Variety

How Mark Ruffalo’s ‘Task’ Monologue Became the Heart of the Emmy-Nominated HBO Drama

One of the unofficial rules of prestige television is that the penultimate episode is for the mess and the finale is for the cleanup. This is particularly true for limited series — or any series with ...

1 week ago

Lala Sadii Disney Channel Series in Development

Lala Sadii is hoping to make the jump from TikTok phenomenon to Disney star. The singer and internet personality is attached to lead a series in development at Disney Channel and Disney+. Titled “Lala...

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Kit Connor in Talks to Play Cyclops in Marvel’s ‘X-Men’ Reboot

Kit Connor looks to be the next actor to join the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe. The rising star, best known for the TV series “Heartstopper,” is being eyed to play Cyclops in Disney and Marvel’...

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Bendita Film Sales Picks Up Toronto Discovery Title ‘The Fortunate Isles’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Bendita Film Sales has acquired international rights to “The Fortunate Isles” (“Las islas afortunadas”), a 15th-century period drama directed by Helena Girón and Samuel Delgado, ahead of its world pre...

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‘CoComelon: The Movie’ Trailer Brings JJ and Friends to the Big Screen for Magical New Adventure

Dreamworks Jr. has released the trailer for “CoComelon: The Movie,” which brings the hugely-popular children’s series to the big screen for the first time. The trailer shows JJ and his friends searchi...

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‘Warrior Cats’ Video Game Set Based on Hit Novel Series

Trailmark Games and the Coolabi Group announced “Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest,” a turn-based RPG inspired by the “Warrior Cats” novel series. Players hunt prey, hone skills and defend their home ...

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Netflix Plans Week-Long ‘Beef’ Free Wellness-Centered FYC Events Throughout Los Angeles (EXCLUSIVE)

The characters on “Beef” could sure use this. Right before Emmy Phase 2 voting gets underway, Netflix is embarking on a week of massage, relaxation and wellness events throughout Los Angeles. Dubbing ...

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FCC Eliminates TV Station Ownership Cap in Win for Nexstar and Other Big Broadcasters

The FCC has formally moved to eliminate the longstanding national limit on the number of TV stations that a single entity can own on a 2-1 vote that is likely to draw legal challenges. FCC chief Brend...

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Sienna Miller Is Ready for Battle in First Images From Sky/HBO Legal Drama ‘War’: ‘It’s About Rivalries and Partnerships’

Sienna Miller looks ready for battle in the first images from “War,” the upcoming Sky/HBO drama from “Hijack” co-creator George Kay. Miller stars opposite Dominic West (“The Crown”) in the eight-part ...

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SiriusXM Taps Paramount Pictures and Universal Alum Jenny Tartikoff as Head of Communications

SiriusXM hired Jenny Tartikoff, who formerly led communications for Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures, as senior vice president and head of communications for the satellite radio and podcast c...

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Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment, AA Films Board Toronto Midnight Madness Malayalam Vampire Thriller ‘Half’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Toronto Midnight Madness selection “Half,” the Malayalam vampire action thriller from Fragrant Nature Film Creations (FNFC), has been boarded by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment...

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Toronto Midnight Madness Film ‘Kick On’ Boarded by Blue Finch for Sales (EXCLUSIVE)

U.K. sales and distribution company Blue Finch Films has picked up worldwide sales rights, excluding Australia and New Zealand, to Nick Kozakis’ action horror “Kick On,” which will have its world prem...

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‘Operation Safed Sagar’: Inside Netflix’s High-Altitude Bet on the Untold Story of the India-Pakistan Kargil War

The most important prop in Netflix series “Operation Safed Sagar” isn’t a fighter jet. It’s a wing badge. When creator and showrunner Abhijeet Singh Parmar first sat down with Alka Ahuja – widow of Sq...

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Martin McDonagh to Be Honored at Zurich Film Festival as ‘Wild Horse Nine’ Receives Gala Premiere

The Zurich Film Festival will pay tribute to filmmaker Martin McDonagh as it gives a gala premiere to his latest film, “Wild Horse Nine,” starring John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell. The London-based dir...

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Fox Appears to Block NFL’s Effort to Re-Do Massive Rights Deal

Did Lachlan Murdoch just tackle the NFL? The Fox CEO on Thursday surprised investors by announcing that Fox’s current deal with the National Football League would remain as is through its end after th...

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‘Primetime’ Trailer: Robert Pattinson Suits Up as ‘To Catch a Predator’ Host Chris Hansen in A24 Crime Thriller

A24 has released the trailer for “Primetime,” giving a first look at Robert Pattinson as “To Catch a Predator” host Chris Hansen. The drama-thriller sees Pattinson step into Hansen’s shoes during a si...

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Zaslav Admits Looming Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Has Been ‘Challenging’ for Employees but Claims Work Ethic Is ‘Inspiring’

What’s the mood among the Warner Bros. Discovery rank and file amid the pending Paramount takeover? Some WBD execs have privately expressed hope the antitrust case brought by 12 states, with a trial s...

