Top News
“Rosemary’s Baby” prequel “Apartment 7A,” starring Julia Garner and directed by Natalie Erika James, will premiere exclusively on Paramount+ ahead of the Halloween season.
Roman Polanski’s 1968 horror classic was produced by Paramount, starring Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes as a young couple who are trying to start a family but find themselves tormented by strange neighbors.
According to an official logline, “Apartment 7A” is “Set in 1965 New York City, and tells the story prior to the legendary horror classic ‘Rosemary’s Baby’, exploring what happened in the apartment before Rosemary moved in. When a struggling, young dancer suffers a devastating injury, she finds herself drawn in by dark forces when a peculiar, well-connected, older couple promises her a shot at fame.”
Commissioned for Paramount+, the film also stars Dianne Wiest (“Mayor of Kingstown”), Jim Sturgess (“Across the Universe”) and Kevin McNally (the “Pirates of the Caribbean” film series). Supporting cast...
Roman Polanski’s 1968 horror classic was produced by Paramount, starring Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes as a young couple who are trying to start a family but find themselves tormented by strange neighbors.
According to an official logline, “Apartment 7A” is “Set in 1965 New York City, and tells the story prior to the legendary horror classic ‘Rosemary’s Baby’, exploring what happened in the apartment before Rosemary moved in. When a struggling, young dancer suffers a devastating injury, she finds herself drawn in by dark forces when a peculiar, well-connected, older couple promises her a shot at fame.”
Commissioned for Paramount+, the film also stars Dianne Wiest (“Mayor of Kingstown”), Jim Sturgess (“Across the Universe”) and Kevin McNally (the “Pirates of the Caribbean” film series). Supporting cast...
- 4/26/2024
- by Jack Dunn
- Variety - Film News
“Challengers” is getting ready to serve at the box office.
Director Luca Guadagnino’s sexy tennis drama made $1.9 million at the the box office in Thursday previews.
The Amazon MGM film, which stars Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, is expected to make between $12 million and $15 million in its opening weekend. It’s poised to take the number one spot this weekend and beat A24’s “Civil War,” which has conquered the box office the last two weeks.
The trio of young stars play tennis pros caught in a personal and professional entanglement. Zendaya, who’s coming off the sci-fi blockbuster “Dune: Part Two,” plays Tashi Duncan, a former prodigy who had to retire from tennis after a serious injury. Mike Faist, who played Riff in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” is Art Donaldson, another tennis pro caught in a losing streak who later marries Tashi and is coached by her.
Director Luca Guadagnino’s sexy tennis drama made $1.9 million at the the box office in Thursday previews.
The Amazon MGM film, which stars Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, is expected to make between $12 million and $15 million in its opening weekend. It’s poised to take the number one spot this weekend and beat A24’s “Civil War,” which has conquered the box office the last two weeks.
The trio of young stars play tennis pros caught in a personal and professional entanglement. Zendaya, who’s coming off the sci-fi blockbuster “Dune: Part Two,” plays Tashi Duncan, a former prodigy who had to retire from tennis after a serious injury. Mike Faist, who played Riff in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” is Art Donaldson, another tennis pro caught in a losing streak who later marries Tashi and is coached by her.
- 4/26/2024
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety - Film News
Lily Gladstone and Bowen Yang will star in Bleecker Street and Shivhans Pictures’ remake of Ang Lee’s 1993 romantic comedy “The Wedding Banquet” from director Andrew Ahn.
Kelly Marie Tran, Oscar-winner Yuh-jung Youn and Joan Chen are also attached to star.
The reimagination of Lee’s Oscar-nominated film is based on a screenplay by Ahn and James Schamus. Schamus also co-wrote the original film with Lee and Neil Peng.
The film, which begins filming in May in Vancouver, follows what happens when Min’s boyfriend Chris rejects his marriage proposal. Min convinces his best friend Angela to marry him instead, paying for her partner Liz’s IVF treatments in exchange for his green card. However, things begin to unravel when Min’s grandmother makes a surprise trip from Seoul to throw the couple a Korean wedding banquet.
“It warms my heart to see how my film from so many years...
Kelly Marie Tran, Oscar-winner Yuh-jung Youn and Joan Chen are also attached to star.
The reimagination of Lee’s Oscar-nominated film is based on a screenplay by Ahn and James Schamus. Schamus also co-wrote the original film with Lee and Neil Peng.
The film, which begins filming in May in Vancouver, follows what happens when Min’s boyfriend Chris rejects his marriage proposal. Min convinces his best friend Angela to marry him instead, paying for her partner Liz’s IVF treatments in exchange for his green card. However, things begin to unravel when Min’s grandmother makes a surprise trip from Seoul to throw the couple a Korean wedding banquet.
“It warms my heart to see how my film from so many years...
- 4/25/2024
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Jennifer Aniston is ready to pour herself a cup of ambition.
Aniston and her Echo Films partner Kristin Hahn are producing a “9 to 5” reimagining for 20th Century Studios, Variety has confirmed.
The film is currently in development, with Diablo Cody working on the latest draft of the “9 to 5” reimagining. Plot details are being kept under wraps.
The original “9 to 5” follows three female office colleagues who decide to exact revenge on their sexist, egotistical boss. Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton and Dabney Coleman starred in the 1980 office satire, directed by Colin Higgins and written by Patricia Resnick. The hit comedy film spawned a sitcom of the same name, which aired on ABC from 1982 to 1983, and in first-run syndication from 1986 to 1988. Parton, Tomlin and Fonda participated in the 2022 documentary “Still Working 9 to 5,” which focuses on the impact of the classic film 40 years later.
Aniston and her Echo Films partner Kristin Hahn are producing a “9 to 5” reimagining for 20th Century Studios, Variety has confirmed.
The film is currently in development, with Diablo Cody working on the latest draft of the “9 to 5” reimagining. Plot details are being kept under wraps.
The original “9 to 5” follows three female office colleagues who decide to exact revenge on their sexist, egotistical boss. Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton and Dabney Coleman starred in the 1980 office satire, directed by Colin Higgins and written by Patricia Resnick. The hit comedy film spawned a sitcom of the same name, which aired on ABC from 1982 to 1983, and in first-run syndication from 1986 to 1988. Parton, Tomlin and Fonda participated in the 2022 documentary “Still Working 9 to 5,” which focuses on the impact of the classic film 40 years later.
- 4/25/2024
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
A new Harry Potter audiobook series is coming to Audible.
As part of a partnership with Pottermore Publishing and Audible, the two will release seven new English language audiobooks scheduled for late 2025. The audiobooks will feature a full range of character voices, with the Audible CEO citing more than 100 actors, Dolby Atmos sound design and new scoring.
Each book will be released sequentially and globally. This is in addition to the original single-voice audiobook recordings by Jim Dale and Stephen Fry, which were first released in 1999 and have reached 1.4 billion global listening hours after launching on Audible in 2015.
“Together with Pottermore Publishing, best-in-class producers, and over one hundred actors, we will introduce a groundbreaking new soundscape for the Wizarding World, as well as performances that will inspire our listeners’ imaginations and redefine these quintessential characters for a new generation,” said Bob Carrigan, CEO of Audible.
“We are delighted to be...
As part of a partnership with Pottermore Publishing and Audible, the two will release seven new English language audiobooks scheduled for late 2025. The audiobooks will feature a full range of character voices, with the Audible CEO citing more than 100 actors, Dolby Atmos sound design and new scoring.
Each book will be released sequentially and globally. This is in addition to the original single-voice audiobook recordings by Jim Dale and Stephen Fry, which were first released in 1999 and have reached 1.4 billion global listening hours after launching on Audible in 2015.
“Together with Pottermore Publishing, best-in-class producers, and over one hundred actors, we will introduce a groundbreaking new soundscape for the Wizarding World, as well as performances that will inspire our listeners’ imaginations and redefine these quintessential characters for a new generation,” said Bob Carrigan, CEO of Audible.
“We are delighted to be...
- 4/25/2024
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Danny Boyle’s “28 Years Later” has added Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes to its cast.
The continuation of the “28 Days Later” franchise will be released in theaters globally by Sony Pictures. “28 Days Later” was released in 2002 and starred Cillian Murphy, then largely unknown. Boyle directed the feature, while Alex Garland wrote. A sequel, “28 Weeks Later,” was released in 2007.
