SAG-AFTRA Foundation president Courtney B. Vance announced Wednesday that the nonprofit organization has raised more than $15 million for its emergency financial assistance program, thanks in large part to contributions from more than a dozen of Hollywood’s top-earning stars who’ve donated $1 million or more.
“The entertainment industry is in crisis and the SAG-AFTRA Foundation is currently processing more than 30 times our usual number of applications for emergency aid. We received 400 applications in the last week alone,” Vance said in a statement about the fundraising efforts over the last three weeks. “It’s a massive challenge, but we’re determined to meet this moment.”
Last week, Variety exclusively reported that Dwayne Johnson had contributed a “historic” seven-figure donation, a figure which Vance described as “a call to arms” for everyone to “step up however you can.”
But Johnson is not alone. More than a dozen A-listers have also answered the call,...
“The entertainment industry is in crisis and the SAG-AFTRA Foundation is currently processing more than 30 times our usual number of applications for emergency aid. We received 400 applications in the last week alone,” Vance said in a statement about the fundraising efforts over the last three weeks. “It’s a massive challenge, but we’re determined to meet this moment.”
Last week, Variety exclusively reported that Dwayne Johnson had contributed a “historic” seven-figure donation, a figure which Vance described as “a call to arms” for everyone to “step up however you can.”
But Johnson is not alone. More than a dozen A-listers have also answered the call,...
- 8/2/2023
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
The SAG-AFTRA strike has shut down scores of film and TV productions as actors hit the picket line. While many sets had already shut down as a result of the WGA writers strike, the actors strike will effectively slow Hollywood down to a crawl as negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers continue.
Read Variety‘s list of newly halted productions below, which will be updated throughout the strike.
Beetlejuice 2
The Tim Burton production, with Michael Keaton reprising his role as the crude ghost, is almost done with shooting in London but was still expected to film one last sequence in Vermont when the strike took place.
The Day of the Jackal
Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch star in this Sky and Peacock series that was shooting around Central and Eastern Europe.
Deadpool 3
The superhero sequel was filming in the U.K., with Hugh Jackman...
Read Variety‘s list of newly halted productions below, which will be updated throughout the strike.
Beetlejuice 2
The Tim Burton production, with Michael Keaton reprising his role as the crude ghost, is almost done with shooting in London but was still expected to film one last sequence in Vermont when the strike took place.
The Day of the Jackal
Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch star in this Sky and Peacock series that was shooting around Central and Eastern Europe.
Deadpool 3
The superhero sequel was filming in the U.K., with Hugh Jackman...
- 7/14/2023
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
Speaking at a panel organized by Series Mania’s Forum, executives from Sky Studios touted flexibility and autonomy as their keys to success, teasing further synergies with fellow Comcast-owned services like Peacock and SkyShowtime while emphasizing that such broadcast bids were but one option among many.
“[We take things] very case-by-case,” said Meghan Lyvers, director of original drama at Sky Studios U.K. “Not all projects that we develop as Sky Originals in Europe will go into the SkyShowtime cluster of territories, [but] they can. And we [welcome] this flexibility, because it allows projects to come to us with other territories attached.”
Prompted by Variety’s Manori Ravindran, and flanked onstage by colleagues Nils Hartmann, Tobias Rosen and Sonia Rovai from Sky Studios Germany and Italy, Lyvers accented Sky Studios’ wider commissioning activities, saying: “This is the team that develops, commissions, or buys series, and then [either] makes or programs them on Sky as Sky Originals.
“[We take things] very case-by-case,” said Meghan Lyvers, director of original drama at Sky Studios U.K. “Not all projects that we develop as Sky Originals in Europe will go into the SkyShowtime cluster of territories, [but] they can. And we [welcome] this flexibility, because it allows projects to come to us with other territories attached.”
Prompted by Variety’s Manori Ravindran, and flanked onstage by colleagues Nils Hartmann, Tobias Rosen and Sonia Rovai from Sky Studios Germany and Italy, Lyvers accented Sky Studios’ wider commissioning activities, saying: “This is the team that develops, commissions, or buys series, and then [either] makes or programs them on Sky as Sky Originals.
