Lawrence O’Donnell Says He’s Staying at MSNBC

MSNBC primetime host Lawrence O’Donnell indicated on his program Thursday evening that he had signed a new contact to stay at the NBCUniversal-owned cable-news outlet, bringing to an end a period of conjecture over whether or not he and the network would part ways. “Yes I will be saying hi to Rachel Maddow at 10pm... Read more » Brian Steinberg

SAG-AFTRA Launches Negotiations With Jane Lynch, Brandon Routh in Support

Gary Cole, Christopher Gorham, Jane Lynch and Brandon Routh attended the opening of contract negotiations Wednesday in support of SAG-AFTRA. Formal talks launched under a news blackout at the Sherman Oaks headquarters of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. High-profile SAG-AFTRA members have often appeared during previous negotiations. .SAG-AFTRA and Hollywood producers are... Read more » Dave McNary

Napster Partners With Rakuten for Japanese Music Service

Napster is going to Japan — but don’t expect the iconic cat to become a big hit with Japanese music fans: The Seattle-based music service has teamed up with Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten to power that company’s local Rakuten Music service. As part of that deal, Rhapsody will power the back-end of Rakuten Music, and... Read more » Janko Roettgers

Global Digital Releasing to Launch With ‘The Passing,’ ‘Without Name’

Global Digital Releasing is launching with Welsh-language drama “The Passing” and Irish supernatural title “Without Name,” with both acquired from XYZ Films, Variety has learned exclusively. “The Passing” centers on two young lovers who crash their car into a ravine in the remote mountains of Wales and are plunged into a lost world. The film, which... Read more » Dave McNary

‘The Bachelorette’: Racist, Sexist Tweets Surface From Contestant on ABC Show

ABC was praised for finally showcasing the first-ever black lead on “The Bachelor” franchise this season, but just two weeks into the historic season of “The Bachelorette,” the network is in hot water for casting a contestant whose alleged racist tweets surfaced online. A slew of tweets allegedly from contestant Lee Garrett’s Twitter account were... Read more » Elizabeth Wagmeister

Chloe Moretz ‘Appalled and Angry’ Over ‘Red Shoes & the 7 Dwarfs’ Marketing

Chloe Grace Moretz has declared that she’s “appalled and angry” over a now-canceled marketing campaign for her upcoming animated comedy “Red Shoes & the 7 Dwarfs.” Producers terminated the campaign Wednesday. The actress took exception to a billboard for the movie in Cannes, which showed two women — one tall and thin and the other... Read more » Dave McNary

Shari Redstone Defends Keeping Viacom, CBS Corp. Separate

Shari Redstone, vice chair of CBS Corp. and Viacom, defended her decision last year not to merge the companies at a keynote Q&A Wednesday at the Code Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. She cited the potential still to be unlocked at Viacom now that its been rejuvenated by management led by CEO Bob Bakish.... Read more » Andrew Wallenstein

Michelle Williams to Co-Star With Amy Schumer in ‘I Feel Pretty’

After a string of strong dramatic turns, Michelle Williams is teaming with one of the biggest comedians in Hollywood to show off her lighter side. The Oscar-nominated actress is set to co-star with Amy Schumer in the upcoming Voltage Pictures, STX, and Wonderland Sound and Vision film “I Feel Pretty.” The movie is written and... Read more » Justin Kroll

‘Logan,’ ‘Great Wall’ and ‘Get Out’ Debut in Top Three Spots on Disc Sales Charts

Three new releases captured the three top spots on the national home video sales charts the week ended May 28 as the traditional start-of-summer flurry of new DVD and Blu-ray Disc releases continues. Twentieth Century Fox’s “Logan” easily snagged the No. 1 spot on both the NPD VideoScan overall disc sales chart, which tracks combined... Read more » tkarnold58

Arcade Fire Sign With Columbia Records

Arcade Fire’s next two albums will be released on Columbia Records, Variety has confirmed. Terms of the band’s signing to the Sony Music label were not disclosed. Arcade Fire last released a full-length via Capitol Records — 2013’s “Reflektor.” The Universal Music Group imprint also bid on continuing the relationship with the beloved band. Arcade... Read more » Shirley Halperin

