Variety — page 27

Coverage, page 27

page 27 of 29

New Zealand Set to Unveil Tri-Nation Indigenous Co-Production Initiative at Toronto (EXCLUSIVE)

New Zealand is set to announce a first-of-its-kind Indigenous co-production initiative at the Toronto Film Festival, New Zealand Film Commission CEO Annie Murray tells Variety. The pact will bring together Māori filmmakers from New Zealand, Aboriginal filmmakers from Australia and Indigenous Canadian filmmakers in a program of collaborative storytelling that none of the three countries […]

Variety•Naman Ramachandran11 Sept

Def Leppard Documentary ‘Long Live Def Leppard’ Coming to Theaters in 2027 From Bleecker Street’s Crosswalk

Def Leppard’s epic journey from Sheffield to global rock superstardom is getting the documentary treatment from filmmaker Jeff Feuerzeig (“The Devil and Daniel Johnston,” “Author: The JT LeRoy Story”). “Long Live Def Leppard” is the first authorized feature-length documentary about the British band, which has sold more than 110 million albums worldwide and been inducted […]

Variety•Angelique Jackson11 Sept

9/11 News Broadcasts: How the ‘Today’ Show, NY1, Fox News and More Covered the Attacks in Real Time

On the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, YouTube serves as a fascinating time capsule for news coverage from that day, during which shocked anchors documented the national tragedy in real time. American Airlines Flight 11 was flown by a terrorist into the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. ET on that […]

Variety•William Earl11 Sept

Worldwide Sales Heat Up for Creature Feature ‘Pacific’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Touted as the most ambitious sci-fi pic ever made in Spanish, Gonzalo Gutiérrez’s “Pacific” (“Pacifico”) will make its European bow at the prominent Sitges Fantasy Film Festival in October and is selling fast to buyers worldwide. “We are proud of the response among top-tier theatrical buyers who are watching and immediately reacting to the film’s […]

Variety•Anna Marie de la Fuente11 Sept

‘Krux’ Director Tony Vahl Combines Practical Magic With Post-WWII Taboo: ‘A Belief Can Help You – or It Can Destroy You”

The “Practical Magic 2” press tour might be taking over the world, but Tony Vahl’s impressive feature debut “Krux” also finds space for the supernatural. Set in the final days of the WWII and premiering at TIFF and San Sebastián, it portrays a German village waiting for the inevitable: the arrival of Soviet troops. Some […]

Variety•Marta Balaga11 Sept

Le Havre Rendez-Vous Takeaways: Local Players Navigating Rough Waters, Public Broadcasters Still Buying, Animation Studios Adapting

The dramatic drop in 2025 French TV export figures may have cast a shadow over this year’s Unifrance Rendez-Vous TV market in Le Havre. Yet, like the skies over the Normandy coast, the gloom proved fleeting. Local sellers, rather than disheartened, are already navigating the current challenges and discovering new opportunities in the process. Indeed, […]

Variety•Emeza80511 Sept

‘Everybody Wants to F— Me’ Director on Poking Satirical Fun at Performative, Arthouse-Loving Nice Guys and Casting Taron Egerton to Play One

As far as date movies go, “Everybody Wants to Fuck Me,” a wild London-based rom-com-meets-thriller-meets-horror-meets-thought-provoking-satire, could be either among the worst choices or the best. “I think it can be both!” says Jonathan Schey about his feature debut, premiering in Toronto, and a film he says was his attempt to “poke fun at performative nice […]

Variety•Alex Ritman11 Sept

‘The Stunt Driver’ Helmer Michael Dowse on Working With Jay Baruchel, Building a Ramp and a Rocket Car: ‘It Wasn’t for the Faint of Heart’

Michael Dowse’s “The Stunt Driver,” starring Jay Baruchel as ’70s daredevil Ken Carter, who tried to jump a mile across the St. Lawrence River in a rocket car, roars into its Toronto Intl. Film Festival world premiere offering warm-but-never-fuzzy retro visions of stunts and cross-border tension that resonate in the present moment. Dowse has premiered […]

Variety•Jennie Punter11 Sept

Taika Waititi, ‘Navalny,’ ‘Hind Rajab’ Producer Odessa Rae Board ‘A Bit of Light’ as Executive Producers Ahead of Venice Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)

Taika Waititi, who won an Oscar for the “Jojo Rabbit” screenplay, and Odessa Rae, the producer of Oscar winner “Navalny” and Oscar-nominated “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” have come on board “A Bit of Light” as executive producers as the Ali Asgari drama heads into its world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival. […]

Variety•Leo Barraclough11 Sept

‘Viva Carmen’ Reveals Clip Featuring Singer Silvia Pérez Cruz – and Brand New Song – Ahead of North American Premiere at TIFF (EXCLUSIVE)

Following its world premiere in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight, director Sébastien Laudenbach has completed a Spanish-language version of “Viva Carmen.” He’s also behind “The Girl Without Hands” and co-director of “Chicken for Linda!” Flamenco singer Silvia Pérez Cruz is voicing the title character and performing new songs written for the Spanish edition. Pérez Cruz recently featured […]

