SAG-AFTRA, Producers Extend Contract to Continue Bargaining

SAG-AFTRA and Hollywood’s production companies have agreed to extend the current contract and continuing bargaining — rather than moving towards a strike authorization vote by union members. The union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers announced shortly before 11 p.m. PDT Friday that the three-year master contract has been extended on a... Read more » Dave McNary

Karlovy Vary: Onur Saylak on the Impact of People Smuggling in Europe

In “Daha” (More), his first directorial feature, Turkish actor-filmmaker Onur Saylak explores the impact of human smuggling on the life of Gaza (Hayat Van Eck), a teenage boy living in a small coastal town on the Aegean Sea. Saylak, who made his acting debut in Özcan Alper’s critically acclaimed 2008 political drama “Autumn” (Sonbahar), spoke... Read more » Leo Barraclough

Billy McFarland, Organizer of Disastrous Fyre Festival, Arrested on Wire Fraud Charges

Billy McFarland, organizer of the disastrous Fyre Festival that fell far short of its promises of  luxury accommodations, has been arrested by the F.B.I. on charges of wire fraud, according to the United States Dept. of Justice. The U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York revealed that McFarland was taken into custody today... Read more » Shirley Halperin

Mahershala Ali in Early Discussions to Join HBO’s ‘True Detective’ Season 3

Mahershala Ali is in talks to star in the third season of “True Detective” at HBO, Variety has confirmed with sources. While discussions are underway with the Oscar winner, Ali’s deal is not in place — plus, “True Detective” technically has not been greenlit for Season 3, though sources close to the network say the third... Read more » Elizabeth Wagmeister

The Best Celebrity #Ham4All Videos: Ed Helms, Lea Michele and More Cover ‘Hamilton’

Hollywood did not throw away its shot to participate in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s #Ham4All challenge. When Miranda announced a charity campaign on Twitter on Monday for donations to the Immigrants: We Get the Job Done Coalition, some of the top talents in show business took to the social media platform to spit a few bars of... Read more » Rebecca Rubin

How ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ Will Handle Scandal in Season 4 (EXCLUSIVE)

Following a highly publicized production shutdown on “Bachelor In Paradise,” filming is back underway in Mexico for season four. And though contestants Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson — who were involved in the scandal that caused the shutdown — are not expected to return, Variety has learned that they will be both featured in the upcoming... Read more » Elizabeth Wagmeister

Adele Cancels Final Two Shows of Tour: ‘I’m Sorry. I’m Devastated’

Adele has canceled the final two shows of her tour, she announced in an emotional Facebook post on Friday, revealing that she’s damaged her vocal cords. “On medical advice I simply am unable to perform over the weekend,” she wrote. “To say I’m heart broken would be a complete understatement.” The news follows two consecutive... Read more » Alex Stedman

Joe Jackson Back Home After Las Vegas Car Accident

Father of the late Michael Jackson, Joe Jackson, was hospitalized after a car accident, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told Variety on Friday. Jackson was in the passenger seat in a vehicle that was traveling westbound on West Sahara Avenue east of Decatur Boulevard. At about 11:13 a.m., it was struck by another vehicle attempting... Read more » dixitalimbachiablog

Tom Cruise’s ‘Top Gun’ Sequel Gets July 2019 Release Date

Paramount Studios has given Tom Cruise’s “Top Gun” sequel a July 12, 2019, release date. Variety reported on May 24 that Joseph Kosinski — who directed Cruise in “Oblivion” — was the frontrunner to direct “Top Gun 2” for Paramount and Skydance Pictures. Skydance CEO David Ellison and Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced the 1986 original,... Read more » Dave McNary

SAG-AFTRA, Producers Making Progress as Midnight Strike Deadline Looms

SAG-AFTRA and Hollywood’s production companies were making progress toward a possible deal with less than eight hours left before the current master contract expires. If no deal is reached by 12:01 a.m. PDT on Saturday, the union has promised to seek a strike authorization vote from its members. Bargaining continued Friday afternoon under a month-long... Read more » Dave McNary

