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Tribeca Festival has revealed its feature film lineup for its 2024 festival, which includes films from actors Lily Gladstone and Michael Cera and documentaries featuring Prince, Carlos Santana and Dolly Parton.
The opening night film is documentary “Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge,” directed by Tribeca alumna Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Trish Dalton.
This year’s festival, which runs from June 5-16 in New York City, has a program of 103 feature films from 114 filmmakers spanning 48 countries. The lineup features 86 world premieres, two international premieres, six North American premieres and eight New York premieres.
The final selections were chosen from a record-breaking pool of 13,016 submissions. Half of the films in competition are directed by women and 35% (36) of all feature films are directed by Bipoc filmmakers. There are 30 films directed by first-time filmmakers and 25 directors are making their return to the annual New York film festival.
“In a year of record high submissions, despite industry-wide challenges,...
The opening night film is documentary “Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge,” directed by Tribeca alumna Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Trish Dalton.
This year’s festival, which runs from June 5-16 in New York City, has a program of 103 feature films from 114 filmmakers spanning 48 countries. The lineup features 86 world premieres, two international premieres, six North American premieres and eight New York premieres.
The final selections were chosen from a record-breaking pool of 13,016 submissions. Half of the films in competition are directed by women and 35% (36) of all feature films are directed by Bipoc filmmakers. There are 30 films directed by first-time filmmakers and 25 directors are making their return to the annual New York film festival.
“In a year of record high submissions, despite industry-wide challenges,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Jack Dunn
- Variety - Film News
The documentary “Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution” is set to premiere globally on June 18 on Netflix. The feature-length documentary, the first of its kind to address this topic, examines the history of queer stand-up comedy as — according to its logline — “an instrument for social change over the past five decades, actively reflecting and challenging cultural norms and values.”
The film combines stand-up performances and talking head interviews, as well as archival materials featuring LGBTQ+ comedians, and includes Lily Tomlin, Sandra Bernhard, Wanda Sykes, Suzy Izzard, Hannah Gadsby, Tig Notaro, Rosie O’Donnell, Margaret Cho, Bob The Drag Queen and Trixie Mattel.
Historians interviewed for the documentary include Dave Holmes, Roger Mason, Shar Jossell, Susan Stryker and Kate Aurthur, Variety‘s Editor-at-Large.
“Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution” is written and directed by Page Hurwitz. “I’m excited for the film to premiere, particularly at this time, because comedy has the power to unite, and...
The film combines stand-up performances and talking head interviews, as well as archival materials featuring LGBTQ+ comedians, and includes Lily Tomlin, Sandra Bernhard, Wanda Sykes, Suzy Izzard, Hannah Gadsby, Tig Notaro, Rosie O’Donnell, Margaret Cho, Bob The Drag Queen and Trixie Mattel.
Historians interviewed for the documentary include Dave Holmes, Roger Mason, Shar Jossell, Susan Stryker and Kate Aurthur, Variety‘s Editor-at-Large.
“Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution” is written and directed by Page Hurwitz. “I’m excited for the film to premiere, particularly at this time, because comedy has the power to unite, and...
- 4/17/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety - Film News
The Cannes Film Festival will award legendary Japanese anime house Studio Ghibli with its honorary Palme d’Or this year, the first time Cannes has given its highest award to a company instead of an individual.
“For the first time in our history, it’s not a person but an institution that we have chosen to celebrate,” said Cannes Festival president Iris Knobloch and general delegate Thierry Frémaux, announcing the honor on Wednesday. They praised Ghibli’s animated features as filled with characters who “populate our imaginations with prolific, colorful universes and sensitive, engaging narrations. With Ghibli, Japanese animation stands as one of the great adventures of cinephilia, between tradition and modernity.”
Founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Toshio Suzuki, and Yasuyoshi Tokuma, Studio Ghibli has in the past 40 years, “achieved what seemed to be an impossible feat: Independently producing pure masterpieces and conquering the mass market,” the festival said.
“For the first time in our history, it’s not a person but an institution that we have chosen to celebrate,” said Cannes Festival president Iris Knobloch and general delegate Thierry Frémaux, announcing the honor on Wednesday. They praised Ghibli’s animated features as filled with characters who “populate our imaginations with prolific, colorful universes and sensitive, engaging narrations. With Ghibli, Japanese animation stands as one of the great adventures of cinephilia, between tradition and modernity.”
Founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Toshio Suzuki, and Yasuyoshi Tokuma, Studio Ghibli has in the past 40 years, “achieved what seemed to be an impossible feat: Independently producing pure masterpieces and conquering the mass market,” the festival said.
- 4/17/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“For All Mankind” has been renewed for Season 5 at Apple TV+. In addition, Variety has learned the streamer has ordered a spinoff series focusing on the Soviet space program.
The spinoff is currently titled “Star City” and hails from “For All Mankind” creators Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi. Nedivi and Wolpert will serve as showrunners. The show will return to the beginning of “For All Mankind’s” alternative timeline, in which the Soviets are the first to reach the moon. But the show will then “explore the story from behind the Iron Curtain, showing the lives of the cosmonauts,...
The spinoff is currently titled “Star City” and hails from “For All Mankind” creators Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi. Nedivi and Wolpert will serve as showrunners. The show will return to the beginning of “For All Mankind’s” alternative timeline, in which the Soviets are the first to reach the moon. But the show will then “explore the story from behind the Iron Curtain, showing the lives of the cosmonauts,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety - TV News
Lionsgate Television is teaming with Park Chan-wook to develop an English-language TV adaptation of Park’s iconic film “Oldboy.”
Park directed and co-wrote the original film, which was itself loosely based on the Japanese manga of the same name. He will produce the new series version along with his producing partner, Syd Lim. Executives Courtney Mock and Tara Joshi are overseeing the project for Lionsgate Television. Bryan Weiser negotiated the deal.
“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing ‘Oldboy’ into the world of television,” said Park. “I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling.”
Originally released in 2003, “Oldboy” tells the story of a man who is kidnapped and held prisoner in a sealed hotel room for 15 years. He is suddenly released with no explanation, only to learn he has five days to discover why he was imprisoned or face the consequences.
Park directed and co-wrote the original film, which was itself loosely based on the Japanese manga of the same name. He will produce the new series version along with his producing partner, Syd Lim. Executives Courtney Mock and Tara Joshi are overseeing the project for Lionsgate Television. Bryan Weiser negotiated the deal.
“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing ‘Oldboy’ into the world of television,” said Park. “I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling.”
Originally released in 2003, “Oldboy” tells the story of a man who is kidnapped and held prisoner in a sealed hotel room for 15 years. He is suddenly released with no explanation, only to learn he has five days to discover why he was imprisoned or face the consequences.
- 4/17/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Talk about nepotism. “Abigail,” a blood-sucking thriller about the daughter of Dracula, arguably the most famous vampire in history, is poised to lead at the domestic box office.
The R-rated movie, from Universal Pictures, is aiming for $12 million to $15 million from 3,300 North American theaters in its first weekend of release. But “Abigail” first has to fend off last weekend’s champion, A24’s “Civil War,” before taking the box office crown. The provocative thriller debuted last weekend with $25.8 million and looks to bring in $10 million to $12 million in its sophomore outing.
Based on projections, “Abigail” will, however, dance circles around two fellow newcomers, director Guy Ritchie’s “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” and Crunchyroll’s anime adventure “Spy x Family Code: White.” Those films are targeting $5 million to $6 million, though rivals have pegged ticket sales ever-so-slightly higher at $8 million.
“Abigail” is based on Universal’s classic 1936 monster film “Dracula’s Daughter...
The R-rated movie, from Universal Pictures, is aiming for $12 million to $15 million from 3,300 North American theaters in its first weekend of release. But “Abigail” first has to fend off last weekend’s champion, A24’s “Civil War,” before taking the box office crown. The provocative thriller debuted last weekend with $25.8 million and looks to bring in $10 million to $12 million in its sophomore outing.
Based on projections, “Abigail” will, however, dance circles around two fellow newcomers, director Guy Ritchie’s “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” and Crunchyroll’s anime adventure “Spy x Family Code: White.” Those films are targeting $5 million to $6 million, though rivals have pegged ticket sales ever-so-slightly higher at $8 million.
