Variety

Sean Gunn Says He’s ‘Too Old’ and ‘Retired’ From Playing Rocket Raccoon in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’: It ‘Hurts After a While’

Sean Gunn has proclaimed himself “retired” from doing the on-set motion capture for the fan-favorite “Guardians of the Galaxy” character Rocket Raccoon. The actor explained that he feels he’s aged out...

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‘No One Achieves Anything Alone’: Inside Variety’s Power of Women Event With Jennifer Hudson, Sharon Stone, Pearlena Igbokwe and Melissa McCarthy

Jennifer Hudson, Pearlena Igbokwe, Melissa McCarthy and Sharon Stone were the guests of honor at the starry Variety Power of Women presented by Lifetime event in Beverly Hills Wednesday night, during ...

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Issa Rae Is ‘Never Going to Stop’ Using Her Power for Good, Even as Mergers and AI Disrupt Hollywood: ‘This Is All Men’s Fault’

Issa Rae received the Entertainment Entrepreneur of the Year Award at Variety’s L.A. Power of Women event on Wednesday in Beverly Hills. The award was presented by U.S. Bank senior executive vice pres...

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Isabel Sandoval, Tricia Tuttle, ‘Elephants in the Fog’ Producer Anup Poudel Join QueerFrames Mentor Lineup as Lab Unveils New Cohort, Southeast Asia E...

QueerFrames Screenwriting Lab, a training initiative for emerging queer, trans and nonbinary filmmakers, is expanding into Southeast Asia for its fourth annual edition, bringing together storytellers ...

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Paige DeSorbo on Healing From Domestic Violence With Her Pet: ‘Sometimes the Thing That Helps You Feel Safe Again Has Four Paws’

Paige DeSorbo was honored with the Variety Courage Award, presented by Purina, for using her platform to advocate for survivors of domestic violence. Following an introduction from Molly Sims, the for...

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Ryan Murphy Says He ‘Just Finished the Script’ for a ‘Glee’ Reboot and Has Spoken to the Original Cast: ‘They All Were Very Enthusiastic’

It’s a good day to be a Gleek. Following long-swirling rumors of a potential “Glee” reboot, creator Ryan Murphy has officially weighed in and revealed that there’s a script. “Well, funny you ask, ’cau...

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‘The Visit’ at Pasadena Playhouse Review: The ’50s Absurdist Comedy Is Too Smug in Its Peak-Bleak View of Venal Humanity, but Jefferson Mays and Melin...

When an “Amadeus” revival opened at Pasadena Playhouse in February, it was such a spectacular success on every level that you wouldn’t have minded if the keepers of the venerable San Gabriel Valley ve...

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Rolf de Heer Named President of Tokyo Film Festival Jury

The Tokyo International Film Festival has named Australian director Rolf de Heer president of the international competition jury for the festival’s 39th edition. De Heer has spent more than 40 years i...

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‘Game Changer’ Host Sam Reich on Season 8’s 23-Contestant, 90-Minute, Non-Chili’s-Sponsored Finale and ‘Acid Trip’ Season 9 Episode Plans

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for the Season 8 finale of “Game Changer,” now streaming on Dropout. “Game Changer” capped off its eighth season Monday with a finale episode that was not...

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‘Gremlins 3’ Delayed to 2028 by Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. has delayed “Gremlins 3” from Nov. 19, 2027, to Oct. 6. 2028. David Zaslav, the CEO and president of Warner Bros. Discovery, first revealed the project during an investor call in 2025. St...

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Barry Diller Drops Bid to Acquire MGM Resorts: ‘We Didn’t Feel the Mix Was Coming Together’

People Inc., the media company controlled by Barry Diller, is scrapping its proposed bid to acquire MGM Resorts International. People Inc. (which changed its name from IAC this spring) owns about 27% ...

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Original ‘Willy Wonka’ Oompa-Loompa Rusty Goffe ‘Shed a Tear’ at Gene Wilder’s Voice Recreated by AI: ‘It Was Lovely Hearing It Again’

“Have a scrumdiddlyumptious day!” is how Rusty Goffe, who played an Oompa-Loompa in the 1971 adaptation of “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” opposite Gene Wilder, signs off our Zoom call after...

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The Best Pop Culture Halloween Costumes for 2026: From Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Shrubs to Taylor Swift’s Knicks Shirt

Expect to see plenty of hockey jerseys, hospital scrubs and suspiciously elaborate shrubbery on the streets this Halloween. Some revelers will be channeling Ilya and Shane from “Heated Rivalry,” other...

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Jeff Garlin Says ‘Undiagnosed Bipolar’ Made Him ‘Mean’ on ‘The Goldbergs’ Set; Wendi McLendon-Covey Responds: ‘I Remember Things Differently’

Jeff Garlin revealed in a recent interview on The Daily Beast’s “Obsessed” podcast (via Entertainment Weekly) that he had undiagnosed bipolar disorder during the making of ABC’s “The Goldbergs,” which...

