Top News
Danny Boyle’s “28 Years Later” has added Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes to its cast.
The continuation of the “28 Days Later” franchise will be released in theaters globally by Sony Pictures. “28 Days Later” was released in 2002 and starred Cillian Murphy, then largely unknown. Boyle directed the feature, while Alex Garland wrote. A sequel, “28 Weeks Later,” was released in 2007.
Plot details are still being kept under wraps for the new screenplay, written by Garland. It will be part of an upcoming trilogy, for which Nia DaCosta is in talks to direct the second film.
Boyle and Garland are producing, as is original producer Andrew Macdonald and Peter Rice. Bernie Bellew is also producing. Murphy is also returning as an executive producer, and is not currently attached to star.
Comer earned an Emmy for her work as Villanelle on “Killing Eve.” She will next be seen...
The continuation of the “28 Days Later” franchise will be released in theaters globally by Sony Pictures. “28 Days Later” was released in 2002 and starred Cillian Murphy, then largely unknown. Boyle directed the feature, while Alex Garland wrote. A sequel, “28 Weeks Later,” was released in 2007.
Plot details are still being kept under wraps for the new screenplay, written by Garland. It will be part of an upcoming trilogy, for which Nia DaCosta is in talks to direct the second film.
Boyle and Garland are producing, as is original producer Andrew Macdonald and Peter Rice. Bernie Bellew is also producing. Murphy is also returning as an executive producer, and is not currently attached to star.
Comer earned an Emmy for her work as Villanelle on “Killing Eve.” She will next be seen...
- 4/24/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety Film + TV
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) has set its lineup of narrative and documentary features for its 28th edition, including Jussie Smollett’s return to acting in “The Lost Holliday,” filmmaker Christine Swanson’s latest drama “Albany Road” and the acclaimed Luther Vandross doc “Never Too Much.”
This year’s festival takes place June 12-16 in Miami Beach, Fla., followed by a virtual segment June 17-24 on ABFF Play. Winners of film festival competition will be announced on June 15, during the “Best of ABFF Awards” hosted by Emmy-nominee Dondré Whitfield.
The 2024 narrative lineup includes “Albany Road,” directed and written by Swanson, starring Renée Elise Goldsberry, Lynn Whitfield and J. Alphonse Nicholson; “The Lost Holliday” directed by, co-written and starring Smollett alongside Vivica A. Fox, produced by Mona Scott-Young; “The Waterboyz,” directed by Coke Daniels and produced by Ben Crump, starring Akil McDowell, Alani “La La” Anthony and Quavo; and “Black Heat,...
This year’s festival takes place June 12-16 in Miami Beach, Fla., followed by a virtual segment June 17-24 on ABFF Play. Winners of film festival competition will be announced on June 15, during the “Best of ABFF Awards” hosted by Emmy-nominee Dondré Whitfield.
The 2024 narrative lineup includes “Albany Road,” directed and written by Swanson, starring Renée Elise Goldsberry, Lynn Whitfield and J. Alphonse Nicholson; “The Lost Holliday” directed by, co-written and starring Smollett alongside Vivica A. Fox, produced by Mona Scott-Young; “The Waterboyz,” directed by Coke Daniels and produced by Ben Crump, starring Akil McDowell, Alani “La La” Anthony and Quavo; and “Black Heat,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety - Film News
Thandiwe Newton is the latest new cast member to join “Wednesday” Season 2 at Netflix.
Variety has learned exclusively from sources that Newton will star in the second season of the megahit series. Exact character details are being kept under wraps. She is the latest new cast member to be revealed, as Variety previously reported that Steve Buscemi will also appear in Season 2.
Reps for Netflix declined to comment.
Newton has held a number of TV roles in her career, perhaps most notably starring in the HBO series “Westworld.” She received three Emmy nominations for best supporting actress in a drama for that show,...
Variety has learned exclusively from sources that Newton will star in the second season of the megahit series. Exact character details are being kept under wraps. She is the latest new cast member to be revealed, as Variety previously reported that Steve Buscemi will also appear in Season 2.
Reps for Netflix declined to comment.
Newton has held a number of TV roles in her career, perhaps most notably starring in the HBO series “Westworld.” She received three Emmy nominations for best supporting actress in a drama for that show,...
- 4/23/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety - TV News
Terry Carter, who played sergeant Joe Broadhurst on the TV series “McCloud” and detective Colonel Tigh on the original “Battlestar Galactica,” died at his home in New York, N.Y., Tuesday morning. He was 95.
Born John Everett DeCoste in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Dec. 16, 1928, to parents of Dominican, Argentine and African American descent, Carter would go on to become the first Black TV news anchor for Boston’s Wbz-tv Eyewitness News, where he also became their first opening night drama and movie critic. He was also one of the first Black regulars on the 1956 TV sitcom series “The Phil Silvers Show,” in which he played Private Sugarman.
Carter’s other credits include the 1970 TV movie “Company of Killers,” in which he starred alongside Van Johnson and Ray Milland, and the 1974 film “Foxy Brown” with Pam Grier.
In 1979 Carter formed the Council for Positive Images, a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing intercultural and interethnic understanding through media.
Born John Everett DeCoste in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Dec. 16, 1928, to parents of Dominican, Argentine and African American descent, Carter would go on to become the first Black TV news anchor for Boston’s Wbz-tv Eyewitness News, where he also became their first opening night drama and movie critic. He was also one of the first Black regulars on the 1956 TV sitcom series “The Phil Silvers Show,” in which he played Private Sugarman.
Carter’s other credits include the 1970 TV movie “Company of Killers,” in which he starred alongside Van Johnson and Ray Milland, and the 1974 film “Foxy Brown” with Pam Grier.
In 1979 Carter formed the Council for Positive Images, a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing intercultural and interethnic understanding through media.
- 4/23/2024
- by Lexi Carson
- Variety - Film News
A big Wall Street spotlight, once again, was on Comcast’s latest M&a commentary on Thursday as the conglomerate discussed its first-quarter earnings. As M&a chatter swirls around such sector players as Paramount Global, president Michael Cavanagh, a former banker who noted that he has been with the company for nearly 10 years now, once again signaled a core focus on investments in existing businesses with upside rather than potential acquisitions.
“The idea of taking our well-generated capital across our businesses and, first and foremost, investing them back in the business with a very long-term view of what the future can be, where there’s expected return – whether that’s the parks business, whether that’s the broadband network, whether that’s streaming, whether it’s just broad innovation – I think it’s in our DNA” at this point, the Comcast executive emphasized during the earnings call.
Management’s focus...
“The idea of taking our well-generated capital across our businesses and, first and foremost, investing them back in the business with a very long-term view of what the future can be, where there’s expected return – whether that’s the parks business, whether that’s the broadband network, whether that’s streaming, whether it’s just broad innovation – I think it’s in our DNA” at this point, the Comcast executive emphasized during the earnings call.
Management’s focus...
- 4/25/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A new Harry Potter audiobook series is coming to Audible.
As part of a partnership with Pottermore Publishing and Audible, the two will release seven new English language audiobooks scheduled for late 2025. The audiobooks will feature a full range of character voices, with the Audible CEO citing more than 100 actors, Dolby Atmos sound design and new scoring.
Each book will be released sequentially and globally. This is in addition to the original single-voice audiobook recordings by Jim Dale and Stephen Fry, which were first released in 1999 and have reached 1.4 billion global listening hours after launching on Audible in 2015.
“Together with Pottermore Publishing, best-in-class producers, and over one hundred actors, we will introduce a groundbreaking new soundscape for the Wizarding World, as well as performances that will inspire our listeners’ imaginations and redefine these quintessential characters for a new generation,” said Bob Carrigan, CEO of Audible.
“We are delighted to be...
As part of a partnership with Pottermore Publishing and Audible, the two will release seven new English language audiobooks scheduled for late 2025. The audiobooks will feature a full range of character voices, with the Audible CEO citing more than 100 actors, Dolby Atmos sound design and new scoring.
Each book will be released sequentially and globally. This is in addition to the original single-voice audiobook recordings by Jim Dale and Stephen Fry, which were first released in 1999 and have reached 1.4 billion global listening hours after launching on Audible in 2015.
“Together with Pottermore Publishing, best-in-class producers, and over one hundred actors, we will introduce a groundbreaking new soundscape for the Wizarding World, as well as performances that will inspire our listeners’ imaginations and redefine these quintessential characters for a new generation,” said Bob Carrigan, CEO of Audible.
“We are delighted to be...
