Author: rb809rb

On Saturday night, attendees at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner will thrill to the antics of Oz Pearlman, a renowned mentalist who dazzles audiences with mind-reading tricks. On Friday night, they partied as if they were going to see Amber Ruffin.

Ruffin, a popular comedian whose appearance at the 2025 WHCD was scotched after she angered the White House with some podcast remarks in which she called the Trump administration “kind of a bunch of murderers,” would certainly be out of place at this year’s event, which is expected to feature remarks from President Trump himself — the first time in either of his two terms he’s agreed to appear. So dinner attendees making their way across various Friday-night events tied to the annual “nerd prom” used the celebrations to vent some of their anxieties.

At a party backed by CAA and Vanity Fair, some conversations turned to whether the President might excoriate the media outlets that buy WHCD tables, and how long his remarks might last. Would journalists walk out if his comments hit too hard? And would the president appear — as others have at past WHCDs — to hand out awards to journalists who have done work that investigated him or the White House or revealed unsavory things about his time in it?

People who offered their thoughts did so under the condition they not be identified, so as not to call attention to themselves during a weekend that already had plenty of attention upon it.

Among those spotted at the event were CNN anchors Jim Sciutto, Elex Michelson, Wolf Blitzer and Jon Berman;Crooked Media’s Alex Wagner; former CBS News president Susan Zirinsky; ABC News’ Rick Klein; and independent journalist Don Lemon. The event was held at the residence of the Belgian Ambassador.

And at a party held in Georgetown by UTA, some members of a throng of attendees mused about the direction of CBS News. On Thursday, the Paramount division held a private dinner that brought together CBS News executives, Washington staffers, and President Trump, who spoke for an hour, according to a report in the New York Times. The meeting, which generated protest outside, took place as Paramount, run by CEO David Ellison, seeks regulatory approval for its plans to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal that would create a massive assemblage of influential but old-school media assets. Paramount and CBS News declined to comment on the event.

Spotted at the UTA celebration, held at Osteria Mozza, were “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil; MS NOW’s Katy Tur; ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith; Fox News Channel’s Shannon Bream and Jimmy Failla; NBC News’ Gabe Gutierrez; and CNN’s Jake Tapper.

Any celebration of journalism takes place as doubts about its future fester. Most of the major TV-news outlets continue to grapple with a rising generation of viewers who gravitate to digital creators and influencers: the erosion of traditional TV ratings; and the ongoing threat of layoffs as their parent corporations struggle to position themselves in the streaming era.

Some celebrations were less traditional. Grindr, the LGBTQ+ dating app eager to expand its influence on policy, held its own WHCD event, though CEO George Arison declined to reveal its location or discuss who might attend. Still, he noted, “Grindr is good at convening people,” and indicated that no matter what President Trump said Saturday night, the U.S. enjoyed freedoms that aren’t always found elsewhere.

“I was born in the Soviet Union. I came to America when I was 14, on my own,” Arison said. “I’ve lived in a country where you could not say what you wanted, and one of the things that makes America awesome is that you can say whatever you want and the government can’t do anything about that.”

One reason journalists and media executives still come to the WHCD in the Trump era is the opportunity to pitch. There are still scoops to promote, projects to tout and reputations to burnish. Yes, that was CSPAN boss Sam Feist making the rounds at the CAA party with two pins promoting his network on his lapel. And yes, a broad coterie of top news executives were spotted throughout the evening, including Debra OConnell, chair of Disney Entertainment Television; Mark Lazarus, CEO of Versant Media; Cesar Conde, chair of NBCUniversal’s news operations; Rebecca Blumenstein, NBC News’ president of editorial; Rebecca Kutler, president of MS NOW; Almin Karamehmedovic, president of ABC News;Amy Entelis,  CNN’s executive vice president for talent and development; Tom Cibrowski, president of CBS News; Bari Weiss, editor in chief of CBS News; and KC Sullivan, president of CNBC.

The executives know that, no matter what President Trump might say, they are about to enter what is usually a robust cycle for the news business. A midterm election, which often brings new dollars in advertising and a much broader viewership base, lies in the offing. And the results may raise stakes in Washington, which would only fuel greater ambitions.

So have another drink, folks. President Trump may scold, yell, or even scorch, but no matter what he says, and no matter how much Industry hand-wringing it inspires, there’s always more news to cover.

Noah Hawley, creator of TV series “Fargo,” “Legion” or “Alien: Earth,” remains optimistic about the industry. 