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International Emmy Nominations: United Kingdom Leads This Year’s Tally; Canada’s ‘Heated Rivalry’ Doesn’t Make the Cut

The United Kingdom led all territories in nominations at this year’s International Emmys, landing 14 nods total — including Disney+’s “A Thousand Blows” in drama and Netflix’s “Man vs. Baby” in comedy...

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Los Angeles Lakers Release Official Photo Book Chronicling Seven Decades of Purple-and-Gold History

The Los Angeles Lakers are putting nearly eight decades of basketball history on the coffee table. The franchise has teamed with luxury art-book publisher Taschen for “Lakers: An Official History of t...

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‘Les Misérables’ Review: A Starry, Lavishly Empty, French-Language Version of Victor Hugo’s Epic

Nobody sings in the latest adaptation of Victor Hugo’s 1462-page cinder-block classic, but the absence of rousing musical numbers does not mean that Fred Cavayé’s “Les Misérables” is going for gritty ...

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Juan Sebastián Mesa, Tatiana Huezo, Felipe Solari Yrigoyen Triumph at San Sebastián Industry Awards

Colombia’s Juan Sebastián Mesa and Tatiana Huezo, two leading lights on the Latin American film scene, won San Sebastián’s Industry Awards in the festival’s WIP Latam. Top plaudits at the San Sebastiá...

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Rachel Zegler, Aaron Sorkin, Bradley Whitford, Diego Rodriguez Announced as Speakers at Variety’s Business of Broadway Breakfast

Variety has announced programming for its annual Business of Broadway Breakfast, presented by City National Bank. The program, on Oct. 5 in New York City, will feature Rachel Zegler, Aaron Sorkin, Bra...

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Dick Guttman, Renowned Hollywood Publicist to Stars Including Barbra Streisand and Clint Eastwood, Dies at 93

Dick Guttman, the longtime Hollywood publicity executive and screenwriter who worked with clients including Barbra Streisand, Clint Eastwood and many more, died Sept. 19 in Los Altos, Calif. He was 93...

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CNN Chief Says He’s ‘Enthusiastic’ About Staying Under Paramount, But Not Sure He Can

CNN’s top executive told staffers Wednesday that he wants to stay at the news giant, but has little knowledge of what the outlet’s soon-to-be new corporate parent has in store. “I am enthusiastic abou...

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Jeffrey Katzenberg Says Hollywood Must Accept AI as a Tool: It ‘Is Not Going Away’

Jeffrey Katzenberg, the legendary Hollywood producer and executive, thinks the entertainment industry needs to accept AI if it wants to remain relevant. In a 2,377-word essay posted to X on Wednesday,...

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CNN’s Interactive ‘Office Hours’ Has John Berman Testing New Skills

John Berman has done almost everything an anchor can do at CNN. He guides viewers through breaking news during hours of “CNN News Central.” He’s filled in for Anderson Cooper, co-hosted a morning show...

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Diane Lane Joins Li Jun Li in Hulu Limited Series ‘Victoria’

Diane Lane has joined the upcoming Hulu-Onyx Collective limited series “Victoria,” Variety has learned. The erotic thriller, which was announced last week with a series order, will star Li Jun Li as M...

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David Ellison Mulls Tapping Elon Musk for Paramount Investment While Closing in on Warner Bros. Takeover: Report

David Ellison, seeking fresh capital for a merged Paramount-Warner Bros., is considering reaching out to tech mogul Elon Musk — the world’s richest person — to “become part of a syndicate of equity in...

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France’s Film and TV Industry Faces Funding Squeeze as Netflix Becomes Leading Private Investor in French Content

Merely seven months before a fateful presidential election which has the far right leading polls, the French TV and film industry is in shambles. Despite recent efforts led by French President Emmanue...

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DIRECTV Announces ‘Netflix On Us,’ Five Streaming Apps Included In Genre Pack Packages

DIRECTV continues to make moves to become a one-stop-shop for streaming, with a new offer that includes 12 months of Netflix at no extra cost (after that, it renews at its regular price unless you can...

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Jean Smart Joins ‘The Family Stone 2’ With Rachel McAdams, Sarah Jessica Parker and More

Jean Smart has joined the cast of Searchlight Pictures’ “The Families Stone,” the sequel to the 2005 Christmas comedy “The Family Stone.” Smart joins previously announced cast members Rachel McAdams (...

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Gary Glitter Doc Postponed at Netflix After ‘New Legal Information’

Netflix has postponed the release of a documentary about former pop star and convicted sexual abuser Gary Glitter just three weeks before its release, citing “new legal information.” “Hunting Gary Gli...

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‘Brace Your Heart’ Review: Tradition and Modernity Collide in an Impassioned Ode to Sámi Womanhood

For those of us who only ever think about reindeer when December draws in, and even then in a fairly abstract sense, “Brace Your Heart” arrives as a flinty reality check. Following the life and trials...

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Disney+ Raises Prices Again, the Fourth Hike in Four Years

The streamflation trend continues: Disney is once again asking Disney+ subscribers to pay even more for the streaming service. Disney+ Premium, the plan with without ads, is increasing from $18.99 to ...

