The Emmy “wheel” is about to pop. According to insiders, the Television Academy is in advanced talks to park the annual Emmy telecast at Amazon Prime Video — taking the ceremony off broadcast TV for the first time since its start in 1949. It would end the 31-year tradition of rotating the ceremony annually between […]
Variety•Michael Schneider15 Sept
It’s official: Character actor Stephen Root has lent his voice to one of the underworld characters in Rockstar Games’ highly anticipated “Grand Theft Auto 6” coming out this fall — although he suspects a lot of fans had already figured that out. “Yeah, you’re gonna see me in there,” Root told the AP in a […]
Variety•Todd Spangler15 Sept
Universal Music Group sued the distribution service DistroKid on Tuesday, claiming in a federal lawsuit that the service infringed on the label’s copyright by pumping out “AI-generated ‘slop’ that siphons revenue and listeners from the legitimate artists and rightsholders.” In the 52-page lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Delaware, UMG and its Capitol […]
Variety•Corbin Bolies15 Sept
Helsinki and London-based The Yellow Affair has snatched up world sales rights to Rodrigo García Saiz’s drama “Morro” ahead of its world premiere at the New Directors’ sidebar of the San Sebastian Film Festival on Sept. 18. Shot in 35mm in rural Mexico amid a backdrop of simmering violence, it centers on veterinarian Mateo, who […]
Variety•Anna Marie de la Fuente15 Sept
This year’s Brooklyn Horror Film Festival is back and spookier than ever! Variety can exclusively reveal this year’s stacked lineup, which is set to run from Oct. 15—22, with all screenings taking place at Nitehawk Cinema Williamsburg. Vampire mockumentary “I Love Paris” opens the fest, with the New York premiere of “Species (Sanguine)” as the […]
Variety•William Earl15 Sept
Streaming guide JustWatch Group will debut its Advertising-Based Video on Demand (AVOD) streaming service, JustWatch TV, this October. “Every day, millions of people come to JustWatch searching for simpler ways to watch and discover hundreds of thousands of movies and TV shows,” said David Croyé, the founder and CEO of the JustWatch Group. “For over […]
Variety•Tanya Fedak15 Sept
After the success of the inaugural immersive event last year, FocusFest returns to the Universal Studios Lot on Oct. 10. for a day full of screenings, special guests and immersive fan experiences. Television host Justin Sylvester will host. The event will spotlight Focus Features films, old and new, along with themed food and beverage offerings, […]
Variety•Isabelle Farina15 Sept
It’s a strange time to interview Zack Snyder. The previous evening, his new film “The Last Photograph” premiered to a packed house at the Toronto International Film Festival. Produced by his wife Deborah, adapted from a screenplay by longtime collaborator Kurt Johnstad (“300”), and directed by Snyder, the action-thriller follows a former DEA operative (Stuart […]
Variety•Marlow Stern15 Sept
Nick Reiner will not face the death penalty after he was charged with murder in the killing of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner. California prosecutors announced they will not seek capital punishment against the 33-year-old, who faces two counts of first-degree murder and an added allegation of lying in wait. He has pleaded not […]
Variety•Ethan Shanfeld15 Sept
The lure of paying tribute to Sheryl Crow in speech and song brought out the big guns at an event honoring the singer-songwriter in Nashville Monday night, as Olivia Rodrigo, Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, Lauren Daigle, Eric Church and Melissa Etheridge all turned out to turn in stellar covers of Crow’s songs as part of […]
Variety•Chris Willman15 Sept
Ed Sheeran has commented on the decision to drop Macklemore from his U.S. Loop tour after the rapper made forceful “free Palestine” comments on stage during a political speech during the rapper’s performances opening for the singer at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sept. 4 and 5. “I am appalled by the conflict between […]
Variety•Jem Aswad15 Sept
The world of Magic: The Gathering will break with the upcoming release of new mainline set “Reality Fracture,” something Magic maker Wizards of the Coast says fans have been asking for for a long time. “Doing another ‘what if’ set is a frequent player request, so it was something I’ve been on the lookout to […]
Variety•Jennifer Maas15 Sept
When you hire Mariska Hargitay to host the Emmys, the fact that she has a few friends in high places pays off. And that starts with Taylor Swift. “They’re genuine friends,” executive producer Dionne Harmon said. “She’s like, ‘lemme hit Tay Tay!’” Emmy executive producers Jesse Collins, Harmon and Janae Rouzon-Clay from Jesse Collins Entertainment […]
Variety•Michael Schneider15 Sept
Season 2 of HBO’s “Harry Potter” series has cast three key roles. Rafe Spall (“Trying,” “Life of Pi”) has joined the show as Arthur Weasley, with Molly Hewitt-Richards (“Code of Silence,” “Casualty”) as Moaning Myrtle, and Jasper Ambrose (“Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy,” “The Sheep Detectives”) as Colin Creevey. As previously announced, Season 2 […]
Variety•Joseph Otterson15 Sept
Prominent Israeli filmmakers are among 1,500 industry names that signed a petition launched on Monday expressing solidarity with “NAZA” directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, who have faced backlash from authorities at home after the hot-button documentary premiered at Venice Film Festival last week. “In recent days, we have witnessed an unprecedented campaign of incitement […]
Variety•Nvivarelli15 Sept
Twenty years on from his debut feature “London to Brighton,” Paul Andrew Williams remains a tough talent to pigeonhole on the British indie film scene. His filmography veers from kitchen-sink realism to wild genre storytelling, sometimes with a supernatural bent; from the visceral, stomach-churning severity of “Bull” to the untrammelled sentimentality of “Song for Marion.” […]
Variety•Guy Lodge15 Sept
In 1964, Canadian director Paul Almond filmed a group of 14 British schoolchildren aged seven years-old for a documentary called “Seven Up!” examining the lives of kids across class divides. Seven years later, the children were filmed again, this time by British director Michael Apted, for “14 Up.” Apted went on to revisit them every […]
Variety•K.J. Yossman15 Sept
The Motion Picture Association issued a report on Tuesday estimating that U.S. film and TV production would double by 2032 if Congress passes a federal film incentive. The report, prepared by Olsberg SPI, also projects that a 20% federal credit would create about 143,500 production jobs per year. The MPA is working with a coalition […]
Variety•Gmaddaus15 Sept
Buffalo 8 Distribution has acquired North American distribution rights to “The Patient,” a psychological thriller starring Kate Beckinsale and Ryan Phillippe, with the deal struck at the Toronto Film Festival market. The company will release the film across major VOD platforms in December, followed by a physical media release. Phillippe plays a man who comes […]
Variety•Naman Ramachandran15 Sept
Cliff Smith may be known to most as Method Man, but in “Cupertino,” he is Yungwood. The Wu-Tang Clan member and actor will guest star in the CBS drama series as a rapper who picks a legal fight against an AI music studio that is negatively impacting his streaming revenue. “Cupertino” is a David vs. […]
Variety•Ethan Shanfeld15 Sept