Variety

JioHotstar’s Tadka Indian Microdrama Platform Reaches 100 Million Users

Tadka, the microdrama platform within leading Indian streamer JioHotstar, has crossed 100 million users, establishing premium short-form content as a mainstream entertainment category in India. Since ...

2 days ago

‘Stop! That! Train!’ Review: RuPaul Presides Over an Irreverent, Appealing Disaster-Movie Parody

The tale of two heroic stewardesses who team up with RuPaul Charles, the President of the United States, to stop a train on a collision course with a once-a-century weather event, “Stop! That! Train!”...

2 days ago

Steven Spielberg Says James Bond Movies ‘Constantly Turned Me Down’ and ‘If They Asked Me Now’ to Direct the Answer Would Be: ‘You Can’t Afford Me’

Steven Spielberg joined “The Rest Is Entertainment” podcast on his “Disclosure Day” press tour and opened up about his repeated failed attempts to direct a James Bond movie. The Oscar winner made a pe...

2 days ago

‘Happy Hours’ Review: Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson Are Reunited in a Romcom Made for Nineties Nostalgists

The star pairing of “Happy Hours” isn’t just its selling point, but its audience filter. If the words “Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson together again” make your heart go a little soft, then congratula...

2 days ago

Taormina Film Festival Opens With ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3 Screening in a Greek Theater Dating Back to the 3rd Century B.C.

Italy’s Taormina Film Festival kicked off with a double dose of ancient firepower on Wednesday evening as the first episode of HBO’s “House of the Dragon” Season 3 was unveiled on a gigantic outdoor s...

2 days ago

Cush Jumbo Talks ‘Criminal Record’ Season 2, June and Hegarty’s Odd Bond and [SPOILER’S] Shocking Death

SPOILER ALERT: The following story contains plot details from the Season 2 finale of “Criminal Record” now streaming on Apple TV. In the second season of Apple TV’s captivating crime drama, “Criminal ...

2 days ago

Paris Barclay’s ‘Billy Preston’ Doc Is First Film in Academy Screening Room for Oscar Season (EXCLUSIVE)

The upcoming film awards season has its first official entry. Variety has learned exclusively that Paris Barclay’s documentary “Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It” is the first film uploaded...

2 days ago

Liz Garbus’ ESPN Doc ‘Give Me The Ball!’ About Billie Jean King Will Open Croatia International Film Festival (EXCLUSIVE)

‘ “Give Me The Ball!,” an upcoming ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, will open the third annual Croatia International Film Festival on July 24 in the coastal city of Sibenik. Oscar nominee and Primetime Emm...

2 days ago

Layoffs Coming at Xbox? New CEO Outlines Upcoming ‘Reset’ in Memo to Staff: ‘Surprising and Even Frustrating’ Realities Facing Business

New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma outlined several “surprising and even frustrating” realities facing the Microsoft-owned gaming business in a memo to staff Wednesday, which included forward looking statements...

2 days ago

‘007 First Light’ Studio Chief on Future Bond Games With Amazon, Adding New Free Missions and Isola’s Backstory

While the overall future of the James Bond video game franchise is up in the air, the next 12 months have been laid out for the IO Interactive-published “007 First Light.” With more than 2.7 million c...

2 days ago

‘I Negotiate With Hugging’: Nick Offerman Sounds Off on Toxic Masculinity, Turning Down Ron Swanson Roles and ‘Margot’s Got Money Troubles’

Nick Offerman has a strong work ethic. When he signed up to play former pro wrestler James “Jinx” Millet in “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” he worried he’d have to train as hard as other Hollywood gym r...

2 days ago

Tim Allen Says ‘Home Improvement’ Reboot Is ‘Stuck’ Because of On-Screen Sons’ ‘Personality Problems’ in Real Life: ‘They’ve Got Their Own Issues’

“Toy Story 5” star Tim Allen says a “Home Improvement” reboot is not likely at the moment due to “personality problems” with the actors who played his on-screen sons on the classic ABC sitcom. “They k...

2 days ago

The Best Audible Books to Listen to Right Now: From ‘Famesick’ to the ‘Off Campus’ Series

Many of the biggest names in Hollywood are lending their star power to Audible titles — from Harris Dickinson and Marisa Abela in “Pride and Prejudice” to the bold-faced cast attached to the upcoming ...

2 days ago

Jon Stewart Compares Trump Leaving the White House to Iron Man Exiting the MCU: Will MAGA ‘Buy Someone Else Running That Universe?’

If Donald Trump is the leader of the MAGA-verse, what happens after the credits roll on his presidency? At an intimate FYC event in New York on Tuesday, the hosts of “The Daily Show” got to comparing ...

2 days ago

AMC Theatres Postpones Bebe Rexha, Paris Hilton, Kim Petras and Maren Morris Live Concert Simulcasts, Citing Summer Box Office Rebound

AMC Theatres is postponing plans to simulcast a series of live concerts from performers like Bebe Rexha, Paris Hilton, Kim Petras and Maren Morris. The cinema chain revised its plans after a series of...