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World Cup Boosts Fox Ad Sales in Q2, Profit Falls 3%

Fox reported its latest quarterly earnings Thursday, revealing ad sales rose 108% during the period due to the World Cup. Wall Street forecast earnings per share (EPS) of $1.34 on $3.6 billion in reve...

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‘GTA 6’ to Debut ‘Extended Look’ on Netflix and YouTube on Aug. 27

New footage of “Grand Theft Auto VI” will debut on Netflix and YouTube later this month. Per a press release from Rockstar Games Thursday, “Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look will premiere on Netfl...

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James Gray Says AI Is ‘Worthless’ and Explains Why, Despite Locarno’s ‘Old Man’s Award,’ His Prime Is ‘Right Now’: ‘I Owe the World One or Two Truly G...

Over 30 years into his career, James Gray isn’t following any trends. And he’s not about to start now. “This idea that we’re supposed to always try to be ‘new’… That doesn’t really mean anything. Man...

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U.K. Approves Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger

The U.K. has cleared Paramount Skydance’s $110 ⁠billion acquisition of Warner Bros. on competition grounds. A Paramount spokesperson said in a statement, “These conclusions further demonstrate the mis...

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Versant Sees Q2 Profit Fall on Revenue Declines, Despite Ad-Sales Improvements

Versant Media said second-quarter net income fell by 30% as the new media company continued its efforts to add non-traditional assets to lend ballast to its linear media operations. The owner of MS NO...

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Isabella Rossellini Talks Lynch, ‘Green Porno’ and How Animals Became Her Favorite ‘Muses’: ‘They Fascinate Me’

Isabella Rossellini has received the Excellence Award at Locarno. “The prize I’m receiving tonight is for excellence, which is something I haven’t heard very often,” she said during the opening ceremo...

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Odd Slice Films Boards Documentary ‘Concrete Land’ Ahead of Locarno Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)

Boutique sales company Odd Slice Films has acquired worldwide rights to documentary “Concrete Land,” the debut feature of Palestinian-Jordanian director Asmahan Bkerat, ahead of its world premiere in ...

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Craig Russell Stars in British Action Thriller ‘The Priest’ as Cornwall Shoot Wraps (EXCLUSIVE)

Craig Russell stars as a former operative hiding behind a dog collar in “The Priest,” a British action thriller that has finished shooting on location in Cornwall, U.K. The film marks the feature dire...

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Michelle Yeoh Named Asian Filmmaker of the Year at Busan

Michelle Yeoh has been named Asian Filmmaker of the Year at the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), an annual honor recognizing an Asian film professional or organization for exceptional co...

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ReelShort on Track for $1.05 Billion Revenue, First Profit at Scale in 2026, Media Partners Asia Report Finds

Media Partners Asia projects that leading microdrama platform ReelShort will generate $1.05 billion in revenue in 2026, up 34%, and post its first meaningful profit at scale, according to a new report...

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Judge Dismisses Lawsuit From Paramount Streaming Subscribers Seeking to Block Warner Bros. Merger

A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit from a group of consumers looking to challenge the $111 billion merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín wrote that the ...

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‘The Shards’ Star Igby Rigney on Wooing Ryan Murphy, Never Meeting Bret Easton Ellis and Not Worrying About Sex Scenes: ‘It’s Like Doing a Dance Under...

Igby Rigney is exhausted. It’s a day before “The Shards” launches, and he’s just gotten back from Berlin, the final stop of a global press tour that also took him to New York and London. When the ser...

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Regal Cinemas CEO Eduardo Acuna Backs Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger, Says Antitrust Trial ‘Creates More Uncertainty and Distraction’

Regal Cinemas CEO Eduardo Acuna released a statement on Wednesday evening in support of the looming Paramount-Warner Bros. merger. “This year has been an important one for our industry. Attendance is ...

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Bella Thorne and Zendaya Got Pitted Against Each Other During Disney Fame and Snuck Off Set to ‘Hash It Out’ After Things ‘Got Pretty Bad’

Bella Thorne revealed on the latest episode of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast that she was aggressively pitted against her “Shake It Off” co-star Zendaya amid the height of their Disney stardom. The two...

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Vampire Mockumentary ‘I Love Paris’ Takes Top Honors at 2026 Fantasia Film Festival Audience Awards

The people have spoken at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival. Nicky Murphy’s vampire mockumentary “I Love Paris” took home best international feature honors at the audience awards, while...

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‘Mustache’ Review: A Delightfully Anxious Pakistani American Coming-of-Age Comedy

American coming-of-age comedies rarely beat with such uncomfortable verisimilitude. In the bilingual “Mustache” — the first feature from writer-director Imran J. Khan — 13-year-old Pakistani American ...

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‘Soulm8te’ Review: Fembot Goes Rogue in Polished but Predictable Tech Thriller

Billed as a spun-off third entry in the “M3GAN” franchise, “Soulm8te” is to “Fatal Attraction” as M3GAN’s vehicles were to “Orphan” and “The Bad Seed” — a robotic replay of very familiar genre tropes....