Jeff Bewkes: Trump Doesn’t Impact AT&T-Time Warner Deal

Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes nixed the notion that Donald Trump in the White House could complicate the fate of the $85.4 billion deal pending between his company and AT&T. “I don’t think who’s occupying the White House changes things,” he said Wednesday at the Code Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. “We’re not particularly... Read more » Andrew Wallenstein

TV News Roundup: ‘Late Late Show with James Cordon’ Announces London Guests

In today’s roundup, “The Late Late Show” releases next week’s London lineup, and Bravo’s “Shahs of Sunset” sets a Season 6 premiere date. SPECIALS James Corden announced the lineup for “The Late Late Show’s” London broadcast next week. Corden will be joined in his home country by Nicole Kidman, David Beckham, Emily Blunt, Tom Cruise,... Read more » Rebecca Rubin

Katie Couric Doc Did Not Defame Gun Advocates, Judge Rules

A gun control documentary that included a deceptive interview with gun rights supporters did not meet the legal standard of defamation, a judge ruled on Wednesday. The documentary, “Under the Gun,” featured an interview with Katie Couric and members of the Virginia Citizens Defense League. At one point, Couric asked how to keep guns out... Read more » gmaddaus

Alex Rider Books Being Developed Into Series by ITV, Eleventh Hour Films

A TV adaptation of the bestselling Alex Rider book series is in the works at ITV, with “Borgia’s” scribe Guy Burt attached to the project. U.K.-based drama producer Eleventh Hour Films has optioned the Anthony Horowitz books and will make the series, which is being developed with ITV and is expected to attract international partners.... Read more » Stewart Clarke

Joe Hyams, Longtime Warners Publicity Exec, Dies at 90

Joe Hyams, former Warner Bros. publicity executive who worked with notable names including Clint Eastwood, Barbra Streisand, and Stanley Kubrick, died Wednesday in Los Angeles. He was 90. Hyams spent more than 40 years at Warners, rising to executive VP of special projects. He worked with Eastwood on all his films from 1971’s “Any Which... Read more » Pat Saperstein

AMC Sets Three Dramas on Straight-to-Series Development Track

AMC has stepped up its development efforts for the year, setting three drama projects on its straight-to-series track. The cabler has opened writers rooms for “NOS4A2,” “Pandora” and “Silent History” in a bid to generate enough scripts to evaluate whether the projects are worthy of going straight into episodic production. The process involves a handful of... Read more » Cynthia Littleton

Taylor Swift Headed for Jury Trial in DJ Grabbing Incident

A federal judge on Wednesday refused to dismiss a lawsuit from a Colorado DJ who claims he was wrongfully accused of grabbing Taylor Swift inappropriately. U.S. District Court Judge William Martinez has scheduled a nine-day trial on the matter to begin on Aug. 7 in Colorado. David Mueller sued Swift, her mother Andrea, and her manager... Read more » gmaddaus

Viggo Mortensen Circling Peter Farrelly’s Next Film ‘Green Book’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Following his Oscar nomination for “Captain Fantastic,” Viggo Mortensen may have found his next role. Mortsensen is in talks to star in Peter Farrelly’s next pic “Green Book.” Farrelly will direct from a script he co-wrote with Nick Vallelonga and Brian Currie. Currie and Jim Burke will produce. The story is set in 1962 and... Read more » Justin Kroll

Hailee Steinfeld Eyes ‘Transformers’ Spinoff ‘Bumblebee’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Hailee Steinfeld is in talks to star in Paramount’s “Bumblebee,” the first spin-off in the newly created “Transformers” universe for the studio. Laika CEO Travis Knight will be making his directorial debut on the pic. While plot details are still unknown, the story will focus on the popular character who has appeared in all of... Read more » Justin Kroll

Jill Soloway on the Advice Jeff Bezos Gave Her at Amazon

One of the fringe benefits of being the creator of Amazon series “Transparent” and “I Love Dick” is that Jill Soloway gets face time with the company’s visionary founder, Jeff Bezos. And in that time, she recounted Wednesday at the Code Conference, she has gotten her share of wise counsel, including the subject of the... Read more » Andrew Wallenstein

