Variety

Robert Downey Jr. Signs On as Pitchman for Snap’s $2,200 Specs AR Glasses

Robert Downey Jr., whose famous portrayal of Marvel’s Iron Man had him decked out with a variety of high-tech gadgetry, is donning Snap’s Specs augmented-reality glasses in a new role as lead spokesma...

1 week ago

Starz Gets Back on Verizon Fios After New Carriage Pact

The cable network Starz and its ancillary properties are available once again on Verizon’s Fios service following an interruption in service due to a battle over the terms of a new contract. Starz sai...

1 week ago

Lionsgate Stock Jumps on Report Legendary Entertainment Has Submitted New $3.5 Billion Takeover Offer

Is Lionsgate — a long-rumored acquisition target — going to find a buyer this time? Production company Legendary Entertainment has revived its bid to acquire Lionsgate, according to a Bloomberg report...

1 week ago

David Fincher Cut 60 Pages of Tarantino’s ‘Cliff Booth’ Script: ‘The First Draft Was 230 Pages. It Was Essentially Two Movies’

David Fincher cut roughly 60 pages from Quentin Tarantino’s original screenplay for “The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth,” the upcoming “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood” follow-up starring Brad P...

1 week ago

CAA’s Roeg Sutherland Says It’s Too Soon to Predict Fallout From Netflix Firings, Thinks Recent Mergers Represent ‘Opportunity’ for Industry

CAA’s Roeg Sutherland remains bullish on the theatrical market, thinks the recent spate of mergers and consolidations represent an “opportunity” for film financiers and says it’s too soon to predict w...

1 week ago

Sundance Hires Tracy Brady as Marketing, Communications Chief

Sundance Institute has appointed Tracy Brady as chief marketing, brand and communications officer. She is joining the organization at a pivotal time, with Sundance Film Festival preparing to relocate ...

1 week ago

Mariah Carey Wins Dismissal of Brother’s Defamation Suit Over Memoir

A judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit from Mariah Carey’s brother, in which he claimed he was defamed by the superstar’s 2020 memoir, “The Meaning of Mariah Carey.” Morgan Carey, who is 10 years older...

1 week ago

Gram Parsons Tribute Concert at Troubadour to Feature Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello, Black Crowes, Margo Price and More

The “Grievous Angel” will be getting a salute from a lot of grateful angels when an all-star tribute concert honoring the late Gram Parsons takes place at the Troubadour on Nov. 11, three nights befor...

1 week ago

Jon Leland and Ivan Askwith Launch Fandom First Studio: Popular Demand (EXCLUSIVE)

Jon Leland, former chief strategy officer at Kickstarter, and Ivan Askwith, who previously led Digital Media at Lucasfilm, have teamed to launch Popular Demand, a new studio that partners with creator...

1 week ago

‘Only What We Carry’ Team Sets Offbeat Family Drama ‘Trafalgar,’ Starring Fanny Ardant, Danny Huston (EXCLUSIVE)

Fresh off the festival run of “Only What We Carry,” the offbeat indie drama starring Quentin Tarantino, actor-producer Liam Hellmann is making his feature directorial debut with “Trafalgar,” led by an...

1 week ago

Daniel Kaluuya to Star in ‘Purpose’ Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Next Show ‘Grass’

Daniel Kaluuya will make his New York stage debut in “Grass,” a new play from Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winner Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. “Grass” traces a mother and son’s surreal, sprawling road tr...

1 week ago

JustWatch TV Launches With Content Partners Including Cineverse and Altitude for New AVOD Streaming Service

Streaming guide JustWatch Group set its 30 major content partners for its Advertising-Based Video on Demand streaming service, JustWatch TV, which launched Tuesday. Cineverse will serve as the content...

1 week ago

‘Sinners’ Music Exhibition Opens at California African American Museum

An exhibition dedicated to the music of Ryan Coogler’s Oscar-winning “Sinners” has opened at the California African American Museum. “Sinners: Sounds That Summon” is on view Oct. 20-March 14. Presente...

