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Tag: Entertainment – Variety

  • Bryce Dallas Howard on the Declining Statistics for Female Directors in Hollywood: ‘Whatever Is Currently Being Done is Not Enough’

    Bryce Dallas Howard is calling on Hollywood to make a change.

    While at Variety’s L.A. Power of Women event on Wednesday in Beverly Hills, the actress and filmmaker reflected on the declining statistics for women directors in Hollywood. A 2025 study described the year as a “Great Recession” for female filmmakers, with just nine women directing the 100 top-grossing films at the U.S. box office. That figure corresponds to just 8.1% of female directors (or a ratio of 11.3 men for every woman). In 2024, women accounted for 13.4% of directors of the 100 top-grossing films.

    “The facts are that the numbers are an indication of something real,” Howard told Variety senior entertainment writer Angelique Jackson. “Whatever is currently being done is not enough.”

    Howard speaks from experience: she has directed several episodes of the Star Wars shows “Ahsoka,” “The Mandalorian,” “The Book of Boba Fett” and “The Skeleton Crew,” as well as the feature-length documentaries 2019’s “Dads” and 2025’s “Pets.” In 2021, Howard was announced to direct a reboot of Disney’s “Flight of the Navigator,” but the project is still billed as being in pre-production.

    Throughout the industry, Howard has seen a focus on mentorship for female filmmakers, but what Hollywood must prioritize more of, she explained, is sponsorship.

    “It’s really difficult to get paid to do the thing that you want to do in this business,” Howard said. “And the amount of time between jobs is so significant that, unless you come from privilege or you have another job that somehow allows you to be flexible, you’re not getting a shot. You’re not even getting a chance, and that has to change.”

    Sponsorship is greater than just funding a movie, Howard noted. Companies need to step up to finance the research and development throughout the project — ranging from early workshops to cultivating a team of artists to bring the film to life.

    “There are so many brilliant artists and so little support, and it is incumbent upon people like me to make that a reality,” she said. “And I constantly fall short. And I will not quit.”

    Next up, Howard directed two episodes of “Ahsoka” Season 2, and said that working on the Star Wars show, starring Rosario Dawson, was one of the “best summers of [her] life.”

    “The first season was so fantastic, and to build on that, [creator and Lucasfilm president Dave Filoni] is getting to do a lot of stuff that he’s been waiting decades to do,” Howard said about the action-packed episodes. “Rosario and him are just partners. He trusts himself, but he trusts Rosario just as much.”

    See Howard’s full interview in the video above.

  • Margaret Qualley and Sabrina Carpenter Join Tom Holland in Fred Astaire Biopic as Adele Astaire, Ginger Rogers

    Margaret Qualley and Sabrina Carpenter Join Tom Holland in Fred Astaire Biopic as Adele Astaire, Ginger Rogers

    Tom Holland has found his dance partners for Sony’s yet-to-be-titled Fred Astaire biopic: Margaret Qualley and Sabrina Carpenter.

    As previously announced, Holland will play the debonair dancer in the upcoming Sony film, directed by Paul King, with Amy Pascal producing. Qualley will star as Adele Astaire and Carpenter will portray as Ginger Rogers. Fred and Adele were major stars on Broadway and London’s West End before Fred went on to be one of cinema’s greatest stars, with co-star and dance partner Ginger Rogers.

    Holland revealed he’s already started rehearsing for the part, which was first announced five years ago.

    Speaking about getting the script from Pascal, he previously told reporters, “She FaceTimed me earlier. I was in the bath,” he said with a laugh. “And we had a lovely FaceTime, but I will be playing Fred Astaire.”

    Holland shared further details earlier this summer when he appeared on “Good Morning America.” After starring in the back-to-back blockbusters “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “The Odyssey,” Holland teased, “I’m diving back into the dance studio.”

    Holland began his acting career on the London stage, playing the title role in Billy Elliot the Musical on the West End from 2008 to 2010. With that background, Holland also said that he intended to do all of the dancing himself. “I have a desire to use no doubles, to do all of the dancing, to shoot those dances in one shot – how he would have done it.”