Newsmax, One America Get Seats in White House Briefings

The White House Correspondents Association unveiled a new seating chart for the 49 seats in the White House briefing room, with conservative outlets Newsmax and One America News Network getting placement. One America will share its seat with the BBC. Also getting a seat is the Daily Mail, HuffPost, and Univision. HuffPost will share its... Read more » Ted Johnson

WE tv Rebrand as ‘Real Reality Network’ Pays Off in Spades

WE tv has found great success following its rebrand in 2014 under network president and general manager Marc Juris. The AMC Networks-owned WE tv experienced its best April ever this year in women 25-54, adults 25-54, and total viewers in primetime, according to Nielsen data. Compared to April 2016, the network’s ratings were up 32%... Read more » Joseph Otterson

Karlovy Vary: Alen Drljević on the Unresolved Conflict in Bosnia

The legacy of war and the search for reconciliation are at the heart of “Men Don’t Cry,” Bosnian filmmaker Alen Drljević’s feature film debut, which screens in competition at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival. The Yugoslav wars and their aftermath have had a major impact on the director, himself a veteran, and defined many of... Read more » Leo Barraclough

AEG-MSG Turf Battle Heats Up: Acts That Play L.A. Forum Cannot Play London’s O2 Arena

The ongoing venue battle between Azoff-MSG Entertainment and AEG Live has taken another turn. In response to a recent challenge from MSG that saw the company refusing to book acts into Madison Square Garden if they played at AEG’s Staples Center in Los Angeles instead of the MSG-operated Forum, AEG has informed agents and promoters... Read more » Jem Aswad

Skinny Bundles Boom: Charter, CenturyLink Latest to Target Cord Cutters With Streaming Services

How many over-the-top streaming TV services can actually survive the stampede to deliver television over the internet? Two more OTT streaming skinny-bundle options — both from traditional operators, Charter Communications and CenturyLink — debuted this week, with packages designed for consumers averse to paying for conventional pay TV. The new services wade into an already... Read more » Todd Spangler

Louis C.K. Releases LGBT Gang Documentary ‘Check It’

Louis C.K. has made a move into movie distribution, releasing the gang documentary “Check It” through his website. “Check It,” which is executive produced by Steve Buscemi, follows the members of black gay gang in Washington, D.C. as they attempt to survive. C.K. announced the release through an email to his subscribers. “It knocked me... Read more » Dave McNary

Olivia de Havilland Sues FX, Ryan Murphy Over ‘Feud’ Portrayal

The on the eve of her 101st birthday, Olivia de Havilland is serving FX with a gift of her own — a lawsuit. The actress is suing the network, along with Ryan Murphy Productions, over her portrayal in “Feud,” saying that it paints her in a false light, according to court documents obtained by Variety. The... Read more » Alex Stedman

Jay-Z ‘4:44’ Lock-Out: New Tidal Subscribers Upset They Can’t Access Album

Not everyone is happy about Jay-Z’s new album “4:44.” A number of Shawn Carter’s fans took to Twitter Friday to vent about the star’s release strategy for the album. “4:44” is exclusive to Tidal, the streaming music service co-owned by Jay-Z himself. However, fans who signed up for a new account Friday often faced an... Read more » Janko Roettgers

Watch: These Mind-Blowing iPhone Augmented Reality Demos Show the Power of Apple’s ARKit

Want to take a peek at the future of mobile augmented reality (AR)? Then you’re in luck: A number of developers have been busy hacking away on iPhone-based AR, and posting progress of their work as videos online. And some of those videos are pretty amazing. Apple started to give developers the ability to build... Read more » Janko Roettgers

Fox Sets Release Dates for Six Mystery Marvel Movies

20th Century Fox is rolling out at least six mystery Marvel movies through 2021. The box office schedule for the currently all untitled projects is as follows: June 7, 2019; November 22, 2019; March 13, 2020; June 26, 2020; October 2, 2020; and March 5, 2021. A likely film in the mix is a third installment... Read more » Rebecca Rubin

SONA Goes to Battle for the Working Songwriter: ‘God Love the Superstars, But This Isn’t About Them’