- 4/25/2024
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction has been overturned by the New York Court of Appeals.
On Thursday, the court found that the judge in Weinstein’s trial — a landmark moment in the #MeToo movement that the 2017 allegations against him started — had shown prejudice by allowing women to testify about allegations that were not part of the case. The court has now ordered a new trial.
Weinstein, the Oscar-winning producer of “Shakespeare in Love” and “Good Will Hunting,” is serving a 23-year sentence at the Mohawk Correctional Facility, a medium-security prison in Rome, N.Y. He will remain imprisoned as he was also convicted of rape in Los Angeles in 2022 and sentenced to an additional 16 years in prison. However, Weinstein was acquitted in the Los Angeles trial on charges involving a woman who testified in his New York case.
In the New York case, Weinstein was convicted of sexually assaulting Miriam Haley,...
On Thursday, the court found that the judge in Weinstein’s trial — a landmark moment in the #MeToo movement that the 2017 allegations against him started — had shown prejudice by allowing women to testify about allegations that were not part of the case. The court has now ordered a new trial.
Weinstein, the Oscar-winning producer of “Shakespeare in Love” and “Good Will Hunting,” is serving a 23-year sentence at the Mohawk Correctional Facility, a medium-security prison in Rome, N.Y. He will remain imprisoned as he was also convicted of rape in Los Angeles in 2022 and sentenced to an additional 16 years in prison. However, Weinstein was acquitted in the Los Angeles trial on charges involving a woman who testified in his New York case.
In the New York case, Weinstein was convicted of sexually assaulting Miriam Haley,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Ellise Shafer and Gene Maddaus
- Variety - Film News
The New York state Court of Appeals has overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction.
The court ruled that the judge in the New York County trial prejudiced Weinstein with improper rulings, including allowing women to testify about allegations that were not part of the case.
The court — the highest court in New York state’s judicial system — ruled that a new trial must take place.
“Under our system of justice, the accused has a right to be held to account only for the crime charged and, thus, allegations of prior bad acts may not be admitted against them for the sole purpose of establishing their propensity for criminality. Nor may the prosecution use ‘prior convictions or proof of the prior commission of specific, criminal, vicious or immoral acts’ other than to impeach the accused’s credibility,” wrote judge Jenny Rivera in her ruling. “It is our solemn duty to diligently...
The court ruled that the judge in the New York County trial prejudiced Weinstein with improper rulings, including allowing women to testify about allegations that were not part of the case.
The court — the highest court in New York state’s judicial system — ruled that a new trial must take place.
“Under our system of justice, the accused has a right to be held to account only for the crime charged and, thus, allegations of prior bad acts may not be admitted against them for the sole purpose of establishing their propensity for criminality. Nor may the prosecution use ‘prior convictions or proof of the prior commission of specific, criminal, vicious or immoral acts’ other than to impeach the accused’s credibility,” wrote judge Jenny Rivera in her ruling. “It is our solemn duty to diligently...
- 4/25/2024
- by Hilary Lewis and Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The average person won’t be able to see the nation’s Supreme Court justices contemplating arguments Thursday over whether Donald Trump’s efforts to undo his loss in the 2020 election to President Joe Biden can be prosecuted as a crime. But on MSNBC, they will get a better picture of the legal debate than they might have expected.
The NBCUniversal-backed cable-news outlet will use virtual-reality technology to create a courtroom display on screen, with a row of likenesses of the various justices and other participants. You won’t see a picture of Justice Amy Comey Barrett or Justice Sonia Sotamayor move its lips,...
The NBCUniversal-backed cable-news outlet will use virtual-reality technology to create a courtroom display on screen, with a row of likenesses of the various justices and other participants. You won’t see a picture of Justice Amy Comey Barrett or Justice Sonia Sotamayor move its lips,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety - TV News
Gold House, the nonprofit organization that connects and celebrates Asian Pacific creatives, companies and communities, will hold its third annual Gold Gala on May 11, toasting a star-studded group of honorees.
Cynthia Erivo, Padma Lakshmi, Lucy Liu, Saweetie, The Sympathizer star Hoa Xuande and the creator and cast of Beef will all be recognized at the event, alongside Hybe founder and chairman Bang Si-Hyuk, Hello Kitty, producer-director Karan Johar, content creator Valkyrae, the Maui first responders and Team USA’s Olympic skating team.
Presenters will also bring the star power, with a lineup including Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (aka Daniels), Regina King, Lulu Wang, John Cho, Auliʻi Cravalho, Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s Gordon Cormier, Dallas Liu and Elizabeth Yu, and Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria.
The Gold Gala serves as an annual gathering of top Asian Pacific and multicultural leaders, convening more than 600 guests to celebrate the 2024 A...
Cynthia Erivo, Padma Lakshmi, Lucy Liu, Saweetie, The Sympathizer star Hoa Xuande and the creator and cast of Beef will all be recognized at the event, alongside Hybe founder and chairman Bang Si-Hyuk, Hello Kitty, producer-director Karan Johar, content creator Valkyrae, the Maui first responders and Team USA’s Olympic skating team.
Presenters will also bring the star power, with a lineup including Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (aka Daniels), Regina King, Lulu Wang, John Cho, Auliʻi Cravalho, Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s Gordon Cormier, Dallas Liu and Elizabeth Yu, and Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria.
The Gold Gala serves as an annual gathering of top Asian Pacific and multicultural leaders, convening more than 600 guests to celebrate the 2024 A...
- 4/25/2024
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Beef,” “The 1619 Project,” “Heartstopper” and “A Small Light” are among the programs set to be recognized by the Television Academy for its 17th Television Academy Honors. The event aims to celebrate “the extraordinary power of storytelling to propel social change,” representing “some of the most consequential and inspiring television of 2023.”
The four non-scripted and three scripted series also include “1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed,” “Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court” and “Lakota Nation vs. United States.”
The honorees were selected for storytelling that included takes on social injustice, civil rights, Lgbtqia+ rights and experiences, Indigenous history and reparations, the experience of mixed-race Americans,...
The four non-scripted and three scripted series also include “1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed,” “Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court” and “Lakota Nation vs. United States.”
The honorees were selected for storytelling that included takes on social injustice, civil rights, Lgbtqia+ rights and experiences, Indigenous history and reparations, the experience of mixed-race Americans,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety - TV News
Lucy Liu and Padma Lakshmi are among the stars who will be honored at the third annual Gold House Gala in May.
This year marks the third annual Gold Gala where top Asian Pacific and multicultural leaders will convene to celebrate the 2024 A100 List.
Gold House will announce the A100 honorees on May. 1. The list highlights the 100 most impactful Asian Pacific changemakers in culture and society over the past year.
This year’s theme, A Gold New World, imagines a tomorrow for all, built by all. Luxury brand fashion designer Prabal Gurung will help bring this vision to life as the first-ever Gold Gala Creative Director.
Speaking with Variety, Gurang said, “When we talk about Asian representation, we talk about all Asians. People are flying in from India, Taiwan, Shanghai and all over. It’s about people from their respective fields coming together to inspire.” He added, “Gold House and...
This year marks the third annual Gold Gala where top Asian Pacific and multicultural leaders will convene to celebrate the 2024 A100 List.
Gold House will announce the A100 honorees on May. 1. The list highlights the 100 most impactful Asian Pacific changemakers in culture and society over the past year.
This year’s theme, A Gold New World, imagines a tomorrow for all, built by all. Luxury brand fashion designer Prabal Gurung will help bring this vision to life as the first-ever Gold Gala Creative Director.
Speaking with Variety, Gurang said, “When we talk about Asian representation, we talk about all Asians. People are flying in from India, Taiwan, Shanghai and all over. It’s about people from their respective fields coming together to inspire.” He added, “Gold House and...
- 4/25/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety - Film News
Magnify, the rebranded international sales arm of Magnolia Pictures, has acquired global and U.S. sales rights to “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point” in the run up to its world premiere at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight.
Directed and co-writer by Tyler Taormina (“Ham on Rye”), the film stars Michael Cera (“Barbie”), Francesca Scorsese, Maria Dizzia (“Martha Marcy May Marlene”), Ben Shenkman (“Billions”), Elsie Fisher (“Eighth Grade”), Gregg Turkington (“Entertainment”), Sawyer Spielberg (“Masters of the Air”) breakout actor Matilda Fleming, among others.
Written by Taormina and Eric Berger, the film revolves around a rambunctious extended family descending upon their small Long Island hometown for the holidays where hijinks, generational squabbles, and family traditions ensue.