Plot details are still being kept under wraps for the new screenplay, written by Garland. It will be part of an upcoming trilogy, for which Nia DaCosta is in talks to direct the second film.
Boyle and Garland are producing, as is original producer Andrew Macdonald and Peter Rice. Bernie Bellew is also producing. Murphy is also returning as an executive producer, and is not currently attached to star.
Comer earned an Emmy for her work as Villanelle on “Killing Eve.” She will next be seen...
The continuation of the “28 Days Later” franchise will be released in theaters globally by Sony Pictures. “28 Days Later” was released in 2002 and starred Cillian Murphy, then largely unknown. Boyle directed the feature, while Alex Garland wrote. A sequel, “28 Weeks Later,” was released in 2007.
Plot details are still being kept under wraps for the new screenplay, written by Garland. It will be part of an upcoming trilogy, for which Nia DaCosta is in talks to direct the second film.
Boyle and Garland are producing, as is original producer Andrew Macdonald and Peter Rice. Bernie Bellew is also producing. Murphy is also returning as an executive producer, and is not currently attached to star.
Comer earned an Emmy for her work as Villanelle on “Killing Eve.” She will next be seen...
- 4/24/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety Film + TV
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) has set its lineup of narrative and documentary features for its 28th edition, including Jussie Smollett’s return to acting in “The Lost Holliday,” filmmaker Christine Swanson’s latest drama “Albany Road” and the acclaimed Luther Vandross doc “Never Too Much.”
This year’s festival takes place June 12-16 in Miami Beach, Fla., followed by a virtual segment June 17-24 on ABFF Play. Winners of film festival competition will be announced on June 15, during the “Best of ABFF Awards” hosted by Emmy-nominee Dondré Whitfield.
The 2024 narrative lineup includes “Albany Road,” directed and written by Swanson, starring Renée Elise Goldsberry, Lynn Whitfield and J. Alphonse Nicholson; “The Lost Holliday” directed by, co-written and starring Smollett alongside Vivica A. Fox, produced by Mona Scott-Young; “The Waterboyz,” directed by Coke Daniels and produced by Ben Crump, starring Akil McDowell, Alani “La La” Anthony and Quavo; and “Black Heat,...
This year’s festival takes place June 12-16 in Miami Beach, Fla., followed by a virtual segment June 17-24 on ABFF Play. Winners of film festival competition will be announced on June 15, during the “Best of ABFF Awards” hosted by Emmy-nominee Dondré Whitfield.
The 2024 narrative lineup includes “Albany Road,” directed and written by Swanson, starring Renée Elise Goldsberry, Lynn Whitfield and J. Alphonse Nicholson; “The Lost Holliday” directed by, co-written and starring Smollett alongside Vivica A. Fox, produced by Mona Scott-Young; “The Waterboyz,” directed by Coke Daniels and produced by Ben Crump, starring Akil McDowell, Alani “La La” Anthony and Quavo; and “Black Heat,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety - Film News
Dan Rather is returning to CBS News.
Nearly 20 years after stepping down as the anchor of the CBS Evening News, and 18 years after he last appeared on the network, the anchor will return to a CBS program. This time, he will be the subject of an interview on CBS Sunday Morning.
Per a release from CBS, “Lee Cowan talks with former CBS News anchor Dan Rather about his work at CBS and his life in news.”
A source confirms that it will be Rather’s first appearance on a CBS News program since he formally left the network under tumultuous circumstances nearly two decades ago.
Rather said that he was the scapegoat in a scandal over a 2004 report for 60 Minutes II on then-President George W. Bush’s military record, and the anchor subsequently sued the network for breach of contract. The 60 Minutes spin-off was canceled less than a year later.
Nearly 20 years after stepping down as the anchor of the CBS Evening News, and 18 years after he last appeared on the network, the anchor will return to a CBS program. This time, he will be the subject of an interview on CBS Sunday Morning.
Per a release from CBS, “Lee Cowan talks with former CBS News anchor Dan Rather about his work at CBS and his life in news.”
A source confirms that it will be Rather’s first appearance on a CBS News program since he formally left the network under tumultuous circumstances nearly two decades ago.
Rather said that he was the scapegoat in a scandal over a 2004 report for 60 Minutes II on then-President George W. Bush’s military record, and the anchor subsequently sued the network for breach of contract. The 60 Minutes spin-off was canceled less than a year later.
- 4/25/2024
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Netflix has come on board “The Thursday Murder Club,” Amblin’s upcoming adaptation of the bestselling novel starring Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan and Ben Kingsley. Chris Columbus is writing and directing the story of a group of friends who solve murders.
The 2020 book by Richard Osman tells the story of four friends who live in a retirement community and take on cold cases for fun. When a shady property developer is found dead, the four find themselves in the middle of their first live crime. Mirren will play ex-spy Elizabeth, Kingsley will play ex-psychiatrist Ibrahim and Brosnan will play former union activist Ron.
Netflix and Amblin’s film partnership also includes the upcoming Jason Bateman-Taron Egerton film “Carry-On.”
Osman, a popular British quiz show presenter, said in a statement, “I’m so proud of this book, so it is a dream to see ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ in such incredible hands.
The 2020 book by Richard Osman tells the story of four friends who live in a retirement community and take on cold cases for fun. When a shady property developer is found dead, the four find themselves in the middle of their first live crime. Mirren will play ex-spy Elizabeth, Kingsley will play ex-psychiatrist Ibrahim and Brosnan will play former union activist Ron.
Netflix and Amblin’s film partnership also includes the upcoming Jason Bateman-Taron Egerton film “Carry-On.”
Osman, a popular British quiz show presenter, said in a statement, “I’m so proud of this book, so it is a dream to see ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ in such incredible hands.
- 4/25/2024
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety - Film News
Gabby and her cats are coming to the big screen next year.
DreamWorks Animation and Universal revealed Thursday that Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie will open nationwide on Sept. 26, 2025.
The live-action/CGI series has been a smash hit for Netflix since its debut in 2021. Created by Traci Paige Johnson and Jennifer Twomey, Gabby’s Dollhouse is a mixed-media preschool adventure that centers on a 12-year-old who, after unboxing an item, uses the power of her magical cat ears to shrink down to dollhouse size and go on adventures with the help of her animated cat friends. The show operates with a narrative ethos of flexible thinking and learning from your mistakes, and does so through a mix of things like music, dance, cooking and crafting.
Laila Lockhart Kraner will reprise her role from the series in the feature film, which follows Gabby as she goes on a road trip with her...
DreamWorks Animation and Universal revealed Thursday that Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie will open nationwide on Sept. 26, 2025.
The live-action/CGI series has been a smash hit for Netflix since its debut in 2021. Created by Traci Paige Johnson and Jennifer Twomey, Gabby’s Dollhouse is a mixed-media preschool adventure that centers on a 12-year-old who, after unboxing an item, uses the power of her magical cat ears to shrink down to dollhouse size and go on adventures with the help of her animated cat friends. The show operates with a narrative ethos of flexible thinking and learning from your mistakes, and does so through a mix of things like music, dance, cooking and crafting.
Laila Lockhart Kraner will reprise her role from the series in the feature film, which follows Gabby as she goes on a road trip with her...
- 4/25/2024
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The annual Peabody Awards have unveiled its 2024 nominations.
This year, the Peabody Awards Board of Jurors selected nominees from over 1,100 entries from television, podcasts/radio, and the web in the entertainment, news, documentary, arts, children’s/youth, public service, and multimedia programming categories. Documentary films such as “Judy Blume Forever” and “The Eternal Memory” topped the list of nominees, along with series “The Bear” and “The Last of Us.”
“Whether a hilarious comedy, an engaging interactive experience, or a heartwarming children’s show, Peabody is dedicated to honoring the most compelling stories across the media landscape,” Jeffrey Jones, executive director of Peabody, said. “Each of the 68 nominees this year deserve to be recognized for telling unique stories that leave a profound impact in capturing our imaginations. From exposing injustice to capturing the struggles and triumphs of inspirational figures across the world, these extraordinary nominees demonstrate the power and beauty of compelling storytelling.