“Abigail” is based on Universal’s classic 1936 monster film “Dracula’s Daughter...
- 4/17/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Pamela Anderson is dressing up for Naked Gun.
The actor has signed on to star opposite Liam Neeson in Paramount Pictures’ untitled remake of Naked Gun, based on the crime spoof comedies that were released in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Akiva Schaffer is directing the comedy, which has a script by Dan Gregor, Doug Mand and Schaffer. The trio were behind the popular and Emmy-winning Disney+ movie Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers.
The original movie, written and directed by Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams and David Zucker and based on their television series Police Squad! that lasted only six episodes, spoofed the tropes of police shows and films that had ingrained themselves into audience’s minds over the decades. It centered on an inept and clueless detective named Frank Drebin, played by Leslie Nielsen, who still somehow managed to solve the crime and save the day.
Plot details are...
The actor has signed on to star opposite Liam Neeson in Paramount Pictures’ untitled remake of Naked Gun, based on the crime spoof comedies that were released in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Akiva Schaffer is directing the comedy, which has a script by Dan Gregor, Doug Mand and Schaffer. The trio were behind the popular and Emmy-winning Disney+ movie Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers.
The original movie, written and directed by Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams and David Zucker and based on their television series Police Squad! that lasted only six episodes, spoofed the tropes of police shows and films that had ingrained themselves into audience’s minds over the decades. It centered on an inept and clueless detective named Frank Drebin, played by Leslie Nielsen, who still somehow managed to solve the crime and save the day.
Plot details are...
- 4/16/2024
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Studiocanal’s Amy Winehouse biopic “Back to Black” debuted atop the U.K and Ireland box office with £2.77 million ($3.4 million), according to numbers from Comscore.
It was neck-and-neck for the second spot. Entertainment Film Distributors’ “Civil War,” directed by Alex Garland and starring Kirsten Dunst, debuted with £1.82 million, including previews. In its third weekend, Universal’s “Kung Fu Panda 4” collected £1.75 million over the three-day weekend for a running total of £17.29 million.
In fourth place, in its third weekend, Warner Bros.’ “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” took in £1.18 million for a total of £11.89 million. Rounding off the top five, in its fourth weekend, Sony’s “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” earned £787,000 for a total of £14.06 million.
There were two debuts in the top 10, both from India. Rft Films’ Malayalam-language “Aavesham,” starring Fahadh Faasil, opened in ninth place with £207,300, while Yash Raj Films’ Bollywood film “Bade Miyan Chote Miyan,” with Akshay Kumar,...
It was neck-and-neck for the second spot. Entertainment Film Distributors’ “Civil War,” directed by Alex Garland and starring Kirsten Dunst, debuted with £1.82 million, including previews. In its third weekend, Universal’s “Kung Fu Panda 4” collected £1.75 million over the three-day weekend for a running total of £17.29 million.
In fourth place, in its third weekend, Warner Bros.’ “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” took in £1.18 million for a total of £11.89 million. Rounding off the top five, in its fourth weekend, Sony’s “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” earned £787,000 for a total of £14.06 million.
There were two debuts in the top 10, both from India. Rft Films’ Malayalam-language “Aavesham,” starring Fahadh Faasil, opened in ninth place with £207,300, while Yash Raj Films’ Bollywood film “Bade Miyan Chote Miyan,” with Akshay Kumar,...
- 4/16/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
Simone Biles has shared the emotional toll that the Tokyo Olympics had on her.
While appearing on Wednesday’s episode of podcast Call Her Daddy, the athlete opened up about her mental state during her vault performance, where she got the twisties—a term for when gymnasts lose their perceptual awareness of their body’s position while spinning in the air.
“We already knew my gymnastics was janky, like, in training I was having twisties already,” recalled Biles. “But [at the moment], I’m trying to push past that and I would literally tell my teammates, ‘I’m fighting demons right now but I’m going to do it for you guys.'”
She explained that she felt like she was “fighting” her body and mind to perform the tricks and tried out some alternate maneuvers while practicing but was still not feeling certain about how her Olympics competition would go.
She recalled...
While appearing on Wednesday’s episode of podcast Call Her Daddy, the athlete opened up about her mental state during her vault performance, where she got the twisties—a term for when gymnasts lose their perceptual awareness of their body’s position while spinning in the air.
“We already knew my gymnastics was janky, like, in training I was having twisties already,” recalled Biles. “But [at the moment], I’m trying to push past that and I would literally tell my teammates, ‘I’m fighting demons right now but I’m going to do it for you guys.'”
She explained that she felt like she was “fighting” her body and mind to perform the tricks and tried out some alternate maneuvers while practicing but was still not feeling certain about how her Olympics competition would go.
She recalled...
- 4/17/2024
- by Tatiana Tenreyro
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Known in France as a giant of modernist sculpture, to the rest of the world Camille Claudel is mainly remembered as Auguste Rodin’s lover.
Her tragic life, which included spending the last decades of her life in an asylum, has been immortalized on film by Isabelle Adjani opposite Gerard Depardieu in 1988’s Camille Claudel, and again by Juliette Binoche in 2013’s Camille Claudel 1915. A student, model, muse and lover to Rodin who blossomed into his rival, she produced artwork every bit as radical and expressive as his. And now — on view at the Getty through July 21 — is the first North American show in more than 30 years focusing solely on her work, including roughly 60 pieces.
The star of the show (seen first in the U.S. at the Art Institute of Chicago) is The Mature Age along with several iterations of her signature piece, The Waltz. Portraits in bronze or marble are plentiful too,...
Her tragic life, which included spending the last decades of her life in an asylum, has been immortalized on film by Isabelle Adjani opposite Gerard Depardieu in 1988’s Camille Claudel, and again by Juliette Binoche in 2013’s Camille Claudel 1915. A student, model, muse and lover to Rodin who blossomed into his rival, she produced artwork every bit as radical and expressive as his. And now — on view at the Getty through July 21 — is the first North American show in more than 30 years focusing solely on her work, including roughly 60 pieces.
The star of the show (seen first in the U.S. at the Art Institute of Chicago) is The Mature Age along with several iterations of her signature piece, The Waltz. Portraits in bronze or marble are plentiful too,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Jordan Riefe
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Brian Cox has never been one to withhold his true feelings, and at London’s HistFest the “Succession” star unloaded on a variety of topics Sunday night including politics, theater critics and Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon.”
“It’s terrible,” Cox said of the Oscar-nominated historical drama, per The Standard. “A truly terrible performance by Joaquin Phoenix. It really is appalling. I don’t know what he was thinking. I think it’s totally his fault and I don’t think Ridley Scott helps him. I would have played it a lot better than Joaquin Phoenix, I tell you that. You can say it’s good drama. No — it’s lies.”
Cox then mused about Phoenix’s name: “I think he’s well named. Joaquin … wackeen … wacky. It’s a sort of wacky performance.”
Variety has reached out to representatives for both Cox and Phoenix.
Speaking more broadly, Cox bemoaned the...
“It’s terrible,” Cox said of the Oscar-nominated historical drama, per The Standard. “A truly terrible performance by Joaquin Phoenix. It really is appalling. I don’t know what he was thinking. I think it’s totally his fault and I don’t think Ridley Scott helps him. I would have played it a lot better than Joaquin Phoenix, I tell you that. You can say it’s good drama. No — it’s lies.”
Cox then mused about Phoenix’s name: “I think he’s well named. Joaquin … wackeen … wacky. It’s a sort of wacky performance.”
Variety has reached out to representatives for both Cox and Phoenix.
Speaking more broadly, Cox bemoaned the...
- 4/17/2024
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety - Film News
The Seattle International Film Festival has revealed its lineup for the 50th edition, which takes place May 9–19 at venues across Seattle and followed by a week of select virtual screenings on the Siff Channel May 20–27. The program includes 261 films representing 84 countries and regions, including 92 features, 47 documentaries, five archival features, two special tributes, two secret screenings and 115 short films.
