Category: Entertainment

Rose Byrne is not only going into Oscar night as a first-time nominee for her work in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” but she’ll also be reuniting with her “Bridesmaids” co-stars.

Sources tell me that a “Bridesmaids” reunion is in the works during the ceremony with Byrne, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph and Melissa McCarthy. Final details are currently being discussed.

The occasion will mark the 15-year anniversary of the hit comedy’s release. Directed by Paul Feig, “Bridesmaids” was written by Wiig and Annie Mumolo.

McCarthy earned the first of her two Oscar nominations for supporting actress. Wiig and Mumolo nabbed noms for original screenplay.

As Variety previously reported, Barbra Streisand is in talks to perform at the Oscars in tribute to her “The Way We Were” co-star Robert Redford.

Streisand is “in conversations” to sing during the In Memoriam segment of the ceremony, according to sources. It has not been decided if the In Memoriam segment would be a solo performance by Streisand or if she’d be joined by other artists.

Billy Crystal is set to lead a tribute to Rob Reiner with other stars of the late filmmaker’s movies, including Meg Ryan, appearing on stage at the same time.

Presenters set for the 98^th Academy Awards include Paul Mescal, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Will Arnett, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Gwyneth Paltrow, Adrien Brody, Javier Bardem, Kieran Culkin, Chase Infiniti, Mikey Madison, Demi Moore, Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Saldaña and Rudolph.

Hosted by Conan O’Brien, the Oscars will take place on March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and be televised live by ABC and streamed on Hulu.

Guatemala is close to enacting its first film law. On March 10, its Congress will be entering into final discussions on Initiative 5906. If it passes, Guatemala will no longer be one of the few nations in Latin America without a legal framework for its audiovisual industry.

Leading the call for international support of this bill is FIPCA, the Ibero-American Federation of Cinematographic and Audiovisual Production, which has already gathered more than 3,500 signatures, including those of Guatemala’s leading voices: Óscar Isaac (“Frankenstein”) and Jayro Bustamante (“La Llorona,” “Ixcanul”) among others in the Ibero-American audiovisual industry.

“If we want to stop losing our talent and our stories, this law is essential. Until now, those of us who have stood out in the arts have been the exception rather than the rule. What truly matters is normalizing the idea that the country should actively support its cultural industries. Those of us who have found a voice in cinema today have done so largely thanks to the backing of film industries abroad,” Bustamante told Variety.

Said FIPCA president Ignacio Rey: “The Ibero-American audiovisual community is closely following this debate. In Latin America, film laws have proven to be effective tools for economic development and job creation. Guatemala is one of the few countries in the region that still lacks a specific legal framework and its approval would allow the country to fully integrate into international co-production networks.”

“For nearly 20 years, we have been fighting for a national film law. At the same time, we have continued making films — pushing against the tide, attending festivals, winning awards and placing our country on the global stage. It’s clear that with proper incentives and safeguards, we could build a strong, sustainable industry that truly contributes to the nation. We know there is still much work ahead, but we are motivated and inspired by these challenges,” said Joaquín Ruano, president of the Guatemalan Association of Audiovisual and Cinematography and FIPCA representative.

The initiative contemplates the creation of a Guatemalan Film Institute, a Film Promotion Fund, a Film Commission operating as a one-stop shop for international productions, a National Cinematheque and a National Higher School of Cinema, among others.

For Bustamante, whose films have represented his country three times in the Oscars’ Best International Feature category (“Ixcanul,”“La Llorona” and “Rita”), the lack of a film law has been a source of frustration for him and his peers. “The prevailing local mindset remains narrow. There are still claims that adding a one-dollar levy to each plane ticket—paid by foreign visitors—would somehow devastate international tourism. Some even argue that public support shouldn’t go to cinema at all, but to AI instead, so young people can make films that way. It is deeply disheartening to face such rigid, hyper-capitalist, free-market thinking.”

Data provided by FIPCA argues that “regional experience offers clear and measurable evidence. In Mexico City, the film industry contributes around 12% of local GDP; in the Dominican Republic, following the implementation of its film law, the sector increased national GDP by 0.32%; in Panama, the audiovisual sector forms part of the creative industries that represent close to 6% of GDP and in Costa Rica, these industries account for approximately 3% of GDP.”

Said Gabriela Sandoval, FIPCA vice president: “The regional figures are clear: where structured audiovisual policies exist — funds, film commissions, incentives — the economic impact is measurable, as a value chain is activated that goes beyond the cultural sphere. Guatemala already has talent and an international track record; what is now under discussion is whether the country chooses to turn that talent into a sustainable development policy.”

FIPCA led the drive to freeze the proposed changes to Argentina’s legislation which would have scrapped the traditional funding mechanism for its film-TV body INCAA. The petition it sent out, signed by nearly 1,000 Ibero-American film industry leaders, helped persuade Argentina’s congress to shelve the proposal and allow for two more years of public debate and advocacy.

