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.
The Oscar-winning actor has denied two of the three new claims made against him, which allege cases of sexual assault between 2000 and 2013.
With “Stranger Things” introducing a Hawkins float and Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions making an ad play during the event this year, the 99th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off the holiday season with massive balloons, floats and hot performances from Busta
Kevin Spacey is set to face three more claims of sexual assault in London civil court next year. According to BBC News, three men have sued the actor over allegations that he assaulted them between 2000 and 2013. At a hearing in London’s High Court on Wednesday, a provisional
For its inaugural edition, the Doha Film Festival marks a major expansion of the Doha Film Institute’s role in developing homegrown talent, an effort the institute has cultivated for 15 years through grants, labs and year-round training initiatives, including Qumra, Ajyal and
“Behind the Palm Trees” director Meryem Benm’barek is grappling with mixed emotions as her film prepares for its world premiere at the Marrakech Film Festival. On one hand, the Moroccan auteur — whose feature debut “Sofia” was celebrated in Un Certain Regard in 2018 — is deeply
At one of the most heavily attended talks of the Doha Film Festival, Arab-American comedians Ramy Youssef and Mo Amer laid out a vision for a new era of Arab storytelling, calling on regional investors and emerging filmmakers to back original narratives and expand the creative
SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers from Season 5, Volume 1 of “Stranger Things.” In the battle that concludes Volume 1 of “Stranger Things 5” — in “Sorcerer,” written and directed by Matt and Ross Duffer — it appears at first that all is lost. The murderous creatures
Kristin Chenoweth took to Instagram Wednesday night to share her thoughts on the recent cancellation of her musical “The Queen of Versailles” and to thank her fans for supporting the show. “Hi everybody, it’s Kristin Chenoweth,” she said. “I just wanted to say, I know some of
The Japanese film was released more than a decade before the first 'Hunger Games' installment.
“South Park” Season 28 delivered a Thanksgiving special on Wednesday, which saw the citizens of the Colorado mountain town running in the annual Turkey Trot while United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth tried to bust Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel out of jail. The episode
The Singapore International Film Festival launched its 36th edition with international star Shu Qi’s first feature as director, marking the event’s most successful opening in its history. The festival opened on Nov. 26 at Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands, with Shu Qi’s “Girl,” a
There’s less Christmas cheer than anti-Scrooge snark in “Jingle Bell Heist,” a lightweight crime caper doubling as yuletide romantic comedy. Cinematographer-turned-director Michael Fimognari, assuming both roles here, lends a pleasing look and pace to this London-set tale of
Ahead of the release of “Stranger Things 5,” which dropped on Netflix at 8 p.m. EST on Wednesday, series creator Ross Duffer posted a PSA on Instagram, walking viewers through their television settings to ensure that everything is set up for a proper viewing experience. With
It’s time to return to Hawkins and the Upside Down one last time. After more than three years since Season 4 came out, “Stranger Things” returns with its fifth and final season on Netflix. Season 5 will take place 18 months after the events of Season 4, where the small town of
“Stranger Things” briefly pulled Netflix into the Upside Down. The streamer crashed at 5 p.m. PT on Wednesday, just as the highly anticipated fifth season of the sci-fi series premiered. The service was down for about three minutes and continues to have bugs for some users.
It’s been three and a half years since the most recent season of “Stranger Things” kicked off in May 2022. The first episode of the hit series’ fifth and final installment — delayed by dual Hollywood strikes and the mounting production value of a show that’s ballooned from
Andy and Barbara Muschietti are best known as the brother-sister director-producer duo behind the “It” films and the HBO prequel series, “It: Welcome to Derry.” But this year, they executive produced an entirely new project about real-world horrors and disappearances that took
The Oscar race for visual effects is down to 20. With multiple sources confirming to Variety, the list of finalists includes a mix of anticipated blockbusters and franchise entries, with major studios Disney, Warner Bros., Universal, Paramount and Netflix dominating the field.
With NBA all-star Kevin Durant now on the Houston Rockets, there’s a new must-see matchup in the Western Conference, as the Rockets travel to the Bay Area to face-off against the Golden State Warriors — Durant’s former team with his former teammates Steph Curry and Draymond
Women in Film India is addressing the emotional toll of working in the entertainment industry with a new mental wellness program designed specifically for women filmmakers. The organization has launched “The Resilience Playbook,” a six-week workshop series focused on mental
Indian filmmaker Devashish Makhija and actor-producer Anshuman Jha are joining forces for a crime noir thriller, marking their first collaboration. The as-yet-untitled project represents a convergence of two distinctive voices in contemporary Indian cinema. Makhija, whose
Ahead of the premiere of “This Tempting Madness” at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), director Jennifer E. Montgomery and actor Suraj Sharma spoke about shaping the psychological thriller’s real-life origins, its non-linear dive into memory and the casting
Ethan Browne, who appeared in films including Kate Hudson’s “Raising Helen” and “Hackers,” was found dead in his home on Tuesday, his father, singer Jackson Browne announced on Instagram. Ethan Zane Browne was 52. The Los Angeles Coroner’s Office lists the cause of death as
“Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion” averaged 6.32 million viewers on Nov. 24, making it the most-watched primetime entertainment special so far this TV season. Taking advantage of strong interest in the reunion, CBS will air an encore of the special on Nov. 28.
At India’s WAVES Film Bazaar’s Knowledge Series, Rachel Griffiths unpacked the path from her breakout as Rhonda in “Muriel’s Wedding” to a career that spans Oscar-nominated turns, prestige U.S. television and now a determined push into authorship. In a candid conversation with