    Astaire starred in more than 30 film musicals, in addition to his stage career on Broadway and the West End over the course of a seven-decade career. Astaire is usually remembered for his pairings with Ginger Rogers, who starred in several films with him, including the classics “Swing Time,” “The Gay Divorcee” and “Top Hat.”

  • ‘South Park’ Season 29 Premiere Hits 4.2 Million Viewers in Three Days and Jumps 33% in Rating After Renaming to ‘South America’ (EXCLUSIVE)

    ‘South Park’ Season 29 Premiere Hits 4.2 Million Viewers in Three Days and Jumps 33% in Rating After Renaming to ‘South America’ (EXCLUSIVE)

    Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s latest stunt has paid off. The Season 29 premiere of “South America” — renamed from “South Park” as a parody of Donald Trump’s controversial initiatives to rename major landmarks — hit 4.2 million viewers in three days.

    That total accounts for viewership across Comedy Central and Paramount+ in the U.S. alone. The episode’s audience was relatively even with the previous season premiere, which reached 4.3 million viewers in three days, while making strong improvements among viewers age 18-49. In that demographic, the episode scored a 0.97 rating after three days, up 33% from Season 28’s 0.73 rating, and a share of 4.77, up from 20% from last year’s 3.96. Between Monday and Friday, the “South America” premiere was the most-watched cable telecast of the week among adults 18-49, excluding sports programming.

    Unsurprisingly, the first episode since renaming to “South America” drove conversation on social media. On the day of its premiere, the series ranked as the No. 1 most social cable comedy, and went on to generate 11 million views and one million engagements in three days. It garnered 63,000 online mentions in three days, a 40% increase from what the Season 28 premiere achieved in the same amount of time.

    In a statement earlier this month, Parker and Stone said, “Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of ‘South Park’ to ‘South America,’” referencing the fact that the tech companies have honored Trump’s name changes on their maps. “We especially want to thank our parent company Paramount — a Skydance Capitulation.”

  • Liza Soberano and H.E.R. on Why Dreamworks Animation’s ‘Forgotten Island’ Story of Friendship Resonated With Them

    Dreamworks Animation knows how to tell stories about friendships, whether it’s between a boy and a dragon in “How to Train Your Dragon” or Donkey and Ogre in “Shrek” or a robot and bird in “The Wild Robot.” Its latest feature, “Forgotten Island,” anchors its story in two best friends who face being separated when one has to go abroad to college. One final night together puts their friendship to the test.

    Liza Soberano and H.E.R. lead the voice cast as Raissa and Jo, who find themselves stranded in the mystical world of the forgotten island of Nakali. They come to find that their only way home might come at the expense of a lifetime of memories and emotions. Written and directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, the film is produced by Mark Swift.

    “Forgotten Island,” out now in theaters, centers around Filipino folklore, but its beating heart is the universal story of two teenage best friends who share memories and experiences.

    Speaking with Variety, Soberano says the story was one that hit home. Growing up in the Philippines, she understood the theme of “losing” a family member or a friend who needed to go overseas for a better quality of life and to make a better living for themselves. Soberano explains, “I’ve seen all the different permutations of how that could affect family and loved ones that you’re leaving behind.”

    The story struck a deeper chord when she left a successful career in the Philippines to make it in America. “I also went through that journey and that experience three years ago,” she says. She was particularly torn about leaving behind her little sister. “It was really heartbreaking because I was afraid of, I was afraid of us not being close anymore — not just in proximity, but in the relationship itself. I was afraid that we would grow apart. But through this, I actually discovered that there are so many reasons to not grow apart. You have to really fight for the relationship and fight for the closeness, no matter how far you physically are from one another. I find a lot of comfort in that, and this movie has taught me so much about it.”

    Similarly, H.E.R., who grew up near Vallejo, California, also found the story relatable. “I left when I was 17 to move to New York and it wasn’t as far away — just across the country. But it felt super far. My sister was eight at the time, and I was 17 and she wanted her big sister around.”

    While friendship is the beating heart of the film, “Forgotten Island” also captures the Filipino experience through cultural details that resonated deeply with its cast.