‘Atlanta’ Star Brian Tyree Henry Joins Jodie Foster’s Thriller ‘Hotel Artemis’

“Atlanta” star Brian Tyree Henry has joined Jodie Foster in Drew Pearce’s near-future action-thriller “Hotel Artemis.” Simon and Stephen Cornwell are producing for The Ink Factory, which will also finance the film. Pearce, whose writing credits include “Iron Man 3” and “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation,” will direct from his own script in his directorial debut.... Read more » Dave McNary

How Songs and Scores Help ‘Stranger Things,’ ‘The Crown’ Come to Life

Music for an English queen and a Hollywood feud, synthesizers for an ’80s supernatural mystery, Broadway tunesmiths penning a love song for a superhero: These are among the most talked-about contributions to 2016-17 television that may well figure in this year’s Emmy races for music. For Netflix’s “The Crown,” about Elizabeth II’s early years from... Read more » Maane Khatchatourian

Cinematographers Take Risks on TV With Moody Images

It’s no accident that today’s television renaissance has coincided with a golden age of TV cinematography. The moody, nuanced imagery that now appears on small screens supports cinematic themes, top-notch acting and innovative directing, and audiences have responded. Rob McLachlan, a contributor to HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and “Westworld,” and Showtime’s “Ray Donovan,” says digital... Read more » Alex Stedman

Music Supervisors Celebrate Finally Winning Recognition From Creative Arts Emmys

Emmy Awards category growth continues apace. For the first time this September, music supervision will be rewarded with an Emmy. Rules for the new category, the sixth for music, defines it as “exceptional creative contributions to a program through the use of music, including the narrative impact of lyric-based songs, both original and pre-existing, the... Read more » Alex Stedman

Bill Simmons Looks Back on Where ESPN Went Wrong

Years after his controversial exit from ESPN, sports journalist Bill Simmons still hasn’t finished publicly dissecting the struggles his former employer is currently facing. Announcing his new advertising deal Wednesday for website The Ringer with Vox Media, which operates the Code Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., he pointed the finger at the cable network... Read more » Andrew Wallenstein

Can ‘Wonder Woman’ Save the Summer Box Office?

The summer box office needs saving; will “Wonder Woman” come to the rescue? It will most likely do its part, as current projections for the Warner Bros. film’s domestic opening weekend stand north of $100 million. That’s far above the studio’s more conservative estimate between $65 million and $75 million. Overseas, the movie should score... Read more » Seth Kelley

Poll: Which Female Superhero Would You Most Like to See Get Her Own Movie?

After 75 years, Wonder Woman — arguably the most famous female comic-book superhero — is finally getting her own movie. “Wonder Woman,” starring Gal Gadot and directed by Patty Jenkins, hits theaters on Friday, breaking ground with a big-budget tentpole focused on a superheroine. And there’s good news for fans: the reviews are largely positive... Read more » Variety Staff

Elon Musk Threatens to Drop Out of White House Councils if Trump Backs Out of Climate Accord

Elon Musk said that he will have “no choice” but to leave White House advisory panels should President Donald Trump decide to pull out of the Paris climate agreements forged in 2015 by his predecessor. Trump said on Wednesday that he will announce his decision soon, amid reports that he has already made up his... Read more » Ted Johnson

CBS’ ‘Evening News’ Transfer Is Chaotic, Not Calm

Evening-news anchors are, to some degree, like Boy Scouts. They are seen by the public as being courteous and kind, brave and clean. When workers began packing up anchor Scott Pelley’s office suite at the West 57th Street headquarters of “CBS Evening News” yesterday, it was viewed by CBS News staffers as something out of... Read more » Brian Steinberg

‘Stranger Things’ Star Charlie Heaton in Talks for X-Men Spinoff ‘New Mutants’

