Variety

Kevin Hart and Henry Cavill’s Netflix Spy Comedy Adds Jason Isaacs, Justine Lupe and Aja Naomi King (EXCLUSIVE)

Kevin Hart and Henry Cavill’s spy comedy at Netflix has added three to its cast. Jason Isaacs (“Harry Potter,” “The White Lotus”), Justine Lupe (“Nobody Wants This,” “Succession”) and Aja Naomi King (...

2 days ago

Phyllida Law, Scottish Actress and Mother of Emma and Sophie Thompson, Dies at 94

Phyllida Law, the Scottish actress and mother of Emma and Sophie Thompson, has died. She was 94. “It is with great sadness we have to announce that Phyllida Law died supremely peacefully at home, surr...

3 days ago

‘Hidden Heroes: A Descendants Story’ Adds 6 to Cast, Including Darren Criss as Jiminy Cricket and Sherry Cola as Yzma From ‘Emperor’s New Groove’

The Disney Channel and Disney+ movie “Hidden Heroes: A Descendants Story” is rounding out its cast with six new additions. The new cast members are: Darren Criss (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace:...

3 days ago

‘What Will I Become?’ Review: Transmasculine Lives Take Center Stage in a Poignant Portrait of Loss

At an early point in “What Will I Become?,” co-director Logan Rozos explains to the camera, “We are not taken seriously, so we have to take ourselves very seriously.” The film he has made, with Lexie ...

3 days ago

Bill Rasmussen, ESPN’s Founder, Dies at 93

Bill Rasmussen, a former local-news sports director who parlayed an interest in the nascent business of satellite television into the launch of the sports-media giant known as ESPN, has died after a b...

3 days ago

Fulvio Lucisano, Italian Producer of ‘Planet of the Vampires’ and ‘What Have You Done to Solange?,’ Dies at 98

Italian producer Fulvio Lucisano, who shepherded a slew of cult B-movies such as “Planet of the Vampires” and “What Have You Done to Solange?” and had a close rapport with Roger Corman, has died. He w...

3 days ago

C+C Music Factory Co-Founder Robert Clivillés Sues Freedom Williams for $30 Million, Alleging He Wrongfully Claimed Trademark Despite Never Being a Gr...

Whatever fallout came as a result of the canceled Freedom 250 concerts on the National Mall in Washington this summer, we can add a lawsuit that otherwise might not have happened. One prominent figure...

3 days ago

Angélique Kidjo Talks ‘Hope,’ Her Mother’s Legacy and Making History With a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Two things have been crucial to a restless Angélique Kidjo since her childhood in Benin, West Africa: diverse, universal, nuanced brands of truthful musical storytelling in all its forms, and her moth...

3 days ago

Ascend Literary Management Signs ‘Average Joe’ Creator Robb Cullen (EXCLUSIVE)

Ascend Literary Management has signed Robb Cullen for representation, Variety has learned exclusively. Cullen continues to be repped by IAG and Jared Levine, Sabrina Padwa and Jonathan Leiter of Yorn ...

3 days ago

Shakira, Global Citizen, Live Nation and CAF Commit $1.25 Million to Rebuild Schools in Colombia Following Earthquake

Shakira, the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, Live Nation and CAF have announced a $1.25 million initial commitment to rebuild schools following the devastating earthquake in Colombia last week. Th...

3 days ago

SXSW Sets Podcast Festival, Locals-Only Perks and Changes in Music Venues for 2027 Event in Austin

South by Southwest has unveiled plans for a podcast festival, new locals-only perks and temporary changes in music venues for the 2027 event that will unfold on the streets of Austin, Texas in March. ...

3 days ago

‘Mother’ Director Teona Mitevska Preps Sequel to Feminist Satirical Drama ‘God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya’ (EXCLUSIVE)

North Macedonian filmmaker Teona Mitevska (“Mother”) is prepping a sequel to her satirical drama “God Exists, Her Name is Petrunya,” which premiered in competition at the Berlinale in 2019, the direct...

3 days ago

Nonprofit Production Waterwell Doubles Funding for Unseen Iran Grants to Artists Representing the Diaspora in Film, TV, Theater and More

Nonprofit production venture Waterwell, co-founded by “Succession” player Arian Moayed, and nonprofit Nimruz has doubled the funding for their program of Unseen Iran Grants now in its second cycle. Fu...