    H.E.R. recalls seeing the Filipino elements in the film for the first time. “Seeing the Filipino sun for the first time — even before seeing the full film — made us so emotional. I remember that day very well. I remember seeing ‘pasalubong’ written on the screen, and I thought, oh my gosh, this is as Filipino as it gets. The petroleum jelly, all those little details, just really made me feel like, wow, I’m so proud to be Filipino. This is reminding me of home right now.”

    Soberano agrees, saying, “It was the despedida — the farewell party. That was such an accurate depiction of what it’s like to be at a Filipino house party. There’s so much chaos going on. You have the lolas and the lolos being grumpy at everyone, telling them to either eat, sit down or go sing — and not to be ‘magulo.’ Then you have the little kids doing their own thing, hiding under the tables and creating chaos everywhere. And, of course, you have the titos and titas either playing mahjong on the side or singing karaoke. I thought that was such a beautiful depiction of Filipino energy, but you also feel the love coming from everyone at the party.”

    Aside from starring in the film, the pair also lend their voices to the film’s soundtrack. Their voices capture the nostalgia, warmth and joy that radiate from their characters and the movie as a whole.

    Angela Leus, senior vice president of Film Music at Universal Pictures, previously told Variety that neither she nor the filmmakers wanted to assume that H.E.R. would create an original song. “Everything needed to come from an organic place,” Leus says. “But when H.E.R. saw the film, she was so inspired that she decided to write something — and she was even more inspired to bring in Liza.”

    Speaking about the song, Soberano admits she felt “major impostor syndrome being there.” She asked herself, “What did I do in my life to deserve this?” She adds, “I just felt so honored and blessed to be part of it.”

    H.E.R. echoes the sentiment, saying, “She killed it. There was no need to be nervous because it was just fun. The fact that we were singing as Jo and Raissa just wraps it all up. Then we shot the video in Manila and made it kind of like a travel vlog, continuing that love letter to the Philippines. I’m just grateful to be in this process, especially with Liza. I love these characters. I love this film. I’m forever grateful for it.”

  • ‘Princess Diaries’ Star Heather Matarazzo Reveals She May Lose Health Insurance If She Doesn’t Work Again Soon: ‘Lots of Actors’ Are in the ‘Same Boat’

    ‘Princess Diaries’ Star Heather Matarazzo Reveals She May Lose Health Insurance If She Doesn’t Work Again Soon: ‘Lots of Actors’ Are in the ‘Same Boat’

    “Princess Diaries” star Heather Matarazzo revealed she may not qualify for health insurance if she doesn’t find work soon.

    The actress, who starred alongside Anne Hathaway in the “Princess Diaries” films as Lilly Moscovitz, replied to a post from “Atypical” actor Jack Haven that revealed they needed work in order to qualify for health insurance through SAG-AFTRA.

    The guild offers a health plan for its members that requires a “minimum earnings” threshold be met to qualify. However, booking projects in the entertainment industry is often unpredictable and fluctuates, which leads to larger gaps between employment opportunities and ultimately makes meeting that threshold more difficult.

    “I’m in a bit of an emergency situation,” Haven shared in a YouTube video this week. “I need to make $4,000 by the end of the month in order to qualify for SAG health insurance starting in January.”

    The actor shared their skills and said they will do “pretty much any job,” encouraging anyone open to hiring them on a production under SAG to contact them over email.

    Matarazzo replied to a post about Haven’s plea, writing, “I am literally in the same boat right now. Lots of my fellow actors are. I remember a time when we didn’t have to earn a minimum to qualify for insurance. Glad to see that Jack has gotten an offer that will let them to qualify for 2027.”

    As detailed on the SAG Health Plan’s eligibility page, the minimum threshold is expected to rise by approximately $900 each year until 2030. This year, members were required to earn $28,933. SAG-AFTRA did not respond immediately to comment.

    Matarazzo’s most recent project was the 2025 short film “Paper Tiger.” She also starred “Welcome to the Dollhouse,” “The Devil’s Advocate” and “Scream 3,” as well as multiple episodes of Netflix’s “Wednesday.”

