Top News
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) has set its lineup of narrative and documentary features for its 28th edition, including Jussie Smollett’s return to acting in “The Lost Holliday,” filmmaker Christine Swanson’s latest drama “Albany Road” and the acclaimed Luther Vandross doc “Never Too Much.”
This year’s festival takes place June 12-16 in Miami Beach, Fla., followed by a virtual segment June 17-24 on ABFF Play. Winners of film festival competition will be announced on June 15, during the “Best of ABFF Awards” hosted by Emmy-nominee Dondré Whitfield.
The 2024 narrative lineup includes “Albany Road,” directed and written by Swanson, starring Renée Elise Goldsberry, Lynn Whitfield and J. Alphonse Nicholson; “The Lost Holliday” directed by, co-written and starring Smollett alongside Vivica A. Fox, produced by Mona Scott-Young; “The Waterboyz,” directed by Coke Daniels and produced by Ben Crump, starring Akil McDowell, Alani “La La” Anthony and Quavo; and “Black Heat,...
This year’s festival takes place June 12-16 in Miami Beach, Fla., followed by a virtual segment June 17-24 on ABFF Play. Winners of film festival competition will be announced on June 15, during the “Best of ABFF Awards” hosted by Emmy-nominee Dondré Whitfield.
The 2024 narrative lineup includes “Albany Road,” directed and written by Swanson, starring Renée Elise Goldsberry, Lynn Whitfield and J. Alphonse Nicholson; “The Lost Holliday” directed by, co-written and starring Smollett alongside Vivica A. Fox, produced by Mona Scott-Young; “The Waterboyz,” directed by Coke Daniels and produced by Ben Crump, starring Akil McDowell, Alani “La La” Anthony and Quavo; and “Black Heat,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety - Film News
Thandiwe Newton is the latest new cast member to join “Wednesday” Season 2 at Netflix.
Variety has learned exclusively from sources that Newton will star in the second season of the megahit series. Exact character details are being kept under wraps. She is the latest new cast member to be revealed, as Variety previously reported that Steve Buscemi will also appear in Season 2.
Reps for Netflix declined to comment.
Newton has held a number of TV roles in her career, perhaps most notably starring in the HBO series “Westworld.” She received three Emmy nominations for best supporting actress in a drama for that show,...
Variety has learned exclusively from sources that Newton will star in the second season of the megahit series. Exact character details are being kept under wraps. She is the latest new cast member to be revealed, as Variety previously reported that Steve Buscemi will also appear in Season 2.
Reps for Netflix declined to comment.
Newton has held a number of TV roles in her career, perhaps most notably starring in the HBO series “Westworld.” She received three Emmy nominations for best supporting actress in a drama for that show,...
- 4/23/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety - TV News
Terry Carter, who played sergeant Joe Broadhurst on the TV series “McCloud” and detective Colonel Tigh on the original “Battlestar Galactica,” died at his home in New York, N.Y., Tuesday morning. He was 95.
Born John Everett DeCoste in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Dec. 16, 1928, to parents of Dominican, Argentine and African American descent, Carter would go on to become the first Black TV news anchor for Boston’s Wbz-tv Eyewitness News, where he also became their first opening night drama and movie critic. He was also one of the first Black regulars on the 1956 TV sitcom series “The Phil Silvers Show,” in which he played Private Sugarman.
Carter’s other credits include the 1970 TV movie “Company of Killers,” in which he starred alongside Van Johnson and Ray Milland, and the 1974 film “Foxy Brown” with Pam Grier.
In 1979 Carter formed the Council for Positive Images, a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing intercultural and interethnic understanding through media.
Born John Everett DeCoste in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Dec. 16, 1928, to parents of Dominican, Argentine and African American descent, Carter would go on to become the first Black TV news anchor for Boston’s Wbz-tv Eyewitness News, where he also became their first opening night drama and movie critic. He was also one of the first Black regulars on the 1956 TV sitcom series “The Phil Silvers Show,” in which he played Private Sugarman.
Carter’s other credits include the 1970 TV movie “Company of Killers,” in which he starred alongside Van Johnson and Ray Milland, and the 1974 film “Foxy Brown” with Pam Grier.
In 1979 Carter formed the Council for Positive Images, a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing intercultural and interethnic understanding through media.
- 4/23/2024
- by Lexi Carson
- Variety - Film News
Gwyneth Paltrow kicked off her 11th In Goop Health Summit April 19 to 21 at the upscale Park Hyatt Aviara Resort Golf Club & Spa in Carlsbad, where a Miraval Life in Balance Spa Aviara was unveiled in September as the final phase of a $60 million resort-wide renovation. Guests paid $1,200 for a day-long Summit Pass or $4,000 for a Weekender Pass, which included a two-night stay at the resort, a welcome dinner and brunch.
As usual, there was an array of wellness experiences and thought leaders. The keynote featured Justina Blakeney, founder of home décor brand Jungalow, and powerhouse entrepreneur Emma Grede, who co-founded Khloé Kardashian’s denim brand Good American in 2016, co-founded Skims shapewear with her husband Jens Gredes and Kim Kardashian in 2019, and rolled out both Kris Jenner’s natural cleaning brand Safely in 2021 and Kylie Jenner’s Khy fashion label in October 2023.
Tapping into Grede’s smarts for business strategy, Paltrow asked her,...
As usual, there was an array of wellness experiences and thought leaders. The keynote featured Justina Blakeney, founder of home décor brand Jungalow, and powerhouse entrepreneur Emma Grede, who co-founded Khloé Kardashian’s denim brand Good American in 2016, co-founded Skims shapewear with her husband Jens Gredes and Kim Kardashian in 2019, and rolled out both Kris Jenner’s natural cleaning brand Safely in 2021 and Kylie Jenner’s Khy fashion label in October 2023.
Tapping into Grede’s smarts for business strategy, Paltrow asked her,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Ingrid Schmidt
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There were many memorable cinematic performances that came from actresses in 1999 (Annette Bening in American Beauty, Samantha Morton in Sweet and Lowdown, Julianne Moore in Magnolia). And then there was a truly iconic turn from Reese Witherspoon as Tracy Flick, the terrifying antagonist in Alexander Payne’s sharp political satire, Election.
A cunning, ambitious and oh-so-annoying foil to her teacher and would-be mentor, Omaha-area social studies instructor Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick), Tracy is at times the worst — for example, when her affair with Mr. McAllister’s best friend is discovered, the teenager has no qualms about abandoning him entirely — and in other moments, Tracy can be the absolute best. At least, she insists on that top slot, no matter what: having the highest grades, getting into the best college, winning a high school election — she’s destined for greatness, which in the time Election takes place means winning the office...
A cunning, ambitious and oh-so-annoying foil to her teacher and would-be mentor, Omaha-area social studies instructor Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick), Tracy is at times the worst — for example, when her affair with Mr. McAllister’s best friend is discovered, the teenager has no qualms about abandoning him entirely — and in other moments, Tracy can be the absolute best. At least, she insists on that top slot, no matter what: having the highest grades, getting into the best college, winning a high school election — she’s destined for greatness, which in the time Election takes place means winning the office...
- 4/24/2024
- by Kevin Dolak
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes are looking to take a bite out of 28 Years Later, with the actors joining the long-awaited sequel, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
Danny Boyle is once again directing, after helming 2002’s 28 Days Later, which centered on a man (Cillian Murphy) who wakes up in the hospital to find the United Kingdom overtaken by a zombie plague. Civil War filmmaker Alex Garland, who penned the script, is back to write what is intended to be a trilogy of films for Sony. The original feature helped revive the zombie genre and already had a sequel, 2007’s 28 Weeks Later, which only nominally involved Boyle and Garland as executive producers.
Boyle and Garland will produce the new film with Andrew Macdonald, Peter Rice and Bernie Bellew. Original star Murphy will serve as executive producer.
Comer has the period motorcycle drama The Bikeriders due out June...
Danny Boyle is once again directing, after helming 2002’s 28 Days Later, which centered on a man (Cillian Murphy) who wakes up in the hospital to find the United Kingdom overtaken by a zombie plague. Civil War filmmaker Alex Garland, who penned the script, is back to write what is intended to be a trilogy of films for Sony. The original feature helped revive the zombie genre and already had a sequel, 2007’s 28 Weeks Later, which only nominally involved Boyle and Garland as executive producers.