The festival will open with Josh Margolin’s action comedy “Thelma” from Magnolia Pictures, which will screen at the Paramount Theatre during Siff’s opening night on May 9. Other highlights include “Dìdi” (“弟弟”), a directorial debut from Oscar nominee Sean Wang; Neon’s “Babes” written by and starring Ilana Glazer and directed by first time director Pamela Adlon; IFC’s “Ghostlight” and Harmony Korine’s “Aggro Dr1ft”. Siff will close with Greg Kwedar’s “Sing Sing” from A24, which will screen on May 18 at Siff Cinema Downtown. Tickets and schedules can...
The festival will open with Josh Margolin’s action comedy “Thelma” from Magnolia Pictures, which will screen at the Paramount Theatre during Siff’s opening night on May 9. Other highlights include “Dìdi” (“弟弟”), a directorial debut from Oscar nominee Sean Wang; Neon’s “Babes” written by and starring Ilana Glazer and directed by first time director Pamela Adlon; IFC’s “Ghostlight” and Harmony Korine’s “Aggro Dr1ft”. Siff will close with Greg Kwedar’s “Sing Sing” from A24, which will screen on May 18 at Siff Cinema Downtown. Tickets and schedules can...
- 4/17/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay, Selena Kuznikov and Jack Dunn
- Variety - Film News
As filmmakers start to incorporate more generative AI into documentary production, leading to mounting concern over the use of “fake archival” materials, a group of producers is pushing ahead in their efforts to establish guardrails around the use of the technology in fact-based storytelling.
On Tuesday, leaders of the Archival Producers Alliance — a group of roughly 300 researchers and producers working in documentary internationally, including Oscar- and Emmy-winning filmmakers — presented their first draft of a set of proposed best practices for the use of generative AI in their field. (Archival producers find and license appropriate archival materials like historical photos and video footage for nonfiction projects.) During the session at the International Documentary Association’s biennial Getting Real Conference in Los Angeles, APA founders Rachel Antell and Jennifer Petrucelli (Crip Camp) and Stephanie Jenkins (Muhammad Ali) presented an initial outline for how filmmakers might handle consent, primary sources and transparency in...
On Tuesday, leaders of the Archival Producers Alliance — a group of roughly 300 researchers and producers working in documentary internationally, including Oscar- and Emmy-winning filmmakers — presented their first draft of a set of proposed best practices for the use of generative AI in their field. (Archival producers find and license appropriate archival materials like historical photos and video footage for nonfiction projects.) During the session at the International Documentary Association’s biennial Getting Real Conference in Los Angeles, APA founders Rachel Antell and Jennifer Petrucelli (Crip Camp) and Stephanie Jenkins (Muhammad Ali) presented an initial outline for how filmmakers might handle consent, primary sources and transparency in...
- 4/17/2024
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Bill Maher welcomed Katie Couric onto his “Club Random” podcast and passionately defended Woody Allen while the two discussed canceled artists in Hollywood. Maher said “I don’t think he committed that crime” in reference to Dylan Farrow’s molestation allegation against Allen, adding: “There was two police investigations that exonerated him.”
“There’s these actors who won’t work with him anymore and some of them made movies with him are saying, ‘I regret doing that.’ What a bunch of pussies!” Maher said. “First of all, it’s a very improbable crime that they’re accusing him of. Plainly, the other party had motivation and [was] vindictive.”
Maher referenced the HBO documentary “Allen v. Farrow” and said it was all from Mia Farrow’s point of view, alluding that it can’t fully be trusted as an unbiased account of what allegedly happened between Woody Allen and his adopted daughter,...
“There’s these actors who won’t work with him anymore and some of them made movies with him are saying, ‘I regret doing that.’ What a bunch of pussies!” Maher said. “First of all, it’s a very improbable crime that they’re accusing him of. Plainly, the other party had motivation and [was] vindictive.”
Maher referenced the HBO documentary “Allen v. Farrow” and said it was all from Mia Farrow’s point of view, alluding that it can’t fully be trusted as an unbiased account of what allegedly happened between Woody Allen and his adopted daughter,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety - Film News
Director Joshua Erkman’s feature debut, “A Desert,” will be launched for world sales by Yellow Veil Pictures ahead of its Tribeca Film Festival premiere in June.
The film stars Kai Lennox, David Yow (“I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore”) and Sarah Lind (“A Wounded Fawn”). Cinematographer Jay Keitel shot the film and Ty Segall composed its soundtrack and original score.
“A Desert” marks the first production from Yellow Veil Pictures in partnership with Capes & Fog, a production company founded by Erkman.
The film follows a past-his-prime photographer on a road trip across the American Southwest hoping to recapture the magic and success of his previous work. Instead, he finds himself thrust into the dark and chaotic underbelly of America and unwittingly drags his wife and a shady private detective down into the nightmare world with him.
“Moving into the production space has always been a...
The film stars Kai Lennox, David Yow (“I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore”) and Sarah Lind (“A Wounded Fawn”). Cinematographer Jay Keitel shot the film and Ty Segall composed its soundtrack and original score.
“A Desert” marks the first production from Yellow Veil Pictures in partnership with Capes & Fog, a production company founded by Erkman.
The film follows a past-his-prime photographer on a road trip across the American Southwest hoping to recapture the magic and success of his previous work. Instead, he finds himself thrust into the dark and chaotic underbelly of America and unwittingly drags his wife and a shady private detective down into the nightmare world with him.
“Moving into the production space has always been a...
- 4/17/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety - Film News
Lionsgate Television is teaming with Park Chan-wook to develop an English-language TV adaptation of Park’s iconic film “Oldboy.”
Park directed and co-wrote the original film, which was itself loosely based on the Japanese manga of the same name. He will produce the new series version along with his producing partner, Syd Lim. Executives Courtney Mock and Tara Joshi are overseeing the project for Lionsgate Television. Bryan Weiser negotiated the deal.
“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing ‘Oldboy’ into the world of television,” said Park. “I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold,...
Park directed and co-wrote the original film, which was itself loosely based on the Japanese manga of the same name. He will produce the new series version along with his producing partner, Syd Lim. Executives Courtney Mock and Tara Joshi are overseeing the project for Lionsgate Television. Bryan Weiser negotiated the deal.
“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing ‘Oldboy’ into the world of television,” said Park. “I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety - TV News
Get ready for more Gladiators.
Range Sports has signed American Gladiators creator Johnny Ferraro for representation, with plans to revitalize the reality competition franchise.
Range plans to work with Ferraro and his partners “on the development of the American Gladiators IP across TV, film, attractions, merchandise and live events.” Ferraro and Range “are in active development on multiple projects” to bring the American Gladiators brand to new audiences.
“American Gladiators is an iconic brand, and we couldn’t be more excited to work with Johnny to accelerate its growth and expansion across sports, culture and entertainment,” said Will Funk & Greg Luckman, co-presidents of Range Sports, in a statement.
The original series, which ran in syndication from 1989-1996, saw contestants face off against elite “gladiators” in made-for-tv competitions. It was revived in 2008 as a primetime show for NBC, and earlier this year it was rebooted by the BBC, earning a quick second series pickup.
Range Sports has signed American Gladiators creator Johnny Ferraro for representation, with plans to revitalize the reality competition franchise.
Range plans to work with Ferraro and his partners “on the development of the American Gladiators IP across TV, film, attractions, merchandise and live events.” Ferraro and Range “are in active development on multiple projects” to bring the American Gladiators brand to new audiences.
“American Gladiators is an iconic brand, and we couldn’t be more excited to work with Johnny to accelerate its growth and expansion across sports, culture and entertainment,” said Will Funk & Greg Luckman, co-presidents of Range Sports, in a statement.
The original series, which ran in syndication from 1989-1996, saw contestants face off against elite “gladiators” in made-for-tv competitions. It was revived in 2008 as a primetime show for NBC, and earlier this year it was rebooted by the BBC, earning a quick second series pickup.
- 4/17/2024
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook is partnering with Lionsgate Television to develop a series version of his 2003 revenge thriller Oldboy.
The project would be an English-language adaptation of the story, which was loosely based on a magna with the same name.
“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing Oldboy into the world of television,” said Park. “I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling.”