The ongoing struggle of songwriters to be paid fairly for their work was the rallying point for the Third Annual Songwriters of North America (SONA) Summit at the Village Studios in West Los Angles Wednesday (June 28). The event, which drew 150, did not underplay the regulatory hurdles, but managed to present a largely optimistic... Read more » Shirley Halperin

‘The Carmichael Show’ Ending at NBC as Star Jerrod Carmichael Exits Comedy

“The Carmichael Show” is ending after three seasons, as its star and creator Jerrod Carmichael has opted to exit to series, Variety has learned. “For three seasons (okay 2.5), I got to make a show that I love with my friends,” Carmichael said in a statement released to Variety. “It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was... Read more » Joseph Otterson

Box Office: ‘Despicable Me 3’ Eyes $85 Million in Opening Weekend

“Despicable Me 3” is dominating the Independence Day holiday weekend box office with a projected $85 million for the Friday-Sunday period, early estimates showed Friday. Illumination-Universal’s threequel should wind up its opening day Friday with about $30 million at 4,529 locations, including $4.1 million from Thursday night previews. Should the estimate hold, it will be... Read more » Dave McNary

Alec Baldwin Impersonates Trump as George Washington in ‘One Night Only’ Tease (Watch)

“Saturday Night Live” may be off-the-air in between seasons, but Alec Baldwin is still getting mileage out of his President Trump impression — but this time, in a powdered wig. Baldwin dressed up as the first President George Washington for the Fourth of July, but with a little twist. He mixed it in with his... Read more » dixitalimbachiablog

Uma Thurman, Casey Affleck Open Karlovy Vary Film Festival

Karlovy Vary Intl. Film Festival’s well-heeled audiences gasped at the opening gala Friday as the fest kicked off with a slasher film theme, before honoring guests Casey Affleck and Uma Thurman with president’s prizes. Taking his Moser crystal orb from fest prexy Jiri Bartoska, Affleck thanked the audience for turning out in droves to the... Read more » Leo Barraclough

Makers of CNN Sting Videos Say Mainstream Media Is ‘On Notice’

Project Veritas is dangling the prospect that it will release even more undercover videos that target mainstream news organizations. This news comes after the release this week of a series of secretly recorded conversations of CNN staffers. Stephen Gordon, communications strategist for the group, said that earlier this year they “put a whole list of... Read more » Ted Johnson

How Late-Night Hosts Reacted to Trump’s Mika Brzezinski Tweets

President Trump has provided an endless amount of material for late-night television hosts, and the past few days have been no exception. The President sent out a pair of tweets early Thursday morning criticizing MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” making an especially vicious reference to co-host Mika Brzezinski. I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me... Read more » Erin Nyren

Disneyland’s ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Ride to Replace Bride Auction Scene

One of the more controversial parts of Disneyland’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride is the “Bride Auction,” a scene depicting women lined up for auction that will no longer be a part of the ride after next year, Disney Parks announced on its blog this week. When the ride closes for routine maintenance in 2018,... Read more » Erin Nyren

Kickstarter Names Britdoc CEO Jess Search to Board (EXCLUSIVE)

Jess Search, CEO of U.K. documentary-funding org Britdoc, has joined the board of Kickstarter — the crowdfunding company’s first board appointment since launching in 2009. To date, about $378 million has been pledged to 23,116 funded movie projects on Kickstarter. “Film has always been one of Kickstarter’s biggest and most vibrant communities,” Kickstarter VP of... Read more » Todd Spangler

‘A Billion Colour Story’ Wins Top Prize at London Indian Film Festival

“A Billion Colour Story” won the top prize at the eighth Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival in London and Birmingham, the U.K. and Europe’s largest platform of independent cinema from the Indian subcontinent. The film, which is a powerful plea for Hindu-Muslim unity and religious harmony, received the audience award for best film at LIFF.... Read more » Rebecca Rubin

Warner Bros. Records Appoints Chris Atlas and Mark Flaherty to Lead Marketing

Warner Bros. Records announced the appointment of Chris Atlas to Senior Vice President, Head of Urban Marketing, and Mark Flaherty to Senior Vice President, Head of Marketing.  Both will be based in the company’s Burbank headquarters, reporting to Larry Mattera, the label’s Executive Vice President/General Manager. “Chris and Mark have a wealth of experience creating bold... Read more » Variety Staff

