In 2026, moviegoers came back to cinemas, packing theaters to see blockbusters like “The Odyssey,” “Project Hail Mary,” “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” “Toy Story 5,” “Michael” and “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” and low-budget films like “Backrooms” and “Obsession.” But all those
The Social Reckoning co-stars stop by the Rolling Stone Studio to discuss their new movie, playing real people, and their own ups and downs with life online
“Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed” has been renewed for a second season at Apple TV. Per the official logline, the series stars “follows newly divorced mom Paula (Tatiana Maslany) as she falls down a dangerous rabbit hole of blackmail, murder and youth soccer. Convinced she
After 17 years of leadership, Bob Daly will step down as chair of the American Film Institute Board of Directors at the next trustee meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 21, Variety can reveal exclusively. Daly, former Warner Bros. chair and co-CEO, joined the AFI Board in April 1981 and
Strength in numbers? Movie theater operators are hoping the adage proves true as four new movies aim to bolster the October box office. Paramount’s video game adaptation “Street Fighter” will lead over fellow newcomers, with opening weekend estimates of $25 million to $35
Just hours after his departure from Republic Records was announced, Jim Roppo has been officially named vice chairman of Warner Records Group. He will be based in Los Angeles and report to Chairman & CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck; his start date will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Mark Duplass has been added to the cast of Hulu’s limited series “Victoria,” joining previously announced stars Li Jun Li and Diane Lane. The San Francisco-set drama is described as an “erotic thriller” that follows a con woman who finds herself in the elite world of venture
Fans won’t have to wait until December to return to Arrakis. Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment are bringing the world of Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” films to downtown Los Angeles next month, with a new immersive attraction that lets visitors encounter giant sandworms, sit
Netflix’s layoffs have hit several executives on its TV development and production side — including longtime staffer Carolina Garcia, who has been let go as director of original series after a decade with the streamer. Other execs in TV that are departing include Lisa Lang
Aaron Paul honored his late “Breaking Bad” co-star RJ Mitte by posting to Instagram one of Mitte’s many videos advocating for mental health awareness. Mitte, who played Walt Jr. on the Emmy-winning AMC drama series, died Oct. 12 at 34 years old. The actor’s official cause of
Director Brian Duffield and star Austin Abrams debuted their thriller in L.A. on Tuesday, explaining why the film is quite different than 'Jaws.'
Celine Dion’s comeback year now includes a Barbie doll. Mattel has unveiled a new collectible doll honoring the Canadian superstar, recreating her look from the 1998 Academy Awards, where she performed “My Heart Will Go On” from James Cameron’s “Titanic.” The $60 doll is
Steve Hilton, the Republican contender for California governor, rolled out a plan Wednesday to revive Hollywood production that includes increased tax credits and state-backed financing for studio repairs. Hilton, who is trailing Democrat Xavier Becerra in the polls, had
This is a big year for Emmitt Smith. The NFL’s all-time leading rusher, Hall of Famer and anchor of the Dallas Cowboys’ hard-partying dynasty that won three Super Bowls in the ‘90s is celebrating the 30-year anniversary of his final Super Bowl win — which also happens to be the
One of James McAvoy’s earliest jobs as an actor came with some mixed feelings. The “Atonement” star reminisced about shooting an episode of the HBO series “Band of Brothers” in a “Watch What Happens Live” appearance this week. Back in the early 2000s, McAvoy was a young drama
Disney is putting Katseye’s growing star power to work, partnering with Complex on a new Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse apparel collection timed to the release of the girl group’s upcoming documentary, “Katseye: Wild Hearts.” The limited-edition collection, launching Oct. 15
Ava DuVernay’s “14th” will open the 12th edition of San Francisco’s documentary film festival Doc Stories on Nov. 5. The Netflix film, which premiered at New York Film Festival earlier this month, is one of 10 Oscar-contending feature documentaries included in Doc Stories’
“Dig,” the upcoming Peacock comedy starring Amy Poehler, has added a handful of actors to its ensemble. Jason Mantzoukas, Brennan Lee Mulligan and Noma Dumezweni have landed recurring roles in the series, while Max Greenfield and Dan Bucatinsky will guest star. Based on Kate
On his campaign website, Xavier Becerra has a page devoted to Hollywood. The 1,600-word policy statement is long on platitudes — “California Is the Home of Film and TV and We Intend to Keep It That Way” — but short on concrete promises. It may also have been written with
On the one hand, it wouldn’t be very apt for a show about a scrappy citizen journalist in a small heartland city to become a massive hit. On the other, FX’s “The Lowdown” was one of the great TV debuts last year, a follow-up from “Reservation Dogs” showrunner Sterlin Harjo that
As has long been expected, Universal Music Group is being hit with extensive layoffs across its U.S. and U.K. operations, with multiple top executives departing, among many others. The moves — which sources say continue a process that was announced back in January of 2024 as
After buying Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment in 2022 and Peter Chernin’s North Road earlier this year, Mediawan has enlisted another major Hollywood player, Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine. As with its previous acquisitions which were financed partly through stock, Mediawan
Is it gross? At moments. Claustrophobic? A bit. Scary? Not even a little. The place Jay finds himself looks like a colonoscopy designed by H.R. Giger. The visual effects are…okay. At times, it’s as if we were locked in some pop-up theme-park ride called Full Cavity Search.
In front of an audience at Chapman University, Hollywood's newest A-lister — the star of a $750,000 film that grossed more than $500 million worldwide — reflects on her "whirlwind" journey to Oscar contention.