- 3/21/2023
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
Satyajit Ray’s neo-realist classic, ‘Pather Panchali’, is the only Indian film to feature in 117-year-old ‘Variety’ magazine’s first-ever ‘100 Greatest Movies Of All Time’ list. The list is important because it has been put together by more than 30 editors and writers of the magazine that invented the word ‘showbiz’. They include Manori Ravindran, the London-based international executive editor, and Rajinikanth’s biographer and ‘Variety’ contributor Naman Ramachandran.
Topped by Alfred Hitchcock’s slasher masterpiece, ‘Psycho’ (1960), the list’s top five movies are ‘The Wizard of Oz’ (1939), ‘The Godfather’ (1972), ‘Citizen Kane’ (1941) and ‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994).
Also included are memorable classics that are on the syllabi of every respectable film institute — from Charlie Chaplin’s ‘City Lights’ to ‘Casablanca’, ‘The Rules of the Game’, ‘Singin’ in the Rain’, ‘All About Eve’, ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ and ‘Seven Samurai’.
What makes the list a collector’s item is that it provides a link...
Topped by Alfred Hitchcock’s slasher masterpiece, ‘Psycho’ (1960), the list’s top five movies are ‘The Wizard of Oz’ (1939), ‘The Godfather’ (1972), ‘Citizen Kane’ (1941) and ‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994).
Also included are memorable classics that are on the syllabi of every respectable film institute — from Charlie Chaplin’s ‘City Lights’ to ‘Casablanca’, ‘The Rules of the Game’, ‘Singin’ in the Rain’, ‘All About Eve’, ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ and ‘Seven Samurai’.
What makes the list a collector’s item is that it provides a link...
- 12/21/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
After two years of virtual events or limited-capacity premieres, the festival returns in spectacular fashion, with more than 250 films expected to screen during the 10-day event. To break down the musts from the meh, here are nine films we’re dying to see.
“Causeway” (A24/Apple Original Films)
Though Jennifer Lawrence had a juicy supporting role in Adam McKay’s disaster comedy “Don’t Look Up” last year, we have not seen the former Katniss Everdeen in the driver’s seat of a film since the one-two punch of “Mother!” and “Red Sparrow”. She returns in earnest at TIFF with “Causeway,” about a soldier with a traumatic brain injury trying to readjust to normal life.
— Matt Donnelly
“Empire of Light” (Searchlight Pictures)
Sam Mendes crafts an ode to the power of movies with this story of a cinema ticket-taker (Olivia Colman) who finds herself drawn to a new employee (Michael Ward). Colman,...
“Causeway” (A24/Apple Original Films)
Though Jennifer Lawrence had a juicy supporting role in Adam McKay’s disaster comedy “Don’t Look Up” last year, we have not seen the former Katniss Everdeen in the driver’s seat of a film since the one-two punch of “Mother!” and “Red Sparrow”. She returns in earnest at TIFF with “Causeway,” about a soldier with a traumatic brain injury trying to readjust to normal life.
— Matt Donnelly
“Empire of Light” (Searchlight Pictures)
Sam Mendes crafts an ode to the power of movies with this story of a cinema ticket-taker (Olivia Colman) who finds herself drawn to a new employee (Michael Ward). Colman,...
- 9/1/2022
- by Brent Lang, Clayton Davis, Matt Donnelly, Angelique Jackson and Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
In David Cronenberg’s “Crimes of the Future,” characters can feel no pain. Unfortunately, the same wasn’t true for the dozens of attendees at the Cannes premiere of the horror-drama that walked out midway through the film, unable to stomach just exactly what was happening onscreen.
The movie also earned a seven-minute standing ovation, suggesting that it could be the most polarizing title to debut at this year’s Cannes.
The film reunites Cronenberg with Viggo Mortensen alongisde Cannes darlings Kristen Stewart and Lea Seydoux. It also finds Cronenberg back in his science-fiction/horror mode for the first time since 1999’s “Existenz.”
“Crimes of the Future” may not win the Palme d’Or, but it would land a prize for the weirdest movie of the festival. Mortensen plays a performance artist who has his organs operated on in some pseudo-sexual ritual in this dystopian universe. Stewart plays an employee at the transplant center,...
The movie also earned a seven-minute standing ovation, suggesting that it could be the most polarizing title to debut at this year’s Cannes.
