Top News
Bill Hader or, at least, an animated character that he voices, will don a red-and-white striped top hat in a new adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ “The Cat in the Hat.”
The “Barry” star will lead a vocal ensemble that also includes Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”), Bowen Yang (“SNL”), Xochitl Gomez (“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”), Matt Berry (“What We Do in The Shadows”) and Paula Pell (“Girls5eva”). Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and Dr. Seuss Enterprises officially announced the casting on Monday.
“The Cat in the Hat” will open in theaters on March 6, 2026. Although the book is a children’s classic, it has a checkered cinematic legacy. A 2003 live-action adaptation, starring Mike Myers as he was riding high off of “Austin Powers,” collapsed at the box office. It earned $134 million on a $109 million budget and became a money-loser when marketing and distribution costs were factored into the equation. It...
The “Barry” star will lead a vocal ensemble that also includes Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”), Bowen Yang (“SNL”), Xochitl Gomez (“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”), Matt Berry (“What We Do in The Shadows”) and Paula Pell (“Girls5eva”). Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and Dr. Seuss Enterprises officially announced the casting on Monday.
“The Cat in the Hat” will open in theaters on March 6, 2026. Although the book is a children’s classic, it has a checkered cinematic legacy. A 2003 live-action adaptation, starring Mike Myers as he was riding high off of “Austin Powers,” collapsed at the box office. It earned $134 million on a $109 million budget and became a money-loser when marketing and distribution costs were factored into the equation. It...
- 3/18/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
David Seidler, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of “The King’s Speech,” died Saturday while on a fly-fishing expedition in New Zealand. He was 86.
“David was in the place he loved most in the world — New Zealand — doing what gave him the greatest peace which was fly-fishing,” his longtime manager Jeff Aghassi said in a statement. “If given the chance, it is exactly as he would have scripted it.”
Seidler won the Academy Award for best original screenplay for 2010’s “The King’s Speech,” directed by Tom Hooper and starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter. The historical drama also went on to win best picture, best director and best actor.
The stage version of “The King’s Speech” has been translated to more than a half-dozen languages and has been performed on four continents. After being staged at the Wyndham’s Theatre on London’s West End in 2012, the play was supposed to head to Broadway,...
“David was in the place he loved most in the world — New Zealand — doing what gave him the greatest peace which was fly-fishing,” his longtime manager Jeff Aghassi said in a statement. “If given the chance, it is exactly as he would have scripted it.”
Seidler won the Academy Award for best original screenplay for 2010’s “The King’s Speech,” directed by Tom Hooper and starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter. The historical drama also went on to win best picture, best director and best actor.
The stage version of “The King’s Speech” has been translated to more than a half-dozen languages and has been performed on four continents. After being staged at the Wyndham’s Theatre on London’s West End in 2012, the play was supposed to head to Broadway,...
- 3/17/2024
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety - Film News
Prime Video has unveiled a 69-title 2024 slate of new and returning series and original and licensed films. The slate was revealed at a star-studded event in Mumbai on Tuesday hosted by Indian media personality Karan Johar.
Amazon executives present at the event included Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, Kelly Day, VP Prime Video International, James Farrell, VP, international originals, Gaurav Gandhi, VP, Apac and Mena, Sushant Sreeram, country director, India, Aparna Purohit, head of originals, India and Southeast Asia, Manish Menghani, director, content licensing, India, and Nikhil Madhok, head of Hindi-language, India.
Jonathan Nolan and...
Amazon executives present at the event included Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, Kelly Day, VP Prime Video International, James Farrell, VP, international originals, Gaurav Gandhi, VP, Apac and Mena, Sushant Sreeram, country director, India, Aparna Purohit, head of originals, India and Southeast Asia, Manish Menghani, director, content licensing, India, and Nikhil Madhok, head of Hindi-language, India.
Jonathan Nolan and...
- 3/19/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - TV News
Paramount Global’s streaming service Paramount+ has unveiled the launch timing and pricing for its international advertising-supported subscription offering, the so-called “Basic (with ads)” plan, in Australia and Canada.
The ad tier will roll out in Canada in April, priced at C$6.99 ($5.16) monthly and C$61.99 for a year ($45.76), and in Australia in June, priced at A$6.99 ($4.59) per month or A$61.99 ($40.68) for a year.
Paramount+ also said it would roll out its “Premium Plan” in Europe, beginning with France this month for €10.99 per month ($11.97), or €97.99 ($106.71) a year. The standard and premium plans are available in France for €7.99 ($8.70) monthly and €10.99 ($11.97) monthly.
The premium tier rollout will continue in the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy later this year, with details to be unveiled at a later stage. The premium offering, which debuted in Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico last year, provides content in “ premium quality formats, including 4K Uhd, HDR10, and Dolby Vision,...
The ad tier will roll out in Canada in April, priced at C$6.99 ($5.16) monthly and C$61.99 for a year ($45.76), and in Australia in June, priced at A$6.99 ($4.59) per month or A$61.99 ($40.68) for a year.
Paramount+ also said it would roll out its “Premium Plan” in Europe, beginning with France this month for €10.99 per month ($11.97), or €97.99 ($106.71) a year. The standard and premium plans are available in France for €7.99 ($8.70) monthly and €10.99 ($11.97) monthly.
The premium tier rollout will continue in the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy later this year, with details to be unveiled at a later stage. The premium offering, which debuted in Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico last year, provides content in “ premium quality formats, including 4K Uhd, HDR10, and Dolby Vision,...
- 3/19/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Paris-based film sales agency Cat&Docs has acquired “Kamay,” the debut feature documentary from filmmakers Ilyas Yourish and Shahrokh Bikaran. The film will world premiere at Visions du Réel, which runs in Nyon, Switzerland, April 12-24. Variety has been given exclusive access to the trailer (below).
In “Kamay,” the filmmakers pick up the story of a Hazara family’s struggle to reconcile the official story of their eldest daughter Zahra’s death while attending the University of Kabul. It is taking years to navigate Afghanistan’s judicial landscape, even to just receive Zahra’s personal effects.
Zahra’s younger sister, Freshta, continues to gather the Kamay plant for her late sister’s research high up in the mountains near their house, but the mystery surrounding Zahra’s death and the great loss felt by the family affects her deeply – as she herself is nearly ready to enter university next.
“Kamay is a wild,...
In “Kamay,” the filmmakers pick up the story of a Hazara family’s struggle to reconcile the official story of their eldest daughter Zahra’s death while attending the University of Kabul. It is taking years to navigate Afghanistan’s judicial landscape, even to just receive Zahra’s personal effects.
Zahra’s younger sister, Freshta, continues to gather the Kamay plant for her late sister’s research high up in the mountains near their house, but the mystery surrounding Zahra’s death and the great loss felt by the family affects her deeply – as she herself is nearly ready to enter university next.
“Kamay is a wild,...
- 3/19/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety - Film News
While at Series Mania Festival, Larry Tanz, Netflix’s VP of Emea Content, unveiled ambitious new shows commissioned from France and the Netherlands, including an untitled thriller series starring Isabelle Adjani, and “Amsterdam Empire,” a Dutch crime series starring and executive produced by Famke Janssen.
The untitled French thriller series revolves around a young mother on the run finds an unexpected opportunity to bounce back by becoming a picker in a prestigious flower farm in Provence. But the mysterious death of the family patriarch of the company casts her under the spotlight as the prime suspect. As she grapples with the mounting accusations, she uncovers a shocking revelation – she’s the unexpected beneficiary of the late patriarch’s estate, unearthing her deeply-rooted connections to this affluent lineage.
The series is created by Nils Antoine Sambuc and will be directed by Marie Jardillier. Itinéraire Productions, a Ugc company, is producing.
Directed by Jonas Govaerts,...
The untitled French thriller series revolves around a young mother on the run finds an unexpected opportunity to bounce back by becoming a picker in a prestigious flower farm in Provence. But the mysterious death of the family patriarch of the company casts her under the spotlight as the prime suspect. As she grapples with the mounting accusations, she uncovers a shocking revelation – she’s the unexpected beneficiary of the late patriarch’s estate, unearthing her deeply-rooted connections to this affluent lineage.
