Samsung is looking to get a first-mover advantage in 5G smartphones, with rival Apple reportedly planning to sit out of the game until 2020. On Monday, Verizon and Samsung announced plans to launch one of the first commercial 5G smartphones in the first half of 2019, which will use chips from Qualcomm. Meanwhile, Apple will not
December 3, 2018 7:04AM PT With the success of “Bohemian Rhapsody” – the Freddie Mercury/Queen film that’s on track to become the biggest grossing music biopic of all time — it’s no surprise to see that founding members Brian May and Roger Taylor will again team up with singer Adam Lambert to tour North America next
Charlize Theron and Michael B. Jordan sat down for a chat for Variety’s Actors on Actors. For more, click here. Charlize Theron and Michael B. Jordan start talking before the cameras are even rolling. They are exchanging secrets about how they both disappear into character, undergoing dramatic physical — and emotional — transformations. That’s certainly been the
Michael Chester has been appointed Executive Vice President, Promotion for Warner Bros. Records, the company announced today. In his new post, he will oversee all aspects of the label’s promotion initiatives and strategies. Chester comes to the label from Scooter Braun’s SB Projects, where he served as SVP, Marketing and Promotion, working closely with Justin
December 3, 2018 6:08AM PT Due to the scheduled memorial services for former President George H.W. Bush, the 61st Grammy Awards nominations will now be announced on Friday, Dec. 7, instead of Wednesday, Dec. 5 as previously planned. Select categories will be announced live on “CBS This Morning” and on Apple Music at 8:30 a.m. ET. Shortly
Rakuten Viki, a streaming provider specializing in Asian TV shows and movies, has reached deals with major Japanese broadcasters Nippon TV and Asahi TV to bring a collection of their shows to audiences outside the country. The collection of new shows coming to Rakuten Viki under the pacts include 10 series from Nippon TV and
Michael B. Jordan is stepping behind the lens as part of a new short film collaboration with Bacardi. The “Creed 2” actor teamed up with the premium rum brand for “The Angels’ Share,” a sweeping, cinematic short film that serves as the official campaign forBacardi new Premium Collection. Jordan shot the film last month, just
WASHINGTON, D.C. — It was a celebration of a broad spectrum of American music — from country and jazz to musical theater and modern minimalism — at the 41 annual Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday. That’s when the nation’s capital paused from its political concerns to toast eight showbiz titans for excellence: Superstar multi-hyphenates Cher
A documentary on Beach Boys cofounder Brian Wilson is nearing completion, producers tell Variety, after nearly three years of under-the-radar production that has involved collecting about 90 hours of fresh footage of the music legend talking about his life or working in the studio. Bruce Springsteen, Elton John and Nick Jonas are among the famous
Texas-based Nexstar Media Group is poised to become the nation’s largest owner of TV stations after setting a $4.1 billion deal to acquire Tribune Media, which will take the company into New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and other large markets for the first time. The all-cash deal covers Tribune’s 42 stations — including WPIX-TV New
December 3, 2018 2:24AM PT Sky and CBS Studios International have extended their programming pact in a deal that sees U.S. network drama “FBI” land on the British pay-TV platform, plus new seasons of “Madam Secretary” and “Hawaii Five-0.” The deal hands Sky a raft of CBS scripted series as well as “The Late Late
Creative Artists Agency has signed on to represent fast-rising Taiwanese actress Wu Ke-Xi. Wu was most recently seen as the co-star of mystery thriller “The Bold, the Corrupt, the Beautiful.” The U.S.-based agency, which has a growing business in Greater China, will represent her globally. It will also help her cross over to the West
“Crazy Rich Asians” opened in a miserable eighth place at the Chinese box office over the weekend. Local crime thriller “A Cool Fish” held on to its lead, in its third week of release. Few analysts and commentators had been sure how “Crazy Rich Asians” would play, with its comic take on the lifestyles of
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched “Savages,” the fifth episode of “Outlander” Season 4. Ever since viewers saw Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix) being led away with the other Ardsmuir prisoners to be shipped off to the American colonies in the third season of Starz’ time-traveling drama “Outlander,” there has been speculation
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched “Savages,” the fifth episode of “Outlander” Season 4. The fifth episode of “Outlander’s” fourth season, entitled “Savages,” picked up the pace dramatically, creating an intense roller coaster ride that highlighted two very different storylines for Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan), complete with
