Variety

Bob Chapek, Who Was Ousted as Disney’s CEO, Pens Memoir in Which He Wonders if He Became ‘The Scapegoat’

Bob Chapek is ready to tell his side of the story of his rocky ride as Disney’s chief executive. Chapek has written a 272-page memoir, “Behind the Castle Walls: My Thirty Years at the Happiest Place o...

1 week ago

‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ Spinoff Starring Cobie Smulders in the Works at Netflix

A spinoff of “The Lincoln Lawyer” starring Cobie Smulders is in early development at Netflix. According to Deadline, which first reported news of the project, the series would center around Smulders r...

1 week ago

Charlie Hunnam on His Physical and Vocal Transformation to Play Ed Gein in ‘Monster’

It’s a huge responsibility to bring a version of a character to life who was a real person. Throw in the success of a franchise and an infamous serial killer and Charlie Hunnam knew he needed to get h...

1 week ago

‘Chicago PD’s’ Jesse Lee Soffer, Matt Olmstead to Develop ‘Strike Force’ Drama at CBS, Jerry Bruckheimer to Produce

CBS is developing a new law enforcement drama that hails from two “One Chicago” mainstays. Variety has learned that CBS has opened a development room for the series, titled “Strike Force.” Matt Olmste...

1 week ago

Jon Favreau on His First Documentary, National Geographic’s ‘Lion’: Not Knowing Whether the Lead Character Would Survive Was ‘Harrowing’

When renowned wildlife producer Mike Gunton approached “The Lion King” director Jon Favreau about collaborating on a documentary, the director, who had never made a doc, immediately said yes. It was 2...

1 week ago

The ‘Paranormal Activity’ Stage Show Has Audiences Screaming and Laughing. Can It Be Broadway’s Surprise New Hit?

Broadway producers traditionally gauge audience reaction by warm applause at the end of Act 1 or a standing ovation during curtain call. But “Paranormal Activity” producer Simon Friend laughs while re...

1 week ago

Amanda Waller Series, Wonder Woman Prequel ‘Paradise Lost’ No Longer in Active Development at DC Studios

Two previously announced TV projects are being put on hold at DC Studios. Variety has confirmed that both the Amanda Waller standalone series with Viola Davis and “Paradise Lost,” which would serve as...

1 week ago

Hayley Williams’ Band Power Snatch Surprise-Releases ‘EP2’

Hayley Williams’ band Power Snatch has released their second project “EP2,” which they surprise-dropped on Bandcamp. “EP2” features four songs including “Machete,” “New Legs,” “Born Dead” and “Hell Is...

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‘The Matrix’ Director Lilly Wachowski Says Hollywood Won’t Finance Her $10 Million Thriller Because It’s Got a ‘Wall-to-Wall Trans Cast’

Filmmaker Lilly Wachowski is working to get her next project, “The Hunted,” out of late-stage production. But the “Bound” and “Matrix” director says nobody in Hollywood wants to finance the thriller, ...

1 week ago

Nick Reiner Indicted for Murders of Parents Rob and Michele Reiner

Nick Reiner has been indicted on charges of murdering his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, as prosecutors aim to expedite the process of getting to a trial. Reiner, 32, has been held without bail sinc...

1 week ago

Travis Kelce Speaks Out on Wedding to Taylor Swift: ‘Best Night of My Life’ and ‘It Was Cool to Live Out My Childhood Dream’ of Being in MSG

During this NFL offseason, Travis Kelce marked one item off his “Wi$h Li$t,” marrying Taylor Swift. “It was a fun offseason, man,” Kelce told reporters on Wednesday, as he returned to the practice fie...

1 week ago

How ‘Meet the Press,’ TV’s Longest-Running Program, Continues to Take the Nation’s Political Pulse

When Kristen Welker was named host of NBC’s “Meet the Press” in 2023, she went back and re-watched pivotal episodes and interviews conducted by the show’s legendary moderator Tim Russert. Russert, who...

