Tag: Entertainment – Variety

Legendary Entertainment‘s first theme park attraction, “Kong x Godzilla” at Lotte World in Seoul, opens July 24, marking the studio’s entry into location-based entertainment after several years of development on the project.

“It was a big priority for me when I joined Legendary nine years ago,” James Ngo, Legendary’s executive VP of franchise management, tells Variety. “These types of deals take a long time to do, and construction also takes a long time as a process, so I immediately started trying to get Legendary into the space.”

“This is the right time in the franchise for us to bring these major experiential projects to the fans so that they can experience it in real life,” Ngo adds. “We’re going into our sixth movie next year; we have a TV show. So the franchise is kind of at its apex right now in terms of all the different media projects.”

The MonsterVerse has generated more than $2.5 billion at the global box office across five feature films, including “Godzilla,” “Kong: Skull Island,” “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” “Godzilla vs. Kong” and “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” with a sixth installment already in the works. The franchise’s Apple TV series, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” is now in its second season.

“Godzilla has been around for 70-plus years, Kong as a character has been around for 100 years,” Ngo says. “As far as the fan base goes, we get everybody who knew Godzilla and Kong when they were kids but are now in their 50s, 60s and older. Our new films are starting to appeal to younger kids and teens, so the audience base has grown the most, and it’s the furthest along of all of our franchises.”

Lotte World is undergoing a renovation, and the company committed to making the Legendary IP the centerpiece of that work, according to Ngo.

“Lotte is such an incredible partner in the region, in the territory,” Ngo says. “Lotte World specifically has been around for a very long time. It’s very well known, and it’s beloved in South Korea, but also around Asia regionally. This is going to be Lotte’s biggest investment as a ride in the park. It’s not just a ride, it’s going to be the marquee ride of the park and really the main attraction for everything.”

“From the moment guests come to line up, they are being recruited to join Monarch,” Ngo adds, referring to the fictional organization that tracks the franchise’s giant creatures. “That’s kind of our opening human touchpoint for the guests to be able to step foot into this world.”

Guests then board a HEAV, the Hollow Earth Aerial Vehicle featured in the films, before encountering Kong.

“Kong really guides them through Hollow Earth and all the experiences, while also protecting them against all the dangers that they would find in Hollow Earth,” Ngo says. “There are massive screens, a lot of amazing media that we’ve created with our partner. There are physical sets as well for our Titans and animatronics at massive, massive scale. The combination of real-world things with the media that works together in order to enhance the guest experience makes it extremely immersive.”

Ngo describes the ride as one piece of a larger strategy spanning gaming, consumer products and publishing.

“Our gaming reaches our consumers on a digital level on the screen. Consumer products really allow them to bring it home and experience it at home. Our comics and publishing program allow them to expand on their stories and use their imagination to go to places that may not be on screen yet,” Ngo says. “For location-based entertainment, it brings them into the whole world on a physical level and really gets to put them in the middle of that world. The strategy of being able to be where our consumers are really completes that cycle for us.”

The ride’s development also involved Legendary’s film division directly, according to Ngo.

“Legendary is very nimble and tightly connected. The filmmakers really sit one floor down from where my team and I sit, so we run up and down talking to them every step of the way,” Ngo says. “They suggest certain storyline tweaks in order to better tie it into the next film. It’s not just that they see a final product and approve it or not. They work with us every step of the way, and they try to tie so many touchpoints back into the film, back into the comics. This is becoming a very much interconnected world and experience.”

Legendary maintains a dedicated Beijing-based team covering the Asia territory, Ngo says.

“The Asia territory is extremely important to a lot, if not all, of the projects that we work on. A lot of our IP and the type of movies that we make resonate so well within that market,” he says. “MonsterVerse, for example, is massive, massive in Asia.”

Ngo frames the Lotte World ride as a test case for adapting Legendary’s characters to physical spaces.

“It’s being the first to go to market. It will show people how amazing this IP is to be adapted into this format, and that it’s doable,” Ngo says. “The biggest challenge in the past, especially for ‘Pacific Rim’ and MonsterVerse, has been the scale of our characters and the scale of our world. It’s an amazing thing to experience in location-based entertainment, but it’s also very hard to execute. Now that we’ve been able to execute it in this way and it looks incredible, I think people will start to embrace it more in the LBE [location-based entertainment] space.”

