Variety
Inside Ryan Murphy’s Universe: How Director Max Winkler Found Creative Meaning in ‘Lizzie Borden,’ ‘American Horror Story,’ ‘Love Story’ and More
In 2019, Max Winkler was an indie film director about to level up. Having cut his teeth directing sitcoms in the ’10s — including “New Girl,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “Fresh Off the Boat” — 2017’s dar...
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Paramount Says Timing for Warner Bros. Deal Close ‘If Any’ Is ‘Not Yet Certain’ but Pencils In Oct. 5 Date to Issue PSKY Shareholders Warrants Tied to...
Paramount Skydance’s $111 billion agreement to merge with Warner Bros. Discovery is not quite a done deal, but the company is preparing for the deal to close within the next few weeks. In an SEC filin...
1 week ago
Jodie Turner-Smith Sued for Allegedly Enabling Brother’s Sexual Misconduct and Drug Dealing
Richard Smith, the brother of actor Jodie Turner-Smith, was sued by three women for alleged sexual misconduct and drug dealing; Turner-Smith was named in the suit as allegedly enabling his behavior. T...
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White House Has Spent More Than $440,000 on Pro-Trump TV Ads Paid for by U.S. Government; Administration Defends ‘Unapologetically American’ Spots and...
TV ads featuring President Donald Trump — including one in which he declares that “America will never be a communist country” and touting his administration’s policy goals — were paid for by U.S. taxp...
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Margaret Qualley and Sabrina Carpenter Join Tom Holland in Fred Astaire Biopic as Adele Astaire, Ginger Rogers
Tom Holland has found his dance partners for Sony’s yet-to-be-titled Fred Astaire biopic: Margaret Qualley and Sabrina Carpenter. As previously announced, Holland will play the debonair dancer in the ...
1 week ago
Ari Emanuel Details Hollywood Rise in New Memoir: Harvey Weinstein Feuds, Signing Martin Scorsese and a Tense Evening With Larry David and Elon Musk
Ari Emanuel has spent more than three decades making deals, building companies and occasionally screaming his way through Hollywood. Now, the superagent-turned-media mogul is telling his own story. In...
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Lance Oppenheim on ‘Primetime,’ ‘You Can See Everything’ and How Chris Hansen’s Reaction ‘Is Exactly What the Film Is About’
Lance Oppenheim has always lived in reality, but not all his subjects do. The documentarian has built a career out of pointing his camera at people, from the retirees of “Some Kind of Heaven” to the u...
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San Sebastián 10 Takeaways, From Brad Pitt Seducing San Sebastián to AI, Buzz Titles, Deals and Glorious Gastronomy
Blessed by warm but hardly sweltering late summer sun — and no typical Basque txirimiri drizzle so common to other editions — the 74th San Sebastián also marks the last under festival director José Lu...
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Halle Berry Says Anti-Violence Film and Portraying a ‘Female Way of Dealing With Violence’ Is ‘Something the World Needs Right Now’ While Presenting T...
The sun set on a perfect fall evening in New York City as emerging writers, directors and producers mingled with industry giants in a rustic Greenwich Village penthouse. As hors d’oeuvres and a never-...
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Chris Hansen Slams ‘Primetime’ and Robert Pattinson’s Portayal of Him: ‘So Bizarre’ and ‘Detached From Reality’
Chris Hansen finally took a seat for “Primetime,” and he was not happy about the portrayal of himself. The former “To Catch a Predator” host said on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime” in August that ...
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How ‘Never After Dark’ Dodges Horror Clichés: Shoot Well-Lit Scenes, Challenge Conventional Storytelling and ‘Pull the Rug Out From Under People’
As the title implies, “Never After Dark” is a horror film that isn’t stuck in the shadows. “There’s something very tactile and direct, and a lot of it takes place during the day or at least fairly bri...
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Endemol Shine North America CEO Sharon Levy Exits After Nearly a Decade
Sharon Levy is exiting Banijay’s Endemol Shine North America after nearly a decade at the company — including most recently as CEO. The restructure comes following this summer’s completion of the $8 b...
