Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel’s longstanding “Fast & Furious” feud came to an official end last year when Johnson shocked fans by popping up as the beloved Luke Hobbs in a “Fast X” mid-credits scene. Diesel had extended an invitation to Johnson in November 2021 to join “Fast X,” but Johnson said the following month that “I […]
Vampire Weekend’s matinee concert Monday in Austin was the ultimate ADHD-friendly show. Did you want to watch the band, in its first show back after a year-and-a-half break from touring, and a much longer absence in the States? That was an event unto itself, and a good enough reason for an easy sellout of the […]
Music Will (formerly Little Kids Rock), the largest non-profit music education program for schools in the United States, will hold its annual benefit on April 24 honoring Josh Groban, Andra Day and Rhiannon Giddens. Set to take place at the Novo in Los Angeles, the event will have music direction from Michael Bearden (Lady Gaga, […]
WrestleMania 40 is the most-streamed entertainment event ever on Peacock, Variety has learned exclusively. Per the NBCUniversal streamer, the two night event at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia was viewed for 1.3 billion minutes over the weekend of April 6 & 7. Based on the average minute audience, night one of this year’s show was […]
Francis Ford Coppola’s passion project “Megalopolis” will officially premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, according to an individual familiar with the project. The film will debut in a gala slot on May 17. “Megalopolis” boasts an all-star cast, including Shia LaBeouf, Adam Driver, Forest Whitaker, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Coppola’s sister Talia Shire, Jason […]
Richard Leibner, a celebrated talent agent who represented some of the best-known anchors in TV news, first at a firm he helped build and then for UTA, died Tuesday after a battle with cancer. He was 85 years old. In his time, Leibner served as an agent and adviser to Dan Rather, Mike Wallace, Ed […]
Fresh off his win at WrestleMania 40, WWE star Damian Priest has signed with Paradigm for representation in all areas, Variety has learned exclusively. Paradigm will work to build his business across books, acting, marketing, unscripted and more. Priest, who was born Luis Berrios (Martinez), most recently won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship during Night […]
On February 9, the electronic artist Benn Jordan, who performs under the alias the Flashbulb, was attempting to reference one of his songs during a recording session but couldn’t access his music on Spotify or Tidal. He thought at first that his phone was glitching — but then he began receiving messages from fans asking him why […]
Get ready for some fun, fun, fun! Disney+ has released the trailer for its “The Beach Boys” documentary, which is set to stream on the platform May 24. The trailer features clips from interviews with original band members, rock and roll historian Josh Kun, music star Janelle Monáe and more. The film is a celebration […]
Art the Clown will be back for Halloween this fall, with some help from Iconic Events Releasing. The distribution banner has partnered with Cineverse and its horror division Bloody Disgusting to handle theatrical distribution on “Terrifier 3,” the next entry in the ongoing cult horror series. Announced at CinemaCon Tuesday morning, the partnership between the […]
“Dune: Part Two” is barreling to streaming. The epic sci-fi sequel, starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, will become available to rent and purchase on digital starting Apr. 16, and will release on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD on May 14. After releasing in theaters in March, the Denis Villeneuve film has become the highest-grossing film […]
New York-based group FilmRise has dropped a gripping first trailer for “Missing From Fire Trail Road,” Sabrina Van Tassel (“The State of Texas vs. Melissa“)’s documentary film about the crimes against indigenous women. “Missing From Fire Trail Road” sheds light on the case of Mary Ellen Johnson-Davis, a Native-American woman who disappeared in 2020, and exposes how […]
Michael O’Leary, the new president and CEO of the National Association of Theater Owners, is encouraging Hollywood to think smaller. Don’t get him wrong — he loves Marvel, “Mission: Impossible” and “Fast & Furious” as much as the next exhibitor. But O’Leary is urging the major studios to prioritize more than just the tentpole properties […]
“Saturday Night Live” continues a successful run of shows this weekend as it welcomes “Barbie” star Ryan Gosling to the venerable studio. Chris Stapleton, who was one of many big winners at Sunday night’s CMT Awards, will join Gosling as the episode’s musical guest. The long-running sketch comedy show, currently in its 49th season, broadcasts live every […]
SPOILER ALERT: The following essay discusses key plot points, including the ending. Last weekend, I took in “Le Samouraï” for what must have been the sixth or seventh time, relishing the new 4K restoration of Jean-Pierre Melville’s masterpiece (now playing at Laemmle theaters in Los Angeles). As I exited the screening, I discreetly eavesdropped on […]
If TV is all about football these days, so are the Sports Emmys. The New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences revealed the nominations for its 45th annual Sports Emmy Awards, and the NFL Network’s “NFL 360” led the pack with 11 nods — followed closely by the CBS and Nickelodeon coverage of […]
The Screen Actors Guild and Directors Guild of America have approved the first-ever credit of “stunt designer.” The title will be used on the upcoming release “The Fall Guy” with veteran stunt coordinator, second unit director and president of Stunts Unlimited Chris O’Hara set to receive the inaugural film credit. O’Hara’s position as a production […]
Luke Combs leads the nominees for the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards with eight nods, followed by Megan Moroney and Morgan Wallen, who are tied with six each. Following behind with five nominations apiece are Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson and Chris Stapleton. Although the results aren’t a surprise for most of the multiply nominated […]
Italian collecting company Artisti 7607, which represents thousands of local acting and dubbing talents, has announced it is suing Netflix in a Rome court “to obtain adequate and proportionate compensation due by law to its mandated artists.” Artisti 7607, which was founded as a co-op more than a decade ago by a group of Italian […]
British businessman Mohamed Amersi has won the first hurdle in his defamation lawsuit against the BBC. Amersi, who is a Conservative party donor, sued the BBC after its flagship documentary series “Panorama” accused him of being “involved in one of Europe’s biggest corruption scandals.” He also sued over an article published on the BBC News […]
Paul Bettany has joined Sky’s upcoming limited series “Amadeus,” which tells the story of famed composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. “The White Lotus” star Will Sharpe was previously announced in the role of Mozart. Bettany will play Italian composer Antonio Salieri, Mozart’s longtime rival. The limited series hails from “Giri/Haji” collaborators Joe Barton and Julian Farino […]
“Fortnite” is giving fans the chance to play a set at Coachella — virtually, that is. Players will be able to experience the festival’s first-ever virtual stages in Fortnite Festival, and are invited to explore a slew of new themed content, including jam tracks from the festival’s performers and new themed outfits. This marks the third consecutive […]
Dance music powerhouse Armada Music has announced the relaunch of the legendary New York-based house music label King Street Sounds. The label was acquired by Armada’s BEAT Music Fund in 2023. The relaunch encompasses a visual rebrand, the introduction of a remix series titled “King Street: Beat Match,” new frontline releases and a collaborative content […]
The Nintendo Switch has become one of the most popular consoles. In fact, the gaming company sold more than 139 million units since release in 2017. It’s so popular that Nintendo released the Switch Lite, a smaller and lighter handheld-only version of the console, a few years later in 2019. Walmart has the Nintendo Switch […]
Coachella is almost here, and it isn’t too late to snag tickets to the famed festival. Lana del Rey, Doja Cat, Tyler, the Creator and No Doubt will headline this year’s three-day music festival, which will return to its home at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, Calif. on the weekends of April 12-14 and […]