Boyle and Garland will produce the new film with Andrew Macdonald, Peter Rice and Bernie Bellew. Original star Murphy will serve as executive producer.
Comer has the period motorcycle drama The Bikeriders due out June...
- 4/24/2024
- by Aaron Couch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Endeavor’s $21 billion deal to merge its UFC with the WWE and create Tko Group Holdings last year created a live sports powerhouse. The deal, orchestrated by the Ari Emanuel-led holding company, also delivered rich compensation packages for its top executives.
Emanuel took home a package valued at nearly $65 million last year, including a $911,538 salary (it is prorated to reflect only Sept. 12, 2023 to the end of the year), a $24 million bonus, and $40 million in stock awards, per Tko’s 2023 proxy filing disclosed on Wednesday.
As always with CEO pay packages (including Emanuel’s $300 million-plus package in 2021), that number is dependent on the company hitting key metrics, and the share price consistently moving upwards.
Tko president and COO Mark Shapiro earned a package valued at $16.1 million last year, while CFO Andrew Schleimer took home an $8.8 million package. WWE president Nick Khan, who is also a board member of the company,...
Emanuel took home a package valued at nearly $65 million last year, including a $911,538 salary (it is prorated to reflect only Sept. 12, 2023 to the end of the year), a $24 million bonus, and $40 million in stock awards, per Tko’s 2023 proxy filing disclosed on Wednesday.
As always with CEO pay packages (including Emanuel’s $300 million-plus package in 2021), that number is dependent on the company hitting key metrics, and the share price consistently moving upwards.
Tko president and COO Mark Shapiro earned a package valued at $16.1 million last year, while CFO Andrew Schleimer took home an $8.8 million package. WWE president Nick Khan, who is also a board member of the company,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The April 13 Saturday Night Live, with host Ryan Gosling and musical guest Chris Stapleton, had several talked-about moments, from Gosling’s monologue with his Fall Guy co-star Emily Blunt to a Beavis and Butt-head sketch that caused cast member Heidi Gardner to break down laughing. Taylor Swift also gave a thumbs-up to Gosling and Blunt’s Barbenheimer-themed reworking of “All Too Well.”
The water-cooler nature of the episode paid off in the ratings, as SNL hit some of its best numbers of recent years. After a week of cross-platform viewing, the episode drew 8.9 million viewers and a 2.0 rating (equivalent to about 2.64 million people) in the adults 18-49 demographic, both of which are season highs.
More than season highs, in fact: SNL had its best showing in total viewers since Dec. 11, 2021, when Billie Eilish was both the host and musical guest. The show also hit its best 18-49 rating since Nov.
The water-cooler nature of the episode paid off in the ratings, as SNL hit some of its best numbers of recent years. After a week of cross-platform viewing, the episode drew 8.9 million viewers and a 2.0 rating (equivalent to about 2.64 million people) in the adults 18-49 demographic, both of which are season highs.
More than season highs, in fact: SNL had its best showing in total viewers since Dec. 11, 2021, when Billie Eilish was both the host and musical guest. The show also hit its best 18-49 rating since Nov.
- 4/24/2024
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Michael Kors is back on Rodeo Drive after a nearly four-year hiatus. The new 1,500-square-foot Michael Kors Collection store opened at 242 N. Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills on April 18 and is the first North American location to premiere the brand’s new conceptual design for its collection boutiques.
A wide glass door welcomes customers to the street level of the two-floor store — which is done in walnut shelving, antique brass, gold Calacatta marble and oxidized maple — where shoes and handbags from the latest collection are showcased opposite a large video wall. In the lower-level study, the intentionally minimalistic space is decorated in a neutral color palette of grey, white and black. Mannequins are styled in items from the brand’s Spring-Summer 2024 collection, like the black chantilly lace bodysuit ($890) and matching skirt ($2,690) topped with the double crepe sablé boyfriend blazer ($2,290) and the suntan chantilly lace slip gown ($3,890).
“With this new concept,...
A wide glass door welcomes customers to the street level of the two-floor store — which is done in walnut shelving, antique brass, gold Calacatta marble and oxidized maple — where shoes and handbags from the latest collection are showcased opposite a large video wall. In the lower-level study, the intentionally minimalistic space is decorated in a neutral color palette of grey, white and black. Mannequins are styled in items from the brand’s Spring-Summer 2024 collection, like the black chantilly lace bodysuit ($890) and matching skirt ($2,690) topped with the double crepe sablé boyfriend blazer ($2,290) and the suntan chantilly lace slip gown ($3,890).
“With this new concept,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Brande Victorian
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Meta reported first quarter revenue of $36.5 billion, up 27 percent from the year-earlier period and above Wall Street expectations.
The company, which owns Facebook, Instagram and more, had issued guidance of $34.5 to $37 billion for the first quarter. Meta reported income of $12.4 billion, up 117 percent from the year-earlier period.
“It’s been a good start to the year,” said Mark Zuckerberg, Meta founder and CEO. “The new version of Meta AI with Llama 3 is another step towards building the world’s leading AI. We’re seeing healthy growth across our apps and we continue making steady progress building the metaverse as well.”
On the earnings call, Zuckerberg said the rollout of the new Meta AI, an assistant that can be used within search to answer complex queries, creates animations from still images and more, last week is going well, with tens of million of people trying it and giving positive feedback.
The company, which owns Facebook, Instagram and more, had issued guidance of $34.5 to $37 billion for the first quarter. Meta reported income of $12.4 billion, up 117 percent from the year-earlier period.
“It’s been a good start to the year,” said Mark Zuckerberg, Meta founder and CEO. “The new version of Meta AI with Llama 3 is another step towards building the world’s leading AI. We’re seeing healthy growth across our apps and we continue making steady progress building the metaverse as well.”
On the earnings call, Zuckerberg said the rollout of the new Meta AI, an assistant that can be used within search to answer complex queries, creates animations from still images and more, last week is going well, with tens of million of people trying it and giving positive feedback.
- 4/24/2024
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Tracee Ellis Ross is packing her bags and inviting audiences to join her solo travel adventures with the new Roku Original series “Tracee Travels.”
The series will chronicle the award-winning actor and Pattern CEO and founder as she “meticulously, laboriously, and sometimes ridiculously prepares for and travels solo to spectacular locations.” The series will shoot later this year, following Ross as she “charts her own path, exploring the intersection of beauty, fashion, design, food and culture at each stop.”
“I took my first solo trip when I was 22 years old. I decided way back then that I wouldn’t wait...
The series will chronicle the award-winning actor and Pattern CEO and founder as she “meticulously, laboriously, and sometimes ridiculously prepares for and travels solo to spectacular locations.” The series will shoot later this year, following Ross as she “charts her own path, exploring the intersection of beauty, fashion, design, food and culture at each stop.”
“I took my first solo trip when I was 22 years old. I decided way back then that I wouldn’t wait...
- 4/24/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety - TV News
Jimmie Allen revealed he contemplated suicide following the sexual abuse allegations against him last year as a way to financially provide for his family.
In May 2023, the country music artist’s former manager, identified only as Jane Doe, alleged he raped and sexually abused her several times. In a statement released at the time, Allen claimed the two had a consensual sexual relationship that lasted for two years.
“It is deeply troubling and hurtful that someone I counted as one of my closest friends, colleagues and confidants would make allegations that have no truth to them whatsoever. I acknowledge that we had a sexual relationship,” his statement read. “During that time, she never once accused me of any wrongdoing, and she spoke of our relationship and friendship as being something she wanted to continue indefinitely. Only after things ended between us, did she hire a lawyer to reach out and ask for money,...
In May 2023, the country music artist’s former manager, identified only as Jane Doe, alleged he raped and sexually abused her several times. In a statement released at the time, Allen claimed the two had a consensual sexual relationship that lasted for two years.
“It is deeply troubling and hurtful that someone I counted as one of my closest friends, colleagues and confidants would make allegations that have no truth to them whatsoever. I acknowledge that we had a sexual relationship,” his statement read. “During that time, she never once accused me of any wrongdoing, and she spoke of our relationship and friendship as being something she wanted to continue indefinitely. Only after things ended between us, did she hire a lawyer to reach out and ask for money,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s streamer JioCinema is making a play to become India’s top streaming service by introducing cheap premium tier plans.
