Variety

‘The Brink of War’ Review: Reagan and Gorbachev Engage in Unengaging Verbal Battle

There was a time when talky slabs of recent political history like “The Brink of War,” carried by skilled name actors who aren’t quite stars, were largely the preserve of Emmy-chasing TV networks. Tod...

3 days ago

John Hinckley Jr. Shares New Message to Jodie Foster, 45 Years After Trying to Assassinate Ronald Reagan to Impress Her: ‘I Wish Her Well’

John Hinckley Jr., the Oklahoma native who tried to assassinate President Ronald Regan in 1981 in an attempt to impress Jodie Foster, shared a new message for “The Silence of the Lambs” star during a ...

3 days ago

Zoe Saldaña Says It’s ‘Frustrating’ When Political Questions Only Get Asked to Actors of Color and Women: ‘That’s Incredibly Limiting’

Zoe Saldaña is growing frustrated with political questions, mainly because she doesn’t find them being asked in equal measure across the industry. The Oscar winner said during a conversation at the Lo...

3 days ago

‘Assassin’s Creed’ Creator’s New Action-Adventure Game ‘1666: Amsterdam’ Sets Early Access Release (Gaming News Roundup)

Panache Digital Games announced “1666: Amsterdam” will release in Early Access on Aug. 25. From “Assassin’s Creed” series creator Patrice Désilets, the dark, third-person narrative action-adventure ga...

3 days ago

Rod Stewart Cancels Upcoming Tour Dates Following Coronary Stent Procedure

Rod Stewart has announced that he will be canceling the next four weeks of performances as part of his “One Last Time” farewell tour and “The Encore Shows” Las Vegas residency after undergoing a routi...

3 days ago

Nicholas Hoult to Play Gilderoy Lockhart in ‘Harry Potter’ HBO Series Season 2

Nicholas Hoult will play Gilderoy Lockhart in the second season of HBO’s “Harry Potter” TV series, Variety has learned from sources. The highly-anticipated series is due to debut on Dec. 25 on HBO and...

3 days ago

How Vera Drew, Louise Weard and More Trans and Nonbinary Filmmakers Are Taking Control of Their Stories Outside the Studio System: ‘We’re Creating a N...

When Vera Drew made her ambitious debut film “The People’s Joker,” she didn’t know if anyone else in the world would understand her deeply personal superhero movie parody about transitioning. The firs...

3 days ago

The Writers Lab Adds Los Angeles-Based Intensive, Announces Writers for Fall 2026 Cohorts

The Writers Lab announced writers selected for two Lab Intensives this Fall, in New York City and the inaugural Los Angeles cohort. Supported by Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman, The Writers Lab is the ...

3 days ago

Cinema Civil War: Why the Paramount-Warner Bros. Sale Is Dividing Movie Theater Owners

Movie theater owners have become embroiled in the kind of drama they usually sell on the big screen, thanks to the ongoing saga of Paramount’s proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. Cinema Unite...

3 days ago

Fans Remember Jackie the Eagle, Who Became a Social Media Star Worldwide: ‘Regal, Fierce, Deeply Devoted’

Los Angeles media has been all over the death of a local celebrity for the past two days. But this time, the dearly departed wasn’t a movie star from the golden age of Hollywood. Instead, Southern Cal...

3 days ago

‘The Last House’ Debuts With 27.5 Million Views in Three Days

“The Last House,” a new thriller film starring Greta Lee and Wagner Moura, debuted with 27.5 million views in its first three days of streaming on Netflix. With that total, the movie easily sailed to ...

3 days ago

Julie Andrews Turned Down ‘Princess Diaries 3’ Offer Because ‘I Think I’m Retired’ From On-Screen Acting: ‘They Asked Me All Last Year’ If I’d Return

Julie Andrews recently told InStyle magazine that she is not returning for “The Princess Diaries 3” opposite Anne Hathaway. The 90-year-old icon turned down the offer to reprise her role of Queen Clar...

3 days ago

‘The Daily Show’ Releases Audition Tapes for John Oliver, Michael Che, Current Hosts and More

“The Daily Show” released a slew of never-before-seen audition tapes from past and present correspondents in a 10-minute compilation posted to YouTube. The video, honoring the satirical news program’s...

3 days ago

Emmy Predictions: Lead Actor (Comedy) — Matthew Rhys Takes on Two Legends Still Seeking Their First Wins

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and To...

3 days ago

Kennedy Center Ordered to Pay $250,000 to Jazz Musician It Unsuccessfully Sued for Backing Out of Concert After Trump Rebranding

A judge has ruled that the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. must pay a jazz musician $252,000 in legal fees and costs, following the organization’s unsuccessful lawsuit against him for pulling out o...

3 days ago

Emmy Predictions: Lead Actor (Drama) — Which Submission Has the Edge? Noah Wyle, Sterling K. Brown, Mark Ruffalo and More

3 days ago

Kris Bowers Set to Compose Netflix Animated Feature ‘Steps’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Emmy-nominated composer Kris Bowers is set to score Netflix’s upcoming animated comedy “Steps.” The score was recorded in July and Aug. 2026 at London’s Abbey Road Studios. Slated for release on Nov. ...