  • Oscars: Denmark Selects May el-Toukhy’s Golden Lion Winner ‘Woman Unknown’ for International Feature Race

    Oscars: Denmark Selects May el-Toukhy’s Golden Lion Winner ‘Woman Unknown’ for International Feature Race

    May el-Toukhy’s “Woman Unknown” as be chosen as Denmark’s official entry for the international feature film race at the Oscars.

    “Woman Unknown” just won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival from a jury presided over by Maggie Gyllenhaall. El-Toukhy was the sole female director in competition at this year’s Venice fest. In addition to the Golden Lion, the film also earned its star Mathilde Arcel the Coppa Volpi for best actress. The movie went on to play at Toronto, and will next screen at the BFI London Film Festival, as well as Busan.

    Tine Fischer, the Danish Film Institute CEO who chaired the Danish Oscar committee, pointed out “May el-Toukhy has already made history with ‘Woman Unknown,’ becoming only the second Danish director to win the Golden Lion in Venice, following Carl Th. Dreyer’s Ordet in 1955.”

    Fischer described “Woman Unknown” as a “bold and uncompromising film that explores guilt, shame and morality, showing how women’s bodies and destinies become the focus of society’s condemnation and control.”

    “It is a film that offers no easy answers but dares to ask difficult and important questions. With its strong artistic vision and thematic complexity, it is well positioned to make its mark in the Oscar race,” she continued.

    The movie takes place in Copenhagen, May 1945, as Marie prepares for her summer wedding to an older, respected widower. “For several years, she has worked as a maid in his household, caring for his daughter. Now, a new life finally seems within reach. But beneath the seemingly idyllic surface lies a secret that could shatter her dream. And as the truth about her shameful past comes ever closer to being revealed, the price she is willing to pay grows ever higher. No one must know the truth,” the synopsis reads.

    El-Toukhy previously directed “Queen of Hearts,” which won the Audience Award at Sundance and received both Robert and Bodil Awards in Denmark. El-Toukhy then directed episodes of the Emmy-winning series “The Crown” and was one of the initiators of Dogma25, launched during the Cannes Film Festival in 2025.

    Produced by Mikael Christian Rieks for Nordisk Film Production, “Woman Unknown” is supported by the Danish Film Institute and will be released in Danish cinemas on Feb. 4.

  • Block the Merger Coalition Asks Court to Reject Paramount’s Settlement With States Over Warner Bros. Deal

    Block the Merger Coalition Asks Court to Reject Paramount’s Settlement With States Over Warner Bros. Deal

    A coalition of groups under the Block the Merger banner have filed an amicus brief – a third party representation in a court case – opposing the Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. Discovery merger.

    The brief was filed late Thursday by Free Press, the Committee for the First Amendment, the Freedom of the Press Foundation, the Future Film Coalition and the International Documentary Association in the federal court of California.

    Earlier that day Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín, who is presiding over the case, gave interested parties permission to file amicus briefs with a deadline of 12:01 a.m. PT on Sept. 25 after the Block the Merger groups filed an emergency motion requesting leave to file. The legal move came after 12 state attorneys general reached a settlement over proposed legal action over the merger.

    “Since the terms of the consent decree were announced on Monday morning, few outside of those with a financial interest in this deal have suggested that it addresses the harms to competition, creativity, and independent journalism this merger will cause for years to come. The deal has been met with silence, skepticism, or tepid support at best,” the groups said in a joint statement.

    “The arguments laid out in this brief reflect the concerns that just days ago, California Attorney General Bonta also willingly voiced. While we may never know what caused the radical turnabout to deliver such a toothless settlement, we do know that this consent decree bucks governmental safeguards designed to protect the public from harm. The court should reject it outright.”

    The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) has also filed an amicus brief against the settlement.

  • The Drive-In, Streaming Platform Where Indie Filmmakers Keep IP, Audience and Money, Sets Launch (EXCLUSIVE)

    The Drive-In, Streaming Platform Where Indie Filmmakers Keep IP, Audience and Money, Sets Launch (EXCLUSIVE)

    A new streaming platform aimed at independent film and supporting independent filmmakers has been unveiled.