2 days ago

CAA, TPG Form $250 Million Holding Company to Acquire Businesses Led by YouTubers and Other Creators

CAA is back in business with its former majority owner, private-equity giant TPG — with the two companies teaming up on plans to buy creator-led companies. CAA and TPG’s Integrated Media Company (IMC)...

2 days ago

Oscars: Glenn Close, Ridley Scott, Disney’s First Black Animator and Killer Films Founders Set for Honorary Prizes

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present Honorary Oscars to veteran actress Glenn Close, legendary director Ridley Scott and Disney’s first Black animator Floyd Norman, while produ...

2 days ago

Working From Home Has Never Been Easier Than With T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet

As remote work has become more ubiquitous over the past five years, the work-from-home setup has become its own kind of production: video calls, file uploads, streaming, group chats, smart-home device...

2 days ago

Variety Virtuoso Honoree Katherine LaNasa on Her Skyrocketing Fame and How She Found the Key to ‘The Pitt’s’ Dana: ‘I Just Understood Her’

Charge nurse Dana Evans embodies the heart and soul of HBO’s “The Pitt.” She’s smart and reacts with her gut; she’s tough and empathetic, a fierce fighter for her patients and staff, but knows when no...

2 days ago

Reality Exec Jeff Gaspin Departs Netflix VP Role, Will Return to Producing

Jeff Gaspin is exiting his role as Netflix’s VP of unscripted series after a little more than two years, Variety has confirmed. The former NBC Universal Television Entertainment chairman first took th...

2 days ago

Kristen Kish Shares Her Top Chef’ Hosting Highlights, and Why the Family Reunion Episodes Always Bring Her to Tears

If there’s one thing Kristen Kish has brought to “Top Chef,” it’s her face card: tears and laughter. Since Kish returned to the Bravo show – she won season 10 – as host in 2024, watching Kish’s emotio...

2 days ago

Variety’s 10 Producers to Watch: Class of 2026

These up-and-coming producers champion diverse talents and storytellers, and will be recognized at the Bentonville Film Festival. The 12th edition of the festival runs June 15-21 in Bentonville, Ark. ...

2 days ago

As Impasse With DirecTV Continues, Scripps Directs Viewers to These 3 ‘Other Streaming and Cable Services’

The contract dispute between DirecTV and The E.W. Scripps Company has continued into June, with DirecTV subscribers in almost 40 markets across the country still without access to local Scripps-owned ...

2 days ago

Marc Maron on the Last-Minute Joke That Elevated His Latest HBO Special, Why He Doesn’t Miss His Podcast and How His Cats Are Doing

Marc Maron wrapped his “WTF” podcast in October after 16 years — and so far, he says, he doesn’t really miss it. “I don’t find myself freaking out as much,” he tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast. ...

2 days ago

Donna Summer’s Music Catalog, Other Rights Acquired by Primary Wave (EXCLUSIVE)

Primary Wave Music has announced a partnership with the estate of legendary R&B singer Donna Summer, best known for such disco-era hits as “I Feel Love,” “Bad Girls,” “Hot Stuff” and many others. ...

2 days ago

MK2 Opens Capital to the Public for First Time in $5.8 Million Fundraising Campaign

French cinema group MK2 – the family-owned company which had five movies in competition at Cannes and won four prizes — is opening its capital to the public for the first time in its 52-year history. ...

2 days ago

Amelia Dimoldenberg Expands Her Dimz Inc. Academy for Young Creatives in Its Second Year

“Chicken Shop Date” host and producer Amelia Dimoldenberg is expanding her Dimz Inc. Academy in its second year, with the goal of opening doors for the next generation of creative talent. This year, D...

2 days ago

Xbox Chief Content Officer Matt Booty on Shifting Exclusivity Strategy, Working With Asha Sharma and Why ‘Blade’ and ‘Elder Scrolls 6’ Didn’t Make It ...

Xbox leadership shook up its strategy this week with the announcement that upcoming games “Gears of War: E-Day” and “Clockwork Revolution” would be exclusive to Xbox consoles and PCs. Following years ...

2 days ago

NBA Houses Around the World Aim to Put Global Spotlight on League’s Finals

As basketball fans from around the world check out the NBA Finals, the league is trying to get them out of their own houses and into its homes. Fans in Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Australia, Japan and Ind...

2 days ago

Joan Cusack Walks First Movie Premiere Red Carpets in 11 Years and Says She Stopped Acting for 6 Years Because It’s ‘Priceless’ Being a ‘Normal Person...

Joan Cusack made a rare red carpet appearance Tuesday night at the premiere of “Toy Story 5″ at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. For good reason — the actress returns to the fifth installment of the be...

2 days ago

I Saw ‘Hell Grind,’ the AI Film From Cannes. The Plot Is Nonsensical, but the Visuals Were Shockingly Realistic

Some facets of a trip to see an AI-generated movie mimic seeing a regular one. You’re seated in a theater, one thankfully with reclining chairs. Living, breathing human beings take up the seats surrou...

