Entertainment

Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim Head K-Movie Entertainment’s Indonesian Action Slate at Cannes Market (EXCLUSIVE)
K-Movie Entertainment is at the Cannes Film Market with a focused Indonesian action slate, led by “Pendekar: Warrior” starring Iko Uwais and an Indonesian-language remake of the Korean hit “The Man From Nowhere” with Joe Taslim attached to star. The films are being produced b
By Variety

‘SNL’ Joke Swap: Michael Che Declares ‘Michael Jackson Did Nothing Wrong’ and Colin Jost Almost Shaves Head
Colin Jost and Michael Che drew gasps on the season finale of “Saturday Night Live,” treating the audience to their biannual joke swap. Per tradition, the “Weekend Update” anchors wrote jokes for the other to read live on-air — without seeing them ahead of time. For example,
By Variety

Paz Vega to Direct ‘Ana No,’ Sold by Film Factory (EXCLUSIVE)
Best known in Hollywood for playing opposite Adam Sandler in “Spanglish,” Spanish actor Paz Vega is set to direct “Ana No,” a feature film starring Angela Molina (“That Obscure Object of Desire”) and sold at this year’s Cannes Festival by Film Factory Entertainment.  “Ana No” marks Vega’s secon
By Variety

Yash on How ‘Toxic’ Is Putting Indian Cinema on the Global Stage (EXCLUSIVE)
Four years after “K.G.F: Chapter 2” redefined box office benchmarks across India, Yash is preparing to unveil his next project on a scale that extends far beyond familiar territory. The Indian actor-producer-writer reflects on a creative journey that prioritizes artistic challenge over c
By Variety

Sundance Winner Neeraj Churi, Daniel Talbott Team on Mumbai Queer Feature ‘Starvation’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Sundance-winning producer Neeraj Churi and U.S. filmmaker Daniel Talbott have joined forces to produce “Starvation,” a Mumbai-set feature written and directed by Film and Television Institute of India graduates Saurav Mahind and Tejas Shende. The project marks the first collaboration bet
By Variety

Jia Zhang-ke on His Cannes Short ‘Torino Shadow,’ AI, and Why Cinema Still Needs You in the Room
The idea for “Torino Shadow” came to Jia Zhang-ke not while he was making a film, but while he was avoiding one. Exhausted from wandering the Museo Nazionale del Cinema in Turin, he would sink into a chair in the vast central lobby and simply listen to the voices drifting from the surrou
By Variety

Claire Denis Moving Forward With Female Cannibal Crime Drama ‘The Soap Maker’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Claire Denis is moving forward with cannibal crime drama “The Soap Maker,” which the French auteur is now set to write and direct. The project, which was first shopped around in 2025 at Berlin’s EFM, has now gained traction with producers Sacha Ben Harroche (“Butterfly Jam”) and Ivy Free
By Variety

Docuseries on Yassmin Pucci Pahlavi, Granddaughter of the Last Shah of Persia, Shooting in Cannes (EXCLUSIVE)
Italian director and producer Michela Scolari has acquired global rights to the story of Yassmin Pucci Pahlavi, granddaughter of the last shah of Iran — and cousin to Iran’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi, who is trying to position himself as a player in Iran’s future — for a new documentary serie
By Variety

Dominga Sotomayor Talks ‘Meta’ Element of Casting Selton Mello in Tender Drama ‘La Perra,’ Not Translating the Title to Avoid ‘Violent’ Judgment of Women
Five years since directing a segment of the anthology film “The Year of the Everlasting Storm,” renowned Chilean director Dominga Sotomayor is back in Cannes with “La Perra.” Premiering at Directors’ Fortnight, the film is based on Pilar Quintana’s eponymous book and produced by Chile’s Planta in co
By Variety

Golden Globes, Artemis Rising Foundation and Think-Film Impact Production Return to Cannes for Documentary Filmmaker Award
The Artemis Rising Foundation and Think-Film Impact Production are back in Cannes with the Golden Globes to present the Golden Globes Prize for Documentary. The juried prize honors a documentary filmmaker with a feature in the 2026 official Cannes Film Festival selection, and whose body of work as a
By Variety

Paramount Faces Suit From Streaming Subscribers Seeking to Block Warner Bros. Deal
A handful of streaming subscribers filed a lawsuit Thursday seeking to block the $110 billion merger of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. The plaintiffs — three current Paramount+ subscribers and two prospective subscribers — allege that they face increased prices and reduced viewing o
By Variety

Sony Future Filmmaker Awards Announce 2026 Shortlisted Finalists
The Sony Future Filmmaker Awards have announced the shortlist for the 2026 edition, which spans the categories of fiction, non-fiction, animation, student, and future format. The chosen filmmakers will join an exclusive program of interactive sessions and masterclasses at the Sony Pictures Studios i
By Variety

Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen Granted Mutual Protective Orders as ‘Mormon Wives’ Star Jessi Draper Claims He Leaked Video to TMZ ‘to Embarrass Her’
A Utah judge has granted mutual protective orders to “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Taylor Frankie Paul and ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen. The former couple appeared in a Salt Lake City courtroom Thursday to discuss the protective orders that resulted from domestic violence char
By Variety

Netflix Prevails in ‘Tiger King’ Copyright Case, a Win for ‘Fair Use’ in Documentaries
Documentary filmmakers who use unlicensed video clips can breathe a little easier, after an appellate panel reversed itself Thursday in a closely watched copyright case involving Netflix’s “Tiger King” series. A three-judge panel of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the
By Variety

Fantaspoa, Latin America’s Largest Genre Film Festival, Wraps After Screening for a Record 550,00 Fans; ‘Interior’ Leads Winning Titles (EXCLUSIVE)
Fantaspoa, the Porto Alegre, Brazil-based genre film festival, brought together a record 550,000-plus attendees through in-person and online programming. The 22nd edition of the festival, which took place over 19 days and wrapped with an April 26 award ceremony, brought in more than 80 domestic and
By Variety

Jimmy Kimmel Accuses Trump of Calling for His Firing to ‘Distract Us from the Trump-Epstein Files’
President Trump seems determined to get Jimmy Kimmel off the air. First came the pressure applied by Trump administration officials on FCC chairman (and Trump loyalist) Brendan Carr over a crack Kimmel had made on his late-night show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” criticizing the MAGA reaction to Charlie Kirk
By Variety

Meryl Streep Sides With Jimmy Kimmel as Donald Trump Calls for His Firing: ‘You’re Carrying the Banner of Freedom of the Press’
After a roar of applause, Meryl Streep took the stage of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Thursday night alongside its embattled host, during her whirlwind promotional tour for the hotly anticipated sequel “The Devil Wears Prada 2.” “How are you?” Streep asked, clearly referring to President Trump loudly and re
By Variety

From Plantation Songs to Military Juntas, Purin Film Fund Backs Six Southeast Asian Projects
Six independent film projects from across Southeast Asia will share $160,000 in production and post-production support from the Purin Film Fund, the Bangkok-based nonprofit announced for its Spring 2026 session. Four projects received production grants. On the fiction side, “Dear Son An,”
By Variety

CJ ENM, TBS and U-Next Form Korea-Japan Drama Venture StudioMonowa
A new Korea-Japan content joint venture, StudioMonowa, has been launched by CJ ENM, TBS and U-Next Holdings following a signing ceremony held April 30 at the CJ ENM Center in Seoul, attended by the top leadership of all three companies. The venture pairs CJ ENM’s K-drama production expertise w
By Variety

‘Swapped’ Review: Michael B. Jordon and Juno Temple Voice a Minor but Ravishing Animated Body-Swap Comedy for Tykes
On the story level, "Swapped" is quite basic, but there’s a surprise enchantment to it — it’s like a woodland fairy tale for seven-year-olds, yet on that score it’s visually ravishing and quite touching.
By Variety

Anne Hathaway Says Thinner Models Were Not Fired From ‘Devil Wears Prada 2’ and ‘There’s Misinformation Out There’: ‘Nobody Lost Their Jobs’ in Push for Size Inclusivity
Anne Hathaway is clarifying one of the viral stories around the making of “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” which brings the Oscar winner back as Andy Sachs. In a Harper’s Bazaar cover story published last month, Hathaway’s co-star Meryl Streep revealed that Hathaway went up to the film&#
By Variety

Quixote Studios Lays Off 70, Winds Down L.A. Locations Amid Production Slump
Quixote Studios is shuttering its Atlanta-based production services business and winding down its soundstage business in L.A. amid an ongoing production slump, the company announced Tuesday. The changes will mean layoffs for about 70 people in Atlanta and Los Angeles. Hudson Pacific Properties bough
By Variety

A Night in the Writers’ Room Returns Spotlighting Creators of Top Television Series
Variety’s annual A Night in the Writers’ Room event returns on May 7 in Los Angeles. The event will feature intimate conversations and behind-the-scenes insights into the art and craft of television storytelling for a curated audience of TV voting members. Programming for the evening includes three
By Variety

‘Michael’: Nia Long on Giving Katherine Jackson Her Due, Separating Her Performance From Angela Bassett’s and What She Wants to See in a Sequel
Last week, Nia Long got the tap on the shoulder she’s been waiting for forever. It was a summons from Katherine Jackson, the matriarch of the Jackson family, whom she portrays in the new biopic, “Michael.” Long steeled herself as she walked into a green room backstage at the Dolby
By Variety

Disney’s ‘Toast to TV’ Emmy FYC Kickoff, Hosted by Dana Walden, Celebrates With A-List Stars, Producers
For a brief moment Monday night, Hollywood folks put aside any concerns they have about the industry’s troubles and found reason to celebrate at the Walt Disney Co.’s “Toast to Television.” The event, held at Soho House Hollywood, was exactly that: A moment for some of the medium’s biggest stars, cr
By Variety