Variety

How the Muppets Were Brought Back to Life for the Disney Special

The lights were lit and the music played in the Muppet Theatre once more this year. But before the curtain opened on Kermit the Frog in an episode of television for the first time in 10 years, the sho...

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Universal’s Snoop Dogg Biopic Adds Camron Jones to Play Tupac Shakur

The cast of Universal’s Snoop Dogg biopic is shaping up, with Camron Jones (“P-Valley,” “Panic”) set to play Tupac Shakur, while Lauren London (“Without Remorse,” “ATL”) will portray Snoop’s late moth...

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Sam Register to Depart as Head of Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe (EXCLUSIVE)

Longtime Warner Bros. animation boss Sam Register is departing the company next week as his contract expires, Warner Bros. TV Group chair Channing Dungey announced in a memo to staffers this afternoon...

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Dolly Parton, 1946-2026, In Appreciation: A Life of Many Colors

There’s been a lot of talk about approval ratings lately, so let’s pour one out, or a few billion, for Dolly Parton, the only superstar in the history of entertainment to rise to a 100% public approva...

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Dolly Parton Tribute Specials Set on CBS, CMT

Tributes to the late great Dolly Parton are set to air across multiple TV networks. CBS will air the CBS News special “Dolly Parton – An American Icon” tonight (Aug. 25) from 10-11 p.m. ET/PT. It will...

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Dolly Parton’s Musical Will Still Open on Broadway ‘As Was Dolly’s Wish’

Dolly Parton’s “Dolly: A True Original Musical” will open on Broadway “as was Dolly’s wish.” The news follows the death of the country music superstar on Tuesday. In a statement to Variety, the produc...

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‘Bel-Air’ Spinoff ‘Hilary’ Starring Coco Jones in Development at Peacock

A “Bel-Air” spinoff is in the works at Peacock. “Hilary,” an offshoot of the Will Smith-inspired drama series starring Coco Jones, is in development at the streamer. The project hails from writer-prod...

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Veteran Hollywood Publicist Leonard Morpurgo Dies at 93

Leonard Morpurgo, the London-born international film publicist and communications executive who had senior posts at companies including Rogers & Cowan, Universal Studios, Columbia Pictures, CBS Th...

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Shannon Wallace, Curtiss Cook, Lauren E. Banks, Liv Symone, Jason Dirden Join Starz Black Rodeo Drama

Shannon Wallace, Curtiss Cook, Lauren E. Banks, Liv Symone and Jason Dirden are set to join the cast of a Starz drama series within the world of Black rodeo in Southeast Texas. The untitled, one-hour ...

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Dolly Parton’s Dollywood Will Be Open Wednesday After Singer’s Death: ‘The Show Must Go On’

Dollywood, the Tennessee theme park and resort owned by legendary country singer Dolly Parton, was closed Tuesday as previously scheduled. The company, in a statement after news of Parton’s death brok...

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Meghan Markle’s ‘The Gentlemen’ Rumors May Have Overshadowed Season 2 Launch — but Her Role Isn’t Off the Table

Plans for the phased rollout of “The Gentlemen” Season 2 had been in the works for months. Netflix’s Sept. 3 launch date was set with all the usual components in place for one of the streamer’s starry...

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‘Outer Banks’ Season 5 Debuts With 9.4 Million Views in Four Days

“Outer Banks” returned to Netflix with its fifth and final season on Aug. 20 and reached 9.4 million views in four days. That made the teen drama the streamer’s No. 1 most-watched series during the we...

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Shonda Rhimes Renews Netflix Overall Deal for Another Five Years

Shonda Rhimes is staying put at Netflix, with the superproducer and her Shondaland production banner renewing their overall deal with the streamer for a further five years. Rhimes and her producing pa...

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‘Warlock’ Stars Tricia Helfer, Maggie Robertson Break Down New ‘D&D’ Video Game Characters as First Gameplay Footage Is Revealed

The first gameplay footage from upcoming “Dungeons & Dragons” action-adventure game “Warlock” was revealed during Gamescom’s Opening Night Live presentation Tuesday. From “D & D” maker Wizards...

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Dolly Parton, Queen of Country Music, Dies at 80

Singer-songwriter-actress Dolly Parton, whose glittering country music stardom was matched by her pop fame and popular parallel careers in film and TV, died on Aug. 25. She was 80 years old. The annou...

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‘Only Murders in the Building’ Reveals Season 6 Release Date, First Look at New London Setting (TV News Roundup)

“Only Murders in the Building” has set a release date for Season 6 on Hulu, but the crime-solving trio will not be in the building. Season 6 of the show takes a trip over the pond as “Only Murders......

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USA Network Orders Rome-Set Medical Drama ‘Diplomatic Immunity,’ From Matt Corman and Chris Ord

USA Network has added a third original drama series to its lineup: The cabler has given a straight-to-series order for “Diplomatic Immunity,” an hour-long medical drama written by Matt Corman and Chri...

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Can Rob Bonta Make His Case Against Paramount Without the Three Largest Theater Chains?

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has been on a roll. Arguing that the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger will harm theaters and cable providers, he brought an antitrust suit in July and managed to sta...

