It took Qatari director Mohammed Al-Ibrahim 15 years to make his first feature “Sa3ood Wainah?,” which, starting from its title, is a pretty unique film blending thriller, fantasy and magic realism elements, all imbued with a strong local flavor. Billed as the first
Prime Video’s celebrity talk show “Two Much with Kajol and Twinkle,” hosted by Bollywood star Kajol and author-producer Twinkle Khanna, has emerged as the platform’s most successful unscripted series in India, reaching viewers across more than 93% of the country’s postal codes.
The Development Bank of Japan’s investment in the Tokyo-based startup — launched at Cannes with backing from auteurs like Hirokazu Kore-eda and Takashi Miike — signals growing institutional support for the company's vision of shaking up Japan’s conservative film financing system.
Disney’s “Zootopia 2” has roared to a phenomenal start in China, setting multiple box office records and signaling strong momentum for the animated sequel’s global rollout. The film, a buddy cop movie with anthropomorphic animals as the bickering partners, earned $34 million on
It has been a while since the “Cold War” craze and its three Academy Award nominations, but its Polish breakout star Joanna Kulig will soon reunite with director Paweł Pawlikowski once again. “I’m singing in his next film,” she says. In the anticipated drama, starring Sandra
Black Friday is one of the best times of the year to snag big ticket items at discounted prices. Case in point: name brand television sets are down to their lowest prices of the year this weekend, with brands like Samsung, LG and TCL all offering big-screen TVs for up to 57%
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 chief awards editor Clayton Davis.
The French Embassy’s Institut français d’Indonésie (IFI) has launched the second edition of the Indonesia-France Film Lab, running Nov. 27 through Dec. 1 in Yogyakarta. The initiative, presented as Indonesia France Film Lab X MTN Lab, takes place within the JAFF Market
"We’re fighting a deeply prejudiced system," the 'Barbie' and 'Shang-Chi' actor said, "and most days it SUCKS."
SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers from Season 5, Volume 1 of “Stranger Things.” Not even on the fantastical “Stranger Things” can Karen Wheeler kill a Demogorgon while armed only with her super-charged maternal protectiveness and a broken wine bottle. But she sure did
The veteran executive, set to exit the company next year, plays a tiger weatherman named "Bob Tiger" in what is credited as his first acting role.
The UFC has unveiled the fight card for their first ever event on Paramount+. UFC 324, scheduled for Jan. 24, 2026 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, will be headlined by a fight between lightweight powerhouses Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett (23-3-0) and former UFC interim
SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers from Season 5, Volume I of “Stranger Things.” Nell Fisher, who turned 14 earlier this month, takes center stage as Holly Wheeler in the new (and final) season of “Stranger Things.” Through its first four seasons, the role of Holly —
Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi claimed dual honors at the 18th Asia Pacific Screen Awards, with his Cannes Palme d’Or winner “It Was Just an Accident” (Un simple accident) taking home best film and best director. Japanese filmmaker Fujimoto Akio’s “Lost Land” (Harà Watan) received
Hallmark is bringing in country music royalty for their upcoming holiday film, “A Grand Ole Opry Christmas,” their first collaboration with the Opry as it celebrates its 100th year. But the cameos — by Pam Tillis, Megan Moroney and Brad Paisley, just to name a few — were only
What’s better than watching one Detroit legend rock the stage? A surprise mash-up from two of them. Motor City-native Jack White had been announced as the halftime performer for the Detroit Lions’ annual Thanksgiving football game at Ford Field (this year versus the Green Bay
Iranian filmmaker Ali Asgari has long explored the quiet tensions and bureaucratic pressures of everyday life in Iran, from his acclaimed shorts to festival recognized features like “Disappearance,” “Until Tomorrow,” and “Terrestrial Verses.” In competition at the Doha Film
Disney’s “Zootopia 2” is trampling all competitors at the box office, with the animated sequel besting even “Wicked: For Good’s” massive opening weekend. The new film follows the police duo of rabbit Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and red fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) as they
Disney's 'Zootopia' is also making headlines overseas, including scoring the biggest opening day in China of any Hollywood movie since May 2021 and the biggest ever for an animated title.