Eric Benét Responds to Name-Drop on Jay-Z’s ‘4:44’

Jay-Z alluded to a number of revelations in his newly dropped album, “4:44” — his beef with Kanye West, the Oscars envelope-gate, and his alleged infidelity with “Becky with the good hair.” At least one person wasn’t so thrilled with how he addressed that last one. In the opening song, “Kill Jay-Z,” the musician referenced his... Read more » Rebecca Rubin

James Cromwell Sentenced to Week in Jail After Power Plant Protest Arrest

James Cromwell has been sentenced to jail following his arrest during a power plant protest in New York back in 2015, according to the Times-Herald Record. The Emmy-winning actor will face seven days behind bars after refusing to pay fines levied against him after his initial arrest. A Wawayanda, N.Y., court decided on Thursday that... Read more » JD Knapp

Karlovy Vary: Latido Handles Mexican Dramedy ‘Help Me Make It Through the Night’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Madrid-based sales company Latido Films, which has Argentine Oscar entry “The Distinguished Citizen” at Karlovy Vary in Variety Critics Choice, is representing worldwide sales rights to dramatic comedy “Ayúdame a pasar la noche” (Help Me Make It Through the Night), the feature debut of Mexican director José Ramón Chávez Delgado. Written by Claudia Sainte-Luce (“The... Read more » John Hopewell

C.O. ‘Doc’ Erickson, Alfred Hitchcock Associate, Dies at 93

Longtime motion picture producer and executive C.O. “Doc” Erickson, who worked on Alfred Hitchcock’s movies along with “Chinatown,” “Blade Runner,” and “Groundhog Day,” died Wednesday in Las Vegas due to heart complications. He was 93. He began his career at Paramount Pictures, serving as production manager on five Hitchcock films: “Rear Window” (1954), “To Catch... Read more » Dave McNary

Adam Lambert Debuts ‘Two Fux’ Lyric Video: Watch

Adam Lambert’s new song “Two Fux” now has a lyric video. The “American Idol” Season 8 runner-up premiered the track — which openly addresses his own coming of age story in celebration of Gay Pride month — on June 22 during a live performance with Queen on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” The confessional lyrics speak of... Read more » Shirley Halperin

Why ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ Benefits From Not Blowing Up the World

“Spider-Man: Homecoming” is one of the best superhero movies since Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight,” proving that when it comes to the friendly, neighborhood wall crawler, the third time is the charm. By rebooting Peter Parker’s story while our protagonist is still in high school, the new “Spider-Man” revels in the innocent fun of being... Read more » varietybrentlang

Daniel Dae Kim, Grace Park Exit ‘Hawaii Five-0’

Stars Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park have departed CBS’ “Hawaii Five-0.” Their characters, Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua, will not appear in the upcoming eighth season. The characters’ absence will be referenced in the season premiere. Sources tell Variety that Park and Kim had been seeking pay equality with stars Alex O’Loughlin and... Read more » Daniel Holloway

‘Fixer Upper,’ ‘Walking Dead’ Among Most Watched Cable Telecasts in Q2 2017

AMC’s “The Walking Dead” and HGTV’s “Fixer Upper” drew the most-watched cable telecasts of the second quarter of 2017, according to Nielsen data. The data, published on June 27, includes a blend of Live+7 with Live+3 numbers from June 12-21 and Live+Same Day numbers from June 22-27. In those measurements, “The Walking Dead” Season 7 finale... Read more » Joseph Otterson

Trump Calls CNN Staffers ‘Horrible Human Beings’: ‘Should I Sue Them?’

