‘La Gradiva’ Wins Cannes Critics’ Week

Marine Atlan's directorial debut, about a group of French teenagers on a school trip to Naples, took top honors in the Cannes sidebar for first and second features.

Meet Rover, the Shorts Streamer That Aims to Democratize Moviemaking: It’s ‘Like Sitting in the Room With the Filmmaker’

Sitting in front of an expansive wall of floor to ceiling bookcases, David Michôd, the director behind films like “Animal Kingdom” and “The King,” confesses that for the first ten years after film school, he was “stone cold broke.” “I really didn’t know if there was a career

Damon Lindelof Reveals Why He Was Fired From Star Wars Movie: Story Was the ‘Protestant Reformation Inside Star Wars’

“Lost” and “Watchmen” mastermind Damon Lindelof has detailed why he was fired from writing a Star Wars movie and teases what the tale would’ve been about. Lindelof was a guest on the May 18 episode of The Ringer’s “House of R” podcast and, early on in a lengthy discussion about

‘Michael Jackson: The Verdict’ Doc to Pick Up ‘Michael’ Story With Sex Abuse Trial

Three-part docuseries will reexamine both sides of the 2005 trial in which Jackson was acquitted of molesting boys

How Michael Jackson’s ‘Chicago’ Went From Leftover Track to Viral Hit Decades Later

Michael Jackson’s biopic might have left some critics cold, but it’s a runaway success by every other measure. Antoine Fuqua’s “Michael” just passed $700 million at the global box office, while renewed interest in the late superstar’s catalog has sent classics like “Billie

Netflix’s Cliff Booth Movie to Get Two-Week Imax Run

The film arrives in Imax theaters globally Thanksgiving and stars Brad Pitt.

‘Cliff Booth’ Movie, Starring Brad Pitt, Takes Over ‘Narnia’s’ Imax Slot This Thanksgiving

Cliff Booth is returning to the big screen. “The Adventures of Cliff Booth,” the unofficial title for the sequel to Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” will debut in Imax this Thanksgiving. Netflix has announced the film will get an exclusive two-week run on

Michael Bay to Direct Operation Epic Fury Rescue Movie for Universal

The film is based on Mitchell Zuckoff's forthcoming book and marks Bay's second collaboration with the journalist following '13 Hours.'

Michael Bay to Direct Operation Epic Fury Rescue Film About Two Pilots Recovered From Iran

Michael Bay is working on a new film about a major military operation. Bay, who previously directed the 2016 military drama “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi,” is working with Universal Pictures to direct a film about the two pilots who were rescued from Iran during

Matt Damon Eyes ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ Directing Duo’s Next Movie After Ryan Gosling Drops Out

Matt Damon is in talks to star in the next movie from “Everything Everywhere All at Once” directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. He’s being eyed for the lead after Ryan Gosling, who had been circling the role, exited the project due to creative differences and scheduling

‘Victorian Psycho’ Director on the Challenge of Making a ‘Demented’ and ‘Funny’ Movie Where You Root for Maika Monroe’s Serial Killer

“Victorian Psycho” is a film that lives up to its brazen title. Maika Monroe plays Winifred Notty, a young governess who arrives at the sweeping Ensor House in the 1850s, ready to work for the well-to-do Pounds family. But Winifred also harbors a violent past and dark impulses,

JB Smoove Inks First-Look Deal With Fox for Unscripted Content

JB Smoove has signed a multi-year, first-look deal with Fox Entertainment Studios for unscripted content. Under the pact, Smoove will serve as an executive producer and creative collaborator on a programming slate that will span formats and genres. Smoove’s banner Alternate

Miles Teller Says Being Called a “Dick” in Magazine Profile Felt Like a “Violation”

The ‘Paper Tiger’ star still feels burned by a 2015 Esquire magazine story that accused him of looking to "charm the world with his dickishness."