The series is created by Nils Antoine Sambuc and will be directed by Marie Jardillier. Itinéraire Productions, a Ugc company, is producing.
Directed by Jonas Govaerts,...
- 3/19/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
The German Film Academy has announced the movies in competition this year for the German Film Awards, the local equivalent of the Oscars.
Matthias Glasner’s epic family drama Dying, Timm Kröger’s experimental sci-fi feature The Universal Theory, and In the Blind Spot, Ayşe Polat’s documentary-style conspiracy thriller set in modern-day Turkey, are among the favorites for this year’s awards, called the Lolas.
Dying, which stars Lars Eidinger as a classical conductor with an extremely dysfunctional family, picked up nominations in every major category, including best film, best director and best screenplay nominations for Glasner, a best actor nom for Eidinger and a best actress nomination for Corinna Harfoch, who plays Eidinger’s mother. In total, the film is up for nine Lolas.
The Universal Theory, a black-and-white drama about the multiverse, is also in the running for the best film Lola, and Kröger is up for best director.
Matthias Glasner’s epic family drama Dying, Timm Kröger’s experimental sci-fi feature The Universal Theory, and In the Blind Spot, Ayşe Polat’s documentary-style conspiracy thriller set in modern-day Turkey, are among the favorites for this year’s awards, called the Lolas.
Dying, which stars Lars Eidinger as a classical conductor with an extremely dysfunctional family, picked up nominations in every major category, including best film, best director and best screenplay nominations for Glasner, a best actor nom for Eidinger and a best actress nomination for Corinna Harfoch, who plays Eidinger’s mother. In total, the film is up for nine Lolas.
The Universal Theory, a black-and-white drama about the multiverse, is also in the running for the best film Lola, and Kröger is up for best director.
- 3/19/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Star Wars mastermind George Lucas has come out with a statement supporting Disney’s board and CEO Bob Iger, urging Mouse House shareholders to reject bids by two activist investor groups to take seats on the media company’s board.
“Creating magic is not for amateurs,” Lucas, a major Disney shareholder, said in a statement released Tuesday. “When I sold Lucasfilm just over a decade ago, I was delighted to become a Disney shareholder because of my longtime admiration for its iconic brand and Bob Iger’s leadership.”
Lucas continued, “When Bob recently returned to the company during a difficult time, I was relieved. No one knows Disney better. I remain a significant shareholder because I have full faith and confidence in the power of Disney and Bob’s track record of driving long-term value. I have voted all of my shares for Disney’s 12 directors and urge other shareholders to do the same.
“Creating magic is not for amateurs,” Lucas, a major Disney shareholder, said in a statement released Tuesday. “When I sold Lucasfilm just over a decade ago, I was delighted to become a Disney shareholder because of my longtime admiration for its iconic brand and Bob Iger’s leadership.”
Lucas continued, “When Bob recently returned to the company during a difficult time, I was relieved. No one knows Disney better. I remain a significant shareholder because I have full faith and confidence in the power of Disney and Bob’s track record of driving long-term value. I have voted all of my shares for Disney’s 12 directors and urge other shareholders to do the same.
- 3/19/2024
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety - Film News
Americans spent more time with their TV sets on Super Bowl Sunday than any day in the past three years — but despite that, overall TV usage declined some in February.
On Feb. 11, viewers in the United States spent a collective 111 billion minutes watching TV — fueled, obviously, by Super Bowl 58’s record-breaking audience of more than 123 million viewers across all platforms. That’s the highest single-day viewing tally since Nielsen began tracking total TV usage in May 2021. With a running time of just over four hours, the Super Bowl totaled about 30.4 billion minutes of viewing on its own, and post-game coverage on CBS tallied 2.15 billion more minutes.
The previous single-day high for total TV use came on Jan. 16, 2022, a day featuring three NFL playoff games. That day totaled about 108 billion minutes of viewing time.
Even with the huge Super Bowl numbers and the premieres of more than 20 network series, overall TV...
On Feb. 11, viewers in the United States spent a collective 111 billion minutes watching TV — fueled, obviously, by Super Bowl 58’s record-breaking audience of more than 123 million viewers across all platforms. That’s the highest single-day viewing tally since Nielsen began tracking total TV usage in May 2021. With a running time of just over four hours, the Super Bowl totaled about 30.4 billion minutes of viewing on its own, and post-game coverage on CBS tallied 2.15 billion more minutes.
The previous single-day high for total TV use came on Jan. 16, 2022, a day featuring three NFL playoff games. That day totaled about 108 billion minutes of viewing time.
Even with the huge Super Bowl numbers and the premieres of more than 20 network series, overall TV...
- 3/19/2024
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Higher Ground, the media company founded by former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, is adding another podcast to its portfolio.
The latest show is called Ways to Win, hosted by executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches Craig Robinson and Head Coach of Kentucky Men’s Basketball John Calipari.
President Obama is set to be the show’s first guest on Tuesday, where he will break down his 2024 March Madness bracket (which he posted this morning in connection with the podcast debut), among other topics.
While Ways to Win is hosted by a pair of basketball coaches, the pair will “use their on-court wisdom to solve off-court problems,” per Higher Ground. “The coaches will also talk to prominent athletes, business leaders, and celebrities to reveal the insights that made them the leaders they are today.”
Of course, the show’s debut is timed to the tip off...
The latest show is called Ways to Win, hosted by executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches Craig Robinson and Head Coach of Kentucky Men’s Basketball John Calipari.
President Obama is set to be the show’s first guest on Tuesday, where he will break down his 2024 March Madness bracket (which he posted this morning in connection with the podcast debut), among other topics.
While Ways to Win is hosted by a pair of basketball coaches, the pair will “use their on-court wisdom to solve off-court problems,” per Higher Ground. “The coaches will also talk to prominent athletes, business leaders, and celebrities to reveal the insights that made them the leaders they are today.”
Of course, the show’s debut is timed to the tip off...
- 3/19/2024
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Netflix on Tuesday unveiled two new European series with A-list stars, announcing the Dutch crime drama Amsterdam Empire to star X-Men alum Famke Janssen and an unnamed French thriller series toplined by gallic veteran Isabelle Adjani (Camille Claudel, The Story of Adele H.).
Janssen will star and executive produce Amsterdam Empire, about a big-time cannabis dealer whose personal betrayal of his wife threatens the future of his pot imperium. Nico Moolenaar, Bart Uytdenhouwen and Piet Matthys, creators of Netflix Dutch crime series Undercover, created the new show, which Jonas Govaerts (H4Z4RD) will direct. The plot follows Jack van Doorn, the rich and notorious founder of the Jackal coffee shop empire in Amsterdam, who has an affair with a well-known journalist, drawing the ire of his wife Betty, who is looking for payback and knows all Jack’s dirty secrets. Pupkin Film will produce Amsterdam Empire together with A Team Productions.
Janssen will star and executive produce Amsterdam Empire, about a big-time cannabis dealer whose personal betrayal of his wife threatens the future of his pot imperium. Nico Moolenaar, Bart Uytdenhouwen and Piet Matthys, creators of Netflix Dutch crime series Undercover, created the new show, which Jonas Govaerts (H4Z4RD) will direct. The plot follows Jack van Doorn, the rich and notorious founder of the Jackal coffee shop empire in Amsterdam, who has an affair with a well-known journalist, drawing the ire of his wife Betty, who is looking for payback and knows all Jack’s dirty secrets. Pupkin Film will produce Amsterdam Empire together with A Team Productions.
- 3/19/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There’s a disturbance in the force, and George Lucas wants to help correct the problem.
The Star Wars and Indiana Jones filmmaker is weighing in on The Walt Disney Company’s ongoing proxy fight with activist investors, and he is throwing his support firmly behind CEO Bob Iger and Disney’s board.
“Creating magic is not for amateurs. When I sold Lucasfilm just over a decade ago, I was delighted to become a Disney shareholder because of my long-time admiration for its iconic brand and Bob Iger’s leadership,” Lucas said in a statement Tuesday. “When Bob recently returned to the company during a difficult time, I was relieved. No one knows Disney better. I remain a significant shareholder because I have full faith and confidence in the power of Disney and Bob’s track record of driving long-term value. I have voted all of my shares for Disney...
