For several years, the final “Saturday Night Live” episode of the year includes a segment of “Weekend Update” in which co-anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che write jokes that the other must read for the first time on the air. For Jost, this typically has meant Che forces him to say a litany of jokes […]

During the year’s final episode of “Saturday Night Live,” cast member Bowen Yang appeared at the “Weekend Update” desk dressed as one of the drones that have been sighted over the skies of New Jersey — which, as co-anchor Michael Che explained, caused the FAA to issue “temporary flight restrictions” over the state. “Wow, indoors,” Yang […]

Martin Short kicked off his monologue for his fifth time hosting “Saturday Night Live” by joking that he had to get through it quickly, because “I have 10 sketches to get to where I play an elf.”  He then added: “Also, I left my Uber driver waiting, and you know how testy Matt Gaetz can […]

Tom Hanks opened the 2024 season finale of “Saturday Night Live” and could barely get a “hello” out of his mouth before the audience in Studio 8H went wild with excitement. Sitting in a leather chair and wearing his Five-Timers Club jacket, the actor said, “Hello, I’m Tom Hanks.” Explaining the origin of the esteemed […]

Jonathan Bennett wants a “Mean Girls” reunion. Bennett, along with his “Mean Girls” co-stars Lindsay Lohan and Lacey Chabert, is leading his own Christmas special this year and suggested the idea of the trio reuniting on a holiday film. “I think what’s so special about the similarities between ‘Mean Girls’ and Christmas movies is they both have a through line — and […]

David Ayer has responded to public criticism for his support of James Gunn‘s upcoming film “Superman” and his cinematic expansion of the collective DC Universe. A few days prior to the release of the “Superman” trailer, Ayer addressed the ongoing campaign among his fans to promote and release his cut of the 2016 feature “Suicide Squad.” He asked fans to […]

Justin Baldoni has been dropped by WME. The decision to part ways with the “It Ends with Us” director and star came from the agency Saturday after Blake Lively filed a sexual harassment and retaliation complaint against him Friday night, sources have confirmed. Baldoni was informed of the decision Saturday, sources said. WME also reps […]

Aziza “Z” Barnes, a poet and writer for the FX drama “Snowfall” and Netflix’s “Teenage Bounty Hunters” has died. They were 32. Their family confirmed via a rep that Barnes died of suicide on Dec. 15. No further details were released. “With heavy hearts, we regret to inform you of the passing of an undeniable […]

Donald Trump has appointed British producer Mark Burnett, who launched the president-elect to international fame with “The Apprentice,” as a special envoy to the United Kingdom. “It is my great honor to appoint Mark Burnett as the Special Envoy to the United Kingdom,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, his personal social media platform. “With a […]

Jeff Fowler has directed all three “Sonic the Hedgehog” films, but his association with the video game franchise pre-dates the spikey haired speedster’s big screen debut. Like any self-respecting child of the 1990’s, he grew up playing “Sonic.” “I loved his attitude and that swagger that he had,” Fowler says. “It was impossible not to […]

“Daughter of Ruins” author and longtime “Extra” senior supervising producer Yvette Manessis Corporon has been dreaming of her Greek-historical-and-mythology-laced novels being adapted for television since her debut title “When The Cypress Whispers” was released in 2014. Now, 10 years later, the author with Greek ancestry is more hopeful than ever for a chance to break […]

The Writers Guild of America has blacklisted Village Roadshow, prohibiting its members from working with the company after it refused to pay a number of its writers, Variety has confirmed. “It has come to the Guild’s attention that over the last few months Village Roadshow hasn’t paid writers on numerous projects,” read a statement released […]

Judy Becker’s portfolio of production design work on films like “American Hustle” and “Carol” prepared her to take on the unique challenge of shooting a period piece. “Carol” was shot in Cincinnati doubling for New York and “American Hustle” was shot in Boston and also meant to be New York, so she’s “used to looking […]

SPOILER WARNING: This story discusses plot details for “Mufasa: The Lion King,” in theaters on Dec. 20. Lin-Manuel Miranda knows his way around a Disney tune. After winning Grammys and earning Oscar nods for his “Moana” and “Encanto” songs (including “How Far I’ll Go,” “Dos Oruguitas” and, of course, the viral earworm “We Don’t Talk […]

A Disney exec has revealed why “The Acolyte” was canceled after just one season. In an interview with Vulture, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment Alan Bergman said while the House of Mouse was pleased with how “The Acolyte” performed in its single season Disney+ debut, it wasn’t enough to justify a follow-up considering the price tag. “We […]

Sean Combs, long known by rap aliases like Diddy and Puffy, is facing an avalanche of lawsuits and legal trouble. The latest in his ongoing issues includes lawsuits filed on Friday by two women, who made similar allegations of being drugged and assaulted. The first suit, filed in New York by a Jane Doe, claims […]

Criterion Collection’s art director Eric Skillman is constantly collecting names. Skillman is the mastermind behind finding the artists who design or illustrate Criterion Collection’s DVD artwork, and that’s why he has thousands of artists in an archive. He’s always looking for new artists, but he’s also looking for the perfect match. Speaking with Variety over […]

Willow Smith and Chris Greatti dive into the intricacies of their collaboration on the song “Big Feelings” in an episode of Variety’s Behind the Song, shedding light on their creative process and the emotional depth embedded in the track. “This idea of having big feelings, I knew that I wanted that lyric to be the […]

He’s the fastest thing alive, after all. “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” is rolling around on top of the box office in its North American opening, collecting $25.7 million from 3,761 locations across Friday and preview screenings. Meanwhile, “Mufasa: The Lion King” will land in second place, having earned $13.3 million from 4,100 sites so far […]