The film reunites Cronenberg with Viggo Mortensen alongisde Cannes darlings Kristen Stewart and Lea Seydoux. It also finds Cronenberg back in his science-fiction/horror mode for the first time since 1999’s “Existenz.”
“Crimes of the Future” may not win the Palme d’Or, but it would land a prize for the weirdest movie of the festival. Mortensen plays a performance artist who has his organs operated on in some pseudo-sexual ritual in this dystopian universe. Stewart plays an employee at the transplant center,...
- 5/23/2022
- by Zack Sharf and Ramin Setoodeh
- Variety Film + TV
The Variety Welcome to Cannes party at the Unifrance terrace was the place to be on Thursday afternoon, with guests including Eva Longoria, Sony Pictures Classics’ Tom Bernard and Sundance Institute CEO Joana Vicente.
The hot ticket event was a bubbles and canapes celebration where the movers and shakers of the entertainment industry turned up in force to mingle after two years of Covid-caused separation.
Dea Lawrence, chief operating and marketing officer of Variety, kicked off proceedings by saying that Variety has been covering the Cannes Film Festival for 75 of the publication’s 116 years of existence and that Variety.com has 35 million unique users. “That makes Variety the No. 1 entertainment brand in the universe,” Lawrence said.
For Variety executive editor Ramin Setoodeh, it was a doubly joyous occasion as the event also coincided with his birthday.
“Variety is dedicated to covering the international film business. It is our bread and...
The hot ticket event was a bubbles and canapes celebration where the movers and shakers of the entertainment industry turned up in force to mingle after two years of Covid-caused separation.
Dea Lawrence, chief operating and marketing officer of Variety, kicked off proceedings by saying that Variety has been covering the Cannes Film Festival for 75 of the publication’s 116 years of existence and that Variety.com has 35 million unique users. “That makes Variety the No. 1 entertainment brand in the universe,” Lawrence said.
For Variety executive editor Ramin Setoodeh, it was a doubly joyous occasion as the event also coincided with his birthday.
“Variety is dedicated to covering the international film business. It is our bread and...
- 5/19/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
James Burstall, CEO of Argonon, the parent company behind “The Masked Singer U.K.,” has spoken out about the need for a “strong” BBC and Channel 4 for the good of the U.K. TV industry.
Speaking at the 2022 Creative Coalition Festival on Wednesday, Burstall said: “The BBC has absolutely propped up and created and grown and nurtured an incredible bed of talent, who then move out to the independent sector and then back again. I grew up with this extraordinary institution, which is flawed, probably needs some changes. But the truth of the matter is, it’s there, And it is an incredibly powerful, soft power tool all over the world.”
The U.K. TV license fee, the BBC’s main source of income, has been frozen for two years, while a consultation is ongoing on the privatization of Channel 4.
Burstall said that anywhere on the planet, people would...
Speaking at the 2022 Creative Coalition Festival on Wednesday, Burstall said: “The BBC has absolutely propped up and created and grown and nurtured an incredible bed of talent, who then move out to the independent sector and then back again. I grew up with this extraordinary institution, which is flawed, probably needs some changes. But the truth of the matter is, it’s there, And it is an incredibly powerful, soft power tool all over the world.”
The U.K. TV license fee, the BBC’s main source of income, has been frozen for two years, while a consultation is ongoing on the privatization of Channel 4.
Burstall said that anywhere on the planet, people would...
- 2/2/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
On Tuesday night, the eve of the 78th annual Venice Film Festival, Variety hosted a rooftop party at the Hotel Danieli honoring fest topper Alberto Barbera and the Biennale, its parent organization, with its International Achievement in Film Award.
Variety international editor Manori Ravindran presented the prize to Barbera and Roberto Cicutto, the president of the Biennale.
The event’s theme was “Stairway to Parasite,” a tribute to director Bong Joon Ho, this year’s Venice Jury President, who posed for paparazzi and mingled with fellow jurors Virginie Efire, Cynthia Erivo and with guests including Italian actress Alba Rohrwacher and supermodel Madisin Rian. The DJ mixed lounge music with vintage Italian hits such as popstar Gianni Morandi’s 1960s love song “In ginocchio da te” which features in a key “Parasite” scene.
