Variety

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav Beneficiary of $27.1 Million in Stock Sales as Paramount Merger Is Stuck on Hold

David Zaslav, president and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, has now sold roughly $200 million worth of stock since the media company clinched a deal to be acquired by David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance...

6 days ago

‘The Radio Doesn’t Play Songs for Me Anymore’: Tailgaters at the Foo Fighters’ Stadium Tour Mourn the Dimming Light of Rock Music

“The radio doesn’t play songs for me anymore,” says Bob, 54, who is situated in a lawn chair, deciding between a drag from the Marlboro Red in his left hand and the Budweiser can in his right. He choo...

6 days ago

‘Disney Dreamlight Valley’ Reveals Details on Next Expansion, Including Oogie Boogie, Lilo, Hannah Montana and More

Oogie Boogie, Lilo from “Lilo & Stitch”, Hannah Montana and Lizzie Maguire are all headed to “Disney Dreamlight Valley.” The Hannah Montana and Lizzie McGuire collection arrives in the cozy life-s...

6 days ago

Frankie Valli Denies News Reports He Has Retired, Disavowing Brother’s Statement

Frankie Valli is telling the world that he has not retired, contrary to reports over the last few days from multiple news outlet that took at face value a statement posted by his younger brother that ...

6 days ago

If Paramount Leaves California, It Might Cut Costs but Wouldn’t Save on State Taxes

Paramount is threatening to leave California if it cannot reach a deal with Attorney General Rob Bonta to allow it to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. Puck reported the threat on Tuesday, following a s...

6 days ago

‘Deli Boys’ Canceled After Two Seasons at Hulu, Onyx Collective

The comedy series “Deli Boys” has been canceled at Hulu after two seasons, Variety has confirmed. The series, which aired under Hulu’s Onyx Collective brand, starred Asif Ali, Saagar Shaikh, and Poorn...

6 days ago

After the YA Drama ‘Sterling Point’ Topped the Prime Video Charts, What’s Next for LuckyChap TV?

If the YA drama “Sterling Point” has become your new hyper-fixation show, you’re not alone.Amazon reports that the coming-of-age series, from creator Megan Park, was the most-watched show on Prime Vid...

6 days ago

Locarno Takeaways: A Charming Olivia Wilde, Navigating an Industry Crunch and One Reason Why There Should Be More Women Filmmakers

Unspooling over Aug. 5-15, this year’s Locarno Film Festival broke records for industry attendance and its heat, Switzerland enduring its hottest summer since records began in 1864. Led by an ebullien...

6 days ago

‘Pretty Babies’ Director Tyler-Marie Evans on Sex Work, Female Friendship and Finding Humanity Beyond Stereotypes

We all have souls. That sentiment sits at the heart of “Pretty Babies,” Tyler-Marie Evans’ feature debut, which world premieres Friday in competition at the Edinburgh Intl. Film Festival. The project ...

6 days ago

DIRECTV Drops Price of Sports Genre Pack to Under $50 for First Month Just in Time for Fall Football Season

Sports fans won’t have to rely on cable anymore to catch the big games and tournaments this fall, as streaming service DIRECTV launches a new promo for cord cutters looking to take in the action. DIRE...

6 days ago

Kate O’Flynn on Her ‘Widow’s Bay’ Breakout, Mike Leigh’s Final Film and Her Emmy Nomination: ‘I Felt Like an Ostrich’

Kate O’Flynn found out she was an Emmy nominee and immediately went underground. “I felt like an ostrich,” she tells Variety over Zoom. “I got the news, and I was immediately overwhelmed and put my he...

6 days ago

California Bill to Subsidize Post-Production Advances as Commercials Bill Dies

A bill to subsidize post-production in California cleared a hurdle in the state Senate on Thursday, while a separate measure to fund commercial production died. The post-production bill, AB 2319, woul...

6 days ago

‘Practical Magic 2’ Inspires Wave of Witchy Merch, Including Gemstone Jewelry, Retro Tees and ‘Midnight Margaritas Club’ Aprons

As “Practical Magic” fans gear up for the highly anticipated sequel reuniting Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products has unveiled the first official merchand...

1 week ago

Jeff Bezos Is Now Part-Owner of English Premiere League’s Liverpool Soccer Team

It’s apparently a week for wealthy business moguls to buy sports clubs: Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder who is among the richest people in the world, is acquiring a minority equity stake in Liverpool F...

1 week ago

Venice: M-Appeal Picks Up Chinese Director Jie Dong’s ‘Zoom In, Zoom Out’ Ahead of Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)

Berlin-based world sales company M-Appeal has boarded “Zoom In, Zoom Out,” the debut feature from Chinese director Jie Dong, set to premiere in Venice Critics’ Week. The film follows Shi as he searche...

1 week ago

Digital Brand Architects Acquires Creator Management Firm V1sion Ventures

Digital Brand Architects has snapped up creator management firm V1sion Ventures, which represents a range of digital stars including Keith Lee, Leigh Soriano, Joy Burnett, Chelsea Jordan, Rachel Wilso...