1 week ago

Riz Ahmed on Why ‘Bait’ Is His Most Vulnerable and Personal Piece of Work to Date

Riz Ahmed spent 10 years bringing “Bait” to life. Part of that journey was driven by fear: “It’s a very scary project to make because it’s so personal,” he says. Some of the delay, he reflects, came f...

1 week ago

‘Barbie 2’ in Crisis: Sequel Could Be Shelved Amid Pay Battle and Crumbling Deal Talks

“Do you guys ever think about dying?” Margot Robbie asks at the start of 2023’s “Barbie.” It’s one of many moments of existential dread that her character faces on the journey to becoming a real woman...

1 week ago

Jeremy Strong Wrote to Mark Zuckerberg After Being Cast in ‘Social Reckoning’ Even Though ‘He’s a Reviled Person’; Actor Spent 7 Months Talking in Pol...

Jeremy Strong graces the latest cover of GQ magazine (and the first issue published under new global editorial director Adam Baidawi), in which he speaks out for the first time on taking over the role...

1 week ago

‘The Best Mother in the World’ Standout Shirley Cruz to Star in Clara Ferrer and Tainá Bevilacqua’s Trans Coming-of-Age ‘The She-Devil’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Shirley Cruz, who delivered an acclaimed central performance in Anna Muylaert’s 2025 Berlinale drama “The Best Mother in the World,” is set to star in Clara Ferrer and Tainá Bevilacqua’s “The She-Devi...

1 week ago

Beatrice Gibson Questions Motherhood and Womanhood in Her Debut Feature ‘At Night’

“I am a tone of voice, warming, shifting, pausing, changing, including, asserting, exulting, including, turning and including.” This quote by the poet Alice Notley opens “At Night,” British filmmaker ...

1 week ago

‘Wandering Trees’ Review: Iconoclastic Director Salvatore Mereu Tries a Newly Minted Fairyale, but Only Fitfully Finds Magic

In fairy tales, we never question why the beautiful princess is marrying a horrible prince: Part of the pact readers make with such stories is that we accept these situations at face value. In real li...

1 week ago

Alex Cooper and Matt Kaplan’s Unwell Media Company Valued at $500 Million After Investment From Patrick Whitesell’s WTSL

Unwell, the media company co-founded by married couple Alex Cooper and Matt Kaplan, has landed its first outside investor: Patrick Whitesell, co-founder of WME and former executive chairman of success...

1 week ago

AI Music Generator Suno Strikes Licensing Deal With BMG as It Preps New Label-Backed Models

Suno, the AI music generator that’s managed to both rankle the music industry and lure some of its biggest talent to its side, has added music company BMG as its latest licensing partner as it prepare...

1 week ago

‘SNL U.K.’ Season 2 Sets September Date

“Saturday Night Live U.K.” will launch its second season on Sky and Now starting Sept. 12, the broadcaster announced, kicking off a run of six new episodes following the show’s debut season earlier th...

1 week ago

‘In Flames’ Director Zarrar Kahn Returns to Toronto With Gym-Incel Rom-Com ‘The Lion Does Not Concern Himself,’ Trailer Unveiled (EXCLUSIVE)

Zarrar Kahn, whose debut feature “In Flames” premiered at Cannes and later played Toronto, is returning to the festival’s Short Cuts strand with romantic comedy “The Lion Does Not Concern Himself.” A ...

1 week ago

U.K.’s Largest Harry Potter Store Opening in London Ahead of HBO Series Launch

With Harry Potter excitement expected to reach fever pitch once more later this year with the launch of HBO’s new TV series, Warner Bros. is going big on the merch — and just in time for Christmas. Th...

1 week ago

Oscar Nominee Barkhad Abdi, Jim Deddes Lead Teddy Cherim’s ‘Maalstroom’; First-Look Image Released (EXCLUSIVE)

Jim Deddes, Tenzing Woing and Somali-American actor Barkhad Abdi, known for his Oscar-nominated role in “Captain Phillips,” lead the cast of “Maalstroom,” which has just wrapped. Variety has been give...

1 week ago

Caleb Landry Jones on the Five-Year Battle to Make ‘Down the Arm of God,’ Confronting Prejudices Against Homelessness and How Luc Besson Saved the Fil...