The Star Wars and Indiana Jones filmmaker is weighing in on The Walt Disney Company’s ongoing proxy fight with activist investors, and he is throwing his support firmly behind CEO Bob Iger and Disney’s board.
“Creating magic is not for amateurs. When I sold Lucasfilm just over a decade ago, I was delighted to become a Disney shareholder because of my long-time admiration for its iconic brand and Bob Iger’s leadership,” Lucas said in a statement Tuesday. “When Bob recently returned to the company during a difficult time, I was relieved. No one knows Disney better. I remain a significant shareholder because I have full faith and confidence in the power of Disney and Bob’s track record of driving long-term value. I have voted all of my shares for Disney...
- 3/19/2024
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has updated its classification guidelines, informed by its largest-ever public consultation, meaning its age ratings will change according to changing public opinion, including on the on-screen depiction of violence, sex and drug use.
Throughout 2023, the BBFC spoke to 12,000 people across the U.K. “to explore what matters most to audiences when it comes to classification,” finding that “people are now more concerned about depictions of violence on screen in content across all age ratings.” With audiences expressing concerns about how distressing or disturbing some forms of violence can be, the BBFC said that “a higher rating may be required for violence across all age-rating categories, especially when particularly intense or impactful scenes occur.”
Compared with its previous research study in 2019, the BBFC said on Tuesday, it found some concerns have remained the same, while others have risen in importance for audiences. “Then, as now,...
Throughout 2023, the BBFC spoke to 12,000 people across the U.K. “to explore what matters most to audiences when it comes to classification,” finding that “people are now more concerned about depictions of violence on screen in content across all age ratings.” With audiences expressing concerns about how distressing or disturbing some forms of violence can be, the BBFC said that “a higher rating may be required for violence across all age-rating categories, especially when particularly intense or impactful scenes occur.”
Compared with its previous research study in 2019, the BBFC said on Tuesday, it found some concerns have remained the same, while others have risen in importance for audiences. “Then, as now,...
- 3/19/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The U.K.’s foremost film college has launched a new intimacy coordinator certificate to help meet the rising demands of the industry.
With shows such as “Normal People” and “I May Destroy You” having helped bring the work of intimacy coordinators to the forefront of conversations in recent years, The National Film and TV School has now introduced its first certificate in intimacy coordination for film and TV.
Taking place at the Nfts’ campus in Leeds, the intensive six-month course was developed in collaboration with coordinators from the U.K., Spain and the U.S. and under the advisory of crew union Bectu’s Intimacy Coordinator training branch, with a curriculum it says “aims to set a new standard in the field.”
Set to begin in May 2024 under the guidance of Haley Muraleedharan, who has served as intimacy coordinator on a number of film and TV projects, the part-time course...
With shows such as “Normal People” and “I May Destroy You” having helped bring the work of intimacy coordinators to the forefront of conversations in recent years, The National Film and TV School has now introduced its first certificate in intimacy coordination for film and TV.
Taking place at the Nfts’ campus in Leeds, the intensive six-month course was developed in collaboration with coordinators from the U.K., Spain and the U.S. and under the advisory of crew union Bectu’s Intimacy Coordinator training branch, with a curriculum it says “aims to set a new standard in the field.”
Set to begin in May 2024 under the guidance of Haley Muraleedharan, who has served as intimacy coordinator on a number of film and TV projects, the part-time course...
- 3/19/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety - Film News
European TV has not peaked. At least not yet.
While the U.S. TV business has seen a sharp downturn, with a drop in the number of shows commissioned and broadcast and headline-making layoffs across the major studios, European TV production is still on the upswing, according to a new report by think tank the European Audiovisual Observatory (Eao), which presented its findings at a keynote at TV festival SeriesMania on Tuesday.
There were 873 fictional series produced for broadcast and streaming platforms in Europe in 2022 — the last year for which the Eao has data — up from 775 in 2021 and a new record, the group found. This compares to a drop, from 600 to 516, in new fictional series produced in the U.S., according to figures from FX.
Europe can thank the streamers. The Eao found spending by global streaming platforms jumped 70 percent year-on-year in 2022 to $5.3 billion (€4.9 billion), accounting for just under a...
While the U.S. TV business has seen a sharp downturn, with a drop in the number of shows commissioned and broadcast and headline-making layoffs across the major studios, European TV production is still on the upswing, according to a new report by think tank the European Audiovisual Observatory (Eao), which presented its findings at a keynote at TV festival SeriesMania on Tuesday.
There were 873 fictional series produced for broadcast and streaming platforms in Europe in 2022 — the last year for which the Eao has data — up from 775 in 2021 and a new record, the group found. This compares to a drop, from 600 to 516, in new fictional series produced in the U.S., according to figures from FX.
Europe can thank the streamers. The Eao found spending by global streaming platforms jumped 70 percent year-on-year in 2022 to $5.3 billion (€4.9 billion), accounting for just under a...
- 3/19/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The U.K.’s foremost film college has launched a new intimacy coordinator certificate to help meet the rising demands of the industry.
With shows such as “Normal People” and “I May Destroy You” having helped bring the work of intimacy coordinators to the forefront of conversations in recent years, The National Film and TV School has now introduced its first certificate in intimacy coordination for film and TV.
Taking place at the Nfts’ campus in Leeds, the intensive six-month course was developed in collaboration with coordinators from the U.K., Spain and the U.S. and under the advisory of...
With shows such as “Normal People” and “I May Destroy You” having helped bring the work of intimacy coordinators to the forefront of conversations in recent years, The National Film and TV School has now introduced its first certificate in intimacy coordination for film and TV.
Taking place at the Nfts’ campus in Leeds, the intensive six-month course was developed in collaboration with coordinators from the U.K., Spain and the U.S. and under the advisory of...
- 3/19/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety - TV News
Bye-bye Bunya
Australian TV producer Bunya Entertainment says that Sophia Zachariou will step down as co-managing director, after a five-year stint. Bunya Entertainment is one part the Bunya Group of companies and was established by Zachariou, David Jowsey and Greer Simpkin in 2019.
Zachariou is currently in post-production on “The Office” (Amazon) and “Ladies in Black” (ABC) and will deliver these series before she departs the company. Other productions from Bunya Entertainment include the six x half-hour sketch comedy series “The Moth Effect” (Amazon) and the comedy series “Nice Shorts.”
In 2020 Zachariou also created the Bunya Talent Indigenous Hub, in partnership with Netflix and Screen Australia,...
Australian TV producer Bunya Entertainment says that Sophia Zachariou will step down as co-managing director, after a five-year stint. Bunya Entertainment is one part the Bunya Group of companies and was established by Zachariou, David Jowsey and Greer Simpkin in 2019.
Zachariou is currently in post-production on “The Office” (Amazon) and “Ladies in Black” (ABC) and will deliver these series before she departs the company. Other productions from Bunya Entertainment include the six x half-hour sketch comedy series “The Moth Effect” (Amazon) and the comedy series “Nice Shorts.”
In 2020 Zachariou also created the Bunya Talent Indigenous Hub, in partnership with Netflix and Screen Australia,...
- 3/19/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - TV News
Swiss documentary film festival Visions du Réel has unveiled the program for its 55th edition, which includes 10 first films out of 15 in the main international competition, cementing its reputation as a springboard for emerging talent.
The official selection includes 165 films from 50 countries, with gender parity for the second-year running, and no fewer than 88 world premieres, making VdR the place to be in April on the international non-fiction film calendar.
Key figures from the world of cinema will be attending including outgoing Berlinale artistic director Carlo Chatrian in the main competition jury, Argentine director and screenwriter Martín Rejtman with his latest film “Riders” in the Burning Lights section, and celebrated French author Christine Angot with her debut film “Une Famille,” which premiered in Berlin.
This year’s opening film is Juan Palacios and Sofie Johannesen’s “As the Tide Comes In,” which has been touring the festival circuit since opening at IDFA.