“Taormina takes a singular approach to the classic holiday family movie, bringing his absurdist humor and dynamic filmmaking to life with a charming and perfectly cast ensemble,” said Lorna Lee Torres, Magnify SVP of Global Sales. “We...
Directed and co-writer by Tyler Taormina (“Ham on Rye”), the film stars Michael Cera (“Barbie”), Francesca Scorsese, Maria Dizzia (“Martha Marcy May Marlene”), Ben Shenkman (“Billions”), Elsie Fisher (“Eighth Grade”), Gregg Turkington (“Entertainment”), Sawyer Spielberg (“Masters of the Air”) breakout actor Matilda Fleming, among others.
Written by Taormina and Eric Berger, the film revolves around a rambunctious extended family descending upon their small Long Island hometown for the holidays where hijinks, generational squabbles, and family traditions ensue.
“Taormina takes a singular approach to the classic holiday family movie, bringing his absurdist humor and dynamic filmmaking to life with a charming and perfectly cast ensemble,” said Lorna Lee Torres, Magnify SVP of Global Sales. “We...
- 4/25/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
Fred Schepisi is set to direct Israel-based thriller “The Dimona Affair,” Variety has learned exclusively.
The project is based on the story of a whistleblower who claimed Israel was building a nuclear weapons program. (The country has always denied it has nuclear weapons).
After giving The Sunday Times of London a detailed interview about the program in the 1980s, causing an international scandal, “low level” Israeli nuclear technician Mordechai Vanunu fled the country. He was then reportedly lured to Rome by a female Israeli secret service agent in a honeytrap operation where he was kidnapped and repatriated to Israel. Vanunu eventually stood trial for espionage and treason before being convicted and jailed.
Schepisi, whose last feature project was “Words and Pictures” starring Clive Owen and Juliette Binochein 2013, is set to direct from a script penned by screenwriter and investigative journalist Morrie Rosmarin.
The director is best known for 1993 pic “Six Degrees of Separation...
The project is based on the story of a whistleblower who claimed Israel was building a nuclear weapons program. (The country has always denied it has nuclear weapons).
After giving The Sunday Times of London a detailed interview about the program in the 1980s, causing an international scandal, “low level” Israeli nuclear technician Mordechai Vanunu fled the country. He was then reportedly lured to Rome by a female Israeli secret service agent in a honeytrap operation where he was kidnapped and repatriated to Israel. Vanunu eventually stood trial for espionage and treason before being convicted and jailed.
Schepisi, whose last feature project was “Words and Pictures” starring Clive Owen and Juliette Binochein 2013, is set to direct from a script penned by screenwriter and investigative journalist Morrie Rosmarin.
The director is best known for 1993 pic “Six Degrees of Separation...
- 4/25/2024
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety - Film News
Netflix’s Good Times reboot has drawn ire from audiences and national organizations such as the NAACP for its perceived stereotypical depictions of African Americans since its trailer was first released on March 27. That same day, a Change.org petition, which has gathered some 5,000 signatures, was launched calling on viewers to boycott the new show which “promotes violence, culture destruction of the Black community and alcohol abuse,” the creator of the petition wrote.
Showrunner Ranada Shepard understands the knee-jerk reaction.
“You haven’t seen J.B. [Smoove] and Yvette [Nicole Brown] and Marsai [Martin] and Jay Pharoah and Slink Johnson on couches all across America, which typically happens when you’re rolling out a show. There was no framing that the audience had, it was just: Watch this and form an opinion. And, they watched and they formed an opinion,” Shepard tells THR in the conversation below.
Shepard took over from...
Showrunner Ranada Shepard understands the knee-jerk reaction.
“You haven’t seen J.B. [Smoove] and Yvette [Nicole Brown] and Marsai [Martin] and Jay Pharoah and Slink Johnson on couches all across America, which typically happens when you’re rolling out a show. There was no framing that the audience had, it was just: Watch this and form an opinion. And, they watched and they formed an opinion,” Shepard tells THR in the conversation below.
Shepard took over from...
- 4/25/2024
- by Brande Victorian
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The times are changing across Indian cinema and Katrina Kaif, one of the top stars of the country, is changing with them.
The top 10 Indian films in the post-pandemic year 2023 were all star-driven blockbusters and Kaif was in the mix with action extravaganza “Tiger 3,” the latest in Yash Raj Films’ spy universe, where she starred alongside Salman Khan. 2024 has seen a paradigm shift in that, with five of the top 10 films being what are known locally as “content films,” where a strong storyline takes precedence over spectacle.
The Hindi-language Bollywood may be India’s most visible film industry globally and the term is often used internationally as shorthand for the country’s other film industries, much to their chagrin. To put matters in context, of the 1,796 Indian films released in 2023, 317 were in the Telugu language, 271 in Tamil and 241 in Kannada, with Bollywood in joint fourth place with Malayalam, with 218 each,...
The top 10 Indian films in the post-pandemic year 2023 were all star-driven blockbusters and Kaif was in the mix with action extravaganza “Tiger 3,” the latest in Yash Raj Films’ spy universe, where she starred alongside Salman Khan. 2024 has seen a paradigm shift in that, with five of the top 10 films being what are known locally as “content films,” where a strong storyline takes precedence over spectacle.
The Hindi-language Bollywood may be India’s most visible film industry globally and the term is often used internationally as shorthand for the country’s other film industries, much to their chagrin. To put matters in context, of the 1,796 Indian films released in 2023, 317 were in the Telugu language, 271 in Tamil and 241 in Kannada, with Bollywood in joint fourth place with Malayalam, with 218 each,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
Dutch public broadcaster Vpro has acquired Netherlands broadcast rights to “Daughter of Genghis.”
The documentary about Mongolian female nationalist gang leader and single mother Gerel Byamba will make its North American debut at Hot Docs on Monday. The doc, directed by photo-journalists Kristoffer Juel Poulsen and Christian Als, follows Byamba, who is the leader of the Mongolian organization called Gerel Khas. The goal of the ultra-nationalist organization, which is made up entirely of women, is to cleanse Mongolia of corruption and Chinese oppression. In the film, Byamba focuses her fight against the prostitution of Mongolian women to Chinese clients, seeking a gender equal and racially pure Mongolia. To achieve their goals, Gerel Khas resorts to violence.
“Our film stems from a deep curiosity to understand ultra nationalism,” Poulsen and Als said in a joint statement. “How do the hatred of foreigners and the need to protect oneself and one’s people arise?...
The documentary about Mongolian female nationalist gang leader and single mother Gerel Byamba will make its North American debut at Hot Docs on Monday. The doc, directed by photo-journalists Kristoffer Juel Poulsen and Christian Als, follows Byamba, who is the leader of the Mongolian organization called Gerel Khas. The goal of the ultra-nationalist organization, which is made up entirely of women, is to cleanse Mongolia of corruption and Chinese oppression. In the film, Byamba focuses her fight against the prostitution of Mongolian women to Chinese clients, seeking a gender equal and racially pure Mongolia. To achieve their goals, Gerel Khas resorts to violence.
“Our film stems from a deep curiosity to understand ultra nationalism,” Poulsen and Als said in a joint statement. “How do the hatred of foreigners and the need to protect oneself and one’s people arise?...
- 4/25/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety - Film News
Australian police said on Thursday that they had arrested Orpheus Pledger, an actor known for his role on long-running soap “Home and Away.” His failure to appear in court on Tuesday led to the issue of an arrest warrant and a public call for help.
Variety has reached out to Pledger’s agent Craig McMahon for comment.
Pledger appeared in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Monday, charged with four counts of assault. He was released on bail on condition that he return the following day. He is reported to have absconded during a court-ordered medical assessment on Monday evening. Local media...
Variety has reached out to Pledger’s agent Craig McMahon for comment.
Pledger appeared in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Monday, charged with four counts of assault. He was released on bail on condition that he return the following day. He is reported to have absconded during a court-ordered medical assessment on Monday evening. Local media...
- 4/25/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - TV News
It has been a year since Fox News fired its top-rating primetime anchor Tucker Carlson in the wake of the network’s $787 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over false election claims. In June, the network put The Five co-host Jesse Watters in the prized 8 p.m. slot.
Watters, whose latest book Get It Together is a New York Times best-seller, has managed to maintain Fox’s ratings lead while making headlines — including from a post by Donald Trump on April 17 quoting Watters casting doubt on the jury selection process for his criminal trial in New York. “As to whether Trump technically violated a gag order, that’s not for me to judge,” Watters tells The Hollywood Reporter. (This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)
How much pressure did you feel coming into Tucker’s slot?
