Tag: Entertainment-Variety

Kristen Bell is very busy.

Not only is she preparing to star in a workshop of a new stage musical, “Three Months Later,” in Los Angeles, but she’s also getting ready to shoot Season 3 of her hit Netflix rom-com series, “Nobody Wants This.” 

In between those projects, she’ll squeeze in her third time hosting the Actor Awards on March 1.

“I’m in like full throttle bad boss mode,” Bell says. “Well, not a bad boss. More like a worker bee.”

Are you getting used to calling them the Actor Awards and not the SAG Awards?

I’m starting to. It’s a little bit easier because the statue has always been called The Actor so it’s not as if the name came out of nowhere. I think it had been on the burner for a while, and with the broad reach of the show, obviously, not just domestically, but globally, it makes it easier for folks to understand what the show is about, that it is truly honoring actors voted on by actors. It’s closest thing to your high school yearbook that you’re ever going to get. It also embraces a modern identity for the show.

Do you remember the first time you said, “I’m an actor”?

It would have been once I started doing press because I don’t think before I started doing press, I ever would say to anyone casually, I’m an actor.

Did you say it for your first credited role in 2001’s “Pootie Tang”? Were you an actor then?

I sure was.

And what a cast – Chris Rock, Jennifer Coolidge and Wanda Sykes.

That was a fun one. I played Andy Richter’s daughter. It was one scene and it was cut, but they kept it in the credits, and I was still really proud. Even then, I was enamored by comedians. I love comedy. I think smiling is very important. I think to have the sole objective to make people smile is like kind of a cool ethos. So to be with that cast for one scene, felt very exciting

Did they tell you beforehand that you didn’t make the final cut?

They did. It was very respectful. Then I sat through the whole movie and when the credits rolled, my name was still there. I was really happy. 

But look where you are now. Look how far you’ve come.

Look how far you’ve come! Hey, look how far we’ve come!

You just gave me your schedule and it sounds exhausting. 

It is, but it only lasts for certain weeks of the year. There’s like six weeks of the year when I’m in high octane mode. But I will say I’m only in high octane mode because I really do turn off my phone at five o’clock. 

You do?

Yeah, that’s a non-negotiable for me. So I rush, rush, rush during the day to try to get all these things done because when my kids get home and we’re all off work and the family is together, my phone goes into another room and we make dinner and watch a movie. Tonight, we’re watching “Castaway.” I work really hard so that I can play really hard.

How many jokes are written for you for the Actor Awards?

A billion. Usually we start with concepts. Like, are we going to talk about the name change? My vote was, yeah, A, because it is the only year you can do it because this is the year of the name change and, B, I think there’s a lot of comedy to mine within that. What’s pitched more before jokes are concepts, is this funny to goof on? There are anchor shows that we all know like “Severance” and “The White Lotus.” There were some hard hitters that we’ve seen for the first time. Then there’s a ping pong movie so we got ping pong in the mix now that we can goof on and we all kind of just sit and think about what would be the most entertaining and goofiest things to say about those subjects.

When do you decide whether you’re going to sing or not?

I’d always like to sing, but I can’t have it just be a concert. They didn’t buy tickets for the Kristen Bell concert, right? They bought tickets to the Actor Awards. I mean, I don’t even think anybody paid for their tickets, but they’re coming to see this special experience that’s got 30 years of legacy. I can’t just do whatever I want. It’s not the mirror in my bedroom where I can just perform. But if we can find a topic and concept and funny enough version of that that involves singing, I’m here for it.

The 32nd Annual Actor Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA (the Screen Actors Guild — American Federation of Radio and Television Artists) will stream live on Sunday, March 1, on Netflix at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET. 

This Q&A was edited for length and clarity.

Winona Ryder has booked a guest star role in “Wednesday” Season 3, Variety has learned.

The role means a “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice” reunion is set for the hit show’s third season. “Wednesday” star Jenna Ortega played Ryder’s daughter in the film, while Ryder’s longtime collaborator Tim Burton directed the film and continues to direct and executive produce “Wednesday.” Meanwhile, “Wednesday” creators and showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar wrote the screenplay for “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.”

“I am so happy that Winona has joined us, she fits right into this world,” “Wednesday” director and executive producer Burton said in a statement. “And she’s a dear friend. I always feel lucky to work with her.”

The role marks a swift return to Netflix for Ryder, who recently starred in the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things,” having originally joined that show in 2016. Exact details on who she will play in “Wednesday” are being kept under wraps.

