The year is still young, but through at least the first three and a half months of the year, Netflix’s “His & Hers” takes the crown for the most-watched series of 2026 — according to the latest multiplatform numbers from Nielsen. With 35 days of linear and streaming viewership
The foul-mouthed teddy bear wants an Emmy. Peacock has submitted “Ted” across 19 categories at the Primetime Emmy Awards, Variety has learned exclusively, mounting one of the streamer’s most expansive comedy campaigns to date for the Seth MacFarlane-led series following a
BAFTA Rising Star winner Mia McKenna-Bruce has joined the cast of “The Species,” the upcoming drama from Justin Chadwick (“Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom,” “The Other Boleyn Girl,” “Bleak House”). The “How to Have Sex” breakout, recently seen in “The Lady” and set to star in the
Debate over the war in Gaza overshadowed the movies at the Berlin Film Festival. Will polemics — over Gaza, Iran and Trump — do the same in Cannes?
John Dela Cruz, aka Nurse John, the former healthcare worker turned comedian and social media personality, has announced a North American tour. His “Against Medical Advice” show features all-new material about the chaos, comedy and camaraderie of working in healthcare. The tour
Madonna is returning to the Tribeca Festival to present the world premiere of “Confessions II,” a visual film. Directed by David Toro and Solomon Chase (TORSO), the film is built around the first six tracks of her upcoming studio album, “Confessions II” — a follow-up to her
The Gotham Film & Media Institute and Laika have unveiled the inaugural fellows for the Laika x Gotham Animation Accelerator, a new initiative supporting early to mid-career animation creators developing animated short film pitches. The first class of fellows includes Ben
ABC announced a fall schedule on Tuesday that doesn’t look much different than last year’s, but with one major exception: “High Potential,” which has turned into ABC’s signature primetime drama hit, isn’t there. In what may be the most surprising move of the fall, ABC has opted
Storyverse, a new AI-native entertainment studio founded by Emmy-nominated producer Jesse Z., has made its market debut at Cannes, presenting a multi-genre slate and a proprietary filmmaking system the company says can move projects from script to screen in as few as five days.
"I wanted to nod towards the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap,” director says
Get ready to talk to the animals! Sycamore Studios has announced that production is underway on “Doctor Dolittle: King of the Wild.”The new feature film is based on Hugh Lofting’s literary property and will be animated in partnership with Reel FX Animation Studios. Per the
The U.K. and Ireland box office saw a fashionable hold as Disney’s “The Devil Wears Prada 2” retained its first-place position, collecting £5.2 million ($7 million) over the weekend. The sequel has now amassed a cumulative total of $28.5 million after 11 days in theaters.
TelevisaUnivison aims to bolster its sports schedule in unique ways, adding Spanish-language telecasts of Super Bowl LXI and the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix as the Spanish-language media giant aims to deliver broad swaths of harder-to-reach audiences to advertisers. The
Family-friendly YouTube gaming channel Maizen is expanding its popular JJ & Mikey animated characters into a full-blown franchise across original content and consumer products through a partnership with creator media company Pocket.watch. Under the pact, the Japan-based
Don Francisco, the veteran talk-show host who dazzled millions of Spanish-speaking viewers with his Saturday-night program “Sábado Gigante” on Univision, will return to the network. The host, whose program was canceled in 2015 after a run of more than half a century, will host
Per the partners, the collaboration will focus on the “long-term activation and expansion of the Platinum Universe across film, television, animation, gaming, publishing, and emerging media platforms.”
The Super Bowl will be telecast across two different Spanish-language outlets, adding more dinero to Disney’s coffers as it seeks to monetize its rights to the 2027 game. Disney’s ESPN will broadcast Super Bowl LXI on its own ESPN Deportes, but also sublicense a telecast for
Video game industry legend Katsuhiro Harada, best known for his work on Bandai Namco’s “Tekken” franchise, is launching a new game development studio with rival company SNK. Established May 1, VS Studio SNK is headquartered in Tokyo and is expected to become a consolidated
Popular web sketch comedy company Smosh has hired former MTV Entertainment Studios exec Cory Midgarden as the brand’s first-ever chief content officer. In his newly created role, Midgarden will oversee Smosh’s content strategy and development, talent and casting, brand and
Lady Gaga has announced that her long-awaited “Apple Music Live: Lady Gaga Mayhem Requiem” will be released on Apple Music on Thursday at 8 p.m. PT/11 p.m. ET, and will also debut at the same time during one-night-only screenings at 15 AMC Theaters in select cities. Directed
Mason Thames, Mckenna Grace and Jenna Fischer star in Lee Kirk's film that is slated for theatrical release from Inaugural Entertainment in partnership with Legion M.
He first visited the Croisette in 1988 when his first movie, 'Bad Taste,' was in the market. But it was his return trip in 2001 that made cinema history, when he offered the first glimpse of 'LOTR' footage.
Bangkok-based distribution and production company Fearfolks has come aboard the Indian, Hindi-language horror film “Numinous,” taking on worldwide sales and pre-sell rights at the upcoming Cannes Film Market. Directed by and starring Jay Alani – an Indian paranormal
Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth” hasn’t lost any of its power to dazzle the Cannes Film Festival over the last two decades. The fantasy movie world premiered in competition at the 2006 festival, where it earned instant acclaim and was met with a still-record holding
There may be no studio logos on the Croisette this year, but don’t tell that to Iris Knobloch. A little over three years into the job, the Cannes Film festival president, who spent decades working for Warner Bros., isn’t buying the narrative of an American retreat from Cannes.