Rio2C, Latin America’s Largest Creativity Meet, Consolidates as International Event

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — The 2026 edition of Rio2C, the largest creativity gathering in Latin America, looks set to consolidate the event as a top international meeting, particularly of talents and execs from Spanish-speaking countries in the region, said Rafael Lazarini,

Michael Jackson Docuseries Set at Netflix, Will Explore His 2005 Child Molestation Trial and Acquittal

A new three-part Netflix series about the explosive 2005 Michael Jackson trial, “Michael Jackson: The Verdict” is set to premiere on June 3. The docuseries covers the pop icon’s 2003 charges of child molestation, the resulting trial and the media circus that revolved around the

Critics’ Week 2026: Marine Atlan’s ‘La Gradiva,’ Aina Clotet’s ‘Viva’ Take Top Awards

Marine Atlan’s “La Gradiva” claimed the top honor at the 65th edition of Critics Week, winning the Ami Paris Grand Prize, while Aina Clotet’s “Alive” won the Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award. The section, which is curated by Ava Cahen and runs parallel to the

Matt Damon in Talks to Star in Daniels’ New Movie as First Plot Details Come to Light

Ryan Gosling previously engaged on the role but wanted changes to the script. This feature is shooting this summer in L.A. come hell or high water, and there was no time to accommodate the star.

Paramount’s Junk-Status Credit Rating to Be Downgraded Further Following Warner Bros. Merger to Reflect ‘Major Ongoing Uncertainties,’ S&P Global Says

S&P Global Ratings already has placed Paramount Skydance’s credit rating in junk-status territory — indicating that the media conglomerate’s debt securities are considered speculative-grade. But if and when Paramount completes its megadeal for Warner Bros. Discovery, the

Stephen Colbert Shook Up Late-Night Twice, but His Push Into Politics Could Have Ultimately Hurt the Format

Stephen Colbert in 2016 tried to bring together a nation that was coming apart. On Election Night, Colbert and crew mounted a live special for the Showtime cable network, and as more electoral votes were called for Donald Trump, cementing a victory that set many Americans on

Heat of the Moment: How Al Gore and ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ Changed the Way We Think About Climate Issues

Davis Guggenheim had given notice and was on the way out of his job as a Participant Media creative executive in 2005 when producers Lawrence Bender and Laurie David came to him with an idea. At the time, former Vice President Al Gore was touring the country giving slideshow

Xbox Hires Matthew Ball as Chief Strategy Officer

Xbox has hired Matthew Ball, a video game analyst best known for his popular annual state of video gaming report, as its new chief of strategy. The decision was announced by new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma Wednesday, along with the new hires of Scott Van Vliet as chief technology

Storytelling and Sustainability: Hollywood’s Top Creatives Weave Climate Themes into TV and Movies

Storytelling and Sustainability: Timely Tales With Climate Themes Have the Power to Drive Change

In Pixar’s “Hoppers,” the protagonist is Mabel, an animal rights activist who fights a greedy mayor over a development project that threatens to replace a beloved beaver habitat with metal trees. On the CBS drama series “Fire Country,” the heroes battle increasingly ferocious

Joaquin Phoenix on the Mental Health Crisis Hidden Inside Factory Farms

It is a common call for consumers to demand improved conditions on factory farms and in slaughterhouses—as it should be. But May invites us not to speak about animals, but another stigmatized issue that deserves attention and care. Mental Health Awareness Month allows us to

Greece Champions $927 Million Film Plan at Cannes After Being Home to New Christopher Nolan and Brad Pitt Movie Productions

Greece arrived at the Cannes Film Festival buoyed by a string of recent international shoots — like Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” in the Peloponnese and “The Riders,” the Brad Pitt-led A24 title that filmed on the island of Hydra and across mainland Greece earlier this year

‘Talladega Nights’ Races Back to Theaters for 20th Anniversary

“Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” will be racing back into theaters this summer to celebrate the comedy’s 20th anniversary. The film will return to theaters nationwide on June 28, June 30 and July 1. “NASCAR stock car racing sensation Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) is

‘The Testaments’ Renewed for Season 2 at Hulu

“The Testaments” has been renewed for Season 2 at Hulu. The series, which serves as followup to “The Handmaid’s Tale,” originally debuted in April. The renewal news comes just ahead of the Season 1 finale, which is scheduled to drop on May 27. The series stars Ann Dowd, Chase

Quinta Brunson to Develop and Star in ‘Betty Boop’ Feature Film From Fleischer Studios and Fifth Chance Productions (EXCLUSIVE)