South Korea’s broader entertainment profile factored into the decision as well, Ngo says.

“South Korea is just really on the world stage on multiple levels, from manufacturing to entertainment to exporting amazing IP… I don’t think it was new for us,” Ngo says, noting Legendary had already worked with Korean entertainment IP and fashion partners in the past. “I think the opportunity would just allow us to create a stronger foothold in the market.”

Ngo says Legendary has explored location-based concepts for other franchises in its library, including “Dune,” “Pacific Rim,” “Detective Pikachu” and “Enola Holmes.”

“Some may be a large theme park ride or attraction, or even a whole land, and others may be more pop-up and dining experiences, or escape rooms and murder-mystery experiences where it makes sense,” Ngo says. “I think all of them have the IP DNA in order to expand into the space. It’s just depending on timing, where the actual opportunities are in terms of locations and what people are looking for in terms of markets.” Legendary is also set to launch a new franchise, “Street Fighter,” this October.

Asked whether the definition of franchise management has fundamentally shifted as audiences increasingly expect brands across multiple platforms, Ngo says: “I don’t know if the definition of it has changed. Studios like Disney and other larger studios have had these strategies for many decades, so I don’t necessarily think it’s a new concept… We’ve been able to sustain this for over a decade now with the MonsterVerse, and we’re building ‘Dune’ to that level as well.”

Ngo says he views Legendary’s position five years from now as an extension of where the studio already stands today.

On whether he sees Legendary primarily as a film studio or as a broader entertainment company, Ngo says: “I would argue that we’re already there. I think the volume of scaling up and putting out more franchises is probably the goal. We have the infrastructure, we’re already working in all of these different areas and franchises to create amazing experiences for our fans. We’ve always been a very fan-first type of studio. We know what our fans want, we give it to them, and we delight them.”

“My So-Called Life” creator and “Wicked” writer Winnie Holzman has been tapped to receive Humanitas‘s Kieser Award, while writer/comedian Ashley Nicole Black has been named host of this year’s Humanitas Prizes Award Show & Toast, the org announced Monday.

Also on Monday, Humanitas announced the nominees for this year’s ten Humanitas Prizes, and revealed that Starz is back as the awards show’s key sponsor.

The ceremony, which will also announce the 2026 New Voices Fellows, College Screenwriting Awards and Starz #TakeTheLead Award, will take place at Avalon Hollywood on Sept. 9.

The Humanitas Prize honors “film and television writers whose work explores the human condition in a nuanced, meaningful way. Prizes are presented at an annual event where winners receive a trophy and a cash prize.” Here are this year’s nominees:

Drama Teleplay

“Chicago Med” (“The Book of Charles”): Allen MacDonald

“Grey’s Anatomy” (“Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child”): Jess Righthand

“Paradise” (“Graceland”): Dan Fogelman, Eric Wen

“The Testaments” (“Stadium”): Gianna Sobol

Comedy Teleplay
“Abbott Elementary” (“Goofgirl”): Justin Tan

“Long Story Short” (“Yoshi’s Bar Mitzvah”): Raphael Bob-Waksberg

“Resident Alien” (“The End is Here”): Chris Sheridan

“Shrinking” (“My Bad”): Brian Gallivan

Limited Series Teleplay
“Beef” (“Oh, The Comfort, The Inexpressible Comfort”): Lee Sung Jin, Madeleine Pron

“DTF St. Louis” (“No One’s Normal. It Just Looks That Way from Across the Street”): Steven Conrad

“Hal & Harper” (“Are You Watching?”): Cooper Raiff

“Washington Black” (“The Flying Man & the Musician”): Selwyn Hinds

Children’s Teleplay
“E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web” (“Part 3”): Levi Abrino

“My Brother the Minotaur” (“Lunacy and Lorcan”): Mark B. Hodkinson

“The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” (“The Shade of It All”): Tiffany Thomas