Everything, from the exotic cocktails to the food –– which included gold-leaf topped fish concoctions, steamed mini-pizzas, spicy green noodles,...
Variety international editor Manori Ravindran presented the prize to Barbera and Roberto Cicutto, the president of the Biennale.
The event’s theme was “Stairway to Parasite,” a tribute to director Bong Joon Ho, this year’s Venice Jury President, who posed for paparazzi and mingled with fellow jurors Virginie Efire, Cynthia Erivo and with guests including Italian actress Alba Rohrwacher and supermodel Madisin Rian. The DJ mixed lounge music with vintage Italian hits such as popstar Gianni Morandi’s 1960s love song “In ginocchio da te” which features in a key “Parasite” scene.
Everything, from the exotic cocktails to the food –– which included gold-leaf topped fish concoctions, steamed mini-pizzas, spicy green noodles,...
- 8/31/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Channel 4 chief content officer Ian Katz believes that the impending privatization of the organization will destroy the essence of the U.K. broadcaster.
In a conversation with Variety international editor Manori Ravindran at the ongoing Edinburgh TV Festival on Tuesday, Katz talked up the successful programming strategy of Channel 4, including “It’s A Sin” and the upcoming disability themed “Help” and said that a purely profit driven channel would be a very “different beast” to the “special” channel that people know now.
A possible solution to retain the channel’s public service remit would be to write license requirements that would keep everything that is valued about it.
“I think what that approach misses is the fundamental change that you get in an organization, when you move from an organization that is purpose driven to an organization that is essentially profit driven, something profound and fundamental happens when you make that shift,...
In a conversation with Variety international editor Manori Ravindran at the ongoing Edinburgh TV Festival on Tuesday, Katz talked up the successful programming strategy of Channel 4, including “It’s A Sin” and the upcoming disability themed “Help” and said that a purely profit driven channel would be a very “different beast” to the “special” channel that people know now.
A possible solution to retain the channel’s public service remit would be to write license requirements that would keep everything that is valued about it.
“I think what that approach misses is the fundamental change that you get in an organization, when you move from an organization that is purpose driven to an organization that is essentially profit driven, something profound and fundamental happens when you make that shift,...
- 8/24/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Glenn Close is joining hit Israeli thriller “Tehran.”
Close, who has been nominated for multiple Academy Awards, will be a series regular in the upcoming second season of the show, which aired on Apple TV Plus last summer and has become a global hit for the platform. The show originally premiered on Israel’s Kan public broadcaster last June. Variety understands that Apple TV Plus picked up the title from distributor Cineflix Rights as an acquisition, but following its success for the streamer, boarded the show as a co-producer.
Close is slated to play the role of Marjan Montazeri, a British woman living in Tehran, according to Apple. The first season of the series told the story of Tamar Rabinyan (Niv Sultan), a young Mossad agent undercover on a top secret mission in the heart of Tehran.
The series also stars Shaun Toub as Faraz, the head of internal investigations...
Close, who has been nominated for multiple Academy Awards, will be a series regular in the upcoming second season of the show, which aired on Apple TV Plus last summer and has become a global hit for the platform. The show originally premiered on Israel’s Kan public broadcaster last June. Variety understands that Apple TV Plus picked up the title from distributor Cineflix Rights as an acquisition, but following its success for the streamer, boarded the show as a co-producer.
Close is slated to play the role of Marjan Montazeri, a British woman living in Tehran, according to Apple. The first season of the series told the story of Tamar Rabinyan (Niv Sultan), a young Mossad agent undercover on a top secret mission in the heart of Tehran.
The series also stars Shaun Toub as Faraz, the head of internal investigations...
- 6/22/2021
- by Amy Spiro
- Variety Film + TV
Review
A BBC review set up to establish the facts around the decision to appoint Martin Bashir as religious affairs correspondent in September 2016 has found that the tainted journalist was not re-hired to cover up the controversy around his infamous Princess Diana interview on the “Panorama” program.
The review was conducted by former BBC nations and regions director Ken MacQuarrie.