This year, the Peabody Awards Board of Jurors selected nominees from over 1,100 entries from television, podcasts/radio, and the web in the entertainment, news, documentary, arts, children’s/youth, public service, and multimedia programming categories. Documentary films such as “Judy Blume Forever” and “The Eternal Memory” topped the list of nominees, along with series “The Bear” and “The Last of Us.”
“Whether a hilarious comedy, an engaging interactive experience, or a heartwarming children’s show, Peabody is dedicated to honoring the most compelling stories across the media landscape,” Jeffrey Jones, executive director of Peabody, said. “Each of the 68 nominees this year deserve to be recognized for telling unique stories that leave a profound impact in capturing our imaginations. From exposing injustice to capturing the struggles and triumphs of inspirational figures across the world, these extraordinary nominees demonstrate the power and beauty of compelling storytelling.
- 4/25/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Bill Kong is cautious, vastly experienced and has an impeccable reputation as a key gateway between Hollywood and China to maintain. He is someone far more likely to deadpan than gush.
So, to hear him getting into high gear with a pitch for his bucket list martial arts movie project “The Furious” immediately invites comparison with previous Kong-produced action pictures including Oscar-winner “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Jet Li’s Fearless” or the Zhang Yimou-directed “Hero.”
“I’m going to do an action movie that rocks the world. And to prove that Hong Kong still has something to give the film industry. I want to show that Asian people can still make an action movie that is better than the rest of the world,” Kong tells Variety.
Significantly, “The Furious” is a project made by Hong Kong, rather than made in Hong Kong. Kong’s Edko Films is financing and producing.
So, to hear him getting into high gear with a pitch for his bucket list martial arts movie project “The Furious” immediately invites comparison with previous Kong-produced action pictures including Oscar-winner “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Jet Li’s Fearless” or the Zhang Yimou-directed “Hero.”
“I’m going to do an action movie that rocks the world. And to prove that Hong Kong still has something to give the film industry. I want to show that Asian people can still make an action movie that is better than the rest of the world,” Kong tells Variety.
Significantly, “The Furious” is a project made by Hong Kong, rather than made in Hong Kong. Kong’s Edko Films is financing and producing.
- 4/25/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
A quartet of fast-rising British names are coming together for a buzzy new project launching at the Cannes market.
Bella Ramsey, Louis Partridge and Ruby Stokes are set to lead “Sunny Dancer,” the sophomore feature from George Jaques. Embankment Films is handling global pre-sales of the film, which it says showcases the “best of new British talent.”
“Sunny Dancer” follows Ivy (Ramsey), a teenager in remission from cancer, whose gloriously outspoken mum and well-intentioned dad insist she attend Children Run Free Camp, a summer retreat for young adults affected by cancer. The camp’s slogan, “Where kids come to kid,” does little to alleviate Ivy’s apprehension, and a quick Google search confirms her fears when she stumbles upon a cringeworthy promotional video filled with tacky messages and clichéd sunsets. As if conquering cancer wasn’t enough of a challenge, Ivy now faces the prospect of spending her summer at what she calls “chemo camp.
Bella Ramsey, Louis Partridge and Ruby Stokes are set to lead “Sunny Dancer,” the sophomore feature from George Jaques. Embankment Films is handling global pre-sales of the film, which it says showcases the “best of new British talent.”
“Sunny Dancer” follows Ivy (Ramsey), a teenager in remission from cancer, whose gloriously outspoken mum and well-intentioned dad insist she attend Children Run Free Camp, a summer retreat for young adults affected by cancer. The camp’s slogan, “Where kids come to kid,” does little to alleviate Ivy’s apprehension, and a quick Google search confirms her fears when she stumbles upon a cringeworthy promotional video filled with tacky messages and clichéd sunsets. As if conquering cancer wasn’t enough of a challenge, Ivy now faces the prospect of spending her summer at what she calls “chemo camp.
- 4/25/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety - Film News
When Ncuti Gatwa makes his first appearance as the 15th Doctor in the science-fiction series “Doctor Who,” he isn’t wearing any pants.
In a 60th-anniversary special released in December, the previous Doctor — played by series icon David Tennant — subverts the show’s long-standing practice of regeneration: Instead of simply transforming into the next Doctor, he literally splits in half, bringing Gatwa’s Doctor into the world alongside him. In the process, the two divide the clothes of Tennant’s Doctor between them, leaving Gatwa in nothing but a dress shirt and a pair of tighty-whities.
“Oh, my God, that first costume fitting!
In a 60th-anniversary special released in December, the previous Doctor — played by series icon David Tennant — subverts the show’s long-standing practice of regeneration: Instead of simply transforming into the next Doctor, he literally splits in half, bringing Gatwa’s Doctor into the world alongside him. In the process, the two divide the clothes of Tennant’s Doctor between them, leaving Gatwa in nothing but a dress shirt and a pair of tighty-whities.
“Oh, my God, that first costume fitting!
- 4/25/2024
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety - TV News
“Judge Judy” has extended her reign in daytime as CBS Media Ventures has renewed its package of vintage “Judge Judy” episodes and the first-run court show “Hot Bench.”
Both daytime strips have been renewed through the end of the 2025-26 season on TV stations covering 95% of U.S. TV households. “Judge Judy” has been a daytime syndication stalwart since 1996 and that hasn’t changed even after she stopped producing new episodes of the series in 2021, after the show logged its 25th year. “Judge Judy” reruns at present average about 6 million viewers a week and the show still commands top daytime time slots around the country.
Both daytime strips have been renewed through the end of the 2025-26 season on TV stations covering 95% of U.S. TV households. “Judge Judy” has been a daytime syndication stalwart since 1996 and that hasn’t changed even after she stopped producing new episodes of the series in 2021, after the show logged its 25th year. “Judge Judy” reruns at present average about 6 million viewers a week and the show still commands top daytime time slots around the country.
- 4/26/2024
- by William Earl
- Variety - TV News
The second season of the game show “Lingo” hosted by RuPaul Charles has set its premiere date at CBS, Variety has learned.
The series will return on May 24 with two back-to-back episodes airing from 8 p.m.-10 p.m. Et/Pt. It will then air at 8 p.m. on Fridays for the remainder of the season. Episodes will be available live and on-demand for Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers or the next day for Paramount+ Essential subscribers.
In “Lingo,” teams of two compete against each other in puzzle rounds to guess letters that reveal words. In a new twist for the second season,...
The series will return on May 24 with two back-to-back episodes airing from 8 p.m.-10 p.m. Et/Pt. It will then air at 8 p.m. on Fridays for the remainder of the season. Episodes will be available live and on-demand for Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers or the next day for Paramount+ Essential subscribers.
In “Lingo,” teams of two compete against each other in puzzle rounds to guess letters that reveal words. In a new twist for the second season,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety - TV News
On Thursday, #MeToo founder Tarana Burke voiced her disappointment at Harvey Weinstein’s conviction being overturned by the New York Court of Appeals at a press conference in New York City.
Burke said the #MeToo movement will continue the fight to make sure survivors of sexual abuse are protected. “When we have low moments, we get low and we get dirty and we do what we have to do. We get in the trenches and we do our work, and we will continue to do that,” she said, according to multiple outlets’ coverage of the press conference. “The outcome of this case doesn’t change that.”
The activist also expressed that she was “devastated for the survivors who are connected to this case and the survivors who have found some solace and catharsis in the original verdict around Harvey Weinstein.”
However, in a video shared by The Guardian from the press conference,...
Burke said the #MeToo movement will continue the fight to make sure survivors of sexual abuse are protected. “When we have low moments, we get low and we get dirty and we do what we have to do. We get in the trenches and we do our work, and we will continue to do that,” she said, according to multiple outlets’ coverage of the press conference. “The outcome of this case doesn’t change that.”
The activist also expressed that she was “devastated for the survivors who are connected to this case and the survivors who have found some solace and catharsis in the original verdict around Harvey Weinstein.”
However, in a video shared by The Guardian from the press conference,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Tatiana Tenreyro
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Fresh off Beyoncé’s record-breaking, genre-defying new album, CNN is examining country music’s post-Cowboy Carter reckoning in a new documentary.
Produced by CNN FlashDocs, Call Me Country: Beyoncé and Nashville’s Renaissance is streaming today exclusively on Max. Per the logline, the 42-minute film “examines this reckoning in the genre straight from the country music capital of the world” through interviews with musicians and analyses by culture and country music experts. (Beyoncé was not involved with the CNN documentary.)
