Recent articles
October 16, 2026
Kenny Ortega Says His New Lego Friends ‘Heartlake’ Movie Brings the Bricks to Life ‘in the Most Wonderful Musical Capacity’
Kenny Ortega is the talent behind iconic films ranging from “Hocus Pocus” to “High School Musical” not to mention dozens of music videos, concerts and two Olympics opening ceremonies. So it’s unsur...
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October 15, 2026
Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden Revenues Climb 11% to $390 Million Thanks to ‘Harry Potter’ Tour, Increased Production (EXCLUSIVE)
Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, the studio’s flagship U.K. production hub, saw revenues climb 11% year-on-year, according to its latest financial accounts. The studios, located just outside London,...
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October 15, 2026
British Government ‘Minded to Intervene’ in Sky’s Proposed $2 Billion Takeover of ITV
U.K. culture minister Lisa Nandy has signalled she is “minded to intervene” in Sky’s proposed $2 billion takeover of ITV, citing concerns about maintaining media plurality, particularly with regard...
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October 13, 2026
Stephen Amell Says Putting on the ‘Baywatch’ Red Trunks Felt ‘So Familiar’ Because ‘It’s a Superhero Show’
Stephen Amell, star of the upcoming “Baywatch” reboot, first came to public attention as Oliver Queen in DC superhero series “Arrow.” But the actor says his new role isn’t so different. “Once I got...
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October 13, 2026
Battle of the Booths: Paramount Brings its Iconic Arch to Cannes as Eye-Catching Mipcom Stands Reflect Market Realities
Step outside Le Palais des Festivals in Cannes this week, where Mipcom is in full swing, and you might do a double take. Because nestled between the conference center and the French Riviera is an e...
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October 13, 2026
J.K. Rowling Docuseries Set at BBC
The BBC is set to broadcast a two-part docuseries about “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling. Produced by Rogan Scotland (“Becoming Frida Kahlo”), it will trace her “dramatic rise, cultural influence...
variety.com
October 12, 2026
Appetite for Agatha Christie Shows No Signs of Slowing 50 Years After Her Death: ‘She Has Such Enduring Appeal’
It’s been fifty years since Agatha Christie died (of natural causes) at the age of 85 but the passage of time has only increased the public’s appetite for the Queen of Crime. She is officially the ...
variety.com
October 12, 2026
The Muppets Turn 50 This Year But They Nearly Didn’t Get Made at All: ‘It Was a Real Study in Perseverance’
Since their series debut in 1976, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and the rest of the Muppets have attained an iconic status in pop culture, as evidenced by the four Emmys this picked up last month for...
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October 12, 2026
Netflix Content Chief Bela Bajaria on Overseeing Global Storytelling: ‘My Super Power Is I Hire Really Great People and I Let Them Do Their Job’
Bela Bajaria oversees 27 local teams around the world who produce content in 50 different languages for more than 50 countries. The secret to the Netflix content chief’s success is finding the righ...
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October 12, 2026
Banijay Eyes Expansion Into U.S. Scripted Space: ‘The U.S. Is a New Opportunity’
Banijay Entertainment, the production and distribution behemoth that now encompasses All3Media, is considering an expansion into the highly competitive U.S. scripted space, having gained major fina...
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October 12, 2026
Disney+ Taps Amazon Exec Philip Pratt to Oversee Germany, Switzerland and Austria Originals
Amazon MGM Studios exec Philip Pratt has jumped ship to Disney+ where he will oversee original production for Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Currently head of original productions at Amazon, he ...
variety.com
October 12, 2026
Russell Brand’s Criminal Trial Begins in London as He Faces Rape and Sexual Assault Charges
Russell Brand has arrived to London’s Southwark Crown Court for the start of his criminal trial. The former actor and comedian has been charged with three counts of rape, three counts of sexual ass...
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October 12, 2026
‘Heart of a Killer,’ Niv Sultan Medical Thriller From Sipur and North Road, Gets Second Season Order (EXCLUSIVE)
“Heart of a Killer,” a hit medical thriller starring Niv Sultan (Apple TV’s “Tehran”) has been renewed for a second season, Variety can confirm. The show’s first season, comprised of seven episodes...
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October 10, 2026
Brad Bird on Why He Took ‘Ray Gunn’ to Skydance Instead of Pixar: Making Animated Films for Teens and Adults ‘Shouldn’t Be a Controversial Decision’
On a balmy April afternoon at Abbey Road Studios in London, a 74-piece orchestra comprised of violinists, cellists, flautists and even an organ-payer, is packed into Studio One. The iconic room, wh...