Quinta Brunson is stepping into the world’s most famous flapper. The “Abbott Elementary” creator and Emmy winner will develop and star as Betty Boop in a feature film adaptation of the nearly century-old animated icon, Variety has learned exclusively. Brunson’s company, Fifth

Miles Teller Stepped Away From Magazine Profiles After ‘Mishandled’ ‘Esquire’ Interview

In 2015, Esquire alluded to Teller being “kind of a dick,” he recalled in a recent conversation, “It felt like such a violation of what actually transpired”

‘The Boys’ Finale: Creator Explains Those Major Deaths, How Canceled ‘Gen V’ Season 3 Would’ve Continued the Story and ‘Embryonic’ Spinoff Ideas

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for the series finale of “The Boys,” now streaming on Prime Video. After seven years, the Boys have finally won their battle against Vought — but it came at a steep price. In a climactic battle that fans have been waiting for since

‘Ms. Marvel’ Star Iman Vellani Makes Solo Comics Writing Debut With ‘Chachu’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Iman Vellani, known for playing Kamala Khan in “Ms. Marvel,” will make her solo comics writing debut with “Chachu,” a five-issue neo-noir miniseries illustrated by Marianna Ignazzi and colored by Jordie Bellaire, set for release from Image Comics and Tiny Onion on Aug. 5. Set

‘Bridgerton’ Star Claudia Jessie Signs With Range (EXCLUSIVE)

Claudie Jessie has signed with Range Media Partners for representation, Variety has learned exclusively. She continues to be represented by Hatch Talent, Sloane Offer Weber & Dern, and Multitude Media. Jessie is best known for her role in the hit Shondaland Netflix series

NewFest Executive Director David Hatkoff Exits After Seven Years, Search Underway for Replacement (EXCLUSIVE)

NewFest executive director David Hatkoff is stepping down after seven years with the New York City LGBTQ film festival. Lesli Klainberg, longtime president of Film at Lincoln Center and a former NewFest executive director, has been appointed in the interim. Kevin Chase

Laura Benanti and Tituss Burgess to Host ‘The Tony Awards: Act One’ Pre-Show

Broadway’s biggest night has locked in its opening act. Laura Benanti and Tituss Burgess will host “The Tony Awards: Act One,” the official live pre-show ahead of the 79th Annual Tony Awards, announced by the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League. The free streaming

LACMA Launches New Billboard Campaign Timed to Opening of David Geffen Galleries (EXCLUSIVE)

LACMA has launched Very LACMA, a new public-facing promotional campaign timed to the opening of the new David Geffen Galleries. The citywide Los Angeles billboard campaign hopes to attract new museum visitors and reintroduce the art institution to communities throughout Los

CNN Hires Ex-Peacock Exec Anna Frost as Head of Worldwide Marketing (EXCLUSIVE)

CNN has hired Anna Frost, formerly a top marketing exec at NBCUniversal’s Peacock — and a CNN alum — as head of marketing for CNN Worldwide. In the role, Frost will oversee CNN’s consolidated brand marketing and growth marketing groups. She will oversee creative, brand strategy

‘A Man of His Time’ Review: Swann Arlaud Excels in a Provocative and Pained Portrait of a Self-Deluding Vichy France Collaborator

In these terrible, wounded times, when geopolitical upheaval has consequences so personal we might trip over them at our own doorsteps, and when our own attempts to live normal lives come freighted with guilt that we’re essentially dancing while others die, there is sobering

Bowling, Balls and Ballots: Inside the Business of Mayoral Hopeful Spencer Pratt

Spencer Pratt appeared last year in “Got to Get Out,” an eight-episode Hulu series about reality stars living in a mansion. At the time, his home had just burned down, and he and wife Heidi Montag were taking whatever offers came their way. On the press tour, he was asked

Jeff Bezos Defends ‘Melania’ Documentary as a ‘Very Wise Business Decision,’ Denies It Was a ‘Way of Buying Influence’ With Trump Administration

Jeff Bezos insists that Amazon MGM Studios’ decision to acquire and release “Melania,” a documentary about the First Lady, was smart business — and not an attempt to curry favor with her husband. In an interview Wednesday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” the Amazon founder was asked

