RisingJoy has launched RJOY, a direct-to-consumer microdrama streaming service, initially available to audiences in the U.S. and Japan via TikTok Minis, the in-app feature that enables access to vertical content. The launch was revealed by Cassandra Yang, CEO and co-founder of
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.
Los Angeles quartet the Linda Lindas, who first captured national attention as teenagers (or pre-teenagers) in 2018, have signed with Reprise-Warner Records and celebrated by releasing the new single and video “Burning Out,” likely a precursor to a third album from the group.
Ian McKellen revealed at a recent film festival in Rome (via The Guardian) that he channeled his fury for Donald Trump during an action scene in “Avengers: Doomsday,” in which the 87-year-old actor returns as his iconic “X-Men” villain Magneto. The film’s directors, the Russo
Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” star Jordan Klepper has now produced seven of his “Fingers the Pulse” specials, with another one on the way. And if there’s anything he’s learned from his time out in the field, it’s that Americans love to talk to people with a camera. “When
This year’s amfAR Venezia benefit gala will honor renowned conceptual and performance artist Marina Abramović. The sixth annual event returns to Venice, Italy, on Sept. 6. “It is an honor to recognize the humanitarian impact of Marina Abramović’s work and philanthropy in
West Wilson won’t be returning for “Summer House” Season 11 when the Bravo show begins filming in the Hamptons in early July, a source has confirmed. His contract has not been renewed. After delivering its most-watched season ever — propelled by an intra-cast scandal that put
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas’ creative clash over “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” was recently revealed in a Spielberg oral history published by Vulture. Franchise producer Kathleen Kennedy noted how Spielberg and leading man Harrison Ford were both
From drip coffee makers to French presses to pour-overs, there are numerous ways to make a quality cup of coffee. But avid coffee drinkers know that the beans are the most important, which is why subscription services that expertly curate artisanal and locally-sourced beans are
A new original animated series with the working title “Journey” has been greenlit for Disney+. The show is currently in production from Disney Kids & Family and Higher Ground. Per the logline, “When the energy shield protecting her city begins to fail, Journey answers a
If you have a tendency to leave shopping to the very last second, you’re certainly not alone. While there’s still ample time to procure the perfect gift, if you do procrastinate this year, you’ve still got plenty of options that you can order and send instantly online — but
S. Craig Zahler‘s indie crime drama also stars Vince Vaughn and Patrick Schwarzenegger.
Executive producer Ben Winston is no stranger to producing variety specials. He counts “The Late Late Show,” “The Grammy Awards,” and more among his credits. When it came to bringing “Wicked: One Wonderful Night” to audiences, his biggest concern was: “How do we do justice to
Can any of this year’s Oscar acting contenders receive a double take? One of the most notable rule changes for the 99th Oscars allows an actor to earn multiple nominations in the same category, provided each performance ranks among the top five vote getters. Previously, only
On today’s episode of “Daily Variety” podcast, in our Box Office segment, Variety’s Rebecca Rubin weighs the opening weekend of Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day.” And Todd Spangler breaks down the surprise news of Fox Corp.’s acquisition of Roku. On the performance of
Stepping into the shoes of a character as iconic as James Garner’s Jim Rockford from the 1970s detective drama “The Rockford Files” might deter some actors. Not David Boreanaz. “People say that maybe you shouldn’t do it,” he says during a trip to the Monte-Carlo Television
Hulu has added four new cast members to the upcoming legal drama series “Conviction.” Variety has learned exclusively that Linda Emond has been cast in a series regular role, while Zainab Jah, Ashley Zukerman and Jose Zúñiga have all joined in recurring guest star roles. The
Taylor-Joy will play the elf Seren in the Andy Serkis-directed 'Hunt for Gollum.'
MiniMax has launched Hub, a multimodal AI video generator that consolidates image creation, video, voiceover, music and editing into a single platform. Xu Lüyang, from the product operations department of MiniMax, introduced the tool at the Shanghai International Film Festival.
Animayo Gran Canaria, Spain’s foremost animation film festival, has awarded its top prizes to family-themed “18 Months” and “Because Today is Saturday” (“Porque hoy es sabado”). Both features will go on to compete at the Oscars given that Animayo remains the first and only
BTS fans can soon get a deeper look inside some of the group’s most beloved songs. “BTS Lyrics Inside,” a new official book from the K-pop superstars, is set to be released Sept. 15 through Running Press Adult and is currently available to pre-order. The 184-page hardcover is
CMX Cinemas has acquired select iPic theater and restaurant locations in Texas, Georgia, Florida, Maryland and New Jersey. The locations will continue to operate under the iPic name, offering dine-in cinema experiences, luxury seating and chef-driven food and beverage
Anya Taylor-Joy is the latest star to join the cast of “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.” The New Line and Warner Bros. film is directed by and starring Andy Serkis, who returns to play Gollum, alongside Ian McKellen (as Gandalf), Elijah Wood (Frodo) and Lee Pace
New Orleans icons Cash Money Records and No Limit Records — two of the most legendary labels in hip-hop history — are taking their Verzuz battle last year to arenas nationwide later this year with a tour featuring Master P, Birdman, Juvenile, Silkk The Shocker, Mannie Fresh,
Hong Kong cinema stalwart Derek Yee spoke about taking responsibility for nurturing younger generations of filmmakers at Shanghai International Film Festival’s forum on Hong Kong’s “Director’s Succession Scheme.” The panel was joined by filmmakers from younger generations,
Adam McKay is a big fan of Climate Defiance’s no holds barred approach to shaming fossil fuel companies and the corporations and politicians who support them. The non-profit is known for its provocative protests, which include everything from unfurling a banner stating “Eat
The “FX on Hulu” confusion is over — you just might have missed it if you weren’t tuning in closely across both platforms. When Season 5 of “The Bear” debuts on June 25, it will mark the first returning FX on Hulu series that will simultaneously release on linear cable channel
Sheridan Smith, Alison Steadman and ‘SNL U.K.’s Hammed Animashaun are set to lend their voices to an adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s “The Baddies.” Smith will narrate the half-hour animation from multi-Oscar-nominated production company Magic Light Pictures
For the first time, Love Island USA is hosting a theatrical screening of the anticipated episode at 28 theaters across the country on Monday, June 22
Taylor Swift’s run as a true action figure on the charts continues as her “Toy Story 5” song “I Knew It, I Knew You” was announced Monday as debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s only the third time a theme song from an animated Disney film has reached the summit,
Director Louis Leterrier's sci-fi film launches this summer.