The official selection includes 165 films from 50 countries, with gender parity for the second-year running, and no fewer than 88 world premieres, making VdR the place to be in April on the international non-fiction film calendar.
Key figures from the world of cinema will be attending including outgoing Berlinale artistic director Carlo Chatrian in the main competition jury, Argentine director and screenwriter Martín Rejtman with his latest film “Riders” in the Burning Lights section, and celebrated French author Christine Angot with her debut film “Une Famille,” which premiered in Berlin.
This year’s opening film is Juan Palacios and Sofie Johannesen’s “As the Tide Comes In,” which has been touring the festival circuit since opening at IDFA.
- 3/19/2024
- by Lise Pedersen
- Variety - Film News
Prime Video has revealed a title and the extended cast for the Indian instalment of “Citadel,” the espionage action series created by the Russo brothers.
The Indian series within the “Citadel” universe will be called “Citadel: Honey Bunny.” As previously announced, Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu will lead the cast. Prabhu will play Honey and Dhawan portray Bunny.
The production is led by renowned creator duo Raj Nidimoru and Krishna Dk (together known as Raj & Dk), who are the showrunners and directors of the series. The screenplay is written by Sita R. Menon, along with Raj & Dk. The duo...
The Indian series within the “Citadel” universe will be called “Citadel: Honey Bunny.” As previously announced, Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu will lead the cast. Prabhu will play Honey and Dhawan portray Bunny.
The production is led by renowned creator duo Raj Nidimoru and Krishna Dk (together known as Raj & Dk), who are the showrunners and directors of the series. The screenplay is written by Sita R. Menon, along with Raj & Dk. The duo...
- 3/19/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - TV News
Germany’s Beta Film (“Babylon Berlin”) sets its sights on the Croisette for the world premiere of Dutch Royal drama “Máxima,” selected to screen out-of-competition at Canneseries on April 9. In tow, Delfina Chaves (“The Secret of the Greco Family”), who portrays the titular character in the series that Variety recently likened to Emmy-Award-Winning Netflix Drama “The Crown.”
Teased at last month’s London TV Screenings, the six-part drama series unravels the love story between then Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander (Martijn Lakemeier) and his enigmatic Argentine love interest, Máxima, who goes on to become Queen, at his side.
Her future fraught...
Teased at last month’s London TV Screenings, the six-part drama series unravels the love story between then Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander (Martijn Lakemeier) and his enigmatic Argentine love interest, Máxima, who goes on to become Queen, at his side.
Her future fraught...
- 3/19/2024
- by Holly Jones
- Variety - TV News
Alfred Herrhausen, born in 1930, was the chairman of Deutsche Bank. But to the team behind German series “Herrhausen – The Banker and the Bomb,” premiering at Series Mania, he was a “visionary.”
“He was a humane banker, always looking into the future. What you see in this show is a person who tries to do something new and others prevent him from doing it. They say: ‘We have never done it before.’ He says: ‘Well, that’s the definition of the word ‘new,’” says actor Oliver Masucci.
The show, written by Thomas Wendrich.
Before taking on Herrhausen, Masucci gained prominence thanks to Netflix’s “Dark.
“He was a humane banker, always looking into the future. What you see in this show is a person who tries to do something new and others prevent him from doing it. They say: ‘We have never done it before.’ He says: ‘Well, that’s the definition of the word ‘new,’” says actor Oliver Masucci.
The show, written by Thomas Wendrich.
Before taking on Herrhausen, Masucci gained prominence thanks to Netflix’s “Dark.
- 3/19/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety - TV News
Grainne Brunsdon has been promoted to chief operating officer within federal funding and policy body Screen Australia. She was the organization’s director of content, where she led production investment and development, distribution support, and business initiatives for the last two years.
Starting the new job from April 1, Brunsdon succeeds Michael Brealey, who departed the agency in December 2023 after five years in the role.
Brunsdon has more than 25 years’ experience in the entertainment sector. Prior to joining Screen Australia in 2022, she was head of Screen Nsw.
She was also director of arts investment, engagement and development at Create Nsw where she was instrumental in the introduction of the 50:50 by 2020 initiative addressing gender parity in the screen industry, and the Screenability Nsw initiative, which provided opportunities for practitioners with disability.
She has other experience managing funding programs and targeted initiatives across arts, screen and culture in addition to overseeing the...
Starting the new job from April 1, Brunsdon succeeds Michael Brealey, who departed the agency in December 2023 after five years in the role.
Brunsdon has more than 25 years’ experience in the entertainment sector. Prior to joining Screen Australia in 2022, she was head of Screen Nsw.
She was also director of arts investment, engagement and development at Create Nsw where she was instrumental in the introduction of the 50:50 by 2020 initiative addressing gender parity in the screen industry, and the Screenability Nsw initiative, which provided opportunities for practitioners with disability.
She has other experience managing funding programs and targeted initiatives across arts, screen and culture in addition to overseeing the...
- 3/19/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
Lille — Creating a major and ambitious new player on the Spanish-language film-tv scene, Amaya Muruzábal – showrunner, screenwriter, and executive producer on Amazon MGM Studios’ just-out big hit “Red Queen” and creator and executive producer on milestone production “Hernán” – is launching her own film-tv production house, M Content.
M Content is founded with Argentinean Mariano Chihade – the independent producer behind Juan Pablo Kolojdziej’s Netflix Fito Paez bioseries “Love After Music,” working out of Buenos Aires’ Mandarina Contenidos.
The new venture will produce series and films, some large-scale – “for better or for worse, I’ve specialized in big productions,” Muruzábal tells...
M Content is founded with Argentinean Mariano Chihade – the independent producer behind Juan Pablo Kolojdziej’s Netflix Fito Paez bioseries “Love After Music,” working out of Buenos Aires’ Mandarina Contenidos.
The new venture will produce series and films, some large-scale – “for better or for worse, I’ve specialized in big productions,” Muruzábal tells...
- 3/19/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety - TV News
Based on the book by Magnus Montelius, Swedish series “8 Months” seemed more like a fantasy than political thriller. Not for long.
“I read this book on vacation and I was intrigued by the idea that you could use a political consultant to find a new foreign minister. The only problem was that it was about NATO. I thought: ‘Nobody cares about that,’” writer Jens Jonsson tells Variety at Series Mania.
“I was skeptical, but we decided to take a gamble. Suddenly, we were pretending that Sweden joined NATO, that they were wondering if we should have nuclear weapons as well.
“I read this book on vacation and I was intrigued by the idea that you could use a political consultant to find a new foreign minister. The only problem was that it was about NATO. I thought: ‘Nobody cares about that,’” writer Jens Jonsson tells Variety at Series Mania.
“I was skeptical, but we decided to take a gamble. Suddenly, we were pretending that Sweden joined NATO, that they were wondering if we should have nuclear weapons as well.
- 3/19/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety - TV News
“’I sacrificed my love on the altars of fame,’ Leonard Cohen said in the ‘70s,” “So Long, Marianne” showrunner Øystein Karlsen notes. Cohen was referring of course to his ‘60s decade-long relationship with Norway’s Marianne Ilhen, which shaped him for life.
One of the highest-profile and most anticipated world premieres in Series Mania main competition, “So Long, Marianne” is a coming of age love story which, in a quietly innovative, genre-breaking turn, asks whether the place in the world chosen by one character, Leonard Cohen, was always for his good.
Sold by Cineflix Rights as an eight-part series, “So Long, Marianne...
One of the highest-profile and most anticipated world premieres in Series Mania main competition, “So Long, Marianne” is a coming of age love story which, in a quietly innovative, genre-breaking turn, asks whether the place in the world chosen by one character, Leonard Cohen, was always for his good.
Sold by Cineflix Rights as an eight-part series, “So Long, Marianne...
- 3/19/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety - TV News
Five upcoming Spanish TV fiction projects, involving top local production and distribution companies, feature in Coming Next from Spain, a showcase of series unspooling March 19 at Series Mania.