As President Donald Trump continues to battle with the press, leaked audio from a fundraiser earlier this week hears him call CNN staffers “horrible human beings,” and threatens the prospect of suing the organization. The Intercept leaked the audio from Trump’s first re-election fundraiser on Wednesday, which reportedly charged attendees $35,000 for a ticket. The... Read more » Alex Stedman

‘Dear White People’ Renewed for Season 2 at Netflix

“Dear White People” has been renewed for Season 2 at Netflix. Based on Justin Simien’s critically-acclaimed film of the same name, the series is set at a predominantly white Ivy League university where racial tensions bubble just below the surface. A group of students of color must navigate a diverse landscape of social injustice, cultural... Read more » Joseph Otterson

Roku Device Sales Banned in Mexico Over Piracy

Roku’s streaming-media devices are currently unavailable to purchase in Mexico, after court rulings upheld a decision banning sales of the products after a challenge by Mexico City’s biggest cable operator. Cable provider Cablevisión, owned by media conglomerate Grupo Televisa, had sued to stop sales of Roku devices in the country, alleging that pirates are hacking... Read more » Todd Spangler

Poll: What’s the Best Modern Spider-Man Movie?

In just one week, Tom Holland will swing onto the big screen as the newest Spider-Man. “Spider-Man: Homecoming” hits theaters on July 7, featuring a new take on the all-too-familiar web-slinging superhero. But it’s not too long ago that two other series were webbing up dollars at the box office. 2002 marked the beginning of... Read more » Variety Staff

JustWatch Hires Former Sony Pictures SVP Aaron Wahle to Lead Los Angeles Office

Digital movie marketing specialist JustWatch has hired former Sony Pictures SVP Aaron Wahle to head its new Los Angeles office. Wahle had been with Sony since early 2012, and most recently was in charge of international digital marketing. At JustWatch, Wahle’s new title is SVP of marketing & business development. JustWatch may be best known for its... Read more » Janko Roettgers

Documentary Dispute Raises Questions About Distributor’s Solvency

Bond/360, a distributor of prestige documentaries, is facing doubts about its financial health following a legal dispute with the producers of the film “God Knows Where I Am.” The film, which traces the final months of a homeless woman with mental illness, played at dozens of festivals and got rave reviews upon its release this... Read more » gmaddaus

Remote Controlled: Alexander Skarsgard on Being Hated for ‘Big Little Lies,’ and His Idea for Season 2

Welcome to “Remote Controlled,” a podcast from Variety featuring the best and brightest in television, both in front of and behind the camera. In today’s episode, Variety’s executive editor of TV Debra Birnbaum talks with Alexander Skarsgard, star of HBO’s hit show “Big Little Lies.” In the critically acclaimed series, which finished its run back... Read more » Debra Birnbaum

AT&T’s DirecTV Now Is Doubling Local TV Stations Since Launch — But Still No CBS

DirecTV Now, AT&T’s over-the-top pay TV service, is adding more than 35 local TV stations affiliated with ABC, NBC and Fox starting next week — more than doubling its local broadcast footprint since launching last November. But CBS remains entirely absent from the DirecTV Now lineup. CBS sells its own OTT service, CBS All Access,... Read more » Todd Spangler

TV Ratings: ‘Battle of the Network Stars’ Gets Off to Slow Start

The debut of ABC’s revival of “Battle of the Network Stars” had a so-so debut on Thursday, building strongly on the lead-in from “Boy Band” but still ranking below multiple competitors in its timeslot. Airing at 9 p.m., the revival averaged a 1.0 rating in adults 18-49 and 4 million viewers, according to Nielsen overnight... Read more » Joseph Otterson

‘Morning Joe’ Hosts Claim White House Dangled Threat of National Enquirer Hit Piece

The most disconcerting part of Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski’s response to President Donald Trump’s Twitter insults is their claim that White House officials called Scarborough to say that if they called and apologized to the president, he would have an unflattering National Enquirer story spiked. Scarborough said on “Morning Joe” Friday that “three people... Read more » Ted Johnson

‘Hamilton’ Drops Instrumental Album, Officially Endorses Fan Sing-Alongs

“Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda took to YouTube Friday morning to announce the Atlantic Records release of “The Hamilton Instrumentals,” the instrumental edition of the Broadway cast recording of the Tony-winning smash. At the same time, “Hamilton” producers and rights holders officially endorsed fan sing-along events that have begun to take place around the country, beginning... Read more » Gordon Cox