I felt a little pressure and it wasn’t just Tucker’s...
Watters, whose latest book Get It Together is a New York Times best-seller, has managed to maintain Fox’s ratings lead while making headlines — including from a post by Donald Trump on April 17 quoting Watters casting doubt on the jury selection process for his criminal trial in New York. “As to whether Trump technically violated a gag order, that’s not for me to judge,” Watters tells The Hollywood Reporter. (This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)
How much pressure did you feel coming into Tucker’s slot?
I felt a little pressure and it wasn’t just Tucker’s...
- 4/25/2024
- by Lachlan Cartwright
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cinephil has sold Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbó’s feature documentary “Agent of Happiness” to a wide range of key international territories ahead of the film’s Hot Docs debut this weekend.
Deals are confirmed in the U.K. and Ireland (Dogwoof), Germany and Austria (Filmwelt), Australia and New Zealand (Vendetta), Italy (Wanted), Spain and Portugal (Filmin), Poland (Against Gravity), Switzerland (Trigon), Belgium (Vrt), Israel (Lev), the Western Balkans (Beldocs), Hong Kong and Macao (Now TV Hong Kong), and Taiwan (Sky Digi), with North American distribution set to be announced shortly. Hungarian distributor Mozinet will release the film on May 2.
“Agent of Happiness” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews, and went on to several festivals including True/False, Cph:dox, San Francisco, Full Frame and the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival.
Co-directed by Bhattarai and Zurbó following their IDFA-selected “The Next Guardian,” “Agent of Happiness” follows Amber, one of the...
Deals are confirmed in the U.K. and Ireland (Dogwoof), Germany and Austria (Filmwelt), Australia and New Zealand (Vendetta), Italy (Wanted), Spain and Portugal (Filmin), Poland (Against Gravity), Switzerland (Trigon), Belgium (Vrt), Israel (Lev), the Western Balkans (Beldocs), Hong Kong and Macao (Now TV Hong Kong), and Taiwan (Sky Digi), with North American distribution set to be announced shortly. Hungarian distributor Mozinet will release the film on May 2.
“Agent of Happiness” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews, and went on to several festivals including True/False, Cph:dox, San Francisco, Full Frame and the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival.
Co-directed by Bhattarai and Zurbó following their IDFA-selected “The Next Guardian,” “Agent of Happiness” follows Amber, one of the...
- 4/25/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety - Film News
When Ncuti Gatwa makes his first appearance as the 15th Doctor in the science-fiction series “Doctor Who,” he isn’t wearing any pants.
In a 60th-anniversary special released in December, the previous Doctor — played by series icon David Tennant — subverts the show’s long-standing practice of regeneration: Instead of simply transforming into the next Doctor, he literally splits in half, bringing Gatwa’s Doctor into the world alongside him. In the process, the two divide the clothes of Tennant’s Doctor between them, leaving Gatwa in nothing but a dress shirt and a pair of tighty-whities.
“Oh, my God, that first costume fitting!
In a 60th-anniversary special released in December, the previous Doctor — played by series icon David Tennant — subverts the show’s long-standing practice of regeneration: Instead of simply transforming into the next Doctor, he literally splits in half, bringing Gatwa’s Doctor into the world alongside him. In the process, the two divide the clothes of Tennant’s Doctor between them, leaving Gatwa in nothing but a dress shirt and a pair of tighty-whities.
“Oh, my God, that first costume fitting!
- 4/25/2024
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety - TV News
Reba McEntire has been revealed as the host of the 59th Academy of Country Music Awards on May 16.
The ceremony marks McEntire’s 17th time hosting the awards show — the most of any artist. The country legend is also set to take the stage for a special performance featuring new music.
“I am tickled to pieces to get to host the ACM Awards for the 17th time!” McEntire said in a statement. “What an honor to have been part of the past, present and now the future of the Academy of Country Music with Amazon Prime Video. I can’t wait to get to Texas and see everybody May 16th!”
McEntire has won 16 ACM Awards throughout her career, as well as nine nominations for ACM’s entertainer of the year, including a win in 1994. She also holds the record for most noms for female artist of the year.
“We are...
The ceremony marks McEntire’s 17th time hosting the awards show — the most of any artist. The country legend is also set to take the stage for a special performance featuring new music.
“I am tickled to pieces to get to host the ACM Awards for the 17th time!” McEntire said in a statement. “What an honor to have been part of the past, present and now the future of the Academy of Country Music with Amazon Prime Video. I can’t wait to get to Texas and see everybody May 16th!”
McEntire has won 16 ACM Awards throughout her career, as well as nine nominations for ACM’s entertainer of the year, including a win in 1994. She also holds the record for most noms for female artist of the year.
“We are...
- 4/25/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sudanese first-timer Mohamed Kordofani’s “Goodbye Julia,” a timely morality tale that takes place just before the 2011 secession of South Sudan, and Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s “Four Daughters” lead the way in nominations for the eighth edition of the Critics Awards for Arab films, winners of which will be announced during the Cannes Film Festival.
The first Sudanese film ever to screen in Cannes’ official selection, “Goodbye Julia” (pictured) is the story of two women — one from the North, the other from the South — who are brought together by fate in a complex relationship that attempts to reconcile differences between northern and southern Sudanese communities in the currently war-ravaged country.
The drama, which marked Kordofani’s debut, has scored nominations in seven categories of the Arab film awards, including best feature, director, screenplay, actress, actor and editing.
Ben Hania’s hybrid doc/drama “Four Daughters,” about an Arab...
The first Sudanese film ever to screen in Cannes’ official selection, “Goodbye Julia” (pictured) is the story of two women — one from the North, the other from the South — who are brought together by fate in a complex relationship that attempts to reconcile differences between northern and southern Sudanese communities in the currently war-ravaged country.
The drama, which marked Kordofani’s debut, has scored nominations in seven categories of the Arab film awards, including best feature, director, screenplay, actress, actor and editing.
Ben Hania’s hybrid doc/drama “Four Daughters,” about an Arab...
- 4/25/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety - Film News
Imax continued a box office recovery on its global screens during the first quarter as Dune: Part Two has pulled in more than $143 million in global box office to date, or 21 percent of the film’s total gross, the cinema technologies company reported Thursday.
Overall revenue at the giant screen technologies company came to $79.1 million, down 9 percent from a year-earlier $86.9 million.
However, Imax posted net income at $3.3 million, up from a year-earlier profit of $2.5 million, as the company continued to recover from the impact of the pandemic on the exhibition sector.
The adjusted net profit per share in the latest period came to 15 cents, which compared to 16 cents per-share in the same year-ago period.
Content Solutions revenue — Imax’s business from agreements with the major studios and filmmakers — come to $34 million, an increase of 6 percent year-over-year, underpinned by box office growth worldwide. Technology Products and Services revenues, or the proceeds from the sale,...
Overall revenue at the giant screen technologies company came to $79.1 million, down 9 percent from a year-earlier $86.9 million.
However, Imax posted net income at $3.3 million, up from a year-earlier profit of $2.5 million, as the company continued to recover from the impact of the pandemic on the exhibition sector.
The adjusted net profit per share in the latest period came to 15 cents, which compared to 16 cents per-share in the same year-ago period.
Content Solutions revenue — Imax’s business from agreements with the major studios and filmmakers — come to $34 million, an increase of 6 percent year-over-year, underpinned by box office growth worldwide. Technology Products and Services revenues, or the proceeds from the sale,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Imax fans turned up in droves to see “Dune 2” on the really big screen, helping the company top analyst earnings estimates for the first quarter of 2024.
Despite the sandworm bump, it was a tough compare with the year-ago period when Imax benefited from the blockbuster success of “Avatar: The Way of Water” in 2023 to deliver its highest-grossing Q1 to date. Revenue in the first quarter of 2024 was $79.1 million, down 9% year over year, while net income was $3.3 million (an adjusted 15 cents per share), up 33%.
During the most recent quarter, Warner Bros.’ “Dune: Part Two” became one of the Top 10 Imax releases of all time. The Denis Villeneuve-directed sci-fi epic has garnered more than $143 million at the global box office to date on Imax screens — representing 21% of the film’s total gross receipts.
“Our industry-leading momentum is fueled in part by our strategic expansion of the Imax value proposition; increasingly,...
Despite the sandworm bump, it was a tough compare with the year-ago period when Imax benefited from the blockbuster success of “Avatar: The Way of Water” in 2023 to deliver its highest-grossing Q1 to date. Revenue in the first quarter of 2024 was $79.1 million, down 9% year over year, while net income was $3.3 million (an adjusted 15 cents per share), up 33%.