Atresmedia TV’s “Sanctuary,” Movistar+ Plus’ “Fine Arts,” Filmax’s “Dating in Barcelona” Season 2, The Good Mood-Mediawan’s “The Other Life” and Onza Distribution’s “Heartless” will be presented at the event, proving once more that Spanish fiction production is in good health.
Six years after high-end Spanish TV series lifted off on the global market, championed by hit series such as “Money Heist” and “Elite,” Spain has become one of...
Atresmedia TV’s “Sanctuary,” Movistar+ Plus’ “Fine Arts,” Filmax’s “Dating in Barcelona” Season 2, The Good Mood-Mediawan’s “The Other Life” and Onza Distribution’s “Heartless” will be presented at the event, proving once more that Spanish fiction production is in good health.
Six years after high-end Spanish TV series lifted off on the global market, championed by hit series such as “Money Heist” and “Elite,” Spain has become one of...
- 3/19/2024
- by Emiliano De Pablos
- Variety - TV News
“Catch Me a Killer” comprises many firsts: It is a series about South Africa’s first-ever criminal profiler, the first-ever woman to occupy such a position and, now, the first-ever series entirely shot in South Africa to be in International Panorama competition at Series Mania, Europe’s biggest TV festival.
“Catch Me a Killer” was commissioned by Showmax and produced by Kowalski Films with Lmp and Night Train Media. Abacus Media Rights (Amr), an Amcomri Entertainment company, handles world sales.
Based on the eponymous book by psychologist Micki Pistorius, “Catch Me a Killer” sees “Game of Thrones” breakout Charlotte Hope...
“Catch Me a Killer” was commissioned by Showmax and produced by Kowalski Films with Lmp and Night Train Media. Abacus Media Rights (Amr), an Amcomri Entertainment company, handles world sales.
Based on the eponymous book by psychologist Micki Pistorius, “Catch Me a Killer” sees “Game of Thrones” breakout Charlotte Hope...
- 3/19/2024
- by Rafa Sales Ross
- Variety - TV News
Spinning audiences back to the mid-1970s, UFA Fiction’s latest period series “Disko 76” is set in a pivotal time in the industrial heartland of West Germany as a new American pop music craze takes over the airwaves and dance floors.
The six-part series, which premiered at the recent Berlinale Series Market, continues its international rollout at Series Mania in Lille before bowing on the Rtl+ streaming platform on March 28 and on Rtl Group channel Nitro on April 1.
UFA Fiction quickly won over Rtl+ with the idea from former UFA Fiction producer Benjamin Benedict of a family story set in the disco era,...
The six-part series, which premiered at the recent Berlinale Series Market, continues its international rollout at Series Mania in Lille before bowing on the Rtl+ streaming platform on March 28 and on Rtl Group channel Nitro on April 1.
UFA Fiction quickly won over Rtl+ with the idea from former UFA Fiction producer Benjamin Benedict of a family story set in the disco era,...
- 3/19/2024
- by Ed Meza
- Variety - TV News
“The Boy and the Heron,” the Oscar-winning animated feature film by iconic Japanese director Miyazaki Hayao, is finally to be given a release in cinemas in mainland China.
The picture is scheduled to release in China on April 3, 2024, according to Alibaba Pictures. Tickets are already available on booking sites such as Maoyan and Alibaba’s Taopiaopiao.
The film was released in Japan in July last year. It opened across much of the rest of the world from October.
While most films release in China on Fridays, giving “The Boy and the Heron” a Wednesday outing will allow it to play to family audiences through the Qingming holiday period, which officially runs for three days April 4-6.
Alibaba Pictures, an Alibaba Group subsidiary, in January announced a strategic partnership with Studio Ghibli, the Japanese studio behind the Miyazaki movie.
The partnership is supposed to cover the development of animation content for...
The picture is scheduled to release in China on April 3, 2024, according to Alibaba Pictures. Tickets are already available on booking sites such as Maoyan and Alibaba’s Taopiaopiao.
The film was released in Japan in July last year. It opened across much of the rest of the world from October.
While most films release in China on Fridays, giving “The Boy and the Heron” a Wednesday outing will allow it to play to family audiences through the Qingming holiday period, which officially runs for three days April 4-6.
Alibaba Pictures, an Alibaba Group subsidiary, in January announced a strategic partnership with Studio Ghibli, the Japanese studio behind the Miyazaki movie.
The partnership is supposed to cover the development of animation content for...
- 3/19/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
Eric McCormack doesn’t believe an actor’s sexuality should get in the way of the characters they play onscreen. The Will & Grace star said this week he feels “the best person for the role” should be cast in all projects, regardless of the actor’s personal identity.
McCormack, who is straight, played protagonist Will, who is gay, on NBC’s beloved Will & Grace. The actor said during a Monday appearance on ITV’s Good Morning Britain reported by Out magazine that “I didn’t become an actor so that I could play an actor.”
“There’s no part I’ve ever played where I wasn’t playing something I’m not,” McCormack continued. “It’s part of the gig. And I’ve always said, if gay actors weren’t allowed to play straight actors, Broadway would be over.”
He added, “So this is what we do. I...
McCormack, who is straight, played protagonist Will, who is gay, on NBC’s beloved Will & Grace. The actor said during a Monday appearance on ITV’s Good Morning Britain reported by Out magazine that “I didn’t become an actor so that I could play an actor.”
“There’s no part I’ve ever played where I wasn’t playing something I’m not,” McCormack continued. “It’s part of the gig. And I’ve always said, if gay actors weren’t allowed to play straight actors, Broadway would be over.”
He added, “So this is what we do. I...
- 3/19/2024
- by Zoe G Phillips
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Top Bollywood star Ajay Devgn’s Indian visual effects studio NY VFXWaala has set a strategic partnership with Sweden’s Goodbye Kansas Studio.
NY VFXWaala has secured a major stake in Stockholm-based Goodbye Kansas, through an offshore subsidiary, while simultaneously launching a joint venture studio in India.
“Shaitaan,” starring Devgn, is currently in cinemas and is one of the biggest Bollywood hits of the year. NY VFXWaala’s 300-film portfolio includes Bollywood films “Bhuj” and “Malang” and Tamil-language film “Bigil.”
Goodbye Kansas specializes in creating trailers for games worldwide and visual effects for live-action productions. Its portfolio includes work on games like “Cyberpunk 2077,” “God of War: Ragnarök” and “Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.” The company has ongoing collaborations with HBO, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney, Apple TV+, Paramount+ and more, and recent shows it has contributed to include “True Detective” Season 4, “One Piece” and “Carnival Row.” Its film work includes “Asteroid City” and “A Man Called Otto.
NY VFXWaala has secured a major stake in Stockholm-based Goodbye Kansas, through an offshore subsidiary, while simultaneously launching a joint venture studio in India.
“Shaitaan,” starring Devgn, is currently in cinemas and is one of the biggest Bollywood hits of the year. NY VFXWaala’s 300-film portfolio includes Bollywood films “Bhuj” and “Malang” and Tamil-language film “Bigil.”
Goodbye Kansas specializes in creating trailers for games worldwide and visual effects for live-action productions. Its portfolio includes work on games like “Cyberpunk 2077,” “God of War: Ragnarök” and “Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.” The company has ongoing collaborations with HBO, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney, Apple TV+, Paramount+ and more, and recent shows it has contributed to include “True Detective” Season 4, “One Piece” and “Carnival Row.” Its film work includes “Asteroid City” and “A Man Called Otto.
- 3/19/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
Note: The following story contains spoilers for “The Bachelor” Women Tell All episode.
Despite being sent home ahead of “The Bachelor” finale, contestant Rachel Nance said her breakup with Joey Graziadei happened in the “best way possible.”
“I had a feeling going into fantasy suites that it wasn’t going to be me,” Nance told TheWrap. “I can say confidently that it ended in the best way possible for Joey and I. We still care for each other and we still have that love and adoration that won’t go away.”
Nance was one of the three remaining women that Graziadei courted through Fantasy Suites, and felt confident putting herself out there despite knowing she might not be Graziadei’s final rose pick from the start.
“I was freaking out, like ‘what if it’s not me at the end, but I’m just happy with how it ended,” Nance said.