From April 25, the service’s existing INR999 ($12) annual plan for international premium content is being replaced by a monthly plan of INR29 (35 cents) for a single device or INR89 ($1.05) monthly for a family plan that covers four devices. The new plans are branded JioCinema Premium and will be up to 4K streaming quality.
JioCinema’s sports content that includes the lucrative Indian Premier League (Ipl) cricket tournament will continue to be available for free as an AVOD service.
From April 25, the service’s existing INR999 ($12) annual plan for international premium content is being replaced by a monthly plan of INR29 (35 cents) for a single device or INR89 ($1.05) monthly for a family plan that covers four devices. The new plans are branded JioCinema Premium and will be up to 4K streaming quality.
JioCinema’s sports content that includes the lucrative Indian Premier League (Ipl) cricket tournament will continue to be available for free as an AVOD service.
- 4/24/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - TV News
Angelina Jolie’s scrapped “Cleopatra” movie was part romance epic and part “political thriller with assassinations and sex,” according to the movie’s original screenwriter Brian Helgeland. The Oscar-winning actor was set to play the Egyptian queen in a tentpole for Sony Pictures that once courted director David Fincher to helm. It never got off the ground.
“I was the very first writer on ‘Cleopatra’ when it was being developed for Angelina Jolie to star in, which was almost made,” Helgeland said in an interview with Inverse. “It had elements of a political thriller with assassinations and sex, but it’s an epic that’s divided between her love affairs with Caesar and Marc Antony. Lots of true events surprised me when I was writing it.”
“For example, the day Caesar was assassinated — the Ides of March and all that stuff — she was in Rome,” he continued. “They were leaving for Egypt,...
“I was the very first writer on ‘Cleopatra’ when it was being developed for Angelina Jolie to star in, which was almost made,” Helgeland said in an interview with Inverse. “It had elements of a political thriller with assassinations and sex, but it’s an epic that’s divided between her love affairs with Caesar and Marc Antony. Lots of true events surprised me when I was writing it.”
“For example, the day Caesar was assassinated — the Ides of March and all that stuff — she was in Rome,” he continued. “They were leaving for Egypt,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety - Film News
Here is an incomplete list of people who might really enjoy Hulu’s Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story: Longtime Bon Jovi fans, who know this story by heart but love it enough to want to hear it again. More recent converts, eager to fill in the gaps of their knowledge. Individuals who are deeply invested in Jon Bon Jovi as a person, and wondering how he’s been. Jon himself, presumably — though the frontman has stressed that he did not have final cut, director Gotham Chopra has assembled a portrait as reverent as any celebrity might reasonably hope for.
Everyone else — the casual listeners, the total newbies, the gossips and (at least in my case) the critics — can probably keep walking. Thank You, Goodnight is a perfectly nice retrospective, approachable and amiable and affectionate. But that’s not the same thing as saying it’s a particularly insightful one.
Everyone else — the casual listeners, the total newbies, the gossips and (at least in my case) the critics — can probably keep walking. Thank You, Goodnight is a perfectly nice retrospective, approachable and amiable and affectionate. But that’s not the same thing as saying it’s a particularly insightful one.
- 4/24/2024
- by Angie Han
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 31st edition of Canada’s influential Hot Docs Film Festival, which gets underway Thursday, could very well be the last.
For the past month, the Toronto festival, one of North America’s largest dedicated to documentaries, has been roiled by staff and funding turmoil. On March 25, artistic director Hussain Currimbhoy and 10 of the fest’s programmers abruptly exited their posts. That was followed by Hot Docs president Marie Nelson issuing an “urgent appeal” for more funding. But the Canadian government declined to provide funding for the doc fest in the federal budget unveiled April 16. The budget added more $88 million in funding for the screen sector, including $17 million over three years for the larger Toronto International Film Festival.
The mass exodus of staff and lack of much-needed government funding has put the future of Hot Docs in serious jeopardy. Fest organizers indicated as much after the federal budget was unveiled.
For the past month, the Toronto festival, one of North America’s largest dedicated to documentaries, has been roiled by staff and funding turmoil. On March 25, artistic director Hussain Currimbhoy and 10 of the fest’s programmers abruptly exited their posts. That was followed by Hot Docs president Marie Nelson issuing an “urgent appeal” for more funding. But the Canadian government declined to provide funding for the doc fest in the federal budget unveiled April 16. The budget added more $88 million in funding for the screen sector, including $17 million over three years for the larger Toronto International Film Festival.
The mass exodus of staff and lack of much-needed government funding has put the future of Hot Docs in serious jeopardy. Fest organizers indicated as much after the federal budget was unveiled.
- 4/24/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety - Film News
Taylor Swift has broken another record.
The singer’s new album, The Tortured Poets Department, is now Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single week — after only five days.
On Wednesday, it passed 1 billion streams since its April 19 release.
This marks the latest record for Swift’s new album. On the day of its release, it became the first album in Spotify history to notch more than 300 million streams in a single day. Swift also holds the record as the most-streamed artist in a single day, breaking her previous record for 1989 (Taylor’s Version) on Oct. 27.
Swift now boasts the three most-streamed albums in a single day on Spotify, with Tortured Poets followed by Midnights and 1989 (Taylor’s Version).
The debut single, “Fortnight,” featuring Post Malone, became the most-streamed song in a single day.
The day before Tortured Poets’ release, the album became the most pre-saved album countdown page in Spotify history.
The singer’s new album, The Tortured Poets Department, is now Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single week — after only five days.
On Wednesday, it passed 1 billion streams since its April 19 release.
This marks the latest record for Swift’s new album. On the day of its release, it became the first album in Spotify history to notch more than 300 million streams in a single day. Swift also holds the record as the most-streamed artist in a single day, breaking her previous record for 1989 (Taylor’s Version) on Oct. 27.
Swift now boasts the three most-streamed albums in a single day on Spotify, with Tortured Poets followed by Midnights and 1989 (Taylor’s Version).
The debut single, “Fortnight,” featuring Post Malone, became the most-streamed song in a single day.
The day before Tortured Poets’ release, the album became the most pre-saved album countdown page in Spotify history.
- 4/24/2024
- by Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In many ways, the role of Mary Jane, the single mother at the center of Amy Herzog’s compassionate play Mary Jane, was made for Rachel McAdams.
The actress’ most notable characters include an acid-tongued high-school student (Mean Girls), a lovesick Southern belle (The Notebook) and a tireless investigative reporter (Spotlight), but last year she delivered a quietly moving performance in Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, which marked a new turn in her understated style.
In Kelly Fremon Craig’s adaptation of Judy Blume’s novel, McAdams breathed new life into Margaret’s mother Barbara, a woman estranged from her conservative family after marrying a Jewish man (Benny Safdie). The actress’ best scenes are the hushed ones, moments in which her character, enveloped by the quiet of an empty house, releases the tension in her shoulders and indulges in her anxieties and uncertainties. Not only must Barbara...
The actress’ most notable characters include an acid-tongued high-school student (Mean Girls), a lovesick Southern belle (The Notebook) and a tireless investigative reporter (Spotlight), but last year she delivered a quietly moving performance in Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, which marked a new turn in her understated style.
In Kelly Fremon Craig’s adaptation of Judy Blume’s novel, McAdams breathed new life into Margaret’s mother Barbara, a woman estranged from her conservative family after marrying a Jewish man (Benny Safdie). The actress’ best scenes are the hushed ones, moments in which her character, enveloped by the quiet of an empty house, releases the tension in her shoulders and indulges in her anxieties and uncertainties. Not only must Barbara...
- 4/24/2024
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A raging policy debate in Washington is forcing Hollywood to curb its enthusiasm for mergers and acquisitions — for now.
Federal regulators and some legal scholars are moving to radically overhaul how the nation enforces antitrust laws. That’s making it much harder for dealmakers and corporate titans to pursue M&a activity. The regulatory mood in Washington, where transactions of any size must be approved by the Justice Department and other agencies, has become downright hostile to large-scale deals.
For Hollywood, the timing is terrible. Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Comcast and NBCUniversal are conceiving potential new combinations with traditional or digital giants, but they’re hemmed in by the chilly atmosphere in D.C. The new breed of regulators are concerned that digital giants à la Google, Facebook and Amazon have been allowed to become too big and too powerful.
The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission have issued much...