“It has been a process to become optimistic,” he clarified at Canneseries. 

“We are between the old and the new model, but there are masterpieces in every generation and we just have to figure out how to make them now. It’s a larger question about what tech companies have done to Hollywood – we have all been impacted by it. They tend to come into the industry, flood it with money and everyone feels: ‘Oh, it’s a renaissance.’ Then it all dries up.” 

The last few years have been challenging. “Our biggest competition is YouTube, which spends zero dollars to make anything. You’re producing films and TV for hundreds of millions of dollars, and losing eyeballs every day to things that are free.” 

Hawley started out as a novelist and still writes, but “TV is the fastest way to talk to the culture,” he said. 

“If you have something vital to say, TV is a better medium.”

“Someone recently called me ‘the franchise whisperer,’ which is a valuable thing to be right now – our industry is so focused on franchises and existing IPs, and audiences will watch them more reliably. I also have a reputation for being an original storyteller, which doesn’t make much sense. But I’m interpreting these brands – what is ‘Fargo,’ what is ‘Alien’ – and telling an entirely new story to you that will evoke the feelings you had when watching the original.”

He’s also behind “Legion,” taking on the X-Men universe. 

“Freud wrote an essay called ‘The Uncanny,’ grappling with the human belief in the supernatural. It’s when familiar things act in unfamiliar ways. A haunted house story is unsettling because your house isn’t supposed to do that. [I thought:] What if ‘Breaking Bad’ was about Walter White becoming a supervillain? I found Professor X’s son, who’s mentally ill, basically. He has these powers but he’s not sure whether they’re real. And if he doesn’t know, then that’s the show.”

Dan Stevens played the lead.

“He had really bad food poisoning [when filming the pilot]. He would go throw up in a bucket every time we yelled ‘cut!’ and then dance again. That’s the dedication of actors,” joked Hawley.

He doesn’t rewatch the originals before embarking on his shows, he admitted. Instead, he thinks about the emotions he remembers from them.

“When I think about [Ridley Scott’s] ‘Alien,’ there’s this strong emotion of discovery surrounding the lifecycle of this creature. It starts as an egg, comes out and attaches itself to you, and you think it’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen. But there’s more! Then the chestburster comes out,” he laughed. 

“In the second film, you already know that evolution, so you replace surprise with suspense. To make you feel the same way you felt when watching Ridley’s movie, I needed to introduce new creatures.”

Second season of the show is on its way. “Fargo” had five seasons – so far.

“To me, ‘Fargo’ is about the battle between decency and cynicism. It’s not about good and evil; it’s about people who believe in the value of others and those who don’t. David Thewlis says in the third season: ‘The problem is not that there’s evil in the world – the problem is that there’s good. Otherwise, who would care?’ In my country, we are not going in the right direction. Decency isn’t winning – cynicism is,” said Hawley.

“In Season 5, everyone in that show was a Republican. Different versions of a Republican, but still. I was trying very hard not to be political with a capital P, but to talk about the humanity underneath it all.”

If the second season was about “the death of a family business and the rise of corporate America” and the third about “deconstructing the phrase ‘this is a true story’ in the world of alternative facts,” the last one was about the need for a justice system.

“One man, a sheriff, who believes he’s right, is no better than a villain. There’s a coherent mindset when you watch ‘Yellowstone’ or ‘1883,’ rooted in the idea that nobody can tell a man what’s right or wrong. He knows it in his bones. There are scenes when [Jon] Hamm lists some ridiculous laws, but that doesn’t mean the law itself is ridiculous,” he stated. 

“I went into that season believing there’s a significant audience that believes he’s the hero, and my job was to push them, asking: ‘Are you still with him?’ But no one ever calls to say if it works or not.” 

Despite the many iconic male characters over the years – “Billy Bob Thorton showed up with that hair and I thought: ‘We are making the same show.’” – women are still carrying the stories.

“These franchises are female in my mind. If women weren’t at the center of these stories, I would be doing it wrong.”

When interpreting known brands, his first mission is authenticity.

“You have to say: ‘I understand what ‘Alien’ is.’ Once I achieve that, I can do the original thing. I don’t think of it as ‘fan service’. It’s about feeling you’ve got it right. These things need to stand on their own two feet.”

For “Alien,” he came up with “the Peter Pan metaphor.”

“This story is about humanity trapped between the monsters of our past and the monsters of our future, like AI, which feels like the world of today.”

Has he used AI already? 