“When it comes to Outcasts, Winona Ryder is the GOAT,” said Gough & Millar. “Her legendary partnership with Tim Burton has defined some of cinema’s most unforgettable characters. We loved collaborating with her on ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ and couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome her to Nevermore.”

Ryder is the latest new cast member announced for Season 3 of the show, following the news that Eva Green would portray Morticia Addams’ sister Ophelia.

Ryder famously starred in the original “Beetlejuice” in 1988 before returning for the long-awaited sequel in 2024. She and Burton also worked together on the critically-acclaimed feature “Edward Scissorhands” as well as the 2012 animated movie “Frankenweenie.” Ryder is a two-time Oscar nominee — one for best supporting actress for “The Age of Innocence” and another for best actress for “Little Women.” Aside from “Stranger Things,” her other TV roles include “The Plot Against America” and “Show Me a Hero.”

She is repped by WME, Anonymous Content, and Hirsch Wallerstein.

Aside from Ortega, the cast of “Wednesday” includes: Emma Myers, Hunter Doohan, Joy Sunday, Moosa Mostafa, Georgie Farmer, Isaac Ordonez, Billie Piper, Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo, Victor Dorobantu, Evie Templeton, with Luis Guzmán, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Joanna Lumley, and Fred Armisen.

The show is based on characters created by Charles Addams. Gough, Millar, and Burton are all executive producers. MGM Television is the studio.

“Wednesday” Season 2 was released in two parts in August and September 2025. Like the first season, the second went on to become a massive hit for Netflix, where it currently ranks as the streamer’s fifth most-watched English language season of TV ever. Season 1 is the most-watched season ever.

Sarah Turney and Kourtney Nichole have teamed for “The Final Hours,” a new true-crime podcast that closely examines clues from the last few hours before someone goes missing — an effort, they say, to give unsolved cases the attention they deserve.

The weekly podcast comes from PAVE Studios under its Crime House banner. “The Final Hours” premieres on Monday (Feb. 23) across all major podcast platforms. New episodes will release every Monday.

For Turney (above left), the subject matter hits close to home: Her sister, Alissa Turney, went missing in 2001 in Arizona, and Sarah has become an advocate for trying to locate missing people through her “Voices for Justice” podcast. Nichole (host of “Crime With Kourt”) also has a personal connection to true crime: At a young age, she learned that someone in her own family had committed a violent crime, an incident she has subsequently investigated.

“I’ve spent years fighting for my sister’s case to be heard, and I know firsthand how many families are still waiting for that same attention,” Turney said. “Partnering with Kourtney and Crime House gives us the platform to shine a light on the cases that deserve a second look, the ones where critical details were dismissed or overlooked. This isn’t just another true-crime show. It’s about accountability, and making sure these stories don’t fade into the background.”

Nichole said, “What drew me to this partnership with Crime House is the opportunity to do true crime differently, with intention and respect for the families still living with unanswered questions. Teaming up with Sarah on this series feels like the most natural thing I’ve ever done. We both became advocates in this space through deeply personal experiences, and that shapes how we approach every case. These stories deserve more than headlines. They deserve the kind of attention that can actually make a difference.”

“The Final Hours” will cover a different missing-person case each week, looking at details that may provide new leads — an untouched dinner, an unmade bed, an unsent text or an unlocked door. “From final conversations, to the last known steps, to red flags and red herrings, Sarah and Kourtney understand the things that replay over and over in the minds of those who’ve lost a loved one,” PAVE Studios said in announcing the podcast.

Turney, who has more than 1.3 million followers across social platforms, launched “Voices for Justice” in 2019, which reached No. 1 on Apple Podcasts and led to a documentary collaboration with Peacock. Alissa’s case and Sarah’s advocacy are also the focus of an upcoming Netflix documentary.

Nichole’s true-crime show “Crime With Kourt” reaches more than 3 million followers across social platforms. Her work has consistently helped push stalled investigations back into the public conversation, according to PAVE.

Founded by Max Cutler, Sherman Oaks, Calif.-based PAVE Studios produces podcasts under two banners: Crime House and lifestyle-oriented OpenMind, whose shows include “Khloé in Wonder Land” hosted by Khloé Kardashian.

Listen to the trailer for “The Final Hours”:

David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance has a Monday deadline to submit its best and final offer for Warner Bros. Discovery — and Paramount is expected to come back with an offer above its previous $30/share bid for WBD, angling to outflank Netflix to win the deal.

The board of Warner Bros. Discovery, with the permission of Netflix, opened a seven-day window to talk with Paramount about an improved offer. That discussion period ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on Feb. 23, coming after teams from both companies worked over the weekend.

