Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ reign over the Marvel Cinematic Universe has only just begun. In her new Variety cover story, the award-winning comic force behind “Veep” discussed her immersion into the billion-dollar comic book world – and how far she’s willing to go in bringing the mysterious Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine to life. Louis-Dreyfus was briefly introduced in…

Is a “Ghost” remake starring Channing Tatum on the way? Potentially. As part of a new Vanity Fair cover story, Tatum revealed that his production company, Free Association, has the rights to the 1990 romantic fantasy classic and he’s trying to develop a remake. “We actually have the rights,” Tatum said. “Yeah, we have the…

Matthew Medney, CEO of Heavy Metal magazine, has stepped down, Variety can exclusively confirm. He is set to be replaced by Myth founder Marshall Lees. Jamie Penrose will stay on as chief operating officer. The company, best known for its self-titled 1981 adult animated sci-fi film, which was produced by Ivan Reitman and Leonard Mogel,…

Oscar-nominated director Florian Zeller (“The Father,” “The Son”) and Federica Sainte-Rose have boarded Babak Jalali’s Sundance-bound “Fremont” under their new banner Blue Morning Pictures. The movie will world premiere in the NEXT section at Sundance, and is repped by CAA in the U.S. while Memento International is handling international sales. Directed by Jalali, an Iranian-born, London-based…

Drag Race Universe, a new FAST (free, ad-supported streaming) channel offering American audiences global versions of the Drag Race franchise, has launched in the U.S. The channel offers audiences a constant stream of “Drag Race”-related programming, including “Canada’s Drag Race” Seasons 2 and 3, “RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World,” “RuPaul’s Drag Race UK”…

Meta is still buying VR entertainment content — and Eli Roth, for one, is still selling. “Eli Roth’s Be Mine: A VR Valentine’s Slasher,” a 30-minute virtual reality horror experience starring Peyton List (“Cobra Kai,” “Bunk’d”), will launch in Meta Horizon Worlds and Meta Quest TV, available in Meta Quest VR headsets, on Friday, Feb….

The Paley Center for Media has announced the complete lineup for PaleyFest LA 2023, which is scheduled to take place March 31-April 4 at the Dolby Theatre. This year’s schedule includes Q&A sessions from “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Yellowjackets,” and “The Late Late Show with James Corden” as well as visits from the cast and…

Ramy Youssef’s upcoming Amazon animated series has set its main cast, Variety has learned exclusively. The series, which was originally ordered for two seasons in March 2022 under Youssef’s first-look deal with Amazon, is now titled “#1 Happy Family.” The series regulars are Youssef along with Alia Shawkat (“Search Party,” “Arrested Development”), Salma Hindy (“Roast…

Leading talent agency UTA has signed Wattpad Webtoon Studios, the fan-driven global entertainment and publishing arm of Webtoon and Wattpad, for representation in all areas. The agreement is intended to help expand the studios’ business across film, television, animation and other areas. Wattpad Webtoon was formed following the 2021 combination of Wattpad, the Canada-based online…

Indie sleaze is back in bloom, as Yeah Yeah Yeahs, MGMT and Future Islands lead the 2023 lineup for Just Like Heaven Fest, taking place May 13 at Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. The Goldenvoice music festival will feature sets from Empire of the Sun, M83, Hot Chip, Caribou and recently reunited…