The Doha Film Institute is expanding its footprint as one of the Arab world’s most active talent incubators with new vocational training programs developed in partnership with France’s prestigious film school, La Fémis, and Gobelins Paris, the country’s leading animation
Danny Seagren, a “Sesame Street” puppeteer who also appeared as an early iteration of Spider-Man on “The Electric Company,” died on Nov. 10 at 81 years old. His cause of death was not listed. His family announced the news via an online obituary. Seagren was born on Nov. 15,
The 'SNL' star and 'Superman' actor got into character on social media on Thanksgiving morning.
On a special Thanksgiving Day edition of “Daily Variety” podcast, Marlo Thomas, the actor, author and activist, revisits the remarkable story of how her father, entertainer Danny Thomas, launched St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. And we take a Vintage
Mediawan’s Imagissime label and immersive-media pioneer Atlas V have teamed to produce “Paradoxes,” a surreal sci-fi comedy series blending live action and generative AI, starring up-and-comers such as Xavier Lacaille (“Parlement”), Zita Hanrot (“The Hook Up Plan”), Nora
What a long, strange bubble ride it’s been. But the work of songwriter Stephen Schwartz on “Wicked” — the property he first discovered as a source novel and has led into Broadway and dual film iterations — has finally come to a close. (Or has it? More on his feelings about
Jonathan Groff and Bowen Yang shared a warm and flirty moment together during Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The Broadway and “Saturday Night Live” stars, respectively, did a dance number at the beginning of Groff’s performance alongside his “Just in Time” cast. It ended with
SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers from Season 5, Volume 1 of “Stranger Things.” For the entire run of “Stranger Things,” Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) has had it rough. In Season 1, he was abducted into the Upside Down and, as we later find out, is filled with some kind
Marcello Hernández and Skyler Gisondo are heading to the land of Far Far Away. The two actors are set to join the cast of “Shrek 5” as Shrek and Fiona’s sons, Fergus and Farkle. Hernández is best known for his work on “SNL.” He also appeared in “Happy Gilmore 2” and is set to
“Zootopia 2” is off to a roaring start at the box office, earning $39.5 million in its first full day of release. And the Disney animated sequel isn’t the only follow-up film feasting at the Thanksgiving box office. “Wicked: For Good” brought in $17.2 million, bringing its
Iceland’s prominent production banner Glassriver has partnered with Italian sales company True Colours on a new Nordic psychological thriller series titled “Brkn,” about an investigation into the disappearance of a nonbinary teenager to be adapted from Jón Atli Jónasson’s novel
International Film Festival Rotterdam has unveiled its selection of 21 feature projects for the 43rd edition of CineMart, its co-production market, running Feb. 1 to 4, as well as 10 projects for its work-in-progress platform Darkroom. Commenting on the CineMart lineup, Marten
There’s nothing more synonymous with Thanksgiving than turkey and NFL action. And now pro football fans are primed for the NFL on Thanksgiving Day with a tripleheader that features the hottest teams in the league and hottest recording artists performing at halftime during each
"Balancing breakthrough talent and celebrated auteurs at the height of their careers, this year’s selections underline CineMart’s role as a place where discovery and established filmmaking meet."
Apple is hoping its feel-good holiday ad campaign — featuring a chorus of woodland creatures singing about friendship — will inspire consumers to rush out and buy a brand-new iPhone 17. On Thursday, Apple released “A Critter Carol,” a 2-minute, 24-second film starring nine
Shu Qi arrived at the Singapore International Film Festival with the clarity of someone closing a long, emotionally taxing cycle. Her directorial debut “Girl” opened the festival the previous night, marking what she described as “the final stop” of a journey that has stretched
Turkish auteur Nuri Bilge Ceylan has responded to criticism regarding his participation in Iran’s government-run Fajr Film Festival, saying that it should not be considered a show of support for the Iranian regime. Bilge Ceylan, winner of the Cannes Palme d’Or in 2014 for
Toonz Media Group CEO P. Jayakumar is stepping down from his role after more than 26 years at the helm of the Indian animation studio, effective Nov. 30. During his tenure, Jayakumar transformed Toonz from a pioneering Indian animation studio into a global entertainment player
When the British Independent Film Awards recently unveiled its list of 2025 nominees, there were cheers from within the U.K. industry over the number of first-time filmmakers dominating the categories. Akinola Davies Jr’s “My Father’s Shadow” and Harry Lighton’s “Pillion” —
The Danish premiere of Christophe Hermans and Boris Tilquin's doc 'Merckx - Race of a Champion' and a podcast event will put the spotlight on the man who has been called the greatest cyclist of all time.