Variety

China Box Office: ‘Once Upon a Time in the Middle East’ Dominates With $70 Million Weekend as Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ Debuts Second

Dirty Monkeys’ war comedy-drama “Once Upon a Time in the Middle East” took command of the mainland China box office during the Aug. 14–16 weekend, grossing RMB477.9 million ($70.3 million) over the th...

1 week ago

Hollywood Failed Hayden Panettiere

Hayden Panettiere, the former child actress who grew up onscreen before our very eyes, passed away Sunday at the age of 36. She died five days before her 37th birthday. “It is with profound sadness th...

1 week ago

John Oliver Brutally Mocks Trump for Sacrificing Staff in Airplane-Swap Incident

On Sunday night, the summer’s hottest soap opera star, John Oliver, opened the latest edition of his Emmy-winning HBO series “Last Week Tonight” by addressing Trump’s controversial airplane switcheroo...

1 week ago

Hayden Panettiere, ‘Heroes’ and ‘Scream’ Star, Dies at 36

Hayden Panettiere, known for her roles on “Heroes” and in “Scream 4” and “Scream VI,” has died. Her rep confirmed her death to ABC News. A cause of death was not immediately known. “It is with profoun...

1 week ago

‘Lanterns’ Premiere Shocker: Stars Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre and Show Creators Break Down That Time Jump and Cliffhanger

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for the Season 1 premiere of “Lanterns,” now streaming on HBO Max. What kind of superhero show has the guts to kill off its lead character in the first ep...

1 week ago

Noah Kahan Turns His ‘Miserable’ Material Into Manic Elation at Triumphant Rose Bowl Stadium Show: Concert Review

“My name is Noah Kahan and I am here to make you fucking miserable!” the biggest male rock star on the charts right now announced almost at the outset of his sold-out show Saturday night at Pasadena’s...

1 week ago

‘The End of Tom Six’ Review: The Director of the ‘Human Centipede’ Films Has Multiple Sclerosis and Is Sharing the Horror. This Confessional Doc Is Hi...

"The End of Tom Six" is a self-styled confessional memoir in which Six fuses his life and career and illness into a parable. He’s asking: Is there room anymore for movies, like his, that stray over th...

1 week ago

Noah Wyle Hopes David Ellison’s Threat to Move Paramount Out of California is ‘Saber Rattling’: ‘You’re Going to Take Hollywood Out of Hollywood’

Noah Wyle is hoping David Ellison isn’t serious about moving Paramount out of California. “I hope this is saber rattling because I can’t think of anything that would less engender you to the populatio...

1 week ago

Dwayne Johnson Leads Crowd in ‘Happy Birthday’ Song for Daughter Simone After Receiving Disney Legends Award at D23

Dwayne Johnson has been officially crowned a legend — a Disney Legend that is. On Sunday at D23, Johnson was honored with the hall-of-fame-style award from the Walt Disney Company. From “Jungle Cruise...

1 week ago

Bob Iger Gets All-Star Send-Off From Robert Downey Jr., Harrison Ford and New CEO Josh D’Amaro at D23 Disney Legends Ceremony

Bob Iger is officially a legend within the Disney kingdom. We can’t call it surprising that the media giant named its former CEO (twice over) to its hall of fame, but it’s certainly fitting. Iger, 75,...

1 week ago

Anne Hathaway Tears Up as She’s Named a Disney Legend (and Her 2026 Box Office Crosses $2 Billion): ‘I’m One of the Most Insanely Lucky People in the ...

Shut up! Oscar winner Anne Hathaway is officially a Disney Legend. Hathaway was officially inducted into Disney’s hall of fame on Sunday afternoon during D23, the company’s weekend-long ultimate fan e...

1 week ago

Ariana Grande Brings Out Cynthia Erivo for ‘Happy Days’ and ‘For Good’ at Eternal Sunshine London Show

Ariana Grande brought out Cynthia Erivo to perform at her Aug. 16 Eternal Sunshine stop at London’s O2. The “Wicked” stars sang “For Good” and “Happy Days” on the second night in the U.K. for Grande’s...