“Although there were some shortcomings in the process by which he was re-employed, I am satisfied that that he was ultimately appointed because his knowledge and experience were considered to be the best match to the requirements for the role at that time,” MacQuarrie said. “I have found no evidence that Martin Bashir was re-hired to contain and/or cover up the events surrounding the 1995 ‘Panorama’ program. In my view, that theory is entirely unfounded.”
In May, an independent investigation into the interview found that the public broadcaster “fell short...
A BBC review set up to establish the facts around the decision to appoint Martin Bashir as religious affairs correspondent in September 2016 has found that the tainted journalist was not re-hired to cover up the controversy around his infamous Princess Diana interview on the “Panorama” program.
The review was conducted by former BBC nations and regions director Ken MacQuarrie.
“Although there were some shortcomings in the process by which he was re-employed, I am satisfied that that he was ultimately appointed because his knowledge and experience were considered to be the best match to the requirements for the role at that time,” MacQuarrie said. “I have found no evidence that Martin Bashir was re-hired to contain and/or cover up the events surrounding the 1995 ‘Panorama’ program. In my view, that theory is entirely unfounded.”
In May, an independent investigation into the interview found that the public broadcaster “fell short...
- 6/14/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
It’s not every day that a Latina woman in her 50s stars in a Marvel movie. It’s something that director Chloé Zhao was very aware of when she cast 54-year-old Salma Hayek to play Ajak in the upcoming “Eternals.”
“Ageism in Hollywood is a very concerning issue that we must stand against as artists,” Zhao tells Variety. “Aging is a beautiful part of life that should be celebrated. It’s really an honor for us to have Salma to lead the ‘Eternals’ family. I can’t take all the credits. When [executive producer] Nate Moore first showed me the treatment, which he worked on with [writers] Kaz Firpo and Ryan Firpo, I was impressed with the age diversity of the characters they put together, and it was a big part of what got me really excited about ‘Eternals.’”
While audiences have only seen a glimpse of Hayek in character, she says...
“Ageism in Hollywood is a very concerning issue that we must stand against as artists,” Zhao tells Variety. “Aging is a beautiful part of life that should be celebrated. It’s really an honor for us to have Salma to lead the ‘Eternals’ family. I can’t take all the credits. When [executive producer] Nate Moore first showed me the treatment, which he worked on with [writers] Kaz Firpo and Ryan Firpo, I was impressed with the age diversity of the characters they put together, and it was a big part of what got me really excited about ‘Eternals.’”
While audiences have only seen a glimpse of Hayek in character, she says...
- 5/21/2021
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Salma Hayek and Lady Gaga began working on “House of Gucci” before director Ridley Scott even called, “Action!”
In the upcoming film, Gaga plays Patrizia Reggiani, who orchestrated the 1995 killing of her ex-husband Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), an heir to the Gucci fashion empire. Hayek portrays a clairvoyant who was convicted of helping plan the murder.
“We were talking on the phone and she was already Patrizia. … Her accent was perfect,” Hayek says. “I think we had a lot of fun reliving scenes that are not even in the movie and she is the ultimate professional, and I could not wait to get on that set. We really couldn’t wait to get on the set and just do it and do it together and play off of each other.”
“Gucci” marked Hayek’s return to work last month after battling a near-fatal case of Covid during the early days of the pandemic.
In the upcoming film, Gaga plays Patrizia Reggiani, who orchestrated the 1995 killing of her ex-husband Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), an heir to the Gucci fashion empire. Hayek portrays a clairvoyant who was convicted of helping plan the murder.
“We were talking on the phone and she was already Patrizia. … Her accent was perfect,” Hayek says. “I think we had a lot of fun reliving scenes that are not even in the movie and she is the ultimate professional, and I could not wait to get on that set. We really couldn’t wait to get on the set and just do it and do it together and play off of each other.”
“Gucci” marked Hayek’s return to work last month after battling a near-fatal case of Covid during the early days of the pandemic.
- 5/20/2021
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
In today’s Global Bulletin, the English Premier League renews rights deals for three years; Stephen Graham-starrer “Boiling Point” sells wide; Nent Group sets terrorism drama “Red Election”; Endeavor Content strengthens management team; and Alchimie and All3Media International launch SVOD channel Inside Outside in the U.S.
