Tag: Entertainment – Variety

“Toy Story” helped launch Pixar when it premiered in 1995. More than 30 years and four films later, the family franchise has become a revenue-generating juggernaut for the Walt Disney Company and the global economy. The series has added $51 billion in overall economic activity since its inception, according to a study that Disney commissioned from Steward Redqueen, an independent impact advisory firm.

Much of that figure comes from consumer product sales, which Steward Redqueen argues lifts suppliers, retailers, small businesses and service providers. That includes everything from salaries to the sales of clothing, dolls and games touting “Toy Story” characters. It also factors in transportation, tourism, manufacturing, and utilities revenues related to seeing the movies, visiting theme park attractions and producing “Toy Story” merchandise. The report comes as “Toy Story 5” has dominated the box office since it was released in June, earning more than $880 million globally. In addition to ticket sales, the series is also the most streamed franchise on Disney+.

In terms of direct economic impact for Disney, Buzz and Woody have generated $16.2 billion. That includes the sale of merchandise, movie tickets and home entertainment rentals. That figure is more than it cost the company to buy all of Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm combined (Disney shelled out $15.4 billion to purchase those brands).

“This is our No. 1 animated franchise,” says Asad Ayaz, Disney’s chief brand officer. “I don’t think there’s many other franchises that have been embraced by audiences and critics over the course of three decades. People who were kids when the first movie came out are taking their own children to the new ‘Toy Story.’”

The study also looks at the multi-generational impact of “Toy Story.” As Ayaz states, because the series has been part of the culture for so long, Millennials, who grew up with the characters, have driven the greatest impact with 74%. Gen Z and Gen Alpha account for 19% and 7% of the economic impact, respectively.

Nearly $25 billion of the overall economic impact occurred in the U.S., Steward Redqueen reports, with California and Florida, where Disney has theme parks, as well as Texas, New York and Illinois listed as the states enjoying the biggest benefits from the franchise. The firm casts a wide net to capture those numbers. It estimates sales margins for downstream suppliers like manufacturers, retailers, and other distributors. So, for example, it factors in what movie theaters spend on popcorn providers, which allows those vendors to also earn profits, pay taxes and pay salaries.

Steward Redqueen said to come up with its calculations it looked at consumer spending on the “Toy Story” franchise across movies, home streaming, consumer products, parks, experiences and music. It then separated those figures in terms of their direct and indirect impact. Direct impact captured the economic contributions directly generated by the franchise’s operations (such as the economic contributions supported by production of the movies). Indirect impact includes the economic contributions supported by the franchise through its suppliers and sales partners (distributors and retailers selling “Toy Story” products), as well as their respective suppliers. This is the first study of its kind that Disney has commissioned on one of its franchises.

With “Toy Story 5” topping the box office, it seems like a sixth film is inevitable.

“I’ll leave that up to the Pixar team,” Ayaz says. “I hope there is more. But what’s great about Pixar is that they wait until they have a story that is worth telling to make another movie.”

Belgian filmmaker Fabrice du Welz will preside over the jury for the international competition at the 79th Locarno Film Festival, part of a full slate of juries the festival has revealed across its sections.

Du Welz has made nine features that have screened at major festivals; Locarno has shown two of them, “Adoration” on the Piazza Grande in 2019 and “The Passion According to Béatrice,” out of competition in 2024. He is joined on the jury by Italian producer Marco Alessi, founder of Rome-based Dugong Films, whose credits include work with directors Stefano Savona, Yuri Ancarani and Rä di Martino and who produced Bertrand Mandico’s “Roma Elastica,” playing out of competition in Locarno this year. Rounding out the panel are French actor Lolita Chammah, whose career includes collaborations with Claude Chabrol, Werner Schroeter, Claire Denis, Claire Simon and Benoît Jacquot; Chilean actor Paulina García, who won the Silver Bear for “Gloria” in 2013; and Olivier Père, who previously served as artistic director at Locarno and as general delegate of the Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight, and who now heads the cinema unit at Arte France Cinéma as executive director, a post he has held since 2012.