In addition to directing The Handmaiden and Decision to Leave, Park previously produced the dystopian thriller Snowpiercer which was likewise adapted into a series. He’s also directing and producing HBO’s new limited series The Sympathizer starring Robert Downey, Jr.
“Park is one of the most visionary storytellers of our generation, and we’re excited to partner with him in bringing his cinematic masterpiece to the television screen,” added Scott Herbst, EVP and Head of Scripted Development,...
The project would be an English-language adaptation of the story, which was loosely based on a magna with the same name.
“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing Oldboy into the world of television,” said Park. “I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling.”
In addition to directing The Handmaiden and Decision to Leave, Park previously produced the dystopian thriller Snowpiercer which was likewise adapted into a series. He’s also directing and producing HBO’s new limited series The Sympathizer starring Robert Downey, Jr.
“Park is one of the most visionary storytellers of our generation, and we’re excited to partner with him in bringing his cinematic masterpiece to the television screen,” added Scott Herbst, EVP and Head of Scripted Development,...
- 4/17/2024
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The workers who play characters like Goofy and Mickey Mouse and cheer and dance at parades at Disneyland have taken a step forward in their push to unionize with Actors’ Equity.
The group of organizers, which is seeking to represent 1,700 employees, filed a petition for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board, Actors’ Equity president Kate Shindle announced at a press conference in Anaheim on Wednesday. According to Shindle, a “supermajority” of eligible employees have signed union authorization cards, supporting the move to be represented by Actors’ Equity in collective bargaining. Beyond performers, the group — which calls itself “Magic United” — also includes workers who help facilitate character performers’ interactions with park patrons and trainers who work with them.
“These performers, and the Hosts, Leads and Trainers who create magic alongside them, know that their lives — as well as the Guest experience at Disneyland — can be improved through collective bargaining,...
The group of organizers, which is seeking to represent 1,700 employees, filed a petition for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board, Actors’ Equity president Kate Shindle announced at a press conference in Anaheim on Wednesday. According to Shindle, a “supermajority” of eligible employees have signed union authorization cards, supporting the move to be represented by Actors’ Equity in collective bargaining. Beyond performers, the group — which calls itself “Magic United” — also includes workers who help facilitate character performers’ interactions with park patrons and trainers who work with them.
“These performers, and the Hosts, Leads and Trainers who create magic alongside them, know that their lives — as well as the Guest experience at Disneyland — can be improved through collective bargaining,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
With France on its highest level of security alert amid geopolitical turmoil in Ukraine and the Middle East, organizers behind the Paris Olympics are still going ahead with ambitious plans to host the opening ceremony along the Seine river on July 26.
Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, said on Monday in an interview with French outlets Bfm TV and Rmc that the opening ceremony could relocate to an indoor location “depending on our analysis of the context.” “We have fallback scenarios. There are plan Bs and plan Cs,” Macron said, citing the Stade de France as an alternate location.
Under...
Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, said on Monday in an interview with French outlets Bfm TV and Rmc that the opening ceremony could relocate to an indoor location “depending on our analysis of the context.” “We have fallback scenarios. There are plan Bs and plan Cs,” Macron said, citing the Stade de France as an alternate location.
Under...
- 4/17/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - TV News
With France on its highest level of security alert amid geopolitical turmoil in Ukraine and the Middle East, organizers behind the Paris Olympics are still going ahead with ambitious plans to host the opening ceremony along the Seine river on July 26.
Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, said on Monday in an interview with French outlets Bfm TV and Rmc that the opening ceremony could relocate to an indoor location “depending on our analysis of the context.” “We have fallback scenarios. There are plan Bs and plan Cs,” Macron said, citing the Stade de France as an alternate location.
Under the current plans put together by Tony Estanguet, the gold-medal winning French athlete who presides over the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, as many as 10,500 athletes from all around the world will parade on boats along the six-kilometer Seine River. Macron suggested the itinerary might be shortened. Original plans have already been...
Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, said on Monday in an interview with French outlets Bfm TV and Rmc that the opening ceremony could relocate to an indoor location “depending on our analysis of the context.” “We have fallback scenarios. There are plan Bs and plan Cs,” Macron said, citing the Stade de France as an alternate location.
Under the current plans put together by Tony Estanguet, the gold-medal winning French athlete who presides over the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, as many as 10,500 athletes from all around the world will parade on boats along the six-kilometer Seine River. Macron suggested the itinerary might be shortened. Original plans have already been...
- 4/17/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
For 27 of the last 32 years, Ziffren Brittenham senior partner Clifford Gilbert-Lurie has served as one of the chairs of the Champions for Children’s gala dinner benefiting the Alliance for Children’s Rights, an experience he says is akin to throwing a wedding.
“There’s so much that goes into it, and then you’re very concerned that the dinner comes off well and everybody has a good time and it’s meaningful,” explains Gilbert-Lurie, who’s a past chairman and current board member of the organization. “When it’s finally over, I take this huge sigh of relief, because...
“There’s so much that goes into it, and then you’re very concerned that the dinner comes off well and everybody has a good time and it’s meaningful,” explains Gilbert-Lurie, who’s a past chairman and current board member of the organization. “When it’s finally over, I take this huge sigh of relief, because...
- 4/17/2024
- by Todd Longwell
- Variety - TV News
For 27 of the last 32 years, Ziffren Brittenham senior partner Clifford Gilbert-Lurie has served as one of the chairs of the Champions for Children’s gala dinner benefiting the Alliance for Children’s Rights, an experience he says is akin to throwing a wedding.
“There’s so much that goes into it, and then you’re very concerned that the dinner comes off well and everybody has a good time and it’s meaningful,” explains Gilbert-Lurie, who’s a past chairman and current board member of the organization. “When it’s finally over, I take this huge sigh of relief, because I don’t have to worry about it for a couple more months.”
According to Universal Studio Group chairman Pearlena Igbokwe, Gilbert-Lurie doesn’t wait that long. She says that he called her just a few days after last year’s dinner, “while I was still in the afterglow of an amazing night,...
“There’s so much that goes into it, and then you’re very concerned that the dinner comes off well and everybody has a good time and it’s meaningful,” explains Gilbert-Lurie, who’s a past chairman and current board member of the organization. “When it’s finally over, I take this huge sigh of relief, because I don’t have to worry about it for a couple more months.”
According to Universal Studio Group chairman Pearlena Igbokwe, Gilbert-Lurie doesn’t wait that long. She says that he called her just a few days after last year’s dinner, “while I was still in the afterglow of an amazing night,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Todd Longwell
- Variety - Film News
By all measures, Ziffren Brittenham senior partner Clifford Gilbert-Lurie has had a storied run as an entertainment attorney. Over the course of his four-decade-plus career, he has made big deals for a long list of loyal clients that have generated pages upon pages of headlines in the show business trades. For those professional accomplishments, along with his philanthropic efforts, he’s being honored with Variety’s Power of Law Award at a breakfast April 18 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills.
But if one had to point to a single metric that sums up how much he is valued,...
But if one had to point to a single metric that sums up how much he is valued,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Todd Longwell
- Variety - TV News
Fremantle is to handle worldwide sales on country music feature documentary “Rebel Country,” which will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.
The film looks at a new breed of stars who are rewriting the rules and challenging the culture of country music. It explores the tensions of race, class, poverty, gender, sexuality and creativity versus commerce and geography that are prevalent in the U.S., while also acknowledging the musicians’ connection to Nashville’s rebellious roots.
“Rebel Country” is directed by Francis Whately, whose credits include “Five Years” and “Dolly Parton: Here I Am.” Executive producers are BMG, and Gabriel Jagger and Janet Lee for WhyNow Studios.
Whately said: “I am excited to have ‘Rebel Country’ premiere in this current moment that the country music genre is experiencing. The musicians, noted music journalists, and historians included in the film help give a broad picture of the genre...
The film looks at a new breed of stars who are rewriting the rules and challenging the culture of country music. It explores the tensions of race, class, poverty, gender, sexuality and creativity versus commerce and geography that are prevalent in the U.S., while also acknowledging the musicians’ connection to Nashville’s rebellious roots.