“Tab Time” (“When We Lose Someone”): Sean Presant

Drama Feature
“All That’s Left of You”: Cherien Dabis

“Preparation for the Next Life”: Martyna Majok

“Song Sung Blue”: Craig Brewer

“Train Dreams”: Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar

Comedy Feature
“A Nice Indian Boy”: Eric Randall

“Rental Family”: Hikari, Stephen Blahut

“The Invite”: Will McCormack, Rashida Jones

“The Baltimorons”: Jay Duplass, Michael Strassner

Family Feature
“Elio”: Julia Cho, Mark Hammer, Mike Jones, Adrian Molina, Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi

“Grow”: Nick Güthe, Christos N. Gage, Ruth Fletcher Gage

“Hoppers”: Jesse Andrews, Daniel Chong

“KPop Demon Hunters”: Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans, Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan

Short Film
“Beyond Unstoppable”: Valerie Alexander

“Double Happiness”: Shari Albert, Laura LeeLun

“The Birthday Gif”t: Stephanie Alison Walker, Paula Pizzi

“Vital”: Amir Zargara, Gabe Berry

Documentary (Feature)
“Come See Me in the Good Light”: Ryan White, Jessica Hargrave, Tig Notaro, Stef Willen

“The Tale of Silyan”: Tamara Kotevska

“Life After”: Reid Davenport, Colleen Cassingham

“Shuffle”: Benjamin Flaherty

Documentary (Docuseries, Single Episode)
“Billy Joel: And So It Goes” (“Part Two”): Susan Lacy, Jessica Levin

“Katrina: Come Hell and High Water” (“Shelter of Last Resort”): Samantha Knowles

“Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!” (“Part Two”): Judd Apatow, Michael Bonfiglio, Joe Beshenkovsky

“Rise of the 49ers” (“We Built This City”): Ryan Kelly, Nick Mascolo

In the case of Holzman, the Kieser Award “honors those who have dedicated their substantial talent, work, and resources to creating transformative stories that celebrate our common humanity.” Past winners include Greg Berlanti, Marta Kauffman, John Sacret Young, John Ridley, Jason Katims, Fay Kanin and Bill Moyers.

Besides “My So-Called Life” and “Wicked,” Holzman’s other credits include “Thirtysomething,” “Once and Again” and “Huge.” As an actor, she’s been seen in “Jerry Maguire,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “The Comeback” and “A Man on the Inside.” Most recently, she co-wrote both screenplays for the movie adaptations of “Wicked.”

“Winnie has consistently explored the complexities of the human condition with compassion, intelligence, and emotional honesty. Winnie’s work has made generations grappling with coming of age and identity feel seen,” said Humanitas executive director Michelle Franke. “We admire her steadfast commitment to mentoring and nurturing writers, as we saw up close when she twice served as a mentor in our New Voices Fellowship program. We are honored to be recognizing her with our top honor, the Kieser Award, this September.”

As for the Starz #TakeTheLead Award, the honor is meant to “amplify narratives by, about and for women and underrepresented audiences.”

“Starz’s generosity has had a profound impact on Humanitas’ work over the last four years, most notably by providing support to our New Voices Fellowship,” Franke said. “In 2026, we’re thrilled to offer the #TakeTheLead Award once again. We’ll share more application details via our website in the coming weeks and more programming details at The Humanitas Prizes event this fall.”

Also, winners of the 2026 New Voices Fellowship, David and Lynn Angell College Comedy Award and Carol Mendelsohn College Drama Award will be revealed at The Humanitas Prizes Awards Show & Toast.

“The New Voices Fellowship is a six-month mentorship program while the College Screenwriting Awards carry with them professional engagements and significant cash prizes. Lists of semifinalists for the New Voices Fellowship and for the College Screenwriting Awards are available on the organization’s website.”

In addition to being the culminating event of the annual awards program, The Humanitas Prizes Awards Show & Toast raises financial support for the New Voices Fellowship, College Screenwriting Awards and a programs including the Industry 101 event series and The Writers Room program for high school students.

As for Black, the writer/comedian has worked on “Ted Lasso” and “Shrinking,” where she also recurs. Her other credits include “Bad Monkey” and “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.”

