Maggie Gyllenhaal joined The New York Times’ “The Interview” podcast to discuss her latest directorial effort, “The Bride,” and revealed how the studio test screening process took her to task over the movie’s depiction of violence and sexual violence. Gyllenhaal wrote and
Harry Styles: musician, actor, business founder and… marathoner? During his time away from the spotlight, the hearthrob singer ran both the Tokyo and Berlin marathons at an impressive sub-three-hour pace — during which eagle-eyed fans (and The New York Times) were quick to
iPic Theaters, a cinema chain that specializes in dine-in service, has filed for bankruptcy protection for a second time. The company is pursuing a sale through Chapter 11 in Florida federal court as it grapples with lighter release schedules and declining ticket sales. iPic
On today’s episode of “Daily Variety” podcast, Variety’s Michael Schneider examines the questions swirling around HBO as the storied brand braces for Paramount’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. Casey Bloys and Co. are waiting on word of how the premium TV pioneer will
Jon Beavers has joined the cast of NBC’s drama pilot that hails from Dean Georgaris and John Fox, Variety has confirmed. In addition, Jennifer Morrison has come onboard to direct. Beavers joins previously announced series lead Emily Deschanel and fellow cast member An-Li Bogan
Season 4 of “Bridgerton” returned to the No. 1 position on the Netflix Top 10 after the release of its final four episodes, hitting 28 million views. With batched releases like “Bridgerton,” Netflix combines all views of a single season into one total, meaning a viewership
Apple TV has set a first look deal with Annie Weisman, creator and showrunner of “Physical” and “Imperfect Women.” “Imperfect Women” premieres on March 18 and stars Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington and Kate Mara as a group of friends whose decades-long relationship is shattered
Amazon is pulling the plug on the Wondery dedicated podcast app and Wondery+ subscription service. Customer notices posted Tuesday to the Wondery site said, “Wondery+ is ending in the coming months. Both the Wondery app and Wondery+ subscription service will no longer be
Charli xcx, Rufus Du Sol and the Strokes have been tapped to headline Outside Lands in San Francisco, taking place on August 7-9. The 18th annual event, which will take place at Golden Gate Park, features a robust lineup that also includes the xx, Baby Keem, Turnstyle, Djo,
Fifth Season has announced the launch of Quite Contrary Pictures, a new non-scripted and documentary production banner headed by Emmy-winning executive Mary Lisio. Quite Contrary Pictures will serve as the new home for all of Fifth Season’s non-scripted works. Lisio will serve
Calling all Liza fans! Barnes & Nobles is currently selling signed copies of Liza Minnelli’s new memoir, in limited quantities. The new release is, unsurprisingly, flying off the shelves — so you’ll want to act fast. The global icon and EGOT winner finally tells her own story
“Squid Game” is giving celebrities the green light with a new installment of the reality competition spinoff, titled “The VIP Challenge.” In the new iteration, “eight VIPs will step into the high stakes game and put their wit, strategy and skillset to the ultimate test,”
TLC’s newest show about an insular religious community, “Suddenly Amish,” has almost wrapped its eight-episode first season, and despite the conservative reputation of the religious sect, it stars a churchgoing diva named James who delivers more drama than a whole season of
Netflix has set an official premiere date for its “Little House on the Prairie” series, with the streamer also announcing the show has already been renewed for Season 2. The new “Little House on the Prairie,” based on the beloved Laura Ingalls Wilder book series, will launch on
Ryan Gosling’s press junket for “Project Hail Mary” took a wildly unexpected turn after reporter Jake Hamilton was forced to interview the Oscar nominee on video while stranded on the side of the road. Hamilton, who publishes video interviews on his “Jake’s Takes” YouTube page,
“If I Go Will They Miss Me,” a coming-of-age drama that premiered at Sundance Film Festival, has landed at indie distributor Rich Spirit. The nearly $1 million deal includes U.S. rights and select international territories. A fall theatrical release is being planned. Walter
"There is, in this moment, enormous political pressure to delete queer people from American media, and that includes young filmmakers who are being shut out of the industry,” said executive director Adam Goldman. “Now it's time to push back."