1 week ago

Patrick Dempsey Signs With Gersh (EXCLUSIVE)

Patrick Dempsey has signed with Gersh for representation. The Emmy and Golden Globe Award-nominated actor is a big get for the company, which is the fourth largest talent and literary agency in the wo...

1 week ago

U2 to Play Halftime Show for NFL’s Thanksgiving Eve Game in What League Calls ‘a New NFL Holiday Tradition’

Although Thanksgiving Eve has not yet been recognized by everyone as a holiday in its own right, the National Football League is instituting what it calls “a new NFL holiday tradition” — a halftime pe...

1 week ago

NBA 2026-2027: Here’s Where to Watch Regular Season Games Live Online

After winning the NBA Finals for the first time in 53 years back in June, the New York Knicks are at the top of the pro basketball league. With so many storylines, drama on and off the court and......

1 week ago

Cleo Sol Announces First-Ever North American Arena Tour Dates

With her intentionally low-key public profile, British R&B singer-songwriter Cleo Sol is the kind of artist you think flies under the radar — until she sells out three nights at New York’s prestig...

1 week ago

Spotify Inks Licensing Deal With Believe Music for AI Remixing Tool

Spotify has struck a content licensing deal with the France-based independent music company Believe ahead of its forthcoming AI-powered remixing tool, an agreement that also covers Believe’s digital d...

1 week ago

Palestinian Filmmaker Rakan Mayasi on His Search for Unconventional Stories and Portraying ‘Communities That Have Not Been on Film Before’

Iconoclastic Palestinian filmmaker Rakan Mayasi’s debut feature “Yesterday the Eye Didn’t Sleep” made a splash in this year’s Un Certain Regard in Cannes with its powerful, poetic treatment of a Bedou...

1 week ago

Guillermo del Toro Tears Up as He Says ‘We’re Handing Down a World in Ruins’: ‘It Pains Me Deeply to See Three Generations Fail the Next’

Mexico’s beloved Guillermo del Toro descended on the 24th Morelia Film Festival like the rockstar he is, greeted by hordes of shrieking fans that impressed even the most jaded in the crowd. In town to...

1 week ago

BBC Three Among Linear Services Set to Close as Broadcaster Looks for Savings

The BBC has confirmed it will shut down a host of linear broadcast services next year. Among those impacted are BBC Three, BBC Scotland and BBC Radio 4 Extra. The decision was made as the beleaguered ...

1 week ago

Hulu’s Mother-Son Mystery ‘Phony’ Mutes Connie Britton’s Charisma Under Visual Effects: TV Review

It’s a shame Hulu shared only half the first season of the streamer’s new comedy-mystery series “Phony” with critics in advance, because so much depends on how the show resolves its central source of ...

1 week ago

Prince Harry Opens Up About Move Back to England and Wanting to ‘Work It Out’ With King Charles and Prince William: ‘The Most Important Thing Is to Re...

Prince Harry says he wants to make peace with both his father and brother. Speaking in his first major interview since returning to the U.K. with his family earlier in the summer, the Duke of Sussex d...

1 week ago

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s ‘Warriors’ Sets Broadway Cast

Lin-Manuel Miranda has announced the cast for his next Broadway venture, “Warriors,” which comes a decade after “Hamilton” became a pop culture sensation. The upcoming production, which opens in the s...

1 week ago

Spotify Removes 50 Million AI Slop Tracks from Recommendations This Year

Spotify’s quest to curb the chaos AI-generated music has brought onto the platform has caused it to remove 50 million AI slop tracks from users’ recommendations, a new figure shared Tuesday as part of...

1 week ago

Podcasters Amy Poehler, Khloe Kardashian, Monica Lewinsky Among Winners at Signal Awards (EXCLUSIVE)

The Signal Awards, which is in its fifth year of honoring podcasts, has revealed this year’s recipients, including “Good Hang With Amy Poehler,” “Reclaiming With Monica Lewinsky” and “Khloé in Wonder ...

1 week ago

Christina Applegate Reveals She Was Misdiagnosed With MS: ‘I’m Back at Square One’ and It’s a ‘Mindf—’

Christina Applegate returned to her podcast, “MeSsy,” on Tuesday with some shocking news: She was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis. After taking a break from the podcast for seven months due to he...