“The Last of Us” voice actor Ashley Johnson got her start in Hollywood as a child actor, playing the role of Chrissy Seaver on the final two seasons of ABC‘s sitcom “Growing Pains” from 1990 to 1992. On a recent episode of her “Weird Kids” podcast, Johnson revealed she was once nearly abducted by a fan after a live taping of the show (via People).

“It was in the first year I was on, and we had only done a couple of film nights,” Johnson said. “So, I hadn’t done that many yet and at that time, all of the cast sort of had trailers and they were like old camper trailers. They’re not like the fancy trailers that they are now. They were great. We would exit our trailers before the shoot and the audience that would be walking in, you would walk by the audience before you would walk into the studio.”

Johnson said the studio was not equipped with metal detectors and other security measures that are now common practice in Hollywood. The studio audience would only be “within five feet” of the actors when they were entering the set, for example.

“Somebody had written in and said that, ‘I am coming to set and I am going to bring a gun and I am going to murder some of the cast,’” Johnson continued. “So, I’m walking with my mom and then I just remember some guy hops out of the line and he grabs me and grabs me up and starts booking it. And all I remember is like, there was security that somehow got on him after some time.”

Security apprehended the fan and Johnson remembered “flying around in the air” during the struggle to set her free. The would-be kidnapper had a gun on him, the actor recalled.

“I was clueless as to what was happening, but I was very upset and they were talking to me about it after. And they were like, ‘Are you okay?’ And I just said, ‘I just think I’m gonna be in trouble,’” Johnson said. “Because I think I was such a polite kid at the time. I think he was running with me and running away. I was like, ‘Who are you, sir? What is your name? I was very pleased to meet you.’ But he was packing. They got him. This was the thing. He was high on something. It wasn’t meth, but it was something — like, he was so strong.”

Johnson made her television debut on “Growing Pains” and continued on the small screen with roles on short-lived series such as “Phenom” and “Maybe This Time.” She pivoted to voice acting at a young age with a role on the “Jumanji” animated series, which included 40 episodes, and she’d continue with this work throughout her career. She is the voice of Ellise in “The Last of Us” video game franchise, which won her two BAFTA Games Awards.

Following “Growing Pains,” Johnson reprised her role of Chrissy Seaver in the 2000 movie “The Growing Pains Movie” and the 2004 follow-up “Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers.”

Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison may think the promise of the Paramount Warner Bros. Discovery mega-merger is an offer we can’t refuse, but I’m here to say: He’s wrong.

I am leading a coalition of 12 state Attorneys General in taking Paramount and Warner Bros. to court to stop this unlawful merger.

The entertainment industry doesn’t exist simply to hawk movies and TV shows like they’re any other commodity. It exists to tell stories, spark ideas and curiosity, inspire and inform, and open our eyes to new perspectives that we may never have encountered otherwise.

It’s why movies and shows so often play a starring role in our lives — in first dates and last dates, cherished family memories, debates over dinner, moments of quiet self-care, and moments that bring communities together, as we’ve seen throughout the World Cup.

Whether it’s the living room TV, the big screen, or the small devices we carry everywhere we go, there is no doubt that the entertainment industry touches the lives of Americans daily.

That is why we should all be concerned about the $110 billion proposed merger between media giants Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros.

By combining two of the five largest film distributors and two of the five largest basic cable channel owners, the resulting media behemoth would control nearly one-third of theatrical movie distribution and nearly one-third of basic cable channels. It would control more than 30% of the blockbuster release distribution that buoys the movie theater business and 50 of the most popular cable TV channels, spanning an unrivaled slate of news, sports, entertainment, kids, family, factual, and lifestyle content.

Giving that much power to one media company would wipe out competition, jack up prices, hurt the quality of content we’re offered, and bring fewer movies and shows to our screens. Combining cable news channels would mean fewer journalists informing our electorate and fewer opportunities for Americans to hear the full breadth of information and opinions on a subject. Consolidation would mean fewer voices speaking truth to power and fewer documentarians, filmmakers, showrunners, producers, writers, and artists shedding light on important stories that too often go untold.