Stream 'Call Me Country' on Max
The Grammy-winning superstar became the first Black woman to top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart with the release of Act II: Cowboy Carter, which follows Renaissance as the second installment in a potential series of albums. She previously said she did not feel “welcomed” by the country music world when she first tried to enter the genre. Upon releasing her eighth studio album,...
Produced by CNN FlashDocs, Call Me Country: Beyoncé and Nashville’s Renaissance is streaming today exclusively on Max. Per the logline, the 42-minute film “examines this reckoning in the genre straight from the country music capital of the world” through interviews with musicians and analyses by culture and country music experts. (Beyoncé was not involved with the CNN documentary.)
Stream 'Call Me Country' on Max
The Grammy-winning superstar became the first Black woman to top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart with the release of Act II: Cowboy Carter, which follows Renaissance as the second installment in a potential series of albums. She previously said she did not feel “welcomed” by the country music world when she first tried to enter the genre. Upon releasing her eighth studio album,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Danielle Directo-Meston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For the longest time, Caitlin Cronenberg wanted no part of the director’s chair. As a highly successful photographer who’s shot everyone and everything — including the much-publicized cover art for Drake’s fourth studio album, Views — she had no interest in following in the footsteps of her father, David Cronenberg, and older brother, Brandon Cronenberg. But everything started to change when Schitt’s Creek star Annie Murphy gave Caitlin a call about a low-pressure directing job that would ultimately whet her appetite en route to her feature directorial debut, Humane.
“It was very much thrust upon me by my friend Annie Murphy from Schitt’s Creek. She was doing a web series [The Plateaus] and needed a fake music video … and over the course of that process, I realized that directing felt very natural to me,” Cronenberg tells The Hollywood Reporter. “And when I did a short film called The Endings...
“It was very much thrust upon me by my friend Annie Murphy from Schitt’s Creek. She was doing a web series [The Plateaus] and needed a fake music video … and over the course of that process, I realized that directing felt very natural to me,” Cronenberg tells The Hollywood Reporter. “And when I did a short film called The Endings...
- 4/26/2024
- by Brian Davids
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Array Releasing has acquired “For Our Children” and has set a release date for May 10 on Netflix.
Written, directed and produced by Débora Souza Silva, the documentary chronicles the powerful convergence of two mothers, Reverend Wanda Johnson and Angela Williams, whose lives were forever altered by police brutality against young Black men.
“Array is proud to work with filmmaker Débora Souza Silva to tell the important stories of Reverend Johnson and Angela Williams and their ability to find hope and light in a world too often defined by division and despair,” said Array’s President Tilane Jones in a statement. “Through intimate storytelling and raw authenticity, ‘For Our Children’ illuminates the unbreakable bonds of love and resilience that bind us all.”
Silva’s work has been featured on PBS, BBC and Fusion. In 2021, she received the Creative Capital Award. She was also honored by the National Association of Black Journalists,...
Written, directed and produced by Débora Souza Silva, the documentary chronicles the powerful convergence of two mothers, Reverend Wanda Johnson and Angela Williams, whose lives were forever altered by police brutality against young Black men.
“Array is proud to work with filmmaker Débora Souza Silva to tell the important stories of Reverend Johnson and Angela Williams and their ability to find hope and light in a world too often defined by division and despair,” said Array’s President Tilane Jones in a statement. “Through intimate storytelling and raw authenticity, ‘For Our Children’ illuminates the unbreakable bonds of love and resilience that bind us all.”
Silva’s work has been featured on PBS, BBC and Fusion. In 2021, she received the Creative Capital Award. She was also honored by the National Association of Black Journalists,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety - Film News
Ricky Martin has been tapped to headline L.A. Pride in the Park this summer.
The performance will mark the Grammy Award-winner’s first time taking center stage at a Pride event and the organization’s first time with an openly gay Latin artist as a headliner. L.A. Pride in the Park will return to the Los Angeles State Historic Park on June 8, and will boast a theme of “Power in Pride.”
The news for Martin comes as he’s currently seen on the small screen in the Apple TV+ series Palm Royale opposite Kristen Wiig, Josh Lucas, Leslie Bibb, Laura Dern, Allison Janney, Kaia Gerber and Carol Burnett, among others. “I am thrilled to be headlining L.A. Pride in the Park because it’s an incredible opportunity to celebrate love, diversity, and equality,” Martin said in a statement. “L.A. Pride is a testament to the power of community,...
The performance will mark the Grammy Award-winner’s first time taking center stage at a Pride event and the organization’s first time with an openly gay Latin artist as a headliner. L.A. Pride in the Park will return to the Los Angeles State Historic Park on June 8, and will boast a theme of “Power in Pride.”
The news for Martin comes as he’s currently seen on the small screen in the Apple TV+ series Palm Royale opposite Kristen Wiig, Josh Lucas, Leslie Bibb, Laura Dern, Allison Janney, Kaia Gerber and Carol Burnett, among others. “I am thrilled to be headlining L.A. Pride in the Park because it’s an incredible opportunity to celebrate love, diversity, and equality,” Martin said in a statement. “L.A. Pride is a testament to the power of community,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Steven Spielberg’s next project will not be a movie, with the Oscar-winning director joining the Biden campaign to provide strategy for August’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
Reps for Spielberg had no comment on the news, first reported by Puck.
The filmmaker has long supported President Biden, and Spielberg’s friend and former DreamWorks business partner Jeffrey Katzenberg is now a chair of the Biden campaign. In the past several months, Spielberg has attended multiple strategy sessions, offering his insights on how best to tell the President’s story and highlight Biden’s second term vision at this summer’s convention as he gears up for a November rematch with former President Donald Trump.
Puck also reported that Spielberg helped with the 2020 convention, held virtually at the height of Covid-19. The director does not currently have plans to create a film portion for this summer’s events,...
Reps for Spielberg had no comment on the news, first reported by Puck.
The filmmaker has long supported President Biden, and Spielberg’s friend and former DreamWorks business partner Jeffrey Katzenberg is now a chair of the Biden campaign. In the past several months, Spielberg has attended multiple strategy sessions, offering his insights on how best to tell the President’s story and highlight Biden’s second term vision at this summer’s convention as he gears up for a November rematch with former President Donald Trump.
Puck also reported that Spielberg helped with the 2020 convention, held virtually at the height of Covid-19. The director does not currently have plans to create a film portion for this summer’s events,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Zoe G Phillips
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Max and ID have acquired U.S. rights to a Channel 4 documentary about Kevin Spacey.
The two-part doc, titled Spacey Unmasked, is billed as a “forensic look” at Spacey’s career and the allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct against him. Spacey was acquitted in July 2023 of nine charges in a U.K. criminal case against him.
The documentary will also include interviews with “multiple men unconnected to that case about their experiences with Kevin Spacey, almost all of whom have never spoken before,” along with other previously unseen archival footage and interviews with the actor.
Spacey, a two-time Oscar winner, faced nine criminal charges from four different men in his U.K. trial, ranging from unwanted touching to, according to testimony from one man, performing oral sex on the man while he was asleep. The charges stemmed from alleged acts that occurred from 2001 to 2013; Spacey was artistic director of...
The two-part doc, titled Spacey Unmasked, is billed as a “forensic look” at Spacey’s career and the allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct against him. Spacey was acquitted in July 2023 of nine charges in a U.K. criminal case against him.
The documentary will also include interviews with “multiple men unconnected to that case about their experiences with Kevin Spacey, almost all of whom have never spoken before,” along with other previously unseen archival footage and interviews with the actor.
Spacey, a two-time Oscar winner, faced nine criminal charges from four different men in his U.K. trial, ranging from unwanted touching to, according to testimony from one man, performing oral sex on the man while he was asleep. The charges stemmed from alleged acts that occurred from 2001 to 2013; Spacey was artistic director of...
- 4/26/2024
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
One of the 12 jurors who heard Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 sexual assault trial and voted for his conviction, which was overturned on Thursday by New York’s Court of Appeals, has written an op-ed for U.S. News and World Report in which she calls the reversal a gut-punch that should not have happened, as the jury’s decision was not influenced by the so-called Molineux witnesses whose testimony in 2020, in part, led to the decision to overturn the conviction.