1 week ago

Emily Watson Joins ‘The Drive,’ Inspired by JFK Assassination, as Exec Producer (EXCLUSIVE)

Two-time Oscar nominee Emily Watson has joined the Oscar-qualified short film “The Drive” as executive producer, lending her support to husband-and-wife filmmaking team David Arrow and Amber Paul as t...

1 week ago

Evolution Mallorca Brings Back Script Lab Pitches With ‘Sirat’ Producer and Oscar Winner Kim Magnusson Among Jury Members

This year’s Evolution Mallorca, held on the Spanish island between Oct. 28 and NoV. 4, is bringing back Evolution Pitch, the pitching component of its Script Lab program as part of the festival’s 15th...

1 week ago

Raj Singh and Italy’s RP1 Holding Launch €100 Million Film Fund to Boost Country’s Struggling Indie Ecosystem

CEO of Media Capital Technologies Raj Singh and Italy’s RP1 Holding, an Italian group comprising companies specializing in alternative finance, are launching an innovative €100 million ($112 million) ...

1 week ago

‘Street Fighter’ Punches to Summit as Rajinikanth’s ‘Jailer 2’ Bows in Third at U.K., Ireland Box Office

Paramount’s “Street Fighter” delivered a knockout blow to top the U.K. and Ireland box office, debuting in first place with £2.3 million ($3.1 million). Universal’s animated feature “Forgotten Island”...

1 week ago

Dana Carvey Says He ‘Didn’t Understand the Kerfuffle’ Over Shane Gillis’ ‘SNL’ Monologue: ‘I Just Saw It’ as a ‘Joke’

“Saturday Night Live” alum Dana Carvey didn’t get all the controversy over Shane Gillis’ recent monologue on the sketch show, saying he “just saw it” as “a joke.” Gillis sparked outrage on Oct. 10 whe...

1 week ago

Jakarta Pitches Itself as Regional Film Hub, Points to Busan as Model

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung Wibowo kicked off the Jakarta Film Summit 2026 on Tuesday with a pitch for the Indonesian capital as a regional film hub, making the case that the city is equipped to dr...

1 week ago

‘Goodbye Julia’ Director on Reaching for ‘Wider Audiences’ in Sudanese Period Drama ‘About Love & September Laws’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Sudanese filmmaker Mohamed Kordofani, whose debut feature “Goodbye Julia” premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard sidebar, has attracted a raft of partners for his follow-up “About Love & September...

1 week ago

‘Big Boys Don’t Cry’ Director Muhammad Mustapha Talks Masculinity Ahead of El Gouna Premiere: ‘The Only Emotion Men Are Allowed to Express Is Anger’

Egyptian filmmaker Muhammad Mustapha’s “Big Boys Don’t Cry” follows a group of Cairo bodybuilders and nightclub bouncers, offering a view into how men understand and perform masculinity. The documenta...

1 week ago

‘Line of Duty’ Director Douglas Mackinnon Preps Edinburgh-Set Paramedic Drama ‘BurnTime,’ Builds Slate at Rugged Island Films (EXCLUSIVE)

“Line of Duty” and “Good Omens” director Douglas Mackinnon is prepping an Edinburgh-set paramedic drama that’s part of a growing slate at his recently launched production outfit Rugged Island Films. M...

1 week ago

‘Lilly,’ Starring Patricia Clarkson, to Open London’s Women and the World Intl. Film Festival

Rachel Feldman’s “Lilly,” starring Patricia Clarkson, will open the third edition of the Women and the World International Film Festival, which runs in London from Nov. 5-12. Highlights of the program...

1 week ago

AI Could ‘Absolutely’ Replace Human Actors, CEO of Generative AI Startup Runway Says at Italy’s View Conference: ‘It’s Already Happening in a Way’

Durng a fireside chat entitled “Every Pixel Will Be Generated” at Turin’s View Conference, an audience member asked Cristóbal Valenzuela, the co-CEO of generative AI startup Runway, whether AI could e...

1 week ago