seven Seas — and now the box office. The DC adventure dominated in North America with a splashy $72 million debut, including previews. That’s a hefty start during a month that, aside from “Star Wars” movies, tends to field smaller opening weekends that pick up steam as
Vans Sues Target You Can’t Skate By Copying Our Shoe!!! 12/23/2018 12:30 AM PST EXCLUSIVE Target now has a target on its back … Vans is suing the retail giant for straight-up jacking its iconic shoe. According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ … Vans is super pissed Target just started selling shoes eerily similar to
Madonna has a new public relations team. The singer has signed with Kelly Bush Novak of ID, whose clients include Serena Williams, Alfonso Cuarón, Ben Stiller, Pamela Adlon, Cynthia Erivo, Hannah Gadsby, Ellen Page, Janelle Monáe, and David Oyelowo, among many others. Bush Novak founded ID in 1993 and the company, which has offices in New York
December 22, 2018 1:29PM PT Rihanna has confirmed speculation that she will release a new album in 2019. “But when is the new album dropping Robyn?” an Instagram user asked on a promotional photo for a new shade of lipstick from Rihanna’s Fenty beauty line. “Can we have a release date for that?” “2019,” the
Though it had plenty of competition, one of the most irritating reactions to Donald Trump’s presidential victory was, “hey, at least it’ll be great for artists.” The reasoning, so far as “reason” even exists anymore, was that hard times can beget great art by inspiring creative people to find ways out of tight corners with
Event cinema is coming of age as movie theaters increasingly look to live events and one-night screenings during the Sunday-Thursday corridor. BTS concert documentary, “Burn the Stage: The Movie,” pulled in a record-setting $18 million in 79 territories at 2,650 movie theaters in three nights for Trafalgar Releasing — including $3.6 million in the U.S.
It was a year of belly laughs, guffaws and giggles at the multiplex in 2018 as movies like “Incredibles 2,” “Deadpool 2” and “Crazy Rich Asians” proved that comedies are no joke at the box office, where they raked in more than $1 billion in North America. That trio also delivered three of the most
Along with Meek Mill — and, sources tell Variety, Jay-Z — the Reverend Al Sharpton has criticized Travis Scott for his still-unconfirmed decision to perform with Maroon 5 at the Super Bowl in February, saying that such a performance is effectively an endorsement of the NFL’s treatment of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The