Exclusive: ScreenCraft has finalized the lineup for its annual Virtual Writers Summit.
The summit, which is expected to span the entire month of June this year, will feature creatives including Richard Linklater, Issa Lopez, Lulu Wang, Quinta Brunson, Nkechi Okoro Carroll, and Sean Wang.
Typically, the summit has occurred over one weekend. However, this year boasts the largest lineup ever, thus resulting in panels over the course of the month on June 8, 15, 22, and 29.
“This marks the fifth year we have organized our annual writers summit virtually and, undeniably, the strongest lineup we have ever put together,” Thomas Dever, VP of Business Development for Industry Arts, ScreenCraft’s parent company, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to hear from these incredible speakers and bring them together with our audience to educate and inspire.”
See the full schedule below.
June 8
Headline Speaker – Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) Letting Authenticity Guide Your Story,...
The summit, which is expected to span the entire month of June this year, will feature creatives including Richard Linklater, Issa Lopez, Lulu Wang, Quinta Brunson, Nkechi Okoro Carroll, and Sean Wang.
Typically, the summit has occurred over one weekend. However, this year boasts the largest lineup ever, thus resulting in panels over the course of the month on June 8, 15, 22, and 29.
“This marks the fifth year we have organized our annual writers summit virtually and, undeniably, the strongest lineup we have ever put together,” Thomas Dever, VP of Business Development for Industry Arts, ScreenCraft’s parent company, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to hear from these incredible speakers and bring them together with our audience to educate and inspire.”
See the full schedule below.
June 8
Headline Speaker – Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) Letting Authenticity Guide Your Story,...
- 5/9/2024
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
Variety and Sony Pictures Television will host an invite-only FYC Showcase in Los Angeles on May 7 featuring activations and three panel conversations with creatives from “For All Mankind,” “Justified: City Primeval,” “Platonic,” “Twisted Metal,” “Outlander” and “The Wheel of Time.”
All conversations will be moderated by a Variety editor and available on Variety.com following the event.
Programming includes:
Building a Television Universe
A conversation between showrunners and key below-the-line talent on how to successfully build a universe in the competitive television landscape. Executive producers from diverse genres and backgrounds dive into their respective worlds, discussing their approach to growing their franchises, building connections between characters, navigating the fanbase, and more.
Panelists:
Matt Wolpert, Co-Showrunner, Executive Producer, “For All Mankind” Ben Nedivi, Co-Showrunner, Executive Producer, “For All Mankind” Ron Moore, Executive Producer, “For All Mankind” Michael Dinner, Co-Showrunner, Executive Producer, “Justified: City Primeval” Dave Andron, Co-Showrunner, Executive Producer, “Justified: City Primeval” Moderated by Michael Schneider,...
All conversations will be moderated by a Variety editor and available on Variety.com following the event.
Programming includes:
Building a Television Universe
A conversation between showrunners and key below-the-line talent on how to successfully build a universe in the competitive television landscape. Executive producers from diverse genres and backgrounds dive into their respective worlds, discussing their approach to growing their franchises, building connections between characters, navigating the fanbase, and more.
Panelists:
Matt Wolpert, Co-Showrunner, Executive Producer, “For All Mankind” Ben Nedivi, Co-Showrunner, Executive Producer, “For All Mankind” Ron Moore, Executive Producer, “For All Mankind” Michael Dinner, Co-Showrunner, Executive Producer, “Justified: City Primeval” Dave Andron, Co-Showrunner, Executive Producer, “Justified: City Primeval” Moderated by Michael Schneider,...
- 4/25/2024
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
That’s a wrap on Oscar season 2024 — but first, the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast’s Roundtable dives in one last time to take a final look at the highs, lows and head scratchers from Sunday night’s ceremony. “Oppenheimer” did huge, but it didn’t quite sweep. “Poor Things” over-poor-formed. We’re still not quite sure what Al Pacino was doing before handing out the best picture Academy
Award. But overall, this year’s Oscars gets high marks for good speeches, fun segments, solid quips by host Jimmy Kimmel and perhaps — most importantly — ending early.
Listen to this week’s episode, and join Clayton Davis, Jenelle Riley, Jazz Tangcay and Michael Schneider as we give our parting thoughts in another Roundtable Mega Edition below:
And here are some required readings from Oscar night 2024:
How to Improve the Oscars: Add New Categories, Bump the Show Up to February and More...
Award. But overall, this year’s Oscars gets high marks for good speeches, fun segments, solid quips by host Jimmy Kimmel and perhaps — most importantly — ending early.
Listen to this week’s episode, and join Clayton Davis, Jenelle Riley, Jazz Tangcay and Michael Schneider as we give our parting thoughts in another Roundtable Mega Edition below:
And here are some required readings from Oscar night 2024:
How to Improve the Oscars: Add New Categories, Bump the Show Up to February and More...
- 3/15/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
We’re less than 24 hours from Hollywood’s biggest night, and if you haven’t filled out your office or household Oscar pool, time is running out. But first — check out this week’s Variety Awards Circuit Podcast for some final analysis. Awards guru Clayton Davis, along with Jenelle Riley, Jazz Tangcay and Michael Schneider recorded a Mega Roundtable edition this week to share their final thoughts on this year’s races. Listen below!