2 days ago

Rodrigo Teixeira, Producer of ‘Paper Tiger,’ Boards Sci-Fi Drama ‘Bodies of Summer’ From Berlin Winner Iván Fund (EXCLUSIVE)

Rodrigo Teixeira’s Brazil-based RT Features, producer of 2025 Oscar winner “I’m Still Here” and James Gray’s 2026 Cannes contender “Paper Tiger,” has boarded “Bodies of Summer,” a sci-fi drama from Iv...

2 days ago

EU Kicks Off Probe of Paramount’s $24 Billion in Middle Eastern Funding for Warner Bros. Deal

The European Union’s regulatory arm is investigating Paramount Skydance’s proposed Warner Bros. Discovery megamerger over the financial backing of three Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds. The Euro...

2 days ago

‘The Social Reckoning’ Trailer: Jeremy Strong Is Mark Zuckerberg in Aaron Sorkin’s ‘Social Network’ Sequel

Sixteen years after “The Social Network” chronicled the rise of Facebook, audiences are getting their first look at its highly anticipated follow-up. Sony Pictures has unveiled the trailer for “The So...

2 days ago

Miriam Margolyes to Receive Raindance Icon Award, Reveals Feature Plans for Oscar-Nominated Short ‘A Friend of Dorothy’: ‘There Is Room to Expand’ (EX...

British actress Miriam Margolyes will receive this year’s Raindance Icon Award at the Raindance Film Festival, taking place in London between June 17-26. Margolyes will receive her accolade at the fe...

2 days ago

Andy Cohen Reveals Jennifer Lawrence ‘Provided Crucial Information’ to Track Down ‘Summer House’ Reunion Leaker: ‘Her Online Sleuthing Helped Solve Th...

Jennifer Lawrence: full-time actress, part-time detective. Andy Cohen revealed on “Watch What Happens Live” on Tuesday night that the Oscar winner played a key role in helping Bravo track down who lea...

2 days ago

‘Doctor Who’ Christmas Special Not Going Forward This Year at BBC as Russell T Davies and Bad Wolf Exit Series

The BBC is no longer going ahead with a “Doctor Who” Christmas special this year as planned and is seeking new production partners. Showrunner and writer Russell T Davies and producer Bad Wolf have of...

2 days ago

Jimmy Kimmel Rents Spencer Pratt a U-Haul After He Loses L.A. Mayoral Race: ‘We Are So, So Sorry to See You Go’

Jimmy Kimmel is making sure Spencer Pratt keeps his promise to move out of Los Angeles after losing the mayoral race. During his “Jimmy Kimmel Live” monologue on Tuesday, the late-night host riffed on...

2 days ago

Bharathiraja, Pioneer of Tamil Rural Cinema, Dies at 84

Bharathiraja, the Indian filmmaker whose rural dramas reshaped Tamil cinema across nearly five decades, died on Wednesday in Chennai from age-related illness. He was 84. Born Chinnasamy Periyamaya The...

2 days ago

‘Desi Bling’ Producer on Why the Netflix Reality Show, About Ultra-Wealthy Indian Expats in Dubai, Is Such a Hit: People ‘Like to See Their Dreams on ...

Netflix reality docusoap “Desi Bling,” which delves into the glossy lives of ultra-wealthy Indian expats living in Dubai, is turning out to be a big hit. The show’s seven-episode first season, offerin...

2 days ago

‘Compartment No. 6’ Director Juho Kuosmanen Adds Magnus Millang, Paprika Steen to Cast of Bittersweet Comedy ‘Dream Come True’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Juho Kuosmanen, the director of Cannes prizewinner “Compartment No. 6,” has completed casting on feature film “Dream Come True,” which is a bittersweet comedy inspired by a true story. His third featu...

3 days ago

Bill Cody, Grand Ole Opry Announcer and Revered WSM Country Radio Personality, Dies at 67

Bill Cody, one of the nation’s most revered country radio personalities from his decades-long roles as an announcer for the Grand Ole Opry and WSM morning show host, died Tuesday in Nashville. He was ...

3 days ago

Rajinikanth’s ‘Kochadaiiyaan’ AI Remaster, ‘Tanu Weds Manu’ Sequel Lead Eros Innovation’s 15-Production, $355 Million U.K. Slate (EXCLUSIVE)

Eros Innovation has unveiled a £265 million ($355.2 million) commitment to the U.K., anchoring a 15-production slate that includes the AI remaster of superstar Rajinikanth’s “Kochadaiiyaan,” a continu...

3 days ago

‘Toy Story 5’ First Reactions Praise Pixar’s Sequel as a ‘Deeply Profound’ and ‘Moving’ Film That ‘Ranks Right Alongside’ the Original

“Toy Story 5” has finally been unveiled to members of the film press, and it appears Pixar’s long-running animated franchise remains in top form after 30 years. The latest sequel is being called “emot...

3 days ago