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October 9, 2026
Shari Redstone-Backed Sipur Studios Opens London Office, Sets Out International Strategy Including Boarding Olivier Dahan’s ‘Nana’ (EXCLUSIVE)
After Shari Redstone sold Paramount Global to David Ellison’s Skydance in 2024, she chose something unexpected for her next act: Sipur, a growing film and TV studio based out of Israel. When Redsto...
variety.com
October 9, 2026
Skydance-Owned Channel 5 Profits Dropped by $32 Million Last Year Due to Ad Market and Inward Streaming Investment
Skydance-owned U.K. network Channel 5 has reported a £24.5 million ($32 million) drop in profits for 2025, citing inward investment in streaming and a tough ad market. The network recorded a profit...
variety.com
October 7, 2026
Jeremy Clarkson Returns to Automobiles in New ‘Clarkson’s Farm’ Special ‘Jeremy Grows a Car’
Former “Top Gear” host Jeremy Clarkson is back tinkering with automobiles in a newly-unveiled “Clarkson’s Farm” special. Titled “Jeremy Grows a Car: A Clarkson’s Farm Special” the stand-alone episo...
variety.com
October 7, 2026
Lego’s ‘Heartlake the Musical’ Heads to Peacock in the U.S., Tencent in China Amid Global Sales (EXCLUSIVE)
Lego’s first live-action musical feature, “Lego Friends: Heartlake the Musical” is set to premiere on streamers across the globe as well as Lego’s YouTube channel. The 50-minute original story, whi...
variety.com
October 7, 2026
Saoirse Ronan Responds to James Bond Rumors About Husband Jack Lowden: ‘Not Really a Subject That’s Coming Up in Our House’
Saoirse Ronan has given some insight into how her husband, “Slow Horses” actor Jack Lowden, is handling rumors that he’s in the running to play James Bond. Ronan revealed to the Associated Press th...
variety.com
September 29, 2026
Graham Norton Shoots Down ‘Conspiracy Theory’ That Taylor Swift’s ‘Opalite’ Video Was Shot Before She Came on His Show
Graham Norton has shot down a “conspiracy theory” surrounding Taylor Swift’s “Opalite” music video, in which he guest stars. Speaking at the Royal Television Society conference in London, Norton sa...
variety.com
September 29, 2026
‘Alice in Wonderland’ Immersive Experience Set for London
An “Alice in Wonderland” themed immersive experience is set to open in London next month. Inspired by Lewis Carroll’s beloved book, the 26,000 sq. ft. experience is comprised of ten multi-sensory e...
variety.com
September 29, 2026
Jeremy Clarkson Is Already Thinking About What Comes After ‘Clarkson’s Farm’: ‘It Has to Be Unbelievably Ambitious’
Jeremy Clarkson is already thinking about what comes next for him after “Clarkson’s Farm.” His hit farming series launched on Prime Video in 2021 and quickly became a fan favorite on the streaming ...
variety.com
September 29, 2026
Channel 4 Boss Says Network Still Hasn’t Found a New Chief Content Officer: ‘I’m Looking for the Next Messiah’
Channel 4 boss Priya Dogra says she’s “looking for the next Messiah” to replace outgoing chief content officer Ian Katz. “You will hear hopefully in the coming weeks,” Dogra said, speaking at the R...
variety.com
September 29, 2026
BBC Boss Says He Watched a ‘Pretty Good’ AI-Generated Episode of ‘Doctor Who’: ‘Everyone’s a Creator, Not All the Creativity Is Bad’
BBC boss Matt Brittin says he was recently sent a fully AI-generated episode of “Doctor Who,” which he deemed “pretty good” – although he was quick to add it was “not going to replace humans.” “Eve...
variety.com
September 29, 2026
Prime Video International Boss Urges TV Industry to Embrace AI: ‘It Doesn’t Replace Imagination, It Amplifies It’
Prime Video international boss Kelly Day has urged the TV industry to embrace change, including AI. Speaking at the Royal Television Society convention in London, Day, who is VP for international a...
variety.com
September 28, 2026
Oasis Documentary ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ Sets Hulu, Disney+ Streaming Release Date
Oasis’ highly anticipated documentary “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” which charts the reunion of brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher as they perform together again for the first time in 15 years, has set...
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September 25, 2026
Block the Merger Coalition Asks Court to Reject Paramount’s Settlement With States Over Warner Bros. Deal
A coalition of groups under the Block the Merger banner have filed an amicus brief – a third party representation in a court case – opposing the Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. Discovery merger. Th...
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September 24, 2026
Block the Merger Coalition File Legal Request to Oppose Paramount-Warner Bros. Deal
A coalition of groups working under the Block the Merger banner have filed an emergency request to oppose Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery ahead of a court hearing in California th...
variety.com
September 23, 2026
Original ‘Willy Wonka’ Oompa-Loompa Rusty Goffe ‘Shed a Tear’ at Gene Wilder’s Voice Recreated by AI: ‘It Was Lovely Hearing It Again’
“Have a scrumdiddlyumptious day!” is how Rusty Goffe, who played an Oompa-Loompa in the 1971 adaptation of “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” opposite Gene Wilder, signs off our Zoom call af...
variety.com
September 23, 2026
Gary Glitter Doc Postponed at Netflix After ‘New Legal Information,’ Trailer Pulled From YouTube
Netflix has postponed the release of a documentary about former pop star and convicted sexual abuser Gary Glitter just three weeks before its release, citing “new legal information.” “Hunting Gary ...
variety.com