No WWE star has ever been nominated for an Emmy Award for their work within the company, but Paul Heyman wants to change that with Roman Reigns. Heyman has been working with Reigns as his “special counsel” (and now “wise man”) since Reigns debuted his Tribal Chief persona back in 2020. As Heyman sees it,…
Prime Video’s ‘Farzi,’ From the Creators of ‘The Family Man,’ Is a Counterfeiting Caper That Drags Its Feet: TV Review
Between the Sundance-laurelled “Against the Tide,” “Pathaan’”s thundering box-office and Netflix’s quietly gripping miniseries “Trial by Fire,” India is on a roll in Q1 of 2023, consolidating the recent red-carpet success of “RRR” and “All That Breathes.” In theory, that slate should be bolstered further by the return of nifty genre technicians Raj & DK…
Algo-Rhythm: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love AI (Guest Column)
One of my favorite things about the music industry is that it is in constant motion, forever transforming to the beat of technology and innovation. But culture eats technology for breakfast, and when you mix the two, you get magic: music. As the business evolves, it’s important to take a closer look at the impact…
‘Shrinking’ Star Jessica Williams on Grief, Therapy and Improv: ‘Anything About Being Black Is Probably Something I Added Myself’
Death, divorce and disease overwhelm the therapists at the center of “Shrinking” — and it’s not just their clients’. Co-creators Jason Segel, Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein wrote the role of upbeat Gaby for Jessica Williams, knowing that the “Love Life” star and former “Daily Show” correspondent would inject some much-needed vigor to the show…
On the Exquisitely Crafted ‘Norm,’ Andy Shauf Channels God and Tells a Dark Love Story: Album Review
Canadian singer-songwriter Andy Shauf is known for creating rich, self-contained worlds within his music, from his 2016 breakthrough “The Party” to 2020’s “The Neon Skyline,” which both feature a cast of recurring characters and unfold over the course of one night. But in a press release describing his latest project, “Norm,” Shauf insists he sought…
Annenberg Inclusion Initiative Announces Inaugural Recipients of Reproductive Rights Accelerator Award (EXCLUSIVE)
The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative has selected the inaugural recipients for its newest award for student filmmakers: the AI2 Reproductive Rights Accelerator Award. Announced last September, the Reproductive Rights Accelerator is the third such program from the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative and was created to help young filmmakers find their way into the industry with both financial…
‘Masked Singer’ Super Bowl Promo Teases Most ‘Legendary’ Unmasking Ever — Plus, See Three New Season 9 Costumes (EXCLUSIVE)
“The Masked Singer” Season 9 debuts Feb. 15 on Fox, but Variety has an exclusive early look at the Super Bowl Sunday teaser that will give viewers a taste of the wackiness to come — along with photos revealing three new costumes competing in the upcoming episodes. The 30-second spot that is slated to air…
Nia Long: ‘Why Wasn’t I Considered for Avatar? Zoe Saldaña’s Amazing, but I Wasn’t Even a Topic of Discussion’
Nia Long is calling out Hollywood for leaving her out of casting conversations. In a new interview with The Cut (via IndieWire), the “You People” actor questioned why she was never in the conversation to star as Neytiri in James Cameron’s “Avatar.” “I’ve felt passed over on things, for sure,” Long said. “There have definitely…
‘Fast X’ Director Got Asked to Rewrite the Entire Third Act on the Flight to Set: ‘I Was Literally on No Sleep’
“Fast X” director Louis Leterrier told Variety at the movie’s trailer premiere party that he originally said no to directing the 10th installment of the “Fast and Furious” franchise. “It’s too big,” he said. “It’s too massive.” The filmmaker, whose hits include “The Transporter” and “Now You See Me,” thought he was being butt-dialed when…
Jenna Ortega ‘Hysterically’ Cried Over Rigorous ‘Wednesday’ Filming Schedule: ‘I Did Not Get Any Sleep. I Pulled My Hair Out’
Jenna Ortega had a lot to learn in order to portray “Wednesday” in the hit Netflix series of the same name, from fencing to speaking German to canoeing and playing the cello. Speaking at a Netflix-hosted Q&A panel in Hollywood on Thursday, the SAG-nominated actor broke down just how intense the filming schedule was. “It…