Variety

New Name of Paramount-Warner Bros. Unveiled: Skydance

The soon-to-merge Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery officially has a name: It’s simply going to be “Skydance,” according to chairman and CEO David Ellison. In the end, Ellison picked the name of his or...

4 days ago

Kieran Culkin Will Be Playing the Devil on ‘Family Guy’ for a Long Time (EXCLUSIVE)

Kieran Culkin had a lot of fun playing the Devil on “Family Guy” — so much fun, in fact, that he would like to play the show’s Devil for the foreseeable future. “He was really game, wanted to have......

4 days ago

‘The Celebrity Traitors’ Scores Record-Breaking Season 2 Premiere With Nearly 9 Million Viewers

The second season of the U.K.’s “Celebrity Traitors” is off to a record-breaking start. More than 8.8 million viewers watched Thursday night’s premiere of the BBC’s devious reality show, according to ...

4 days ago

‘A Talent for Murder’ Director Anton Corbijn Praises Helen Mirren’s Performance as Controversial Author Patricia Highsmith: ‘She’s a Great Jerk!’

In “A Talent for Murder,” director Anton Corbijn takes a closer look at writer Patricia Highsmith. Known for creating everyone’s favorite psychopath Tom Ripley, Highsmith – played by Helen Mirren – be...

4 days ago

Charlie Cox to Lead ‘The King’s Ransom’ Play in London

“Daredevil” star Charlie Cox is returning to the London stage this winter to lead “The King’s Ransom,” a new play by Stuart Slade. World premiering at the Donmar Warehouse, “The King’s Ransom” is set ...

4 days ago

Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy to Depart at Warner Bros. Following Paramount Close

Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy’s term as chiefs of Warner Bros. is coming to an end. Multiple sources told Variety that De Luca and Abdy will not be part of David Ellison’s management team after the ...

4 days ago

‘Cameron Winter at Carnegie Hall’ Review: Paul Thomas Anderson Directs a Rapturous Solo Concert Movie Built Around the Songs — and Haunting Sound — of...

The slow rolling piano echo through the hall like a rhapsody from the deep. The sound is rich, lustrous, bottom-heavy, grand. And that voice! Winter sings in a low baritone (and occasionally a high on...

4 days ago

Ben Affleck’s ‘Animals’ Cast Wants Him to Run for Office: ‘Maybe They Hate Me’

Ben Affleck plays a Brentwood businessman running for Los Angeles mayor in the new thriller “Animals.” The Oscar winner, who directed and co-wrote the film, is also a longtime political activist who h...

4 days ago

Ken Urker, Gypsy-Rose Blanchard’s Partner, Dies at 34

Ken Urker, the partner of Gypsy-Rose Blanchard and father of their child, was found dead Thursday in Raceland, Louisiana. He was 34. Captain Brennan Matherne of the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Departme...

4 days ago

Oscars: Pakistan Selects Documentary ‘Hanging by a Wire’ for International Feature Race (EXCLUSIVE)

Mohammed Ali Naqvi’s documentary thriller “Hanging by a Wire” has been selected as Pakistan’s submission for the Best International Feature Film Oscar at the 99th Academy Awards, marking the first tim...

4 days ago

Donna Langley Says the Key to Stealing Taylor Sheridan Away From Paramount Was a Better Film Deal: ‘I Saw an Opportunity’

NBCUniversal Entertainment chair Donna Langley managed to snag “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan away from Paramount after a decade at the studio. How did she do it? By putting an emphasis on the ...

4 days ago

Eddie Murphy to Star in Peacock Drama Series ‘The Chairman’ From ‘Mad Men’ Creator Matthew Weiner

Eddie Murphy is attached to star in “The Chairman,” a drama series in development at Peacock created by Matthew Weiner. If greenlit, the project will mark his first-ever role in a live-action scripted...

4 days ago

Halle Berry Accused of Child Abuse by Ex Olivier Martinez, Who Is Seeking a Restraining Order

Halle Berry is being accused of abusing her 12-year-old son by her ex-husband, actor Olivier Martinez, who has filed a petition for a temporary restraining order against the actress. Martinez alleges ...

4 days ago

‘Fast & Furious’ TV Adaptation Ordered to Series by Peacock, Eyed for 2028 Premiere

The “Fast & Furious” TV series, first revealed to be in development earlier this year at the NBCUniversal upfronts, is closer to reality. Peacock announced Thursday that it has greenlit a new scri...

4 days ago

Oscars: International Feature — ‘La Bola Negra,’ ‘Fjord’ and ‘Woman Unknown’ Lead Early Contenders

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and To...

4 days ago

There Is Precedent for Taylor Swift’s ‘Cleveland!’ Making the World Go Crazy: Paul McCartney’s ‘Silly Love Songs’ Era

It is a controversy actually worthy of an exclamation point. When was the last time the internet lost its collective stuff over a single song the way it did this past week with Taylor Swift’s “Clevela...