As a young producer, Gunn worked on an enviable list of big budget studio comedies and family movies.
Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music, will step down in June after six years at the organization’s helm, the ACM announced Tuesday. The announcement stated that Whiteside will remain in his role through June 30, then serve as CEO Emeritus for the remainder of
Maude Apatow’s directorial debut, “Poetic License,” kicks off the 29th Sonoma Intl. Film Festival, with Steven Soderbergh’s “The Christophers,” starring Ian McKellen, set for a centerpiece screening. The festival, which runs March 25-29 in the heart of California wine country,
Film festival chiefs from around the world have signed a joint statement in support of Berlin Film Festival boss Tricia Tuttle, whose future will be debated at a meeting of its governing body tomorrow in Berlin. Among the signatories are the heads of Cannes, Toronto, Sundance,
The “Life Is Strange” series adaptation at Amazon Prime Video has found its two leads. Variety has learned exclusively that Maisy Stella and Tatum Grace Hopkins have been cast in the roles of Chloe and Max, respectively. The show was first reported to be set up at Prime Video
When it comes to making commercials, Western-wear manufacturer Tecovas is going cowboy. Rather than spend its marketing budget crafting only the usual series of traditional 30- or 60-second video ads, the direct-to-consumer company decided to fulfill some bigger ambitions.
Upcoming independent coming-of-age drama “Sicklerville” has announced its ensemble cast. Ruby Modine (“Happy Death Day”), Cody Saintgnue (“Teen Wolf”), James Paxton (“Last Train to Fortune”), Timothy Griffin Allan (“I Saw the TV Glow”), David Anders (“iZombie”), Bailey Denmark,
Film festival bosses from Cannes, Toronto, Telluride, San Sebastian, Tokyo, London and Locarno signed the letter, sent to press on Tuesday.
A guest interview with legendary Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami as a cover story in Runners World is probably not the big media return that Harry Styles’ fans were expecting, but for all his popularity, the singer does know how to keep fans guessing. Yet as one might
Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman also share how viewers can become even more educated about America's prison systems after watching the documentary.
With its mammoth deal for Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount Skydance is set to amass a ton of new debt and it faces a number of other financial risks. Now one of Wall Street’s big credit-rating agencies has downgraded Paramount’s debt to junk status and cut its issuer default
Paris Fashion Week may be a stomping ground for luxury brands but François Arnaud is stomping through the City of Fashion in a trusty pair of Ugg clogs. Over the weekend, Arnaud was spotted arriving at LAX, on his way to Paris, in a pair of Ugg’s new Otzo Clogs in Dark
The Warner Bros. project is the story of Aegon's Conquest, which is also in early development as a series at HBO.