The English Premier League soccer championship has agreed a proposal for a three-year renewal of U.K. live and non-live broadcast agreements with Sky Sports, BT Sport, Amazon Prime Video and BBC Sport.
The rights deal worth £5 billion ($7 billion) was agreed in 2018 and will now be rolled over from 2022-2025.
This follows approval in principle for the renewal from the U.K. government after a period of consideration where the League cited the damage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Enabled by an exclusion order from the government, the League will conclude the renewals without the normal broadcast rights tender process.
As part of the deal,...
The English Premier League soccer championship has agreed a proposal for a three-year renewal of U.K. live and non-live broadcast agreements with Sky Sports, BT Sport, Amazon Prime Video and BBC Sport.
The rights deal worth £5 billion ($7 billion) was agreed in 2018 and will now be rolled over from 2022-2025.
This follows approval in principle for the renewal from the U.K. government after a period of consideration where the League cited the damage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Enabled by an exclusion order from the government, the League will conclude the renewals without the normal broadcast rights tender process.
As part of the deal,...
- 5/13/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
When John Mayer took the moderator’s mantle on a Clubhouse talk on Tuesday night (April 27), one got the sense that the seven-time Grammy-winning musician was trying out material. Not shtick, per se, as the charismatic Mayer has no problem holding down a conversation on all manner of topics without prior preparation, but rather, Mayer took charge of a room of 3,000 listeners with the ease of a late-night host.
It’s no wonder, then, to learn that Mayer is nearing a deal with Paramount Plus to host a talk and performance series based on the format of the BBC’s long-running “Later with Jools Holland.”
Sources tell Variety that “Later With John Mayer” has been pitched to prospective broadcast partners as a series featuring performance segments as well as interviews with musicians, artists and other cultural figures in a setting designed to look like an after-hours club for musicians.
The...
It’s no wonder, then, to learn that Mayer is nearing a deal with Paramount Plus to host a talk and performance series based on the format of the BBC’s long-running “Later with Jools Holland.”
Sources tell Variety that “Later With John Mayer” has been pitched to prospective broadcast partners as a series featuring performance segments as well as interviews with musicians, artists and other cultural figures in a setting designed to look like an after-hours club for musicians.
The...
- 4/28/2021
- by Shirley Halperin and Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Variety took home 20 top honors at Friday’s National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards, including the wins for best entertainment website, podcast host, best headline and for music and theater criticism.
The virtual ceremony was hosted by comedian Alonzo Bodden. This year’s Veritas Award for film from the Los Angeles Press Club went to Netflix’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”
Variety was nominated for a record 99 National Arts and Entertainment Journalism awards. Organizers noted that total submissions for the awards topped more than 1,000 for the first time.
Variety‘s wins demonstrated the range of coverage offered by the global entertainment news source over a turbulent year.
The music criticism victory went to deputy music editor Jem Aswad for “Phoebe Bridgers’ ‘Punisher,’ ‘Grammy Salute to Prince.'”
Aswad also won for arts feature under 1,000 words for “What’s Next for Lockdown Live Music?” And Aswad shared a third win with Shirley Halperin,...
The virtual ceremony was hosted by comedian Alonzo Bodden. This year’s Veritas Award for film from the Los Angeles Press Club went to Netflix’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”
Variety was nominated for a record 99 National Arts and Entertainment Journalism awards. Organizers noted that total submissions for the awards topped more than 1,000 for the first time.
Variety‘s wins demonstrated the range of coverage offered by the global entertainment news source over a turbulent year.
The music criticism victory went to deputy music editor Jem Aswad for “Phoebe Bridgers’ ‘Punisher,’ ‘Grammy Salute to Prince.'”
Aswad also won for arts feature under 1,000 words for “What’s Next for Lockdown Live Music?” And Aswad shared a third win with Shirley Halperin,...
- 4/10/2021
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Variety has been nominated for 99 National Art and Entertainment Journalism awards, a record-breaking number of nominations for the publication.
“This is an amazing achievement by our stellar team of journalists, accomplished during the most challenging year any of us have ever experienced,” said Claudia Eller, editor-in-chief of Variety.