3 days ago

Vin Diesel Cried Over the ‘Fast Forever’ Script, but the Movie’s Director Still Hasn’t Read It: ‘There Will Be an Ending, and It’s Great’

The script for the next “Fast and Furious” movie, titled “Fast Forever,” made Vin Diesel cry, but director Louis Leterrier still hasn’t read what gave the actor the waterworks. “It is the best script ...

3 days ago

Goya-Nominated Zoe Bonafonte Leads Spain-Argentina Soccer Pioneer Drama ‘Veleta’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Goya-nominated actress Zoe Bonafonte (“El 47”) will play Spain’s first female soccer player, Ana “Nita” Carmona Ruiz, in “Veleta,” a Spain-Argentina co-production directed and co-written by Paco Torre...

3 days ago

Tammy Fine to Lead Talent Development at NBC News

Tammy Fine, a veteran NBC News producer who spent a significant part of her career overseeing key newsmaker interviews in the first hour of “Today,” is getting a new passel of responsibilities. Fine h...

3 days ago

California Attorney General Slams David Ellison’s Plan to Pull Paramount Out of the State as ‘Blackmail’ Attempt That ‘Won’t Work’

Rob Bonta, the attorney general of California who is leading a 12-state coalition’s lawsuit seeking to block Paramount’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, responded to David Ellison’s threat to pull...

3 days ago

Mateo Ybarra’s ‘Small Talk,’ a Locarno Premiere, Takes a Peek Into Switzerland’s Last Remaining Etiquette School for Women

“Small Talk,” directed my Mateo Ybarra (“Over Our Hills,” “Summer Camp”), will have its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival on Aug. 11. The film stars Hélène Bares (“Evy & Me”) as Charlie,...

3 days ago

RioFilme to Announce New Incentives for International Co-Productions, Unveiling Them at Brazil’s Gramado Fest (EXCLUSIVE)

RioFilme, the film-TV agency of Rio de Janeiro City, will launch a call for proposals amounting to R$15 million ($3 million) for up to four international co-production projects involving Rio-based com...

3 days ago

Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder Will Play Their ‘Hacks’ Characters on Stage in One-Night Event ‘Deborah Vance & Friends & Enemies Live!’

Deborah Vance finally returned to the stage in the final season of “Hacks” and now she will in real-life too — sorta. In a first for “Hacks” and stars Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, the stars (and t...

3 days ago

‘Josephine’ Trailer: Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan Star as Struggling Parents in Sundance Award-Winning Psychological Thriller

The first trailer for “Josephine,” winner of the top two prizes at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, has been released. Starring Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan, the psychological thriller is a work o...

3 days ago

WNBA Trailblazer Sheryl Swoopes on How Roku’s ‘Gamechangers: Mother/Athlete’ Documentary Spotlights That Balancing Act

The Roku Originals documentary, “Gamechangers: Mother/Athlete,” made its world premiere at the 24th annual Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF) on Sunday afternoon. The intimate f...

3 days ago

Dave Matthews Band Announces 2026 Fall Tour Dates

The Dave Matthews Band has announced its 2026 Fall Tour, which will kick off on November 4 at Kohl Center in Madison, WI. The U.S. headline run will include shows at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, Uni...

3 days ago

Jessica Reynolds and Charlotte Rampling to Star in Opera Drama ‘Maya Butterfly’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Fast-rising star Jessica Reynolds (“Kneecap,” “A Woman of Substance”) and Oscar-nominated screen icon Charlotte Rampling (“45 Years,” “Under the Sand”) are teaming up for Irish psychological drama “Ma...

3 days ago

Ari Emanuel’s Mari Acquires ATG Entertainment, Theater Owner Behind ‘Wicked’ and ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ Productions

Mari, Ari Emanuel’s new global events and experiences company, has agreed to acquire U.K.-based theater giant ATG Entertainment from Providence Equity Partners. ATG operates a total of 70 venues acros...

3 days ago

Netflix Teen Thriller ‘The Body’ Sets November Release Date, Drops First Look Photos (TV News Roundup)

Netflix has officially set the release date for “The Body,” which draws inspiration from ‘90s and Y2K teen movies such as “Carrie” and “Jennifer’s Body.” Created by Quinn Shephard, a group of unholy C...

3 days ago

Marina Signs With UTA in All Areas (EXCLUSIVE)

British singer-songwriter and pop diva Marina (formerly Marina and the Diamonds) has signed with United Talent Agency for global representation in all areas, encompassing touring, media, filmed entert...

3 days ago

China’s Tencent Music Reports $1.32 Billion in Q2 Revenue as Ximalaya Integration Marks New Audio Push

China’s Tencent Music Entertainment Group posted total revenues of RMB8.93 billion ($1.32 billion) for the second quarter of 2026 – a 5.8% year-over-year gain – as its music services arm delivered dou...

