In the first major deal of the Toronto Film Festival, Joshua Giuliano’s slasher film “River” is in talks to be acquired by Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Atomic Monster, Variety has confirmed. Giuliano’s film was originally backed by Independent Film Company and Shudder, but the companies are now closing a deal to sell distribution rights to […]
Variety•Pat Saperstein14 Sept
When long-running BBC comedy show “Mock the Week” returned to television screens after a three-year hiatus this past spring, fans may have noticed some changes: not only was the show longer and “looser” but it was also airing on TLC, the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned network. “It was also a surprise for me that it was […]
Variety•K.J. Yossman14 Sept
International sales house H264 has sold Rodrigue Jean’s “Labrador – Autopsy of Silence” to TLA Releasing for the U.S. and the U.K. The deal follows the film’s world premiere at the Tribeca Festival, where it won three awards, including best international narrative feature. At Tribeca, the film also received the awards for best cinematography, presented […]
Variety•Leo Barraclough14 Sept
Will Poulter is heading to Indianapolis to be honored at the 35th annual Heartland Film Festival. The actor will attend a special presentation of his recent drama “Union County” from Oscilloscope Laboratories on Oct. 17. Poulter and Noah Centineo play brothers Cody and Jack Parsons who are navigating a court-mandated drug rehabilitation program in a […]
Variety•Marcmalkin14 Sept
Tonight in Los Angeles, Hollywood is buzzing ahead of the biggest night in television, as stars of the small screen storm the Emmys. But across the country, a different crowd is preparing for a new awards show, one with performances from indie cult heroes like Nirosta Steel and categories like Ally of the Year “For […]
Variety•Ethan Shanfeld14 Sept
“Law & Order: SVU” star Mariska Hargitay is hosting the TV industry’s biggest night as the Emmy Awards are underway Monday evening. HBO’s medical drama “The Pitt” leads all nominees with a huge 25 nominations, including outstanding drama, lead actor and drama director for Noah Wyle and seven performers across supporting actor and actress. The […]
Variety•Jordan Moreau14 Sept
FX’s ensemble comedy series “Adults” has seen significant growth with its second season. Though Disney did not provide exact metrics, the company reports that Season 2 saw a 40% increase compared to Season 1, accounting for viewers across Hulu and Disney+ globally after 12 days of viewing. Much of the growth coming from outside of […]
Variety•Selome Hailu14 Sept
At 2 hours 25 minutes, Marine Atlan’s stunning debut, “La Gradiva,” is long if you run a stopwatch. But by any other measure it is as quick as a breath — a deep, ragged but restorative breath — of seasalty, basalty air. It’s the first sniff of adulthood and the last gasp of childhood for […]
Variety•Jessica Kiang14 Sept
Thousands of Instagram users are smashing the “unfollow” button on Sydney Sweeney’s profile after the actress was featured in and promoted a controversial sports-betting app in which she appears nude with sports equipment obscuring parts of her anatomy. Last Wednesday, Sweeney shared the ad promoting sports-prediction market app Novig on Instagram — where it has […]
Variety•Todd Spangler14 Sept
Lizzy Roberti, a veteran from the worlds of advertising, podcasting and sports, has been named executive vice president of brand partnerships and business development at EverWonder Studio, the independent content studio backed by Jeff Zucker’s RedBird IMI, a new role. Roberti will oversee and develop EverWonder’s brand partnerships, strategies for sponsorship and brand activations, and […]
Variety•Brian Steinberg14 Sept
Let’s set aside the risk of AI’s extinction-level capabilities. Even an extended chat with Tilly Norwood, the AI “actress” many see as Hollywood’s villain, left me a little more unnerved about the technology’s implications. Such unsettlement met me early Monday when I logged onto tillynorwood.com, clicked the customary boxes and agreed to the standard terms, […]
Variety•Corbin Bolies14 Sept
The Toronto International Film Festival is still obsessed with “Obsession.” The blockbuster horror indie sold out of the festival last year, launched digital creator Curry Barker as an auteur and has placed star Inde Navarrette in the awards conversation. It’s also provided a victory lap for TIFF, who had Barker and Navarrette for a keynote […]
Variety•Varietymattdonnelly14 Sept
Sandra Wollner’s “Everytime” lands in Toronto this week for its North American premiere, kicking off a run that includes both the New York and Vancouver film festivals, and aiming to amplify the buzz that began with a standing ovation and Un Certain Regard Prize win at Cannes. The Berlin-based filmmaker’s third feature, which also won […]
Variety•Jennie Punter14 Sept
Earlier this year, Belgium’s Flanders region returned to the Berlinale competition after a 45-year hiatus with Anke Blondé’s “Dust.” A few months later, Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne, the two leads in Lukas Dhont’s “Coward,” won a rare joint best actor award in Cannes. Dhont’s drama is headed to Toronto with a recent boost of […]
Variety•Carolehorst14 Sept
Ben Platt and Russell Tovey have joined the fifth and final season of “Industry,” Variety has learned. Platt will play Matt Crenshaw, who is described as “a venture capitalist and an early backer of a wellness-tech company.” Tovey will play Declan P. Davis, said to be “deputy to left-wing politician Nikesh Shah (Bally Gill).” The […]
Variety•Joseph Otterson14 Sept
Nigerian super-producer Mo Abudu returns to the red carpet at the Toronto Intl. Film Festival this week, where “The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives,” premiering in the TIFF Centrepiece strand, marks the fifth official selection in Toronto for her EbonyLife Films production banner. Based on Lola Shoneyin’s 2010 debut novel, which was later adapted […]
Variety•Postcardjunky14 Sept
In making “Jo of Montreal,” Ameen Nayfeh, director of the award-winning Palestinian drama “200 Meters,” embarked on a very different kind of project than his debut feature, namely a feel-good family film that kids could enjoy. “Jo of Montreal” is about Yusuf (Hamzah Baareh), a spoiled 12-year-old boy visiting family in Jordan and stranded in […]
Variety•Emeza80514 Sept
As U.S. politicians on both sides of the aisle have taken aim at the growing cost and complexity for Americans to watch their favorite sports teams on streaming services, three of the industry’s biggest streamers — Netflix, Amazon and YouTube — have formed a new Washington, D.C.-based lobbying group to push back. The Streaming Access […]
Variety•Todd Spangler14 Sept
Ziwe Fumudoh has built her career in comedy and as an interview host who can handle any guest, from political figures to drag queens. The podcast star and creator screened two episodes from the upcoming season of her podcast “You’d Be an Iconic Guest” — one with comedian and actress Wanda Sykes and the other […]
Variety•Mya Copeland14 Sept
Netflix’s series adaptation of “This Summer Will Be Different” has added four new cast members, Variety has learned. Malin Akerman (“The Hunting Wives,” “Billions”), Megan Follows (“Buried in Barstow,” “Anne of Green Gables,”), Nadine Bhabha (“Heated Rivalry,” “Slo Pitch”), and Matias Lucas (“The Order”) have all joined the drama based on the Carley Fortune novel […]
Variety•Joseph Otterson14 Sept