Variety was nominated for print entertainment publication for its April 29 issue, “The Great Depression,” as well as entertainment website for Variety.com. Features editor Chris Willman was nominated for print journalist of the year, while deputy music editor Jem Aswad and senior correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister both earned nods for online journalist of the year.
Variety‘s art department earned two nominations for illustration and one for cover art. Deputy art director Haley Kluge, creative director Raul Aguila and Mercedes DeBellard earned a nod for their “Jennifer Aniston” illustration, and Kluge, Aguila and Jen Mann also received an illustration nomination for “Sandra Oh.
“This is an amazing achievement by our stellar team of journalists, accomplished during the most challenging year any of us have ever experienced,” said Claudia Eller, editor-in-chief of Variety.
Variety was nominated for print entertainment publication for its April 29 issue, “The Great Depression,” as well as entertainment website for Variety.com. Features editor Chris Willman was nominated for print journalist of the year, while deputy music editor Jem Aswad and senior correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister both earned nods for online journalist of the year.
Variety‘s art department earned two nominations for illustration and one for cover art. Deputy art director Haley Kluge, creative director Raul Aguila and Mercedes DeBellard earned a nod for their “Jennifer Aniston” illustration, and Kluge, Aguila and Jen Mann also received an illustration nomination for “Sandra Oh.
- 2/15/2021
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
The beleaguered U.K. exhibition sector, reeling from a Covid-afflicted, calamitous 2020 that has continued into 2021, is finally seeing some green shoots.
Though the country began 2021 under lockdown with cinemas closed — a situation that’s unlikely to ease in the near future — a combination of decreasing case loads and a robust vaccination rollout is raising hopes. Average new daily infections are now 20,000, while average daily deaths are below 1,000, down from the depths of mid-January’s 60,000 new cases and 1,500 deaths per day. The vaccination program is rolling out smoothly, with 10.5 million of the U.K.’s 67 million population having received the first jab of the vaccine already, and all adults above the age of 50 on course to receive a jab by May.
“We are starting to consider reopening dates,” BFI chief executive Ben Roberts told Variety. “In terms of everyone forecasting, May feels reasonable. Could be earlier, could be later.”
“We do...
Though the country began 2021 under lockdown with cinemas closed — a situation that’s unlikely to ease in the near future — a combination of decreasing case loads and a robust vaccination rollout is raising hopes. Average new daily infections are now 20,000, while average daily deaths are below 1,000, down from the depths of mid-January’s 60,000 new cases and 1,500 deaths per day. The vaccination program is rolling out smoothly, with 10.5 million of the U.K.’s 67 million population having received the first jab of the vaccine already, and all adults above the age of 50 on course to receive a jab by May.
“We are starting to consider reopening dates,” BFI chief executive Ben Roberts told Variety. “In terms of everyone forecasting, May feels reasonable. Could be earlier, could be later.”
“We do...
- 2/5/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Tim Richards, the founder and CEO of global cinema chain Vue Entertainment, is one of three candidates shortlisted to be the next chair of the British Film Institute (BFI).
Richards is also a sitting governor of the BFI. Other candidates for the position are understood to be Caroline Michel, CEO and literary agent at U.K. literary and talent agency Peters Fraser + Dunlop, and Nick Clarry, partner at private equity firm Cvc advisers and chair of the board of trustees at London’s Old Vic theater.
The position has been vacant since November 2020 when Josh Berger, former managing director of Warner Bros. U.K., Ireland and Spain, stepped down. BFI governor Pat Butler has been serving as interim chair.
The appointment is decided by the U.K. Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Dcms). It will be finalized by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden and ratified by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Richards is also a sitting governor of the BFI. Other candidates for the position are understood to be Caroline Michel, CEO and literary agent at U.K. literary and talent agency Peters Fraser + Dunlop, and Nick Clarry, partner at private equity firm Cvc advisers and chair of the board of trustees at London’s Old Vic theater.
The position has been vacant since November 2020 when Josh Berger, former managing director of Warner Bros. U.K., Ireland and Spain, stepped down. BFI governor Pat Butler has been serving as interim chair.
The appointment is decided by the U.K. Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Dcms). It will be finalized by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden and ratified by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
- 1/20/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Variety has teamed up with London-based international production event Focus, which runs online Dec. 15-17, to present “Variety Streaming Room: The Big Restart,” the latest in its series of online panel discussions. The collaboration is the first time Variety has worked with Focus on a live digital event.