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‘South Park’ Season 29 Premiere Hits 4.2 Million Viewers in Three Days and Jumps 33% in Rating After Renaming to ‘South America’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s latest stunt has paid off. The Season 29 premiere of “South America” — renamed from “South Park” as a parody of Donald Trump’s controversial initiatives to rename major la...
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All Things Go NYC Festival Canceled Due to ‘Severe Weather Conditions’
All Things Go NYC Festival has been canceled because of “severe weather conditions,” organizers said in a statement. The event was slated to take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Forest Hills Stad...
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Spain’s Begin Again Films Boards Brazilian Basketball Biopic ‘Paula & Hortência – The Last Chance’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Spain-based Begin Again Films secured an international sales deal for “Paula & Hortência – The Last Chance.’ The film, directed by Georgia Guerra-Peixe Joca, is a biopic on the life of the two tit...
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L.A. Mayoral Candidate Nithya Raman Turns to Microdramas to Power Youth Vote
It’s an unseasonably warm September day in Chatsworth, and the air conditioning at the Capital Arts soundstages has gone out. The crew has one day to churn out four microdramas for Nithya Raman’s camp...
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‘Evil Dead Burn’ Sets HBO Max Release Date in Time for Halloween
One of the year’s scariest movies will be ready to stream before Halloween: “Evil Dead Burn” will be released on HBO Max on Oct. 2. The third movie since the “Evil Dead” series reboot in 2013 (and six...
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RioFilme to Announce $20 Million Film and TV Incentives at Rio Film Fest’s RioMarket
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — RioFilme, the film and TV company of Rio de Janeiro City, will launch a call for proposals amounting to R$100 million ($20 million) for film and TV show production, developmen...
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‘Charlie Harper’ Review: Emilia Jones and Nick Robinson Come Apart, in Fits and Starts, in a Fuzzy, Non-Linear Breakup Drama
The first thing to know about “Charlie Harper” is that it’s not, in fact, about someone called Charlie Harper. Charlie (Nick Robinson) and Harper (Emilia Jones) are a couple, meeting and parting at va...
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Patti LaBelle, Common, Public Enemy Honored at Black Music Action Coalition Gala 2026
Patti LaBelle, Common and Public Enemy were among the artists and executives who were celebrated on Thursday night at the sixth annual Black Music Action Coalition Gala, held at the Beverly Hilton Hot...
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Fox News Assigns Larry Kudlow to Anchor Maria Bartiromo’s ‘Sunday Morning Futures’ Through Midterms
Fox News is replacing one opinionated business anchor with another, assigning Larry Kudlow to anchor “Sunday Morning Futures” on an interim basis following its ouster of longtime staffer Maria Bartiro...
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Joy Division’s Massive ‘Eternal’ Boxed Set Documents the Band’s Brilliant Evolution Over 16 Concerts: Album Review
Few artists have cast as vast an influence in as short a time as Joy Division, the pioneering Manchester post-punk quartet whose dark, haunting songs and sound helped shape many genres and scenes that...
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Lena Dunham is All Business in First Look at Channel 4’s A24 Drama ‘It Gets Worse’
Lena Dunham is all business in first look images from upcoming Channel 4/A24 drama “It Gets Worse.” Dunham guest stars as Greta in the series, which was written, created by and stars Leo Reich. In the...
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Shemar Moore Is Back in Action in Starz’s Solid Cop Drama ‘S.W.A.T. Exiles’: TV Review
Just one year after wrapping an eight-season run on CBS’ “S.W.A.T.,” Shemar Moore’s stoic but righteous Sergeant II Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson Jr. returns on a new network in the spinoff series “S.W.A.T...
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Willem Dafoe Says Record-Breaking U.S. Box Office Should Be ‘Spread Out a Little Bit’: ‘The Audience Comes Mainly From Three Huge Movies’
Willem Dafoe, who is at the Zurich Film Festival presenting the opening night film “Tenzing,” spoke about the record-breaking 2026 box office while emphasizing the importance of watching the Jennifer ...
