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Russell Brand’s lawyer has told the jury there is “no evidence” that the comedian is “some kind of psychopath who rapes people and thinks it’s normal” in his closing argument. “The fact he behaved normally during and after all of those ‘rapes’ tells you what you need to know. He believed they were all consenting,” […]
Spain’s indie film distributors are flexing growing box office muscle — and attracting a broader range of buyers to Valladolid’s Merci market. Presented at Merci, Rentrak figures showed that members of Adicine, Spain’s leading association of independent film distributors, saw box office receipts rise 45% through September. Elastica Films’ “La Bola Negra,” released Sept. 25, […]
The seismic changes at Netflix have rippled across the pond, with up to 3% of the streamer’s London HQ laid off, it has now been confirmed. The aftershocks from last month’s U.S. re-org have also claimed U.K. and EMEA production VP Anna Mallett, who has exited amid the shake-up. Mallett, who was vice president of […]
Fox Corporation said profit in its fiscal first quarter was bolstered by advertising revenue tied to its multi-week telecast of the FIFA World Cup as well as increases in political ads and in the number of subscribers to its TV networks — dynamics that many traditional media corporations are hard-pressed to duplicate in the streaming […]
Vodka can be used to make everything from an espresso martini to a Moscow Mule. One Super Bowl advertiser hopes people will use the beverage in a bid to make $500,000. After tapping AI to help craft a 30-second commercial in Super Bowl LX, Svedka Vodka will instead turn to fans and followers and ask […]
From the “Summer House” love triangle that lit up thousands of group chats to Vicki Gunvalson’s return to Orange County, 2026 has given Bravo fans plenty to unpack. There was also Carole Radziwill’s “RHONY” comeback, the ever-shifting alliances in Salt Lake City and a “Real Housewives of Orange County” reunion that apparently calls for skinny-dipping. […]
Brand's defence barrister told jurors that Brand "had an immense amount of sex", but that "none of it was unlawful".
Sam Heughan is among four members of the production team due to receive the Outstanding Contribution to Television award.
Mickey & Friends are getting ready to head to Super Bowl LXI with a new lineup of limited-edition merchandise. Through their collaboration with the NFL, Disney launched three new collections on Thursday: Disney x Champion, Disney x FOCO and Disney Pinnacle by Dapper Labs. Featuring an array of T-shirts and crewnecks, the Disney x Champion […]
Palestinian-Jordanian filmmaker Darin J. Sallam has no regrets about making “Farha,” her debut feature about a Palestinian girl coming of age during the Nakba, the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians surrounding the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. The film sparked controversy that Sallam was warned could derail her career before it […]
Jesse Eisenberg’s “The Debut,” starring Julianne Moore as a shy housewife who is cast in a community theater musical and transforms into a zealous Method actor, has been set as the opening film of the 23rd Marrakech International Film Festival. Eisenberg and Moore are both expected to be on hand for the out-of-competition gala. The […]
“Harry Potter” agent The Blair Partnership has appointed Will Obbard and Alex Flanagan to senior roles as the company eyes a new phase of growth. “I’m delighted to welcome Alex and Will to The Blair Partnership,” said Neil Blair, founding partner of The Blair Partnership. “Both bring exceptional experience in their respective fields and their […]
Karim Akalay’s “6TM” won the New Visions Award for the most promising European project at Ji.hlava Documentary Film Festival. Variety spoke to Akalay at the festival. Set during a scorching summer at Brussels’ largest housing estate, Cité Modèle, the story follows three intertwining narratives within one family. Two kids chase a magic key to prevent […]
German director and screenwriter Isabelle Stever’s “I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming” has won the Tokyo International Film Festival’s Ethical Film Award. The award, set up in 2023 with sponsor Sumitomo Corporation, highlights films that shed light on issues such as the environment, poverty and discrimination. A jury picks the winner from three nominees drawn from […]
Raye is set to headline BST Hyde Park in London this coming summer with special guest Sienna Spiro. The singer — who just won the U.K.’s prestigious Mercury Prize for her latest album, “This Music May Contain Hope” — will play the festival on Saturday, July 10. Sienna Spiro is the first opener to be […]
Sanfic Industria, the industry section of the Santiago International Film Festival (Sanfic), is turbocharged for an even stronger edition this year. Running concurrently with the festival, which runs Nov. 2 – 8, Sanfic Industria unspools Nov. 2-6 with Sanfic co-founder Gabriela Sandoval at the helm. Now on its 15th year, Sanfic Industria has several new […]
Two directors with films at this year’s Tokyo International Film Festival said they once kept impending or new motherhood hidden from the people they worked with, at a festival talk on raising children while making films. Belgium-based Teodora Ana Mihai, whose “Heysel 85” plays in competition, shared the stage with Japanese director Sode Yukiko, whose […]
“Mission: Impossible” star Simon Pegg is set to play a Hollywood agent in upcoming dark comedy “My Phone Died,” with Mark Duplass (“The Morning Show,” “Creep”) and Haley Joel Osment (“Sixth Sense,” “Blink Twice”) also attached to star. Set to shoot in the spring of 2027. the film comes from filmmaking duo Hannah Leder and […]
Japanese director Kadowaki Kōhei’s animated feature “We Are Aliens” has won the Kau Ka Hōkū (Shooting Star) Award at the 46th Hawai’i International Film Festival, which handed out its jury prizes at an awards reception at the Halekulani Hotel in Waikīkī on Nov. 1. Presented by Hawaiian Airlines, the prize is reserved for an international […]
The 13th Sharjah Intl. Film Festival for Children and Youth wrapped Sunday with Paul Negoescu’s “Atlas of the Universe” taking best feature film and Celia Catunda’s “My Grandfather Is a Nihonjin” winning best animated feature. The jury described “Atlas of the Universe,” a Romanian-Bulgarian coming-of-age drama about a 10-year-old boy whose errand to buy school […]