“Rebel Country” is directed by Francis Whately, whose credits include “Five Years” and “Dolly Parton: Here I Am.” Executive producers are BMG, and Gabriel Jagger and Janet Lee for WhyNow Studios.
Whately said: “I am excited to have ‘Rebel Country’ premiere in this current moment that the country music genre is experiencing. The musicians, noted music journalists, and historians included in the film help give a broad picture of the genre...
- 4/17/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety - Film News
Kenya Barris was deeply inspired by “The Cosby Show” when he created “Black-ish” in 2014. The writer and executive producer wanted to create a similarly beloved family sitcom that was expressly Black, not only with the characters, but also in the subject matter the show covered. That mission was achieved, and like “The Cosby Show,” “Black-ish” went on to spawn a TV universe that would also make an impact.
“Grown-ish” was the first “Black-ish” spinoff. It has now gone six seasons and will air its 100th episode this month. Similar to “A Different World” with Lisa Bonet’s Denise Huxtable from “The Cosby Show,...
“Grown-ish” was the first “Black-ish” spinoff. It has now gone six seasons and will air its 100th episode this month. Similar to “A Different World” with Lisa Bonet’s Denise Huxtable from “The Cosby Show,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Megan Vick
- Variety - TV News
Apple is doubling down on For All Mankind.
The iPhone maker and streamer has handed out a fifth season renewal for Ron Moore’s For All Mankind and a straight-to-series order for Star City, a spinoff following the Soviet space race.
As with the flagship series, Moore, Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi co-created Star City, with the latter duo set to showrun both programs for producer Sony Pictures Television.
“Our fascination with the Soviet space program has grown with every season of For All Mankind,” said executive producers Wolpert and Nedivi in a statement announcing the news Wednesday. “The more we learned about this secret city in the forests outside Moscow where the Soviet cosmonauts and engineers worked and lived, the more we wanted to tell this story of the other side of the space race. We could not be more excited to continue building out the alternate history universe...
The iPhone maker and streamer has handed out a fifth season renewal for Ron Moore’s For All Mankind and a straight-to-series order for Star City, a spinoff following the Soviet space race.
As with the flagship series, Moore, Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi co-created Star City, with the latter duo set to showrun both programs for producer Sony Pictures Television.
“Our fascination with the Soviet space program has grown with every season of For All Mankind,” said executive producers Wolpert and Nedivi in a statement announcing the news Wednesday. “The more we learned about this secret city in the forests outside Moscow where the Soviet cosmonauts and engineers worked and lived, the more we wanted to tell this story of the other side of the space race. We could not be more excited to continue building out the alternate history universe...
- 4/17/2024
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Arthouse streamer Mubi has picked up worldwide rights for Witches, the new documentary feature from British director Elizabeth Sankey (Romantic Comedy) and will roll out the movie globally following its world premiere in the Viewpoints section of the Tribeca Festival in June.
Inspired by Sankey’s own struggles with mental health, the film draws connections between postpartum depression and the history and cinematic representation of witches in Western society.
“I started making Witches soon after being released from the psychiatric ward [for postpartum illness] as a way of trying to process what had happened to me,” said Sankey. “I researched the history of women in medicine and found they were once the main healers in their communities, but that ended with the 16th century witch trials. I also read about the women of this period who “confessed” to being witches without torture. Their symptoms were the same as mine – depression, suicidal ideation, and...
Inspired by Sankey’s own struggles with mental health, the film draws connections between postpartum depression and the history and cinematic representation of witches in Western society.
“I started making Witches soon after being released from the psychiatric ward [for postpartum illness] as a way of trying to process what had happened to me,” said Sankey. “I researched the history of women in medicine and found they were once the main healers in their communities, but that ended with the 16th century witch trials. I also read about the women of this period who “confessed” to being witches without torture. Their symptoms were the same as mine – depression, suicidal ideation, and...
- 4/17/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Visual effects studio Digital Domain is introducing a new version of its Masquerade facial motion capture system, which eliminates the need for actors to wear tracking markers on their faces during production. Cto Hanno Basse tells Variety that the company is sharing the development with customers and “we’re probably going to do several projects this year” using the tech.
A bit of history: Earlier versions of Masquerade were used by Digital Domain to enable Josh Brolin to play Thanos in “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame” and Tatiana Maslany to portray the titular “She Hulk.”
Basse believes that by eliminating the need to use tracking markers, Masquerade3 can save time and money while getting a more precise performance.
“It removes the need of getting the dots on people’s faces every day. So it saves time and money on set,” he says. “The other thing was, because the dots...
A bit of history: Earlier versions of Masquerade were used by Digital Domain to enable Josh Brolin to play Thanos in “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame” and Tatiana Maslany to portray the titular “She Hulk.”
Basse believes that by eliminating the need to use tracking markers, Masquerade3 can save time and money while getting a more precise performance.
“It removes the need of getting the dots on people’s faces every day. So it saves time and money on set,” he says. “The other thing was, because the dots...
- 4/17/2024
- by Carolyn Giardina
- Variety - Film News
Sports icons Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe are getting in the game as TV producers.
Bird and Rapinoe’s production banner, A Touch More, has teamed up with independent TV studio Future Shack Entertainment to develop “Cleat Cute,” the bestselling novel from author Meryl Wilsner.
“Cleat Cute” is a contemporary queer romance that follows a young soccer player as she juggles being the new rookie, her goals of making the national team, and a budding romance with her team captain.
“Sports is a universal language and breeding ground for world class storytelling,” said Future Shack CEO Jeff Wachtel in a statement.
Bird and Rapinoe’s production banner, A Touch More, has teamed up with independent TV studio Future Shack Entertainment to develop “Cleat Cute,” the bestselling novel from author Meryl Wilsner.
“Cleat Cute” is a contemporary queer romance that follows a young soccer player as she juggles being the new rookie, her goals of making the national team, and a budding romance with her team captain.
“Sports is a universal language and breeding ground for world class storytelling,” said Future Shack CEO Jeff Wachtel in a statement.
- 4/17/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety - TV News
Mark Twain once quipped, “Age is a case of mind over matter. If you don’t mind it, it doesn’t matter.” When it comes to Martin Scorsese, age certainly isn’t making a difference. After landing 10 Oscar nominations for last year’s historical crime epic “Killers of the Flower Moon,” the 81-year-old director has mapped out his next several projects. Sources say he plans to shoot two films back to back: the first about Jesus, the second a Frank Sinatra biopic.
The Oscar-winning director who helped usher in the Hollywood New Wave of the 1970s is looking to bypass the studio system and independently finance “Life of Jesus,” based on Shūsaku Endō’s 1973 book. He took the same approach with the 2016 drama “Silence” (which also was adapted from an Endō novel). In fact, Scorsese would like to reunite with “Silence” star Andrew Garfield for the Jesus project, though it...
The Oscar-winning director who helped usher in the Hollywood New Wave of the 1970s is looking to bypass the studio system and independently finance “Life of Jesus,” based on Shūsaku Endō’s 1973 book. He took the same approach with the 2016 drama “Silence” (which also was adapted from an Endō novel). In fact, Scorsese would like to reunite with “Silence” star Andrew Garfield for the Jesus project, though it...
- 4/17/2024
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Variety - Film News
Olivia Munn is shared the harrowing details of her breast cancer journey which has led her to have medically induced menopause.
In a People magazine cover story published Wednesday, Munn reflected on her breast cancer diagnosis she revealed publicly last month, which has since led to four surgeries and a double mastectomy. She also shared how partner John Mulaney supported her throughout with their son.
“I was not someone who obsessed over death or was afraid of it in any way,” she said, adding that “having a little baby at home made everything much more terrifying.”
“You realize cancer doesn’t care who you are; it doesn’t care if you have a baby or if you don’t have time,” she said. “It comes at you, and you have no choice but to face it head-on.”
When faced with a fast-moving cancer known as luminal B, within 30 days Munn...
In a People magazine cover story published Wednesday, Munn reflected on her breast cancer diagnosis she revealed publicly last month, which has since led to four surgeries and a double mastectomy. She also shared how partner John Mulaney supported her throughout with their son.
“I was not someone who obsessed over death or was afraid of it in any way,” she said, adding that “having a little baby at home made everything much more terrifying.”