1 week ago

‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’ Trailer Leaks Online, Prompting Co-Writer Chris Miller to Speak Out: ‘Not a Fan of Leaks of Unfinished Footage’

“Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse” is the latest movie to get hit by an unauthorized leak. The trailer for the third “Spider-Verse” movie, which is scheduled to hit theaters on June 18, 2027, appea...

1 week ago

Oscar Predictions: Best Director — Could Christopher Nolan Triumph Again With ‘The Odyssey’?

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...

1 week ago

Neil deGrasse Tyson, Neal Stephenson, Mira Lane, Rod Roddenberry to Judge XPRIZE Sci-Fi Film Competition

XPRIZE announced the judges for its sci-fi film competition, which aims to inspire optimistic adaptations of a technology-enabled future. Neil deGrasse Tyson, Neal Stephenson, Mira Lane and Rod Rodden...

1 week ago

Netflix Orders YA Gothic Romance ‘Sid & Zoey,’ Blumhouse Atomic Monster and Bad Robot to Produce

In a competitive situation, Netflix has greenlit the YA romance series “Sid & Zoey.” The show hails from creator Jon Kasdan and writer John Shiban. Both also serve as executive producers and co-sh...

1 week ago

‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ Sets Disney+ Release Date in September

A galaxy far, far away is about to get closer than ever. “The Mandalorian and Grogu” will be available to stream on Disney+ starting Sept. 2 after grossing $345 million worldwide in theaters this summ...

1 week ago

‘Lioness’ Season 3 Opens With 7.1 Million Viewers in Three Days, Up From Season 2 (EXCLUSIVE)

The Season 3 premiere of “Lioness” hit 7.1 million viewers in its first seven days of streaming. That total, which comes from Paramount’s internal data, puts the Aug. 2 episode significantly above the...

1 week ago

Brandy, Halle Bailey, Auli’i Cravalho Join Legendary Disney Voices for ‘Disney Princess: The Ultimate Concert Celebration’ – Stream Online Here

Disney fans are in for a treat this Sunday as the Mouse House unites ten of its most memorable characters and voices for “Disney Princess: The Ultimate Concert Celebration.” The Wonderful World of Dis...

1 week ago

‘Black Mirror’ and ‘Loki’ Directors Say They Rejected HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ Due to J.K. Rowling’s Transphobia: ‘Absolutely F—-ing Not’

Not everyone wants to climb aboard the Hogwarts Express, it transpires. Top TV director Ally Pankiw has posted on Instagram a screenshot from a text exchange with a rep in which she scoffed at the not...

1 week ago

LISTEN: Retired Athletes Blake Griffin and Ryan Kalil Return to Sports as Team Owners and TV Producers in YouTube Docuseries ‘We Are Osos’

Never tell Ryan Kalil or Blake Griffin to stay in their lanes. Since moving on from their playing days in the NFL and NBA to running the production company Mortal Media, they’re about to add a few mor...

1 week ago

Cinema Guild Takes North American Rights on Éric Baudelaire’s ‘For the Moon’ Ahead of New York Film Festival Launch (EXCLUSIVE)

Indie distributor Cinema Guild has acquired North American distribution rights for documentary “For The Moon” (“Car la Lune”), directed by Éric Baudelaire, that will premiere in the Currents section o...

1 week ago

‘Objet a’ Review: Ann Oren’s Wickedly Kinky Curiosity Eroticizes Everything From Mushrooms to Mushroom Cuts

“Objet a” was Lacan’s term for the lack, the absence, that sets our desires into motion; an object-cause rather than a physical object. If it were the latter, a more apt title for Ann Oren’s delicious...

1 week ago

Ana Vaz Discusses the Impact of the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster, the Work of Yoko Hayasuke and Preferring to Be a Mother Rather than a Zombie

“When you begin again, you repeat everything,” reflects experimental filmmaker Ana Vaz, thinking of her home country Brazil and the setting of her new feature, “Hanabi,” in Japan. “There’s a normaliza...

1 week ago

Busan Film Festival to Honor Founder Director Kim Dong-ho With Korean Cinema Award

Kim Dong-ho, founding festival director of the Busan International Film Festival, has been named the recipient of the 31st BIFF’s Korean Cinema Award. The honor goes to figures whose work has shaped K...

1 week ago

San Sebastian Adds Jesse Eisenberg, Fred Cavayé, Amanda Kernell Films to Golden Shell Race

The San Sebastián Film Festival has added six films to its 2026 Official Selection, including new works from Jesse Eisenberg, Fred Cavayé, Amanda Kernell and Gabriel Martins, alongside feature debuts ...

1 week ago

Golden Lion Winner Milcho Manchevski Talks ‘Giving a Voice’ to Pulse Nightclub Survivors With ‘Good People’: ‘Our Job Was to Stay Out of the Way’

It took over three decades for Macedonian filmmaker Milcho Manchevski — whose debut feature “Before the Rain” won the top award in Venice in 1994 and was Oscar nominated — to direct his first document...