4 days ago

Venom Frontman Conrad ‘Cronos’ Lant Dies at 63

Conrad “Cronos” Lant, the frontman for the legendary Northern British heavy metal band Venom, has died, according to a post on the band’s social media sites and the Guardian. No cause of death was cit...

4 days ago

Ynon Kreiz, as Co-CEO of Paramount, to Receive Pay Package Worth More Than $46.5 Million

Ynon Kreiz, as David Ellison’s right-hand man at the merged Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery, is getting a big pay bump over his pay package as CEO of Mattel. Kreiz, 61, signed an initial five-year em...

4 days ago

‘Bachelor’ Producers Send Legal Threat to Chris Harrison’s New Dating Show ‘The Vow’; Fox Nation Fights Back ‘Malicious and Vindictive’ Claims

Warner Bros. TV and Fox Nation are butting heads over the latter’s upcoming series, “The Vow,” hosted by former “Bachelor” host Chris Harrison. In the letter obtained by Variety, sent Sept. 18, WBTV, ...

4 days ago

Chris Hansen Confronts ‘Primetime’: The Tragic Ending, Seeing His Love Life on Screen and Considering Legal Action Against A24 Because ‘They Exploited...

“Primetime” is a box office overachiever, but the subject of the A24 film calls it a “complete work of fiction.” Lance Oppenheim’s movie centers on “To Catch a Predator,” the popular “Dateline” segmen...

4 days ago

‘Landman’ Season 3: Colm Feore, Mustafa Speaks, Bobbi Salvor Menuez, Francesca Xuereb Promoted to Series Regular Status

“Landman” Season 3 is officially in production, with the hit Paramount+ oil industry drama promoting four cast members to series regular status. Colm Feore (Nate), Mustafa Speaks (Boss), Bobbi Salvor ...

4 days ago

‘Scrubs’ Writer Eric Weinberg Goes on Trial for Rape and Sex Assault of Seven Women

Jurors were told Thursday that TV writer Eric Weinberg posed as an amateur photographer in order to lure seven women to his Los Feliz home where he sexually assaulted them. Weinberg, 66, was a writer ...

4 days ago

‘Lanterns’ Episode 7 Hits 7 Million U.S. Viewers in Three Days as Season Reaches Average of Nearly 19 Million Globally

The seventh episode of “Lanterns” reached 7 million viewers in the U.S. in its first three days of availability. That total comes from a combination of Nielsen’s measurement of linear viewers on HBO’s...

4 days ago

Kelly Clarkson Says ‘I Love AI’ but AI Artists Should Not Be on the Same Music Charts as Humans

Kelly Clarkson has shared her admittedly “controversial” opinion on artificial intelligence, saying she thinks it can do “amazing things” but shouldn’t be able to create anything that competes with hu...

4 days ago

Chase Infiniti to Star in Dylan Clark’s ‘Portrait of God’ at Lionsgate With Sam Raimi and Jordan Peele Producing

Golden Globe and Emmy nominee Chase Infiniti (“One Battle After Another,” “The Testaments”) will star in “Portrait of God,” from up-and-coming horror filmmaker Dylan Clark. Lionsgate has acquired the ...

4 days ago

Netflix Hires Former Disney Exec Naomi Bulochnikov-Paul as Head of TV Series Communications

Longtime Disney TV comms chief Naomi Bulochnikov-Paul has got a new gig one day after leaving the Mouse House: vice president of series communications at Netflix. Bulochnikov-Paul will oversee communi...

4 days ago

Kylie Kelce Apologizes to Kate Middleton for ‘Offensive’ Gaffe in How She Referred to British Royal

Kylie Kelce issued a “royal correction” on this week’s installment of her “Not Gonna Lie” podcast. Kelce explained that she didn’t mean to be rude in how she referred to Kate Middleton on a recent epi...

4 days ago

Michael Jackson and Madonna Choreographer Vincent Paterson to Be Honored at World Choreography Awards

Vincent Paterson will be honored with the Legacy Award at the 2026 World Choreography Awards (WCA), celebrating the most innovative choreographers across the globe. Set for Nov. 8, Paterson will be re...

4 days ago

Disney President Dana Walden on the Future of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ and Why the Live-Action ‘Moana’ Struggled at the Box Office

Is Jimmy Kimmel returning to ABC next year? Disney president and chief creative officer Dana Walden says she’s working on it. “It’s a very challenging daypart, late-night,” Walden said during her Thur...

4 days ago

Jake Johnson Comedy ‘Sunset P.I.’ Casts Spencer Moss, Nelson Franklin and More (EXCLUSIVE)

“Sunset P.I.” has found a handful of new cast members. The upcoming NBC comedy led by Jake Johnson will feature guest stars Spencer Moss (“She’s Fine,” “Doctor Odyssey”), Nelson Franklin (“Veep,” “The...