“Stranger Things” star Charlie Heaton is in negotiations to join X-Men spinoff “New Mutants” for Fox and Marvel as Sam Guthrie, a.k.a. Cannonball. “New Mutants” is in pre-production and has been set for an April 13, 2018, opening. “The Fault in Our Stars” director Josh Boone is helming “New Mutants” from a script he co-wrote... Read more » Dave McNary

Fox Animation Developing ‘Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole’ Movie

Fox Animation is developing a movie based on the upcoming Michelle Cuevas book “The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole.” Matt Reeves, director of Fox’s upcoming “War for Planet of the Apes,” is attached to produce through his 6th and Idaho production company. The story, to be published in September by Dial Books... Read more » Dave McNary

Apple Started Manufacturing Amazon Echo Competitor (Report)

Apple has started to manufacture a smart, internet-connected speaker with the aim to take on Amazon’s Echo and Google Home, Bloomberg reported Wednesday. The speaker could be unveiled as early as next week at the company’s WWDC conference, but may not ship until later this year. Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.... Read more » Janko Roettgers

Hillary Clinton Warns: ‘Putin Wants to Bring Us Down’

Hillary Clinton warned that the technological forces that conspired to sabotage her presidential bid in 2016 are still very much at play in an interview Wednesday at the Code Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. “I think it’s important to learn the real lessons from this last campaign,” she said. “The forces aren’t just interested... Read more » Andrew Wallenstein

Judge Rules Against Jazz Musician’s Estate in Drake Sampling Suit

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Drake did not violate copyright law when he sampled a spoken word track from a 1982 jazz record. The estate of musician Jimmy Smith filed suit in 2014, alleging that Drake had violated its copyright to “Jimmy Smith Rap,” from Smith’s 1982 album “Off the Top.” On the original... Read more » gmaddaus

Odette Annable Joins CW’s ‘Supergirl’ Season 3 as New Big Bad

“Supergirl” has set the next big bad for Season 3: Reign. The DC Comics character will be played on the CW series by Odette Annable, Variety has learned. Reign will be the villain of the third season, as part of an interpretation of the infamous World Killer storyline from the pages of DC Comics. Though the character is... Read more » Elizabeth Wagmeister

Actors on Actors: Milo Ventimiglia and Freida Pinto (Full Video)

Milo Ventimiglia (“This Is Us”) and Freida Pinto (“Guerrilla”) discussed their new TV series, facing rejection in Hollywood, and auditioning for their biggest roles to date, on Variety’s “Actors on Actors.” Variety’s “Actors on Actors” Season 6, presented by Shutterstock, premieres June 13 on PBS SoCal. Variety Staff

L.A. Reid Pulls Out of MIDEM Keynote

Former Epic Records chairman and CEO Antonio “L.A.” Reid, who left the company amid accusations of sexual harassment earlier this month, has pulled out of his scheduled keynote talk at the MIDEM conference in Cannes, France, Variety has learned. The industry confab, which spotlights the international music business, takes place from June 6 – 9;... Read more » Jem Aswad

Freida Pinto Felt Lost After ‘Slumdog Millionaire’

Freida Pinto discussed her career post-“Slumdog Millionaire” — her very first film — on Variety’s “Actors on Actors.” “I did not know where to go from there ’cause you pretty much start on the highest high that you can possibly have,” she said. Pinto told Milo Ventimiglia that she was under a lot of pressure about what... Read more » Variety Staff

Fox News Dominates May Cable News Ratings; MSNBC and CNN Surge From Last Year

Fox News claimed the top spot in every key ratings measure for cable news in the month of May, but both CNN and MSNBC saw big surges in those measures compared to the same month last year. Looking at the primetime numbers for the month, Fox News was number one with an average of 2.24... Read more » Joseph Otterson

Milo Ventimiglia Almost Lost Out on His ‘This Is Us’ Role

It’s hard to picture anyone portraying the beloved Jack Pearson on “This Is Us” more perfectly than Milo Ventimiglia. But in an interview with Freida Pinto as part of Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series, he revealed that he wasn’t producers and directors’ first choice for the role. “They wanted somebody completely different,” he said. “I walked in with... Read more » Variety Staff

