Variety

LISTEN: NBCUniversal Media Group Chief Matt Strauss on Growing Peacock, Testing Membership Rewards and Becoming a Daily Habit With Users

On today’s episode of Variety‘s “Strictly Business” podcast, Matt Strauss, chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group, expands on the evolution of the Peacock streamer and his view of the “the great re-bund...

1 week ago

Chappell Roan Announces ‘The Super Graphic Spectacular’ Two-Day Fundraiser in Los Angeles to Benefit Trans Youth and LGBTQ+ Communities

Chappell Roan and her non-profit The Midwest Princess Project have announced a two-day fundraiser “The Super Graphic Spectacular” taking place at Los Angeles’ The Shrine on October 21-22. The events, ...

1 week ago

Pragda Snags Nicolás Pereda’s ‘Everything Else Is Noise’ Ahead of Toronto and New York Film Festival Premieres (EXCLUSIVE)

U.S.-based Pragda continues its foray into all-rights theatrical and digital distribution with the acquisition of North American rights to Nicolás Pereda’s latest pic, “Everything Else Is Noise” (“Tod...

1 week ago

‘The Odyssey’ Surpasses $1 Billion, Christopher Nolan’s First Movie Since ‘Dark Knight Rises’ to Reach Coveted Box Office Milestone

“The Odyssey” has crossed $1 billion in global ticket sales at a mind-boggling pace. After just three weeks of release, Christopher Nolan’s epic, starring Matt Damon as the Greek king Odysseus, has ge...

1 week ago

‘Heated Rivalry’ Season 2 Casts Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie

Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie are joining the Season 2 cast of “Heated Rivalry,” the hit romantic drama from Canada’s Crave Media that airs on HBO Max in the U.S. Smith will play Harris Drover a...

1 week ago

Katseye’s Sophia to Temporarily Step Back From Group to Prioritize Her ‘Mental Health and Wellness’

Katseye member Sophia Laforteza has announced that she’s taking a temporary step back from the group’s upcoming promotional activities, emphasizing that she needs to prioritize her “mental health and ...

1 week ago

Wagner Moura and Louis Leterrier on the Physical and Emotional Toll of ‘The Last House’ and the Parent Perspective in the Lockdown-Inspired Sci-Fi Hor...

“The Last House,” a science-fiction horror from French director Louis Leterrier, is a movie born from Covid. A suburban family of four, helmed by Jason (Wagner Moura) and Ann (Greta Lee), is suddenly ...

1 week ago

Selena Gomez, Christina Aguilera and Law Roach Board Olympics-Inspired Legacy House Host Committee (EXCLUSIVE)

Selena Gomez, Christina Aguilera, Law Roach, Ciara, Simu Liu and Jeff Goldblum are among those who have been named as founding honorary host committee members of the Olympics-inspired Legacy House in ...

1 week ago

Paramount’s U.K. Concessions Give ‘Powerful Credibility’ to State AGs’ Lawsuit, Block the Merger Coalition Says: ‘The Dangers’ in U.S. Market ‘Are Unm...

A coalition group campaigning against the proposed merger of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery has said the U.K.’s approval of the merger after obtaining “major concessions” lends “powerfu...

1 week ago

‘PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie’ Review: The Dog-Cop Franchise Pushes an ACAB Message, Only It’s All Canines Are Benevolent

“PAW Patrol… are they still a thing?” asks Mayor Humdinger, the villain of “PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie” — a rare moment of irony in a film otherwise unfashionably devoid of it. That lack of second deg...

1 week ago

New Radicals’ Gregg Alexander Soft-Relaunches Band With ‘One Night Only’ Movie Song Ahead of Their First Album in 28 Years

Gregg Alexander wasn’t planning to make a splashy return with New Radicals, his pop-rock collective that burned bright and fast in the late 1990s before abruptly disbanding. So it’s fitting that “One ...

1 week ago

‘The Odyssey’ and ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Power $239 Million U.K., Ireland July Box Office

Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” topped the U.K. and Ireland box office in July with a gross of £56.2 million ($75.6 million), as the market posted a total of £178.2 million ($239.7 million) for the ...