3 days ago

Madonna Leads VMAs Nominations With 11, Followed by Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande

It’s no time warp — Madonna leads all other divas in nominations for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, with 11 nods, it was announced Tuesday morning. She’s followed by Taylor Swift, with nine nominati...

3 days ago

Nicolas Altmayer, Beloved French Producer Behind ‘OSS 117,’ and Dior Executive Mathilde Favier Die in Car Crash

Nicolas Altmayer, the prolific French producer behind the “OSS 117” franchise and films by François Ozon, Bertrand Bonello and Julia Ducournau, and his partner Mathilde Favier, a prominent Dior public...

3 days ago

War Child U.K. Kicks Off Secret 7″ Record Auction, Featuring Tracks From John Lennon, the Last Dinner Party, Glass Animals and More

War Child U.K. has officially kicked off the 10th edition of its Secret 7″ record auction, featuring 700 sleeves designed by world-renowned artists and tracks from John Lennon, the Last Dinner Party, ...

3 days ago

Craig Carton to Launch New Show on Fox’s Outkick

Craig Carton, the longtime sportscaster best known, perhaps, for his stints on New Yorks’ WFAN, will join Fox’s Outkick sports-media outlet, hosting a new three-days-a-week program for a national audi...

3 days ago

Edinburgh Film Festival Competition Directors on the Craziest, Most Challenging Moments Making Their First Features and Why They Can’t Wait to Do It A...

The chaos, hard graft and — ultimately — privileged thrill of feature filmmaking were the central themes of conversation at the Variety Lounge at Edinburgh International Film Festival as the rising di...

3 days ago

Publicis Groupe, 3 Arts, Travis Kelce Launch Venture to Help Advertisers Strike Deals With College Athletes

French advertising giant Publicis Groupe has a new American teammate: Travis Kelce. The ad-holding company and the popular Kansas City Chiefs tight end are forming a joint venture that aims to help ad...

3 days ago

ABC Files First Amendment Lawsuit Against FCC

Disney’s ABC filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday, raising the pitch of the company’s efforts to countermand unusual pressure from the federal gover...

3 days ago

Peacock Raises Prices Across All Plans, NBCU’s Fourth Increase in Four Years

NBCUniversal’s Peacock just turned profitable for the first time. And now the company is raising prices for all customers, marking the streamer’s fourth fee increase in four years. Starting Aug. 18, P...

3 days ago

‘Ice Princess’ Director Remembers Stars Hayden Panettiere and Michelle Trachtenberg as an ‘Amazing Pair’: ‘Two Shining Talents, Gone Far Too Soon’

“Ice Princess” director Tim Fywell has penned a sweet tribute to the two stars of his beloved 2005 ice skating movie, Hayden Panettiere and Michelle Trachtenberg, following Panettiere’s death on Sunda...

3 days ago

Oscars: Taiwan Selects ‘A Foggy Tale’ for International Feature Race

“A Foggy Tale,” directed by Chen Yu-hsun, has been selected to represent Taiwan in the best international feature film category at the 99th Academy Awards, Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture has revealed. T...

3 days ago

Diego Luna on Challenging How Migrants Are Viewed With ‘Ashes’: ‘We’re Not Thinking About What They Left Behind’

Between conducting a masterclass and attending an open-air screening of his fourth directorial feature, “Ashes,” Diego Luna dropped by the Variety Lounge presented by the Sarajevo Film Festival and BH...

3 days ago

Hayden Panettiere’s Ex Wladimir Klitschko Remembers Her ‘Immense Talent While Also Facing the Darker Sides’ of the Industry: ‘She Left This World Far ...

Hayden Panettiere’s ex Wladimir Klitschko, who is the father of her 11-year-old daughter Kaya, is mourning the actress following her death on Sunday at the age of 36. In an Instagram post late Monday ...

3 days ago

Croatian Crime Drama ‘Red Water,’ Directed by Cannes Prizewinner Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic, to Be Co-Produced by ZDF/Arte, Beta Film (EXCLUSIVE)

Beta Film has teamed up with ZDF/Arte and Antitalent to co-produce the Croatian crime drama “Red Water,” winner of the 2025 Council of Europe Series Co-Production Development Award at the Sarajevo Fil...