TV Ratings: ‘World of Dance’ Enjoys Impressive Debut on NBC

The launch of NBC’s new competition series “World of Dance” went over big in the Tuesday overnight ratings, according to Nielsen data. The new series, which features host and executive producer Jennifer Lopez, opened to a 2.4 rating in adults 18-49 and 9.8 million viewers, airing at 10 p.m. That puts it on par with... Read more » Joseph Otterson

James Comey to Testify About Meetings With Trump in Senate Next Week (Report)

Fired FBI Director James Comey is expected to testify next week before a Senate panel investigating links between Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election and the campaign of President Donald Trump, CNN reported Wednesday. The development is likely to ratchet up the drama surrounding Trump and his associates. CNN reports that a date hasn’t been... Read more » rljournoblog

Reed Hastings Doesn’t Want ‘The Get Down’ Cancellation to Discourage Netflix

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings played down the cancellation of the expensive scripted drama series “The Get Down,” going so far as to say he welcomed creative failure. “You should have more things that don’t work out, you have to get more aggressive,” he said Wednesday at the Code Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. “The... Read more » Andrew Wallenstein

GOP Tries to Turn Kathy Griffin’s Trump Stunt Into Political Liability

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) is the latest in a long line of politicians and celebrities to condemn Kathy Griffin’s video of her holding up a severed prop head of Donald Trump. She apologized for it hours after it was posted. “I think she did the right thing, and asking for forgiveness and acknowledging … this was a... Read more » Ted Johnson

‘Felicity’s’ Keri Russell and Scott Speedman Reunite on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’

“Felicity” fans were treated to not one, but two mini reunions on Tuesday. The show’s co-creators J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves spoke at Felicity herself, Keri Russell’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony before she was joined by her co-star Scott Speedman on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” later that night. It’s been almost 20 years since Russell and... Read more » Rebecca Rubin

Timbaland Joins ABC’s ‘Boy Band’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Grammy Award-winner Timbaland has joined ABC’s upcoming singing-competition series “Boy Band.” The veteran producer will serve alongside Spice Girl Emma Bunton and Backstreet Boy Nick Carter as one of three judges — referred to on the series as “architects.” He also joins Rita Ora, who is set to host the show. “I’m excited to be... Read more » Daniel Holloway

Pluto TV Inks Deal With Gravitas for Streaming Rights to 2,000-Plus Movies (EXCLUSIVE)

Pluto TV, a video-streaming service stocked with free premium content, has secured a deal with Gravitas Ventures for access to the indie film distributor’s entire catalog of more than 2,000 titles. Under the terms of the pact, Pluto TV is launching a dedicated “Gravitas Movies” channel on the service, adding to its 100-plus channels that... Read more » Todd Spangler

Arcade Fire Channel ‘Dancing Queen’ on New Single ‘Everything Now’ (Listen)

Arcade Fire have been laying a trail of tantalizing clues teasing new music over the past few days, and watching people attempt to decode them was a Twitter-feed-cluttering experience rivaled only by the president’s latest misspellings on Wednesday morning. But the mystery was quickly unravelled — the group will be releasing a new single, on... Read more » Jem Aswad

CNN Fires Kathy Griffin From New Year’s Show After Donald Trump Beheading Stunt

CNN has fired Kathy Griffin from their annual New Year’s Eve program, which she cohosted with anchor Anderson Cooper. The network just made the announcement via Twitter. “CNN has terminated our agreement with Kathy Griffin to appear on our New Year’s Eve program,” the CNN Public Relations account tweeted. CNN has terminated our agreement with... Read more » Lawrence Yee

William Friedkin to be Honored at Spain’s Sitges Festival

BARCELONA — Academy Award-winning director William Friedkin will receive the Grand Honorary Award at Sitges’ Catalonia Intl. Fantastic Film Festival as Europe’s biggest fantasy-genre fest celebrates its 50th edition this October. Friedkin was the recipient of a Sitges’ Time Machine Honorary Award in 2007. He won a Best Picture Oscar in 1972 for “The French Connection”... Read more » John Hopewell