1 week ago

Alex Cooper Poised to Drop UTA After Tough Period of Media Scrutiny

Alex Cooper seems intent on unraveling some of the current relationships that have helped underpin her production company, Unwell. The star podcaster and media entrepreneur is poised to drop her curre...

1 week ago

Stray Kids Score Their Biggest Sales Week as ‘This & That’ Debuts Atop Albums Chart

Stray Kids have scored their biggest sales week yet as their latest, “This & That,” becomes their ninth No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The group bows atop the chart with 369,000 equivalent album unit...

1 week ago

‘The Challenge’ Contestants Pay Tribute to Tyler Duckworth: ‘You Were the Brother I Never Had’

“The Challenge” two-time winner Tyler Duckworth died Tuesday in North Dakota, and his fellow contestants are remembering him as a “joy to be around” with “vibrant energy.” Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio ...

1 week ago

‘I Don’t Know’: Kenneth Branagh on Directing, ‘Harry Potter’ and How Christopher Nolan Had Him Speaking Russian Backwards

Sunday at the Edinburgh Intl. Film Festival turned into Edinbranagh, with a morning screening of the four-hour epic “Hamlet” followed by a wide-ranging onstage conversation with Kenneth Branagh, which...

1 week ago

Mariska Hargitay Says Jalen Brunson Is ‘Definitely’ Getting a Role in ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’: ‘It’s Happening’

Mariska Hargitay told Variety at the HBO Max Emmy Nominee Celebration that New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson is “definitely” getting a role in “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.” “It’s definitely ...

1 week ago

‘The Sopranos’ Star Drea de Matteo Says Starting an OnlyFans Was a ‘Political Statement’: ‘F— You. I Don’t Have to Work’

“The Sopranos” star Drea de Matteo recently told Jamie Kennedy on the “Hate to Break It To Ya” podcast (via EW) that starting her OnlyFans page was a “political statement.” “In some ways, the OnlyFans...

1 week ago

Dolly Parton Skips Dollywood Ride Opening Amid Ongoing Health Problems: ‘My Nashville Doctor Has Kinda Clipped My Wings’

Dolly Parton was unable to attend the opening of NightFlight Expedition at Dollywood on Friday due to ongoing “health issues.” Dollywood President Eugene Naughton shared a pre-recorded video of the si...

1 week ago

Paul Mescal, Joseph Quinn, Barry Keoghan and Harris Dickinson Spotted Filming Beatles Biopic at Iconic Abbey Road Crosswalk

It wouldn’t be a Beatles movie without Abbey Road. In a video shared on social media, Harris Dickinson, Paul Mescal, Joseph Quinn and Barry Keoghan were shown recreating the iconic album cover for Sam...

1 week ago

Box Office: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Remains No. 1 With $70 Million, ‘End of Oak Street’ Debuts to $21 Million

Dog days of summer? This year’s August at the box office didn’t get the memo. This popcorn season is ending with a bang rather than the usual whimper as “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “The Odyssey” c...

1 week ago

‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Hits $2 Billion Worldwide in Three Weeks

New day, new box office milestone for Sony’s latest Spidey adventure. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” has surpassed $2 billion in global ticket sales, eclipsing the rare benchmark after just three weekend...

1 week ago

‘Mission’ Review: An All-In George MacKay Performance Anchors a Fevered Mental Illness Portrait

Back in 2013, actor George MacKay and director Paul Wright paired up for “For Those in Peril,” an atmospheric study of youthful alienation, trauma and psychological collapse in small-town Scotland tha...

1 week ago

Locarno Winner ‘Forgotten Spaceman’ Adds Khan & Kumar Media, Prism Entertainment as Executive Producers Ahead of Toronto Bow (EXCLUSIVE)

“Forgotten Spaceman,” the documentary short by BAFTA-nominated filmmaker Elham Ehsas that won the Leopard of Tomorrow (International Competition) award at Locarno’s Junior Jury Awards, has added Khan ...

1 week ago

‘Shame and Money’ Director on Sundance-Winning Drama About a Kosovo Family in Free Fall: ‘It’s a Look Into the Past and a Warning to the Future’

Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner Visar Morina returns to the Sarajevo Film Festival — the scene of a previous triumph — with the biting social drama “Shame and Money,” which won the top prize in Park ...