Arguably the most hotly anticipated movie of the summer is none other than “The Odyssey,” celebrated filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning “Oppenheimer.” It is a film the likes of which Hollywood rarely signs off on nowadays — an ambitious
On Dec. 13, 1985, Paramount unwrapped its board game adaptation in time for the holidays.
John Jarratt, currently in production on “Wolf Creek 3,” heads the cast of “Shed,” the marquee title on genre sales company Black Mandala’s Cannes Film Market slate, which the company will present alongside its sub-label Red Owl. Directed by Steven J. Mihaljevich, “Shed” is set
Actress Laverne Cox and influencer Chris Olsen will be honored by Seattle health organization Lifelong during its inaugural Pride Gala in June. Founded in 1983 in response to the HIV epidemic, Lifelong now operates programs across food/nutrition, aging, disability, housing,
Cannes jury member Paul Laverty ended the festival’s jury press conference by slamming Hollywood for blacklisting actors such as Susan Sarandon who have spoken out against the war in Gaza. The Oscar winner, whose character in “Thelma & Louise” is on the official 2026 Cannes
The pointed remarks landed three months after an embattled Berlin Film Festival, where the jury led by Wim Wenders became subsumed by political acrimony.
Rod Stewart is not mincing words about the president, especially in the company of British royalty. The rocker appeared to refer to Donald J. Trump as “that little ratbag” when he greeted King Charles in a receiving line at an event Monday night in London. “May I say, well done
Nolan explained why the gods aren't shown as Nyong’o's dual roles are confirmed, along with the A-list cast's budget accommodations.
He wrote reviews and Hollywood profiles for five-plus decades, acted in 'Myra Breckinridge' and was a judge on 'The Gong Show.'
Creator-media portal beehiiv said it hired Ainsely Rossitto as head of podcasts, a sign that the company, best known, perhaps, for backing newsletters, is eager to tackle other parts of a new wave of influencer-focused platforms. Rossitto had been vice president of digital
Demi Moore weighed into the debate surrounding artificial intelligence during the Cannes Film Festival jury press conference on Tuesday, saying that “AI is here” and Hollywood should “find ways in which we can work with it.” Asked by Variety her thoughts on how AI is impacting
The mystery drama and sophomore feature of Chilean actress-turned-director Manuela Martelli, about a 9-year-old, played by "a real warrior," premieres in Cannes' Un Certain Regard.
She may look like an old lady dressed in her furs, but be warned … she’s deadly. The first look at Glenn Close as an elderly killer in Channel 4 series “Up to No Good” has been revealed, showing the eight-time Oscar nominee ready to cause havoc on the streets of London. First
Formed in 2019, British girl group FLO has spent the better half of a decade occupying the intersection between R&B and pop music. Early hits like “Cardboard Box” led to their steady rise to fame, as they began making talk show appearances and kicked off a tour spanning both
The French star returns to Cannes with a Pierre Salvadori’s frothy period rom-com, playing a fake clairvoyant in 1920s Paris.
Online retailing giant eBay has turned down GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen’s unsolicited $56 billion takeover proposal, calling it “neither credible nor attractive.” On May 3, GameStop submitted a nonbinding offer to acquire of eBay for $125/share (supposedly comprising 50% cash and
Egyptian director Mohamed Diab, who made a splash at Cannes in 2016 with Islamic fundamentalism-themed thriller “Clash” and more recently helmed Marvel’s “Moon Knight” miniseries, is set for a wide Middle East release of his historical epic “Asad,” toplining Arab megastar
Dolphin is launching a new publishing imprint that will be exclusively available to the entertainment marketing and production company’s clients across its brands, including 42West, The Door and Shore Fire Media. Created in partnership with Copper Books, works published under
Paris-based firm Entourage Ventures has forged a strategic agreement with Italy’s Mediawan-owned Our Films — which is at Cannes as producer of Paweł Pawlikowski’s “Fatherland” — to invest in films that they produce in partnership with global streamer Mubi. The partnership
Spotify is celebrating its 20th anniversary by launching a fan experience looking back on listening habits throughout the years, like something akin to a personalized time capsule. The streaming service rolled out “Spotify 20: Your Party of the Year(s)” on the Spotify app on
The scrappy German indie fest doesn’t just champion maverick cinema — it makes it. From DIY spoof trailers to subversive Cannes campaigns, Oldenburg’s promotions are as fearless as the films it shows.
Rex Reed, a critic and journalist known for his brash, often acidic takes on films and filmmakers, died Tuesday at his Manhattan home. He was 87. William Kapfer, Reed’s longtime friend, confirmed his death. No cause was given. Reed burst on the movie criticism scene in the
As Cannes kicks off, Hollywood’s getting ready for another round of “let’s make a deal,” Cote d’Azur style. If things go according to sales agents’ plans, the bidding wars will flow as freely as the rosé. But if studios arrive feeling skittish about spending money, not even
Pink Parrot Media, the Montreal and Madrid-based family entertainment sales house, heads to Cannes with early deals on animated features “Tistou” and “Winner” and a strengthened sales team, tapping former All Rights Entertainment executive Aurélien Piris as senior sales
Iranian director, actress and activist Pegah Ahangarani is in Cannes with documentary “Rehearsals for a Revolution,” which sketches Iran’s failed attempts at self-determination over the past four decades from her personal prism and provides a timely take on the country’s