During the most recent quarter, Warner Bros.’ “Dune: Part Two” became one of the Top 10 Imax releases of all time. The Denis Villeneuve-directed sci-fi epic has garnered more than $143 million at the global box office to date on Imax screens — representing 21% of the film’s total gross receipts.
“Our industry-leading momentum is fueled in part by our strategic expansion of the Imax value proposition; increasingly,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety - Film News
French sales powerhouse Charades has boarded Constance Tsang’s migrant drama “Blue Sun Palace” which is set to world premiere at Cannes’ Critics’ Week. WME Independent is representing domestic rights for the movie in North America.
“Blue Sun Palace” is set in the Chinese community of Queens with a vibrant cast led by award-winning Taiwanese actor Lee Kang Sheng (“Rebels of the Neon God”), Golden Horse award nominee Ke-Xi Wu (“The Road To Mandalay”) and Chinese actress Haipeng Xu (“Venus By Water”).
The film revolves around two migrants, Amy and Didi, who work together at a massage parlor in Flushing, Queens, and navigate romance, happiness and the obligations of family thousands of miles from home. A sudden act of violence will catalyze their unlikely bond. “Blue Sun Palace” is produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Sally Sujin Oh and Eli Raskin (Field Trip Media), alongside producer Tony Yang (Big Buddha Pictures...
“Blue Sun Palace” is set in the Chinese community of Queens with a vibrant cast led by award-winning Taiwanese actor Lee Kang Sheng (“Rebels of the Neon God”), Golden Horse award nominee Ke-Xi Wu (“The Road To Mandalay”) and Chinese actress Haipeng Xu (“Venus By Water”).
The film revolves around two migrants, Amy and Didi, who work together at a massage parlor in Flushing, Queens, and navigate romance, happiness and the obligations of family thousands of miles from home. A sudden act of violence will catalyze their unlikely bond. “Blue Sun Palace” is produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Sally Sujin Oh and Eli Raskin (Field Trip Media), alongside producer Tony Yang (Big Buddha Pictures...
- 4/25/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
Comcast notched a small first-quarter profit despite continued erosion in its core cable operations and a lack of new spending from advertisers at its NBCUniversal operations.
The Philadelphia owner of NBC, USA and the Peacock streaming service said profit rose just 0.6% during the period, to $3.86 billion, or 97 cents a share, compared with $3.83 billion, or 91 cents a share in the year-earlier quarter. Revenue rose 1.2% to $30.06 billion.
The company’s performance trumped Wall Street expectations. “Our team is continuing to execute exceptionally well in a dynamic and competitive marketplace,” said Brian L. Roberts, chairman and CEO of Comcast, in a statement.
The...
The Philadelphia owner of NBC, USA and the Peacock streaming service said profit rose just 0.6% during the period, to $3.86 billion, or 97 cents a share, compared with $3.83 billion, or 91 cents a share in the year-earlier quarter. Revenue rose 1.2% to $30.06 billion.
The company’s performance trumped Wall Street expectations. “Our team is continuing to execute exceptionally well in a dynamic and competitive marketplace,” said Brian L. Roberts, chairman and CEO of Comcast, in a statement.
The...
- 4/25/2024
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety - TV News
Peacock, the streaming service of Comcast’s entertainment unit NBCUniversal, grew its first-quarter revenue and narrowed its loss to $639 million from $704 million in the year-ago period, and $825 million in the fourth quarter of 2023, despite higher programming costs. The streamer ended March with 34 million paying subscribers, compared with a year-end 2023 figure of 31 million, the company also said on Thursday.
“Peacock paid subscribers increased 55 percent compared to the prior-year period to 34 million, including net additions of 3 million in the first quarter,” Comcast highlighted. “Peacock revenue increased 54 percent to $1.1 billion.”
Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-winning epic Oppenheimer exclusively started streaming on Peacock on Feb. 16 after its theatrical release in July 2023.
As streaming profits, which have so far been elusive for most industry giants, remain in focus for Wall Street, Peacock previously posted a full-year 2023 loss of $2.75 billion. But Comcast CFO Jason Armstrong earlier this year emphasized that “2023 marked the peak in annual losses at Peacock,...
“Peacock paid subscribers increased 55 percent compared to the prior-year period to 34 million, including net additions of 3 million in the first quarter,” Comcast highlighted. “Peacock revenue increased 54 percent to $1.1 billion.”
Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-winning epic Oppenheimer exclusively started streaming on Peacock on Feb. 16 after its theatrical release in July 2023.
As streaming profits, which have so far been elusive for most industry giants, remain in focus for Wall Street, Peacock previously posted a full-year 2023 loss of $2.75 billion. But Comcast CFO Jason Armstrong earlier this year emphasized that “2023 marked the peak in annual losses at Peacock,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Wondery U.K. has hired Spotify exec Chris Baughen as its new head of podcasts. He joins the company on April 29 and will be based in London.
Baughen steps into the role recently vacated by Rich Knight, who has moved to BBC Studios.
Baughen, who will report to Wondery’s head of international podcast content Jessica Radburn, will oversee the U.K. originals slate as well as the production and development pipeline with U.K. collaborators. His remit will also include expanding Wondery’s content slate, working with local talent, producers and writers and diversifying into new genres curated for the U.
Baughen steps into the role recently vacated by Rich Knight, who has moved to BBC Studios.
Baughen, who will report to Wondery’s head of international podcast content Jessica Radburn, will oversee the U.K. originals slate as well as the production and development pipeline with U.K. collaborators. His remit will also include expanding Wondery’s content slate, working with local talent, producers and writers and diversifying into new genres curated for the U.
- 4/25/2024
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety - TV News
Spanish-language media giant TelevisaUnivision reported virtually unchanged U.S. revenue of $739.9 million in the first quarter of 2024, as a 4 percent drop in “other” revenue was offset by subscription and licensing revenue, as well as advertising revenue that rose minimally. It also touted that its streaming business, which had ended 2023 with more than 7 million subscribers, would turn profitable by the back half of 2024.
Growth in streaming was “offset by some softness in linear networks,” the company said about its $399.4 million in U.S. ad revenue for the latest period.
In Mexico, quarterly advertising revenue jumped 19 percent to $249 million, “driven by private sector growth from both new and existing clients across linear and direct-to-consumer,” pushing the company’s total ad revenue for the latest period up 7 percent to $648 million.
Discussing subscription and licensing revenue trends in the first quarter, the media firm said that “growth in both the U.S. and Mexico...
Growth in streaming was “offset by some softness in linear networks,” the company said about its $399.4 million in U.S. ad revenue for the latest period.
In Mexico, quarterly advertising revenue jumped 19 percent to $249 million, “driven by private sector growth from both new and existing clients across linear and direct-to-consumer,” pushing the company’s total ad revenue for the latest period up 7 percent to $648 million.
Discussing subscription and licensing revenue trends in the first quarter, the media firm said that “growth in both the U.S. and Mexico...
- 4/25/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Continued investment in streaming contributed to a first-quarter loss for Spanish-language media giant TelevisaUnivision, which is seeing the bulk of its growth come from its Mexican operations while U.S. revenue stays flat with year-earlier results.
The company, which operates the Univision TV network, said operating expenses grew 16% during the first quarter, to $821 million, driven by continued investments in its ViX streaming service and the expansion of a third party ad-sales business in Mexico.
Revenue during the quarter improved 7%, to $1.1 billion, but the bulk of that was contributed by TelevisaUnivsion’s Mexican TV assets. Revenue from Mexican operations rose 23%, to $409 million.
The company, which operates the Univision TV network, said operating expenses grew 16% during the first quarter, to $821 million, driven by continued investments in its ViX streaming service and the expansion of a third party ad-sales business in Mexico.
Revenue during the quarter improved 7%, to $1.1 billion, but the bulk of that was contributed by TelevisaUnivsion’s Mexican TV assets. Revenue from Mexican operations rose 23%, to $409 million.
- 4/25/2024
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety - TV News
Walking And Talking
“Women of My Billion (Womb),” a documentary produced by Priyanka Chopra Jonas, will play on Prime Video from May 3. Directed by Ajitesh Sharma, “Womb” follows the journey of Srishti Bakshi, as she embarked on a walking pilgrimage from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, India, spanning 3,800 kms over 240 days, with a mission to find and share stories about women, their struggles, dreams, rights, and their wins, against all odds.