That’s a death knell for the film and TV industry — and for our democracy.

For more than a century, Paramount and Warner Bros.’ fierce competition has fueled powerful projects that have stood the test of time. We’re talking about “Titanic,” “The Godfather,” “The Matrix,” “Barbie,” “Harry Potter,” “Lord of the Rings” and “Casablanca” — just to name a few.

If we allow them to extinguish the flame of competition, they will no longer have the same incentive to distribute their best, most creative work, to innovate, to greenlight interesting and risky projects, and to offer viewers fair prices.

Competition is the heartbeat of a vibrant entertainment industry, just as it is the lifeblood of a healthy economy.

Competition ensures that companies rise to the top based on what they put in the market, not based on backdoor deals. And, it ensures that consumers have an array of choices in both product and price. History has shown us that consolidation in markets at the center of American economic life does not serve our economy, consumers, or competition well. Instead, it leads to increased unaffordability, a loss of good-paying job opportunities, and fewer choices for consumers. Just think of the robber barons of the Gilded Age who dominated the oil, railroad, and steel industries, pocketing obscene profits while exploiting workers, corrupting the political system, and squashing potential rivals.

Monopolies give too few too much power. That’s why we have antitrust laws to prevent them and control mergers. Laws like the Clayton Act, which this proposed merger violates. Antitrust enforcement is democracy’s check on oligarchy. It’s a check on wealthy businesses seeking to game the system and cheat to knock out competition. It’s a check on billionaires currying favor with the president so he’ll do their bidding and hand-pick winners and losers, bypassing the law and the meritocracy that makes our economy thrive. And it’s a check on the elite few who think they’re above the law, when they’re not.

No one is. No company is.

If you need proof that antitrust enforcement fuels a healthy economy, just look at California. We’ve got some of the strongest antitrust and consumer protections on the books — protections we are not afraid to uphold. And, at the same time, we’re the fourth largest economy in the world, home to more Fortune 500 companies than any other state, and home to nearly two-thirds of all U.S. venture capital investment. That’s no accident.

Americans deserve fair prices and a fair market. They deserve options. They deserve to know that they’re not being cheated by corporations that break the law, and take advantage of workers and consumers to fill their coffers.

We are taking Paramount and Warner Bros. to court to preserve an industry that has the power to make us laugh, cry, question, and take action. To protect an industry that helps shape who we are, how we see the world, and what we care about.

As Attorney General of the Golden State, I am proud to stand up for an industry deeply ingrained in California’s history, identity, and economy.

With this lawsuit, we are standing up for a free and fair market, not a rigged market. Because America has no kings in government or our economy.

Rob Bonta is the attorney general of California.

The Puerto Rico Film Festival has announced Costa Rica as the official country in focus for its upcoming 17th edition, taking place August 19–23. The announcement marks the first time the festival elects a country of honor, and comes ahead of this year’s Costa Rica Media Market, a leading industry event taking place in San José on July 14-15.

According to the festival, the choice reflects a “growing relationship between both territories and opening new opportunities for artistic and industry collaboration.” The special spotlight will see a series of dedicated initiatives, including welcoming a delegation of Costa Rican filmmakers and a showcase of contemporary Costa Rican cinema. Costa Rica Film Commissioner Marysela Zamora-Villalobos will also attend the festival, where she will take part in industry activities focused on international collaboration, production incentives and regional partnerships.

A festival statement highlighted how having Costa Rica as the festival’s country in focus emphasizes the event’s “long-term commitment to building stronger bridges between Caribbean and Latin American film industries at a time when international co-productions, shared funding opportunities and cross-border distribution have become increasingly important for independent filmmakers.”

“The partnership offers an opportunity to deepen ties with Puerto Rico while introducing audiences and industry professionals to a new generation of Costa Rican storytellers,” the statement continued. “For Puerto Rico, it reinforces the island’s ambition to become a strategic hub where Caribbean and Latin American cinema can collaborate, develop projects and create sustainable industry relationships.”