    The Drive-In, a TVOD service that will operate within independent film and TV discovery app RecDek, is set to launch in October during the London Film Festival and with a founding cohort of indie filmmakers.

    The service will stream directly from the filmmaker’s library within the platform, which its says means that “nothing is handed over, re-uploaded or locked away.” Producers will also set their own price and keep receipts from first sale, will be able to see real time audience data and will retain their IP. If they sell a territory to a traditional distributor they have the ability to remove that territory from The Drive-In instantly.

    RecDek started out as an independent entertainment discovery platform app, where film and TV recommendations came from friends, family, critics and film festivals, but through its RecDek House hub has grown into a 17,000 community of directors, producers, talent, financiers and distributors. The Drive-In, according to its creators, “turns a festival-season relationship with the industry into a year-round collaboration.”

    RecDek have partnered with direct-to-fan economy infrastructure Hiway to launch The Drive-In, which it says favours producers and filmmakers and is a “simple platform to monetise work that may otherwise never see the light of day.”

    “We champion the voices studios drown out, and for too long it had been unclear exactly how filmmakers get their movies distributed,” said Ed Rigg, writer/director and founder at RecDek. “Sure you can pitch, screen your work, hustle and so you should. Go after wherever you think your movie will be looked after best.”

    According to Rigg, the The Drive-In will “exist for when filmmakers decide to take their film’s future into their own hands” and where they can monetize work themselves. “Filmmakers keep everything that should be theirs and our community on the app, and in the wider industry, get a place to watch the shows we have been shouting about.”

    David Orman, founder and CEO at Hiway, said that Rigg and the RecDek team had “built one of the most connected communities” in independent film. “The missing piece was a screen of their own,” he added. “The Drive-In gives them that, on terms the industry rarely offers: every filmmaker keeps their IP, their audience and the majority of their revenue. RecDek owns the brand and the relationship, we provide the rails. The tools now exist for RecDek to run their own show.”

    RecDek are currently accepting filmmaker submissions via RecDekHouse.com for the The Drive-In, which will formally launch on Oct. 17.

  • The Horror Show Launches at Academy Museum: Costumes and Props From ‘Halloween,’ ‘Saw,’ ‘Poltergeist’ and More

    The Horror Show Launches at Academy Museum: Costumes and Props From ‘Halloween,’ ‘Saw,’ ‘Poltergeist’ and More

    Just in time for the scariest season, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles is unveiling The Horror Show, a major survey of costumes, props, drawings, posters and other artifacts from the most iconic horror films throughout the history of cinema. The exhibit opens Saturday.

    From Bela Lugosi’s original cape from the 1931 “Dracula” to Aunt Gladys’ pantsuit from “Weapons,” the exhibit showcases classic and lesser-known films from every era. Beloved characters like Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers and Chucky are represented along with more recent titles such as “Sinners,” “Get Out,” “Midsommar” and “The Babadook.”

    “Many different types of films can be considered horror filmmaking, from vampires to slashers to thrillers,” said Academy museum director Amy Homma as she introduced the exhibit Thursday. “Horror has its own filmic history, it’s own origins through literature, culture and art and its own lineage.”

    “The Horror Show revolves around a simple question: Why do horror films mean so much to so many people?” said the exhibit’s curator Jessica Niebel. “Horror reflects the anxieties of its time, but it also gives us a safe space to confront those anxieties, to look at the things that frighten us and that we desire.”

    The exhibit’s chambers feature themes like slashers, religion, ghosts and science, with several interactive photo ops from a coffin to a chance for a selfie with Mrs. Bates from “Psycho,” and guests exit through an eerie blood room. If that’s all a little too scary for the younger visitors to the museum, an accompanying exhibit called Zombies! goes easier on the gore.

    The Academy will screen a robust schedule of horror films to complement the exhibit, kicking off with an appearance by Jamie Lee Curtis and John Carpenter for “Halloween” and a Carpenter retrospective.

    The Horror Show will run through July 25, 2027.