The Filmmakers of the Present Competition, the section dedicated to emerging directors, will be judged by Tunisian actor, director and producer Afef Ben Mahmoud, who also directs the Gabès Cinéma Fen festival; Czech producer and director Radovan Síbrt, co-founder of production company Pink, whose credits include the Academy Award-winning “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” (2025); and filmmaker Margherita Spampinato, whose breakthrough feature “Sweetheart” (“Gioia Mia”) followed its selection in the section last year with a David di Donatello win, plus the Kering Women In Motion Emerging Talent Award, presented at Cannes.

Three filmmakers will judge the Leopards of Tomorrow section. Lebanese director, writer and actor Mounia Akl has had work presented at Cannes, Venice, Toronto and London. South African producer Steven Markovitz, a longtime force in regional independent cinema, counts “aKasha” (2018), “Rafiki” (2018), “Tug of War” (2021) and “Omen” (2023) among his credits. Italian director Antonio Piazza, who co-directed “Sicilian Letters” (“Iddu,” 2024) with Fabio Grassadonia, rounds out the panel; that film premiered in competition in Venice.

The First Feature jury, which awards the Swatch First Feature Award for the festival’s best debut, comprises Matthieu Darras, who runs the festival consultancy Tatino and brings programming experience from Cannes, Venice, San Sebastián and TorinoFilmLab; Sung Moon, a Jeonju International Film Festival programmer and former member of the Korean Film Council; and Swiss-Peruvian filmmaker Klaudia Reynicke, whose film “Queens” (“Reinas”) took the Prix du Public UBS at Locarno77 on its way to becoming Switzerland’s Oscar submission and a Swiss Film Awards winner.

The Pardo for Change jury, which recognizes films engaging with environmental, ethical, social and cultural issues, includes freelance war reporter and author Gianluca Grossi; Somali-Austrian filmmaker Mo Harawe, whose debut feature “The Village Next to Paradise” bowed in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard sidebar in 2024; and Seta Thakur, who leads communications and social innovation work at the Wyss Academy for Nature.

A separate jury will oversee the Locarno Kids Screenings, deciding the winner of the Locarno Kids Award la Mobiliare in the festival’s new competitive strand for feature films made for young viewers. This year, for the first time, 13 jurors between ages 11 and 15 will screen seven titles in the section before selecting a winner, meeting daily throughout the festival for a training program led by industry professionals.

Locarno artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro said: “Selecting those whose eyes will be watching the films in the competitive sections is a task that always brings out desires and emotions. The diversity of talent meets the diversity of perspectives. Ultimately, however, what matters most is a willingness to be surprised, to be amazed, and to embrace the unexpected. In this sense, we are proud that the films of the 79th edition can begin their journey out into the world accompanied by those talented creative figures who have agreed to share the adventure of the Locarno Film Festival with us.”

The 79th Locarno Film Festival runs Aug. 5-15.

“Plastic Beauty,” Netflix‘s upcoming Japanese drama set inside the country’s fast-growing cosmetic surgery industry, will premiere Sept. 17, the streamer announced alongside 23 additional cast members joining stars Mayu Matsuoka and Riisa Naka.

Yuki Saito, who previously directed “Unmet: A Neurosurgeon’s Diary,” helms the series from a script by Junya Ikegami (“The Queen of Villains”). Netflix and the creative team spent months researching Japan’s cosmetic surgery world firsthand ahead of production. That research extended to the makeup department, where special effects artist Amazing JIRO (“Straight to Hell”) led a team that crafted a distinct “before,” “downtime” and “after” progression for every patient character featured across the cast.