Despite being sent home ahead of “The Bachelor” finale, contestant Rachel Nance said her breakup with Joey Graziadei happened in the “best way possible.”
“I had a feeling going into fantasy suites that it wasn’t going to be me,” Nance told TheWrap. “I can say confidently that it ended in the best way possible for Joey and I. We still care for each other and we still have that love and adoration that won’t go away.”
Nance was one of the three remaining women that Graziadei courted through Fantasy Suites, and felt confident putting herself out there despite knowing she might not be Graziadei’s final rose pick from the start.
“I was freaking out, like ‘what if it’s not me at the end, but I’m just happy with how it ended,” Nance said.
- 3/19/2024
- by Loree Seitz
- The Wrap
‘Bachelor’ Star Maria Georgas Says Being ‘The Bachelorette’ Would Be the ‘Opportunity of a Lifetime’
Note: The following story contains spoilers for “The Bachelor” Women Tell All episode.
Although Maria Georgas’ time on “The Bachelor” has come to an end, the fan-favorite contestant sees the chance to lead her own season of “The Bachelorette” as an enticing gig.
“It’s an opportunity of a lifetime,” Georgas told TheWrap of potentially becoming “The Bachelorette.” “I would be stupid to turn it down. It’s not something that I was thinking about doing — I never even thought I would even get the chance.”
With no official decisions made for the upcoming season of “The Bachelorette,” which is still slated to premiere this summer on ABC, Georgas hesitated on whether she would be in consideration for the job.
“I don’t know until I’m in the moment, I guess, that I’ll know if I would do it or not,” she said.
Despite having a flirtatious and...
Although Maria Georgas’ time on “The Bachelor” has come to an end, the fan-favorite contestant sees the chance to lead her own season of “The Bachelorette” as an enticing gig.
“It’s an opportunity of a lifetime,” Georgas told TheWrap of potentially becoming “The Bachelorette.” “I would be stupid to turn it down. It’s not something that I was thinking about doing — I never even thought I would even get the chance.”
With no official decisions made for the upcoming season of “The Bachelorette,” which is still slated to premiere this summer on ABC, Georgas hesitated on whether she would be in consideration for the job.
“I don’t know until I’m in the moment, I guess, that I’ll know if I would do it or not,” she said.
Despite having a flirtatious and...
- 3/19/2024
- by Loree Seitz
- The Wrap
Note: The following story contains spoilers for “The Bachelor” Women Tell All episode.
After receiving an ominous note from one of his three remaining women on “The Bachelor,” Joey Graziadei said he went “dark” and immediately thought of the worst-case scenario.
Following three fantasy suite dates with Kelsey Anderson, Daisy Kent and Rachel Nance, Graziadei arrived to a note at his door from Anderson, which read, “We need to talk.”
“I went dark very quickly — I thought that she was leaving, I thought something went wrong,” Graziadei told TheWrap. “I think any guy that ever gets a text or anything from a girl that says, ‘We need to talk,’ you assume the worst.”
While Graziadei noted that his assumption was “understandable,” he also admitted he wished he was able to be a “little bit more understanding in that time,” saying that his reaction was “raw and real emotion.”
Despite the...
After receiving an ominous note from one of his three remaining women on “The Bachelor,” Joey Graziadei said he went “dark” and immediately thought of the worst-case scenario.
Following three fantasy suite dates with Kelsey Anderson, Daisy Kent and Rachel Nance, Graziadei arrived to a note at his door from Anderson, which read, “We need to talk.”
“I went dark very quickly — I thought that she was leaving, I thought something went wrong,” Graziadei told TheWrap. “I think any guy that ever gets a text or anything from a girl that says, ‘We need to talk,’ you assume the worst.”
While Graziadei noted that his assumption was “understandable,” he also admitted he wished he was able to be a “little bit more understanding in that time,” saying that his reaction was “raw and real emotion.”
Despite the...
- 3/19/2024
- by Loree Seitz
- The Wrap
Nothing in Investigation Discovery’s docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV is likely to hold viewer attention so lastingly as Drake Bell coming forward to recall being sexually assaulted during his time as a Nickelodeon child star.
Mary Robertson, who directed the ID four-parter with Emma Schwartz, recalled their set being all hush and stillness when Bell, for the first time, shared his story of abuse at the hands of a child predator. “Normally you hear people fidgeting. You couldn’t hear anyone fidget. We all sat, silent, rapt in reverence for his bravery and listened,” Robertson said.
Bell, the star of Drake & Josh and The Amanda Show, names himself as the John Doe victim in Brian Peck’s sexual assault case in the third episode of Quiet on Set, which aired on Tuesday. The actor’s former dialogue coach was convicted of sexually assaulting...
Mary Robertson, who directed the ID four-parter with Emma Schwartz, recalled their set being all hush and stillness when Bell, for the first time, shared his story of abuse at the hands of a child predator. “Normally you hear people fidgeting. You couldn’t hear anyone fidget. We all sat, silent, rapt in reverence for his bravery and listened,” Robertson said.
Bell, the star of Drake & Josh and The Amanda Show, names himself as the John Doe victim in Brian Peck’s sexual assault case in the third episode of Quiet on Set, which aired on Tuesday. The actor’s former dialogue coach was convicted of sexually assaulting...
- 3/19/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IATSE resumed negotiations with the major studios on Monday, with a day spent focused on items relevant to the International Cinematographers Guild, Local 600.
IATSE began talks earlier this month, as it seeks to address artificial intelligence, see wage increases to make up for inflation, and close a significant shortfall in its pension and health fund.
With more than 9,000 active members, the Icg is the largest of the IATSE locals involved in bargaining.
The union sent an update to its members on Monday evening recapping the day’s events. Alex Tonisson, the national executive director, gave opening remarks and presented proposals.
IATSE began talks earlier this month, as it seeks to address artificial intelligence, see wage increases to make up for inflation, and close a significant shortfall in its pension and health fund.
With more than 9,000 active members, the Icg is the largest of the IATSE locals involved in bargaining.
The union sent an update to its members on Monday evening recapping the day’s events. Alex Tonisson, the national executive director, gave opening remarks and presented proposals.
- 3/19/2024
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety - TV News
IATSE resumed negotiations with the major studios on Monday, with a day spent focused on items relevant to the International Cinematographers Guild, Local 600.
IATSE began talks earlier this month, as it seeks to address artificial intelligence, see wage increases to make up for inflation, and close a significant shortfall in its pension and health fund.
With more than 9,000 active members, the Icg is the largest of the IATSE locals involved in bargaining.
The union sent an update to its members on Monday evening recapping the day’s events. Alex Tonisson, the national executive director, gave opening remarks and presented proposals. Carol Lombardini, the president of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, also made opening remarks and presented the studio proposals.
After that, the two sides met amongst themselves and then called it a day, with talks due to resume Tuesday. The Art Directors Guild, Local 800, is expected to follow the cinematographers’ guild,...
IATSE began talks earlier this month, as it seeks to address artificial intelligence, see wage increases to make up for inflation, and close a significant shortfall in its pension and health fund.
With more than 9,000 active members, the Icg is the largest of the IATSE locals involved in bargaining.
The union sent an update to its members on Monday evening recapping the day’s events. Alex Tonisson, the national executive director, gave opening remarks and presented proposals. Carol Lombardini, the president of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, also made opening remarks and presented the studio proposals.
After that, the two sides met amongst themselves and then called it a day, with talks due to resume Tuesday. The Art Directors Guild, Local 800, is expected to follow the cinematographers’ guild,...
- 3/19/2024
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety - Film News
On Saturday Donald Trump told a crowd of supporters in Dayton, Ohio, that a loss in the 2024 election would result in a “bloodbath.” His campaign was quick to claim his warning only applied to the US auto industry, but as former Deputy White House Press Secretary Sarah Matthews, who worked in the Trump administration for 7 months, said, the comment is “a warning call to his supporters he’s telling them kind of marching orders almost.”
Matthews was a guest on “Inside Jen Psaki” Monday night when she was asked about her former boss’ behavior. Psaki and Matthews agreed the comment deserves to be considered carefully—and taken very seriously.