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From ‘Donnie Darko’ to ‘Kenan & Kel Meet Zombies,’ How Range Literary Publishing Is Facilitating the Relationship Between Hollywood and the Book Biz

Over its first year in business, Range Media Partners’ boutique publishing firm Range Literary Publishing has been quietly working with talent to build out its debut slate. On Tuesday, RLP celebrated ...

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‘Donnie Darko’ Sequel Book to Release This Year From Filmmaker Richard Kelly; Cover and Teaser Revealed (EXCLUSIVE)

It’s a very, very mad world: A book sequel to the 2001 cult classic film “Donnie Darko” will be releasing later this year from filmmaker Richard Kelly and Range Literary Publishing. Titled, “The Philo...

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‘Robocop’ TV Series Casts Dan Stevens in Lead Role

Dan Stevens is set for the title role in the “Robocop” TV series at Amazon Prime Video, Variety has confirmed. The show was originally announced in July at the streamer. Prime Video has given the show...

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Oscars: Germany Selects Sandra Wollner’s ‘Everytime’ for International Feature Race

Sandra Wollner’s “Everytime” has been selected as Germany’s entry for the Academy Award for best international feature film. Due to a change in the rules of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie...

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Paramount’s Brit Network 5 Being Sued by Producer Blackbox Multimedia Over Shelved Drama Series

Paramount’s U.K. network 5 is being sued by one of its production partners over what the company claims was the “wrongful termination” of an agreement over a crime drama series. Blackbox Multimedia, t...

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New York Times Awards Columnist Kyle Buchanan Exits Paper to Launch Podcast Series (EXCLUSIVE)

New York Times pop culture writer and awards columnist Kyle Buchanan has left the newspaper after eight years. I can exclusively report that Buchanan is launching a new video podcast about Hollywood, ...

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Series Entertainment Brings Vibe-Gaming to Life With ‘RUN,’ an AI-Based Platform to Create Games and Shows (EXCLUSIVE)

The generative AI boom brought us “vibe coding,” and then eventually “vibe directing.” Now, a new entry: vibe…game development? It’s the idea behind Series Entertainment’s “RUN,” a new platform that l...

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‘Our Loves,’ Avi Nesher’s Frontrunner for Israel’s Oscar Entry, Boarded by Gersh and Other Angle Pictures (EXCLUSIVE)

Gersh and Other Angle Pictures have boarded Avi Nesher’s feature film “Our Loves” for sales. Gersh will rep U.S. sales with Los Angeles-based global sales agency Other Angle takes international. “Our ...

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Music Industry Moves: Meghan Trainor Signs With UTA; Guitar Center Foundation Names Valeisha Butterfield CEO & Executive Director

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor has signed with United Talent Agency for global representation across live touring, filmed entertainment, digital media, theatre, brand partnerships, an...

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’30 Rock’ 20th Anniversary Show Set at Radio City Music Hall

“30 Rock” is back — for one night only. In celebration of the critically-acclaimed NBC comedy’s 20th anniversary, cast members and special guests will unite at Radio City Music Hall in New York on Oct...

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‘Shark Tank’ Investor Daniel Lubetzky Sets Launch of Interview Podcast ‘Build or Break’ With Guests Including Matthew McConaughey, Mark Cuban, Jason A...

Daniel Lubetzky, founder of Kind Snacks and a Shark on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” is launching a new podcast in which he engages in candid discussions with successful people not just about their accomplishme...

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Sanfic Industria and Guadalajara Film Fest Forge Joint Queer Incubator Initiative (EXCLUSIVE)

With Mexico’s “On the Road” (“En el camino”) by David Pablos snagging both the Venice Film Festival’s Queer Lion and Horizons awards last year, Latin American queer cinema has never shown more promise...

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‘Ali G: Who Iz I?’ Trailer: Sacha Baron Cohen Returns as the London Bad Boy in New Amazon MGM Mockumentary

Amazon MGM has released the official trailer for “Ali G: Who Iz I?,” a new mockumentary following Sacha Baron Cohen’s swaggering London bad boy. “After 20 years spent chillin’, tokin’ and bonin’, Ali ...

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‘Unleashed Spirits: The Rise of the Hollywood Vampires’ to Open 42nd Boston Film Festival

Alice Cooper, Joe Perry and Tommy Henriksen are set to appear at next month’s 42nd annual Boston Film Festival to discuss the event’s opening night premiere, the feature “Unleashed Spirits: The Rise o...

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Australia Bans AI-Generated Tracks From Official Music Charts to ‘Promote the Human Nature of Artistry’

The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), the trade group representing the country’s music industry, has banned wholly AI-generated songs from its weekly charts that showcase the most popu...

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Martin Scorsese Appointed Honorary President of Italy’s David di Donatello Academy

Martin Scorsese is set to be appointed honorary president of the David di Donatello Academy of Italian cinema, the entity that runs Italy’s equivalent of the Oscars. Scorsese’s appointment to the gove...

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Oscars: Belgium Selects Lukas Dhont’s Cannes Prizewinning ‘Coward’ for International Feature Race

Lukas Dhont’s “Coward,” which won the best actor prize at Cannes for Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne, will represent Belgium in the international feature film race at the 99th Academy Awards. T...

