Before Melissa Etheridge became a stadium rock star, she spent four years playing lesbian bars in and around LA. That atmosphere—a small, rowdy roomful of happy drunken ladies—changed the way she wrote music and performed. Etheridge loved the intimacy of those late nights—being
Outfest is facing turbulent times. The Los Angeles LGBTQ film festival, which was founded in 1982 and has grown into one of the country’s leading queer festivals, is experiencing upheaval in its ranks as executive director Damien Navarro is stepping aside for a “minimum” 45-day
Singapore has picked Ilker Anthony Chen’s coming-of-age Chinese drama The Breaking Ice as its submission to the 2024 Oscars in the best international feature category. The film made its world premiere in May in Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section, with The
SAG-AFTRA has ended its scheduled negotiations with video game producers for a new Interactive Media contract without reaching an agreement. The union has a strike authorization vote in its back pocket, but a joint statement from SAG-AFTRA and the game producers issued late
In 1933, the nascent Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences came between studio executives and film workers during a labor dispute, and the resulting backlash almost led to the organization’s collapse, prompting it, in 1937, to change its bylaws so that it would not play
On the Season 4 premiere of “The Kardashians,” Kim Kardashian and Kourtney Kardashian Barker get into a heated argument. The storyline has been brewing since last season, but fans of the famous family know that the two sisters have been at it for years. But this time seems
In “Silver Dollar Road,” documentarian Raoul Peck foregrounds two resolute women, Mamie Reels Ellison and Kim Renee Duhon — the heir of a deceased landowner and her niece — to tell a story of familial grit, land grabs and the failings, if not the outright biases, of the courts.
Does Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” have enough heat to hit $1 billion globally? At one point, this milestone may have sounded entirely improbable for a three-hour historical drama that mostly depicts scientists talking about theoretical physics. But sure enough, the biopic
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 senior awards editor Clayton Davis.
AMC Networks has joined the ranks of ad-supported streaming. The company said Thursday that it has begun rolling out an ad-supported version of its AMC+ service for broadband users, and will charge $4.99 per month for it, as opposed to the $8.99 per month it seeks for an
Tom Brady is getting the biopic treatment. The Gotham Group is developing a scripted limited series titled “The Patriot Way” about the quarterback, following his rise from a sixth-round NFL draft pick to the global superstar who led the New England Patriots to nine Super Bowls,
Writer-director Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders,” with Austin Butler, Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy, made a splash with festival-goers at the recent Telluride Film Festival. 20th Century Studios has revealed to Variety exclusively that the film will be campaigned for best original
Universal Pictures and Blumhouse thought they had the perfect release date for their upcoming “Exorcist” reboot: A Friday the 13th in October, the spookiest month of the year. But it turns out the only thing more terrifying than that cursed day is Taylor Swift. Once the Grammy
Danielle Brooks, Quinta Brunson and Sandra Oh will be honored at Ghetto Film School’s 2023 fall benefit, the nonprofit academy’s biggest fundraising event of the year. “The benefit is our annual opportunity to celebrate the school’s achievements, and those of our students and
Taylor Sheridan’s hit drama “Yellowstone” made its broadcast debut on CBS last week, with an average 6.6 million viewers tuning in to watch the series premiere that first aired on Paramount Network five years ago. That number decreased to a still-solid 5 million with Episode 2
Renee Bach was 19 when she claims to have heard a calling from God telling her to travel to Uganda on a missionary trip to save children from starvation, poverty and deadly diseases. In 2009, she moved to Jinja, Uganda and opened a charity called Serving His Children. There,
Today’s online music landscape can be the perfect platform for budding independent artists looking to make an impact. Gone are the days of regional barriers, and when it comes to finding undiscovered talent, there are countless algorithms or playlists to source from. This is
As writers hit the picket lines during the 146-day WGA strike, they were absolutely barred from writing anything for the Hollywood studios and streamers. But there was no reason they couldn’t write their own scripts on spec. Now, as Hollywood’s writers return to work, those TV
While the “Saw” series lost some cultural cachet after releasing ten films over nearly 20 years, it’s remained a great party franchise for horror fans. Living and dying by Jigsaw’s gruesome traps, the overarching story has become increasingly convoluted in the pursuit of
“Suits” actor Patrick J. Adams issued an apology on Instagram after he was accused of breaking SAG-AFTRA strike rules by posting behind-the-scenes photos from the show, which has become a streaming blockbuster over the last couple months after making its Netflix debut. Many of
Lizzo has requested a judge dismiss the lawsuit filed last month against her by three of her former dancers. The lawsuit filed by Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez accused the Grammy winner of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment —
Abramorama has acquired North American theatrical rights to Luke Lorentzen’s feature-length documentary “A Still Small Voice.” The pact comes after the film made its world premiere earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, where Lorentzen received the Directing Award:
“They were reality TV before it existed.” That’s how Matt Singer, author of the upcoming book “Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever,” describes the two most famous film critics in history. Like countless fans of his generation, Singer – whose book will be
The strike is over, but the fight is not yet won. On Wednesday, as the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike formally ended after 148 days, Variety spoke with newly elected WGA East president Lisa Takeuchi Cullen and WGA East executive director Lowell Peterson about the end 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 senior awards editor Clayton Davis.