The first “War Child,” a British-all-star charity album featuring rare tracks from such then-rising-ish stars as Oasis, Radiohead, Blur, Portishead and Massive Attack as well as Sinead O’Connor, Suede and the Stone Roses, arrived in September of 1995 — so long ago that the primary motivation at the time was to support the War Child charity’s efforts in Bosnia. The organization aims to deliver aid, education, mental health support and protection to children affected by conflict around the world; musically speaking, we can remember getting a specially burned advance CD of that album and being very excited about the new songs from Radiohead (“Lucky,” which of course would be a highlight of the “OK Computer” album almost two years later) and Portishead (“Mourning Air,” ditto their self-titled sophomore set).

Much more importantly, the album — recorded in a single day — raised over £1.2 million for War Child.

Some 31 years later, the sequel, “Help (2),” has arrived and was overseen by executive producer James Ford, known for his work with Arctic Monkeys, Depeche Mode, Pulp, Fontaines DC and many others. He put his address book to work here: There are new tracks — nearly all of which were recorded at Abbey Road Studios across one week last November — from all of the above artists (including the first new song from the Arctic Monkeys since 2022) as well as new songs from Olivia Rodrigo, Geese’s Cameron Winter, Arooj Aftab & Beck, Damon Albarn (with Johnny Marr on guitar), Wet Leg, Big Thief, Beabadoobee and many more — a whopping 23 songs in all, the full tracklist appears below. As the announcement notes, “The new album, like the original, speaks to the urgency of the humanitarian situation globally today.”

Bringing a critical take to such a well-intended album is always awkward, but highlights include the Arctic Monkeys’ first new song since 2022, an uncharacteristically low-key “Obvious” from Wet Leg, an unlikely tag-team on the Broadway song “Lilac Wine” from Arooj Aftab and Beck, a sensitive take on Sinead O’Connor’s hard-hitting “Black Boys on Mopeds” from Fontaines D.C., a sweetly soulful “Naboo” from Sampha, Big Thief’s “Relive, Redie” — and probably most of all, Olivia Rodrigo’s gorgeous, hushed take on Magnetic Fields’ “Book of Love,” from their 1999 classic album “99 Love Songs,” which she sings in a tone that summons “Drivers License” flashbacks.

There is also a visual component to the album, for which Academy Award-winning filmmaker Jonathan Glazer acted as creative director, working with Academy Films to assemble a team of creatives and overseeing the filming and art direction for the project. Glazer’s concept was “By Children, For Children”: Each child operated their own small camera and was invited into the studios to film the artists recording without any restrictions, according to the announcement. Glazer’s also team worked with fixers and filmmakers in Ukraine, Gaza, Yemen and Sudan to gather footage filmed by children on the ground in those conflict zones.

Most importantly of all, as the announcement states, “When ‘Help’ was first released, around 10% of the world’s children were affected by conflict. Today, that figure has almost doubled to nearly 1 in 5, or 520 million children worldwide; more than at any time since the Second World War. With conflicts escalating and funding cuts hitting hard, War Child U.K.’s work has never been more urgent and the need for these artists to carry forward the original album’s spirit of collective action could not be more vital.”

“Help(2)” Tracklist:

Arctic Monkeys – “Opening Night”
Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten & Kae Tempest – “Flags”
Black Country, New Road – “Strangers”
The Last Dinner Party – “Let’s do it again!”
Beth Gibbons – “Sunday Morning”
Arooj Aftab & Beck – “Lilac Wine”
King Krule – “The 343 Loop”
Depeche Mode – “Universal Soldier”
Ezra Collective & Greentea Peng – “Helicopters”
Arlo Parks – “Nothing I Could Hide”
English Teacher & Graham Coxon – “Parasite”
Beabadoobee – “Say Yes”
Big Thief – “Relive, Redie”
Fontaines D.C. – “Black Boys on Mopeds”
Cameron Winter – “Warning”
Young Fathers – “Don’t Fight the Young”
Pulp – “Begging for Change”
Sampha – “Naboo”
Wet Leg – “Obvious”
Foals – “When the War is Finally Done”
Bat For Lashes – “Carried my girl”
Anna Calvi, Ellie Rowsell, Nilüfer Yanya & Dove Ellis – “Sunday Light”
Olivia Rodrigo – “The Book of Love”

Lucy Dickins, who has been head of WME’s contemporary music and touring division since 2022, is stepping down from her role, according to an internal memo from co‑chairman Christian Muirhead obtained by Variety.

The memo does not cite a reason for her departure; reps for the company did not immediately respond to requests for further information, although sources tell Variety her contract was up; Hits suggests she may be going to rival agency CAA.