1 week ago

Ranveer Singh, Kalyani Priyadarshan’s ‘Pralay,’ Produced by Ananya Birla and Hansal Mehta, Directed by Jai Mehta, Starts Filming

Ranveer Singh’s “Pralay,” an end-of-the-world action thriller, has begun filming in Mumbai. The film is produced by Ananya Birla’s Birla Studios, Hansal Mehta and Sahil Saigal’s True Story Films and S...

1 week ago

‘The Pitt,’ ‘Hacks’ and ‘Beef’ Among Astra TV Awards Winners

“Hacks,” “The Pitt” and “Beef” were the big winners of the 2026 Astra TV Awards. “The Pitt” took home the most trophies of the night with six. Those include for best drama series, streaming drama ense...

1 week ago

‘Monsters, Inc.’ Themed Land Will Open at Disney World in 2027

THe’Monsters, Inc.’ themed land, Monstropolis is set to open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Disney World in 2027. The news was announced Saturday at D23. Vice President Creative, Walt Disney World P...

1 week ago

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ ‘All Stars’ and ‘Untucked’ Renewed for New Seasons at MTV and Paramount+

Shantay you stay! “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” “All Stars” and “Untucked” have all been renewed for new seasons at MTV and Paramount+. The franchise’s main show, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” will return to MTV for i...

1 week ago

Disney Leaders Talk Streaming Strategy and Growth Drivers: Sports, Local Language, Vertical Media and Emerging Formats

Amid a torrent of fan-friendly news about Disney projects across the media spectrum, Disney leadership took time on the first day of the three-day D23 fan fest weekend in Anaheim for panels that offer...

1 week ago

Slipknot Confirms Sid Wilson’s Sudden Exit: ‘We Wish Him the Best’

Slipknot is officially parting ways with Sid Wilson, who had been part of the group for nearly 30 years. “Effective immediately, Slipknot will no longer be associated with Sid Wilson,” the band posted...

1 week ago

Here’s How to Watch Claressa Shields vs. Kaye Scott Boxing Live Online

After defending her undisputed women’s heavyweight title against Franchon Crews-Dezurn back in February, American boxer Claressa Shields drops in weight class to middleweight to challenge WBA and WBC ...

1 week ago

Director Frieda Luk on Olivia Luccardi’s ‘Sacred Creatures’ Role and the Fine Line Between ‘Crazy’ and ‘Enlightened’

For “Sacred Creatures” director Frieda Luk, belief can be comforting, ridiculous, exhilarating and hard to explain. “I’m really fascinated by when people believe in something,” she tells Variety. “One...

1 week ago

‘Lanterns’ Bosses and Stars on How the Show’s Grounded Approach Ushers in an ‘Entirely Different Kind of Superhero’

As part of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s newly expanded DCU, a more grounded take on the “Green Lantern” comics may surprise audiences who associate the character with the Ryan Reynolds film that rece...

1 week ago

‘How the F— Would You Get This Movie Made in America?’ Christine Vachon, Film4, BBC Film Put ‘Trainspotting,’ ‘Ratcatcher’ and ‘The Wicker Man’ Throug...

Would “Trainspotting” get financed today? Could Lynne Ramsay survive the jump from shorts to a first feature? And might “The Wicker Man,” once treated as a problem child, now look like exactly the kin...

1 week ago

Selena Gomez Slams ‘Completely Meritless’ Wondermind Lawsuit, Will File to Dismiss ‘Baseless Claims’

Selena Gomez and her legal team have released a fiery statement after the “Only Murders in the Building” star was accused of defrauding investors in her mental health startup, Wondermind, in a federal...

1 week ago

‘The State of Us’ Review: A Pair of Spirited Performances Lift a Familiar Yorkshire Tearjerker

The weather being what it is in Yorkshire, a sunroof is not a top priority for most car buyers in that English county — but the tired hatchback driven by young slacker Frankie (Samuel Bottomley) has o...

1 week ago

Dave Marsh, Bruce Springsteen Biographer and Rock Critic, Dies at 76

Dave Marsh, the film critic and biographer who documented the early days of Bruce Springsteen in his influential 1979 book “Born to Run,” died Friday in his Connecticut home. He was 76. Jim Rotolo, wh...