“The decision is a punch in the gut to Weinstein’s victims — and to all rape victims, where so often the only evidence is a woman’s word,” Amanda Brainerd, who was juror 11, wrote in her piece. She went on to add, “Our justice system failed us today.”
The 72-year-old convicted rapist and former Miramax movie mogul was found guilty at his 2020 New York County trial of forcibly performing oral sex on...
“The decision is a punch in the gut to Weinstein’s victims — and to all rape victims, where so often the only evidence is a woman’s word,” Amanda Brainerd, who was juror 11, wrote in her piece. She went on to add, “Our justice system failed us today.”
The 72-year-old convicted rapist and former Miramax movie mogul was found guilty at his 2020 New York County trial of forcibly performing oral sex on...
- 4/26/2024
- by Kevin Dolak
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The setting for Illinoise, Justin Peck and Jackie Sibblies Drury’s emotionally supercharged reinterpretation of the 2005 Sufjan Stevens concept album, is various locations across the Land of Lincoln — a cornfield, a hiking trail, a woodland clearing, the suburban home of a serial killer, a small town in the middle of nowhere, the top of a skyscraper and, of course, Chicago, with an out-of-state detour to New York City. But the real setting of this thrilling dance-musical-concert hybrid, alternately rhapsodic and shattering, is our collective youth.
Without a word of spoken dialogue, the show pulls us into late adolescence, a time when love, anguish and everything in between are felt perhaps with the greatest intensity. The book co-written by director-choreographer Peck and Drury (who won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama with her brilliant meta-theatrical race inquiry, Fairview) is skillfully shaped yet invisible in the best sense of undiluted physical, sensorial and elemental storytelling.
Without a word of spoken dialogue, the show pulls us into late adolescence, a time when love, anguish and everything in between are felt perhaps with the greatest intensity. The book co-written by director-choreographer Peck and Drury (who won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama with her brilliant meta-theatrical race inquiry, Fairview) is skillfully shaped yet invisible in the best sense of undiluted physical, sensorial and elemental storytelling.
- 4/26/2024
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hulu’s Belisa Balaban on ‘Lean-In’ Docs, Industry Contraction and the Streamer’s New Bon Jovi Series
Over the last several years Hulu has become known for a zeitgeisty documentary slate that covers topics including celebrities, crimes and cults.
Among the watercooler hits the streamer’s doc division has released recently: “Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence,” “God Forbid: The Sex Scandal That Brought Down a Dynasty,” “Captive Audience,” and “Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons.” Its latest nonfiction release, “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story,” fits into the celebrity side of Hulu’s doc sweetspot.
“Hulu documentaries are very entertainment forward,” says Belisa Balaban, Hulu Originals senior VP unscripted series and documentaries. “We have...
Among the watercooler hits the streamer’s doc division has released recently: “Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence,” “God Forbid: The Sex Scandal That Brought Down a Dynasty,” “Captive Audience,” and “Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons.” Its latest nonfiction release, “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story,” fits into the celebrity side of Hulu’s doc sweetspot.
“Hulu documentaries are very entertainment forward,” says Belisa Balaban, Hulu Originals senior VP unscripted series and documentaries. “We have...
- 4/26/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety - TV News
Ellen DeGeneres took a moment to acknowledge the controversy that surrounded her talk show, Ellen, when it concluded in May 2022.
She is currently on a comedy tour called Ellen’s Last Stand … Up. During her stop in Los Angeles on Wednesday, DeGeneres joked that she was “kicked out of show business” for being “mean,” according to People.
Her comments referenced the public allegations of a toxic workplace that came out ahead of the talk show’s end. She continued in her comedy routine that she became the “most hated person in America,” following the countless headlines that came out about her when the story broke.
“The hate went on for a long time, and I would try to avoid looking at the news,” she recalled, per People, noting that she used to end her talk show each day by saying, “Be kind to one another.” “The ‘be kind’ girl wasn’t kind,...
She is currently on a comedy tour called Ellen’s Last Stand … Up. During her stop in Los Angeles on Wednesday, DeGeneres joked that she was “kicked out of show business” for being “mean,” according to People.
Her comments referenced the public allegations of a toxic workplace that came out ahead of the talk show’s end. She continued in her comedy routine that she became the “most hated person in America,” following the countless headlines that came out about her when the story broke.
“The hate went on for a long time, and I would try to avoid looking at the news,” she recalled, per People, noting that she used to end her talk show each day by saying, “Be kind to one another.” “The ‘be kind’ girl wasn’t kind,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” Lucasfilm resurrected more with its 2022 series for Disney+ than just the eponymous Jedi Master, who’d gone into hiding after the events of “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith.” The show also rekindled his greatest conflict — perhaps his greatest failure — with former apprentice Anakin Skywalker, transformed by the dark side of the Force into Sith Lord Darth Vader. And it additionally brought back multiple elements of franchise iconography that go all of the way back to the original films — in particular, the bacta tank.
For many years identified by the water-filled tube where Luke Skywalker...
For many years identified by the water-filled tube where Luke Skywalker...
- 4/26/2024
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Variety - TV News
Challengers has finally taken to the court.
Directed by Luca Guadagnino, the movie earned $1.9 million in box office previews for MGM and Amazon Studios as it prepares to open everywhere on Friday. The majority came from Thursday night shows, but there was also a special Imax sneak earlier this week.
The critically acclaimed movie features Zendaya as a tennis player caught up in a love triangle. She stars opposite Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor.
“Smart, seductive and bristling with sexual tension, Challengers is arguably Luca Guadagnino’s most purely pleasurable film to date; it’s certainly his lightest and most playful,” writes THR‘s David Rooney in his rave review. “As agile and dynamic as the many tennis matches it depicts, the love-triangle drama pits the rivalry on the court of two former best friends against their competing desire for a self-possessed woman whose hunger to win is not diminished...
Directed by Luca Guadagnino, the movie earned $1.9 million in box office previews for MGM and Amazon Studios as it prepares to open everywhere on Friday. The majority came from Thursday night shows, but there was also a special Imax sneak earlier this week.
The critically acclaimed movie features Zendaya as a tennis player caught up in a love triangle. She stars opposite Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor.
“Smart, seductive and bristling with sexual tension, Challengers is arguably Luca Guadagnino’s most purely pleasurable film to date; it’s certainly his lightest and most playful,” writes THR‘s David Rooney in his rave review. “As agile and dynamic as the many tennis matches it depicts, the love-triangle drama pits the rivalry on the court of two former best friends against their competing desire for a self-possessed woman whose hunger to win is not diminished...
- 4/26/2024
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A documentary about Kevin Spacey that was first announced prior to him being acquitted of multiple sexual offenses in the U.K. last year is now complete, with Variety able to reveal details, a first-look trailer, release dates and a multi-territory deal — including for the U.S. — with Warner Bros. Discovery.
The two-part series “Spacey Unmasked,” first commissioned by Channel 4 in 2022 and now due to air on May 6 and 7 in the U.K., features interviews with multiple men, unconnected to the U.K. trial, speaking for the first time about their experiences with Spacey. Airdates for the U.S.
The two-part series “Spacey Unmasked,” first commissioned by Channel 4 in 2022 and now due to air on May 6 and 7 in the U.K., features interviews with multiple men, unconnected to the U.K. trial, speaking for the first time about their experiences with Spacey. Airdates for the U.S.
- 4/26/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety - TV News
It’s been Donald Trump’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week.
The past and potentially future leader of the free world spent most of it in a dingy Manhattan courtroom, no longer the master of his domain. It’s a place where he dutifully sits down when the judge tells him to sit, where he’s unable to say whatever he wants, where he’s not allowed to use his phone. And worst of all, where there’s no red button for him to push when he wants a Diet Coke. And according to him, it was bitterly cold — “freezing,” in fact, sounding like your elderly uncle at Thanksgiving. Forget a legal defense; someone needs to give him a sweater.
The criminal hearing in which he’s facing 34 felony counts is not the trial we deserve. That would be either the Georgia election interference case, the federal classified...