Paramount has declined to comment on its next move. Insiders tell Variety that Paramount’s revised offer for Warner Bros. Discovery will likely come in at $32/share.

How will Netflix respond? After Paramount submits a revised proposal, the streamer has four days to either come back with a matching offer — or exit the M&A drama.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, in an interview Friday with Variety‘s Cynthia Littleton, declined to say how the streamer would respond to a higher offer from Paramount. But he did say that Netflix has a “rich history” of being “willing to walk away and let someone else overpay for things.”

“The next move is up to somebody else. We have a signed deal with Warner Bros. Discovery,” Sarandos said in the Feb. 20 interview. “If someone wants to make a better deal, which the Warner Bros. Discovery board has said has not happened yet, then we’ll see what happens down the road. But let’s not get ahead of that process. And I certainly wouldn’t comment on the bidding strategy anyway. But the core of it is, you know, we’re super-disciplined buyers, as you probably know we have a reputation for such so that I’m willing to walk away and let someone else overpay for things. We have a rich history of that.”

If Warner Bros. Discovery agrees to accept Paramount Skydance’s higher offer, WBD will be on the hook to pay a $2.8 billion breakup fee to Netflix. In its most recent proposed offer, Paramount has said it will foot the bill for that.

On Feb. 17, WBD said it was engaging in discussions with Paramount to “seek clarity” on its “best and final offer.” WBD wanted Paramount Skydance “to clarify your proposal, which we understand will include a WBD per share price higher than $31,” Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav and board chairman Samuel Di Piazza Jr. wrote in a letter sent to Paramount’s board.

The Warner Bros. Discovery board cited a communication from a “senior representative for PSKY” to an identified WBD board member that if the WBD board authorized M&A talks, Paramount “would agree to pay $31 per share and that the offer was not PSKY’s ‘best and final’ proposal.” In addition, WBD set March 20 for the special meeting of shareholders to vote on the Netflix deal — which the board at the time said it still recommended that investors vote for.

“The question now becomes how high PSKY is willing to go — and whether Netflix will exercise its matching rights and increase its offer as well,” MoffettNathanson analyst Robert Fishman wrote in a Feb. 20 research note. “In short, we do expect PSKY to go to at least $32 per share to put the pressure back on NFLX to increase its bid likely to the $30 per share range.” He added that if Paramount Skydance “truly wants to win the bidding war with NFLX, we think it will take a bid in the range of $34 per share to avoid an ongoing debate over the value of Discovery’s Global Networks.”

Under Netflix’s current agreement with WBD, the streamer would buy Warner Bros.’s studios and streaming businesses for $27.75 per share. WBD shareholders would retain equity in Discovery Global, the company’s proposed spin-off entity house CNN, TBS and other linear networks.

If Netflix were to up its offer above $30/share, “we have difficulty making the accretion math work,” Fishman wrote. That’s factoring in incremental debt, “likely revenue cannibalization and necessary programming spend cuts needed.”

“While we see the longer-term benefits of owning Warner Bros., HBO and HBO Max, we expect NFLX to walk away from the deal following a disciplined approach if PSKY pushes its bid well beyond $32 per share,” the MoffettNathanson analyst continued. “We think it will be difficult for PSKY to win the bidding war for WBD if it decides to take a less aggressive approach during this waiver period, giving NFLX the opportunity to match at a more modest increase from its current bid.”

Meanwhile, Donald Trump — after earlier this month saying he would not be involved in the review of the Netflix-WB pact — in a social media post Saturday demanded that Netflix “immediately fire” board member Susan Rice or else “pay the consequences.” Trump cited a tweet by far-right commentator Laura Loomer, who said Rice, who served as U.N. ambassador under Obama, was “threatening half of the country with weaponized government political retribution.” Loomer also bizarrely claimed that if Netflix is allowed to acquire Warner Bros., “positive messaging of the Democrats’ upcoming witch hunts against Trump from Barack Hussein Obama and his anti-White racist wife Michelle would likely be blasted across all streaming services.”

On Monday, Sarandos addressed Trump’s comment. “He likes to do a lot of things on social media,” Sarandos said in a BBC Radio 4 interview. “This is a business deal. It’s not a political deal. This deal is run by the Department of Justice in the U.S. and regulators throughout Europe and around the world.”