  • Aamir Khan to Receive Screen Icon Award as Singapore Film Festival Opens With Hur Jin-ho’s ‘The Assassin(s)’

    Aamir Khan to Receive Screen Icon Award as Singapore Film Festival Opens With Hur Jin-ho’s ‘The Assassin(s)’

    The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) will present its Screen Icon Award to Indian actor, director and producer Aamir Khan at its 37th edition, with a 25th-anniversary Special Presentation screening of “Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India” alongside director Ashutosh Gowariker.

    The festival opens with South Korean thriller “The Assassin(s),” directed by Hur Jin-ho and starring Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho. Hur and supporting cast members Shim Eun-kyung and Park Sung-hoon will attend the opening.

    As previously announced, SGIFF will give its Cinema Honorary Award, the festival’s top prize for lasting contributions to Asian cinema, to Japanese filmmaker Kore-eda Hirokazu, with his film “Look Back” screening as part of the program.

    SGIFF executive director Jeremy Chua said the edition brings some of the most respected talents and consequential work being made across Asia to Singapore. “Around it, we have also reconsidered how audiences encounter a festival with new presentation formats and points of entry, a ticketing platform that is markedly more intuitive, an industry programme expanded into a resource centre for artists, technicians and storytellers at every stage of practice, and a new free-to-attend section at the intersection of creativity and technology, attending to the forms storytelling will take next,” Chua said.

    SGIFF’s “In Conversation With” dialogue series will also feature Shim Eun-kyung, filmmaker Peter Chan Ho-sun and Hong Kong actor Anthony Wong, who will take part in a post-screening dialogue tied to his first acting role in “My Name Ain’t Suzie.” Korean New Wave director Yim Soon-rye will serve as jury head of the Asian Feature Film Competition, while Fukada Koji, director of “Nagi Notes,” cinematographers Ashizawa Akiko and Tom Harari, and director Jacob Cheung will also take part in the festival.

    The lineup spotlights more than 25 Singapore productions and co-productions that have earned recognition at festivals including Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Venice and Melbourne. Among them, “Ah Girl” star Ong Xuan Jing won best actress at the Hong Kong International Film Festival’s Young Cinema Competition, while director Ang Geck Geck won the Youth Jury Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. Nelson Yeo’s “The House on the Moon” premiered in competition at Locarno, and Tan Si En of Momo Film Co. co-produced “Nagi Notes,” which premiered in competition at Cannes. Daniel Hui edited “Sleep No More” and “The Burning Giants,” which premiered at the Berlin and Venice film festivals, respectively. Anthony Chen of Giraffe Pictures co-produced “Four Seasons in Java,” and Lai Weijie of E&W Films co-produced “9 Temples to Heaven,” which premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes.

    SGIFF program director Thong Kay Wee said, “Singapore’s film industry is enjoying its hard-earned recognition on the world stage. This year’s selection of Singapore films and co-productions reflects an increasingly diverse creative ecosystem that is producing internationally competitive work. We are proud to share that many of these filmmakers found their first mentorships through SGIFF, so sharing their stories and work on Singapore screens this year is, in that sense, a homecoming.”

    The SGIFF Film Fund also returns after a hiatus. The Tan Ean Kiam Foundation, previously a backer of the Southeast Asian Documentary Grant, will now also support the Southeast Asian Short Film Grant, with both programs falling under the Tan Ean Kiam Foundation-SGIFF banner as SEA-Doc and SEA-Shorts. SEA-Doc shifts this cycle to backing feature documentaries in late edit or finishing stages, while SEA-Shorts continues supporting emerging Southeast Asian filmmakers. The open call for both grants runs Nov. 5 to Dec. 5.

    The festival will introduce a Junior Explorers section with sensory-friendly screenings for younger audiences, opening with stop-motion feature “Brave Cat.” Its Undercurrent section will open with three live performances: Taiwanese puppetry piece “Corporeal Forms: Four Stories,” live video gaming work “The Compression Zone” and analog film and music performance “Imagination + The Rest Is My Ghost.” SGIFF Pro, the festival’s industry arm, adds three new programs this year: Parallax, a free public program on filmmaking and immersive technology; Off Campus, a student initiative connecting classroom training with industry exposure; and the Pitching Forum, aimed at co-production between Singapore and international partners.

    The festival, supported by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), runs Oct. 21 to Nov. 1.