Lester Rivé, founder and festival director of the Puerto Rico Film Festival said: “For Puerto Rico, having Costa Rica as our Country in Focus represents much more than a cultural exchange. It creates new opportunities for our filmmakers to connect internationally, showcase their work, develop co-productions and explore new business and distribution opportunities across Latin America. Building these relationships today will strengthen the future of our regional film industry.”

Speaking with Variety, Zamora said the festival’s invitation “reflects the growing recognition of Costa Rica as an active player in the regional audiovisual ecosystem.” 

“It gives our filmmakers, producers, and companies another platform to build international partnerships and showcase the quality of the work being created in the country,” she added. “It’s also a sign that Costa Rica is increasingly contributing to regional conversations—not only through its locations, but through its talent, stories and industry initiatives.”

Costa Rica’s audiovisual industry has grown exponentially in the last decade, with breakout films by directors such as Valentina Maurel, Antonella Sudasassi Furniss, Paz Fábrega and Sofía Quirós Ubeda making waves at major festivals such as Cannes, Berlin and Rotterdam.

Well-known for stunning landscapes and rich biodiversity, the small but mighty Central American country has also emerged as a hungry player on the international production scene. In 2021, the country introduced its Law of Attraction of Film Investments, consolidating VAT refunds and tax exemptions for foreign productions. Today, the country offers an up-to-90% VAT refund on local services for qualifying projects, which equates to an around 11.7% tax rebate with a promise to repay within 90 days. 

Last year, Costa Rica attracted $11.2 million in audiovisual investment through 87 international business opportunities, more than double the 41 from the year prior. The country lured projects from Warner Bros. Discovery, Universal and BBC Studios, with the film commission closely supporting their production by minimizing bureaucracy and expediting technical documents.  

Beyond the Costa Rica-tied activities and a full program of screenings, the Puerto Rico Film Festival has become known for a growing industry platform designed to connect Puerto Rico with the global film community while celebrating diverse voices and emerging talent from around the world. This year’s full program is yet to be announced. 

Is David Ellison considering a nuclear option of relocating Paramount’s headquarters from California — and potentially diverting billions of production dollars from the Golden State — if California Attorney General Rob Bonta files his expected challenge to the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery deal?

That was the suggestion in an anonymously sourced item published by Semafor on Sunday, which said that Ellison’s “friends and advisers” have been “pushing the media executive to consider shifting his business out of the state.” The report cautioned that Paramount has made no decisions on this front and that such talk “may just be a show of brinkmanship.”

Indeed, the Semafor report comes as California’s AG appears to be moving forward with plans to file a lawsuit to block Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery “as soon as this week,” the New York Times reported Sunday. California would be joined by states including New York, Washington and Connecticut in the legal challenge, in arguing the deal would “harm competition in the market” for tentpole films among other claims, per the Times report.

Representatives for Paramount Skydance did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

The message in the suggestion that Ellison’s Paramount might exit California: If you try to block or slow down our Warner Bros. takeover, we’ll take our business elsewhere. It’s obviously a saber-rattling move, but it isn’t clear whether the threat will give pause to California or other states with Democratic attorneys general who are opposing the deal.

Paramount last year moved corporate headquarters after buying Paramount Global, relocating from New York City to Los Angeles. Other companies, including Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Larry Ellison’s Oracle, in recent years have moved their HQs out of California for tax reasons or over objections to California laws and regulations.

It would be one thing for Paramount to shift its corporate headquarters out of L.A. That would potentially affect a few hundred jobs. But the logistics and repercussions of diverting Paramount-Warner Bros. film and TV productions out of California would be daunting — not only would it take several years to do that, it would poison the merged company’s relations with Hollywood professionals, who are already concerned that Paramount-WBD will curtail job opportunities.

Paramount has lobbied Bonta about the alleged pro-competitive benefits of its Warner Bros. deal, and why specifically it would be a good thing for the state. In May, Paramount chief legal officer Makan Delrahim a letter to Bonta in which he “reiterate[d] our continued commitment and support to Californian movie theaters and audiences” coming “in response to certain misinformation about the marketplace expressed in recent public commentary.” Delrahim also noted Ellison’s repeated pledges that the merged company will release at least 30 films per year.