Variety

Australian Police Arrest ‘Home and Away’ Actor Orpheus Pledger After Manhunt

Australian police said on Thursday that they had arrested Orpheus Pledger, an actor known for his role on long-running soap “Home and Away.” His failure to appear in court on Tuesday led to the issue of an arrest warrant and a public call for help. Variety has reached out to Pledger’s agent Craig McMahon for […]
Read MoreAustralian Police Arrest ‘Home and Away’ Actor Orpheus Pledger After Manhunt

‘Agent of Happiness,’ Doc Following Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Survey, Sold by Cinephil to Key Territories (EXCLUSIVE)

Cinephil has sold Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbó’s feature documentary “Agent of Happiness” to a wide range of key international territories ahead of the film’s Hot Docs debut this weekend. Deals are confirmed in the U.K. and Ireland (Dogwoof), Germany and Austria (Filmwelt), Australia and New Zealand (Vendetta), Italy (Wanted), Spain and Portugal (Filmin), Poland […]
Read More‘Agent of Happiness,’ Doc Following Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Survey, Sold by Cinephil to Key Territories (EXCLUSIVE)

‘Goodbye Julia’ Leads Critics Awards for Arab Films Nominations Ahead of Cannes Ceremony

Sudanese director Mohamed Kordofani’s “Goodbye Julia,” a timely morality tale that takes place just before the 2011 secession of South Sudan, leads the way in nominations for the eighth edition of the Critics Awards for Arab films, winners of which will be announced during the Cannes Film Festival. The first Sudanese film ever to screen […]
Read More‘Goodbye Julia’ Leads Critics Awards for Arab Films Nominations Ahead of Cannes Ceremony

‘Doctor Who’ Regenerates: How Ncuti Gatwa’s Historic Casting, Russell T Davies’ Return and a Disney+ Deal Revolutionized the Franchise

When Ncuti Gatwa makes his first appearance as the 15th Doctor in the science-fiction series “Doctor Who,” he isn’t wearing any pants. In a 60th-anniversary special released in December, the previous Doctor — played by series icon David Tennant — subverts the show’s long-standing practice of regeneration: Instead of simply transforming into the next Doctor, […]
Read More‘Doctor Who’ Regenerates: How Ncuti Gatwa’s Historic Casting, Russell T Davies’ Return and a Disney+ Deal Revolutionized the Franchise

Imax Q1 Revenue Drops 9%, Earnings Beat Wall Street Estimates on Lift From ‘Dune 2’

Imax fans turned up in droves to see “Dune 2” on the really big screen, helping the company top analyst earnings estimates for the first quarter of 2024. Despite the sandworm bump, it was a tough compare with the year-ago period when Imax benefited from the blockbuster success of “Avatar: The Way of Water” in […]
Read MoreImax Q1 Revenue Drops 9%, Earnings Beat Wall Street Estimates on Lift From ‘Dune 2’

Netflix Dates Studio Ponoc Animated Feature ‘The Imaginary’

“The Imaginary,” an upcoming hand-drawn animated fantasy film from Japan’s Studio Ponoc that will play in competition at this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival, is set to debut July 5 on Netflix. An Oscar-qualifying run is also planned. “The Imaginary” is directed by Yoshiyuki Momose, whose credits as an animator include Studio Ponoc’s 2017 debut […]
Read MoreNetflix Dates Studio Ponoc Animated Feature ‘The Imaginary’

Jennifer Aniston to Produce ‘9 to 5’ Reimagining for 20th Century Studios

Jennifer Aniston is ready to pour herself a cup of ambition. Aniston and her Echo Films partner Kristin Hahn are producing a “9 to 5” reimagining for 20th Century Studios, Variety has confirmed. The film is currently in development, with Diablo Cody (“Juno,” “Lisa Frankenstein”) working on the latest draft of the “9 to 5” […]
Read MoreJennifer Aniston to Produce ‘9 to 5’ Reimagining for 20th Century Studios

Key Takeaways From Variety’s Entertainment Marketing Summit: ‘You Have to be Reactive and Agile’

Variety’s Entertainment Marketing Summit in Los Angeles, presented by Deloitte, brought together more than 600 marketing professionals, executives, creators and influencers for a daylong event that examined all aspects of marketing as a discipline at a time of massive transition in the entertainment business. Here are the highlights from the event, held April 24 at […]
Read MoreKey Takeaways From Variety’s Entertainment Marketing Summit: ‘You Have to be Reactive and Agile’

Rebel Wilson’s Memoir to Be Published in U.K. With Sacha Baron Cohen Allegations Redacted

Rebel Wilson’s memoir “Rebel Rising” will be published in the U.K. with redacted passages about her experience working with Sacha Baron Cohen. “We are publishing every page, but for legal reasons, in the U.K. edition, we are redacting most of one page with some other small redactions and an explanatory note,” publisher HarperCollins told The Guardian in […]
Read MoreRebel Wilson’s Memoir to Be Published in U.K. With Sacha Baron Cohen Allegations Redacted

Korea Box Office: Don Lee’s ‘The Roundup: Punishment’ Takes Punchy $5 Million on Opening Day

Korean comedy action film “The Roundup: Punishment” destroyed all competition in local theaters on its Wednesday opening day. The film earned $4.92 million from 821,000 ticket sales, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). That represented a crushing 97% share of the day’s theatrical market. Including a […]
Read MoreKorea Box Office: Don Lee’s ‘The Roundup: Punishment’ Takes Punchy $5 Million on Opening Day