Variety — page 24

Coverage, page 24

page 24 of 29

‘Obsession’ One Year Later: Inde Navarrette and Curry Barker Dish on Memes, How Nikki Became More ‘Flirty’ and Their Wild Ride at TIFF

“Obsession’s” origin story is the stuff of legend. On Sept. 7, 2025, just two days after its rapturously received premiere in the Midnight Madness section of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), distributor Focus Features offered to acquire its rights for $14-$15 million. The film, about a friendzoned record store employee named Bear (Michael Johnston) […]

Variety•Marlow Stern11 Sept

Watch Brandi Carlile and Bonnie Raitt Duet on ‘Love Me Like a Man’ for ‘Austin City Limits’ Premiere, Plus a Web-Only Bonus, ‘Angel From Montgomery’ (EXCLUSIVE)

For the season premiere of “Austin City Limits,” Brandi Carlile is officially the one being feted, as the episode finds her formally inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame. But who’s honoring who is an open question, as the 2026-27 kickoff episode finds Carlile joined by Bonnie Raitt, bringing together two of the […]

Variety•Chris Willman11 Sept

‘It: Welcome to Derry’ Creators Andy and Barbara Muschietti on Late Tim Curry: ‘His Legacy Is Incredible’

More than three decades after Tim Curry originated the role of Pennywise in “It,” his impact is still felt across the franchise and horror fans alike. “His legacy is incredible, and we’re very thankful that sometimes our name pops up somewhere close to his,” Barbara Muschietti, the co-creator of the “It” prequel series “Welcome to […]

Variety•Tanya Fedak11 Sept

Russell Crowe Wipes Away Tears at Venice Premiere of Music Documentary ‘What Love Builds’ as Fans Yell ‘We Love You!’

Despite his acclaimed acting career, Russell Crowe has always really wanted to be a rock star. That dream appeared to come true on Friday night as he premiered his self-directed documentary “What Love Builds,” about his lesser known music career, at the Venice Film Festival. As Crowe entered the Sala Darsena, fans were already buzzing, […]

Variety•Ellise Shafer11 Sept

‘Let Us Through, Dear Ancestors’ Review: Lav Diaz Delivers an Immaculate, Slow-Burn Period Drama of Rare and Restless Insight

Set almost a century after Magellan first landed on the Philippine Archipelago, and coming just a year after “Magellan,” director Lav Diaz’s last film, landed in Cannes, “Let Us Through, Dear Ancestors” is a description of bruised history rendered in the sharp, precise, scarring lines of a newly inked tattoo. In many ways a companion […]

Variety•Jessica Kiang11 Sept

No, Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’ Isn’t a Musical

Internet sleuths were convinced this week that Tom Cruise’s upcoming movie “Digger” is a secret musical, but unfortunately that isn’t the case. Variety spoke with two sources familiar with the production, who said “Digger” is not a movie musical, but both were amused by the sleuthing. The rumor started online after the film’s final trailer […]

Variety•William Earl11 Sept

‘Beef’ Creator Lee Sung Jin Pitched Charles Melton on the Show Over Dinner: ‘By the Third Appetizer He Said Yes’

Gold House celebrated its third annual One House Toast to the Emmys, honoring the achievements of Asian Pacific and multicultural creatives in entertainment. The man of the hour was “Beef” showrunner Lee Sung Jin, whose genre-bending Netflix anthology earned 16 nominations for its second season — the most of any limited or anthology series this year. […]

Variety•Jazztangcay11 Sept

Sandra Bullock Rejected ‘Every Pervert’ in Auditions ‘Asking Me to Drop My Pants’ and Stopped Acting in Rom-Coms When ‘I Was Getting So Much S— For Them’

Sandra Bullock joined her friend and fellow actor Jennifer Aniston for a chat as part of the “Practical Magic 2” star’s Interview magazine cover and revealed that she made the intentional decision to step away from the romantic comedy genre in the mid-2000s because “I was getting so much shit for them.” Aniston asked Bullock […]

Variety•Zack Sharf11 Sept

Court to Hold Paramount-Warner Bros. Settlement Conference in Late October

A court will hold a two-day settlement conference in the Paramount-Warner Bros. antitrust case in late October. The conference is a standard part of civil procedure and does not indicate whether a deal is in the offing. A magistrate judge, Thomas Hixson, has been tasked with overseeing the settlement discussions and to determine whether it […]

Variety•Gmaddaus11 Sept

‘Back to Buenos Aires’ Review: Marco Bechis’ Return to the Screen Covers Similar Ground to Earlier Works but is Only Fitfully Effective