“We wanted to share with everyone that our friend and colleague Lucy Dickins will be leaving WME.

“Over the past seven years, Lucy helped us navigate one of the most disruptive periods in the live music business. As the head of our UK office, she re-energized our presence in London, built a strong team, and solidified WME’s leadership in the region. Then COVID hit and she dove right in, taking on her expanded role, relocating to Los Angeles, and providing critical support to our team during an unprecedented crisis.

“On the other side of the pandemic, she led major signings, constructed innovative tour models, and brought exceptional heart and enthusiasm to our business. 

“Kirk Sommer will continue to lead the Contemporary Music division moving forward, and we will keep you posted with further updates.  

“Please join us in wishing Lucy the best in her next chapter.”

Dickins joined WME in 2019 after more than two decades at International Booking Talent (ITB), the U.K.-based agency founded by her father, Barry Dickins and Rod MacSween. She comes from a long line of British music business titans: her grandfather Percy launched the long-running music weekly NME, her uncle Rob Dickins led Warner Music U.K. for 15 years, and her brother Jonathan Dickins has managed Adele, Glass Animals and Rick Rubin.

When she was elevated to global head of contemporary music and touring in 2022, she became the first woman to take on such a role at a major agency. Over the years she has worked closely with Adele, Zach Bryan, Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton and many others.

Daryl Hannah is not in love with “Love Story.”

In a New York Times op-ed titled “How Can ‘Love Story’ Get Away With This?,” the actor-director denounces Ryan Murphy’s popular FX series — about the romance between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette — for its “lies” and “misogyny.” Hannah, who dated JFK Jr. prior to Bessette, is a central character in the show played by Dree Hemingway. The makers of the show did not consult with Hannah, and, as she points out in the op-ed, one producer has referred to her character as an “adversary” in the story.

“I have generally chosen not to respond to media coverage of me. I have long believed that engaging with distortion often amplifies it. But a recent tragedy-exploiting television series about John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette features a character using my name and presents her as me. The choice to portray her as irritating, self-absorbed, whiny and inappropriate was no accident,” Hannah writes.

She opens the essay with advice she once received from none other than Jacqueline Onassis — who is portrayed by Naomi Watts in the series. “She told me that while tabloids, magazines and newspapers often sold ridiculous lies, they were nothing more than bird cage liner by the next day,” Hannah writes. “At the time, I found great comfort and consolation in those words. But today they no longer hold true.”

Now, Hannah argues, “lies live online forever,” and “a dramatized portrayal can become, for millions of viewers, the definitive version of a real person’s life.”

In making Hannah a spiteful obstacle to the coupling of JFK Jr. and Bessette, “Love Story” has turned “a real, living person” into a “narrative device,” Hannah writes. “Popular culture has long elevated certain women by portraying others as rivals, obstacles or villains. Isn’t it textbook misogyny to tear down one woman in order to build up another?”

She adds, “The character ‘Daryl Hannah’ portrayed in the series is not even a remotely accurate representation of my life, my conduct or my relationship with John. The actions and behaviors attributed to me are untrue. I have never used cocaine in my life or hosted cocaine-fueled parties. I have never pressured anyone into marriage. I have never desecrated any family heirloom or intruded upon anyone’s private memorial. I have never planted any story in the press. I never compared Jacqueline Onassis’ death to a dog’s. It’s appalling to me that I even have to defend myself against a television show. These are not creative embellishments of personality. They are assertions about conduct — and they are false.”

Since “Love Story” premiered on Feb. 12 on FX and Hulu, Hannah says she has “received many hostile and even threatening messages from viewers who seem to believe the portrayal is factual.”

“I know that as an actress I will be in the public eye. I’ve endured a number of outrageous lies, crappy stories and unflattering characterizations before,” Hannah writes. “I chose not to battle them but to focus on my work and respect my loved ones by keeping my private life private. But my silence should not be mistaken for agreement with lies. Apparently, my discretion makes me a target.”

She adds that she has always “honored” the Kennedy family’s right to privacy, and people “claiming to have any intimate knowledge of our personal lives are self-serving sensationalists trading in gossip, innuendo and speculation.” Hannah concludes the op-ed with: “May love and truth prevail.”

Hannah is not the only public figure connected to the Kennedys who has spoken out about the show. Jack Schlossberg, JFK Jr.’s nephew who is running for Congress, recently slammed the series as a “grotesque display of someone else’s life.”

“Love Story” creator and showrunner Connor Hines previously told Variety that he did not consult the Kennedy family while making the series because “as a writer, it’s more healthy and effective to have some distance from the subject matter.”

Hemingway told The Hollywood Reporter that she wrote Hannah a “love note” detailing “how much I appreciate her as a woman, as an actress, and what an honor of my life this has been.” She did not hear back.