The Justice Department in recent weeks has expanded its review of the proposed Netflix-WB agreement to examine whether the combined company would violate antitrust laws with respect to the market for entertainment programming. The DOJ’s Antitrust Division has sent inquiries to independent studios inquiring whether the Netflix acquisition of Warner Bros. “may substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act or Section 2 of the Sherman Act,” according to a copy of one of the letters reviewed by Variety.

Netflix has argued that it does not have anything close to monopoly control over any market. In a statement to Bloomberg about the expanded DOJ probe, chief legal counsel David Hyman said, “Netflix operates in an extremely competitive market. Any claim that it is a monopolist, or seeking to monopolize, is unfounded. We neither hold monopoly power nor engage in exclusionary conduct and we’ll gladly cooperate, as we always do, with regulators on any concerns they may have.”

On Friday, Paramount said its proposed WBD takeover had cleared a milestone at the DOJ, after the expiration of the statutory waiting period following Paramount Skydance’s “certification of compliance” with the Justice Department’s second request for information under the Hart-Scott-Rodino antitrust act. Netflix’s Hyman accused Paramount of continuing to “mislead stockholders and distract from the facts,” saying that “routine HSR milestones do not signal DOJ approval nor that any decision has been made.”

“Golden Swan,” which has its world premiere in the International Competition section of the 28th Thessaloniki Intl. Documentary Festival, has debuted its trailer.

The film, directed by Anette Ostrø, looks back to 1995, when her brother, Hans Christian Ostrø, travelled to India in search of meaning and artistic growth. Months later, he is kidnapped in Kashmir and held hostage by the militant group al-Faran.

During five weeks in captivity, he secretly writes poems and letters to his sister. Found on his body after his execution, these texts become the foundation of an intimate reconstruction of his final months.

Anette Ostrø said in a statement, “I was 25 when my only brother was brutally killed. The trauma changed my life completely. I am not sure I would have become a filmmaker if not for this event. The desire to tell my brother’s story has followed me throughout my career.

“British journalists Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark contacted me while researching their book ‘The Meadow – Kashmir 1995,’ where the terror began. Sharing with them the information and memories surrounding what happened to my brother made me realize that telling his story had become necessary – and urgent – now.

“As both sister and filmmaker, I approach this story personally while placing it in the wider context of global terrorism. In a polarized world defined by fear, Hans Christian’s choice to recognize humanity in his enemy rather than give in to hate feels urgently relevant.

“Through this film, I want to share the legacy he left behind – one that I believe can inspire many.”

The producers are Beathe Hofseth and Siri Natvik of Fri Film in Norway; the co-producers are Helle Faber of Made in Copenhagen in Denmark, Olivia Sophie van Leeuwen of 100% Film in Netherlands, and Erika Malmgren of Cinenic Film of Sweden.

Japan remains one of the world’s most insular television format markets, exporting globally successful unscripted hits while importing almost no foreign concepts, according to data presented by Virginia Mouseler, CEO of The WIT, during the “Fresh TV: Japan” session at Mip London.

Using the company’s real-time tracking database, Mouseler said Japan currently ranks as the world’s seventh-largest exporter of formats, “at the same level as South Korea,” even as it adapts very little international IP.

WIT’s Top Formats tool showed Japanese-origin “Dragon’s Den” continuing to rank among the most widely adapted unscripted formats globally over the past year, alongside international hits including “The Floor,” “The A Talks” and “The Traitors.”

Among Japanese formats themselves, the most adapted unscripted titles over the past 12 months include “Dragon’s Den,” “LOL,” “Freeze” and the long-running game show “Run for Money,” highlighting the export strength of high-concept entertainment formats built around simple game mechanics.

At the same time, Japan remains highly resistant to importing foreign formats. According to WIT data, only two international formats were adapted locally over the past year, compared with none the year before.

One of those imports was the South Korean relationship competition “Wedding Wars,” based on CJ ENM’s “Wedding Fighters,” which premiered on streaming platform Abema in April. The other was a reboot of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” returning to Japanese television 26 years after its first local version.

Mouseler noted that Japan has “a long, long tradition of importing no formats,” with the country currently ranking 15th globally as a format importer.

Much local activity instead revolves around revivals and reinventions of homegrown IP, including the recent reboot of the classic game show “Challenges on Fire,” which returned three decades after its original run.

The presentation also highlighted a new generation of Japanese entertainment formats centered on visually driven physical mechanics and social-strategy gameplay, including hybrid deduction formats, endurance-based competition shows such as “Cash or Splash,” and Nippon TV’s rotating-stage challenge format “Turn” (“Mawase”), underscoring Japan’s continued focus on highly visual, easily exportable game concepts.