‘Just F—ing Go for It’: How ‘Supergirl’ Star Milly Alcock Learned to Ignore the Trolls and Became a Punk Rock Superhero

A few days ago, Milly Alcock flew from Kyoto to Los Angeles after finishing production on a new movie. Then, after a fitting, she traveled to Las Vegas to do some press and appear onstage as part of DC Studios’ CinemaCon presentation for “Supergirl.” She’d gotten one hour of

‘My Sassy Girl’ 4K Restoration Lands at Film Movement Classics for North American Theatrical Debut (EXCLUSIVE)

Kwak Jae-young’s “My Sassy Girl,” the 2001 Korean romantic comedy credited as one of the first major international breakthroughs of the Hallyu wave, will reach North American theaters in a new 4K restoration following an acquisition by Film Movement Classics. The deal was

Asghar Farhadi on Paris-Set ‘Parallel Tales’ and Returning to War-Battered Iran: ‘It’s Like Having a Sick Mother…You Cannot Leave Her and Just Let Her Be’

Two-time Oscar-winning Iranian auteur Asghar Farhadi is back in Cannes for the fifth time with French-language drama “Parallel Tales,” a film he made in exile after leaving Iran in 2022. He had decided not to return following the death of Mahsa Amini and the ensuing protests

Moonwalking to Box Office Glory: How Lionsgate’s Nostalgic, Fan-Centric Marketing Campaign Turned ‘Michael’ Into a Blockbuster

Instagram was one of the early clues that “Michael” was destined for blockbuster status. Nowadays, studios often secure a movie’s social media handles years before launching the marketing campaign. After Lionsgate claimed @michaelmovie for its Michael Jackson biopic, executives

Jordan Firstman on A24’s $17 Million ‘Club Kid’ Deal and Going From ‘Punching Bag’ to Cannes Sensation: ‘It’s Been the Best Week of My Life’

Jordan Firstman is having the run of his career at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. While he’s awestruck at the success of his directorial debut “Club Kid” — a festival selection that commanded a $17 million sale to A24 after a bidding war against six studio competitors – he

Jenna Ortega to Star in Leos Carax’s Next Film ‘Lily May B,’ Produced by France’s Hugo Selignac (EXCLUSIVE)

In one of the most exciting projects unveiled at Cannes, Jenna Ortega is set to play the lead role in the “Lily May B,” the anticipated next film by visionary French auteur Leos Carax. Slated to start shooting in Spring 2027, “Lily May B” will mark his follow-up to “Annette,” a

Sophie Thatcher on Making ‘Her Private Hell,’ How Nicolas Winding Refn Became the ‘Cool Dad I Never Had’ and Wanting to Work With More European Directors: ‘I Don’t Want to Be Safe’

Sophie Thatcher hasn’t been sleeping much lately. “It’s been a blur,” the 25-year-old actor says when we meet Tuesday afternoon on a rooftop in Cannes. It’s the “Yellowjackets” and “Heretic” breakout’s first time at the film festival — though she fits right into the glamour

Ron Howard on Capturing Photographer Richard Avedon’s ‘Artistic Endurance’ in Cannes Documentary: ‘You Can Be Commercial and Not a Sellout’

Over the weekend, Ron Howard made his ninth trip to the Cannes Film Festival to debut his latest documentary, “Avedon,” about the legendary photographer Richard Avedon. But, en route to the French Riviera, the Oscar-winning director made a pit stop at the University of Oklahoma

New York Music Month Unveils 2026 Schedule: Samara Joy, Nile Rodgers, Frankie Grande and More

The New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment has announced the full slate of programming for the 9th annual New York Music Month, the city’s official music festival, held every June. This year’s schedule includes more than 60 free events for artists, industry

Mindy Kaling Understands Weight Loss Criticisms: ‘It’s Sometimes No Fun When Your Favorite Actors Lose Weight’ After You’ve ‘Grown Attached to Them’

Mindy Kaling opened up in a new interview with Bustle about the constant online backlash she receives over her dramatic weight loss journey, saying it’s not fun to be scrutinized on social media while also acknowledging that such criticism is somewhat understandable from her