“Not yet, but we’ve had these conversations. If I’m spending $150 million to $170 million to make a season of ‘Alien,’ that’s a lot of money, and corporations are desperate to find ways to spend less. I remain open-minded about how storytellers could use it, but it shouldn’t replace them.”

He added: “I wrote this novel and it has a plane crash and underwater sequences, so it’s expensive to make. But at the heart of it is a human drama. If all the bigger stuff was AI, would it be good to have this film in the world? The only way to see Kubrick’s ‘Napoleon’ would be for them to shoot parts of the movie and use AI for the rest. It’s inevitable. I would rather be in control of the solution of a problem than have it happen to me.”

The Kunchacko Boban and Lijomol Jose psychological thriller from India’s T-Series and Panorama Studios has confirmed its title as “Unmadham,” a Malayalam-language word meaning “frenzy.” The producers unveiled a first look poster on Saturday for the film, and an August release date.

Helmed by Kiran Das, “Unmadham” marks the feature directorial debut of one of Malayalam cinema’s most prominent editors. Das is a Kerala State Film Award winner for “Ishq” who has cut a string of acclaimed titles including “Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum,” “Joji,” “Moothon,” “Romancham,” “Rorschach,” “Joseph,” and “Ela Veezha Poonchira.”

The screenplay comes from Indian National Film Award-winning writer Shahi Kabir, who previously worked with Boban on “Officer On Duty” and is also known for “Nayattu” and “Joseph.” The story centers on a police constable whose already strained domestic life grows more precarious when he reopens a cold case with apparent supernatural dimensions, his grip on reality loosening the deeper he investigates.

“‘Unmadham’ is about the frenzy that builds quietly within a person. My character is torn between responsibility and doubt, and as the case unfolds, his world begins to shift in unexpected ways. It’s a role that demanded emotional intensity and restraint at the same time,” Boban said.

“What excited me about ‘Unmadham’ is the tension at its heart – a simple police constable reopening a forgotten case that slowly begins to consume his life and sanity. At Panorama Studios, we believe in backing stories that challenge and engage viewers, and ‘Unmadham’ is exactly that – gripping, unpredictable, and rooted in powerful performances,” said Abhishek Pathak, producer at Panorama Studios.

“‘Unmadham’ is the kind of story that stays with you; it’s layered with psychological intensity and emotionally grounded narrative. The film’s unique blend of suspense with human conflict, set against a gripping investigative backdrop is what makes it a compelling cinematic experience,” said Bhushan Kumar, chair and managing director of T-Series.

“With ‘Unmadham,’ we wanted to create an experience that keeps the audience constantly questioning what is real and what isn’t. It’s a film that builds tension in a very grounded way. Collaborating with T-Series on this slate has allowed us to scale these stories and reach a wider audience,” said Kumar Mangat Pathak, chair of Panorama Studios.

The score is by Mujeeb Majeed (“Kishkindha Kandam”), action is by Kalai Kingson (“Marco,” “Bhramayugam”) and Arjun Seth serves as cinematographer. Gulshan Kumar and Bhushan Kumar present alongside Panorama Studios; Ram Mirchandani and Rajesh Menon co-produce, with Abhinav Mehrotra as creative producer.

“Unmadham” is part of the joint Malayalam slate assembled by T-Series and Panorama Studios, which released “Anomie,” starring Rehman and Bhavana, earlier this year and has Asif Ali starrer “Tikitaka” upcoming. Panorama Studios has also entered a Malayalam co-production partnership with actor-producer Nivin Pauly, and struck distribution alliances with Century Films and overseas distributor Phars Film. “Unmadham” opens in cinemas Aug. 7.

Produced with Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo (“Veneno,” “La Mesías”), now Cannes Festival main competition contenders as directors of “La Bola Negra,” Movistar Plus+ Original “I Always Sometimes” begins with love at first lust. 

Laura (Ana Boga), a festival organizer in Berlin, and Rubén (David Menéndez), a bar owner, meet at music fest Sonar and now walk the night-time streets of Barcelona quoting Rilke. They attend a rave on Montjuich, chill out in a chic bar owned by a friend of Ruben’s, and have great sex, after which Rubén proposes she moves in.   

Cut to Ep. 2. Laura got pregnant one week after meeting Rubén, has moved out – he proved a booze-addled wastrel – and is back with her suffocating parents.  

