Jordin Sparks voiced her support for Chris Brown following an uncomfortable moment at the American Music Awards on Nov. 20 where singer Kelly Rowland shushed a booing crowd when she accepted the favorite male R&B artist award on Brown’s behalf. Sparks told TMZ that she loves Brown and believed he should’ve been at the awards
There will be no coal in James Gunn’s stocking this year. His “Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special” is stuffed with funny, feel-good Christmas joy, and it’s one of the best pieces of content Marvel Studios has released in years. Just like Marvel and Disney+’s Halloween-themed “Werewolf by Night” Special Presentation, the “Guardians” short film
From the 1960s sitcom to the Barry Sonnenfeld films to MGM’s animated iterations, “The Addams Family” has been a ripe property for adaptation over the decades. But when preparing for “Wednesday,” Tim Burton’s live-action Netflix series that focuses on the family’s woeful teenage daughter, production designer Mark Scruton turned away from screens and referenced the
The American Cinema Editors (ACE) has announced its new board. Current president Kevin Tent will serve another two-year term. Lillian Benson will continue to serve alongside him as will vice president Sabrina Plisco and treasurer Andrew Seklir. Former associate board members Dana Glauberman and Nancy Richardson have been bumped up to the board, replacing outgoing
American Film Institute Announces AFI Conservatory Grant Award Winners The American Film Institute announced the recipients of the AFI Conservatory Alumni Awards at the 2022 AFI Alumni Reunion. The awards recognize achievements in directing and screenwriting at AFI, and include the Richard P. Rogers Spirit of Excellence Award with a $15,000 grant; the William J.
Moviegoers are pretty psyched to return to Pandora. “Avatar: The Way of Water,” James Cameron’s next epic adventure, is poised to open to at least $150 million domestically when it debuts in theaters in December. Early tracking indicates that opening weekend figure could fly even higher, reaching $175 million or more. “Avatar: The Way of
Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager are pushing for a shake up in their morning routine. Last week, the duo led their 10 a.m. hour of “Today” in front of a live audience gathered in NBC’s Studio 6A, a big change for a program that usually is closed off from crowds. They got to award
Bassem Breche raised controversy with his maternal melodrama “Riverbed” following its world premiere at Cairo Film Festival. The story, a Lebanon and Qatar production shown in the Horizons of Arab Cinema section, sees a mother (Carole Abboud) and her pregnant daughter (Omaya Malaaeb) reunite under dramatic circumstances. While it picked up multiple gongs at the
Italian producer Andrea Iervolino has been officially tapped to help promote film and TV production investment opportunities in the West Indies, specifically in the twin island state of Antigua and Barbuda. Iervolino, whose Iervolino and Lady Bacardi Entertainment (ILBE) shingle produces feature films such as Bobby Moresco’s just released “Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend”
Disney’s “Strange World,” an animated adventure about a family of legendary explorers, is having trouble discovering a great deal of treasure. The well-reviewed film grossed a disappointing $800,000 in Tuesday previews, which likely means that initial estimates that “Strange World” would pull in between $30 million to $40 million over the five-day Thanksgiving holiday may
The Torino Film Festival, Italy’s pre-eminent event for young directors and indie cinema where Matteo Garrone and Paolo Sorrentino screened their first works, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year with film critic Steve Della Casa – who previously served as the fest’s artistic director from 1999-2002 – back at the helm. Della Casa, who
“For me, honestly, the most important thing is to focus on Sudanese women,” Suzannah Mirghani tells Variety. “We have so many documentaries about them already and there was a time when these stories were in terrible need of being told. But the culture has shifted. Now, we have to let Sudanese people make their own
In the wake of the major problems surrounding Ticketmaster’s management of Taylor Swift tour ticket sales last week, a U.S. Senate antitrust panel will hold a hearing on the lack of competition in the industry, Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mike Lee (R-UT) announced Tuesday. The hearing comes after reports of major service failures and
Drew and Jonathan Scott, the siblings better known as HGTV’s “Property Brothers,” have built, rebuilt, renovated, redesigned and reimagined hundreds of spaces since their TV careers took off in 2011. But the property they’re most proud to have built is their own Scott Brothers Global empire. The company, based in Los Angeles, is home to
The finale of the Ukrainian edition of “The Voice” was staged in a subway station that’s being used as a bomb shelter during the war with Russia. The local adaptation of the ITV Studios-distributed format is titled “The Voice of the Country” and is currently in its twelfth season. It kicked off on Jan. 23,