Federal regulators and some legal scholars are moving to radically overhaul how the nation enforces antitrust laws. That’s making it much harder for dealmakers and corporate titans to pursue M&a activity. The regulatory mood in Washington, where transactions of any size must be approved by the Justice Department and other agencies, has become downright hostile to large-scale deals.
For Hollywood, the timing is terrible. Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Comcast and NBCUniversal are conceiving potential new combinations with traditional or digital giants, but they’re hemmed in by the chilly atmosphere in D.C. The new breed of regulators are concerned that digital giants à la Google, Facebook and Amazon have been allowed to become too big and too powerful.
The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission have issued much...
- 4/24/2024
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety - Film News
A raging policy debate in Washington is forcing Hollywood to curb its enthusiasm for mergers and acquisitions — for now.
Federal regulators and some legal scholars are moving to radically overhaul how the nation enforces antitrust laws. That’s making it much harder for dealmakers and corporate titans to pursue M&a activity. The regulatory mood in Washington, where transactions of any size must be approved by the Justice Department and other agencies, has become downright hostile to large-scale deals.
For Hollywood, the timing is terrible. Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Comcast and NBCUniversal are conceiving potential new combinations with traditional or digital giants,...
Federal regulators and some legal scholars are moving to radically overhaul how the nation enforces antitrust laws. That’s making it much harder for dealmakers and corporate titans to pursue M&a activity. The regulatory mood in Washington, where transactions of any size must be approved by the Justice Department and other agencies, has become downright hostile to large-scale deals.
For Hollywood, the timing is terrible. Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Comcast and NBCUniversal are conceiving potential new combinations with traditional or digital giants,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety - TV News
“I have no illusions,” Oscar winning-director Damien Chazelle said on a podcast in March. “I won’t get a budget of Babylon size any time soon, or at least not on this next one.”
Chazelle was reflective about his 2022 Paramount Pictures epic that starred Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt, received mixed reviews and grossed $63 million globally against a reported budget of $80 million. “Certainly, in financial terms, Babylon didn’t work at all,” Chazelle said. “Maybe I won’t be able to get [the next] one made. I have no idea. We’ll have to wait and see.”
That ambivalent sentiment isn’t an outlier. Directors — from Oscar winners like Chazelle to up-and-comers — are in a precarious position when it comes to major studio projects. Not that this is new. Stripped of nuance, the definition of movie jail has always been: Lose the studio a lot of money and you don’t get...
Chazelle was reflective about his 2022 Paramount Pictures epic that starred Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt, received mixed reviews and grossed $63 million globally against a reported budget of $80 million. “Certainly, in financial terms, Babylon didn’t work at all,” Chazelle said. “Maybe I won’t be able to get [the next] one made. I have no idea. We’ll have to wait and see.”
That ambivalent sentiment isn’t an outlier. Directors — from Oscar winners like Chazelle to up-and-comers — are in a precarious position when it comes to major studio projects. Not that this is new. Stripped of nuance, the definition of movie jail has always been: Lose the studio a lot of money and you don’t get...
- 4/24/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There’s more in store for Bluey after the Heeler family’s wedding of the year. Following the hit Australian animated series’ first extended special, a bonus episode is closing out season three with a canine cliffhanger.
Now streaming on Disney+, the Surprise episode follows the 28-minute The Sign special, which saw Uncle Rad (voiced by Patrick Brammall) tying the knot with his girlfriend, Aunt Brady (Rose Byrne). Meanwhile, Chilli, Bandit, Bluey and Bingo wondered about the fate of their home as they prepared to make a big move.
Stream 'Bluey' on Disney+
Kids can get celebrate the third season’s 49th episode with exclusive crafts, printable wedding invites and more fun by checking out the official Bluey website. Below, keep reading to find out more about how to stream the Bluey special, The Sign, and the bonus episode, Surprise, online.
How to Stream Bluey: The Sign and...
Now streaming on Disney+, the Surprise episode follows the 28-minute The Sign special, which saw Uncle Rad (voiced by Patrick Brammall) tying the knot with his girlfriend, Aunt Brady (Rose Byrne). Meanwhile, Chilli, Bandit, Bluey and Bingo wondered about the fate of their home as they prepared to make a big move.
Stream 'Bluey' on Disney+
Kids can get celebrate the third season’s 49th episode with exclusive crafts, printable wedding invites and more fun by checking out the official Bluey website. Below, keep reading to find out more about how to stream the Bluey special, The Sign, and the bonus episode, Surprise, online.
How to Stream Bluey: The Sign and...
- 4/24/2024
- by Danielle Directo-Meston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A cameraman who formerly worked with Megan Thee Stallion has filed a lawsuit against the rapper alleging harassment and other workplace-related claims.
Emilio Garcia worked as a cameraman for the rapper from 2018-23. He filed a complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday against Megan Thee Stallion, born Megan Pete, and her companies, Megan Thee Stallion Entertainment Inc., Hot Girl Touring LLC and Roc Nation. The suit includes nine labor code violations, including harassment and hostile work environments.
Garcia alleges that Stallion had sex in a moving car that Garcia could not get out of while on tour in Spain in June 2022. The claim notes that Garcia “was embarrassed, mortified and offended throughout the whole ordeal.”
The day after the incident, the suit continues, Stallion asked whether Garcia had been in the car, and when he confirmed he was, she allegedly told him, “Don’t ever discuss what you saw.
Emilio Garcia worked as a cameraman for the rapper from 2018-23. He filed a complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday against Megan Thee Stallion, born Megan Pete, and her companies, Megan Thee Stallion Entertainment Inc., Hot Girl Touring LLC and Roc Nation. The suit includes nine labor code violations, including harassment and hostile work environments.
Garcia alleges that Stallion had sex in a moving car that Garcia could not get out of while on tour in Spain in June 2022. The claim notes that Garcia “was embarrassed, mortified and offended throughout the whole ordeal.”
The day after the incident, the suit continues, Stallion asked whether Garcia had been in the car, and when he confirmed he was, she allegedly told him, “Don’t ever discuss what you saw.
- 4/24/2024
- by Zoe G Phillips
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Billie Eilish opened up about her upcoming album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, sharing that it helped her find her old self again.
In a Rolling Stone cover story, the Grammy-winning artist dove into her third album and explained how it resembles her first one, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
“I feel like this album is me. It’s not a character,” she told the publication. “It feels like the When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? version of me. It feels like my youth and who I was as a kid.”
She explained that while her 2019 breakout was like a whirlwind of madness, it was still one of the best times of her life, which is why she revisited it for this album.
“This whole process has felt like I’m coming back to the girl that I was,” Eilish continued. “I’ve been grieving her.
In a Rolling Stone cover story, the Grammy-winning artist dove into her third album and explained how it resembles her first one, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
“I feel like this album is me. It’s not a character,” she told the publication. “It feels like the When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? version of me. It feels like my youth and who I was as a kid.”
She explained that while her 2019 breakout was like a whirlwind of madness, it was still one of the best times of her life, which is why she revisited it for this album.
“This whole process has felt like I’m coming back to the girl that I was,” Eilish continued. “I’ve been grieving her.
- 4/24/2024
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Two years into negotiations over their first union contract, podcast workers at iHeartMedia have filed an unfair labor practice charge against management over alleged intimidation and encroachment on staffers’ rights to discuss their working conditions and share union literature during break periods.
The charge, filed with the National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday, claims that iHeartMedia has violated Section 8(a)(1) of the National Labor Relations Act “by restricting protected Section 7 speech, by engaging in intimidating conduct and by interrogating employees about their support for the union” in its interactions with the iHeart Podcast Union. The iHeart Podcast Union, affiliated with the Writers Guild of America East, represents around 100 producers, editors, researchers and hosts who work on titles including Stuff You Should Know, Behind the Bastards and Atlanta Monster.
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to iHeartMedia for comment.
The two sides have been negotiating a first contract since iHeartMedia voluntarily...
The charge, filed with the National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday, claims that iHeartMedia has violated Section 8(a)(1) of the National Labor Relations Act “by restricting protected Section 7 speech, by engaging in intimidating conduct and by interrogating employees about their support for the union” in its interactions with the iHeart Podcast Union. The iHeart Podcast Union, affiliated with the Writers Guild of America East, represents around 100 producers, editors, researchers and hosts who work on titles including Stuff You Should Know, Behind the Bastards and Atlanta Monster.