Elisa Johnson Magic’s Daughter Escapes Home Invasion 12/2/2018 2:42 PM PST EXCLUSIVE Magic Johnson‘s daughter had to flee a San Fernando Valley house where 2 armed men staged an early morning home invasion … TMZ has learned. Elisa Johnson was at an Airbnb, rented by friends, Sunday morning … when the men got inside and
Amazon Prime Video’s first Tamil-language series “Vella Raja” will stream worldwide from Dec. 7. The company’s India’s director and head of content, Vijay Subramaniam, is one of the speakers at the Asia TV Forum & Market that takes place in Singapore Dec. 4-7. In addition to catering to the large Tamil speaking population in India, the
Leading producer-turned-educator and lobbyist, Lord David Puttnam has once again called for a shortening of theatrical release windows. As recently as May this year, Puttnam had suggested a six-week exclusive period for theatrical releases. He now says that 30 days is ideal. Puttnam was in conversation on Sunday with Singaporean filmmaker Boo Junfeng (“Apprentice”) at
“The Favourite” outpaced the field at the British Independent Film Awards with a record haul of 10 prizes, including best film, best actress for Olivia Colman, best supporting actress for Rachel Weisz and best director for Yorgos Lanthimos. The darkly comic costume drama had been expected to fare well after receiving 13 nominations, and its
Health scare, schmealth scare. Elvis Costello’s run of shows in California this week proved that he’s in more than fighting fettle, on a tour that’s being characterized most nights by set lists of peak-Springsteenian proportions, including a 2-hour-54-minute, 33-song performance at L.A.’s Wiltern Thursday night that counted as one of his more epic shows, locally
Texas-based Nexstar Media Group has set a $4.1 billion deal to acquire Tribune Media. Reuters first reported the deal, which is expected to be unveiled Monday morning. Tribune declined to comment. A rep for Nexstar could not immediately be reached for comment on Sunday. The deal to acquire Tribune’s 42 stations and WGN America cabler
December 2, 2018 10:24AM PT “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” hasn’t been able to conjure up much magic in the States, but that might not matter given its magical showing at the international box office. The second “Fantastic Beasts” installment dominated overseas for the third weekend straight, generating another $40.2 million from 80 territories. Warner
Martin Scorsese tackled a range of subjects during a discussion on stage at the Marrakech Intl. Film Festival Sunday, including the contribution to cinema of streamers like Netflix, the backers of his latest movie, “The Irishman,” starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. Scorsese is viewed as one of the godfathers of the Marrakech Film
Brian Tyree Henry wasn’t so sure about being cast as a father in “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” At just 36, the “Atlanta” actor said he didn’t think he was old enough, but when he found out he would be rearing Miles Morales, Marvel’s only black, Latino Spider-Man, he decided to forgo any insecurities he had
Cardi B strutted her stuff with a shimmy and a shake Friday night at the Forum, bringing the Los Angeles leg of the KIIS FM Jingle Ball tour presented by Capital One to a close. Following a star-studded lineup that included Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, Dua Lipa, Alessia Cara and Calvin Harris, Cardi B was
On a rainy Saturday in New Jersey, Meryl Streep expressed her admiration for “A Star is Born” and “The Rider” as well as “First Reformed” and her aversion to the President of the United States. The actress, who received her 21st Academy Award nomination earlier this year, confessed her likes and dislikes during Montclair Film
This year’s edition of the Marrakech Intl. Film Festival includes an unprecedented number of Moroccan films, including seven films in the new Morocco Panorama sidebar, and a tribute to local actor/director Jillali Ferhati. When the festival was launched in 2001, Moroccan cinema was in a relatively fragile state and one of the fest’s key goals
Disney’s “Ralph Breaks the Internet” recharged for its second consecutive weekend atop the North American box office, generating a healthy $25.8 million. That marks a decline of just 53%, and pushes the animated sequel’s domestic haul past $100 million. Overseas, “Ralph” earned $33.7 million this weekend, taking its international total to $87 million. Keeping in
Moroccan-French writer-director Nabil Ayouch, whose last film “Razzia” was Morocco’s entry for the foreign-language film Oscar, is completing principal photography on “Positive School.” He spoke to Variety about the project. “Positive School” is a realistic drama set in the cultural center he set up in Casablanca’s Sidi Moumen neighborhood, a poor suburb that became infamous
The Singapore Film Commission continued the ongoing celebration of its 20th anniversary by screening a specially commissioned documentary “Singapore Cinema: Between Takes.” Directed by Koh Chong Wu, the film played on Saturday as part of the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF). The illuminating feature traces the history of Singapore cinema from the 1950s through the