3 days ago

Monica Bellucci Has ‘Never’ Done Anything Like ‘Ketticè’: ‘I Was on Set in My Pajamas With a Knife in My Hand and Slippers on My Feet’

Do you think Monica Bellucci has done it all? Think again. “I’ve never done anything like that,” she tells Variety about her role in “Ketticè.” Directed by Giovanni Tortorici, the film premiered at Lo...

3 days ago

Films Boutique Nabs Mani Haghighi’s ‘I Deserve a Lover Whose Every Rise Sets Fiery Dooms Raging Across the Skies’ Ahead of New York Premiere (EXCLUSIV...

Berlin-based sales agency Films Boutique has acquired worldwide rights to Iranian filmmaker Mani Haghighi’s documentary “I Deserve a Lover Whose Every Rise Sets Fiery Dooms Raging Across the Skies,” w...

3 days ago

‘The Chosen’ Star Jonathan Roumie to Voice Banijay Live’s ‘Luminiscence’ Experience at St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Banijay is expanding its “Luminiscence” immersive experience franchise in the U.S. with an installation at New York’s iconic St. Patrick’s Cathedral that opens Oct. 1. To take viewers through the expe...

3 days ago

George MacKay, Louisa Harland, Nathalie Emmanuel and Eric Kofi Abrefa Join ‘The Animals’ From ‘Supacell’ Star Calvin Demba (EXCLUSIVE)

Calvin Demba, the British actor, writer and director best known on screen for the Netflix hit “Supacell,” has lined up an impressive cast list for his second short film behind the camera, “The Animals...

3 days ago

RTL Group Posts 3.9% Revenue Rise as Streaming Side Grows, Though Fremantle Continues to Suffer

European media conglomerate RTL Group on Tuesday posted first-half figures showing strong growth in streaming, with revenue up 3.9% to €2.9 billion ($ 3.3 billion), while revenues from its linear TV s...

3 days ago

‘House of the Dragon’ Star Fabien Frankel Joins Short Film ‘Love Unlimited’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Fabien Frankel, currently seen on screens as the dashing, honor-obsessed knight Ser Criston Cole in “House of the Dragon,” is ready to take on a very different role. The British actor is set to star i...

3 days ago

‘Pacifiction’ Director Albert Serra on His New Film ’Sixteen Moments of My Life’ and Why He’d Love to Have Directed Elvis Presley

Don’t call Albert Serra’s new film, “Seize moments de ma vie” (“Sixteen Moments of My Life”), a concert film. Premiering out of competition at the Locarno Film Festival, the film documents a one-off p...

4 days ago

‘Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-ZERO’ Director Kamiyama Kenji Built His New Series Around a Metaphor for AI Fears: ‘Will We End Up Being Used by It?’

Kamiyama Kenji says the alien threat driving his new “Gundam” anime is a direct metaphor for humanity’s uneasy relationship with artificial intelligence. The director, known for “Ghost in the Shell: S...

4 days ago

Locarno: The Filmmakers Behind ‘Piluk,’ From the National Film Board of Canada, Discuss the Language of Animation

With a world premiere in the Locarno Film Festival’s Pardi di Domani selection of short and medium-length films, the filmmakers behind “Piluk” saw the production as a chance to tell a story with the s...

4 days ago

‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,’ ‘The Odyssey’ Battle Atop U.K., Ireland Box Office

Sony’s superhero blockbuster “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” retained its top spot at the U.K. and Ireland box office for a second consecutive week, taking £10.1 million ($13.6) over its sophomore frame. ...

4 days ago

Gramado Film Festival Launches New Talent Drive

The first Residency for Young Filmmakers, a new feature of the Gramado Film Market taking place Aug. 17-19, will count with the participation of 60 filmmakers aged between 18 and 35, selected from mor...

4 days ago

Heritage Monday at the Locarno Film Festival Sees a Future in the Past

Heritage Monday has become a popular fixture at the industry section of the Locarno Film Festival, reflecting the growing interest in film restoration and retrospective programming. This year’s editio...

4 days ago

Boxing Legend Chris John Joins Silver Media Group for Animated Series ‘Dragon’s Dojo’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Singapore’s Silver Media Group has signed a memorandum of understanding with Indonesian boxing legend Chris John to develop “Dragon’s Dojo,” a mobile-first vertical animated series drawing on Indonesi...

4 days ago

Bill Bellamy to Receive Icon Award at Whats Funny Comedy Festival, Co-Founded by Lil Rel Howery

Comedian, actor, and entertainer Bill Bellamy will be presented with the Icon Award at the 2026 Whats Funny Comedy Festival, recognizing his decades of excellence and impact on stand-up comedy and ent...

4 days ago

Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’ Spends 17th Week at No. 1, Now Solely Holds Fourth Place Spot Among All-Time Hot 100 Streaks

Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” is unquestionably the biggest hit single of the year, and all that’s left to decide is where the seemingly unstoppable song ultimately lands among the biggest chart hit...

4 days ago