The series unfolds against Japan’s ongoing debate over beauty standards – a culture growing more open to diverse appearances even as its cosmetic surgery sector remains one of its fastest-growing industries. That tension plays out through two doctors with opposing views on transformation: Fumi Numata, a gifted physician forced out of her hospital after an emergency operation, and Rin Tohyama, a celebrity surgeon who sees beauty as a source of healing. When Fumi takes a job at Rin’s clinic planning to expose its darker side, their standoff drives the series, with the story more interested in what pushes people toward transformation than in the surgeries themselves.

Matsuoka (“Shoplifters”) plays Fumi, a doctor whose principles are put to the test once she enters a profession with its own set of rules. Naka (“Alice in Borderland”) plays Rin, the clinic’s public face and its most committed defender against Fumi’s efforts to take it down.

Also joining the cast are Shotaro Mamiya as Rui Komiya, the clinic’s second-in-command; Minami Tanaka as head nurse Nanami Todoroki; Hiromi Nagasaku as Fumi’s mother, Taeko Numata; and Atsuro Watabe as Arata Tohyama, an influential figure in the industry. Rounding out the ensemble are Riku Hagiwara, Mijika Nagai, Daichi Watanabe, Reiji of comedy duo Nakagawake, Kavka Shishido, Yu Shirota, Naosumi Masuko, Sosei Takeda, Rika Izumi, Kentaro Tamura, Eisuke Sasai, Hana Amano, Hina Kagei, Naoko Ken, Kayo Noro, Rin Furukawa, Yumi Adachi, Shunsuke Kazama and Kōki.

Harue Miyake and Katsuhito Mogi produce, with Shin-ichi Kudo serving as planning producer. K2 Pictures produces the series for Netflix.

Tyler Falbo, a writer, director and producer known for his shaping the viral comedy videos of sketch group Almost Friday, is helming an R-rated comedy movie for Paramount.

Titled “Boys for Life,” the film will be released theatrically on April 9, 2027, under Paramount’s newly announced Primal label. While few plot details are available, Variety hears it is an ensemble comedy about a group of friends reuniting — with a twist.

“Boys for Life” is currently in production. Paramount acquired the project in a competitive situation that also involved A24 and Warner Bros., Variety hears. Falbo serves as director and producer, and he co-wrote the script with Max Barrett. Galen Core also serves as producer.

As its de facto showrunner, Falbo is credited with driving the dark, genre-bending humor of “Almost Friday TV,” the sketch comedy arm of the Los Angeles-based digital media company that launched Will Angus, Eilise Patton and other rising talent into the comedy scene. Falbo is also attached to direct “Last Night Was a Movie,” his TV project starring Almost Friday cast members that’s in development at FX.

Co-writer Barrett is the creator of Friday Beers and co-founder of Almost Friday Media, who, in 2020, formed the company’s original sketch comedy crew of Liam Cullagh, Angus, Chet Collins and Billy Langdon.

The project hails from Paramount Primal, which will focus on “smartly budgeted” films from “next-generation storytellers” across comedy, horror, action and grounded science-fiction. The label recently acquired the U.S. rights to adapt the original screenplay for “A Nightmare on Elm Street” from the Wes Craven estate.

Falbo is represented by Range Media Partners, UTA and Ziffren Brittenham. Barrett is represented by Mosaic, Fox Rothschild and WME.

Sam Neill had been steadily working in the movies for nearly two decades before he became, at the age of 45, a star in the industry’s eyes. A sturdy, reliable everyman who radiated, depending on the role, a kind of quietly masculine decency or a steely chill, the New Zealander never chased the flashy, all-guns-blazing lead roles. Indeed, through the early years of his career, he did much of his best work as a selfless supporting pillar for various female tour de force turns: Judy Davis in “My Brilliant Career,” Isabelle Adjani in “Possession,” Nicole Kidman in “Dead Calm” and Meryl Streep in “Plenty” and “A Cry in the Dark.” His performances in all those films were intelligent, carefully etched and modulated so as to throw all the spotlight on his co-star; if he wasn’t yet a household name, that very humility had him much in demand.