3 days ago

Sundance Breakout ‘Thelma’ Set for Mandarin Remake by Stars Collective, Titled ‘Grandma, Please’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Stars Collective has acquired the Mandarin-language remake rights to “Thelma,” the 2024 Sundance Film Festival breakout that became Magnolia Pictures’ highest-grossing narrative feature, and is develo...

3 days ago

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

Sony’s superhero tentpole “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” dominated the U.K. and Ireland box office for a third consecutive weekend, adding £6.1 million ($8.3 million), elevating its running total to $106...

3 days ago

Rosie O’Donnell Shines in ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ Hosting Debut, Attacks ‘Mango Mussolini’ Trump and Gives Moving Hayden Panettiere Tribute

When Jimmy Kimmel announced that Rosie O’Donnell would be filling in as a week-long guest host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” during his summer vacation, he teased it would be “a special treat” for Donald Tru...

3 days ago

Rosie O’Donnell Shines in ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Hosting Debut, Attacks ‘Mango Mussolini’ Trump and Gives Moving Hayden Panettiere Tribute

When Jimmy Kimmel announced that Rosie O’Donnell would be filling in as a week-long guest host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” during his summer vacation, he teased it would be “a special treat” for Donald Tr...

3 days ago

Vin Diesel Says ‘Fast Forever’ Starts Shooting in December

Vin Diesel says filming for “Fast Forever” has a start date. “We start shooting in December, if I can make good on the request from the studio,” Diesel told Variety Monday night at the 25th anniversar...

3 days ago

Michelle Rodriguez Remembers Hayden Panettiere After Co-Hosting World Music Awards: ‘Can’t Stand How Many Young People Are Leaving Us Lately’

Michelle Rodriguez is sharing her memories of Hayden Panettiere after the “Scream 4” star died at age 36 on Sunday. Rodriguez and Panettiere co-hosted the World Music Awards back in 2010. When asked w...

3 days ago

Jeanie Buss Seeks to Contest Sale of Los Angeles Lakers to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner: Report

Jeanie Buss, the Los Angeles Lakers owner who has been the face of the team since the death of her father Jerry Buss in 2013, is reportedly contesting the plan approved by her siblings to sell the fam...

3 days ago

David F. Sandberg to Direct Horror Movie ‘Mommy’s Home’ For Lionsgate

David F. Sandberg has been tapped to direct a new psychological horror movie, “Mommy’s Home,” for Lionsgate. From screenwriter James Morosini, “Mommy’s Home” follows “a young dad whose family life bec...

3 days ago

LISTEN: How Chris Carter Got a Second Shot at ‘The X-Files: I Want to Believe’ Film

On today’s episode of “Daily Variety” podcast, “The X-Files” creator Chris Carter explains to Variety’s Michael Schneider how he got the chance to do a director’s cut of his 2008 “The X-Files: I Want ...

3 days ago

‘Furious’ Star Steve Way on the Beauty of ‘Disabled Love’ and the Difficulty of Navigating Hollywood Without a Team: ‘I Want an Agency to Whore Me Out...

It’s uncommon to meet an actor bold enough to call Ari Emanuel, the executive chairman of WME Group and one of the most powerful people in Hollywood, a “prick” on the record. But it’s also uncommon to...

3 days ago

‘Friday the 13th’ Prequel Series ‘Crystal Lake’ Is ‘Gory’ and ‘Gross’ With ‘Blood Everywhere,’ Says Star Linda Cardellini

“Crystal Lake” star Linda Cardellini is teasing the upcoming “Friday the 13th” prequel television series. Cardellini stars in the Peacock series as the franchise antagonist Pamela Voorhees. The show, ...

3 days ago

‘Spy Kids’ Actor Alexa PenaVega Shares Heartbreak After Deaths of Fellow Child Stars Hayden Panettiere, Michelle Trachtenberg and Daveigh Chase: ‘Hug ...

Alexa PenaVega’s “heart is heavy” after the death of Hayden Panettiere, most notably because it marks the third passing of a fellow child star in 2026. The “Spy Kids” actor noted in a statement on soc...

