Note: This article is based on Variety Intelligence Platform’s special report “Generative AI & Entertainment,” available only to subscribers. Advances in deepfake technology raise the prospect that the day will soon come when the digital likeness of actors can be brought to life for movies and TV without their needing to even lift a finger. These likenesses
Triller reached an agreement with Sony Music Entertainment to pay $4.57 million to settle the music label’s breach of agreement lawsuit against the TikTok-style video sharing app, according to a court fling. Triller has admitted liability in the dispute, according to the filing, submitted by Sony Music’s lawyers April 26 to the federal district court
Jason Momoa told Variety at Sundance that he co-wrote the first story treatment for “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” the upcoming Warner Bros. and DC tentpole that is the sequel to 2018’s billion dollar-grossing “Aquaman.” “The beautiful thing [about ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’] is me and my partner wrote the first treatment for it
We’ll be the first to admit there’s something undeniably special about natural diamonds (after all, they truly are a girl’s best friend). But if you’re looking to get comparable sparkle out of your jewelry while saving a good chunk of money, you may want to go the lab grown diamond route. Lab grown diamonds, which
Clubhouse is making a major reboot: The once-buzzy audio-livestreaming social app is laying off more than half its staff in what founders say is a necessary strategy pivot. Clubhouse founders Paul Davison and Rohan Seth announced the layoffs in a memo to employees Thursday. “We arrived at this conclusion reluctantly, as we have years of
SALES Cineflix Rights has acquired international rights to Finestripe Productions‘ feature documentary “The Mysterious Mr. Lagerfeld,” which premiered on BBC Two on April 26, and has sold to Prime Video for Australia, Canada and New Zealand. “The Mysterious Mr Lagerfeld” tells the story of Karl Lagerfeld, the legendary Chanel designer who transformed high fashion into
“The Days I Would Like to Forget” by Ukrainian film collective Tabor, which picked up the top industry award at international documentary festival Visions du Réel, is a trilogy project that examines the consequences of war. It is directed by Alina Gorlova (“No Obvious Signs,” “This Rain Will Never Stop”), Maksym Nakonechnyi (“Butterfly Vision,” “This
Movies have always thrived on the power of nostalgia, of viewers placing themselves in a historical context and seeing that self represented on screen — and this is just some of what Guinean filmmaker Thierno Souleymane Diallo explores in his debut feature “The Cemetery of Cinema.” Ostensibly the story of a quest to find a
Peter Mettler (“Gambling, Gods and LSD,” “The End of Time,” “Becoming Animal”) returns to international doc film fest Visions du Réel with an unusual proposition for this 54th edition: an epic seven-part series, featured both in competition and in the Work-in-Progress section. The Swiss-Canadian filmmaker picked up the Grand Prix at Visions du Réel in
Eva Green has broken her silence about her lawsuit against film production company White Lantern and financiers Sherborne Media Finance over a failed movie called “A Patriot.” During the discovery process, “humiliating” WhatsApp messages Green had sent were revealed publicly and were read out during the trial. On Friday morning a judge ruled that Green
BBC chair Richard Sharp has resigned his position over his role in a 2020 loan to then U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Sharp had been under pressure ever since a parliamentary inquiry into the matter by the same Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee that had interviewed him for the job found that
Eva Green has won her lawsuit over the failed movie “A Patriot.” The case, which centered around Green’s $1 million fee for the film, was heard at London’s High Court earlier this year. In a statement, the actor hailed the judgment and said the experience had been “painful and damaging.” Green had claimed that under
Munich-based sales agency Global Screen has acquired “You’re Not Me,” the debut feature of the directors Moisés Romera and Marisa Crespo, for worldwide theatrical distribution. It is a dark elevated genre thriller with elements of satire, focusing on two of the filmmakers’ obsessions: family relationships and social differences. In the film, Aitana returns home for
Netflix has set Xavier Gens’ (“Gangs of London”) untitled Paris-set genre movie starring Bérénice Bejo (“The Artist“) and Nassim Lyes (“Overdose”) as its next French film original. Set in the Summer of 2024, the film unfolds in Paris which is hosting the World Triathlon Championships on the Seine for the first time. Sophia, a brilliant
An important film: there are no other words to describe “The Lost Boys of Mercury” (Les Oubliés de la Belle Étoile), the second documentary feature by French director Clémence Davigo, which is in competition at Visions du Réel, in Nyon, Switzerland. Important because it reveals a tragedy hidden for more than half a century: that