“Women have borne the brunt of gender bias for far too long, enduring a silent struggle against entrenched social injustices that seek to suppress their voices. With ‘Womb’, the aim is...
“Women of My Billion (Womb),” a documentary produced by Priyanka Chopra Jonas, will play on Prime Video from May 3. Directed by Ajitesh Sharma, “Womb” follows the journey of Srishti Bakshi, as she embarked on a walking pilgrimage from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, India, spanning 3,800 kms over 240 days, with a mission to find and share stories about women, their struggles, dreams, rights, and their wins, against all odds.
“Women have borne the brunt of gender bias for far too long, enduring a silent struggle against entrenched social injustices that seek to suppress their voices. With ‘Womb’, the aim is...
- 4/25/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - TV News
David Anthony Chan’s epic fantasy novel “The Kindred Chronicles” is set to be adapted into an animated series and will be the first project flowing from a partnership between Hip Studios and hybrid publisher 8 Letters.
The deal between the two companies was announced at the recent Philippine Book Festival. It aims to adapt 8Letters content into television content, movies, animations, mangas and games.
A subsidiary of Singapore’s Silver Media, Hip Studios is a Singapore, Sydney and Cebu, Philippines-based IP development and management company. Philippines and Hong Kong-based 8Letters has a catalog of more than 500 titles.
“Throughout the history of filmmaking,...
The deal between the two companies was announced at the recent Philippine Book Festival. It aims to adapt 8Letters content into television content, movies, animations, mangas and games.
A subsidiary of Singapore’s Silver Media, Hip Studios is a Singapore, Sydney and Cebu, Philippines-based IP development and management company. Philippines and Hong Kong-based 8Letters has a catalog of more than 500 titles.
“Throughout the history of filmmaking,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - TV News
Multi award-winning Filipina actress Ruby Ruiz has landed her first major screen role following her appearance in Amazon’s “Expats.” She will lead “First Light,” the feature directorial debut of James. J. Robinson.
Principal photography is now underway on the Australian-Filipino co-production, which comes with funding from Screen Australia. Veteran actress Maricel Soriano (“Mother Nanny”), Rez Cortez (“Bukal”), Soliman Cruz (“Blue Room”) and Kidlat Tahimik round out the cast.
Set in the remote mountains of the Philippines, “First Light” sees the death of a young construction worker force an elderly nun to confront the muddied ethics of an institution she has dedicated her life to. The script, also by Robinson, is a deeply personal story exploring the intersection of duty, faith and institutional power.
“Developing ‘First Light’ over the past two years has been an incredibly profound journey into the heart of pre-colonial Filipino philosophy,” Robinson said. “To be able...
Principal photography is now underway on the Australian-Filipino co-production, which comes with funding from Screen Australia. Veteran actress Maricel Soriano (“Mother Nanny”), Rez Cortez (“Bukal”), Soliman Cruz (“Blue Room”) and Kidlat Tahimik round out the cast.
Set in the remote mountains of the Philippines, “First Light” sees the death of a young construction worker force an elderly nun to confront the muddied ethics of an institution she has dedicated her life to. The script, also by Robinson, is a deeply personal story exploring the intersection of duty, faith and institutional power.
“Developing ‘First Light’ over the past two years has been an incredibly profound journey into the heart of pre-colonial Filipino philosophy,” Robinson said. “To be able...
- 4/25/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety - Film News
U.K.-based sales and distribution outfit Blue Finch Films has boarded worldwide rights, excluding Canada, to 1980s-set wrestling action-horror “Dark Match.”
The film is headlined by professional wrestler and rock musician Chris Jericho and written and directed by Lowell Dean (“Wolfcop”). The film will launch later this year with its festival premiere to be announced imminently. Blue Finch will begin sales at the upcoming Cannes Film Market.
In the film, a small-time wrestling company accepts a well-paying gig in a backwoods town only to learn that the community is run by a mysterious cult leader with devious plans for their match. When the lights go down, Miss Behave and her friends are pitted against each other in a real fight for their lives. The cast also includes Steven Ogg (“The Walking Dead”) and Ayisha Issa (“Transplant”).
The film was produced by Dept. 9 Studios’ John K. MacDonald, Don Depoe, and Michael Feehan,...
The film is headlined by professional wrestler and rock musician Chris Jericho and written and directed by Lowell Dean (“Wolfcop”). The film will launch later this year with its festival premiere to be announced imminently. Blue Finch will begin sales at the upcoming Cannes Film Market.
In the film, a small-time wrestling company accepts a well-paying gig in a backwoods town only to learn that the community is run by a mysterious cult leader with devious plans for their match. When the lights go down, Miss Behave and her friends are pitted against each other in a real fight for their lives. The cast also includes Steven Ogg (“The Walking Dead”) and Ayisha Issa (“Transplant”).
The film was produced by Dept. 9 Studios’ John K. MacDonald, Don Depoe, and Michael Feehan,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
‘Inside Gaza,’ ‘Edgar Hilsenrath the Masturbator’ Among 2024 Pitch Projects at Sunny Side of the Doc
International documentary marketplace Sunny Side of the Doc has revealed the 42 projects from 21 countries that make up the official selection for its 2024 edition.
As always, the projects are topical and eclectic, ranging from Helene Lam Trong’s “Inside Gaza,” that tells the inside story of the ongoing conflict in the region; to Francois-Xavier Destors’ “Edgar Hilsenrath The Masturbator,” an animated documentary journeying through the transgressive world of Edgar Hilsenrath, the first German-Jewish writer and Holocaust survivor who dared to laugh at death.
The projects will participate in pitch sessions in front of more than 300 international decision-makers, including major broadcasters, streamers, foundations, distributors, buyers and other investors looking for stories with the biggest impact.
This year’s call for projects received 320 responses (the same as 2023) from 60 countries, 52% of which were led by female filmmakers.
The Specialist Factual strand, which has a cash prize of €3,000, focuses on the topics Global Issues, Wildlife & Conservation,...
As always, the projects are topical and eclectic, ranging from Helene Lam Trong’s “Inside Gaza,” that tells the inside story of the ongoing conflict in the region; to Francois-Xavier Destors’ “Edgar Hilsenrath The Masturbator,” an animated documentary journeying through the transgressive world of Edgar Hilsenrath, the first German-Jewish writer and Holocaust survivor who dared to laugh at death.
The projects will participate in pitch sessions in front of more than 300 international decision-makers, including major broadcasters, streamers, foundations, distributors, buyers and other investors looking for stories with the biggest impact.
This year’s call for projects received 320 responses (the same as 2023) from 60 countries, 52% of which were led by female filmmakers.
The Specialist Factual strand, which has a cash prize of €3,000, focuses on the topics Global Issues, Wildlife & Conservation,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
In theory, Netflix’s Dead Boy Detectives should be a feast for the misery wraiths, faceless creatures who feed on pain and suffering. The ghostly protagonists, Edwin (George Rexstrew) and Charles (Jayden Revri), are both teenagers bullied to death at the same British boarding school seven decades apart. They spend their time finding closure for other lost souls, like a pair of high schoolers cut down in their prime or a family slaughtered by an abusive patriarch. And they’re constantly on the run from the agents of Death, who would condemn Edwin to Hell on a technicality.
Yet the duo only ever encounter one such monster over the eight-episode first season, and perhaps that’s because despite its gloomy-sounding premise, Dead Boy Detectives is the furthest thing from dour. Dark, sure; bittersweet, sometimes. But it’s never less than entertaining, thanks to an appealingly quirky lead cast and a cheeky sense of humor.
Yet the duo only ever encounter one such monster over the eight-episode first season, and perhaps that’s because despite its gloomy-sounding premise, Dead Boy Detectives is the furthest thing from dour. Dark, sure; bittersweet, sometimes. But it’s never less than entertaining, thanks to an appealingly quirky lead cast and a cheeky sense of humor.
- 4/25/2024
- by Angie Han
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“The Imaginary,” an upcoming hand-drawn animated fantasy film from Japan’s Studio Ponoc that is tipped to play at this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival, is set to debut July 5 on Netflix. An Oscar-qualifying run is also planned.
“The Imaginary” is directed by Yoshiyuki Momose, whose credits as an animator include Studio Ponoc’s 2017 debut feature “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” and Studio Ghibli’s Academy Award winner “Spirited Away.” Studio Ponoc founder Yoshiaki Nishimura, the Oscar-nominated producer of Studio Ghibli’s “The Tale of The Princess Kaguya” and “When Marnie Was There,” is producing.