The Icon Creative Studio has tapped the 'Back to the Future' star for the part of Dougie, an overworked, ordinary worker transformed into a mighty dragon ruling the skies.
A billion dollars? During summer movie season? Groundbreaking. “The Devil Wears Prada 2” has grossed $676 million at the global box office, propelling the franchise past the $1 billion mark. That’s combined with the haul from the original 2004 film, which ended its run with
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is getting into the musical theater game. The pro wrestling promotion has announced a partnership with the stage show “The Last Match: A Pro-Wrestling Rock Experience.” Under the partnership, “The Last Match” will take over a venue near Tottenham Court
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the newly elected Board of Governors for the 2026-2027 term year. The new board is comprised of a mixture of new faces to the board, like director Guillermo del Toro and composer Kris Bowers, returning incumbents
Five people who previously served as governors and then took mandatory two-year hiatuses were re-elected, as were nine incumbent governors.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is officially underway, and with it comes a wave of events cropping up around the U.S. as one of three host countries. Airbnb is capitalizing on the excitement with a lineup of watch parties, fan meet-ups and food tours through the month of June.
“Creepy,” the popular creepypasta podcast created and hosted by Jon Grilz, has a new home. Be Afraid Media has acquired full ownership or “Creepy,” including its catalog of over 1,200 episodes, almost all of which have been sourced from and shaped by a community of fan writers.
When she’s up for a TV role, Lesley Manville doesn’t care which platform the show in question is going out on. “My job is just to go there and deliver a character,” she says, “so whether it’s for the BBC, ITV, Netflix, it doesn’t really make any difference to me.” Not that the
Issues of under-written female roles, mid-life career transitions, and negotiating male-dominated spaces took center stage at the 2nd edition of the Kering Women in Motion forum at the Shanghai International Film Festival. The high-profile panel at Shanghai’s historic Cathay
Former Netflix and Warner Bros. executive Victoria Furniss has launched the Alliance for Responsible Innovation in the Arts & Media, a new AI-focused content coalition dedicated to supporting “responsible and sustainable AI innovation and the importance of human creativity.”
Lin-Manuel Miranda has penned a new original song for Disney’s live-action “Moana” “Along The Way” with both “Moana” actresses leading the vocals. The song is performed by Catherine Laga‘aia, who portrays Moana in the upcoming film; Dwayne Johnson, who reprises his role as the
“Fargo” and “Alien: Earth” creator Noah Hawley’s production company 26 Keys has named industry veteran Mia Ammer to a top strategic role. Ammer, who has worked expansively across the Hollywood studios and at major firms, has been named executive VP of marketing and public
“The Four Seasons” will soon be three seasons. Tina Fey’s vacationing comedy series has been renewed by Netflix for an eight-episode Season 3. Jinny Howe, the streamer’s head of scripted series, made the announcement during a conversation with Variety‘s Michael Schneider at the
“Stranger Things” creators Matt and Ross Duffer have set their first film under their rich, four-year deal at Paramount. The Duffer brothers will write and direct a new, yet-to-be-titled movie at the studio, dated for wide theatrical release on November 3, 2028. Details about
Ron Perlman is set to guest star in the new episode of Dropout’s “Game Changer,” Variety has learned exclusively. Perlman will appear in Episode 3 of the show’s ongoing eighth season, which will debut tonight at 7 p.m. ET. The 10 episode seasons releases biweekly. Exact details
Variety will honor Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey with the Variety Legend & Groundbreaker Award at Filmland in Little Rock, Ark., on Friday, August 14. The award recognizes artists who have broken barriers in the industry and withstood the test of time.
Substack wants to simplify the search for sponsorship revenue for its thousands of newsletter writers. The platform on Monday said it debut a new stage of its native sponsorships program that gives individual creators to strike up partnerships with advertisers such as Yahoo
The duo's project will arrive on Nov. 3, 2028.
Peter Serafinowicz has been cast as Peeves the Poltergeist in HBO’s “Harry Potter” series. The character, a cheeky ghost known for causing trouble in the Hogwarts halls, is a fan-favorite who didn’t appear in any of the original “Harry Potter” movies. Serafinowicz, who is