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George Clooney, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Alexandre Desplat and More Set for Finch & Partners and CAA’s ‘Future of Creativity’ Forum in Venice

George Clooney, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Alexandre Desplat and more are set to take part in an inaugural forum themed around creativity in Venice next month, held alongside the film festival. Presented by F...

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Hannah Einbinder Defends Mark Ruffalo After Paramount Calls His Merger Attack ‘Antisemitic’: ‘Those of Us With a Platform Need to Use Our Voices’

“Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder has come to the defense of Mark Ruffalo after Paramount accused him of invoking “antisemitic tropes” when criticizing the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger. It all kicked off...

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Crooked Media Is Bringing Back Nate Silver’s ‘FiveThirtyEight Politics’ Podcast, Which Will Relaunch Next Month as ‘Still Counting’ (EXCLUSIVE)

FiveThirtyEight is coming back from the dead — sort of. Just ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, Crooked Media inked a deal to acquire and revive the “FiveThirtyEight Politics” podcast hosted by Nate...

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Patricio Valladares Descends Into Hell With Horror Adaptation of Dante’s ‘Inferno’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Chilean filmmaker Patricio Valladares, behind the 2023 found-footage horror pic “Invoking Yell,” is set to direct a fantasy-horror reimagining of Dante’s “Inferno.” “The Divine Comedy,” slated to begi...

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Anthony Boyle to Lead Sky Drama ‘Charmer’ From Working Title, Story Films

Anthony Boyle, the “House of Guinness” star soon to be seen playing Sam Bankman-Fried in Netflix’s “The Altruists,” is set to lead upcoming Sky Original drama “Charmer.” The eight-part series, now in ...

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‘NAZA’ Documentary From ‘No Other Land’ Directors Acquired by MK2 Films Ahead of Venice Film Festival Premiere

French sales company MK2 Films has boarded “NAZA,” the new hot-button documentary from “No Other Land” directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor that was added on Monday to the Venice Film Festival comp...

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Pimmada Chaisakcharoen’s Thai Horror ‘Tame’ Launches EST N8, BrandThink’s B-EST Pictures (EXCLUSIVE)

EST N8 and BrandThink have launched B-EST Pictures, a joint venture for feature films and live experiences. The venture’s first title, “Tame,” a horror-suspense feature rooted in Thai folklore, will l...

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Oscars: South Korea Selects Lee Chang-dong’s ‘Possible Love’ for International Feature Race

The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) has selected “Possible Love,” directed by Lee Chang-dong, as South Korea’s official entry for the international feature film category at the 2027 Academy Awards. “Possi...

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‘Pride’ Musical to Transfer to Bridge Theatre From November; Director Says Bigger Venue Means the ‘Comedy Will Really Benefit From More People Watchin...

“Pride,” the joy-filled British musical based on the true story of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM), will transfer to London’s Bridge Theatre from Nov. 12, following sold-out seasons at Car...

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CGI Animated Movie ‘Juul,’ Featuring Lenny Henry, Joins Studio 100 Film’s Toronto Sales Slate (EXCLUSIVE)

Studio 100 Film has added CGI animated feature “Juul” to its international sales slate and will introduce the project to buyers at the Toronto Film Festival. The English-language voice cast features L...

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‘Cairo Conspiracy’s Tawfeek Barhom to Star in Les Valseurs’ ‘Borderline’ by Oscar-Nominated Yves Piat (EXCLUSIVE)

Palestinian actor Tawfeek Barhom, best known for Tarik Saleh’s Cannes winner “Cairo Conspiracy” in 2022 and Palme d’Or winner 2025 for his short film “I’m Glad You’re Dead Now,” is set to headline the...

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Na Hong-Jin’s ‘Hope,’ Netflix’s ‘Dead-End Job’ and ‘Blue Road,’ Disney+’s ‘The Remarried Empress’ Among Selections as Busan Unveils Korean Cinema Toda...

The 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has unveiled its Korean Cinema Today and On Screen selections, with Na Hong-Jin’s “Hope” among a nine-film lineup spanning Panorama and Special Premie...

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‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,’ ‘The Odyssey’ Extend Battle Atop U.K. and Ireland Box Office as ‘Insidious’ Makes Strong Debut

Sony’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” retained the No. 1 spot at the U.K. and Ireland box office for a fourth consecutive week, collecting £3.6 million ($4.8 million), according to Rentrak. The superhero...

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Nandamuri Balakrishna, Sunny Deol, Nayanthara Lead Zee Studios’ Multilingual 2026-27 Slate (EXCLUSIVE)

India’s Zee Studios has unveiled a diversified multilingual, multi-genre content slate for 2026-27, spanning Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati and Kannada cinema. The portfolio brings...

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Imagen Awards Red Carpet: Andy Garcia, Karla Souza, Wilmer Valderrama and More Celebrity Photos

Andy Garcia, Karla Souza and Wilmer Valderrama were among those on the red carpet Friday night for the 41st annual Imagen Awards at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. Celebrating Latino talent and c...

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