Trying to find funding for “Down the Arm of God” proved to be a difficult five-year ordeal for lead star and co-writer Caleb Landry Jones — one that brought the “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Misso...

1 week ago

Hansal Mehta, Siddharth Bodke on ‘Scam 2010’ as First Look Unveiled for SonyLIV Series: ‘A Story About Ambition, Influence and Arrogance’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Siddharth Bodke’s first look as the lead of “Scam 2010” is out, with director Hansal Mehta and the actor both weighing in on the Birla Studios and Applause Entertainment production for SonyLIV. Based ...

1 week ago

WGA Slams David Ellison’s Plan to Pull Paramount From California: ‘This Type of Behavior Is Precisely Why the Merger Should Be Blocked’

The Writers Guild of America has fired back at Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison after he threatened to start pulling Paramount out of California on Oct. 1 if California AG Rob Bonta refused to com...

1 week ago

Jenna Ortega ‘Would Go All Day’ Without Food or Water as a Child Star to Make Sure She Wasn’t ‘In the Way of Anybody’

Jenna Ortega recently told Esquire that, as a child actor, she would go entire days without asking for food or water to make sure she was not “in the way of anybody.” “I really had it going for me......

1 week ago

‘The Brink of War’ Review: Reagan and Gorbachev Engage in Unengaging Verbal Battle

There was a time when talky slabs of recent political history like “The Brink of War,” carried by skilled name actors who aren’t quite stars, were largely the preserve of Emmy-chasing TV networks. Tod...

1 week ago

John Hinckley Jr. Shares New Message to Jodie Foster, 45 Years After Trying to Assassinate Ronald Reagan to Impress Her: ‘I Wish Her Well’

John Hinckley Jr., the Oklahoma native who tried to assassinate President Ronald Regan in 1981 in an attempt to impress Jodie Foster, shared a new message for “The Silence of the Lambs” star during a ...

1 week ago

Zoe Saldaña Says It’s ‘Frustrating’ When Political Questions Only Get Asked to Actors of Color and Women: ‘That’s Incredibly Limiting’

Zoe Saldaña is growing frustrated with political questions, mainly because she doesn’t find them being asked in equal measure across the industry. The Oscar winner said during a conversation at the Lo...

1 week ago

‘Assassin’s Creed’ Creator’s New Action-Adventure Game ‘1666: Amsterdam’ Sets Early Access Release (Gaming News Roundup)

Panache Digital Games announced “1666: Amsterdam” will release in Early Access on Aug. 25. From “Assassin’s Creed” series creator Patrice Désilets, the dark, third-person narrative action-adventure ga...

1 week ago

Rod Stewart Cancels Upcoming Tour Dates Following Coronary Stent Procedure

Rod Stewart has announced that he will be canceling the next four weeks of performances as part of his “One Last Time” farewell tour and “The Encore Shows” Las Vegas residency after undergoing a routi...

1 week ago

Nicholas Hoult to Play Gilderoy Lockhart in ‘Harry Potter’ HBO Series Season 2

Nicholas Hoult will play Gilderoy Lockhart in the second season of HBO’s “Harry Potter” TV series, Variety has learned from sources. The highly-anticipated series is due to debut on Dec. 25 on HBO and...

1 week ago

How Vera Drew, Louise Weard and More Trans and Nonbinary Filmmakers Are Taking Control of Their Stories Outside the Studio System: ‘We’re Creating a N...

When Vera Drew made her ambitious debut film “The People’s Joker,” she didn’t know if anyone else in the world would understand her deeply personal superhero movie parody about transitioning. The firs...

1 week ago

The Writers Lab Adds Los Angeles-Based Intensive, Announces Writers for Fall 2026 Cohorts

The Writers Lab announced writers selected for two Lab Intensives this Fall, in New York City and the inaugural Los Angeles cohort. Supported by Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman, The Writers Lab is the ...

1 week ago

Cinema Civil War: Why the Paramount-Warner Bros. Sale Is Dividing Movie Theater Owners

Movie theater owners have become embroiled in the kind of drama they usually sell on the big screen, thanks to the ongoing saga of Paramount’s proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. Cinema Unite...