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to iHeartMedia for comment.
The two sides have been negotiating a first contract since iHeartMedia voluntarily...
- 4/24/2024
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A New O.J. Movie Stars the Controversial Charlotte Kirk (But Definitely Not Owen Wilson)
Hey, Hollywood, anybody interested in a partially finished film about how O.J. Simpson might have been innocent? One that stars Charlotte Kirk — the English actress best known for her previous role in taking down moguls Kevin Tsujihara and Ron Meyer in a 2019 sex scandal — as Nicole Brown Simpson? If yes, this is your lucky day. According to British director Joshua Newton, about 30 minutes of The Juice (originally titled Nicole and O.J.) is in the can, mostly flashback scenes featuring Kirk and German-born actor Boris Kodjoe, currently on ABC’s Station 19, who plays the late NFL star turned acquitted murderer. Newton, who has been working on this “satirical thriller” since 2015, says the picture’s main plotline involves a real-life attorney named Douglas McCann who got sucked into various conspiracy theories during Simpson’s 1995 criminal trial.
Hey, Hollywood, anybody interested in a partially finished film about how O.J. Simpson might have been innocent? One that stars Charlotte Kirk — the English actress best known for her previous role in taking down moguls Kevin Tsujihara and Ron Meyer in a 2019 sex scandal — as Nicole Brown Simpson? If yes, this is your lucky day. According to British director Joshua Newton, about 30 minutes of The Juice (originally titled Nicole and O.J.) is in the can, mostly flashback scenes featuring Kirk and German-born actor Boris Kodjoe, currently on ABC’s Station 19, who plays the late NFL star turned acquitted murderer. Newton, who has been working on this “satirical thriller” since 2015, says the picture’s main plotline involves a real-life attorney named Douglas McCann who got sucked into various conspiracy theories during Simpson’s 1995 criminal trial.
- 4/24/2024
- by Edited by Benjamin Svetkey and Edited by Julian Sancton
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
AMC Theatres, the world’s largest cinema chain, is leaning into distribution.
The company is expanding its distribution team with a key hire and promotion, underscoring its commitment to releasing its own movies in addition to showcasing titles from traditional and independent studios. AMC Theatres launched its distribution team with the premieres of last year’s concert films, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” and “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.”
Stephanie Terifay has joined AMC in the newly created position of VP of Distribution. She will begin on April 26. In this role, Terifay is responsible for engaging the music industry to develop future projects, tailoring distribution strategies and marketing plans to maximize fan engagement. In other words, Swift and Beyonce’s stadium tours were the first but won’t be the last to grace the big screen — if AMC can help it.
Terifay joins AMC from Fandango, where she led the integrated marketing team,...
The company is expanding its distribution team with a key hire and promotion, underscoring its commitment to releasing its own movies in addition to showcasing titles from traditional and independent studios. AMC Theatres launched its distribution team with the premieres of last year’s concert films, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” and “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.”
Stephanie Terifay has joined AMC in the newly created position of VP of Distribution. She will begin on April 26. In this role, Terifay is responsible for engaging the music industry to develop future projects, tailoring distribution strategies and marketing plans to maximize fan engagement. In other words, Swift and Beyonce’s stadium tours were the first but won’t be the last to grace the big screen — if AMC can help it.
Terifay joins AMC from Fandango, where she led the integrated marketing team,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
John Logan — the writer behind Aviator and James Bond movie Skyfall — has been tapped to adapt Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian for New Regency.
The synopsis for the Western, known for its descriptive violence, reads: “Based on historical conflicts along the Texas-Mexico border in the 1850s, the story follows the journey of the Kid, a 14-year-old from Tennessee, as he navigates the brutal and harrowing landscape of this new era.”
As previously announced, John Hillcoat, who directed McCarthy adaptation The Road, will helm. Hillcoat will produce along with Keith Redmon for New Regency. McCarthy’s son, John Francis McCarthy, will serve as executive producer with McCarthy receiving a posthumous credit.
Said Morgan, “Blood Meridian has been one of my favorite novels since first reading it in 1985. It’s a majestic, beautiful and uncompromising book and I’m thrilled to be able to help bring Cormac McCarthy’s dark masterpiece to the screen.
The synopsis for the Western, known for its descriptive violence, reads: “Based on historical conflicts along the Texas-Mexico border in the 1850s, the story follows the journey of the Kid, a 14-year-old from Tennessee, as he navigates the brutal and harrowing landscape of this new era.”
As previously announced, John Hillcoat, who directed McCarthy adaptation The Road, will helm. Hillcoat will produce along with Keith Redmon for New Regency. McCarthy’s son, John Francis McCarthy, will serve as executive producer with McCarthy receiving a posthumous credit.
Said Morgan, “Blood Meridian has been one of my favorite novels since first reading it in 1985. It’s a majestic, beautiful and uncompromising book and I’m thrilled to be able to help bring Cormac McCarthy’s dark masterpiece to the screen.
- 4/24/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Comic creator Frank Miller has struck a unique publishing deal with Abrams ComicArts.
The acclaimed graphic novel arm of art and illustration-centric Abrams will now be the book publisher of select titles from Miller’s independent and self-published book company, Frank Miller Presents. Miller, the creator behind The Dark Knight Returns, 300 and Sin City, becomes the latest big comic name to work with the company, which already works with comics author Brian Michael Bendis and comics painter Alex Ross, and is known for such titles as My Friend Dahmer and The Superhero’s Journey.
The first titles to be released under the partnership will hit in fall 2024 and include Ronin Rising, Miller’s sequel to his acclaimed and influential 1983 miniseries Ronin; and the young adult fantasy Pandora. Ronin Rising will be available in two formats, a collector’s edition and a manga edition, via Abrams’s new Kana imprint.
The acclaimed graphic novel arm of art and illustration-centric Abrams will now be the book publisher of select titles from Miller’s independent and self-published book company, Frank Miller Presents. Miller, the creator behind The Dark Knight Returns, 300 and Sin City, becomes the latest big comic name to work with the company, which already works with comics author Brian Michael Bendis and comics painter Alex Ross, and is known for such titles as My Friend Dahmer and The Superhero’s Journey.
The first titles to be released under the partnership will hit in fall 2024 and include Ronin Rising, Miller’s sequel to his acclaimed and influential 1983 miniseries Ronin; and the young adult fantasy Pandora. Ronin Rising will be available in two formats, a collector’s edition and a manga edition, via Abrams’s new Kana imprint.
- 4/24/2024
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation into the accident on the set of the Amazon MGM Studios film The Pickup.
A U.S. Department of Labor spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter early Wednesday that an inquiry had been initiated into the incident. “As the investigation is open, we are unable to provide preliminary or interim information at this time,” the spokesperson added.
The accident in question occurred on a second unit set of the Atlanta-based film on Saturday and injured multiple crewmembers, an Amazon MGM Studios spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday. Crewmembers were shooting an action sequence that had previously been rehearsed and “did not go as planned,” the spokesperson stated. “We are still in the process of gathering facts on what happened and why, but first and foremost our thoughts are with those who are recovering.”
The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that the injuries occurred after...
A U.S. Department of Labor spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter early Wednesday that an inquiry had been initiated into the incident. “As the investigation is open, we are unable to provide preliminary or interim information at this time,” the spokesperson added.
The accident in question occurred on a second unit set of the Atlanta-based film on Saturday and injured multiple crewmembers, an Amazon MGM Studios spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday. Crewmembers were shooting an action sequence that had previously been rehearsed and “did not go as planned,” the spokesperson stated. “We are still in the process of gathering facts on what happened and why, but first and foremost our thoughts are with those who are recovering.”
The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that the injuries occurred after...
- 4/24/2024
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Actors Access, the leading online platform for film and TV casting, was hit with a class action lawsuit on Wednesday, alleging that it illegally charges performers for access to auditions.
The lawsuit, filed in L.A. Superior Court, accuses the platform of predatory conduct, and of charging working actors hundreds of dollars a year for upgrades that they hope will get them noticed.
“By exploiting actors’ desire to live out their dreams, Defendant has inserted itself between actors and casting directors, forcing hardworking actors into paying for the opportunity to apply for a job,” the lawsuit alleges.
The plaintiffs’ attorney, Ryan Clarkson, filed a similar lawsuit last week against Casting Networks, a major site in the world of commercial casting. Both lawsuits accuse the platforms of operating “pay-to-play” systems in violation of California labor law.