The past and potentially future leader of the free world spent most of it in a dingy Manhattan courtroom, no longer the master of his domain. It’s a place where he dutifully sits down when the judge tells him to sit, where he’s unable to say whatever he wants, where he’s not allowed to use his phone. And worst of all, where there’s no red button for him to push when he wants a Diet Coke. And according to him, it was bitterly cold — “freezing,” in fact, sounding like your elderly uncle at Thanksgiving. Forget a legal defense; someone needs to give him a sweater.
The criminal hearing in which he’s facing 34 felony counts is not the trial we deserve. That would be either the Georgia election interference case, the federal classified...
- 4/26/2024
- by Frank Scheck
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Is there a rule book for comedy? It’s a question igniting fiery debates, especially in today’s era of “cancel culture” dictating the dos and don’ts of stand-up. But for Tony Hinchcliffe, the idea of conforming to these restrictions is as likely as finding a unicorn at a rodeo.
“There’s no room for victim mentality here,” Hinchcliffe tells Variety. “When you step into a dark, dingy comedy club, what do you want to see? Think about it like a strip club. Do you want to see girls in a dress? Or do you want to see nasty fucking shit? You want ping-pong balls flying at your head.”
Hinchcliffe sits back in a golden chair for his Zoom interview, rocking a plain white T-shirt and basketball shorts, reminiscing about his days as the class clown. He was born and raised on the rough and tumble streets of Youngstown,...
“There’s no room for victim mentality here,” Hinchcliffe tells Variety. “When you step into a dark, dingy comedy club, what do you want to see? Think about it like a strip club. Do you want to see girls in a dress? Or do you want to see nasty fucking shit? You want ping-pong balls flying at your head.”
Hinchcliffe sits back in a golden chair for his Zoom interview, rocking a plain white T-shirt and basketball shorts, reminiscing about his days as the class clown. He was born and raised on the rough and tumble streets of Youngstown,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety - Film News
Is there a rule book for comedy? It’s a question igniting fiery debates, especially in today’s era of “cancel culture” dictating the dos and don’ts of stand-up. But for Tony Hinchcliffe, the idea of conforming to these restrictions is as likely as finding a unicorn at a rodeo.
“There’s no room for victim mentality here,” Hinchcliffe tells Variety. “When you step into a dark, dingy comedy club, what do you want to see? Think about it like a strip club. Do you want to see girls in a dress? Or do you want to see nasty fucking shit?...
“There’s no room for victim mentality here,” Hinchcliffe tells Variety. “When you step into a dark, dingy comedy club, what do you want to see? Think about it like a strip club. Do you want to see girls in a dress? Or do you want to see nasty fucking shit?...
- 4/26/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety - TV News
In “The Strike,” directors Joebill Munoz and Lucas Guilkey chronicle a 2013 prison hunger strike that changed imprisonment policies across the U.S.
The doc tells the story of America’s supermax prison Pelican Bay, which opened in 1989 and was designed specifically for mass-scale solitary confinement. For decades, the California prison held mostly Black and Brown men alone in tiny cells without windows for years or sometimes decades based on questionable evidence. In 2013, 30,000 California prisoners went on hunger strike in an attempt to end indefinite solitary confinement and regain access to the general prison population.
Munoz and Guilkey’s 86-minute docu features interviews with inmates who spent decades of their lives in a concrete tomb. In addition to inmates, Munoz and Guilkey sat down with state prison officials, prison designers and bureaucrats to detail the history of how and why the state came to keep so many people in long-term isolation.
The doc tells the story of America’s supermax prison Pelican Bay, which opened in 1989 and was designed specifically for mass-scale solitary confinement. For decades, the California prison held mostly Black and Brown men alone in tiny cells without windows for years or sometimes decades based on questionable evidence. In 2013, 30,000 California prisoners went on hunger strike in an attempt to end indefinite solitary confinement and regain access to the general prison population.
Munoz and Guilkey’s 86-minute docu features interviews with inmates who spent decades of their lives in a concrete tomb. In addition to inmates, Munoz and Guilkey sat down with state prison officials, prison designers and bureaucrats to detail the history of how and why the state came to keep so many people in long-term isolation.
- 4/26/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety - Film News
Aaron Sorkin confirmed during a live recording of “The Town” podcast that he is currently working on some kind of sequel to “The Social Network,” David Fincher’s acclaimed 2010 drama about the creation of Facebook that won Sorkin the Oscar for best adapted screenplay.
“Look, yeah, I’ll be writing about this,” Sorkin said about the social media company’s recent years. “I blame Facebook for January 6.”
Sorkin would not answer why he blamed Facebook for Trump supporters storming the U.S. Capitol, but he teased: “You’re going to need to buy a movie ticket.”
“I’m trying [to write a movie about it],” Sorkin elaborated. “Facebook has been, among other things, tuning its algorithm to promote the most divisive material possible. Because that is what will increase engagement. That is what will get you to — what they call inside the hallways of Facebook — ‘the infinite scroll’ … There’s supposed to be a constant tension...
“Look, yeah, I’ll be writing about this,” Sorkin said about the social media company’s recent years. “I blame Facebook for January 6.”
Sorkin would not answer why he blamed Facebook for Trump supporters storming the U.S. Capitol, but he teased: “You’re going to need to buy a movie ticket.”
“I’m trying [to write a movie about it],” Sorkin elaborated. “Facebook has been, among other things, tuning its algorithm to promote the most divisive material possible. Because that is what will increase engagement. That is what will get you to — what they call inside the hallways of Facebook — ‘the infinite scroll’ … There’s supposed to be a constant tension...
- 4/26/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety - Film News
Brian Roberts, chairman and CEO of Comcast, had a compensation package worth $35.47 million in 2023, as he saw his pay rise 11% from the year prior.
Roberts, who oversees the cable giant and NBCUniversal, last year had a salary of $2.5 million, stock awards worth $15 million, stock options worth $9.2 million and a $8.55 million cash incentive bonus. In 2022, his compensation totaled about $32.1 million.
Comcast’s stock price rose 26% in 2023. Shares are down 12% year to date in 2024. The company reported $121.6 billion in revenue for 2023 (up 0.1%) and net income of $15.1 billion (versus $4.9 billion in 2022).
“Mr. Roberts provided invaluable long-term vision and stability as he continued to...
Roberts, who oversees the cable giant and NBCUniversal, last year had a salary of $2.5 million, stock awards worth $15 million, stock options worth $9.2 million and a $8.55 million cash incentive bonus. In 2022, his compensation totaled about $32.1 million.
Comcast’s stock price rose 26% in 2023. Shares are down 12% year to date in 2024. The company reported $121.6 billion in revenue for 2023 (up 0.1%) and net income of $15.1 billion (versus $4.9 billion in 2022).
“Mr. Roberts provided invaluable long-term vision and stability as he continued to...
- 4/26/2024
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety - TV News
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts’ Pay Rises to $35.5M, President Michael Cavanagh’s Drops to $29.6M in 2023
NBCUniversal owner Comcast has disclosed higher 2023 compensation packages for chairman and CEO Brian Roberts and president Michael Cavanagh, along with pay details for other top executives.
Comcast’s proxy statement, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, a day after the company’s first-quarter 2024 earnings report, showed that Roberts’ pay hit $35.5 million in 2023, up 11 percent compared with $32.1 million in 2022. He had made $34 million in 2021, $32.7 million in 2020 and $36.4 million in 2019.
Cavanagh’s compensation package was worth $29.6 million last year, down 27 percent from $40.5 million in 2022 when he had served as chief financial officer until being promoted to president in October 2022, which brought him a pay boost. Jason Armstrong then took over as CFO in early 2023.
Cavanagh saw increases across most compensation categories, but his options awards for 2023 amounted to $7.0 million, compared with $21.1 million in 2022 when he was elevated.
Robert’s salary remained at $2.5 million in 2023, but his stock awards rose from $13.4 million in 2022 to $15.0 million,...
Comcast’s proxy statement, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, a day after the company’s first-quarter 2024 earnings report, showed that Roberts’ pay hit $35.5 million in 2023, up 11 percent compared with $32.1 million in 2022. He had made $34 million in 2021, $32.7 million in 2020 and $36.4 million in 2019.
Cavanagh’s compensation package was worth $29.6 million last year, down 27 percent from $40.5 million in 2022 when he had served as chief financial officer until being promoted to president in October 2022, which brought him a pay boost. Jason Armstrong then took over as CFO in early 2023.
