The trial settling the case of whether Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” plagiarized the Marvin Gaye hit “Let’s Get It On” will never likely slip into concert mode, but it came about as close as it’s likely to during the pop star’s testimony on Thursday, when he picked up a guitar and briefly sang for
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has signed for representation with WME, Variety can report exclusively. The signing represents a crown jewel for WME, one might say, as numerous agency rivals have tried to land the public figure formerly known as Meghan Markle since she and husband Prince Harry moved to California in 2020. Her team
For Martin Scorsese, it was important to spend time with Osage people as he worked on “Killers of the Flower Moon,” his epic crime drama about the murders that took place in the early 1920s after major oil deposits were discovered on the tribe’s land. “We tried to do right by them as much as
Are You There God? It’s Me, Rotten Tomatoes. This week we’re coming in hot with 5 What To Watch picks that will have you in your feels, on the edge of your seat, and everywhere in between! Starting off, we have the classic Judy Blume novel-turned-movie, ‘Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret’, followed by
Kari Krome, a songwriter for the 1970s all-female rock band the Runaways, has filed a lawsuit against the group’s late manager, Kim Fowley, and longtime KROQ DJ and nightclub owner Rodney Bingenheimer, alleging that both of them sexually assaulted when she was a minor. The suit was first reported by Rolling Stone. “Plaintiff, Kari Krome [legal
Charlie Collier, who joined Roku last fall as president of its newly created media division, had a compensation package worth $53.3 million last year — more than twice as much as his boss, CEO Anthony Wood, took home. Collier left his post as CEO of Fox Entertainment to head up Roku Media, where he now
To get the chance to make a movie of Judy Blume’s “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” producer James L. Brooks and writer and director Kelly Fremon Craig made the pilgrimage to the beloved author’s home in Key West, Fla. “I spent most of our time with Judy warning her about Hollywood and all
Lionsgate is officially inviting audiences back to Panem for “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” a prequel set in the “Hunger Games” universe. At long last, the odds were ever in CinemaCon-goers favor on Thursday as attendees of the annual trade show for theater owners were treated to the first teaser for the spinoff story.
“The Real Housewives” franchise is returning to Sydney, Australia after a five-year hiatus, Variety can confirm. “The Real Housewives of Sydney” is set to return to Australian screens on local streaming service Binge. Matchbox Pictures, which is part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group, will again produce the 10-part project. The
Scott Greenberg, the co-founder and CEO of Fox-owned animation studio Bento Box Entertainment, is exiting the company, Variety has confirmed. Greenberg is also the CEO of Fox’s Web3 media and creative technology company Blockchain Creative Labs (BCL). He will officially depart both roles on May 19. “It’s been an incredible honor and privilege to work
Elizabeth Olsen calls herself an “unemployed” actor — even after playing Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and her latest role as Candy Montgomery in the HBO miniseries “Love & Death.” “I don’t want to work for work’s sake,” she tells Variety. “I don’t know how to half-ass stuff, so I have to love
Amazon, in the midst of paring back its workforce, topped Wall Street forecasts with better-than-expected revenue growth for the first quarter of 2023. The company reported Q1 revenue of $127.4 billion, up 9% year over year, improving over a 7% rise in the year-earlier quarter but still off its historical pace of top-line growth. Net
Snap, still wrestling with an unpredictable advertising environment, reported first-quarter 2023 revenue that slightly undershot Wall Street expectations even as Snapchat’s user growth continued upward. The company said was not providing formal guidance for revenue or adjusted earnings for the second quarter of 2023. The Snapchat parent company’s Q1 revenue was $989 million, a decline
Time to brush up on the 5 D’s of “Dodgeball” — “dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge” — because a sequel to the 2004 hit comedy is officially in the works. Vince Vaughn is returning to star in the sequel, which is in early development at 20th Century Studios. Plot details are being kept under
Jonathan Majors’ alleged victim was granted a temporary order of protection on Thursday ahead of the May 9 court date where the actor will face charges of assault and harassment. “Today a judge granted a Full Temporary Order of Protection for the victim, per the People’s request and with the consent of defense counsel. (At