Wilko Johnson, an English guitarist and singer for the band Dr. Feelgood who also played the executioner Ser Ilyn Payne on HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” died on Monday. He was 75. “This is the announcement we never wanted to make, and we do so with a very heavy heart: Wilko Johnson has died. He passed
Without explanation, social media accounts for Jennifer Lopez have turned black and her widely followed Instagram was completely erased. The Instagram account for the singer, actor and producer — which with 226 million followers is her most widely followed platform — as of late Tuesday showed that it had suddenly no posts, and the profile
JURY DUTY The jury for the 2023 edition of European Shooting Stars has been unveiled and it includes internationally-recognized directors, producers and actors as well as one of Variety‘s own editors, Leo Barraclough. The jury, which was selected by European Film Promotion (EFP), will decide which of the 27 actors nominated for the European Shooting
Celebrated Indian actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui (“Sacred Games,” “Gangs of Wasseypur,” “The Lunchbox”) was in fine fettle at a masterclass at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa, on Tuesday. The actor, several of whose films have premiered at Cannes, was outspoken in a candid conversation with actor and festival steering committee member Vani Tripathi,
“Smile” star Caitlin Stasey and Lou Taylor Pucci have joined the cast of Jonathan auf Der Heide’s upcoming horror-thriller film “Devil Inside.” They join the previously announced Ryan Kwanten. Pitched as an elevated genre film in the vein of “28 Days Later” and “It Comes at Night,” the picture explores the ‘what if’ question of
Samantha Morton has been recognized for her contribution to British film by being awarded the Richard Harris Award at the British Independent Film Award (BIFA). She will be handed the award next month on Dec. 4. Morton has appeared in films including “Emma,” “Jane Eyre,” “Under the Skin” and “Jesus’ Son” and appeared alongside Tom
The European Film Academy has unveiled the eight winners of the Excellence Awards spanning the arts and crafts categories. These will receive their prizes during the European Film Awards on Dec. 10 in Reykjavík, Iceland. Best European cinematography went to Kate McCullough for “The Quiet Girl,” an Irish drama directed Colm Bairéad which played at
Annie and César-winning and Oscar nominated animation specialist filmmaker Mark Osborne (“The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie,” “The Little Prince,” co-director on “Kung Fu Panda”) delivered an inspirational masterclass to a rapt crowd of animators and students at the International Film Festival of India, Goa on Tuesday. Osborne began with a presentation on the process behind the
Palestinian filmmaker Firas Khoury’s fiery feature debut “Alam” (The Flag), which won the top prize this week at the Cairo Intl. Film Festival, sent a charge through the audience at its Middle East premiere, with moviegoers bursting into applause several times during the screening. Khoury, however, was unable to witness the reception firsthand. The director,
Palestinian filmmaker Firas Khoury’s fiery coming-of-age drama “Alam” (The Flag) took home the Golden Pyramid at the Cairo Intl. Film Festival, which wrapped with a glitzy award ceremony in the Egyptian capital on Tuesday night. Khoury’s politically charged debut, which world premiered at the Toronto Intl. Film Festival, struck a chord with both the international
“Avatar: The Way of Water” has landed a theatrical release date in China in a victory for the expensive 20th Century Studios production’s box office potential. 20th Century Studios confirmed plans for the release through an official post on Sina Weibo, one of China’s most popular social media platforms. The company also shared a trailer
In the appealing, naturalistic drama “Alam,” a middle-class Arab teen living in a village in the Galilee undergoes a political awakening catalyzed by a pretty, outspoken girl from his high school class. Just like the protagonist, the audience, too, receives a provocative civics lesson on the symbolism — and power — of flags and what
The title character of writer-director Emmanuelle Nicot’s feature debut “Love According to Dalva” is not like other girls her age. The 12-year-old dresses like a “lady,” as one of the girls at the youth shelter she’s been shipped to points out — by which she means like a woman much older. There are lace blouses
Lots of kissing, lots of drama and lots (and lots) of tears. That must only mean one thing: another season of “The Bachelor” is on the horizon. ABC is gearing up for its 27th season of “The Bachelor, and ahead of its 2023 premiere, the network has released the first promo for the dating show.
Niv Art Movies and Little Lamb Films are joining forces to produce a slate of Malayalam and Bengali films. The first collaboration and co-production “Whispers of Fire & Water” is part of the Viewing Room and Film Bazaar Recommends segments of the National Film Development Corporation’s (NFDC) ongoing Film Bazaar 2022. Written and directed by