Cavanagh saw increases across most compensation categories, but his options awards for 2023 amounted to $7.0 million, compared with $21.1 million in 2022 when he was elevated.
Robert’s salary remained at $2.5 million in 2023, but his stock awards rose from $13.4 million in 2022 to $15.0 million,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Carrousel Studios, the newly launched production company of “Lupin” star Omar Sy, “Fast X” director Louis Leterrier and “Gangs of London” producer Thomas Benski, has appointed Cécile Gaget as CEO.
A seasoned executive, the Paris-based Gaget previously worked at Wild Bunch as head of film, and also worked at Anton Capital and Gaumont where she spearheaded international sales and co-productions. While at Gaumont, she worked on many box office hits, notably “Intouchables” which traveled around the world and saw Sy delivering a breakthrough performance.
Carrousel is a European independent production company with offices in Paris, London, Los Angeles and Senegal. The banner will finance and produce film and TV projects, with an emphasis on elevated action, thrillers, sci-fi, fantasy and comedy. CAA Media Finance architected the financing for the venture.
In her new role, which will effective May 1, Gaget will utilize her sales and film finance expertise to ramp up...
A seasoned executive, the Paris-based Gaget previously worked at Wild Bunch as head of film, and also worked at Anton Capital and Gaumont where she spearheaded international sales and co-productions. While at Gaumont, she worked on many box office hits, notably “Intouchables” which traveled around the world and saw Sy delivering a breakthrough performance.
Carrousel is a European independent production company with offices in Paris, London, Los Angeles and Senegal. The banner will finance and produce film and TV projects, with an emphasis on elevated action, thrillers, sci-fi, fantasy and comedy. CAA Media Finance architected the financing for the venture.
In her new role, which will effective May 1, Gaget will utilize her sales and film finance expertise to ramp up...
- 4/26/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
Robert Downey Jr. elated Marvel fans earlier this month when he told Esquire magazine that he would “happily” return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Tony Stark/Iron Man following his Oscar win for best supporting actor in March. There’s only one hiccup: Iron Man died in 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame.” But the MCU’s ever-expanding multiverse certainly leaves the door open for Downey’s return
In a recent interview with GamesRadar+, “Avengers: Endgame” directors Joe and Anthony Russo expressed some confusion over Downey’s Iron Man popping back up in the MCU after they killed the character off so heroically in their record-breaking film.
“I don’t know how they would do it,” Anthony said. “I don’t know what the road to that would be [laughs].”
Joe added, “I mean we closed that book so it would be up to them to figure out how to reopen it.”
For what it’s worth,...
In a recent interview with GamesRadar+, “Avengers: Endgame” directors Joe and Anthony Russo expressed some confusion over Downey’s Iron Man popping back up in the MCU after they killed the character off so heroically in their record-breaking film.
“I don’t know how they would do it,” Anthony said. “I don’t know what the road to that would be [laughs].”
Joe added, “I mean we closed that book so it would be up to them to figure out how to reopen it.”
For what it’s worth,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety - Film News
Aaron Sorkin is writing a new movie that could serve as a sequel to The Social Network.
The Oscar-winning screenwriter broke the news when he was asked during a live-from-d.C. edition of The Town podcast about how Facebook and social media have influenced democracy in the years since his 2010 hit.
“Look, yeah, I’ll be writing about this,” Sorkin told Matthew Belloni and Peter Hamby. “I blame Facebook for January 6.”
When asked why he blames a social media company for a pro-Donald Trump mob storming the U.S. Capitol, Sorkin replied, “You’re going to need to buy a movie ticket.”
Pressed if that means he’s writing this idea specifically as a movie, Sorkin replied, “I’m trying. Facebook has been, among other things, tuning its algorithm to promote the most divisive material possible. Because that is what will increase engagement. That is what will get you...
The Oscar-winning screenwriter broke the news when he was asked during a live-from-d.C. edition of The Town podcast about how Facebook and social media have influenced democracy in the years since his 2010 hit.
“Look, yeah, I’ll be writing about this,” Sorkin told Matthew Belloni and Peter Hamby. “I blame Facebook for January 6.”
When asked why he blames a social media company for a pro-Donald Trump mob storming the U.S. Capitol, Sorkin replied, “You’re going to need to buy a movie ticket.”
Pressed if that means he’s writing this idea specifically as a movie, Sorkin replied, “I’m trying. Facebook has been, among other things, tuning its algorithm to promote the most divisive material possible. Because that is what will increase engagement. That is what will get you...
- 4/26/2024
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
EverWonder Studio, the nonfiction production venture led by Ian Orefice and financed by Jeff Zucker’s RedBird Imi, has hired Michael Antinoro as its president, and is making a significant push into live programming with a new division.
The studio says that Antinoro will oversee production and strategy for the company, as well as its nascent live division. The executive is a veteran of the NBA, ESPN and Dick Clark Productions, and most recently was president of Endeavor’s Film 45.
“I’ve known Mike for nearly 20 years and have had the privilege of seeing him achieve incredible success. We are beyond thrilled to welcome such a talented and storied producer as Mike, drawing on his experience leading companies and producing some of the world’s biggest and most iconic properties,” said Orefice in a statement. “Our goal is to create a diverse slate of globally commercial content, and live...
The studio says that Antinoro will oversee production and strategy for the company, as well as its nascent live division. The executive is a veteran of the NBA, ESPN and Dick Clark Productions, and most recently was president of Endeavor’s Film 45.
“I’ve known Mike for nearly 20 years and have had the privilege of seeing him achieve incredible success. We are beyond thrilled to welcome such a talented and storied producer as Mike, drawing on his experience leading companies and producing some of the world’s biggest and most iconic properties,” said Orefice in a statement. “Our goal is to create a diverse slate of globally commercial content, and live...
- 4/26/2024
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
French film executive Cécile Gaget is stepping down as CEO of Wild Bunch and joining Carrousel Studios, the new European production group launched last month by Lupin star Omar Sy, Fast X director Louis Leterrier and producer Thomas Benski. Gaget was appointed CEO of Carrousel and will take up the job on May 1.
Carrousel, launched with backing from CAA Media Finance, is being billed as an “artists first” European studio that will focus on elevated genre fare for film and TV, aiming to leverage European tax and production incentives, as well as tap into the continent’s deep well of talent, to produce content for the European and global market.
With Gaget, the company has scored one of Europe’s top film execs with a deep knowledge of both the financial and practical on-the-ground business of independent production and distribution. She’s held positions at several of the continent’s top studios and mini-majors,...
Carrousel, launched with backing from CAA Media Finance, is being billed as an “artists first” European studio that will focus on elevated genre fare for film and TV, aiming to leverage European tax and production incentives, as well as tap into the continent’s deep well of talent, to produce content for the European and global market.
With Gaget, the company has scored one of Europe’s top film execs with a deep knowledge of both the financial and practical on-the-ground business of independent production and distribution. She’s held positions at several of the continent’s top studios and mini-majors,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Poppy Harlow and CNN are parting ways after the news outlet put the veteran correspondent through a whirlwind era as one of the co-anchors of an ill-conceived morning program that was ultimately scrapped.
CNN executives “have been wonderful and have given me the space to make this decision,” Harlow said in a memo to colleagues Friday. “I am very grateful to them.”
The decision to leave was Harlow’s, according to people familiar with the matter. CNN executives had come up with a handful of ideas for a new role following the network’s decision to cancel the A.M.
CNN executives “have been wonderful and have given me the space to make this decision,” Harlow said in a memo to colleagues Friday. “I am very grateful to them.”
The decision to leave was Harlow’s, according to people familiar with the matter. CNN executives had come up with a handful of ideas for a new role following the network’s decision to cancel the A.M.
- 4/26/2024
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety - TV News
AMC Networks CEO Kristin Dolan’s compensation was $14.5 million in 2023, her first year in the top post at the cable channel giant.
According to an SEC filing posted Friday, Dolan’s base salary for the year was $1.7 million. She had $8.8 million in stock awards, $4 million in non-equity incentive plan compensation and $71,000 in “other” pay.
Dolan, the wife of company owner James Dolan, started as CEO of AMC Networks on Feb. 27, 2023, and shortly after stepped down as a member of the company’s board on March 10. Previously, Dolan had served as founder and CEO of TV analytics firm 605.