1 week ago

‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Is Drawing Tourists to Milan Prompting an 18% Increase in Visitors to the Film’s Locations in Italy’s Fashion Capital

“The Devil Wears Prada 2” is making a heavenly impact on Milan. Just a few months after the theatrical release in May of the long-awaited sequel to “The Devil Wears Prada” – that was partly shot in It...

1 week ago

Nigel Farage Documentary ‘Where Does the Money Come From?’ Set at U.K. Broadcaster 5 as Parliamentary Standards Watchdog Reopens Finance Probe

ITN Productions has set “Nigel Farage: Where Does the Money Come From?”, a one-hour documentary examining the Reform U.K. leader’s finances, to air on 5, part of the Paramount Skydance Corporation, on...

1 week ago

TV Academy Hall of Fame: Sheila Nevins, Absent Due to COVID, Thanks Dr. Fauci for the Vaccine; Bill Hader Pays Tribute to the ‘South Park’ Creators Wi...

Documentary icon Sheila Nevins — who holds the all-time record for most Emmy wins by an individual (31), thanks to her long run as president of HBO Documentary Films — had to skip Thursday night’s Tel...

1 week ago

‘You Don’t Belong Here’ Review: A Potentially Involving Story Is Weakened by Airless Dialogue and a Misguided Finale

Florin Şerban’s “You Don’t Belong Here” opens with great promise and finishes with a stupefyingly misguided coda: The lengthy minutes in between are rigorously filmed and sharply observed, but would h...

1 week ago

Fukada Koji, Jakrawal Nilthamrong, Boo Junfeng Films Win Busan Co-Production Fund

The Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Cinema Fund (ACF) has selected three international co-productions for its 2026 Co-Production Support Fund, backing films from directors Fukada Koji, Jakra...

1 week ago

Rani Mukerji Receives La Trobe Honorary Doctorate, Wins IFFM Special Citation

Bollywood star Rani Mukerji has been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters by Australia’s La Trobe University for three decades of work in Indian cinema and her contributions off screen, the universit...

1 week ago

COL AI Studios Launches to Expand Group’s Global Distribution Network (EXCLUSIVE)

COL Group has launched COL AI Studios, a new entertainment vertical designed to help platforms, studios and brands develop, test and scale content beyond traditional licensing deals. The studio builds...

1 week ago

Troye Sivan Brings Nicole Kidman to the Club for ‘She’s the Best’ Music Video

Troye Sivan has kicked off a new era with the release of his new single “She’s the Best” along with a music video co-starring Nicole Kidman. In the clip, directed by Gordon Von Steiner, Sivan holds th...

1 week ago

Phoebe Bridgers Leads Delighted Fans Around the Rink at a Rollerskating Listening Party for ‘Lost Weekend’

Phoebe Bridgers tends to stand out in a crowd, and not just because of her celebrity or natural star quality, but because of the hair; other women around L.A. may go for the platinum blonde look, but ...

1 week ago

Oscar Predictions: Supporting Actress — Is This the Year of Penélope Cruz?

1 week ago

Oscar Predictions: Supporting Actor — How Many Men Can be Nominated From ‘The Odyssey’?

1 week ago

Oscar Predictions: Best Actress — How Obsessed Will the Academy Become With Inde Navarrette?

1 week ago

Oscar Predictions: Best Actor — The Most Competitive Category Awaits Leading Men Like Tom Cruise, Matt Damon and More

1 week ago

Tyler Duckworth, ‘The Challenge’ Reality Show Winner, Dies at 44

Tyler Duckworth, who competed on six seasons of reality show “The Challenge” and also appeared on MTV’s “The Real World: Key West,” has died in North Dakota. He was 44. His mother Joni announced his d...

1 week ago

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav Beneficiary of $21.7 Million Stock Sale as Paramount Merger Is Stuck on Hold

David Zaslav, president and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, has now sold over $195 million worth of stock since the media company clinched a deal to be acquired by David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance ea...

1 week ago

Matthew McConaughey Says Acting in ‘The Wedding Planner’ With Jennifer Lopez Saved Him From Being Searched at U.S.-Mexico Border: ‘They Let Me Go’

Matthew McConaughey revealed on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast that acting alongside Jennifer Lopez in 2001’s “The Wedding Planner” ended up getting him out of a “major mess-up” at the U.S.-Mexico b...

1 week ago

Tramell Tillman Says ‘I Had to Sign NDAs’ Before Even Meeting for ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Role: ‘A Little Frustrating Because Everything Was Shrou...

Tramell Tillman is going to play a big role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s future. And he can finally talk about it. Tillman, who won an Emmy last year for his supporting role in Apple TV’s “Seve...

1 week ago

NFL Preseason 2026 Livestream: Here’s Where to Watch Pro Football Games Online

Although the first game of the preseason is the NFL Hall of Fame Game, the rest of the teams in the league begin play during Week 1 of preseason on Thursday, Aug. 13. The NFL 2025-27 season is just......

1 week ago

Warner Bros. Discovery’s Gerhard Zeiler to Recieve Directorate Award at This Year’s International Emmys

Warner Bros. Discovery president of international Gerhard Zeiler has been tapped to receive the 2026 International Emmy Directorate Award. He joins Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria, who was ...

1 week ago