1 week ago

Don Lemon Wants Criminal Charges Against Him Related to Minnesota ICE Protest Tossed, Citing Donald Trump’s Chronic ‘Animus’ Toward Journalist

Don Lemon asked a federal judge to dismiss criminal civil-rights charges against him related to his presence as a protest earlier this year at an anti-ICE protest in Minnesota. In a filing Friday, the...

1 week ago

Vietnamese Boy Band Uprize Wants to Take Over the World: ‘We Won’t Set Limits for Ourselves’

Ask Uprize what makes their sound unmistakably theirs, and the seven-member group doesn’t point to a hook or a genre. They point to each other. “We won’t set limits for ourselves,” says member Leon. A...

1 week ago

Jake T. Austin Opens Up About ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’ Revival Snub: I’m ‘Disappointed’ to Have ‘Not Been Included’

Now that the sequel series has ended its three-season run, “Wizards of Waverly Place” star Jake T. Austin has finally opened up about not being included in “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.” Austin, who ...

1 week ago

USA Network’s ‘Anna Pigeon’ Is the Temu Version of ‘Virgin River’: TV Review

Based on Nevada Barr’s extensive book series, USA Network’s new original drama “Anna Pigeon” follows a law enforcement ranger who trades her career as a Broadway stage manager for the lush grounds of ...

1 week ago

Tom Holland and Zendaya’s Rumored Wedding Venue Has a Starry History — and Is Close to a Key ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Filming Location

Early 20th-century media tycoon Lord Beaverbrook was known for throwing legendary parties at his country house in Surrey, which hosted everyone from Hollywood royalty like Elizabeth Taylor to historic...

1 week ago

William Orbit, Grammy-Winning Producer for Madonna and Blur, Dies at 69

William Orbit, the Grammy-winning musician and producer best known for his work with Madonna, All Saints and Blur, died on July 23. He was 69. Orbit’s family confirmed his death in a statement posted ...

1 week ago

Lionsgate CEO Wants to See Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Close Soon: ‘Uncertainty and Delay’ Are ‘Not Good for Anybody’

Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer voiced support for the stalled Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, which is headed to an antitrust trial to begin in March 2027. While Lionsgate competes with Paramou...

1 week ago

Take-Two Interactive Reaches $1.4 Billion in Sales During ‘GTA 6’ Preorder Opening Quarter

Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive drew $1.39 billion in sales from April 1-June 30, the quarter during which it opened presales for “Grand Theft Auto 6.” That figure is not broken down by titl...

1 week ago

‘The Blue Trail’ Director Gabriel Mascaro and Top Brazilian Producer Paula Cosenza Launch Trema, Set First Slate (EXCLUSIVE)

Gabriel Mascaro, director of the 2025 Berlinale Grand Jury Prize winner “The Blue Trail,” and top Brazilian producer Paula Cosenza (“Memory House”) have teamed to create Trema, launched as a Northeast...

1 week ago

Starz Revenue Declines 4% in Q2 as Streaming Stabilizes, Company Takes $147 Million Charge Related to Ending Universal Output Deal

Starz saw total revenue slide again in the second quarter of 2026 — but the media company reported its first year-over-year growth in streaming revenue in 18 months. Company execs believe the business...

1 week ago

Luca Guadagnino to Receive Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker Award at Venice Film Festival

Luca Guadagnino will receive the Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker Award at this year’s Venice Film Festival. The Italian director, who is premiering his seven-hour Bernardo Bertolucci documentary “Joie ...

1 week ago

Werner Herzog to Be Honored at San Sebastián Film Festival

Prolific filmmaker Werner Herzog will receive the San Sebastián Film Festival’s prestigious Donostia Award during its 74th edition in September. The German director will be honored at the Spanish fest...

1 week ago

Bella Thorne Is Also Directing and Writing the ‘Spring Breakers’ Sequel She’s Starring In: ‘From Start to Finish, It’s Lit as F—’

Bella Thorne is about to go full “Spring Breakers.” The former Disney star has revealed that in addition to starring in an upcoming sequel to Harmony Korine’s 2012 cult classic, she’s also directing a...