Yet when a pair of career-defining roles in 1993 launched him to the A-list, it wasn’t through a notable change in tack. As paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park,” he was finally first-billed in a Hollywood mega-blockbuster, playing a macho hero type with his own accompanying action figure — but Neill knew as well as anyone that he was still playing second banana to a horde of dazzlingly rendered dinosaurs. With those creature effects always set to be the film’s primary selling point, Spielberg and Universal didn’t need a ready-made star for what producer Kathleen Kennedy at the time conceded “isn’t an intensely complicated part.” Neill was professional and affordable and wouldn’t pull focus; he was perfect.

Yet “Jurassic Park” was the kind of cultural colossus that threatened to make him a Hollywood leading man in spite of himself — even if, in a Los Angeles Times interview at the time, he shrugged off the idea, claiming that Spielberg’s film may have given him “a little more leverage,” but he continued to have “this penchant for small films — my agents complain about it from time to time — because I like to play a lot of different things.”

One of those small films was “The Piano,” by his compatriot Jane Campion, which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes just as “Jurassic Park” was hitting theaters. In it, Neill was no hero. As the violently abusive, cuckolded husband of Holly Hunter’s mute mail-order bride in Campion’s colonial-era erotic fable, he was the stiff, priggish counterpoint to the liberated, sensual masculinity embodied in the film by Harvey Keitel. It was an unflattering, potentially thankless part that Neill played with a petty, almost poignantly impotent rage, and a fascinating performance to be doing the rounds while, over on the other side of the world, Neill was being fashioned as a Hollywood action man.

Once again, he was a lucky charm for his female co-star: Hunter won the Oscar for her brilliantly anguished, intuitive turn, and while “The Piano” received eight nominations overall, there was none for him. Not that he was bothered. Years later, he wrote that he regarded Campion’s “important feminist film” as being like “a medal on my chest”: “It’s a film that will always have a place in cinema history. And I served in it.”

It’s a statement that encapsulates Neill’s approach to his career. He’d never headline a hit on the scale of “Jurassic Park” again, but that film and its sequels enabled him to take more profitable, unmemorable paycheck roles than he might otherwise have been offered. And those in turn gave him the liberty to pursue unusual, intimate projects with gifted collaborators (from John Carpenter’s “In the Mouth of Madness” to Sally Potter’s “Yes” to Warwick Thornton’s “Sweet Country” to Taika Waititi’s “Hunt for the Wilderpeople”) in which his own performance was less important than the artistic whole. In later years, unlikely social media fame — for posts showcasing his wry sense of humor and down-home love of nature — would seal his reputation as one of the industry’s nice guys. As a screen presence, however, he was more interesting and unpredictable than that.

Based on Marissa Stapley’s 2021 novel of the same name and adapted for television by “Your Friends & Neighbors” creator Jonathan Tropper, Apple TV limited series “Lucky” is the captivating story of one young woman’s desperate attempt to break free of the dark and violent life that’s shaped her. More than an intricate game of cat-and-mouse, the crime drama plays on the tensions between nature and nurture while unpacking the dangers and vulnerabilities that come with loving other people.

We first see Luciana “Lucky” Armstrong (a fantastic Anya Taylor-Joy) trying to evade the FBI at a crowded bus stop somewhere in Arizona. But this is not where Lucky’s story begins. In a flashback to the previous day, Lucky embraces her husband, Cary (Drew Starkey), on the balcony of their massive hotel suite in Las Vegas. At the bidding of Lucky’s incarcerated con artist father, John (Timothy Olyphant), the couple has stolen $10 million from notorious gangster Wayne Whittaker (William Fichtner), and they decide to live it up for one last night before fleeing the country. Despite their celebratory mood, Lucky can’t quite shake the feeling that something is on the verge of going horribly awry.