The move comes as the U.S.- and Tokyo-based studio expands its business across feature films, TV, consumer products and publishing
At the BFI London Film Festival, director Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and producer Shannon Dill, who also collaborated on 'Free Solo,' discuss upping the stakes, and the scale, for their new cinematic adventure.
Ashley Brandon's 12-minute film about the first female professional football player has been making the festival rounds.
At an opulent event at London's Claridge's Hotel, the Irish Oscar winner and the 'Game of Thrones' star — two of this year's jury members — were warmly welcomed on stage by BFI CEO Ben Roberts.
World sales outfit Filmotor has acquired the global sales rights to “Hazara Town,” the debut feature documentary by Khadim Dai. The film will have its world premiere in the International Competition at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, known as IDFA. Filmed
Based on Katherine Center‘s 2022 bestseller 'The Bodyguard,' Meester stars as a no-nonsense bodyguard assigned to protect Hollywood action star Jack Stapleton (Padalecki).
After starring in the blockbuster biopic “Michael,” Nia Long has joined the cast of Teyana Taylor’s directorial debut “Get Lite.” The Paramount movie stars Emmy winner Storm Reid and NFL rookie-turned-actor Ceyair Wright. Wright (“Space Jam: A New Legacy”) plays a talented, but
ESPN JV isn’t for second-stringers. The new YouTube channel aims to cultivate younger sports fans who will keep the Disney sports-media giant in mind as they grow up. The new channel, to be found at youtube.com/@ESPNJV will feature interactive challenges and appearances by both
At production powerhouse RadicalMedia, the only thing constant is change. Originally conceived as a way for founders Jon Kamen and Frank Scherma to explore new content formats after many years in the advertising business, the firm now has a reputation as a go-to place for music
It didn’t get great reviews. The host was awkward on camera as he navigated the emerging medium. The musical numbers and sketches didn’t translate well to the home screen. But none of it mattered. Bob Hope’s first-ever television special for NBC — “The Frigidaire Star Spangled
Jamie Foxx has joined the indie crime thriller “East of the River” as a producer. He boards through his Foxxhole Productions alongside Alex Marks. The film, directed by Dennis Latos, follows two estranged brothers reuniting to face the underground poker ring that destroyed
Shares of Skydance Corp., formed through the merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, fell as much as 25% in trading Wednesday. The drop came as the Skydance, led by chairman and CEO David Ellison, distributed about 471 million warrants giving holders of Paramount
“Yellowjackets” is back — and the survivors have made it out of the wilderness. Paramount+ has released the teaser trailer for “Yellowjackets” Season 4. The psychological horror returns to the streamer for the final time on Nov. 20. So far, “Yellowjackets” has chronicled the
For Guitarricadelafuente and Miguel Bernardeau, the romance that fuels “La Bola Negra” wasn’t the challenge. “It wasn’t hard to fall in love with him,” Bernardeau says, looking at his co-star. The two men, both 29-year-old Spaniards, haven’t tired of one another yet, despite a
Aziz Ansari is back with another Netflix special. Premiering sometime in 2027, the hour marks the comic’s seventh stand-up special and fifth for Netflix. Ansari holds a special place in the streamer’s comedy history, as he was the first comedian ever to release an original
Netflix’s film VP Doug Belgrad has been let go amid a massive restructuring at the streamer. Netflix is laying off around 1,000 employees, around 6% of its workforce, in what marks the company’s largest axing to date. Most of the cuts will effect employees on the product,
LYON, France — French distributor Malavida has picked up Wang Chao’s “A Woman,” the Chinese filmmaker’s 2022 drama that won the screenplay prize at San Sebastián but has never received a theatrical release in France. Malavida is also preparing a wider retrospective of his work
As Mipcom, the annual content market and conference in Cannes, wound down on Wednesday, Lucy Smith, the event’s chief, revealed attendance figures for this year’s edition. Total attendance this year was 10,100 delegates, down approximately 500 from last year, of which 3,150
The exec had been at the streaming giant since 2024, when he was hired by film chief Dan Lin.
Paul McCartney has a bone to pick with Sam Mendes, the director of the upcoming four Beatles movies starring Paul Mescal as McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr. What’s the issue? It all comes down to how
Sakhya Byamba’s “Zogsool” was the biggest winner at the Busan International Film Festival’s Vision Awards on Wednesday, taking home four prizes. The film won both the Netpac Award and the Fipresci Award, along with the Vision of Jiseok Award. It also shared the Hylife Vision
Cameras have started rolling in the French Alps on “Pumping Black” a high-adrenaline thriller being led by Jonathan Bailey (“Wicked,” “Jurassic World: Rebirth”) and Oscar winner Natalie Portman (“May December,” “Good Sex”). First announced by Variety earlier this year ahead of
“Where’s Wanda?” Apple TV’s first German series, proved a major hit for the streamer. The show’s creative team at UFA Fiction have now raised the stakes with Season 2. Set in the town of Sundersheim, the series’ first season followed parents Carlotta (Heike Makatsch) and Dedo
Netflix is swinging the axe — laying off around 1,000 employees, representing 6% of its workforce, in what is its biggest layoff to date. Most of the layoffs will affect workers in Netflix’s product, technology, legal and HR teams, co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters wrote in
Packed to its entirety by first and second-time directors, the 12 projects at this year’s Ventana Sur Proyecta co-production forum delivers a new generation snapshot backed by some of Latin America’s finest producers which delivers a searing portrait of the contemporary
The first reactions are in for DC Comics’ body horror thriller “Clayface,” with journalists and fans calling it “freakishly awesome” and “everything you want from a villain-led movie.” Directed by “Speak No Evil” filmmaker James Watkins from a screenplay co-written by “The
