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NBCUniversal Won’t Quantify Overall Ad Commitments in Upfront Market
Did Madison Avenue fill NBCUniversal’s coffers or not during this year’s decidedly difficult “upfront” market? The answer is hard to discern.NBA Finalizes Massive Rights Deals With NBC, Amazon, ESPN, Setting Up Possible Warner Showdown The Comcast-backed media conglomerate on Friday acknowledged that it had wrapped negotiations in the TV industry’s annual upfront, when U.S. TV companies try to sell the bulk of their commercial inventory ahead of their next cycles of programming. “NBCUniversal can confirm growth in our Total Cash Commitments for our 2024-25 Upfront, driven by our by key priority business areas including audiences, live programming and streaming,” said Mark Marshall,...
Sundance Reveals Six Possible Cities for 2027 Festival Location, Including Louisville and Cincinnati
The Sundance Institute has selected the finalist cities for the location of the 2027 Sundance Film Festival. Sundance Prizewinner 'In the Summers' Finds U.S. Distribution With Music Box Films (EXCLUSIVE) In addition to the possibility of remaining in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, the cities that made the next round are Atlanta; Cincinnati; Boulder, Colo.; Louisville, Ky.; and Santa Fe, N.M. The Sundance Institute looked at the infrastructure and event capabilities of each city, and the cities were required to show how they would welcome and foster the diverse Sundance community and culture of independent creativity, according to the institute....
Sharon Stone on How Movies Have Changed Since ‘Basic Instinct’: ‘Films Are Less About Men Writing About Their Fantasies of the Way Women Are’
Sharon Stone, who was at the Taormina Film Festival Friday to receive the Golden Cariddi Lifetime Achievement Award, spoke about her battles with ill health, her fears for the future of her country, and the changes happening in the film industry.'Quir' Director Nicola Bellucci on His Documentary About a Palermo Handbag Shop and the LGBTQ+ Community Who Gather There (EXCLUSIVE) “The world has changed dynamically since 1992. When I made ‘Basic Instinct,’ it seemed like a scandal,” Stone said. “The studios have changed dramatically. They’ve changed from making a variety of movies to making really these gigantic $100 million and $200...
Disabled Comedians Speak Out on Performance and Career Barriers Due To Widespread Industry Inaccessibility: ‘I Want There to Be More of Us’
A day before Ramy Youssef was set to record his latest special “More Feelings,” a friend and fellow comedian and actor Steve Way was scheduled to do a practice run as his opener at Brooklyn’s Bell House. It never happened. “The day of the show, they tell Ramy, ‘Sorry, we can’t get Steve on stage.’ They needed a week’s notice to rent a ramp,’” Way, who has his own special coming soon, recalls. “This isn’t Make-A-Wish. I would rather be told I’m not good enough than, ‘Sorry, there are stairs.’”Maysoon Zayid to Write, Star in Autobiographical Comedy Series in Development...
ABC News Taps ‘GMA’ Weekend Anchors to Expand Streaming Efforts (EXCLUSIVE)
Whit Johnson, Janai Norman and Gio Benitez hold important jobs at ABC News, tasked with taking the unit’s flagship program, “Good Morning America,” into the weekend-news fray. TV Networks Scramble Sunday Schedules After Trump Assassination Attempt Now they each will take on another pressing task — boosting ABC News in the streaming wars. The Disney journalism unit’s live-streaming outlet ABC News Live will on Saturday expand its programming on weekends, dispatching each member of the trio to take on streaming duties during weekend hours after 10 a.m. ET on Saturdays and Sundays. The group will retain their assignments on the “GMA”...
Bill Maher Jumps to WME After Dropping Longtime Agency CAA (EXCLUSIVE)
Bill Maher has jumped to WME, months after a report surfaced noting he had grown disenchanted with his former agency, CAA, which had represented the iconoclastic comedian and satirist for years.Bill Maher Denounces Trump Assassination Attempt, Says Shooter Did 'So Much Damage to the Left' WME, part of the talent-and-sports consortium Endeavor, will represent Maher in all areas of entertainment. Maher is in the midst of hosting the 22nd season of his long-running HBO talk show, “Real Time,” and signed a two-year extension for the program in March, ensuring his voice will be heard through the current presidential election and through...
‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ Is the Perfect Show for Trekkies — Now They Need to Watch It
When it was announced in 2019 that Nickelodeon would be getting its own animated “Star Trek” series, I must admit I was skeptical.Durban FilmMart Head Magdalene Reddy on Africa's Financing Boom, Transformative Power of Cinema and How to 'Create a New Vision' for the Continent After all, “Star Trek: Discovery” was already airing its second season (which clearly set up the phenomenal spinoff “Strange New Worlds), and “Picard” had already been announced, as had the adult animated series “Lower Decks.” How could a show clearly intended for kids measure up against all of that? Fast forward to the debut of “Star Trek:...