1 week ago

Danny DeVito-Produced Heist Comedy ‘Drag’ Boards Blue Finch Films for International Sales (EXCLUSIVE)

Blue Finch Films has taken on international sales rights, outside North America, for the heist thriller comedy “Drag” from directors Greg Yagolnitzer and Raviv Ullman. The U.K. sales and distribution ...

1 week ago

Locarno’s Match Me! Projects Push New Voices, Timely Relevance and Authenticity as a Younger Generation Moves Center Stage

Arthouse movies are increasingly made for younger audiences who are replacing ageing stay-at-home baby boomers at Europe’s upscale cinema theaters. That impact is now working its way through new artho...

1 week ago

Locarno Open Doors Buzz Title ‘Chapa 100,’ From Ique Langa, Adds Luminalia, Mo Harare, Mostafa El Kasha (EXCLUSIVE)

“Chapa 100,” the 2025 Atlas Workshops Development Award winner, now a potential highlight at Locarno’s Africa-focused strand Open Doors, has been boarded by Italy-based sales agent Luminalia. Written ...

1 week ago

Thomas Heise’s Final Documentary ‘Übergang,’ a Potential Locarno Highlight, Reflects on Time and Transience

Thomas Heise’s final film, “Übergang,” arrives at the Locarno Film Festival as both a portrait of one of Germany’s most influential documentary filmmakers and the completion of a project left unfinish...

1 week ago

Vishal Bhardwaj Sets ‘Rashomon’-Style Film on Tarun Tejpal Rape Case After Bombay High Court Conviction (EXCLUSIVE)

Indian auteur Vishal Bhardwaj is developing a film based on the Tarun Tejpal rape case, the director confirmed with Variety, hours after the Bombay High Court overturned a Goa sessions court acquittal...

1 week ago

Ricky Gervais’ Netflix Animated Comedy ‘Alley Cats’ Is Surprisingly Bittersweet: TV Review

To kick off the third episode of the Netflix animated comedy “Alley Cats,” protagonist Gus — an overweight orange tabby voiced by writer, creator and frequent director Ricky Gervais (think Garfield wi...

1 week ago

‘The Last House’ Review: Wagner Moura and Greta Lee Bring Conviction to a Suitably Stifling Stay-at-Home Thriller

A decade or so ago, the premise of apocalyptic thriller “The Last House” might have sounded a little more out there than it does now: A middle-class Seattle family wakes up one morning to find themsel...

1 week ago

‘La Koreana,’ a Banner New Talent Title From Spain, Brought to Market at Locarno by Producers Lazona Zinema and Estibaliz Urresola’s Sirimiri (EXCLUSI...

Sirimiri Films, founded by Estibaliz Urresola, director of Berlinale winner “20,000 Species of Bees,” is teaming with Lazona Zinema, the Basque division of Lazona (“Spanish Affair,” “Gigantes,” “No Re...

1 week ago

Locarno’s Alliance 4 Development Welcomes Queer Musical, Eco Body Horror and Bruce LaBruce’s Melodrama with Monica Bellucci and Béatrice Dalle

Alliance 4 Development, Locarno’s co-development platform for film projects from Austria, France, Germany and Switzerland, has presented this year’s projects. The line-up includes Bruce LaBruce’s fir...

1 week ago

‘The Traitors’ India Season 2 Unveils Trailer With Karan Johar and 21-Celebrity Cast (EXCLUSIVE)

Prime Video India has unveiled the trailer for the second season of “The Traitors,” the unscripted celebrity competition series hosted by Karan Johar, set to debut exclusively on the platform on Aug. ...

1 week ago

Aymar Esse, Director of Open Doors World Premiere ‘My Father’s Kora,’ Discusses Challenges of Queer Cinema in Senegal

“My Father’s Kora” (“La Kora de Mon Père”), a Benin-Switzerland-Germany production, will have its world premiere Aug. 9 at Locarno’s Open Doors section, which has focused on 42 countries of the Africa...

1 week ago

‘The Big Bang Theory’ Star Melissa Rauch on Her Larger-Than-Life Surprise Role on ‘Stuart Fails to Save the Universe’

SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers from “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe” Season 1 Episode 3, now streaming on HBO Max. Things get witchy in Episode 3 of “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe,...