In a statement, Clarkson said he received an “outpour of support” after filing the Casting Networks lawsuit,...
The lawsuit, filed in L.A. Superior Court, accuses the platform of predatory conduct, and of charging working actors hundreds of dollars a year for upgrades that they hope will get them noticed.
“By exploiting actors’ desire to live out their dreams, Defendant has inserted itself between actors and casting directors, forcing hardworking actors into paying for the opportunity to apply for a job,” the lawsuit alleges.
The plaintiffs’ attorney, Ryan Clarkson, filed a similar lawsuit last week against Casting Networks, a major site in the world of commercial casting. Both lawsuits accuse the platforms of operating “pay-to-play” systems in violation of California labor law.
In a statement, Clarkson said he received an “outpour of support” after filing the Casting Networks lawsuit,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety - Film News
Actors Access, the leading online platform for film and TV casting, was hit with a class action lawsuit on Wednesday, alleging that it illegally charges performers for access to auditions.
The lawsuit, filed in L.A. Superior Court, accuses the platform of predatory conduct, and of charging working actors hundreds of dollars a year for upgrades that they hope will get them noticed.
“By exploiting actors’ desire to live out their dreams, Defendant has inserted itself between actors and casting directors, forcing hardworking actors into paying for the opportunity to apply for a job,” the lawsuit alleges.
The plaintiffs’ attorney,...
The lawsuit, filed in L.A. Superior Court, accuses the platform of predatory conduct, and of charging working actors hundreds of dollars a year for upgrades that they hope will get them noticed.
“By exploiting actors’ desire to live out their dreams, Defendant has inserted itself between actors and casting directors, forcing hardworking actors into paying for the opportunity to apply for a job,” the lawsuit alleges.
The plaintiffs’ attorney,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety - TV News
Update: Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan, whose film “Mommy” received the Cannes Jury Prize in 2014, will head the jury of Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival.
Joining him on the jury will be “Cuties” director Maïmouna Doucouré, “The Mother of All Lies” helmer Asmae El Moudir, “Phantom Thread” actor Vicky Krieps and film critic Todd McCarthy.
“I am humbled and delighted to return to Cannes as President of the Un Certain Regard Jury,” he said in a statement. “Even more than making films myself, discovering the work of talented filmmakers has always been at the very heart of both my personal and professional journeys. I see, in this responsibility I’m assigned, the opportunity to focus with the members of the Un Certain Regard Jury on an essential aspect of the art of film : stories told truthfully.”
Dolan wrote, directed, produced and starred in his first feature “I Killed My Mother...
Joining him on the jury will be “Cuties” director Maïmouna Doucouré, “The Mother of All Lies” helmer Asmae El Moudir, “Phantom Thread” actor Vicky Krieps and film critic Todd McCarthy.
“I am humbled and delighted to return to Cannes as President of the Un Certain Regard Jury,” he said in a statement. “Even more than making films myself, discovering the work of talented filmmakers has always been at the very heart of both my personal and professional journeys. I see, in this responsibility I’m assigned, the opportunity to focus with the members of the Un Certain Regard Jury on an essential aspect of the art of film : stories told truthfully.”
Dolan wrote, directed, produced and starred in his first feature “I Killed My Mother...
- 4/24/2024
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety - Film News
It was another tumultuous year in Hollywood thanks to the dual labor strikes in 2023, the fallout on the film pipeline and the box office remaining below pre-covid pandemic levels, among other factors.
The positive: The global box office jumped 31 percent to $33.9 billion, led by Barbenheimer. But TV studios’ financials were hit by pressure on these operations across the industry, including fallout from the dual labor disputes. What did all that mean for the studio divisions of Hollywood giants? Overall, only one studio unit among entertainment conglomerates posted profit growth for the calendar year 2023, per The Hollywood Reporter‘s calculations.
Keep in mind that financial disclosures for these units remain limited and are not easily comparable. The names alone vary: Paramount reports figures for its Filmed Entertainment unit, Warner Bros. Discovery and Comcast post results for their Studios divisions, and Sony has its Pictures unit. The businesses included in them differ as well.
The positive: The global box office jumped 31 percent to $33.9 billion, led by Barbenheimer. But TV studios’ financials were hit by pressure on these operations across the industry, including fallout from the dual labor disputes. What did all that mean for the studio divisions of Hollywood giants? Overall, only one studio unit among entertainment conglomerates posted profit growth for the calendar year 2023, per The Hollywood Reporter‘s calculations.
Keep in mind that financial disclosures for these units remain limited and are not easily comparable. The names alone vary: Paramount reports figures for its Filmed Entertainment unit, Warner Bros. Discovery and Comcast post results for their Studios divisions, and Sony has its Pictures unit. The businesses included in them differ as well.
- 4/24/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A debate has been sparked about who should be allowed into performance spaces after an American comic interrupted his set at the Melbourne Comedy Festival to ask a mother to leave the venue, as her baby’s gurgling during breastfeeding had disrupted the show.
A walkout from several attendees followed the awkward moment on April 20 at Melbourne’s Athenaeum theater when American comic Arj Barker stopped mid-set during his performance of The Mind Field show to ask mother Trish Faranda to leave the venue with her 7-month-old daughter; the baby’s fussiness during the performance led the mother atempting to soothe her with a breastfeeding, as she told Australian radio station 3Aw.
“She wasn’t screaming,” explained Faranda, who says she sat at the end of the row in case a quick exit was necessary. “She was just being a baby, she gurgled a little bit, she had a bit of a whinge … nothing loud.
A walkout from several attendees followed the awkward moment on April 20 at Melbourne’s Athenaeum theater when American comic Arj Barker stopped mid-set during his performance of The Mind Field show to ask mother Trish Faranda to leave the venue with her 7-month-old daughter; the baby’s fussiness during the performance led the mother atempting to soothe her with a breastfeeding, as she told Australian radio station 3Aw.
“She wasn’t screaming,” explained Faranda, who says she sat at the end of the row in case a quick exit was necessary. “She was just being a baby, she gurgled a little bit, she had a bit of a whinge … nothing loud.
- 4/24/2024
- by Kevin Dolak
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for Emily Henry’s new romance novel, “Funny Story,” released April 23.
“Happy Place” and “Book Lovers” author Emily Henry’s latest book “Funny Story” starts with its two leads, Daphne and Miles, sharing one very humorless tale: being left by their respective partners, Peter and Petra, a pair of childhood best friends who have realized their love for each other.
And then Daphne gets kicked out of her house and has to move in with Miles, so Petra can move in with Peter.
Despite the double-heartbreak setup, Henry uses her rom-com writing chops to bring these two jilted lovers into their own love story, with Daphne and Miles blurring the lines of their new roommate dynamic when they start pretending to be a couple to get back at their exes.
“It was kind of a similar situation as when I was coming up with ‘Happy Place,...
“Happy Place” and “Book Lovers” author Emily Henry’s latest book “Funny Story” starts with its two leads, Daphne and Miles, sharing one very humorless tale: being left by their respective partners, Peter and Petra, a pair of childhood best friends who have realized their love for each other.
And then Daphne gets kicked out of her house and has to move in with Miles, so Petra can move in with Peter.
Despite the double-heartbreak setup, Henry uses her rom-com writing chops to bring these two jilted lovers into their own love story, with Daphne and Miles blurring the lines of their new roommate dynamic when they start pretending to be a couple to get back at their exes.
“It was kind of a similar situation as when I was coming up with ‘Happy Place,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety - Film News
In 2014, Gayle Rankin made her Broadway debut in Sam Mendes’ revival of Cabaret, playing the supporting role of Fraulein Kost. Now, exactly a decade later, Rankin is playing the lead role of Sally Bowles opposite Eddie Redmayne in a new Broadway production that opened April 21.
“I feel like a completely different person,” says Rankin, as she sits in her dressing room in a red dressing gown, with her blond hair clipped back. “It’s so rare that you get to see your life marked by something so actual, by a piece of work. And what a piece of work to be able to gauge where you are as a human being.”
In recent years, the Scottish actress — who grew up south of Glasgow — rose to prominence with a series of film and TV roles, including The Greatest Showman and HBO’s Perry Mason, and most notably as Sheila the She-Wolf...