Alesso and Nate Smith Break Down Their Country-Dance Crossover ‘I Like It’ for Variety’s Behind the Song: It ‘Feels Like an Anthem’
In this episode of Variety’s Behind the Song, legendary producer and artist Alesso takes us inside his collaboration with Nate Smith on their new track, “I Like It.” Alesso, renowned for his high-energy hits that electrify crowds, has collaborated with rising country star Nate Smith on his latest project to blend country and dance music.Tinashe and Ricky Reed Unpack West Coast Influences, Hidden Ad-Libs on 'Nasty' for Variety's Behind the Song The collaboration is a natural fit: Alesso, known for his impressive EDM crossover smashes such as “Heroes” and “If I Lose Myself,” joins forces with Smith, whose track “Bulletproof” has...
‘EA Sports College Football 25’ Is Out Now: Here’s How to Get a Copy of the Video Game Online
One of the most anticipated games of the year is now available to purchase and college football fans are excited to play as their favorite teams to win the College Football Playoff National Championship for themselves.You Can Finally Play Xbox Game Pass on the Amazon Fire TV Stick: Save Up to 37% on a Prime Day Bundle Priced at $69.99, “EA Sports College Football 25” for Sony PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X is ready to buy at Target, Amazon and Walmart. $69.99 Buy: EA Sports College Football 25 at Target The sports game features 134 schools, including Ohio State Buckeyes, Michigan Wolverines,...
Box Office: Glen Powell’s ‘Twisters’ Makes $10.7 Million in Previews
“Twisters” is getting ready to shake up the summer box office.New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week The disaster movie, a sequel to the 1996 classic “Twister,” has made $10.7 million in Thursday previews at the box office. The Universal film, starring Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Anthony Ramos as storm chasers, is expected to open between $50 million and $55 million this weekend. “Twisters” comes with a $155 million price tag, so it’ll need to storm the global box office to turn a profit. Warner Bros. is distributing the film internationally, where it’s made $X million so...
Ateez Remembers ‘Flood of Emotions’ for Coachella Debut, Thanks Loyal Fanbase for Growing Global Fame: ‘It Feels Like We Can Overcome Anything’
Ateez made history earlier this year as the first male Korean group to play Coachella, just one stop on its “Towards the Light: Will to Power” North American tour that sees the octet play L.A.’s BMO Stadium July 20 and a just-added July 21 show.Ateez Lands First No. 1 on Billboard 200 With 'The World EP.Fin: Will' The KQ Entertainment act has been on the rise well before the desert fest, scoring their first Billboard No. 1 in December 2023 with “The World EP.Fin: Will” and in June reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with single “Work.” In 2023, Ateez...
Bruce Springsteen Is Now a Billionaire, Forbes Estimates
The Boss is officially a billionaire.Zach Bryan Brings In Bruce Springsteen for a Feature on 'The Great American Bar Scene,' a Record Steeped in the Boss' Quieter Side: Album Review Bruce Springsteen, who, with songs like “Badlands,” “Hungry Heart” and “My Hometown” became rock ‘n’ roll’s voice of the working class, is now worth $1.1 billion, according to a “conservative” Forbes estimate. Much of his net worth has been solidified in the past few years. In 2021, Springsteen sold his music catalog to Sony for an estimated $500-$550 million, marking the biggest transaction ever struck for a single artist’s body of work....
Yorgos Lanthimos’ ‘Bugonia’: How ‘Parasite’ and ‘Squid Game’ Success Led the Auteur to Remake Korean Sci-Fi ‘Save the Green Planet’
Fresh from their Cannes success with “Kinds of Kindness,” iconic director Yorgos Lanthimos and his totemic star Emma Stone are now busily filming “Bugonia,’ a sci-fi conspiracy movie that is a remake of South Korean film “Save the Green Planet.”K-Pop's MAMA Awards to Straddle Los Angeles and Japan The film follows two conspiracy-obsessed young men who kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth. The adapted script is from “Succession” and “The Menu” writer Will Tracy. While the new film’s co-producer and co-financier Korean conglomerate CJ ENM long ago put in...
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Unveils Lady Deadpool’s Full Look and Dafne Keen’s Return in Final Trailer: The ‘Logan’ Reunion Fans Have Waited for Is Here
Marvel Studios’ final trailer for “Deadpool & Wolverine” has let two of the movie’s big surprises out of the bag. One is that Lady Deadpool will be popping up alongside many other variants of the Merc with the Mouth. Various teasers for the Marvel tentpole had tipped off Lady Deadpool’s arrival, but this final trailer unveils the character in all her glory for the first time. Now fans will have to speculate which actor is under the mask (Blake Lively? Taylor Swift?).'Grown Men' Were 'Sobbing' During 'Deadpool & Wolverine' Camera Tests Because Hugh Jackman Showed Up in Wolverine's Yellow Suit The...