“You realize cancer doesn’t care who you are; it doesn’t care if you have a baby or if you don’t have time,” she said. “It comes at you, and you have no choice but to face it head-on.”
When faced with a fast-moving cancer known as luminal B, within 30 days Munn...
- 4/17/2024
- by Lexy Perez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Before teaming up with director Luca Guadagnino on Challengers, Zendaya sought advice from Dune costar Timothée Chalamet, who starred in Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name in 2017.
“He said wonderful things,” Zendaya told The Hollywood Reporter at the Los Angeles premiere of Challengers on Tuesday. “Luca is brilliant and I’ve wanted to work with Luca for a very long time and this just seemed like the absolute perfect thing. When we first met about the script he had such a keen, deep understanding of the characters from the beginning and a clearer idea of the kind of movie he wanted to create. And the script was brilliant, [writer] Justin Kuritzkes is so talented and I’m so happy for him. So it all made sense.”
Zendaya reveals if Timothée Chalamet gave her any tips on working with director Luca Guadagnino and tells THR how she has wanted to work...
“He said wonderful things,” Zendaya told The Hollywood Reporter at the Los Angeles premiere of Challengers on Tuesday. “Luca is brilliant and I’ve wanted to work with Luca for a very long time and this just seemed like the absolute perfect thing. When we first met about the script he had such a keen, deep understanding of the characters from the beginning and a clearer idea of the kind of movie he wanted to create. And the script was brilliant, [writer] Justin Kuritzkes is so talented and I’m so happy for him. So it all made sense.”
Zendaya reveals if Timothée Chalamet gave her any tips on working with director Luca Guadagnino and tells THR how she has wanted to work...
- 4/17/2024
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Tribeca Festival has announced the features lineup for its 2024 edition, which will open with the world premiere of Hulu documentary Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge, directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Trish Dalton.
Other highlights in this year’s features lineup include the world premieres of documentaries about Liza Minnelli (Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story), Renee Elise Goldsberry (Satisfied), Ani Difranco (1-800-on-her-own) and “the Brat Pack” (Brats) as well as screenings of Jazzy, with Lily Gladstone; Daddio, starring Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn; Michael Angarano’s Sacramento, starring Michael Cera, Kristen Stewart and Maya Erskine; All That We Love, starring Margaret Cho and Jesse Tyler Ferguson; and the world premiere of Tiffany Paulsen’s Winter Spring Summer or Fall starring Jenna Ortega and Percy Hynes White.
The festival will also two docs with comedy stars: Group Therapy, with Neil Patrick Harris, Mike Birbiglia and Tig Notaro,...
Other highlights in this year’s features lineup include the world premieres of documentaries about Liza Minnelli (Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story), Renee Elise Goldsberry (Satisfied), Ani Difranco (1-800-on-her-own) and “the Brat Pack” (Brats) as well as screenings of Jazzy, with Lily Gladstone; Daddio, starring Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn; Michael Angarano’s Sacramento, starring Michael Cera, Kristen Stewart and Maya Erskine; All That We Love, starring Margaret Cho and Jesse Tyler Ferguson; and the world premiere of Tiffany Paulsen’s Winter Spring Summer or Fall starring Jenna Ortega and Percy Hynes White.
The festival will also two docs with comedy stars: Group Therapy, with Neil Patrick Harris, Mike Birbiglia and Tig Notaro,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
What do Peyton Manning, Snoop Dogg, Kelly Clarkson, Mike Tirico and Jimmy Fallon have in common?
This is not a joke — at least not to the leaders of NBC Universal and a small army of NBC Sports producers hunkered down at offices in Stamford, Conn., and Paris, France.
The answer is the Paris Olympics, which will be telecast in the U.S. with a markedly different approach this summer. Primetime coverage will be aimed at a much broader crowd than it has for recent Olympic Games. NBCUniversal has $7.8 billion on the hi line in rights fees for the Games through...
This is not a joke — at least not to the leaders of NBC Universal and a small army of NBC Sports producers hunkered down at offices in Stamford, Conn., and Paris, France.
The answer is the Paris Olympics, which will be telecast in the U.S. with a markedly different approach this summer. Primetime coverage will be aimed at a much broader crowd than it has for recent Olympic Games. NBCUniversal has $7.8 billion on the hi line in rights fees for the Games through...
- 4/17/2024
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety - TV News
Talk about nepo babies. “Abigail,” a blood-sucking thriller about the daughter of Dracula, arguably the most famous vampire in history, is poised to lead at the domestic box office.
The R-rated movie, from Universal Pictures, is aiming for $12 million to $15 million from 3,300 North American theaters in its first weekend of release. But “Abigail” first has to fend off last weekend’s champion, A24’s “Civil War,” before taking the box office crown. The provocative thriller debuted last weekend with $25.8 million and looks to bring in $10 million to $12 million in its sophomore outing.
Based on projections, “Abigail” will, however, dance circles around two fellow newcomers, director Guy Ritchie’s “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” and Crunchyroll’s anime adventure “Spy x Family Code: White.” Those films are targeting $5 million to $6 million, though rivals have pegged ticket sales ever-so-slightly higher at $8 million.
“Abigail” is based on Universal’s classic 1936 monster film “Dracula’s Daughter...
The R-rated movie, from Universal Pictures, is aiming for $12 million to $15 million from 3,300 North American theaters in its first weekend of release. But “Abigail” first has to fend off last weekend’s champion, A24’s “Civil War,” before taking the box office crown. The provocative thriller debuted last weekend with $25.8 million and looks to bring in $10 million to $12 million in its sophomore outing.
Based on projections, “Abigail” will, however, dance circles around two fellow newcomers, director Guy Ritchie’s “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” and Crunchyroll’s anime adventure “Spy x Family Code: White.” Those films are targeting $5 million to $6 million, though rivals have pegged ticket sales ever-so-slightly higher at $8 million.
“Abigail” is based on Universal’s classic 1936 monster film “Dracula’s Daughter...
- 4/17/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
Take-Two Interactive will be cutting the company’s workforce by 5 percent as part of a broader cost-reduction plan.
The plan, which was approved by the board of directors of the video game publisher Tuesday, also includes eliminating “several projects in development” and “streamlining its organizational structure,” leading to the layoffs. The company expects to bring in $165 million in cost savings.
The company did not name the projects to be eliminated. Take-Two Ineractive had 11,580 full-time employees as of March 2023.
The company will also incur between $160 million to $200 million in total charges in connection with the plan. The plan is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2024.
The company, which acquired mobile game publisher Zynga in 2022, is also home to popular game franchises such as Grand Theft Auto, NBA 2K, WWE 2K and Red Dead.
In late March, the video game publisher struck a definitive agreement with Embracer Group to acquire The Gearbox Entertainment Co.
The plan, which was approved by the board of directors of the video game publisher Tuesday, also includes eliminating “several projects in development” and “streamlining its organizational structure,” leading to the layoffs. The company expects to bring in $165 million in cost savings.
The company did not name the projects to be eliminated. Take-Two Ineractive had 11,580 full-time employees as of March 2023.
The company will also incur between $160 million to $200 million in total charges in connection with the plan. The plan is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2024.
The company, which acquired mobile game publisher Zynga in 2022, is also home to popular game franchises such as Grand Theft Auto, NBA 2K, WWE 2K and Red Dead.
In late March, the video game publisher struck a definitive agreement with Embracer Group to acquire The Gearbox Entertainment Co.
- 4/17/2024
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Studio Ghibli, the animation studio behind “My Neighbor Totoro” and the Oscar-winning animated feature “The Boy and the Heron,” is being awarded an Honorary Palme d’Or at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival. It marks the first time that the award will be given to a group.
The studio was co-founded by Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki in 1984 following the release of Miyazaki’s “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.”
“I am truly honored and delighted that the studio is awarded the Honorary Palme d’Or,” Suzuki said in a statement. “I would like to thank the Festival de Cannes from the bottom of my heart. Forty years ago, Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and I established Studio Ghibli with the desire to bring high-level, high-quality animation to children and adults of all ages. Today, our films are watched by people all over the world, and many visitors come to the Ghibli Museum,...