Variety•Marta Balaga11 Sept

British Comedy Is Back: How the U.K.’s Funny Business Is Rallying Thanks to ‘SNL U.K.’ and ‘Mock the Week’

British comedy once dominated the small screen, spawning iconic shows and formats from “Monty Python” to “The Office.” But the last decade hasn’t been a bundle of laughs as sketch shows and sitcoms fell out of fashion, partly due to traditional broadcasters’ shrinking budgets while awards-hungry streamers were focused on prestige dramas that grabbed headlines […]

Variety•K.J. Yossman11 Sept

Venice Final Cut Winner Machérie Ekwa Bahango on ‘Madi Makambu’ and Why She Wants Congo to Be Seen: ‘We’re a Great Nation That Needs to Write Its Own History’

Machérie Ekwa Bahango wants Congo to be noticed by the industry. “Through my films, I would like Congo to be seen as part of the world. Not for the labels people stick on it, but for what it really is,” she tells Variety. “The subjects in my films are difficult, but they are issues that people […]

Variety•Marta Balaga11 Sept

France, South Korea Take Center Stage as Global Film and TV Leaders Confront Industry Upheaval at Lumiere Summit: ‘Culture Itself Is Becoming a Driver of Growth’

From Hollywood heavyweights and festival chiefs to exhibitors, broadcasters, streamers, heads of state and industry figures from more than 60 countries converged at a historic site in the south of France, where pine trees, sculpture gardens and sun-drenched terraces offered a postcard-worthy backdrop to timely conversations about an industry in upheaval. The Lumiere Summit gathering […]

Variety•Elskes11 Sept

Oscars: Singapore Selects Anthony Chen’s ‘We Are All Strangers’ for International Feature Race

“We Are All Strangers,” written and directed by Anthony Chen, has been selected as Singapore’s official entry in the international feature category at the 99th Academy Awards, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) said. The pick was made by a Selection Committee drawn from eligible members of the Singapore Film Commission Advisory Committee (SFCAC). Set […]

Variety•Naman Ramachandran11 Sept

Charli xcx Announces U.K. and Europe ‘Music, Fashion, Film’ Tour Dates, With Audrey Hobert Opening

Charli xcx is bringing the “Music, Fashion, Film” tour overseas. The avant-garde pop star has announced six U.K. and Europe dates in February 2027, including in Dublin, Ireland; Glasgow, Scotland; Manchester, England; London, England; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; and Paris, France. “Sue Me” and “Bowling Alley” singer Audrey Hobert will open for all dates. Charli is […]

Variety•Ellise Shafer11 Sept

San Sebastian Competition Title ‘Border’ Boards Reel Suspects for Global Sales (EXCLUSIVE)

Paris-based international sales company Reel Suspects has boarded worldwide sales on Chinese filmmaker Ah Biao’s feature debut “Border” (“Bian Jing”), which will world premiere in the official selection of the San Sebastián Film Festival, where it competes for the Golden Shell. The cast includes Zheyan Li, Feng Qi, Sanming Han, Gang Zheng and Tao Guo, […]

Variety•Naman Ramachandran11 Sept

J. M. Stelly’s Anatomica Films Taps Black Mandala for Global Sales on Horror Trio (EXCLUSIVE)

New Zealand’s Black Mandala has acquired worldwide sales rights to three horror films from Anatomica Films: “Within Madness,” “Vessel” and “The Thirteenth Gate.” J. M. Stelly wrote and directed all three, producing alongside Johnny Stassi through the Anatomica Films label. Stelly and Black Mandala co-founder Michael Kraetzer negotiated the agreement on Anatomica Films’ behalf. “Within […]

Variety•Naman Ramachandran11 Sept

Na Hong-Jin, Lav Diaz, Bertrand Mandico, Rintaro Headline Busan Master Class Lineup

The 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has unveiled the lineup for its Master Class, Cine Class and Special Talk programs. Master Class brings together four directors reflecting on their creative work. Na Hong-Jin, who drew global attention this year with “Hope,” will discuss the roots of his creative vision. Filipino auteur Lav Diaz and […]

Variety•Naman Ramachandran11 Sept

Jimmy Kimmel’s Pulled TV Interview With James Talarico Drops on YouTube as Texas Senate Candidate Says: ‘They’re Worried We’re Going to Win This Race’

Jimmy Kimmel turned to YouTube on Thursday night to house his interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico — in light of fears that the FCC would punish ABC stations for running the chat. “What are they so scared of you?” Kimmel asked the candidate. Said Talarico: “Well, they’re worried that we’re going to […]

Variety•Ethan Shanfeld11 Sept

CBS Files Motion to Dismiss Former ‘Matlock’ Writer’s Lawsuit Alleging Racist, Sexist Comments: ‘We Stand Firmly Behind Our Producers’ (EXCLUSIVE)

CBS Studios has filed a motion in Los Angeles Superior Court under the anti-SLAPP statute to strike a lawsuit filed earlier this summer by former “Matlock” writer John Lowe. The CBS Studios filing included multiple declarations disputing his allegations against three of the show’s executive producers. Lowe’s suit against CBS Studios, showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman […]

Variety•Varietyschneider11 Sept