‘Sorry We Missed You’ Star Kris Hitchen and George Osborne to Lead Student Suicide Drama ‘Contact Hours’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Kris Hitchen (Ken Loach’s “Sorry We Missed You”) and George Osborne (“The Pendragon Cycle”) are set to lead the cast of “Contact Hours,” a short film addressing the issue of student suicide.Ken Loach on Retiring After 60 Years of Filmmaking and His Respect for Jonathan Glazer's 'Hugely Valuable' Oscars Speech The psychological drama follows a university caretaker whose life takes an unexpected turn when he discovers one of his students has been missing for days. As he investigates, he finds himself confronting a tragedy that prompts him to reevaluate his relationship with his own son. Harry Richards, known for his short “Santi,”...
Durban FilmMart Head Magdalene Reddy on Africa’s Financing Boom, Transformative Power of Cinema and How to ‘Create a New Vision’ for the Continent
The Durban FilmMart returns to South Africa’s sun-splashed coast this week for its 15th edition, with the thematic banner “African Visions Unleashed” underscoring the event’s focus on the power of the continent’s creative industries and how they can be harnessed to address the day’s pressing issues while also playing a more socially responsible role.Netflix's Ted Sarandos: Generative AI Tools Will Be a 'Great Way for Creators to Tell Better Stories' Magdalene Reddy, director of the Durban FilmMart Institute, says this year’s edition is organized around the overarching question: “How do we create a new vision for Africa?” “There’s a very transformative power...
‘Zone of Interest,’ ‘Horizon’ on the Slate as SF Studios, Warner Bros. Discovery Ink Nordic Max Streaming Pact – Global Bulletin
SCANDINAVIAN STREAMING SURGE SF Studios and Warner Bros. Discovery have entered a content partnership for the Nordic region. The deal grants WBD’s Max streaming service first-run rights to SF Studios’ local and international titles post-theatrical and transactional windows.Netflix Rejects Direct Streaming Bundles With Max, Disney+ Because It 'Already Operates as a Go-To Destination' The agreement aims to bolster SF Studios’ investment in Nordic productions and expand audience reach through Max in the region. Upcoming titles include Tarik Saleh’s “Eagles of the Republic” starring Fares Fares, Norwegian crime adaptation “The Nation’s Gambit,” and Mikkel Serup’s “Kingmaker,” a sequel to 2004’s “Kongekabale.” International films like...
Paul Schrader to Lead Sarajevo Festival Jury, Serving Alongside Noomi Rapace, Juho Kuosmanen, Una Gunjak, Sebastian Cavazza
U.S. director-screenwriter Paul Schrader will serve as president of the features jury of the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival, which runs from Aug. 16 to 23. Schrader will be joined on the jury by Swedish actor and producer Noomi Rapace, Finnish director-writer Juho Kuosmanen, Sarajevo-born, Paris-based director, writer and editor Una Gunjak, and Slovenian actor Sebastian Cavazza.
‘Allen Sunshine,’ About Grieving Music Mogul, Wins Werner Herzog Film Award (EXCLUSIVE)
The Werner Herzog Foundation has revealed that Canadian filmmaker Harley Chamandy will receive the 2024 Werner Herzog Film Prize for his feature “Allen Sunshine.” The annual award, presented in collaboration with the Munich Film Museum, comes with a €5,000 ($5,445) prize.Werner Herzog Leads Film Accelerator in Spain, Voice Acts in Bong Joon Ho's Upcoming Animated Feature (EXCLUSIVE) “Allen Sunshine” follows a former music mogul who retreats to a secluded lake house after his famous wife’s suicide. The protagonist copes with his loss by composing electronic music and forming an unlikely bond with two local boys. His journey through grief is punctuated...
Venice Days Unveils Female-Centric Lineup, Including Electropop Pioneer Doc ‘Peaches Goes Bananas’
Films directed by women dominate the Venice Film Festival’s independently run Giornate Degli Autori, which has unveiled a lineup full of first works and special events including “Peaches Goes Bananas,” French filmmaker Marie Losier’s tribute to iconic Canadian electropop provocateur Peaches.Wistful Romance 'Sidonie in Japan,' Starring Isabelle Huppert, Sells Across Major International Territories (EXCLUSIVE) Shot over the course of 17 years, “Peaches Goes Bananas” provides an intimate portrait of the former schoolteacher, who during the 1980s moved from Canada to Berlin and became a queer feminist icon, breaking taboos and “transforming her body into art,” as the doc’s synopsis puts it. The...
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