5 days ago

Emma Chamberlain on Building Her Coffee Company’s First Storefront and Her Social Media Hiatus: ‘The Internet Has Caused a Lot of Psychological Challe...

Emma Chamberlain’s months-long hiatus from the internet is not because she’s “disappearing and being fucking lazy.” More importantly, it’s not forever. “I don’t want to continue living like this neces...

5 days ago

Searchlight Submits Original Song From ‘Behemoth!’ for Oscars, ‘Your God Is Sleeping’ Written by Lukas Frank (EXCLUSIVE)

Searchlight Pictures will officially submit “Your God Is Sleeping” from “Behemoth!,” a new drama film by Tony Gilroy, for consideration in the original song category at the Oscars, Variety has learned...

5 days ago

Kevin Feige Hails Theatrical Experience as ‘the Real Movie Magic’ at Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Tribute

He’s a “great guy who’s incredibly humble” who has also produced 38 movies in 17 years that have delivered more than $35 billion at the box office. Twelve of those titles delivered more than $1 billio...

5 days ago

Grammy Asian Pop Category Will Go Forward, CEO Says: ‘We Understand This Conclusion Will Not Satisfy Everyone’

Grammy chief Harvey Mason Jr. has issued a statement in which he says the Awards’ controversial newest category, Asian Pop, will go forward for the 2027 ceremony. Mason had previously signaled that th...

5 days ago

Paramount, CNN Chief Mark Thompson in ‘Early Stages’ of Discussions to Keep Him in Post

Paramount Skydance and CNN chief Mark Thompson are in the “early stages” of discussions that could keep him as the leader of the news giant, according to a person familiar with the matter, a sign that...

5 days ago

Fox Business Taps ‘Big Money’ Roundtable to Replace Maria Bartiromo in Mornings

Fox Business Network plans to replace Maria Bartiromo’s single-anchor morning program with a new version of its “Big Money” roundtable, offering up a group of anchors who will now vie with for financi...

5 days ago

Rome MIA Market to Kick Off New Format With Rich Roster of Projects and Guests Including Edward Berger, Asif Kapadia, Kim Longinotto

Rome’s MIA Market — which is dedicated to international TV series, animation, feature films and documentaries — is set to kick off its 12th edition with a new format that will expand its venues to sev...

5 days ago

Nathan Fielder Speaks Out on Living With Elizabeth Holmes While Filming ‘You Can See Everything’ Doc: ‘She Seems So Genuine’ but ‘I Know She’s a Liar’...

Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s wild Elizabeth Holmes documentary, “You Can See Everything,” screened at the New York Film Festival Wednesday night after it received rave reviews and Oscar buzz f...

5 days ago

NBCUniversal Hires Amazon Exec Jamia Bigalow as EVP of Marketing for Platform Distribution and Partnerships

Industry veteran Jamia Bigalow joined NBCUniversal as executive vice president of partner marketing in the media company’s platform distribution and partnerships group. She most recently headed up par...

5 days ago

Rachel Zegler, Diego Rodriguez and James Olivas on Bringing ‘Evita’ to Broadway and Reimagining the Iconic Balcony Sequence for Times Square

Rachel Zegler hesitated when “Evita” director Jamie Lloyd pitched her on his big idea for their West End revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical. Zegler was portraying Argentine first lady Eva Pe...

5 days ago

Sia Sells 50% of Music Catalog to Pophouse in $180 Million Partnership Deal

Pophouse Entertainment, the Sweden-based entertainment and music investment firm co-founded by ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus, has acquired a 50% stake in the publishing and master music rights of Australian si...

5 days ago

‘Ebenezer’ New Trailer: Johnny Depp’s First Hollywood Studio Movie in 8 Years Reimagines ‘A Christmas Carol’

Paramount Pictures has released a second trailer for “Ebenezer,” Ti West’s spooky take on the classic “A Christmas Carol” starring Johnny Depp as the grumpy, holiday-hating Scrooge. The logline for “E...

5 days ago

Ed Sheeran Told U2 He Didn’t Want to ‘Get Into Politics’ on Song About Ukraine’s War With Russia, Says Bono

U2 and Ed Sheeran collaborated earlier this year on the song “Yours Eternally” off the band’s “Days of Ash” EP, which dropped in February. Bono told Rolling Stone UK in a new interview that Sheeran ex...

5 days ago

Pro-Trump Ads Funded With Taxpayer Dollars Air on CNN and MS NOW; White House Has Spent $2.9 Million on the TV Spots to Date

Even as President Donald Trump has tried to block CNN and MS NOW from covering the White House, his administration has purchased pro-Trump TV ad time on the news networks — using taxpayer money. The a...

5 days ago