“I feel like a completely different person,” says Rankin, as she sits in her dressing room in a red dressing gown, with her blond hair clipped back. “It’s so rare that you get to see your life marked by something so actual, by a piece of work. And what a piece of work to be able to gauge where you are as a human being.”
In recent years, the Scottish actress — who grew up south of Glasgow — rose to prominence with a series of film and TV roles, including The Greatest Showman and HBO’s Perry Mason, and most notably as Sheila the She-Wolf...
- 4/24/2024
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Amy Adams will star in At the Sea, the latest drama from Kornél Mundruczó, the Hungarian filmmaker behind acclaimed films Pieces of a Woman and White God.
Sea reteams Mundruczó with Kata Wéber, his frequent collaborator who wrote Pieces of a Woman and White God and penned the script for the latest feature.
Producing the drama are Ar Content’s Alexander Rodnyansky (Loveless), Ryder Picture Company’s Aaron Ryder and Andrew Swett (Dumb Money, Arrival), Hammerstone Studios’ Alex Lebovici (Barbarian) and Jon Oakes (Drive). Stuart Manashil and Viktória Petrányi, who produced Pieces of a Woman, are also producing along with Mundruczó.
Per the producers, the story follows the life of a woman who, after a long rehabilitation, returns to her family at their beach holiday home where she has to readjust to the complicated life she left behind. Now she is forced to face the following next chapter of her...
Sea reteams Mundruczó with Kata Wéber, his frequent collaborator who wrote Pieces of a Woman and White God and penned the script for the latest feature.
Producing the drama are Ar Content’s Alexander Rodnyansky (Loveless), Ryder Picture Company’s Aaron Ryder and Andrew Swett (Dumb Money, Arrival), Hammerstone Studios’ Alex Lebovici (Barbarian) and Jon Oakes (Drive). Stuart Manashil and Viktória Petrányi, who produced Pieces of a Woman, are also producing along with Mundruczó.
Per the producers, the story follows the life of a woman who, after a long rehabilitation, returns to her family at their beach holiday home where she has to readjust to the complicated life she left behind. Now she is forced to face the following next chapter of her...
- 4/24/2024
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
André Holland takes on the role of revolutionary Huey P. Newton in the trailer for Apple TV+’s The Big Cigar.
Far from a straight biopic about the founder of the Black Panther Party, the six-episode limited series based on Joshuah Bearman’s magazine article of the same name delivers the high-impact energy of a heist as it tells the story of how Newton escaped the FBI and fled to Cuba with the help of famed Hollywood producer Bert Schneider (played by Alessandro Nivola) in perhaps the most ambitiously staged and fake movie production of all time.
“You’re the hot-shot producer, man, produce this,” Newton tells Schneider as they begin to cook up an elaborate plan to help the political activist evade a murder charge, as police attempt to pin him for the death of a 17-year-old sex trafficking victim in 1974.
Tiffany Boone stars alongside Holland as Newton’s girlfriend Gwen Fontaine,...
Far from a straight biopic about the founder of the Black Panther Party, the six-episode limited series based on Joshuah Bearman’s magazine article of the same name delivers the high-impact energy of a heist as it tells the story of how Newton escaped the FBI and fled to Cuba with the help of famed Hollywood producer Bert Schneider (played by Alessandro Nivola) in perhaps the most ambitiously staged and fake movie production of all time.
“You’re the hot-shot producer, man, produce this,” Newton tells Schneider as they begin to cook up an elaborate plan to help the political activist evade a murder charge, as police attempt to pin him for the death of a 17-year-old sex trafficking victim in 1974.
Tiffany Boone stars alongside Holland as Newton’s girlfriend Gwen Fontaine,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Brande Victorian
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Game, set… but there’s not much of a match. “Challengers,” a steamy tennis drama starring Zendaya and directed by Luca Guadagnino, is poised to lead the domestic box office without much in the way of competition.
The film, from Amazon MGM, is projected to collect $12 million to $15 million from 3,400 North American theaters in its opening weekend. Although those are modest projections for any nationwide release, it’s this weekend’s only major new movie and shouldn’t have trouble claiming first place from A24’s “Civil War,” the reigning champion. Last weekend, “Civil War” topped the box office for the second consecutive frame with $11.1 million and has grossed $70 million globally to date. Overall, the domestic box office is 20% behind the same point in 2023, according to Comscore.
The steamy, R-rated “Challengers” was originally slated to premiere at 2023’s Venice Film Festival and hit the big screen last fall. But the...
The film, from Amazon MGM, is projected to collect $12 million to $15 million from 3,400 North American theaters in its opening weekend. Although those are modest projections for any nationwide release, it’s this weekend’s only major new movie and shouldn’t have trouble claiming first place from A24’s “Civil War,” the reigning champion. Last weekend, “Civil War” topped the box office for the second consecutive frame with $11.1 million and has grossed $70 million globally to date. Overall, the domestic box office is 20% behind the same point in 2023, according to Comscore.
The steamy, R-rated “Challengers” was originally slated to premiere at 2023’s Venice Film Festival and hit the big screen last fall. But the...
- 4/24/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
Wheelhouse, the production, content and talent management firm founded by Brent Montgomery, has secured an investment from Alignment Growth, the firm founded the former Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes and former Warner Bros. Entertainment chief Kevin Tsujihara.
Terms of the funding round weren’t disclosed, but Bewkes will join the board of the company, which owns Spoke Studios, Campfire, Butternut and Additive Creative Partners, and has production deals with Jimmy Kimmel’s Kimmelot and David Chang’s Majordomo.
The company plans to use the fresh cash to attract new talent and pursue strategic acquisitions.
“We are building Wheelhouse as a collective of global creatives who not only shine on their own, but truly want to partner with one another across labels and divisions so we’re thrilled that Alignment’s investment will allow us to supersize our efforts engaging talent in front of and behind the camera,” Montgomery said in a statement.
Terms of the funding round weren’t disclosed, but Bewkes will join the board of the company, which owns Spoke Studios, Campfire, Butternut and Additive Creative Partners, and has production deals with Jimmy Kimmel’s Kimmelot and David Chang’s Majordomo.
The company plans to use the fresh cash to attract new talent and pursue strategic acquisitions.
“We are building Wheelhouse as a collective of global creatives who not only shine on their own, but truly want to partner with one another across labels and divisions so we’re thrilled that Alignment’s investment will allow us to supersize our efforts engaging talent in front of and behind the camera,” Montgomery said in a statement.
- 4/24/2024
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Kent Sanderson has been promoted to president of Bleecker Street, the indie studio behind “Logan Lucky” and “Captain Fantastic.” The veteran executive previously served as the company’s head of acquisitions and ancillary distribution. Sanderson has been with Bleecker Street, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary, since its inception in 2014.
In his previous role, he led both the curation of Bleecker’s film slate and the company’s home entertainment strategy, including co-founding and co-running home entertainment label Decal, which Bleecker operates as a joint-venture with Neon. In his new post, Sanderson will continue to report to Bleecker Street CEO Andrew Karpen.
Sanderson’s elevation is one of several key promotions across the company. Vikki Hart has been elevated to vice president, distribution and sales. She previously had been director of sales, distribution. At the same time, Miranda King has been promoted to vice president, acquisitions and co-productions. She previously served as director,...
In his previous role, he led both the curation of Bleecker’s film slate and the company’s home entertainment strategy, including co-founding and co-running home entertainment label Decal, which Bleecker operates as a joint-venture with Neon. In his new post, Sanderson will continue to report to Bleecker Street CEO Andrew Karpen.
Sanderson’s elevation is one of several key promotions across the company. Vikki Hart has been elevated to vice president, distribution and sales. She previously had been director of sales, distribution. At the same time, Miranda King has been promoted to vice president, acquisitions and co-productions. She previously served as director,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety - Film News
Mattel Television Studios has tapped three new executives for key roles: Sidney Clifton as head of creative for animation, Cory Bennett Lewis as head of production, and Amy Suh as head of creative for live action, scripted and unscripted.
The trio of execs will report directly to Mattel Television Studios chief Michelle Mendelovitz.
“We are thrilled to welcome Sidney, Cory and Amy to Mattel,” Mendelovitz said. “Their breadth of experience working with top-tier talent across multiple genres and proven expertise creating series for global audiences make them perfectly suited for Mattel Television Studios’ next phase of growth. As we together...