Winter is coming to the big screen. A “Game of Throne” movie is in the works at Warner Bros. from “House of Cards” showrunner and “Andor” writer Beau Willimon. He already submitted a draft, according to Page Six Hollywood, which broke the news of the project. A director hasn’t
Six years after buying out Endemol Shine in the thick of the pandemic, Banijay (“Big Brother,” “Peaky Blinders”) is about to close its merger deal with All3Media (“The Traitors”) to form an even bigger production powerhouse, Variety has confirmed. The joint entity would have
Ghetts, a British rapper and actor who had a role in the Netflix series “Supacell,” has been sentenced to 12 years in jail for the hit-and-run death of a student in London. According to BBC News, Ghetts — whose birth name is Justin Clarke-Samuel — previously pleaded guilty to
“Full Speed” is undergoing some changes and Variety has the exclusive first look. The NASCAR and Words+Pictures series, which aired its first two seasons on Netflix, will move to Prime Video for the third installment — a full-length film. Seasons 1 and 2 are also now available
Veronica Beard is adding a dose of Parisian wit to its spring lineup. The New York-based ready-to-wear brand has teamed with contemporary French artist Thomas Lélu on a limited-edition capsule collection timed to its Spring 2026 “Spring Forward” campaign, bringing the artist’s
A team creatives and marketing experts, led by the producer of 2019’s microbudget viral hit “The VelociPastor” (about a crime-fighting clergyman who transforms into a dinosaur, of course), have teamed up to launch a new creative agency and production company. The New York-based
The newest company in the media sector is getting ready to tackle some of the most lucrative properties in the business. Versant Media, the company that was spun off from NBCUniversal earlier this year, believes it may get a chance to intercept some of TV’s biggest sports
Billy Barratt, the fast-rising British actor who landed strong critical praise for his performance in the A24 horror “Bring Her Back,” has signed with CAA. In Variety‘s review of the Philippous Brothers’ follow up to their genre smash hit “Talk to Me,” it said it was “striking
Cillian Murphy is back as Tommy Shelby in the long-awaited “Peaky Blinders” movie, “The Immortal Man.” The film brings the beloved show into the age of the WWII as nefarious British gangsters team up with Nazis to tank the U.K. economy. During an interview with The Telegraph,
Based on Carl Hiaasen’s 1987 novel, “Double Whammy,” “Elementary” creator Rob Doherty’s latest drama, ABC’s “RJ Decker,” is a solid crime procedural with an unlikely investigator at its center. This series follows RJ (Scott Speedman), a former photojournalist trying to find his
“Zootopia 2” is coming to the small screen near you: The buddy-cop animated film will be available for your streaming pleasure as the film hits Disney+ on March 11. A sequel to the original 2016 film, “Zootopia 2” brought fans back into the beloved mammal metropolis guided by
Fresh from the ongoing box office and awards season success of “Hamnet,” Liza Marshall’s London-based Hera Pictures is expanding. The independent production company has hired Martha Hood in the newly-created role of head of development, film to lead the development of its
Avast ye! A fresh take on the classic pirate adventure “Treasure Island” is to set sail into the streaming high seas. MGM+ U.S. and Paramount+ U.K. & Ireland have commissioned a major new six-part series inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s 18th century swashbuckling epic,
AMC Networks wants to help advertisers understand more about what happens after video viewers see their commercials. The company, best known for its AMC, IFC, and BBC America cable networks, among others, said it expanded efforts to help sponsors examine what is known in the
“The Son-in-Law” (“El yerno”), the latest from “Miss Bala” director Gerardo Naranjo, is set to debut May 1 worldwide on Netflix following an April 19 theatrical release in Mexico. The wry comedy features a crack team comprising co-founder and former CEO of Focus Features James
Actor and producer Marsai Martin will host this year’s Essence Black Women in Hollywood luncheon, with Michael B. Jordan, Delroy Lindo, Ryan Coogler, Teyana Taylor and Jurnee Smollett joining the program as presenters. The 19th annual luncheon will salute Chase Infiniti, Kerry
Game publisher Wizards of the Coast has announced the 2026 roadmap for Dungeons & Dragons, featuring the concept of “Seasons,” aiming to provide broader context to product drops. The upcoming seasons include: Season of Horror which is anchored by “Ravenloft: The Horrors Within”
Paramount Skydance’s $110 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery is not just a Hollywood deal. Powered by $24 billion from sovereign wealth funds in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, the proposed merger is sparking debate over soft power, influence and media independence at a
Jasmine Sharma, a playwright and performer who was recently a finalist for the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, has signed with WME for representation. She will be repped by Lizzy Weingold in the theater department. The New York-based Sharma, who aims to focus her work
Tyler Perry is turning up the heat at Netflix. As part of his creative partnership with the streamer, Perry will write, direct and produce the firefighter drama series “Where There’s Smoke.” According to its official logline, the 16-episode show “follows the lives of a group of
