“Whalefall” director Brian Duffield is well aware that, in most cases, the main character getting swallowed by an animal would be a bit of a buzzkill. “It would typically feel like the end of a movie,” Duffield tells Variety, cracking a wide grin. “Like, ‘RIP Austin!’” But the team at Disney’s 20th Century Studios felt … Read more
Lesley Manville will star alongside Brett Goldstein in the upcoming Amazon Prime Video comedy series “Escorted,” Variety has learned. The show was originally announced in November 2025 with an eight-episode order. The logline states, “A divorced dad (Goldstein) in Manhattan accidentally becomes a male escort in this romantic comedy about sexual dynamics, keeping secrets, and … Read more
A few months ago, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth complained that the Pentagon had officially recognized too many faith traditions, which he characterized as “impractical.” A few weeks ago, the Defense Department acted on those concerns, shrinking the list of recognized religions from 211 faiths to 31. The rather dramatic shift did not go unnoticed, though … Read more
Claudia Doumit has signed with Verve for representation, Variety has learned exclusively. She continues to be repped by Cultivate, Origin PR and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher. Doumit is fresh off of the hit Amazon series “The Boys,” in which she played supe-politician Victoria Neuman, who fans will remember for her ability to manipulate … Read more
We are not alone in the universe — Steven Spielberg has been telling us this for years. Aliens are among us. Sometimes they hide in our closets, looking like adorable geriatrics with glowing fingers (E.T.). Other times, they swoop down to our terra firma on mother ships, inspiring us to contemplate life, the universe, and … Read more
You could say the Trump administration did a huge favor to “Disclosure Day” by releasing a trove of America’s UFO files — excuse me, UAP files — just last month. The timing was a coincidence, but it felt like the perfect piece of publicity to drum up anticipation for Steven Spielberg’s epic thriller about a … Read more
Jay-Z is expanding his upcoming performance slate, with the announcement of headlining concerts, dubbed “Jay-Z30,” in Paris and Los Angeles. On Tuesday (June 9), Roc Nation announced that the Grammy Award-winning artist will perform in Paris at Stade de France on Thursday, Sept. 10, and another concert at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, … Read more
Anna Faris revealed in a new interview with Dexerto that her blatant takedown of Melania Trump was cut out of “Scary Movie,” the sixth installment in the long-running spoof franchise that recently topped the box office with a $54 million debut. The actor said she “was always pushing for Cindy to be classic MAGA rabbit … Read more
In Los Angeles’ closely watched mayoral race, it’s been clear for several days that Karen Bass, the city’s Democratic incumbent, received enough support in last week’s primary to advance to the general election in November. The question was who she’d run against. This week, the answer came into focus. MS NOW reported: Los Angeles Council … Read more
The producers of “Cocomelon” have heard your concerns. But Moonbug, the studio behind the popular preschool series, doesn’t buy into the common critique that its programming is overstimulating or addictive. As such, Moonbug recently announced a partnership with UCLA’s Center for Scholars and Storytellers, a nonprofit research center focused on children’s entertainment. As exclusively reported … Read more