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Music Industry Moves: Alicia Keys Signs With CAA in All Areas; SONA’s Emerging Songwriter Award Nominations Now Open

Alicia Keys has signed with CAA in all areas, the company announced earlier this week. Among her many achievements, the singer-songwriter has sold an estimated 65 million records since the release of ...

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Molly Ringwald Says ‘Secret Life of the American Teenager’ Was Her ‘Worst’ Work Experience: ‘One Person Was Really Difficult’

Molly Ringwald’s experience starring in “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” was tarnished by one bad apple on set. The veteran actress was a guest on the Aug. 4 episode of Andy Cohen’s Bravo ta...

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Xbox Celebrates 25 Years With New Community Designs, Updates and FanFest Tour Dates (Gaming News Roundup)

Xbox is celebrating 25 years of play with new updates, community designs, curated Game Pass collections and the FanFest Tour schedule. Xbox’s 25th anniversary is Nov. 15. In partnership with community...

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Carson Daly Not Quitting ‘The Voice’ and Says Keke Palmer Is Hosting ‘Celebrity’ Spinoff in 2027 Because She’s ‘Perfect For It’

Carson Daly has commented on why Keke Palmer is hosting “The Voice: Celebrity,” an upcoming spinoff of the NBC singing competition he’s hosted for 15 years. After praising the new series as a “fun, ne...

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Perez Hilton’s TikTok Account Banned After Disturbing Livestream and Hospitalization

Perez Hilton’s TikTok account has been banned by the online platform after his disturbing livestream incident on Tuesday night where he appeared to harm himself. Police responded to a possible suicide...

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Peyton List, Gustaf Skarsgård-Led Psychological Thriller ‘Exit to the Guillotine’ Wraps Filming (EXCLUSIVE)

Production has wrapped on “Exit to the Guillotine,” a psychological horror-thriller from Zachary Cotler starring Peyton List (“Cobra Kai,” “School Spirits”) and Gustaf Skarsgård (“Oppenheimer,” “Vikin...

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‘I Love LA’ Season 2: Taron Egerton, Jamie Chung Among 6 Cast in Guest Star Roles

“I Love LA” has added six new guest stars to its upcoming second season, Variety has learned. The HBO comedy series has cast Taron Egerton (“Apex,” “Rocketman”), Jamie Chung (“Lovecraft Country,” “Bat...

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Why Higgsfield Inked Deals for AI Avatars of Streamer N3on, UFC’s Israel Adesanya and Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, and More for New Film (EXCLUSIVE)

Higgsfield rankled some in the film industry in the spring with its showcase of its completely AI-generated “Hell Grind,” so almost in response, it’s brought some humans in the mix – in a sense. The A...

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‘Gilmore Girls’ Documentary Set at HBO Max With Lauren Graham, Never-Before-Seen Footage and More

It’s time to return to Star’s Hollow. An official documentary about “Gilmore Girls,” the beloved seven-season family dramedy that premiered in 2000, is currently in production and set to debut on HBO ...

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Olivia Rodrigo Slams Trump for ‘Defunding’ Planned Parenthood: ‘We’ll Never Stop Fighting’

Olivia Rodrigo is supporting Planned Parenthood as the organization remains under attack from President Trump. The superstar singer was in a dance video posted to the Instagram and Twitter accounts of...

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‘The Five Star Weekend’ Renewed for Season 2 After Becoming Peacock’s Most-Watched Scripted Series Ever

“The Five Star Weekend” has been renewed for a second season at Peacock. Based on Elin Hilderbrand’s 2023 novel of the same name, the drama series stars Jennifer Garner as Hollis Shaw, a famous cook a...

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Willem Dafoe on Playing a Poet in ‘Late Fame’ and Working With Robert Eggers and Yorgos Lanthimos: ‘If I Give Myself to a Director, I Want It to Burn ...

Willem Dafoe is in the midst of a massive year — and he’s playing a character whose life is small by design. In director Kent Jones’ “Late Fame” (out Aug. 7 in New York and Aug. 19 in Los......

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What Is David Ellison’s Breaking Point?

David Ellison and the leadership team at Paramount expected to spend much of the summer settling into new digs with Warner Bros. Discovery. A few weeks ago, they privately predicted the merger of the ...

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‘The Odyssey’ Translator Emily Wilson Doubles Down Against Nolan’s ‘Emotionally Empty’ Movie: ‘We Need Art That Is Truthful’ About the ‘Necessity of C...

Emily Wilson, the author whose 2017 translation of “The Odyssey” was an influence for Christopher Nolan during his own adaptation process, is doubling down in her critiques of the director’s blockbust...

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Ted Sarandos Meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Unveils Netflix India Storytelling Initiative

Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Wednesday to unveil the Netflix India Storytelling Initiative, a multi-phase investment in the country’s creati...

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‘Martin’ Spinoff ‘The Varnell Hill Show’ Sets September Release Date, Drops First Look Photos

Paramount+ has released first-look images of “The Varnell Hill Show,” the “Martin” spinoff premiering this September on the streaming platform. The eight-episode debut season will premiere with two e...

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