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Rio Fest’s RioMarket, Kicking Off Oct. 1, to Feature TikTok Program and Online Business Meetings
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — RioMarket, the business section of the Rio International Film Festival, will be held over Oct. 1-11, featuring for the first time a partnership with TikTok and online one-on-o...
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Elton John, Charli xcx, Burna Boy and More Set Shows at New Apple Music Hall in London
London’s new venue Apple Music Hall has announced its inaugural lineup, including performances from Elton John, Charli xcx, Burna Boy and more. John is set to open the venue — a state-of-the-art, 600-...
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Dolly Parton’s ‘9 to 5’ Returns to Theaters With Ticket Sales Donated to Dollywood Foundation After Star’s Death
Dolly Parton’s hit 1980 comedy “9 to 5” will return to theaters next month for one week in the wake of the country superstar’s death on Aug. 25 at age 80. All U.S. ticket sales will be donated to......
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Tim Blake Nelson’s ‘The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd,’ Jesse Eisenberg’s ‘The Debut’ Among Rome Film Festival Standout Titles
Tim Blake Nelson’s prison saga “The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd,” Diego Luna’s migration drama “Ashes,” Boots Riley’s anticapitalist satire “I Love Boosters,” and Jesse Eisenberg’s latest film “Th...
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Produced by J.A. Bayona, Netflix Documentary Series ‘Beyond Society’ Examines What Happens After the Survivors of the 1972 Andes Plane Crash Return to...
The Netflix documentary series “Beyond Society” (“Más Allá de la Sociedad”) had its world premiere at the San Sebastián International Film Festival on September 23. The three-part doc series, created ...
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In Finnish Body Horror ‘Tick Fever,’ Lyme Disease Is the Least of Your Worries (EXCLUSIVE)
No one likes ticks – least of all “Tick Fever” director Sebastian Granskog. “Every Finn has learned to live in fear of ticks since the summers of their childhood. It’s a tiny insect that latches onto ...
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ECAM Incubator Film Project ‘Our Raised Skin’ Explores the Male Body and the Fear of Its Touch
Director Paolo Natale’s experimental hybrid documentary/video-essay, “Our Raised Skin” (“Nuestra Piel Levantada”), is currently in advanced development as part of Madrid Film School’s (ECAM) incubator...
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‘My Octopus Teacher’ Outfit Off The Fence Boards Viviane D’Avilla’s Intersex Doc ‘Let Us Be’ Ahead of Rio Film Festival (EXCLUSIVE)
Off the Fence (OTF), the leading storytelling media group and co-producer of Oscar-winning documentary “My Octopus Teacher,” has boarded Viviane D’Avilla’s “Let Us Be.” The documentary, which world pr...
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What Comes Next for Brazil After ‘I’m Still Here’ and ‘The Secret Agent’? International Co-Productions Point Towards a Strong International Future
In 2025, Walter Salles made history when he won Brazil with “I’m Still Here” its first-ever Oscar for a Portuguese-language film directed by a Brazilian, beating “Emilia Pérez” for Best International ...
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The Drive-In, Streaming Platform Where Indie Filmmakers Keep IP, Audience and Money, Sets Launch (EXCLUSIVE)
A new streaming platform aimed at independent film and supporting independent filmmakers has been unveiled. The Drive-In, a TVOD service that will operate within independent film and TV discovery app ...
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Block the Merger Coalition Asks Court to Reject Paramount’s Settlement With States Over Warner Bros. Deal
A coalition of groups under the Block the Merger banner have filed an amicus brief – a third party representation in a court case – opposing the Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. Discovery merger. The b...
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Oscars: Denmark Selects May el-Toukhy’s Golden Lion Winner ‘Woman Unknown’ for International Feature Race
May el-Toukhy’s “Woman Unknown” as be chosen as Denmark’s official entry for the international feature film race at the Oscars. “Woman Unknown” just won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival fro...
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‘Florid’ Director Billy Lumby on Challenging ‘Misrepresentation’ of Schizophrenia on Screen and Casting Non-Actors in Feature Debut
The depiction of schizophrenia on screen — especially in horror movies — has largely seen the mental health condition linked to violent and unpredictable rages, showing people when something has gone ...