The studio was co-founded by Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki in 1984 following the release of Miyazaki’s “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.”
“I am truly honored and delighted that the studio is awarded the Honorary Palme d’Or,” Suzuki said in a statement. “I would like to thank the Festival de Cannes from the bottom of my heart. Forty years ago, Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and I established Studio Ghibli with the desire to bring high-level, high-quality animation to children and adults of all ages. Today, our films are watched by people all over the world, and many visitors come to the Ghibli Museum,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety - Film News
Viaplay’s streaming service — specializing in award-winning Scandinavian series and films — is now available as an add-on subscription on Amazon’s Prime Video Channels in the United States.
Starting Wednesday, Prime members in the U.S. will be able to sign up for Viaplay for $5.99 per month (with a seven-day free trial available for eligible customers) through Prime Video Channels.
In February, Viaplay shut down its own app and direct-to-consumer streaming service in the U.S. and Canada, and the company has now focused its international distribution strategy in building growth via partnerships. Viaplay is already available in North America...
Starting Wednesday, Prime members in the U.S. will be able to sign up for Viaplay for $5.99 per month (with a seven-day free trial available for eligible customers) through Prime Video Channels.
In February, Viaplay shut down its own app and direct-to-consumer streaming service in the U.S. and Canada, and the company has now focused its international distribution strategy in building growth via partnerships. Viaplay is already available in North America...
- 4/17/2024
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety - TV News
The Universal horror movie “Abigail” began as a modern-day twist on “Dracula’s Daughter,” but making a film about the legendary vampire’s blood-sucking scion wasn’t the reason why the filmmaking trio Radio Silence — producer Chad Villella and directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett — wanted to make the project their follow-up to 2022’s “Scream” and 2023’s “Scream VI.”
“As freeing as it is to challenge the format of what a ‘Scream’ movie is, you’re playing in a pretty specific sandbox,” Gillett says. “Coming out of ‘Scream VI,’ it was just really clear, like, what if we could take any risk that we felt creatively inspired to take and not have to worry about how it fits into the legacy of a predecessor?”
Instead, Radio Silence wanted to return to their roots in original horror, from 2012’s “V/H/S” to 2019’s “Ready or Not.” In “Abigail,” a team of mercenary thieves — played by Melissa Barrera,...
“As freeing as it is to challenge the format of what a ‘Scream’ movie is, you’re playing in a pretty specific sandbox,” Gillett says. “Coming out of ‘Scream VI,’ it was just really clear, like, what if we could take any risk that we felt creatively inspired to take and not have to worry about how it fits into the legacy of a predecessor?”
Instead, Radio Silence wanted to return to their roots in original horror, from 2012’s “V/H/S” to 2019’s “Ready or Not.” In “Abigail,” a team of mercenary thieves — played by Melissa Barrera,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Adam B. Vary
- Variety - Film News
Barbra Streisand is looking to make the final scene in The Tattooist of Auschwitz memorable and poignant as the credits roll after recording a new song, “Love Will Survive,” for the Peacock and Sky original drama.
Marking her first ever recording for a TV series, Streisand has performed the end title anthem for the series about two young Jewish prisoners in the Nazi concentration camp who fall in love and commit themselves to survive the Holocaust together.
Hans Zimmer and Kara Talve composed the original song for the limited series that stars Harvey Keitel, Melanie Lynskey, Jonah Hauer-King, Anna Próchniak and Jonas Nay, and which Streisand recorded to in part recall the memory of the Holocaust and the specter of antisemitism resurfacing again.
“Because of the rise in antisemitism around the world today, I wanted to sing ‘Love Will Survive’ in the context of this series, as a way of...
Marking her first ever recording for a TV series, Streisand has performed the end title anthem for the series about two young Jewish prisoners in the Nazi concentration camp who fall in love and commit themselves to survive the Holocaust together.
Hans Zimmer and Kara Talve composed the original song for the limited series that stars Harvey Keitel, Melanie Lynskey, Jonah Hauer-King, Anna Próchniak and Jonas Nay, and which Streisand recorded to in part recall the memory of the Holocaust and the specter of antisemitism resurfacing again.
“Because of the rise in antisemitism around the world today, I wanted to sing ‘Love Will Survive’ in the context of this series, as a way of...
- 4/17/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Barbra Streisand has recorded a new song, “Love Will Survive,” to serve as the end-title theme for “The Tattooist of Auschwitz,” a six-part, Holocaust-themedseries that premieres on Peacock in the U.S. and Sky in other territories on May 2.
The song will come out globally via her longtime label, Columbia Records, on April 25.
It’s Streisand’s first-ever song pegged for a television series. Although she has released a series of archival recordings in recent years, “Love Will Survive” marks her first release of new and original material since her “Walls” album in 2018.
Said Streisand in a statement: “Because of...
The song will come out globally via her longtime label, Columbia Records, on April 25.
It’s Streisand’s first-ever song pegged for a television series. Although she has released a series of archival recordings in recent years, “Love Will Survive” marks her first release of new and original material since her “Walls” album in 2018.
Said Streisand in a statement: “Because of...
- 4/17/2024
- by Chris Willman
- Variety - TV News
Actor Hugh Grant has settled a lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., the publisher of The Sun newspaper, out of court.
The trial was to have determined whether the News Corp. tabloid carried out unlawful information gathering, including tapping Grant’s landline phone, bugging his car and breaking into his home. But Grant in a post on X, formerly Twitter, said he had decided to “settle my claim out of court before it goes to trial,” to avoid possibly heavy court costs.
“As is common with entirely innocent people, they are offering me an enormous sum of money to keep this matter out of court. I don’t want to accept this money or settle. I would love to see all the allegations that they deny tested in court,” Grant said in an X thread, without disclosing the size of his out-of-court settlement.
“But the rules around civil litigation...
The trial was to have determined whether the News Corp. tabloid carried out unlawful information gathering, including tapping Grant’s landline phone, bugging his car and breaking into his home. But Grant in a post on X, formerly Twitter, said he had decided to “settle my claim out of court before it goes to trial,” to avoid possibly heavy court costs.
“As is common with entirely innocent people, they are offering me an enormous sum of money to keep this matter out of court. I don’t want to accept this money or settle. I would love to see all the allegations that they deny tested in court,” Grant said in an X thread, without disclosing the size of his out-of-court settlement.
“But the rules around civil litigation...
- 4/17/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Los Lobos, the iconic East Los Angeles band that elevated that helped bring Chicano music to the masses over the last 50 years, is the subject of the feature-length documentary with the working title “Los Lobos Native Sons,” currently in production and slated for a 2024 release. The film features testimonials from George Lopez, Linda Ronstadt, Tom Waits, Dolores Huerta, Bonnie Raitt, Flaco Jimenez, Cheech Marin, a trailer below.
Formed more than 50 years ago in East Los Angeles, the group is unique and versatile, able to play roots rock, Musica Mexicana, soul, folk and a galaxy of other styles. The film is co-directed by veteran filmmaker, producer, and editor Doug Blush and photographer/filmmaker Piero F. Giunti, and produced by Robert Corsini and Flavio Morales.
Blush says, “Los Lobos, as much as any modern band, has expanded and re-defined what’s possible in American music, and in their phenomenal half-century and counting,...
Formed more than 50 years ago in East Los Angeles, the group is unique and versatile, able to play roots rock, Musica Mexicana, soul, folk and a galaxy of other styles. The film is co-directed by veteran filmmaker, producer, and editor Doug Blush and photographer/filmmaker Piero F. Giunti, and produced by Robert Corsini and Flavio Morales.
Blush says, “Los Lobos, as much as any modern band, has expanded and re-defined what’s possible in American music, and in their phenomenal half-century and counting,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Jem Aswad
- Variety - Film News
Wall Street is betting that Netflix’s stream machine was continuing to fire on all cylinders coming into 2024.
After netting a whopping 13.1 million new subs in Q4, Netflix is riding a wave of momentum that remains buoyed by the company’s paid-sharing strategy, as it converts password borrowers into paying members, according to analysts. Netflix “remains the undisputed leader in streaming TV,” Macquarie Equity Research’s Tim Nollen said in a research note to clients Monday.