Based on the novel of the same name by A.F. Harrold and illustrated by Emily Gravett, “The Imaginary” is described as a fantasy that “portrays the depths of humanity and creativity through the eyes of young Amanda and her imaginary companion, Rudger. Their fantastical adventures launched from her attic, lead them to discover...
“The Imaginary” is directed by Yoshiyuki Momose, whose credits as an animator include Studio Ponoc’s 2017 debut feature “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” and Studio Ghibli’s Academy Award winner “Spirited Away.” Studio Ponoc founder Yoshiaki Nishimura, the Oscar-nominated producer of Studio Ghibli’s “The Tale of The Princess Kaguya” and “When Marnie Was There,” is producing.
Based on the novel of the same name by A.F. Harrold and illustrated by Emily Gravett, “The Imaginary” is described as a fantasy that “portrays the depths of humanity and creativity through the eyes of young Amanda and her imaginary companion, Rudger. Their fantastical adventures launched from her attic, lead them to discover...
- 4/25/2024
- by Carolyn Giardina
- Variety - Film News
Dermot Mulroney said he knows what’s to blame for not landing another acting role for a year following 1997’s My Best Friend’s Wedding.
The actor, who starred alongside Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz and Rupert Everett in the Oscar-nominated rom-com, recently told The New York Times that he had few acting opportunities following its release, despite it being a successful film.
“I was sitting there ready for the gift with purchase that was supposed to come along with being in a popular movie, and instead, I probably didn’t work for a year,” Mulroney explained. “I chalked it up to me being so tiny on the poster, the little guy on the cake. I thought, gosh, you guys, if you’d made me a little bigger, maybe I could have gotten a job.”
My Best Friend’s Wedding, directed by P.J. Hogan, follows a woman who realizes she’s in love...
The actor, who starred alongside Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz and Rupert Everett in the Oscar-nominated rom-com, recently told The New York Times that he had few acting opportunities following its release, despite it being a successful film.
“I was sitting there ready for the gift with purchase that was supposed to come along with being in a popular movie, and instead, I probably didn’t work for a year,” Mulroney explained. “I chalked it up to me being so tiny on the poster, the little guy on the cake. I thought, gosh, you guys, if you’d made me a little bigger, maybe I could have gotten a job.”
My Best Friend’s Wedding, directed by P.J. Hogan, follows a woman who realizes she’s in love...
- 4/25/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jennifer Aniston is ready to pour herself a cup of ambition.
Aniston and her Echo Films partner Kristin Hahn are producing a “9 to 5” reimagining for 20th Century Studios, Variety has confirmed.
The film is currently in development, with Diablo Cody working on the latest draft of the “9 to 5” reimagining. Plot details are being kept under wraps.
The original “9 to 5” follows three female office colleagues who decide to exact revenge on their sexist, egotistical boss. Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton and Dabney Coleman starred in the 1980 office satire, directed by Colin Higgins and written by Patricia Resnick. The hit comedy film spawned a sitcom of the same name, which aired on ABC from 1982 to 1983, and in first-run syndication from 1986 to 1988. Parton, Tomlin and Fonda participated in the 2022 documentary “Still Working 9 to 5,” which focuses on the impact of the classic film 40 years later.
Aniston and her Echo Films partner Kristin Hahn are producing a “9 to 5” reimagining for 20th Century Studios, Variety has confirmed.
The film is currently in development, with Diablo Cody working on the latest draft of the “9 to 5” reimagining. Plot details are being kept under wraps.
The original “9 to 5” follows three female office colleagues who decide to exact revenge on their sexist, egotistical boss. Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton and Dabney Coleman starred in the 1980 office satire, directed by Colin Higgins and written by Patricia Resnick. The hit comedy film spawned a sitcom of the same name, which aired on ABC from 1982 to 1983, and in first-run syndication from 1986 to 1988. Parton, Tomlin and Fonda participated in the 2022 documentary “Still Working 9 to 5,” which focuses on the impact of the classic film 40 years later.
- 4/25/2024
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety - Film News
Out of all the cars on the road today, there is perhaps no vehicle more associated with Los Angeles than the Mercedes-Benz G-Class — that tall and boxy bank-vault of an SUV which hasn’t really changed shape or size since it was first released by Mercedes-Benz in 1979 as the Geländewagen. The first G’s were made for the trades, rescue services and the military, and Mercedes-Benz likes to tout the fact that more than 80 percent of the G’s ever made are still around on and off-roading.
This all-purpose, go-anywhere vehicle has, throughout the years, had a glow-up or two — and what 45-year-old in the limelight hasn’t. But, at Los Angeles’ Franklin Canyon Park above Beverly Hills on Tuesday, April 23, Mercedes-Benz showed off their latest iteration, one which has had G-Wagen fanatics waiting on tenterhooks: the G 580 with Eq Technology, the first all-electric G-Class model.
Selma Blair (left) and...
This all-purpose, go-anywhere vehicle has, throughout the years, had a glow-up or two — and what 45-year-old in the limelight hasn’t. But, at Los Angeles’ Franklin Canyon Park above Beverly Hills on Tuesday, April 23, Mercedes-Benz showed off their latest iteration, one which has had G-Wagen fanatics waiting on tenterhooks: the G 580 with Eq Technology, the first all-electric G-Class model.
Selma Blair (left) and...
- 4/25/2024
- by Jon Alain Guzik
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Like many coming-of-age directorial feature debuts, Dìdi (弟弟) is semiautobiographical, but Sean Wang’s personal background played as much of a role in literally making the movie as it did in inspiring its narrative.
The film, which was acquired by Focus after winning the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award at Sundance in January, is the opening night feature tonight at Sffilm, Wang’s hometown festival. Both fests played a role in the development of the movie, with Wang having picked up multiple grants and fellowship awards, including a 2022 Sffilm Rainin Grant, in his journey to the screen. His tenure at the Google Creative Lab before becoming a professional filmmaker also equipped him with a unique cinematic toolkit for telling a hyper-specific story about being an adolescent during social media’s adolescence.
And finally, Wang not only depicts a fictionalized version of his family unit in the movie, with Joan Chen...
The film, which was acquired by Focus after winning the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award at Sundance in January, is the opening night feature tonight at Sffilm, Wang’s hometown festival. Both fests played a role in the development of the movie, with Wang having picked up multiple grants and fellowship awards, including a 2022 Sffilm Rainin Grant, in his journey to the screen. His tenure at the Google Creative Lab before becoming a professional filmmaker also equipped him with a unique cinematic toolkit for telling a hyper-specific story about being an adolescent during social media’s adolescence.
And finally, Wang not only depicts a fictionalized version of his family unit in the movie, with Joan Chen...
- 4/25/2024
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Rebel Wilson’s memoir “Rebel Rising” will be published in the U.K. with redacted passages about her experience working with Sacha Baron Cohen.
“We are publishing every page, but for legal reasons, in the U.K. edition, we are redacting most of one page with some other small redactions and an explanatory note,” publisher HarperCollins told The Guardian in a statement. “Those sections are a very small part of a much bigger story.”
Following the news of the redaction in the U.K. edition, a spokesperson for Baron Cohen told Variety in a statement, “Harper Collins did not fact check this chapter in the book prior to publication and took the sensible but terribly belated step of deleting Rebel Wilson’s defamatory claims once presented with evidence that they were false.”
The statement continued, “Printing falsehoods is against the law in the U.K. and Australia; this is not a ‘peculiarity’ as Ms.
“We are publishing every page, but for legal reasons, in the U.K. edition, we are redacting most of one page with some other small redactions and an explanatory note,” publisher HarperCollins told The Guardian in a statement. “Those sections are a very small part of a much bigger story.”
Following the news of the redaction in the U.K. edition, a spokesperson for Baron Cohen told Variety in a statement, “Harper Collins did not fact check this chapter in the book prior to publication and took the sensible but terribly belated step of deleting Rebel Wilson’s defamatory claims once presented with evidence that they were false.”
The statement continued, “Printing falsehoods is against the law in the U.K. and Australia; this is not a ‘peculiarity’ as Ms.
- 4/25/2024
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety - Film News
Korean comedy action film “The Roundup: Punishment” destroyed all competition in local theaters on its Wednesday opening day.
The film earned $4.92 million from 821,000 ticket sales, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). That represented a crushing 97% share of the day’s theatrical market.
Including a smattering of previews over the latest weekend, the film finished Wednesday with a cumulative of $5.26 million earned from 862,000 spectators.