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‘Halima,’ First Finnish Pic Ever by Black Female Filmmaker, Bags Fiction Project Prize, ‘Sauna Diplomacy’ Named Best Genre Project at Finnish Film Aff...
Former BBC journalist Naima Mohamud’s heartfelt and warm comedy “Halima,” about a 10-year-old Somali girl trying to fit in Finland in 1998 took home Helsinki’s Finnish Film Affair’s top prize for Best...
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‘Unabomber’ Review: A Portrait of the Terrorist as a Young Man, Given a Hokey TV-Movie Gloss
The Unabomber may be a figure of enduring public fascination, but it’s hard to see that extending to “Unabomber,” Netflix’s unimaginatively titled and prosaically assembled drama about how domestic te...
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Silver Lion Winner ‘Miss Violence’ Director Alexandros Avranas to Helm Greek Adaptation of Globoplay’s Hit Series ‘The Others’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Alexandros Avranas, who won the Venice Film Festival Silver Lion for best director for the harrowing drama “Miss Violence,” will helm the Greek adaptation of Globoplay’s hit series “The Others.” The p...
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Taylor Swift Still Has Unfinished Business With Her Exes — Thank God! — While Also Mooning Over Her Groom in ‘The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore’: New...
If you’re a Taylor Swift fan, one of your deepest fears this year might have been that the pop superstar will be so wrapped up in a long, rapturous honeymoon that she’ll neglect to bring us down by co...
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Gaussian Scout, Pixentinel Take Top Prizes at San Sebastián’s Zinemaldia Startup Challenge
SAN SEBASTIÁN, Spain — Finland’s Gaussian Scout (formerly listed Virtual Location Scouting) and Spain’s Pixentinel claimed the top prizes at the 2026 Zinemaldia Startup Challenge, the San Sebastián Fe...
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Paramount’s David Ellison Attends Trump White House State Dinner for Chinese President; CNN and MS NOW Reporters Barred From Event
David Ellison, CEO of Paramount Skydance, dined at the White House Thursday evening at the state dinner held for visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping — but the White House shut out reporters for CNN,...
1 week ago
Hannah Einbinder Speaks Out After Being Arrested at Netanyahu Protest: ‘Let Us Not Mistake the Spectacle for the Story’
Hannah Einbinder is speaking out after being detained earlier Thursday while protesting an appearance by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The “Hacks” star, who was protesting alongside Sarah...
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Aamir Khan to Receive Screen Icon Award as Singapore Film Festival Opens With Hur Jin-ho’s ‘The Assassin(s)’
The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) will present its Screen Icon Award to Indian actor, director and producer Aamir Khan at its 37th edition, with a 25th-anniversary Special Presentation...
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The Horror Show Launches at Academy Museum: Costumes and Props From ‘Halloween,’ ‘Saw,’ ‘Poltergeist’ and More
Just in time for the scariest season, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles is unveiling The Horror Show, a major survey of costumes, props, drawings, posters and other artifacts from t...
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Inside Variety’s Power of Women 2026 Gift Bag: Goop Skincare, Tarte Beauty, Voluspa Candles and More
Guests didn’t leave this year’s Variety Power of Women event empty-handed. After a glitzy evening at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Wednesday night (featuring powerhouse performances from Jennifer Hudson ...
1 week ago
AI Robots Dance in the Rain as Pingyao Film Festival Turns 10, Honors Ann Hui
The 10th Pingyao Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon International Film Festival opened on Sept. 24 with an AI robot dance by Unitree, a tribute to four late friends of the festival and the East-West Award ...
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VMAs Producer Van Toffler on Madonna’s Return, the Taylor Takeover and Why He Brought the Show West Again: ‘L.A. and Snoop Is a Lethal Combo’
You can go home again, at least part-time, as former MTV Networks head Van Toffler proved when he came back in 2025 as the producer of the MTV Video Music Awards. He’s back in the saddle for a second....
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