1 week ago

Fans Remember Jackie the Eagle, Who Became a Social Media Star Worldwide: ‘Regal, Fierce, Deeply Devoted’

Los Angeles media has been all over the death of a local celebrity for the past two days. But this time, the dearly departed wasn’t a movie star from the golden age of Hollywood. Instead, Southern Cal...

1 week ago

‘The Last House’ Debuts With 27.5 Million Views in Three Days

“The Last House,” a new thriller film starring Greta Lee and Wagner Moura, debuted with 27.5 million views in its first three days of streaming on Netflix. With that total, the movie easily sailed to ...

1 week ago

Julie Andrews Turned Down ‘Princess Diaries 3’ Offer Because ‘I Think I’m Retired’ From On-Screen Acting: ‘They Asked Me All Last Year’ If I’d Return

Julie Andrews recently told InStyle magazine that she is not returning for “The Princess Diaries 3” opposite Anne Hathaway. The 90-year-old icon turned down the offer to reprise her role of Queen Clar...

1 week ago

‘The Daily Show’ Releases Audition Tapes for John Oliver, Michael Che, Current Hosts and More

“The Daily Show” released a slew of never-before-seen audition tapes from past and present correspondents in a 10-minute compilation posted to YouTube. The video, honoring the satirical news program’s...

1 week ago

Emmy Predictions: Lead Actor (Comedy) — Matthew Rhys Takes on Two Legends Still Seeking Their First Wins

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

Kennedy Center Ordered to Pay $250,000 to Jazz Musician It Unsuccessfully Sued for Backing Out of Concert After Trump Rebranding

A judge has ruled that the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. must pay a jazz musician $252,000 in legal fees and costs, following the organization’s unsuccessful lawsuit against him for pulling out o...

1 week ago

Emmy Predictions: Lead Actor (Drama) — Which Submission Has the Edge? Noah Wyle, Sterling K. Brown, Mark Ruffalo and More

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Kris Bowers Set to Compose Netflix Animated Feature ‘Steps’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Emmy-nominated composer Kris Bowers is set to score Netflix’s upcoming animated comedy “Steps.” The score was recorded in July and Aug. 2026 at London’s Abbey Road Studios. Slated for release on Nov. ...

1 week ago

Vin Diesel Cried Over the ‘Fast Forever’ Script, but the Movie’s Director Still Hasn’t Read It: ‘There Will Be an Ending, and It’s Great’

The script for the next “Fast and Furious” movie, titled “Fast Forever,” made Vin Diesel cry, but director Louis Leterrier still hasn’t read what gave the actor the waterworks. “It is the best script ...

1 week ago

Goya-Nominated Zoe Bonafonte Leads Spain-Argentina Soccer Pioneer Drama ‘Veleta’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Goya-nominated actress Zoe Bonafonte (“El 47”) will play Spain’s first female soccer player, Ana “Nita” Carmona Ruiz, in “Veleta,” a Spain-Argentina co-production directed and co-written by Paco Torre...

1 week ago

Tammy Fine to Lead Talent Development at NBC News

Tammy Fine, a veteran NBC News producer who spent a significant part of her career overseeing key newsmaker interviews in the first hour of “Today,” is getting a new passel of responsibilities. Fine h...

1 week ago

California Attorney General Slams David Ellison’s Plan to Pull Paramount Out of the State as ‘Blackmail’ Attempt That ‘Won’t Work’

Rob Bonta, the attorney general of California who is leading a 12-state coalition’s lawsuit seeking to block Paramount’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, responded to David Ellison’s threat to pull...

1 week ago

Mateo Ybarra’s ‘Small Talk,’ a Locarno Premiere, Takes a Peek Into Switzerland’s Last Remaining Etiquette School for Women

“Small Talk,” directed my Mateo Ybarra (“Over Our Hills,” “Summer Camp”), will have its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival on Aug. 11. The film stars Hélène Bares (“Evy & Me”) as Charlie,...

1 week ago