Earlier, it was reported that the film had broken the Korean record for advanced ticket sales. On the eve of its arrival in cinemas, the film had notched up 830,000 pre-sales for Wednesday and other subsequent days. That comfortably exceeded previous record-holder “Along With the Gods: The Last 49 Days,” which pre-sold 646,000 tickets in 2018, and last year’s “The Roundup: No Way Out,” which pre-sold 640,000 before arriving in cinemas.
The film, which sees a tough-guy cop go after gangsters involved in drugs,...
The film earned $4.92 million from 821,000 ticket sales, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). That represented a crushing 97% share of the day’s theatrical market.
Including a smattering of previews over the latest weekend, the film finished Wednesday with a cumulative of $5.26 million earned from 862,000 spectators.
Earlier, it was reported that the film had broken the Korean record for advanced ticket sales. On the eve of its arrival in cinemas, the film had notched up 830,000 pre-sales for Wednesday and other subsequent days. That comfortably exceeded previous record-holder “Along With the Gods: The Last 49 Days,” which pre-sold 646,000 tickets in 2018, and last year’s “The Roundup: No Way Out,” which pre-sold 640,000 before arriving in cinemas.
The film, which sees a tough-guy cop go after gangsters involved in drugs,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
Spoiler Alert: Do not read ahead if you have not watched Season 11, Episode 8 of “The Masked Singer,” “Girl Group Night,” which aired April 24 on Fox.
Jenifer Lewis spent a year recovering from a devastating 10-foot fall while on safari in Tanzania. It was while she was still in bed, convalescing, that she got a call from “The Masked Singer.” “I still couldn’t walk,” she told Variety. “And my friends encouraged me to get out of bed and go do what I love to do. ‘You’ll be in front of a live audience, you’ll be singing, you’ll be in a mask,...
Jenifer Lewis spent a year recovering from a devastating 10-foot fall while on safari in Tanzania. It was while she was still in bed, convalescing, that she got a call from “The Masked Singer.” “I still couldn’t walk,” she told Variety. “And my friends encouraged me to get out of bed and go do what I love to do. ‘You’ll be in front of a live audience, you’ll be singing, you’ll be in a mask,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety - TV News
Donna Kelce is sharing her high praises for Taylor Swift’s new album, The Tortured Poets Department.
The mother of Super Bowl-winning athlete Travis Kelce recently told People magazine at the Age of Possibility summit in Las Vegas, “I listened to the whole album, and I listened to it all morning long when it was released.”
On April 19, the Grammy-winning singer dropped Tortured Poets, which features 16 songs, plus an additional 15 tracks on a surprise “double album,” titled The Anthology.
“I was just very impressed,” Donna added. “She is a very talented woman, and I think it is probably her best work.”
When the outlet later asked the football star’s mom if she had any life advice for the “Fortnight” singer about growing older, she dismissed the idea, saying, “She doesn’t need my advice on anything. In fact, I hope she will give me advice.”
Following the album’s release,...
The mother of Super Bowl-winning athlete Travis Kelce recently told People magazine at the Age of Possibility summit in Las Vegas, “I listened to the whole album, and I listened to it all morning long when it was released.”
On April 19, the Grammy-winning singer dropped Tortured Poets, which features 16 songs, plus an additional 15 tracks on a surprise “double album,” titled The Anthology.
“I was just very impressed,” Donna added. “She is a very talented woman, and I think it is probably her best work.”
When the outlet later asked the football star’s mom if she had any life advice for the “Fortnight” singer about growing older, she dismissed the idea, saying, “She doesn’t need my advice on anything. In fact, I hope she will give me advice.”
Following the album’s release,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Miranda Cosgrove is recalling an interaction she had with a young iCarly fan that didn’t necessarily go as expected.
During an appearance on Wednesday’s episode of Live With Kelly and Mark, host Kelly Ripa noted how the 30-year-old actress and singer had “not changed very much” since her debut acting role in 2003’s School of Rock at age 9.
“I do sometimes [get recognized],” Cosgrove said in response. “It’s funny because there was a moment when a lot of young kids didn’t really know who I was because [iCarly] hadn’t been on for a while. Then, Netflix got the show and they started playing the old seasons.”
The Mother of the Bride actress went on to recall an encounter she had with a young fan during a recent Target shopping trip.
“There’s a little boy just kind of looking at me in the toy aisle. He kept looking up at me.
During an appearance on Wednesday’s episode of Live With Kelly and Mark, host Kelly Ripa noted how the 30-year-old actress and singer had “not changed very much” since her debut acting role in 2003’s School of Rock at age 9.
“I do sometimes [get recognized],” Cosgrove said in response. “It’s funny because there was a moment when a lot of young kids didn’t really know who I was because [iCarly] hadn’t been on for a while. Then, Netflix got the show and they started playing the old seasons.”
The Mother of the Bride actress went on to recall an encounter she had with a young fan during a recent Target shopping trip.
“There’s a little boy just kind of looking at me in the toy aisle. He kept looking up at me.
- 4/25/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jerry Seinfeld is in full support of Larry David’s infamous Elmo attack. The comedian said Wednesday that he “enjoyed” watching his friend shove the beloved puppet off his balance in a February altercation that took the Internet by storm.
Seinfeld spoke about the incident during an appearance on the Today show, after host Jenna Bush Hager asked him, “Did you see when Larry David was here and he attacked Elmo?”
As co-host Hoda Kotb said it was “sad,” Seinfeld responded, “No, I liked it. I enjoyed that!”
On Feb. 1, David walked onstage at the Today show while the group was taping a segment about mental health with Elmo and physically attacked the Sesame Street puppet. The incident took the hosts by surprise, and later caused great discussion on the Internet, with many speaking out against David.
Fraggle Rock puppeteers later told The Hollywood Reporter the altercation scared them. “You know,...
Seinfeld spoke about the incident during an appearance on the Today show, after host Jenna Bush Hager asked him, “Did you see when Larry David was here and he attacked Elmo?”
As co-host Hoda Kotb said it was “sad,” Seinfeld responded, “No, I liked it. I enjoyed that!”
On Feb. 1, David walked onstage at the Today show while the group was taping a segment about mental health with Elmo and physically attacked the Sesame Street puppet. The incident took the hosts by surprise, and later caused great discussion on the Internet, with many speaking out against David.
Fraggle Rock puppeteers later told The Hollywood Reporter the altercation scared them. “You know,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Zoe G Phillips
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Nicola Coughlan opened up about her support for Palestine and how she was told it could affect the acting gigs she’s offered.
In a Teen Vogue cover story, the Bridgerton star sat down to discuss the show’s upcoming and highly anticipated season three. In the conversation, she also got candid about her support for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Coughlan has been vocal on social media about her support for the people, especially the children, of Palestine, who are caught in the middle of the Israel-Hamas War. She acknowledged her support stems from a “moral responsibility to give back” because of her privilege as a white woman.
The actress noted her advocacy began before she landed her breakout role on Derry Girls. She was involved in different causes, like going door-to-door campaigning for marriage equality in her home country of Ireland and marching for abortion rights.
“I’ve always...
In a Teen Vogue cover story, the Bridgerton star sat down to discuss the show’s upcoming and highly anticipated season three. In the conversation, she also got candid about her support for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Coughlan has been vocal on social media about her support for the people, especially the children, of Palestine, who are caught in the middle of the Israel-Hamas War. She acknowledged her support stems from a “moral responsibility to give back” because of her privilege as a white woman.
The actress noted her advocacy began before she landed her breakout role on Derry Girls. She was involved in different causes, like going door-to-door campaigning for marriage equality in her home country of Ireland and marching for abortion rights.
“I’ve always...
- 4/24/2024
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Showtime’s satirical thriller “The Curse,” created by stars Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie and also starring Emma Stone, has exclusively shared its Emmy submission plans with Variety.
The three multi-hyphenates will have more than one chance at recognition across various categories for producing, acting, directing, writing and editing.
“The Curse” explores the tumultuous lives of a married couple (Fielder and Stone), who encounter a string of misfortunes while filming an HGTV series in New Mexico. Their challenges are compounded by a dubious “curse” and a manipulative producer (Safdie), which together threaten both the show and their relationship.
Stone, fresh...
The three multi-hyphenates will have more than one chance at recognition across various categories for producing, acting, directing, writing and editing.
“The Curse” explores the tumultuous lives of a married couple (Fielder and Stone), who encounter a string of misfortunes while filming an HGTV series in New Mexico. Their challenges are compounded by a dubious “curse” and a manipulative producer (Safdie), which together threaten both the show and their relationship.
Stone, fresh...
- 4/24/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety - TV News
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