Peter’s tender moment to Gamora was interrupted by him accidentally broadcasting the entire conversation to everyone…oops! #shorts ► Buy Tickets for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: https://www.fandango.com/guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-3-2023-228959/movie-overview?cmp=Trailers_YouTube_Desc ► Learn more: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/guardians_of_the_galaxy_vol_3?cmp=Trailers_YouTube_Desc
Adam Brody will star opposite Kristen Bell in an upcoming comedy series for Netflix, Variety has learned. The untitled series was ordered at the streamer back in March. It centers “on the unlikely relationship between the outspoken, agnostic Joanne (Bell) and unconventional rabbi Noah (Brody).” The character Noah is further described as “a charming rabbi
Babak Tafti has joined Season 7 of “Billions” in a recurring guest role, Variety has learned. According to his official character description, Tafti will star as Bradford Luke, a high priced, high power political consultant. He joins returning cast members Paul Giamatti, Corey Stoll and Maggie Siff. The seventh installment also marks the return of
In the four days since announcing U2’s first dates for a limited engagement at the massive new Sphere in Las Vegas, the number of shows has incrementally expanded. The mere five gigs announced on Monday got stretched to a dozen shows as of Wednesday, and now, come Thursday morning, five more were added, to make
Less than a month after parting ways with Warner Music, Brazilian superstar singer Anitta has signed with Republic Records in partnership with Universal Music Latin Entertainment, the companies officially announced today. Variety broke the news of the deal last week. (Photo IDs below.) About the signing, Anitta shared, “After being in this business for many years, I wanted to find partners
Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences
Celebrating six decades as the animation industry’s premier international showcase and cementing a growing position as Hollywood’s preferred French getaway, the Annecy Intl. Animation Festival revealed its 2023 program in Paris on Thursday, unveiling a formidable selection of world premieres and industry debuts. If only for the breadth of this year’s official selection, Annecy looks
Ethan Hunt clearly doesn’t want to die old and of natural causes. The IMF agent swings back to action in “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” and based on the footage that Paramount brought to CinemaCon on Thursday, his alter-ego Tom Cruise is once again putting it all on the line in service of
Fifth Season has laid off eight employees — or 2% of the workforce — including comms chief Sharon Liggins. The cuts also include Shelby White, director, TV creative; Daniell Gerber, VP physical production; Kyle Plimpton, manager, TV creative; Ryan Bernstein, director, film creative; Beth McPhee, SVP, marketing; Josh Workman, manager, travel coordinator; and Jennifer Saull,
An R-rated live-action/animation hybrid series about Winnie-the-Pooh character Christopher Robin is in development from Boat Rocker Studios and Shamier Anderson and Stephan James’ Bay Mills Studios, Variety has learned exclusively. The official logline for the project, currently titled “Christopher Robin,” states, “Christopher Robin is a disillusioned New Yorker navigating his quarter-life crisis with the help
Amazon Studios has laid off 100 staffers in its Prime Video and MGM departments. “Like many businesses, we have been closely monitoring economic conditions and our organizational needs, and have made the decision to adjust resources,” an Amazon spokesperson said Thursday. “As a result, a small number of roles will be eliminated on some teams.
Martin Scorsese hit Vegas on Thursday. No, he wasn’t there to revisit the Sin City locale of “Casino,” one of his mob masterpieces. He traveled to the gambling Mecca bearing his latest opus, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” a labyrinthine story of murder and greed that, if he plays his cards right, might be one
Paramount stirred it up at CinemaCon on Thursday, debuting an emotionally-charged first look at “Marley.” The drama about Bob Marley, the pioneering reggae singer, stars Kingsley Ben-Adir, who won the role after a global casting search, as the music legend. He’s joined by Lashana Lynch, who plays the singer’s wife Rita Marley. Ziggy Marley, the reggae legend’s
John Krasinski unveiled the first-ever look at “A Quiet Place: Day One” at CinemaCon, the annual movie theater trade show in Las Vegas. “One of my great joys has been creating and expanding the ‘Quiet Place’ universe, and I couldn’t be more excited for this next installment,” Krasinki told the audience at Caesars Palace. Story
Donald Sutherland is the latest addition to the cast of the Bass Reeves series currently in the works at Paramount+. The show is now officially titled “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” and is now described as an anthology series with future installments to follow other iconic lawmen who have impacted history in subsequent seasons. The logline for