Her appointment to...
According to an SEC filing posted Friday, Dolan’s base salary for the year was $1.7 million. She had $8.8 million in stock awards, $4 million in non-equity incentive plan compensation and $71,000 in “other” pay.
Dolan, the wife of company owner James Dolan, started as CEO of AMC Networks on Feb. 27, 2023, and shortly after stepped down as a member of the company’s board on March 10. Previously, Dolan had served as founder and CEO of TV analytics firm 605.
Her appointment to...
- 4/26/2024
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety - TV News
Poppy Harlow is leaving CNN.
The veteran anchor announced her departure in an email to colleagues Friday.
“Mark, Amy and the CNN management team have been wonderful and have given me the space to make this decision. I am very grateful to them,” Harlow wrote. “CNN gave me the opportunity to travel across this country and around the world — often at the worst of times, but when humanity also shows the best of itself.”
“There’s been plenty written about what’s wrong with journalism, and the challenges our industry faces. And it does. But there is also so much right with it,” Harlow continued. “At the heart of everything we do is the pursuit of truth – it is the core of CNN. I remain CNN’s biggest fan and I’ll be watching and cheering you on every day.”
The anchor was most recently the co-host CNN This Morning,...
The veteran anchor announced her departure in an email to colleagues Friday.
“Mark, Amy and the CNN management team have been wonderful and have given me the space to make this decision. I am very grateful to them,” Harlow wrote. “CNN gave me the opportunity to travel across this country and around the world — often at the worst of times, but when humanity also shows the best of itself.”
“There’s been plenty written about what’s wrong with journalism, and the challenges our industry faces. And it does. But there is also so much right with it,” Harlow continued. “At the heart of everything we do is the pursuit of truth – it is the core of CNN. I remain CNN’s biggest fan and I’ll be watching and cheering you on every day.”
The anchor was most recently the co-host CNN This Morning,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When Orphan Black co-creator John Fawcett read Kat and Niko Troubetzkoy’s new The CW show Sight Unseen, his response gave the half-sisters, who were producers on his own Peabody-winning BBC America series, a jolt of confidence. “We showed him the pilot [script] and he said, ‘This is one of the best detective thrillers I’ve read in a while,” Kat recalls.
The show follows Vancouver homicide detective Tess Avery (Dolly Lewis), who after experiencing sudden sight loss and becoming clinically blind, resigns from her position. Soon after, she meets Sunny (Agam Darshi), an agoraphobic volunteer on a visual assistance app who provides Tess with visual description, and the two begin to take up cases on their own.
Similar to Orphan Black, which “started as a cop franchise in the first episode,” and eventually “found an unusual, very visceral way of storytelling,” Kat says, Sight Unseen uses investigation as the gateway...
The show follows Vancouver homicide detective Tess Avery (Dolly Lewis), who after experiencing sudden sight loss and becoming clinically blind, resigns from her position. Soon after, she meets Sunny (Agam Darshi), an agoraphobic volunteer on a visual assistance app who provides Tess with visual description, and the two begin to take up cases on their own.
Similar to Orphan Black, which “started as a cop franchise in the first episode,” and eventually “found an unusual, very visceral way of storytelling,” Kat says, Sight Unseen uses investigation as the gateway...
- 4/26/2024
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
AMC Networks on Friday unveiled the 2023 compensation packages paid out to its leadership team after surprise executive suite turmoil a year ago at the company that operates such cable networks as AMC, IFC and Sundance TV.
Kristin Dolan, who was named CEO of the company in Feb. 2023, earned $14.6 million last year, the firm disclosed in a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday. Stock awards worth $8.8 million and non-equity incentive plan compensation of more than $4.0 million made up the majority of her earnings, while her salary amounted to less than $1.7 million.
The executive succeeded Christina Spade after a cost-cutting program, including layoffs, was unveiled in late 2022. (Kristin Dolan is married to James Dolan, who is chairman of AMC Networks and controls the company, as well as Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.)
A year ago, Dolan outlined her priorities. They include optimizing financials and brand impact by making...
Kristin Dolan, who was named CEO of the company in Feb. 2023, earned $14.6 million last year, the firm disclosed in a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday. Stock awards worth $8.8 million and non-equity incentive plan compensation of more than $4.0 million made up the majority of her earnings, while her salary amounted to less than $1.7 million.
The executive succeeded Christina Spade after a cost-cutting program, including layoffs, was unveiled in late 2022. (Kristin Dolan is married to James Dolan, who is chairman of AMC Networks and controls the company, as well as Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.)
A year ago, Dolan outlined her priorities. They include optimizing financials and brand impact by making...
- 4/26/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Media mogul John Malone’s Liberty Media — which owns audio entertainment powerhouse SiriusXM, the Formula One racing circuit, and a stake in events promoter Live Nation Entertainment, among others — has disclosed that president and CEO Greg Maffei’s 2023 compensation package amounted to $28.66 million, compared with $22.36 million in 2022. He had earned $21.58 million in 2021.
A regulatory filing emphasized that Maffei’s and other executives’ salary portion of their compensation packages “represents only that portion of each named executive officer’s salary that was allocated to our company,” adding that “the portion of Mr. Maffei’s base salary attributable to the former Braves Group” is reported in that company’s proxy statement. The proxy for the Braves, which Liberty previously split off, shows Maffei as having received a $210,000 salary in 2023.
Maffei’s Liberty Media compensation included $7.1 million in stock awards, which he had not received in 2022, while the value of his option awards...
A regulatory filing emphasized that Maffei’s and other executives’ salary portion of their compensation packages “represents only that portion of each named executive officer’s salary that was allocated to our company,” adding that “the portion of Mr. Maffei’s base salary attributable to the former Braves Group” is reported in that company’s proxy statement. The proxy for the Braves, which Liberty previously split off, shows Maffei as having received a $210,000 salary in 2023.
Maffei’s Liberty Media compensation included $7.1 million in stock awards, which he had not received in 2022, while the value of his option awards...
- 4/26/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
If fans of Jimmy Buffett ever find that lost shaker of salt, they can place it on a shelf next to an officially licensed Margaritaville bobblehead, now available for purchase. A portion of the proceeds will go to the late singer-songwriter’s Singing for Change Foundation.
The limited-edition figurines are now available for preorder exclusively through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee. The bobbleheads, which will ship to customers in June, are $30 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order.
The bobblehead is a colorful, guitar-playing parrot wearing a Hawaiian shirt and backward baseball cap. The base features a sand texture on the top with a bamboo-like border and the word “Margaritaville.”
According to its website, Singing for Change “funds organizations that inspire personal growth, community integration and the enhanced awareness that collectively, people can bring about positive change.” The charity has been “sprinkling pixie dust,...
The limited-edition figurines are now available for preorder exclusively through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee. The bobbleheads, which will ship to customers in June, are $30 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order.
The bobblehead is a colorful, guitar-playing parrot wearing a Hawaiian shirt and backward baseball cap. The base features a sand texture on the top with a bamboo-like border and the word “Margaritaville.”
According to its website, Singing for Change “funds organizations that inspire personal growth, community integration and the enhanced awareness that collectively, people can bring about positive change.” The charity has been “sprinkling pixie dust,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In an odd quirk of distribution timing, this month has seen the arrival of no less than two imported, semi-comedic thrillers featuring decrepit apartment building invaded by giant spiders. Already playing U.S. theaters is the Australian “Sting,” which is fun, if formulaic. In a whole other class, however, is French “Infested,” a first feature by director Sebastien Vanicek following several impressive shorts. An instant minor genre classic, it is fun and then some — a conceptually unremarkable but resourceful, energetic, stylish and good-humored creature feature with above-average human character interest.
That achievement has been duly noted: Intended as a streaming premiere, “Vermines” (the original title) pleased its producer such that he apparently insisted on a home-turf theatrical release, despite the long delay that imposes on its launch in other formats under French law. It’s seen big-screen release in numerous nations since late last year, though in the U.S.
That achievement has been duly noted: Intended as a streaming premiere, “Vermines” (the original title) pleased its producer such that he apparently insisted on a home-turf theatrical release, despite the long delay that imposes on its launch in other formats under French law. It’s seen big-screen release in numerous nations since late last year, though in the U.S.
- 4/26/2024
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety - Film News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.