Fmr. Deputy Wh Press Sec. to @jrpsaki on her former boss:
“This is a man who helped incite a deadly insurrection on our nation’s Capitol. So, when he's using terms like ‘blood bath,’ it's really hard for me to give...
Matthews was a guest on “Inside Jen Psaki” Monday night when she was asked about her former boss’ behavior. Psaki and Matthews agreed the comment deserves to be considered carefully—and taken very seriously.
Fmr. Deputy Wh Press Sec. to @jrpsaki on her former boss:
“This is a man who helped incite a deadly insurrection on our nation’s Capitol. So, when he's using terms like ‘blood bath,’ it's really hard for me to give...
- 3/19/2024
- by Stephanie Kaloi
- The Wrap
In a clever trick that pulls us into the community about to witness the spectacular downfall of the public figure crusading for truth at the center of An Enemy of the People, a bar descends from above during the pause between acts, with theatergoers filing onto the stage to be served shots of aquavit while musicians and singers perform traditional Norwegian songs. Several audience members stay seated around the periphery when the action resumes. The house lights also remain up, giving us no escape from our complicity as town physician Dr. Thomas Stockmann, played with bristling intensity by Jeremy Strong, is pilloried with ridicule that escalates into physical violence.
Sam Gold’s crackling production up to that point has been deceptively traditional, handsomely staged in the round at the Circle in the Square, with a first act that sets the scene for festering conflict in the warmth and cozy domesticity of Stockmann’s home,...
Sam Gold’s crackling production up to that point has been deceptively traditional, handsomely staged in the round at the Circle in the Square, with a first act that sets the scene for festering conflict in the warmth and cozy domesticity of Stockmann’s home,...
- 3/19/2024
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Game of Thrones” creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss warned Sunday night that fans shouldn’t expect the John Bradley we know and love as Samwell Tarly in their new Netflix series “3 Body Problem” — and that was their goal all along.
Recounting a night out in a Belfast pub while filming “Game of Thrones” some years ago, Benioff told the sold-out crowd at the Los Angeles debut of “3 Body Problem” that they got the idea to cast Bradley as a snarkier, harsher role after seeing him flirt with a tourist.
Benioff said Bradley was “incredibly sarcastic” and dry in his banter, and he and Weiss were inspired.
“He’s nothing like the Samwell that people know from ‘Game of Thrones,’ and we thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun someday to work with John and see him play a character kind of closer to the actual John?'”
Benioff,...
Recounting a night out in a Belfast pub while filming “Game of Thrones” some years ago, Benioff told the sold-out crowd at the Los Angeles debut of “3 Body Problem” that they got the idea to cast Bradley as a snarkier, harsher role after seeing him flirt with a tourist.
Benioff said Bradley was “incredibly sarcastic” and dry in his banter, and he and Weiss were inspired.
“He’s nothing like the Samwell that people know from ‘Game of Thrones,’ and we thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun someday to work with John and see him play a character kind of closer to the actual John?'”
Benioff,...
- 3/19/2024
- by Stephanie Kaloi
- The Wrap
Elon Musk, Rupert Murdoch and three other individuals will no longer receive Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s namesake leadership award, presenting organization Opperman Foundation announced late Monday.
The awards’ cancellation came hours after singer and former Rbg award recipient Barbra Streisand slammed the decision to honor Musk and Murdoch, and several days after the late justice’s daughter spoke out against the award as well.
“The last thing we intended was to offend the family and friends of Rbg,” said Julie Opperman, chair of the Opperman Foundation, in a statement.
Earlier Monday, Streisand wrote on Instagram that she was joining “the Ginsburg family in condemning the choice of honorees this year. I had the privilege of meeting Justice Ginsburg on several occasions, and I strongly doubt she would approve of these awardees.”
First presented in 2020, the Opperman Foundation changed the title of the Rbg honors from the Women of Leadership Award...
The awards’ cancellation came hours after singer and former Rbg award recipient Barbra Streisand slammed the decision to honor Musk and Murdoch, and several days after the late justice’s daughter spoke out against the award as well.
“The last thing we intended was to offend the family and friends of Rbg,” said Julie Opperman, chair of the Opperman Foundation, in a statement.
Earlier Monday, Streisand wrote on Instagram that she was joining “the Ginsburg family in condemning the choice of honorees this year. I had the privilege of meeting Justice Ginsburg on several occasions, and I strongly doubt she would approve of these awardees.”
First presented in 2020, the Opperman Foundation changed the title of the Rbg honors from the Women of Leadership Award...
- 3/19/2024
- by Zoe G Phillips
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For decades, there have been studies and conversations regarding the perils of obesity, and though being overweight doesn’t inherently make someone unhealthy, it can cause severe medical issues. While those who struggle with excess weight are often told to eat fewer calories and exercise daily, millions of people are still categorized as obese. Now, in “An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution,” Oprah Winfrey is addressing obesity as a disease, the revolutionary medications being used to combat food noise, exiting the WeightWatchers board of directors and giving viewers a glimpse into her personal weight struggles and...
- 3/19/2024
- by Aramide Tinubu
- Variety - TV News
Oprah Winfrey held back tears during the airing of her ABC special, Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution Monday night as she spoke to a woman who participated in Oprah Daily’s “The State of Weight” Panel last September who’s since lost 85 pounds after using an unnamed weight loss medication.
“There is now a sense of hope, and you no longer blame yourself,” Winfrey said as her voice began to crack. “When I tell you how many times I have blamed myself because you think, ‘I’m smart enough to figure this out,’ and then to hear all along it’s you fighting your brain.”
The special, which will be available for streaming on Hulu on Tuesday along with an exclusive audience Q&a, brought together medical experts, patients and members of the pharmaceutical and weight loss industries to discuss the growing popularity of weight loss drugs such as Ozempic,...
“There is now a sense of hope, and you no longer blame yourself,” Winfrey said as her voice began to crack. “When I tell you how many times I have blamed myself because you think, ‘I’m smart enough to figure this out,’ and then to hear all along it’s you fighting your brain.”
The special, which will be available for streaming on Hulu on Tuesday along with an exclusive audience Q&a, brought together medical experts, patients and members of the pharmaceutical and weight loss industries to discuss the growing popularity of weight loss drugs such as Ozempic,...
- 3/19/2024
- by Brande Victorian
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
[This story contains spoilers from Season 12, Episode 7 of Curb Your Enthusiasm, “The Dream Scheme.”]
Life imitated art this week in the world of Curb Your Enthusiasm when a real-life Hollywood billboard ended up vandalized, just like the plot of last week’s episode.
As viewers will recall, the sixth episode in the final season of Larry David’s HBO comedy saw Susie Greene (played by Susie Essman) unveiling her new business venture, Catch as Caftan, which she was promoting on a billboard on Santa Monica Boulevard. During the episode, the billboard gets graffitied — with two, large penises cleverly located — and the updated work of art ends up sending sales through the roof. During last week’s chat with The Hollywood Reporter, executive producer Jeff Schaffer revealed the marketing stunt and had dared adoring Curb artists to mimic the show’s plot.
“I don’t know how many graffiti artists are fans of the show, but I’m praying for a few dicks,...
Life imitated art this week in the world of Curb Your Enthusiasm when a real-life Hollywood billboard ended up vandalized, just like the plot of last week’s episode.
As viewers will recall, the sixth episode in the final season of Larry David’s HBO comedy saw Susie Greene (played by Susie Essman) unveiling her new business venture, Catch as Caftan, which she was promoting on a billboard on Santa Monica Boulevard. During the episode, the billboard gets graffitied — with two, large penises cleverly located — and the updated work of art ends up sending sales through the roof. During last week’s chat with The Hollywood Reporter, executive producer Jeff Schaffer revealed the marketing stunt and had dared adoring Curb artists to mimic the show’s plot.
“I don’t know how many graffiti artists are fans of the show, but I’m praying for a few dicks,...