1 week ago

Adam Scott Says His Daughter’s Acting Class Was Forced to Watch His Failed ‘Office’ Audition as an Example of What Not to Do

Once upon a time, “Severance” star Adam Scott auditioned for the beloved sitcom “The Office.” Years later, he’s reliving the memories of that failed audition after his daughter’s acting teacher had th...

1 week ago

Locarno: Marco Cavazzin’s ‘Mutrion,’ Set in the Venice Lagoon, Scoops Leopards of Tomorrow Director Award

“Mutrion,” a short film set in the Venice lagoon by 26-year-old Italian director Marco Cavazzin, has scooped the best director award at the Locarno Film Festival’s Pardi di Domani (Leopards of Tomorro...

1 week ago

Nate Bargatze Sets Guinness World Record for Most Tickets Sold for a Stand-Up Comedy Tour (EXCLUSIVE)

Nate Bargatze and his “Big Dumb Eyes” just set a Guinness World Record. The Tennessee-born comedian has officially sold the most tickets for a stand-up comedy tour, surpassing the previously record he...

1 week ago

Box Office: ‘The End of Oak Street’ Chomps on $8.1 Million, But ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Is Still No. 1 With $19 Million

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” led the box office again on Friday despite competition from Anne Hathaway and a horde of hungry dinosaurs. The Warner Bros. sci-fi thriller “The End of Oak Street” landed i...

1 week ago

Darren Walker Opens His Home to Friends and Anonymous Content Emmy Nominees in Celebration of ‘Joy, Reflection, Delight and Awe’

Darren Walker may be new to Los Angeles as he takes the helm of Anonymous Content as president and CEO, but he’s had long relationships with key players in town for years, given his distinguished care...

1 week ago

Florin Şerban’s ‘You Don’t Belong Here’ Wins Golden Leopard at Locarno, as Monica Bellucci and Kim Minhee Take Acting Awards

Romanian director Florin Şerban’s “You Don’t Belong Here,” a study of anti-Roma racism, has taken the Golden Lion for best film in the International Competition at the Locarno Film Festival, along wit...

1 week ago

Diego Luna, Nicolas Pereda and Rodrigo Plá Set for Competition at Mexico’s Morelia Film Festival

A-list festival acclaimed pics from some of Mexico’s most celebrated talent, many of them female and first-timers, make up this year’s line-up at the Morelia Film Festival (FICM). Running October 16-2...

1 week ago

‘Nowhere to Lay My Eyes’ Review: Kim Minhee Once More Gives a Melancholy Masterclass in a Hong Sangsoo Miniature

The death-and-taxes certainty of Hong Sangsoo’s filmography — comparable to Woody Allen’s prime career run in its regularity, consistency and recurrence of ideas and actors across a gently varying ton...

1 week ago

‘A Chocolate Christmas,’ a Brazilian Holiday Romantic Drama, Set to Shoot in Gramado and New York From December

GRAMADO, Brazil — Vet Brazilian helmer-producer Paulo Nascimento will lense “A Chocolate Christmas,” a Portuguese-language holiday-themed feature film in the mountain resort of Gramado, in southern Br...

1 week ago

Urša Menart Recalls Finding Inspiration on Influencers’ Fake Tragic Life Stories for Intimate Dramedy ‘Everything That’s Wrong With You’

Right before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world, Slovenian director Urša Menart came across a curious phenomenon on the internet: young people, mostly women, making up tragic life stories to ga...

1 week ago

‘Frozen 3’ First Details: Anna and Kristoff Get Married, Olaf Gets a Girlfriend and a New Villain Emerges

Thanksgiving 2027 is about to get a lot colder. Disney has revealed the first details about “Frozen 3,” which will release in theaters Nov. 24, 2027, following the previous two films’ tradition of Tha...

1 week ago

Marvel’s ‘X-Men’ Reboot Sets May 2028 Release Date

The long-awaited X-Men movie is finally coming to the MCU. Marvel Studios exec Kevin Feige made the official announcement that the X-Men movie will release on May 5, 2028. The cast will include Sadie ...

1 week ago