Created by Marta Bassols and Marta Loza, all the remaining episodes are entitled by the place Laura squats with her infant child Mario as she desperately attempt find a flat of her own in Barcelona, a city awash with rich tourists and gentrification, and to earn enough money to bring Mario up, though she has to spend most of her time caring for him, which she loves. 

“Rent here is bloody insane. It’s impossible to find anything,” Laura complains to an artist friend. “Nothing’s impossible,” he retorts. “Flats in Barcelona are,” Laura replies with vehemence. 

A touching take on maternity grounded in the nightmarish economics of single motherhood and indeed current-day life, as well as the emotional chaos of an early thirty-something, “I Always Something” was released April 23 on Movistar Plus+ in Spain. It now makes its international debut at Canneseries in main international competition two days later.

Shot in six episodes, of 22-35 minutes, “I Always Sometimes” marks an auspicious writing debut from Bassols and Loza, and a case in point of the Javis’ nurturing new talent in Spain. Bassols, who played Roberta in “This Is Not Sweden,” was seen in “La Mesías”; Loza served as art director on TV series “Mariliendre,” also produced by Suma Content, the Javis production house. Directors are Claudia Costafreda, a writer on the Javis breakthrough “Veneno” before breaking out creating and directing “Cardo,” produced by Ambrossi and Calvo. Ginesta has directed episodes of Canneseries winner “Perfect Live” and Netflix smash hit “Elite.”

Variety chatted to Las Martas in the run-up to Canneseries. 

Laura and Rubén share their love of Rainer Maria Rilke, quoting a passage in “Letters to a Young Poet” where he advises that “the point is, to live everything.” Laura, likewise, doesn’t want her existence to be defined by being a single mother….

Bassols: Laura likes sex, life, her work, art, eating, being with her woman friends. She likes the same she’d like if she wasn’t a mother. Maternity does’t eliminate what a person was before, nor occupy all their concerns. What Laura is doing is really important, but other things are really important to her. Her success is to see love and poetry all the time, despite her circumstances. 

Most romances begin with normal life and build to a happy ending. “I Always Sometimes” is the other way round.

Bassols: Episode 1 is like what happens after the happy ending. 

Loza: This is the story of a young woman who’s trying to find her way in life, and a million things happen to her. Episode 1 was originally Episode 4, a flashback. Editing, however, we realized we lacked context, which gave larger depth to the characters, and made the series much more original. You understand Laura more, where she comes from, her expectations, her origin, and so understand far more the rest of her journey.

Episodes vary in tone…

Loza: Every episode has a different color, set in a place that forms part of her life where Laura tries to find herself, from the position she’s now in. Each episode is like an isolated story, which can be watched independently, inspired a lot by the show stories of Raymond Carver. She lives in a different house and in a way is looking for part of herself in the places where she was happy before becoming a mother, but something’s changed. 

And how did you share directing?

Loza: I directed the first episode, Claudia [Costafreda] directed the second,  third and No. 6 and Ginesta [Guindal] 4 and 5.

And did you have any general guidelines, regarding direction? 

Loza: Since my episode was the first, the first romantic moments, I was clear that it had to be the opposite of the rest: sequence shots, giving space for the actors, with a lot of rehearsals so that the actors could make the dialogs theirs, incorporating improvisation to break with the text, and give everything a before-dawn feel. Ginesta’s Episode 4, in contrast, where she Laura touches rock bottom, there are a lot of shots, editing, a sense of acceleration, and I think it works. Every episode had a different color, some warmer, some cold and Episode 6, set in Berlin, almost reaching black and white.  

Most of the series, however, is set in Barcelona, which is crucial. 

Borras: Yes, Barcelona comes across normally as a cool place, a vanguard city which everybody wants to visit. Our series catches the hostility of the city, its gentrification, “touristification,” and the problem with flat rent prices, which are next to impossible.  Barcelona is a great place to raise a child if you have a lot of money. There’s the beach, parks, the climate. But we wanted “I Always Sometimes” to be full of nuance where the marvellous runs up against the hellish. And everybody in film can be good or bad at the same time and the series’ title also defines the city as well. It’s the ying and yang. Nobody is purely anything. Everybody is full of contradictions. What we like is to reflect and embrace them, those which can be worked on to become a better person…

The series is described as a realistic vision of motherhood. It returns time and again to economic factors, which you don’t see so much in titles with women protagonists…

Loza: The series talks about the difficulty of reconciling work and raising a child and enjoying that. 

Borras: Neoliberalism is now so exacerbated that to live you have to put work at the center of your life when life should be at the center and work help you to be happier and live better.