The trio of execs will report directly to Mattel Television Studios chief Michelle Mendelovitz.
“We are thrilled to welcome Sidney, Cory and Amy to Mattel,” Mendelovitz said. “Their breadth of experience working with top-tier talent across multiple genres and proven expertise creating series for global audiences make them perfectly suited for Mattel Television Studios’ next phase of growth. As we together...
- 4/24/2024
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety - TV News
The controversies surrounding Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter and his late brother, Aaron Carter, will be the subject of an upcoming Investigation Discovery docuseries.
The four-parter set to debut over two nights from May 27 on ID and Max follows the success for the cable network of Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, about former Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider. The docuseries Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter will recall the Carter brothers’ outsized fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s before headline-making struggles in recent years.
The ID series will explore accusations of sexual assault against Nick Carter by three women, while also diving into his brother, Aaron Carter’s, struggles with mental health and substance abuse — and the rift that occurred after Aaron decided to support his brother’s accusers. “Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter not only offers a deeper understanding around the allegations, but...
The four-parter set to debut over two nights from May 27 on ID and Max follows the success for the cable network of Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, about former Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider. The docuseries Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter will recall the Carter brothers’ outsized fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s before headline-making struggles in recent years.
The ID series will explore accusations of sexual assault against Nick Carter by three women, while also diving into his brother, Aaron Carter’s, struggles with mental health and substance abuse — and the rift that occurred after Aaron decided to support his brother’s accusers. “Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter not only offers a deeper understanding around the allegations, but...
- 4/24/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
We meet Elisabeth Moss’ Portia in the first scene of FX’s new Hulu drama The Veil, striding confidently through a busy international airport, stiletto heels precariously high, her mouth a gash of crimson lipstick. She’s meeting a shady businessman named Tomas, and they toast to a transaction successfully made. But several seconds later, Interpol rushes in and she chides Tomas for all the criminal details he spilled in the previous 37 days. She walks away, leaving him fuming and in custody.
Her name isn’t actually Portia. As she leaves, aspect and tone instantly changed, she’s already arranging her next destination — Istanbul — and her next identity, telling a person on the telephone, “I would like my name to be Imogen.” She will be Imogen for the rest of The Veil.
It’s here, two minutes into the show, that eagle-eyed viewers and English majors should already be putting together certain pieces.
Her name isn’t actually Portia. As she leaves, aspect and tone instantly changed, she’s already arranging her next destination — Istanbul — and her next identity, telling a person on the telephone, “I would like my name to be Imogen.” She will be Imogen for the rest of The Veil.
It’s here, two minutes into the show, that eagle-eyed viewers and English majors should already be putting together certain pieces.
- 4/24/2024
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Steve Carell is reuniting with Tina Fey and Universal Television.
The Office grad has closed a deal to co-star in Netflix’s The Four Seasons, the update of the 1981 Alan Alda feature film of the same name. The role reunites Carell with Tina Fey after the duo starred as a married couple in the 2010 movie Date Night.
Ordered straight-to-series in January after Netflix won the show following a bidding war after the conclusion of last year’s dual strikes, the adaptation was co-created by Fey and her fellow 30 Rock alums Lang Fisher and Tracey Wigfield.
Production on the series is slated to begin later this year. The original film, written and directed by Alda, revolves around three couples who take vacations together each season and explores the changes in the group dynamic when one of couples splits up and the man brings a much younger woman on subsequent trips. The...
The Office grad has closed a deal to co-star in Netflix’s The Four Seasons, the update of the 1981 Alan Alda feature film of the same name. The role reunites Carell with Tina Fey after the duo starred as a married couple in the 2010 movie Date Night.
Ordered straight-to-series in January after Netflix won the show following a bidding war after the conclusion of last year’s dual strikes, the adaptation was co-created by Fey and her fellow 30 Rock alums Lang Fisher and Tracey Wigfield.
Production on the series is slated to begin later this year. The original film, written and directed by Alda, revolves around three couples who take vacations together each season and explores the changes in the group dynamic when one of couples splits up and the man brings a much younger woman on subsequent trips. The...
- 4/24/2024
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
While filming a stunt for her new FX spy series “The Veil,” Elisabeth Moss fractured a vertebrae in her back, hurting herself seriously enough that it left her lying on a roof in Istanbul for two hours.
The Emmy-winning actor spoke about the serious injury during an interview with Variety promoting the new series from creator Steven Knight, which premieres on Hulu on April 30. In the ticking-clock series, Moss plays Imogen, an undercover MI6 agent trying to stop an Isis terrorist attack planned for the United States. In Episode 2, Imogen and a rumored Isis commander named Adilah (Yumna Marwan) are...
The Emmy-winning actor spoke about the serious injury during an interview with Variety promoting the new series from creator Steven Knight, which premieres on Hulu on April 30. In the ticking-clock series, Moss plays Imogen, an undercover MI6 agent trying to stop an Isis terrorist attack planned for the United States. In Episode 2, Imogen and a rumored Isis commander named Adilah (Yumna Marwan) are...
- 4/24/2024
- by Hunter Ingram
- Variety - TV News
Paris Hilton’s 11:11 Media has optioned Sarah Ditum’s book “Toxic: Women, Fame, and the Tabloid 2000s,” which examines pop-culture misogyny in the early 2000s through the stories of nine female celebrities of the era — including Hilton herself. The company plans to adapt the book as a docuseries.
“Toxic” offers a deep dive into the stories of Hilton, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Aaliyah, Janet Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Kim Kardashian, Chyna and Jennifer Aniston. The book explores their battles with fame, their efforts to control their own narratives, and their various degrees of success and failure in doing so. Ditum...
“Toxic” offers a deep dive into the stories of Hilton, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Aaliyah, Janet Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Kim Kardashian, Chyna and Jennifer Aniston. The book explores their battles with fame, their efforts to control their own narratives, and their various degrees of success and failure in doing so. Ditum...
- 4/24/2024
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety - TV News
Brent Montgomery and Jimmy Kimmel’s Wheelhouse Sells Minority Stake to Jeff Bewkes’ Alignment Growth
Brett Montgomery and Jimmy Kimmel’s media company Wheelhouse has secured its first outside round of funding, landing a minority investment from former Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes’ investment firm Alignment Growth.
As part of the transaction, Bewkes — who founded Alignment with Alex Iosilevich and Kevin Tsujihara — will be joining Wheelhouse’s board of directors.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Wheelhouse says the size of the investment from Alignment “will enable Wheelhouse to build an infrastructure that attracts industry-leading talent and accelerates growth via strategic acquisitions.”
Founded in 2018 by Kimmel and Montgomery, who was then coming...
As part of the transaction, Bewkes — who founded Alignment with Alex Iosilevich and Kevin Tsujihara — will be joining Wheelhouse’s board of directors.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Wheelhouse says the size of the investment from Alignment “will enable Wheelhouse to build an infrastructure that attracts industry-leading talent and accelerates growth via strategic acquisitions.”
Founded in 2018 by Kimmel and Montgomery, who was then coming...
- 4/24/2024
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety - TV News
On Wednesday morning, President Biden signed into law a national security bill that would force TikTok to be sold by its owner, ByteDance, or face a possible ban in the United States.
Minutes later, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew responded with a video posted to the platform, declaring that “rest assured, we aren’t going anywhere.”
“Make no mistake, this is a ban, a ban on TikTok and a ban on you and your voice,” Chew says in the video. “Politicians may say otherwise. But don’t get confused.”
The legislation signed by Biden gives ByteDance nine months to sell TikTok, with a possible three-month extension if a sale is in progress. It would also keep ByteDance from controlling TikTok’s algorithm, which is credited with helping the app rocket in popularity.
In his video, Chew suggests that freedom of speech will be the company’s argument against the ban,...
Minutes later, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew responded with a video posted to the platform, declaring that “rest assured, we aren’t going anywhere.”
“Make no mistake, this is a ban, a ban on TikTok and a ban on you and your voice,” Chew says in the video. “Politicians may say otherwise. But don’t get confused.”
The legislation signed by Biden gives ByteDance nine months to sell TikTok, with a possible three-month extension if a sale is in progress. It would also keep ByteDance from controlling TikTok’s algorithm, which is credited with helping the app rocket in popularity.
In his video, Chew suggests that freedom of speech will be the company’s argument against the ban,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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.