With “Peter Pan and Wendy,” Disney sets out to bring the boy who refused to grow up into the 21st century — not literally, like those taxing live-action/cartoon hybrids, where computer-generated Smurfs get loose in Manhattan or Tom and Jerry wreak havoc in a high-end hotel. The studio’s latest remake is still set in Edwardian
An unusual credit appears at the beginning of “Twice Colonized,” Lin Alluna’s candid documentary portrait of Greenlandic lawyer and activist Aaju Peter, and it belongs to the film’s subject-star herself. “Lived by Aaju Peter” runs the text, and while that phrasing might initially seem a cute quirk, it proves fitting enough as Alluna’s camera follows
What’s 420 divided by 90? While you ponder that, take in the news that, on the eve of Willie Nelson’s 90th birthday, he and Billy Strings have released their own birthday present to the world — a surprise collaboration called “California Sober,” which, as you might be able to guess from the title, celebrates weed
James Corden said farewell to CBS on Thursday evening by doing something no one ever thought would be possible: Getting Tom Cruise to sing Elton John’s hit ballad “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.” After an opening “The Last Last Late Late Show with James Corden Carpool Karaoke Special” by singing “Last Show” (to the
A U.K. Public Accounts Committee report has highlighted that the BBC does not currently have a plan in place for delivering its services in the digital future it envisions. The corporation must work with the government and other stakeholders, including on the rollout of broadband across the U.K., to develop a detailed plan, including scenarios
At the Time 100 Gala on Wednesday night, former child stars Ke Huy Quan and Drew Barrymore reunited after having not “seen each other in almost 40 years” to present Steven Spielberg with the event’s Impact Award. “Steven introduced me to this world where his imagination lived and invited me in,” Quan said. “He showed
Netflix hosted a royal ball fit with its own royal court from several HBCUs as well as the “Bridgerton” royals at the “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” premiere on Wednesday night. Held at Westwood’s Regency Village Theatre, cast members including executive producer and showrunner Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers, Golda Rosheuvel, India Ria Amarteifio, Corey Mylchreest
After “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” earned some of the worst reviews for a Marvel movie yet (its 47% score on Rotten Tomatoes ties “Eternals” as the lowest-rated MCU title on the aggregation website), it appears the Marvel Cinematic Universe is back on track thanks to “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” First reactions for
Dylan Mulvaney is addressing the online hate she received following a brand deal with Bud Light that prompted backlash from conservatives. After a several-week break from social media, the influencer — who has been documenting her transition via TikTok since March 2022 in a series called “Days of Girlhood” — posted a video on the
“Younger” star Miriam Shor has been cast in Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein biopic, “Maestro.” Shor exclusively tells Variety that she is playing actor and model Cynthia O’Neal, a friend of the legendary musician and his wife Felicia Montealegre. Cooper directed the Netflix film, co-wrote it with Josh Singer and stars as Bernstein. Carey Mulligan portrays
Some of the most high-profile copyright infringement cases happen in the music industry, where the accusation of plagiarism is as nebulous as a concept can get. It happens sometimes by accident — an “unconscious borrowing” — and other times it’s on purpose, deemed a “musical homage.” Ed Sheeran has been at the center of the
New York is poised to dramatically increase its film tax incentive from $420 million a year to $700 million, as it looks to stave off competition from New Jersey and Georgia. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced an agreement Thursday night on a $229 billion budget, after weeks of negotiations with state lawmakers. Among many other provisions,
“Love & Death,” which debuts on HBO Max (soon to be just Max) on April 27, is the second TV telling of the story of Candy Montgomery in less than a year. The first rendition was Hulu’s “Candy,” starring Jessica Biel in the leading role of Candy and Melanie Lynskey as her neighbor whom she
The trailer for the “Hunger Games” prequel film “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is finally here, and eagle-eyed superfans are already picking apart every frame. The movie, based on the novel by Suzanne Collins, is the first new entry to the “Hunger Games” franchise since the run of its original four hits concluded in
Check out the The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes trailer starring Rachel Zegler & Tom Blyth! Let us know what you think in the comments below. ► Sign up for a Fandango FanAlert for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes: https://www.fandango.com/the-hunger-games-the-ballad-of-songbirds-and-snakes-2023-228194/movie-overview?cmp=Trailers_YouTube_Desc Subscribe to the channel and click the bell