Shudder has acquired the rights to “The Rule of Jenny Pen,” a thriller about a stroke-ridden judge trying to stop an elderly psychopath that stars Oscar-nominee John Lithgow and Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush. The film was directed by James Ashcroft, who co-wrote the screenplay with Eli Kent. The deal covers distribution in North America, the U.K. and […]

Linda Ronstadt posted a lengthy statement on Instagram slamming Donald Trump ahead of his Sept. 12 campaign event at the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall in Tuscon, Arizona. The singer wrote that she “would prefer to ignore” the Trump event but “since the building has my name on it, I need to say something,”  “It saddens me to […]

Keep bumpin’ that: Charli XCX has announced “a brand new version” of “Brat,” which is presumably a remix album, out Oct. 11 Announced as “Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat,” the project contains 16 songs, five of which are previously released remixes of songs from the original album. While the other 11 […]

Fremantle has acquired the global distribution rights for “Mozart: Rise of a Genius,” a three-part docudrama from 72 Films. The show offers an in-depth exploration of the life and legacy of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The series will premiere on Sept. 16 on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. Variety is debuting an exclusive clip, below. “The […]

You’ll need more than an hour a week this season to really experience “60 Minutes.” The venerable CBS newsmagazine, entering its 57th season, will move firmly beyond its Sunday-evening model with the launch of a free ad-supported streaming channel devoted to its library of investigations, features and profiles — including Andy Rooney’s essays and Mike […]

Charter Communications, the No. 2 U.S. cable operator, continues to reshape itself for the streaming era: Under an early deal renewal with Warner Bros. Discovery, Spectrum TV Select customers will have access to the Max streaming service “at no extra charge.” The two sides reached the new deal “nearly a year early,” according to WBD […]

Sony Pictures has released the second trailer for “Venom: The Last Dance.” Tom Hardy returns as Eddie Brock, better known as the symbiote Venom from the “Spider-Man” comics, for the final film in the trilogy. Per the official logline, “Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net […]

In a cinematic collision of high-profile talent and grassroots grit, powerhouse duo Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar are bringing the DIY spirit of India’s small-town filmmakers to the global stage with “Superboys of Malegaon” at the Toronto Film Festival. Director Kagti and producer Akhtar’s latest film explores the world of low-budget filmmaking in Malegaon, a […]

Netflix has released the trailer for its literary romance drama “Lonely Planet,” featuring an old-school-new-school paring of Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth. According to the official logline, the film follows a novelist named Katherine (Dern), who in search of inspiration, books a trip to a writer’s retreat in Morocco. There, she meets “a young man […]

Upon its release in 1986, Nelson Shin’s “The Transformers: The Movie” was massively influential — less as entertainment inspired by a popular line of children’s toys than one that was willing to kill off a major character in order to make room for new ones. The death of heroic Autobot leader Optimus Prime proved so […]

YouTube star and content creator KreekCraft, best known as the most popular Roblox livestreamer, has been signed by UTA. The streaming star was previously signed with CAA. KreekCraft currently averages 100 million monthly views on YouTube and has more than 10 million YouTube subscribers. His growing popularity correlates to gaming and social platform Roblox’s recent surge […]

The prequel series “Dexter: Original Sin” has set its premiere date on Paramount+ with Showtime. The series will debut on streaming and on-demand on Dec. 13 for Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers before making its linear debut on Dec. 15. It will begin rolling out on Paramount+ internationally on Dec. 13. Paramount has also dropped the […]

Documentary specialist Dogwoof has taken on worldwide sales for “The Last Spy,” a biography of CIA spymaster Peter Sichel, who turns 102 years old today. The film was written and directed by Katharina Otto-Bernstein, who picked up Emmy nominations as one of the producers of “Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures” and “The Price of Everything.” […]

Song Kang-ho, star of Oscar-winning film “Parasite,” will headline a series adaptation of hit film “Inside Men.” The project was revealed on Thursday by producer Hive Media Corp. which said that the show is in the early stages of pre-production. Cameras are expected to roll in 2025. No broadcaster or streamer has yet been attached. […]

SHABANA SHINES The International Film Festival of South Asia (IFFSA) Toronto 2024 will honor “Halo” and “Fire” star Shabana Azmi‘s five-decade career during its 13th edition, running Oct. 10-20. The festival’s tribute program includes a screening of Shyam Benegal’s “Mandi,” a masterclass, and a musical celebration titled “Shab-e-Sur.” The festival will feature premieres and events […]

Microsoft Gaming will lay off approximately 650 employees, or 3% of the Xbox owner’s global workforce, in a new round of eliminations following last year’s completion of its Activision Blizzard acquisition. The cuts will primarily impact staffers in “corporate and supporting functions,” per Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer. “For the past year, our goal has […]

Anna Friel and Anna Maxwell Martin are set to star in a new BBC drama from “Time” creator Jimmy McGovern. The as yet untitled 90-minute drama will explore the themes of grooming and sexual abuse in the context of one family, the Mitchell family, who must grapple with the aftermath of abuse after the perpetrator […]

As India’s film industry grapples with ongoing discussions about sexual harassment, the National Award-winning Malayalam-language film “Aattam,” a potential Oscar submission from the country, has gained renewed attention for its prescient exploration of the topic. Director Anand Ekarshi and star Zarin Shihab spoke to Variety about the film’s impact, its chances on the international stage, […]

French promotional film org Unifrance will debut the first ever feature on Minecraft with this year’s MyMetaStories Film Festival. Running Oct. 11 – Nov. 3 on more than 30 VOD platforms alongside an Oct. 18 – 21 stint on Minecraft, this digital festival’s second edition will reach out to the online youth on their own […]