When Lucky awakens the next day alone in the suite, with neither Cary nor the money in sight, she realizes her gut instinct was correct. With FBI special agent Billie Rand (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) on her tail and Whittaker underboss Priscilla Matheson (Annette Bening) on her neck, Lucky must use all the knowledge her sole parental figure instilled in her so she may emerge from her circumstances in one piece.

Replete with gunfights, car chases and more than a few intriguing grifts, all seven episodes of “Lucky” feature heart-racing sequences that rival those of any worthwhile high-voltage thriller. Still, the show maintains its dynamism because it remains character-driven. Billie’s obsession with taking down Priscilla constantly puts her team in peril, because being so laser-focused on one thing clouds the bigger picture. While it’s clear that John deeply loves his daughter, his addiction to manipulation and money usurps his paternal instincts. Priscilla is as vicious as they come, but her muscle, Dutch (Clifton Collins Jr.), does all her bloody bidding. Yet, in Whittaker’s presence, she becomes softer and more compliant. Cary, torn between his own desires and others’ expectations, can’t seem to determine where his loyalties lie. Lucky thinks she can escape the world she was born into unscathed. However, as Priscilla reminds her at one point, “Just because you don’t like who you are doesn’t mean you can run away from her.”

Lucky faces this conundrum as she tries to track down Cary while outrunning the FBI and Priscilla’s wrath. Meanwhile, the series unpacks how she even got into this predicament. Through flashback sequences, we see her childhood with John, which was shaped by distrust and lies. This exhausting existence has kept Lucky emotionally dependent on her father. It also cost her the only sense of true normalcy she’s ever known.

“Lucky” is a project worthy of Taylor-Joy’s talent. Following the resounding success of “The Queen’s Gambit,” she was cast in the high-profile 2024 movie “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” where George Miller’s spectacle overwhelmed her performance — and it bombed. “Lucky” is different. Through Taylor-Joy’s character, the series reminds us to face ourselves, even the broken and painful bits that feel shameful. It is about embracing the good and the bad before fully shedding what no longer serves you. As Lucky comes to understand, it’s one thing to con other people, but the cost of conning yourself is often insurmountable.

The first two episodes of “Lucky” debut July 15 on Apple TV, with the remaining episodes airing weekly on Wednesdays.

Searchlight Pictures has released the trailer for “Behemoth!,” a new drama film from Tony Gilroy about a family of Los Angeles musicians.

The film’s logline reads, “A gifted cellist, Alex Serian, returns home to Los Angeles after 20 years on the road. Music, which has been the constant, all-consuming river of his life, begins to carry Alex on an adventure that will change him forever.”

Cast members include Pedro Pascal, Olivia Wilde, Eva Victor, Alexa Swinton, Kaya Ralls, Erik Griffin, JoBeth Williams, Margarita Levieva, Hank Azaria and Will Arnett. Gilroy, whose previous directorial works include “Michael Clayton” and “The Bourne Legacy,” directed and wrote the film. Gilroy also produced the film alongside John Gilroy and Sanne Wohlenberg. Executive producers include Cameron Chidsey, Katie Goodson, DanTram Nguyen, Jeremy Reitz and Rayne Roberts.

David Harbour was originally set to start in the film, but dropped out in January. Sources told Variety at the time that Harbour was overwhelmed by the series wrap of Netflix’s marquee series “Stranger Things” and backed out of his role to rest.

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Pascal explained what inspired him to join the film and provided a little more context about his character, a classically trained cellist named Alex.

“There was something overall about this story that I think I connected to more cerebrally and emotionally,” Pascal said. “[Alex is] not a rock star. He’s not even somebody that’s looking for the spotlight. He’s just someone whose first language is music…. It’s a love letter to music; it’s a love letter to movies. It’s about family; it’s about legacy; it’s about healing. I wished for myself this kind of experience as an actor before I ever got to act.”

Check out the trailer for “Behemoth!” below.