The return of Marco Bechis to filmmaking after 10 years is a welcome surprise, and the terrain he covers in “Back to Buenos Aires” is a familiar one for the veteran Chilean-Italian director who himself was caught up in the nightmare of Argentina’s military dictatorship. Set in the present, with frequent flashbacks, the film tells […]

Variety•Guy Lodge11 Sept

After Taylor Frankie Paul’s ‘Bachelorette’ Scandal, ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Just Isn’t Fun Anymore

SPOILER WARNING: The following story contains plot details from Season 5 of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” From its very first moments, “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” has been inextricable from the toxic entanglement between #MomTok influencer Taylor Frankie Paul and her on-again, off-again boyfriend Dakota Mortensen. Two years ago, the show began […]

Variety•Alisoncolleherman11 Sept

‘Le Faux Soir’ Review: Fake News Tells the Truth in an Earnest, Slow-Paced Period Piece

“Le Faux Soir” sources its high concept — hijacking state media propaganda’s fake news to tell the truth — from Second World War history. In 1943, disgruntled anarchist and poet Marc Aubrion (Arieh Worthalter) is recruited by the Belgian Resistance, which publishes its own underground newspaper. Marc’s brainwave is to reach outside the bubble of […]

Variety•Guy Lodge11 Sept

Streaming Prices Continue to Balloon: Is ‘Streamflation’ at a Breaking Point?

Death. Taxes. Price hikes on Netflix, HBO Max and more. It’s become an inevitable part of modern life: The major entertainment streaming services have been regularly upping their fees — for some, the increases have come once a year. The average price of ad-free streaming services increased 54% from 2021 to 2025, according to research […]

Variety•Todd Spangler11 Sept

‘Like ‘Amores Perros,’ I Hope My Film Will Also Transcend Time in Some Way,’ Says Gael García Bernal of His Third Directorial Outing, ‘Hombre al Agua’

Gael García Bernal is best known for his breakout roles in two of Mexico’s most consequential films, “Amores Perros” (2000) and “Y Tu Mama Tambien” (2001) but he’s also been directing these past years. Proof of his cachet is having his third feature, “Hombre al agua” world premiere at the Venice Biennale and have its […]

Variety•Anna Marie de la Fuente11 Sept

Stephanie Ahn’s Seven-Year Road to ‘Bedford Park’: ‘You Never Know What Can Make Your Film Better’

After winning the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Debut Feature at Sundance this year, “Bedford Park” has its international premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, ahead of a U.S. theatrical release by Sony Pictures Classics. Speaking with Variety, director Stephanie Ahn and lead actors Moon Choi (“Anarchist From Colony”) and Son Sukku (“Sense8,” “My […]

Variety•Naman Ramachandran11 Sept

Jimmy Kimmel in Talks to Renew Late-Night Show at ABC

Jimmy Kimmel and Disney’s ABC have entered into negotiations about keeping the host in late-night after the new TV season, a process that might ordinarily be the most normal of business practices, but in the current climate is exceedingly fraught. Kimmel and executives at the Disney network are having talks about whether he might continue […]

Variety•Brian Steinberg11 Sept

‘Point Break’ TV Series Greenlit at AMC, Canal+

The “Point Break” followup series has officially been ordered at AMC and AMC+, Variety has learned. The modern update of the beloved 1991 action film was first reported to be in the works at the network back in December 2025. As reported at the time, the show hails from lead studio Alcon Television Group as […]

Variety•Joseph Otterson11 Sept

‘Sheriff Country’ Sets Backdoor Pilot for Medical Spinoff Starring ‘Schitt’s Creek’ Actor Noah Reid

Noah Reid will guest star in two upcoming episodes of “Sheriff Country,” which will function as a backdoor pilot for a spinoff set in the same universe. Pending a decision from CBS, Reid would potentially be a series regular on a medical drama set in the same universe as “Sheriff Country” and “Fire Country.” If […]

Variety•Selome Hailu11 Sept

‘Dolly Parton International Airport’ Moves Closer to Becoming a Reality, as Nashville Airport Board Votes Unanimously for Name Change

The idea of renaming Nashville’s airport for Dolly Parton was not just an easily forgotten pipe dream that popped up in the days following the superstar’s death in August. The proposal moved a big step closer to reality Friday, as the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority voted 6-0 to officially start the process of changing the […]

Variety•Chris Willman11 Sept

Maria Bartiromo Says ‘More to Come’ in First Comments After Shock Fox News Exit: ‘I’m So Grateful for the Outpouring of Love’

Maria Bartiromo shared her first public comments since her sudden exit from Fox News and Fox Business last week. In a post on social media, Bartiromo thanked “all friends & followers” for their support, and shared a photo of a rainbow breaking through clouds. She also teased that there will be “more to come” in […]

Variety•Todd Spangler11 Sept