- 3/19/2024
- by Jackie Strause
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
How Are Luxury Brands Leveraging the Red Carpet? Launchmetrics’ March 20 Panel Offers an Inside Look
Barbie‘s global take will soon top $1.5 billion — and that’s only in box-office receipts. From Chanel, Tag Heuer and Moschino to the Mattel dolls and other products that had a showcase in the 2023 blockbuster, the exposure these and other brands enjoyed combined with consumer purchases to undoubtedly push that film’s economic impact to stratospheric heights.
The alignment of high-end brands with Hollywood entertainment — not just on screens but on red carpets as well — is the subject of a March 20 panel discussion presented by data company Launchmetrics as part of its day-long Performance Summit 2024 event. The six virtual panels throughout the day are free and open to the public to attend live or to view after their completion.
Throughout the 2024 awards season, The Hollywood Reporter has been partnering with Launchmetrics to produce the Red Carpet Power Rankings, which measure the media-impact value of the brands worn by stars at the six major broadcast ceremonies,...
The alignment of high-end brands with Hollywood entertainment — not just on screens but on red carpets as well — is the subject of a March 20 panel discussion presented by data company Launchmetrics as part of its day-long Performance Summit 2024 event. The six virtual panels throughout the day are free and open to the public to attend live or to view after their completion.
Throughout the 2024 awards season, The Hollywood Reporter has been partnering with Launchmetrics to produce the Red Carpet Power Rankings, which measure the media-impact value of the brands worn by stars at the six major broadcast ceremonies,...
- 3/18/2024
- by Degen Pener
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Beth Peters, an actor and singer who had a recurring role on “General Hospital,” died on March 14 in central Florida after a short illness. She was 92.
In the early 1980s, Peters appeared in eight episodes of the popular ABC soap opera as the character Mrs. Whitaker. In an obituary for Peters provided to Variety by her son, her character description reads, “The motherly Mrs. Whitaker dispensed country wisdom from her farm kitchen in Beecher’s Corners, serving as a surrogate mother to Laura Spencer, played by Genie Francis, as the teenager’s story arc saw her fall in love with Luke Spencer,...
In the early 1980s, Peters appeared in eight episodes of the popular ABC soap opera as the character Mrs. Whitaker. In an obituary for Peters provided to Variety by her son, her character description reads, “The motherly Mrs. Whitaker dispensed country wisdom from her farm kitchen in Beecher’s Corners, serving as a surrogate mother to Laura Spencer, played by Genie Francis, as the teenager’s story arc saw her fall in love with Luke Spencer,...
- 3/18/2024
- by Jaden Thompson
- Variety - TV News
A tale of disability, abuse, expectations and family secrets, “She Looks Like Me” from director Torquil Jones has a headstart on most documentaries, given its subject matter’s winding twists and turns. Some key details end up obscured — there’s enough real-life material here to fill an entire miniseries — but the film has an alluring atmosphere, and is rife with enough intimate re-enactments, to be occasionally absorbing.
Dreamlike hymns echo off the walls of an ornate church in the movie’s opening scenes. These have little thematic bearing on the story, but they make for a vibrant aesthetic, appearing and reappearing during moments of quiet reflection. A now-adult Jen Bricker — a woman born without legs — narrates the broad strokes of her childhood, from her adoption in rural Illinois, to the way her parents and three older brothers raised her to believe she could do anything she wanted. Old photos and...
Dreamlike hymns echo off the walls of an ornate church in the movie’s opening scenes. These have little thematic bearing on the story, but they make for a vibrant aesthetic, appearing and reappearing during moments of quiet reflection. A now-adult Jen Bricker — a woman born without legs — narrates the broad strokes of her childhood, from her adoption in rural Illinois, to the way her parents and three older brothers raised her to believe she could do anything she wanted. Old photos and...
- 3/18/2024
- by Siddhant Adlakha
- Variety - Film News
On the heels of What If…? season one’s warm reception, Marvel Studios head of streaming Brad Winderbaum knew that now was the time to pursue his longtime dream of reviving the beloved Fox Kids show X-Men: The Animated Series. The series aired from 1992 to 1997, and Winderbaum, as executive producer, is on the verge of releasing X-Men ’97, which picks up right where the original series left off as the classic X-Men characters are forced to find a way forward without the leadership of Professor Charles Xavier.
Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige required only two conditions before giving his blessing on the latest Disney+ animated series.
“Following the success of What If…?, when we were able to make more animated shows, [X-Men ’97] was my first idea out of the box. And Kevin [Feige] was like, ‘Alright, if we can get the [original] cast and we can get the song, let’s do it.
Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige required only two conditions before giving his blessing on the latest Disney+ animated series.
“Following the success of What If…?, when we were able to make more animated shows, [X-Men ’97] was my first idea out of the box. And Kevin [Feige] was like, ‘Alright, if we can get the [original] cast and we can get the song, let’s do it.
- 3/18/2024
- by Brian Davids
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
An open letter condemning Jonathan Glazer’s Zone of Interest Oscars acceptance speech has been signed by more than 450 Jewish Hollywood professionals.
The group consists of actors, executives, directors, creators, producers and representatives denouncing Glazer’s controversial comments made when accepting the Academy Award for best international film on March 10.
“We refute our Jewishness being hijacked for the purpose of drawing a moral equivalence between a Nazi regime that sought to exterminate a race of people, and an Israeli nation that seeks to avert its own extermination,” the letter reads.
In his acceptance at the 2024 Oscars, Glazer read from a prepared speech to thank his partners and then make a statement addressing the current Israel-Gaza conflict.
“All our choices were made to reflect and confront us in the present, not to say, ‘Look what they did then’; rather, ‘what we do now,’” Glazer said. “Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst.
The group consists of actors, executives, directors, creators, producers and representatives denouncing Glazer’s controversial comments made when accepting the Academy Award for best international film on March 10.
“We refute our Jewishness being hijacked for the purpose of drawing a moral equivalence between a Nazi regime that sought to exterminate a race of people, and an Israeli nation that seeks to avert its own extermination,” the letter reads.
In his acceptance at the 2024 Oscars, Glazer read from a prepared speech to thank his partners and then make a statement addressing the current Israel-Gaza conflict.
“All our choices were made to reflect and confront us in the present, not to say, ‘Look what they did then’; rather, ‘what we do now,’” Glazer said. “Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst.
- 3/18/2024
- by Zoe G Phillips
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
HBO has ordered a half-hour pilot episode starring, written and executive produced by Rachel Sennott (“Bottoms”).
The untitled comedy project’s logline promises “a codependent friend group reunion,” in which the friends “navigate how their time apart, goals and new relationships have changed them,” TheWrap has learned.
“Barry” alums Emma Barrie and Aida Rodgers will executive produce alongside the “Bodies Bodies Bodies” and “Shiva Baby” star.
Sennott most recently starred as Pj, platonic other half to Ayo Edebiri’s Josie, in “Bottoms,” which she cowrote with director Emma Seligman. Seligman also directed Sennott in “Shiva Baby.”
Sennott also appeared alongside Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd in HBO’s “The Idol” as Leia. She starred as Alice in the A24 thriller-comedy, “Bodies Bodies Bodies.”
A graduate from NYU Tisch with a focus in acting, Sennott’s breakthrough performance came from Seligman’s “Shiva Baby,” originally a student film that was adapted into a full-length feature.
The untitled comedy project’s logline promises “a codependent friend group reunion,” in which the friends “navigate how their time apart, goals and new relationships have changed them,” TheWrap has learned.
“Barry” alums Emma Barrie and Aida Rodgers will executive produce alongside the “Bodies Bodies Bodies” and “Shiva Baby” star.
Sennott most recently starred as Pj, platonic other half to Ayo Edebiri’s Josie, in “Bottoms,” which she cowrote with director Emma Seligman. Seligman also directed Sennott in “Shiva Baby.”
Sennott also appeared alongside Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd in HBO’s “The Idol” as Leia. She starred as Alice in the A24 thriller-comedy, “Bodies Bodies Bodies.”
A graduate from NYU Tisch with a focus in acting, Sennott’s breakthrough performance came from Seligman’s “Shiva Baby,” originally a student film that was adapted into a full-length feature.
- 3/18/2024
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
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.