3 days ago

Donald Trump Attacks CNN’s Kristen Holmes for Asking If He Spoke to North Korean Dictator: ‘You’re a Loud, Boisterous Person. Be Quiet!’

President Donald Trump grew angry at CNN’s Kristen Holmes during a press briefing at the White House Monday, after she asked a question about whether he had spoken with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-...

3 days ago

California A.G. Rejects $1.88 Billion Paramount Bond, Says Company Wants a ‘Do-Over’ on Merger Delay

The California attorney general’s office fired back against Paramount’s request for a $1.88 billion bond on Monday, saying the company is seeking a “do-over” on its agreement to delay the Warner Bros....

3 days ago

Ariel Levy, a New Yorker Staff Writer, Joins ’60 Minutes’ as Contributor

Ariel Levy, a staff writer at The New Yorker magazine who has analyzed sexuality in culture and profiled a number of political and cultural newsmakers, will join “60 Minutes” as a contributor, the lat...

3 days ago

Connie Britton Praises Hayden Panettiere’s ‘Brilliance’ After ‘Nashville’ Co-Star’s Death: ‘I Love You Girl. Sleep Easy Now’

Connie Britton has “no words” following the death of her “Nashville” co-star Hayden Panettiere at 36 years old. The duo starred together on five seasons of the ABC country music drama from 2012 to 201...

3 days ago

Peacock Launches Test of Membership Rewards Program With Perks Including NBCU and Bravo Merch Discounts, Free Pizzas

NBCUniversal’s Peacock launched a limited new membership program in a beta test with a variety of perks — aimed at keeping them from flying the coop as streaming subscribers, as well as driving increm...

3 days ago

Music Industry Moves: iHeartMedia’s Alissa Pollack Named President of Mediabase

RCS Worldwide has announced the promotion of Alissa Pollack to president of Mediabase, a top music industry source for airplay analytics, chart intelligence, and music data. In this elevated role, Pol...

3 days ago

Ryan Gosling’s ‘Ghost Rider’ Sets Release Date; Third Marvel Movie on 2028 Calendar

Disney has dated Ryan Gosling’s “Ghost Rider” movie for July 28, 2028, making it the third Marvel movie set for 2028. “Black Panther 3” is for Dec. 15, 2028, while the untitled “X-Men” movie comes out...

3 days ago

How ‘Palm Royale’s’ All-Women Stunt Team Pulled Off That Catfight Sequence

AppleTV+’s “Palm Royale” made Emmy history when it landed nods for Outstanding Stunt Coordination for Comedy Programming (Mallory Thompson) and Outstanding Stunt Performance (Colby Lemmo and Sonja Waj...

3 days ago

‘Industry’ Season 5 Adds Seven to Cast, Including Cary Elwes, Jessica Brown Findlay, Dianna Agron

The fifth and final season of “Industry” is adding seven new cast members. Joining the HBO finance industry drama are: Cary Elwes (“Dead Man’s Wire,” “The Princess Bride,” “Robin Hood: Men in Tights”)...

3 days ago

Paramount Requests States and WGA Be Required to Post $1.9 Billion Bond to Cover Financial Losses While Warner Bros. Merger Is Stuck on Hold Pending T...

David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance asked the judge overseeing the antitrust lawsuits filed by 12 states and the WGA to force the plaintiffs to pony up a whopping $1.88 billion bond to cover the compan...

3 days ago

BINI, SB19 and Lea Salonga Lead ‘Forgotten Island’ Soundtrack (EXCLUSIVE)

The full tracklisting for Dreamworks Animation’s “Forgotten Island” has been revealed. SB19, BINI and Lea Salonga are among the artists leading the soundtrack. As previously mentioned, H.E.R. and Kat...

3 days ago

Taylor Swift Praises Phoebe Bridgers’ New Album ‘Lost Weekend,’ Calls It an ‘Absolute Triumph in Every Way’

Taylor Swift has spoken out about her love of Phoebe Bridgers’ new album “Lost Weekend,” praising the singer-songwriter for her “absolute triumph” of a record. Swift, who previously featured Bridgers ...

3 days ago