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Netflix Orders Two New Seasons of ‘Chef’s Table,’ Devoted to ‘Desserts’ and ‘Icons’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Netflix has picked up two new standalone seasons of its long-running food series “Chef’s Table.” The streamer is set to unroll “Chef’s Table: Icons” and “Chef’s Table: Desserts,” and for the first tim...

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YouTube Locks Down Coachella Rights Through 2030 as it Unveils New Microdrama-Inspired Experience for Shorts, AI-Powered Tools for Music and Studio an...

YouTube’s staying in the Coachella desert for a few more years. The streamer will remain the exclusive free streaming home of Coachella through 2030, continuing its nearly 15-year partnership with the...

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Bad Brains’ Earliest Studio Recordings to Be Released in November

As anyone reading this probably knows, the Bad Brains were one of the most important punk-rock bands of all time, Washington D.C.-bred pioneers of the sound that became hardcore. While they were a com...

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Trump Rages at CNN’s Kaitlan Collins in Midnight Rant: She Has ‘Trump Addiction’

President Donald Trump on Tuesday night was still extremely irate that CNN’s Kaitlan Collins tried to ask him a question at the United Nations — after he had banned CNN (and MS NOW and Politico) from ...

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‘Avengers: Endgame Encore’ Could Top Box Office, Brad Pitt’s ‘Heart of the Beast’ and Robert Pattinson’s ‘Primetime’ Vie for No. 3

In a blast from the past, “Avengers: Endgame” might actually wind up as No. 1 at the domestic box office in… 2026. Disney is bringing the Marvel juggernaut back to the big screen ahead of “Avengers: D...

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Kerry Washington Expands ‘Street You Grew Up On’ Interview Series Into Weekly Ongoing Podcast From Her Simpson Street Production Company and Daylight

Kerry Washington is turning her “Street You Grew Up On” interview show, which she has run in four discrete seasons over the last several years, into an ongoing weekly podcast. The actress, producer an...

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‘Heated Rivalry’ Star Callan Potter, Cobie Smulders, Iris Apatow Joined by Colin Mochrie, Andrea Martin in ‘Any Way You Want Me’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Comedy veterans Colin Mochrie (“Whose Line Is It Anyway?”) and Andrea Martin (“Evil,” “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”) have boarded “Any Way You Want Me,” joining Callan Potter (“Heated Rivalry”), Cobie Sm...

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Sony Music Group Becomes First Music Company to Join AI Content Coalition ARIAM

Sony Music Group has joined the Alliance for Responsible Innovation in the Arts & Media (ARIAM), becoming the first music company to join the group advocating for the responsible adoption of AI th...

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Bong Joon Ho Has ‘Two or Three’ Ideas for Crime and Horror Movies After Animated ‘Ally,’ Which He Hopes to Debut at a Festival Next Year

Bong Joon Ho will start detailed screenwriting on a slate of crime and horror projects next year once his animated feature “Ally” is complete, the Oscar-winning Korean filmmaker tells Variety ahead of...

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Jesse Eisenberg on ‘The Debut’ and How Community Theater Saved Him as a ‘Shy’ Child Who Was ‘Made Fun of in School’: ‘Suddenly Everyone Was So Nice’

Jesse Eisenberg’s latest film “The Debut” came from the depths of his own experience in community theater. Speaking at the San Sebastian Film Festival in his typically comical and self-deprecating man...

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Will a U.S. Federal Tax Threaten Europe’s Production Boom? European Producers Don’t Think So: ‘The U.S. Is Falling Behind’

One of the hottest topics at this year’s Creative Investors’ Conference at the San Sebastián Film Festival is the likelihood and the effects of a U.S. federal tax credit for film production. Speaking ...

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London Film Festival Industry Forum Lineup: Danny Boyle, PC Williams, Akinola Davies Jr. and More

The BFI London Film Festival has revealed the full lineup for its Industry Forum. Joining the previously announced Spotlight conversations with producers James Wilson and Pippa Harris, “Ink” director ...

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Brad Pitt on the ‘Moving Experience’ of Co-Starring With a Dog in ‘Heart of the Beast’ and the State of Indie Cinema: It ’Feels as Strong as the ‘90s’...

Brad Pitt underlined his credentials as a dog guy in San Sebastian on Wednesday, hailing the experience of working with his “Heart of the Beast” co-star, a German Shepherd called Uber. “I did have a r...

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‘You Crazy Thing’ Director Miia Tervo Proves That Everyone Deserves to Be Seen – And That Perfection Is Boring (EXCLUSIVE)

Finnish director Miia Tervo didn’t have to look far for the inspiration for her third feature “You Crazy Thing,” about Aino, a mental health nurse who’s preparing a performance with her patients for a...

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White House Says Trump’s Ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico Does Not Violate First Amendment: Access ‘Is a Privilege — Not a Right’

White House officials are defending U.S. President Donald Trump’s ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico, claiming that it does not violate the First Amendment. A Tuesday court filing obtained by The New Yor...

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