NBCUniversal has promoted Rachel Smith to executive vice president of unscripted content, lifestyle and documentaries. Smith will helm the production of unscripted lifestyle, true crime, documentary and docuseries content development in addition to NBCU’s current programming
Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and J.K. Rowling are among the Harry Potter franchise stars that have paid tribute to the late Michael Gambon, who has died at the age of 82. The giant of the British stage became beloved by U.S. audiences after taking over the role of Hogwarts
Next month’s AFI Fest is coming into focus. The Los Angeles event — headquartered at Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre and set to take place from Oct. 25-29 — has revealed its full lineup including critical favorites that have emerged from the festival circuit so far and a world
Netflix has partnered with the Handy Foundation, an organization that connects below-the-line workers to job opportunities in the entertainment industry, on a new program focused on representation among assistant editors and production coordinators. Netflix and the Handy
Martin Scorsese, the Killers of the Flower Moon crew and several members of the Osage Nation descended upon New York City on Wednesday night to celebrate the premiere of the Apple original film. As the actors strike continues, though, the film’s ensemble cast including Leonardo
Screen Gems has a new leader. Ashley Brucks has been named president of the Sony film division, best known for its lower-budgeted genre and comedy fare. The exec, coming in from Paramount where she served as an exec vp at studio label Paramount Players, steps into the shoes
Barcelona-born director Sara Gutiérrez Galve is following up her 2018 Malaga award-winning debut effort, “Yo La Busco,” with forthcoming dramedy “Mala Gent” (“Bad People”), a wry depiction of the disparate stories of three protagonists living in the town of Gironès, who attend
“Harry Potter” actor Daniel Radcliffe honored his late co-star Michael Gambon in an emotional statement in which he called Gambon “one of the most brilliant, effortless actors I’ve ever had the privilege of working with.” Gambon died Thursday at 82 years old. “With the loss of
In more news emerging from Spain’s San Sebastian Festival, Clara Larraín’s Clara Films has boarded Lucía Lalor’s docu-fiction hybrid “Mam” from Argentina’s Gale Cine. Described as a “thought-provoking autobiographical hybrid documentary that explores how it is to grow up with a
For more than two decades, individuals have been looking for love on TV — in so many different formats. “The Bachelor” has served as a blueprint for many, spawning numerous spinoffs — 60 collective seasons having aired since the first in 2002 — with its very straightforward
Beloved 2004 comedy “13 Going On 30,” which featured Jennifer Garner in the title role, is set to get a musical adaptation from the film’s original writers. Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa are working on a stage reimagining of the movie, which also starred Mark Ruffalo as the
The Rolling Stones have released “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” featuring Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder, the second single off of their upcoming album “Hackney Diamonds.” Frontman Mick Jagger penned the languid blues number at his home in London. Gaga appears on the track as a
The gruesome “Saw” franchise has grossed more than $1 billion at the global box office — but the original 2004 horror film was destined to be a direct-to-video curio. That is, until a pair of rollicking test screenings saved it. “The first one we did in Camarillo [Calif.] and
Hulu has ordered a new social experiment competition series “Got to Get Out” from Wheelhouse. The format will showcase participants living in a mansion for 10 days as they vie for a cash prize that increases by $1 each second they’re in the game. As contestants compete in
Rolling Stone magazine celebrated the 20th anniversary of “School of Rock” with a new oral history in which many of the child actors from the Richard Linklater hit film opened up on the tough years they faced after the film’s blockbuster release. The Jack Black-led comedy was a
“Moonlighting,” the Emmy-nominated 1980s television series that gave Bruce Willis his breakout role, will stream for the first time ever on Oct. 10 on Hulu. All five seasons, consisting of 67 episodes, will be available to watch on the platform. The show, created by Glen Gordon
Amy Israel, the head of scripted at Showtime, is stepping down, Variety has learned. Israel’s formal title is executive vice president of global programming. She will remain with Showtime through the end of the year in a transitional role. The announcement of her departure was
Because of the Hollywood strikes, unscripted fare is king when it comes to fall TV this year, and with new seasons of “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race,” CBS scored some early-season ratings wins on Wednesday night. Viewership of the “Survivor” Season 45 premiere broadcast was
California Gov. Gavin Newsom thinks that Taylor Swift will be a major influence in the forthcoming 2024 presidential election. “Taylor Swift stands tall and unique,” Newsom told TMZ. “What she was able to accomplish in getting young people activated to consider that they have
Epic Games is slashing its workforce by 16%, laying off about 830 employees, as it looks to cut costs and put the Fortnite maker on viable financial footing. The cutbacks were announced in an internal memo from Epic CEO Tim Sweeney. In addition to the layoffs, the company is
Offset, Sexyy Red and Ludacris are just a few of the artists on tap for performances at the upcoming BET Hip Hop Awards 2023. The network has announced a robust slate for its show, with Fat Joe set to host. To honor hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, the event will continue its
Perhaps deciding that the relationship tribulations of white, coastal-American men of medium-to-high class-privilege levels — which were well-served on the big screen in previous decades — have been rather overlooked of late, writer-director Noah Pritzker goes back to the well
Rachel Griffiths has been cast as the lead in “Madam,” a new dramedy series about an escort agency. Griffiths, best known for her roles in “Six Feet Under” and “Brothers & Sisters,” stars as McKenzie ‘Mack’ Leigh, who sets up an ethical brothel in New Zealand after her
Once upon a time, power in New York was measured by what table you commanded at Michael’s. The venerable lunchery is still around, of course, but nowadays, influence is more diffuse, stretching beyond midtown Manhattan through all the five boroughs. Consider this: New York’s