1 week ago

LISTEN: Fear, Loathing and Endless Potential: AI4 Conference Takes Stock of Transformative Technologies

On today’s episode of “Daily Variety” podcast, Variety’s Corbin Bolies reports from Las Vegas where he is covering the AI4 conference with a slew of top leaders and true believers. The excitement arou...

1 week ago

‘Michael 2’ Eyes Filming Start ‘Towards the End of this Year’ or Early 2027 as Lionsgate Teases Release Date

Lionsgate is working on the sequel to “Michael” and hopes to start rolling the cameras soon on the second biopic about Michael Jackson. The studio hopes to begin production in late 2026 or early 2027,...

1 week ago

After U.K. Approval of Paramount-WBD Deal, European Media Leaders Rally Behind David Ellison: ‘The Industry Will Be Stronger’

The U.K.’s decision to clear Paramount Skydance’s $111 ⁠billion proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery has been broadly welcomed by European industry players. U.K. exhibitors, media executives...

1 week ago

‘Michael’ Boosts Lionsgate Quarterly Results as Studio Narrows Loss to $29 Million

Shamone! Record-breaking biopic “Michael” helped Lionsgate’s movie division turn in a profit of $105 million — its best-ever result for a June quarter. Lionsgate’s Motion Picture segment revenue of $5...

1 week ago

Morgan Freeman Says You Can ‘Overlook’ a Mediocre Script ‘If They’re Going to Pay You Enough’ Money

Morgan Freeman recently told The New York Times that he’s okay signing on for a movie with a mediocre script as long as the pay is good enough. “If somebody offers you a job, it’s very nice if they’re...

1 week ago

Be For Films Acquires Ione Hernández Sáenz’s ‘Sisters’ Ahead of Toronto Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)

Brussels-based Be For Films has acquired the international sales rights to “Sisters” (Hermanas), Spanish director Ione Hernández Sáenz’s debut feature film, ahead of the premiere at Toronto Film Festi...

1 week ago

Nielsen to Acquire DoubleVerify for $2.15 Billion in Bid to Augment Digital Measurement

Audience-measurement giant Nielsen said it would acquire the digital-media monitor DoubleVerify in an all-cash transaction that takes place as more media companies and advertisers are putting the comp...

1 week ago

Gareth Edwards Exits ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ Sequel Over Creative Differences

“Jurassic World Rebirth” director Gareth Edwards is leaving the dinosaurs behind. The filmmaker was expected to return for Universal’s sequel to 2025’s “Jurassic World Rebirth,” which rebooted the sci...

1 week ago

How the Muppets are Having Another Moment, Thanks to the Emmys and the World Cup

For fans of the Muppets, it’s time to play the music. It’s time to light the lights. This year has been sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational for Kermit and company, highlighted by ...

1 week ago

‘Grown Ups 3’ Cast: Adam Sandler Reunites With Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, David Spade, Salma Hayek and More in First Set Photo

Netflix has announced the sprawling cast for the third chapter in Adam Sandler’s “Grown Ups” saga. The new installment is set to bring back Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob Schneider...

1 week ago

Eric Roth, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Cate Blanchett’s Dirty Films to Exec Produce Paparazzi Tragicomedy ‘The Present Times’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Screenwriter Eric Roth (“Forrest Gump,” “Dune: Part One”), Brian Kavanaugh-Jones (“Longlegs,” “A Complete Unknown”), Andrew Upton of his and Cate Blanchett’s production company Dirty Films (“The New B...

1 week ago

‘The Batman 2’ and ‘The Batman 3’ Are Not Filming Back to Back, Says James Gunn: ‘I Can Deny’ That Online Rumor

DC Studios co-chief James Gunn is putting to bed one of the more popular online rumors about the upcoming “The Batman 2,” directed by Matt Reeves and once again starring Robert Pattinson as the Dark K...

1 week ago

Autlook Boards Barbara Kopple’s ‘Union Town’ Ahead of Venice Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)

Autlook Filmsales has acquired international rights to documentary “Union Town,” from two-time Academy Award-winning director Barbara Kopple, which will celebrate its world premiere at the 83rd Venice...

1 week ago