Netflix is scheduled to report Q1 2024 earnings after market close Thursday (April 18). The company previously said it expects Q1 net adds to be higher than the year-earlier period,...
After netting a whopping 13.1 million new subs in Q4, Netflix is riding a wave of momentum that remains buoyed by the company’s paid-sharing strategy, as it converts password borrowers into paying members, according to analysts. Netflix “remains the undisputed leader in streaming TV,” Macquarie Equity Research’s Tim Nollen said in a research note to clients Monday.
Netflix is scheduled to report Q1 2024 earnings after market close Thursday (April 18). The company previously said it expects Q1 net adds to be higher than the year-earlier period,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety - TV News
After reaping the rewards of a protracted growth spurt, Italy’s film industry is facing a forced slowdown as the country’s right-wing government dithers with modifications they plan to make to several key regulations, most significantly to the country’s now stalled tax incentives for film and TV production.
At a packed protest event held earlier this month in Rome’s Cinema Adriano multiplex, industry figures from all sectors – including producers, writers, actors and big-name directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Marco Bellocchio – lashed out against having to wait endlessly for the government to approve new guidelines so production companies can apply for the 40% tax credits that basically drive the business. Some are also concerned that their projects might end up not complying with still murky new eligibility criteria.
“We are waiting for the new regulatory framework, and more importantly we need to know how much money the government will grant,...
At a packed protest event held earlier this month in Rome’s Cinema Adriano multiplex, industry figures from all sectors – including producers, writers, actors and big-name directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Marco Bellocchio – lashed out against having to wait endlessly for the government to approve new guidelines so production companies can apply for the 40% tax credits that basically drive the business. Some are also concerned that their projects might end up not complying with still murky new eligibility criteria.
“We are waiting for the new regulatory framework, and more importantly we need to know how much money the government will grant,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety - Film News
“Dom (Home in Russian),” “Quir” and “Iceman” look like potential standouts at Swiss Films Previews, the only spread of national movies at Switzerland’s Visions du Réel, the country’s leading doc festival.
Presented via excerpts at a two-hour showcase on Wednesday, three further titles – “Kalari – the Martial Art of Female Power,” “The Boy from the River Drina” and “Spheres” – underscored the strength in depth of documentary filmmaking in Switzerland and at least in this year’s Previews, a leitmotif. In an era of adverse circumstance, the doc features highlight figures who rebel, whether against Russia’s war on the Ukraine (“Dom”), climate change (“Iceman”), homophobia in Palermo, gender violence (“Kalari”), the Srebrenica massacre (“Boy”) or, in the case of Daniel Zimmermann, director of “Spheres,” stock narrative.
The doc features’ protagonists rebel, moreover, with courage, good humor, imagination, and above all resilience. “Quir,” for example, captures footage of gay couple...
Presented via excerpts at a two-hour showcase on Wednesday, three further titles – “Kalari – the Martial Art of Female Power,” “The Boy from the River Drina” and “Spheres” – underscored the strength in depth of documentary filmmaking in Switzerland and at least in this year’s Previews, a leitmotif. In an era of adverse circumstance, the doc features highlight figures who rebel, whether against Russia’s war on the Ukraine (“Dom”), climate change (“Iceman”), homophobia in Palermo, gender violence (“Kalari”), the Srebrenica massacre (“Boy”) or, in the case of Daniel Zimmermann, director of “Spheres,” stock narrative.
The doc features’ protagonists rebel, moreover, with courage, good humor, imagination, and above all resilience. “Quir,” for example, captures footage of gay couple...
- 4/17/2024
- by John Hopewell and Lise Pedersen
- Variety - Film News
QVC is bowing to the prevailing demographic trends with the launch of a massive business and programming initiative targeted women over the age of 50.
The home shopping stalwart steered is introducing “The Age of Possibility” marketing and programming campaign highlighting female celebrities and leaders age 50 and over who are demonstrating the third act that modern women are experiencing.
The list includes such boldface names as Martha Stewart, Queen Latifah, Naomi Watts, Christina Applegate, Billie Jean King, Patti Labelle and Sherri Shepherd and prominent executives such as Dentsu’s Diane Epstein and Liberty Media’s Renee Wilm. John Malone’s Liberty...
The home shopping stalwart steered is introducing “The Age of Possibility” marketing and programming campaign highlighting female celebrities and leaders age 50 and over who are demonstrating the third act that modern women are experiencing.
The list includes such boldface names as Martha Stewart, Queen Latifah, Naomi Watts, Christina Applegate, Billie Jean King, Patti Labelle and Sherri Shepherd and prominent executives such as Dentsu’s Diane Epstein and Liberty Media’s Renee Wilm. John Malone’s Liberty...
- 4/17/2024
- by William Earl
- Variety - TV News
[This story contains major spoilers from Shōgun’s ninth episode, “Crimson Sky.”]
Shōgun star Anna Sawai is bidding adieu to Lady Akechi Mariko.
The Japanese actor, who was born in New Zealand and raised in Japan, considers the acclaimed miniseries’ penultimate episode, “Crimson Sky,” to be her “final farewell” to her fan-favorite character. Written by Rachel Kondo/Caillin Puente and directed by Frederick E.O. Toye, the dramatic roller coaster of an episode concluded with Mariko sacrificing her life for Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), all in an effort to signal Ishido Kazunari’s (Takehiro Hira) corruption and hopefully spark a rebellion. But as Sawai will soon find out, when an actor is fortunate enough to catch lightning in a bottle and create a beloved character, the audience and the world at large forever keep that character’s spirit alive — whether it’s through a compliment at a coffee shop, an interaction at a fan expo or even a question at a future press junket.
Shōgun star Anna Sawai is bidding adieu to Lady Akechi Mariko.
The Japanese actor, who was born in New Zealand and raised in Japan, considers the acclaimed miniseries’ penultimate episode, “Crimson Sky,” to be her “final farewell” to her fan-favorite character. Written by Rachel Kondo/Caillin Puente and directed by Frederick E.O. Toye, the dramatic roller coaster of an episode concluded with Mariko sacrificing her life for Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), all in an effort to signal Ishido Kazunari’s (Takehiro Hira) corruption and hopefully spark a rebellion. But as Sawai will soon find out, when an actor is fortunate enough to catch lightning in a bottle and create a beloved character, the audience and the world at large forever keep that character’s spirit alive — whether it’s through a compliment at a coffee shop, an interaction at a fan expo or even a question at a future press junket.
- 4/17/2024
- by Brian Davids
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
French actor Guillaume Canet is starring, writing, and producing the new Netflix thriller Ad Vitam
Rodolphe Lauga (It’s Complicated) is directing the action film, which has begun shooting in Paris. Netflix will release the movie worldwide next year.
Canet plays Franck Lazareff who, after surviving an attempt on his life, finds his wife has been kidnapped by a mysterious group of armed men. Trying to rescue her, Frank finds his past catching up with him. Stéphane Caillard, Nassim Lyes, Zita Hanrot and Alexis Manenti co-star.
Canet and Lauga co-wrote the script to Ad Vitam in association with de David Corona and Canet is producing, together with Jean Cottin for the Cabanes shingle.
Guillaume Canet recently directed himself as Gallic comic book hero Asterix in the live action feature Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom and appeared in the French thriller Breaking Point. from director Yvan Attal. The multi-hyphenate has directed several films,...
Rodolphe Lauga (It’s Complicated) is directing the action film, which has begun shooting in Paris. Netflix will release the movie worldwide next year.
Canet plays Franck Lazareff who, after surviving an attempt on his life, finds his wife has been kidnapped by a mysterious group of armed men. Trying to rescue her, Frank finds his past catching up with him. Stéphane Caillard, Nassim Lyes, Zita Hanrot and Alexis Manenti co-star.
Canet and Lauga co-wrote the script to Ad Vitam in association with de David Corona and Canet is producing, together with Jean Cottin for the Cabanes shingle.
Guillaume Canet recently directed himself as Gallic comic book hero Asterix in the live action feature Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom and appeared in the French thriller Breaking Point. from director Yvan Attal. The multi-hyphenate has directed several films,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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