Cillian Murphy capped off his domination of awards season by claiming the top acting prize for film on home soil. The Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and SAG award winner on Saturday night added perhaps a final statue to his flawless haul for Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” when he was named best lead actor at the 21st […]
SPOILER ALERT: This story discusses major plot points, including the ending, of “Abigail,” currently playing in theaters. The vampire thriller “Abigail” originated as a modern-day update of the classic horror film “Dracula’s Daughter.” But by the time the filmmaking trio Radio Silence — producer Chad Villella and directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett — began production […]
The University of Southern California has chosen to “release our outside speakers and honorees from attending this year’s [commencement] ceremony,” which is set to take place May 10. This includes “Wicked” director Jon M. Chu, who was slated as commencement speaker, and honorary degree recipients Billie Jean King, Maria Rosario Jackson and Marcia McNutt. In […]
Gov. Phil Murphy has made TV and film a top priority for New Jersey ever since he took the helm of the Garden State in 2018. This week, Murphy made a West Coast swing to talk artificial intelligence with firms in the Bay Area and to talk new business with studios in Hollywood. Murphy’s targeted […]
The already-complicated battle over control of Hipgnosis Songs Fund grew even more so on Saturday, as the private equity firm Blackstone bid $1.5 billion to the troubled fund — which includes the rights to catalogs by Neil Young, Shakira, Blondie, Journey, Lindsey Buckingham and others — pushing aside Concord’s $1.4 offer made earlier in the week. Blackstone already owns […]
How does a fight between a group of teenagers result in murder? Hulu’s new true-crime series “Under the Bridge,” based on the late Rebecca Godfrey’s non-fiction book, portrays the before and after of 14-year-old Reena Virk’s brutal murder. The first two episodes, released on April 17, show the timeline of events leading up to Virk’s […]
There’s a certain type of vinyl geek that has all 387 exclusives coming out for Record Store Day 2024 committed to memory — color variants, pressing quantities and prices included. The rest of us may need a bit of guidance, which is where this look at 25 wallet-worthy releases comes in. Obviously, our list represents […]
It’s a close contest at the domestic box office, with the opening day gross of Universal’s ballerina vampire film “Abigail” leading Lionsgate’s fellow new release “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” and the second frame of A24’s dystopian thriller “Civil War.” “Abigail” earned $4 million from 3,384 theaters across its opening day and preview screenings, making […]
Dee Bryant jams on the gas as her Mustang rockets forward toward a line of plastic bollards at the Irwindale Speedway. Suddenly, she takes her foot off the gas. The growling car whips around 180 degrees in a perfect arc. Veteran stuntwoman Bryant is a top driver and a rare Black woman rising through the […]
Taylor Swift can’t quit breaking her own records. After Spotify revealed Friday that “The Tortured Poets Department” had become the first album in the DSP’s history to amass 200 million streams in a single day, the service updated that news early Saturday, to report that first-day streams actually surpassed 300 million, when all was said […]
Camila Cabello was the surprise guest artist for Lana Del Rey’s headlining Coachella set on Friday night. Del Rey temporarily left the stage after singing her song “Bartender” as Cabello launched into a surprise performance of her new single “I Luv It” from her forthcoming fourth studio album. Lana joined Cabello through some verses but […]
Peso Pluma welcomed Anitta, Eslabon Armado and more for a performance of their global hits, “Bellakeo” and “Ella Baila Sola,” during weekend two of the Coachella music festival on Friday night. Peso welcomed rising artists Jasiel Nuñez and Ryan Castro in the first half of his 9 p.m. slot at the festival, indicating the first […]
The beef between Drake and what continues to be a strong sect of the hip-hop community grows deeper. On Friday night (April 19), the rapper released a song on his social media entitled “Taylor Made Freestyle,” which uses A.I. vocals from Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg on a stopgap between diss records as he awaits […]
There’s a moment in David Adjmi’s play “Stereophonic” when a discordant, mid-’70s band-on-the rise hears one of its songs played back to them in the recording studio for the first time, with all its multiple tracks layered together into an artful whole. It leaves the ever-bickering band suddenly speechless, emotionally stunned and still with the […]
SPOILER ALERT: This contains major spoilers for the finale of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Banana fever reigns supreme after “RuPaul’s Drag Race” crowned America’s next drag superstar. Season 16 winner Nymphia Wind snatched the crown from fellow finalists Plane Jane and Sapphira Cristál. With her win, Nymphia makes “Drag Race” history as the first-ever Taiwanese queen and the […]
30 years after the release of “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert,” the cult classic from director Stephan Elliott is getting a sequel. Original trio of stars Terence Stamp, Guy Pearce and Hugo Weaving will return to their roles for the new film. Elliott will return as director, writer and producer, and is […]
Writers at Sesame Workshop reached a five-year agreement with the production company behind “Sesame Street,” averting the possibility of picket lines popping up in the show’s friendly neighborhood. The Writers Guild of America confirmed the deal late Friday. The group of 35 writers employed by the nonprofit organization voted unanimously to support a strike authorization […]
Indie horror hit “Late Night With the Devil” follows the real-time Halloween episode of a fictional ’70s talk show, which quickly descends into madness. The film’s writers and directors, Australian brothers Cameron and Colin Cairne, were inspired by the sense of excitement and danger from the after-hours talk shows of their youth. “Those late-night shows […]
Taylor Swift welcomed fans to “The Tortured Poets Department” Friday evening, debuting a music video for “Fortnight,” her first single off of her new album. The music video features the singer-songwriter and Post Malone, who features on the single, cast as ex-lovers who, per the lyrics, carried on an affair that only lasted 14 days. […]
A media consultant sued Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, alleging he is owed “at least several million dollars” for work he did related to the company’s $370 million acquisition in 2022 of Redbox, the DVD kiosk and streaming company. Keith Knee, described in his legal complaint as an advisory and consulting services professional in […]
Netflix launched four new movie titles into the Luminate streaming originals top 10 movies list for the April 12-18 frame, led by “Woody Woodpecker Goes to College” and Swedish drama “Stolen.” Among streaming original TV series, Amazon Prime Video saw “Fallout” spike to more than 5 million views in its first full week in release. […]
Taylor Swift has made Spotify history with her new release “The Tortured Poets Department,” becoming the first album to exceed 200 million streams in a single day, Variety can exclusively reveal. The feat comes less than 24 hours after its release, signaling that the numbers could stretch even higher once the final figures are tallied. […]
SPOILER ALERT: This article contains major spoilers for the finale of “Manhunt,” now streaming on Apple TV+. The seven-episode historical miniseries “Manhunt” has come to a dramatic close. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton (Tobias Menzies) brought several of John Wilkes Booth’s conspirators to trial over Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, resulting in numerous hangings. Legally, he wasn’t able […]
Both “So Help Me Todd” and “CSI: Vegas” have been canceled at CBS, Variety has learned. “So Help Me Todd” is currently airing its second season at the broadcaster, while “CSI: Vegas” is airing its third. Both shows are scheduled to air their season finales in May, which will now serve as series finales. The […]