Leading producers from France and Poland will be taking part in the two sessions, which will both air Dec. 9, discussing the opportunities that exist for international filmmakers in their countries. Among the topics to be covered will be how filmmakers are operating within the pandemic protocols, and how they will be able to realize their creative visions by shooting in the territories.
Among those taking part in the session on Poland will be producers Ewa Puszczyńska, whose credits include Oscar winner “Ida” and Oscar nominee “Cold War,” and Mariusz Włodarski, whose recent films include Poland’s Oscar entry this year “Never Gonna Snow Again.
Leading producers from France and Poland will be taking part in the two sessions, which will both air Dec. 9, discussing the opportunities that exist for international filmmakers in their countries. Among the topics to be covered will be how filmmakers are operating within the pandemic protocols, and how they will be able to realize their creative visions by shooting in the territories.
Among those taking part in the session on Poland will be producers Ewa Puszczyńska, whose credits include Oscar winner “Ida” and Oscar nominee “Cold War,” and Mariusz Włodarski, whose recent films include Poland’s Oscar entry this year “Never Gonna Snow Again.
- 12/3/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
British actor and presenter David Harewood will receive the Variety Outstanding Achievement Award, distributed in association with the Edinburgh TV Festival.
The award marks the first partnership between Variety and the festival. Harewood receives the prize in recognition of his extensive body of work and success in both the U.K. and U.S., as well as his work around mental health and social issues.
Having worked across film, theater and television, Harewood is best known for his starring role on Showtime’s hit series “Homeland” as David Estes, the director of the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center alongside Claire Danes and Damian Lewis. More recently, he has co-starred alongside Melissa Benoist in the DC Comics series “Supergirl.”
Other credits include AMC/BBC drama “The Night Manager,” where he starred opposite Tom Hiddleston, Olivia Colman and Elizabeth Debicki, and the films “Blood Diamond” and “Tulip Fever.”
Harewood contributed to the dialogue...
The award marks the first partnership between Variety and the festival. Harewood receives the prize in recognition of his extensive body of work and success in both the U.K. and U.S., as well as his work around mental health and social issues.
Having worked across film, theater and television, Harewood is best known for his starring role on Showtime’s hit series “Homeland” as David Estes, the director of the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center alongside Claire Danes and Damian Lewis. More recently, he has co-starred alongside Melissa Benoist in the DC Comics series “Supergirl.”
Other credits include AMC/BBC drama “The Night Manager,” where he starred opposite Tom Hiddleston, Olivia Colman and Elizabeth Debicki, and the films “Blood Diamond” and “Tulip Fever.”
Harewood contributed to the dialogue...
- 11/4/2020
- by Variety Editors
- Variety Film + TV
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a second national lockdown in England from Nov. 5 as the second wave of coronavirus cases soar across the country.
All pubs, restaurants and non-essential retail businesses will close until Dec. 2, after which some areas may go into lower-tier restrictions, depending on the severity of local cases. Leisure and entertainment venues will also close, Johnson said.
Film and TV production, however, will be able to go on under strict Covid-safe guidelines, Variety has been told by producers’ trade body Pact. Further, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden clarified following the briefing that film and TV production can indeed continue. “The changes mean people should Wfh [work from home] where possible. But where this is not possible, travel to a place of work will be permitted – e.g. this includes (but not exhaustive) elite sport played behind closed doors, film & tv production, telecoms workers.”
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The changes mean people should...
All pubs, restaurants and non-essential retail businesses will close until Dec. 2, after which some areas may go into lower-tier restrictions, depending on the severity of local cases. Leisure and entertainment venues will also close, Johnson said.
Film and TV production, however, will be able to go on under strict Covid-safe guidelines, Variety has been told by producers’ trade body Pact. Further, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden clarified following the briefing that film and TV production can indeed continue. “The changes mean people should Wfh [work from home] where possible. But where this is not possible, travel to a place of work will be permitted – e.g. this includes (but not exhaustive) elite sport played behind closed doors, film & tv production, telecoms workers.”
2/3
The changes mean people should...
- 10/31/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
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