Will “Oppenheimer” clean up? Probably. But how much? In lead actress, who will win the battle of the stones: Lily Gladstone or Emma Stone? Will “Barbie” pick up anything besides best song?
So many categories to consider, and this week’s episode goes deep on the 23 categories, including the lesser-known ones that will be make or break in your pool.
Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster “Oppenheimer” has clinched every major guild and industry accolade — Golden Globes, Critics Choice,...
Will “Oppenheimer” clean up? Probably. But how much? In lead actress, who will win the battle of the stones: Lily Gladstone or Emma Stone? Will “Barbie” pick up anything besides best song?
So many categories to consider, and this week’s episode goes deep on the 23 categories, including the lesser-known ones that will be make or break in your pool.
Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster “Oppenheimer” has clinched every major guild and industry accolade — Golden Globes, Critics Choice,...
- 3/9/2024
- by Michael Schneider and Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Jeffrey Wright is finally an Oscar nominee. The actor’s storied career had already brought him under the direction of masters such as Sidney Lumet, Ang Lee, and most recently, newcomer Cord Jefferson in the satirical dramedy “American Fiction.” But with his Oscar nom, Wright says he feels more supported than ever by the Hollywood community and studios.
“I’ve never had this level of support behind a project that I was central to from the powers that be, the business side of our industry,” he tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast. “I’ve never had it until now. I’m really grateful for that. We’re here now, and I’m so pleased the film has been recognized across the board. With a small movie and 26 days of filming, our budget was probably the catering budget for the last Bond movie I did.”
In this episode of the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast,...
“I’ve never had this level of support behind a project that I was central to from the powers that be, the business side of our industry,” he tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast. “I’ve never had it until now. I’m really grateful for that. We’re here now, and I’m so pleased the film has been recognized across the board. With a small movie and 26 days of filming, our budget was probably the catering budget for the last Bond movie I did.”
In this episode of the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast,...
- 2/22/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
“Killers of the Flower Moon” star Lily Gladstone embraces her monumental responsibility as an Oscar nominee, utilizing her platform to advocate for the Indigenous community and hoping to pave the way for more actors like herself.
During a panel conversation at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Virtuosos Awards, Gladstone — of Siksikaitsitapi and Niimiipuu heritage — addressed the harmful depictions and references to Indians in media, notably mentioning the Kansas City Chiefs the day before their Super Bowl win.
“Honestly, you could hold both teams accountable,” Gladstone tells Variety. “The 49ers are based on the California Gold Rush, which was an incredibly brutal time for California Indians. And then the Chiefs. There are many ways that you could interpret the name ‘chief.’ It’s not just the name that bothers me. It’s hearing that damn Tomahawk chop. Every time, it’s a stark reminder of what Hollywood has done to us,...
During a panel conversation at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Virtuosos Awards, Gladstone — of Siksikaitsitapi and Niimiipuu heritage — addressed the harmful depictions and references to Indians in media, notably mentioning the Kansas City Chiefs the day before their Super Bowl win.
“Honestly, you could hold both teams accountable,” Gladstone tells Variety. “The 49ers are based on the California Gold Rush, which was an incredibly brutal time for California Indians. And then the Chiefs. There are many ways that you could interpret the name ‘chief.’ It’s not just the name that bothers me. It’s hearing that damn Tomahawk chop. Every time, it’s a stark reminder of what Hollywood has done to us,...
- 2/15/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
In case you didn’t know, animation directors are also auteurs. According to Yahoo Finance, the global animation market reached more than $400 billion at the end of 2023. That was up from $391 billion one year before. And yet, animated projects are not automatically covered by the WGA, are separate from the DGA, and are consistently overlooked for their filmmaking achievements.
Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, the directing trio of Sony Animation’s animated box office smash “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” tell Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast that there are some critically needed changes in Hollywood.
“I think it’s worth repeating: animation is a big business for the industry,” says Dos Santos. “We bring a ton to the table; without it, everybody hurts. I also want to add that doing an animated film shouldn’t be a sacrifice for the artist doing it.”
Powers adds: “I do...
Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, the directing trio of Sony Animation’s animated box office smash “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” tell Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast that there are some critically needed changes in Hollywood.
“I think it’s worth repeating: animation is a big business for the industry,” says Dos Santos. “We bring a ton to the table; without it, everybody hurts. I also want to add that doing an animated film shouldn’t be a sacrifice for the artist doing it.”
Powers adds: “I do...
- 2/8/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Writer, director and actor Bradley Cooper began working on “Maestro” years before the film went into pre-production. One person he turned to early on in that process was his collaborator on his directorial debut (“A Star is Born”), cinematographer Matthew Libatique.
On this episode of the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, Libatique discusses his process for shooting one of the most emotional scenes in the film – the Thanksgiving scene where Felicia (Carey Mulligan) finally confronts her husband, Leonard Bernstein (Cooper) over his late nights away from home.
Listen below.
In prepping for “Maestro,” the Oscar-nominated Libatique tells Variety: “What Bradley wanted to do was crack the code on the makeup and how he was going to physically transform into Lenny and working with Kazu.”
The result was a 40-minute proof of concept where they shot actual scenes. It was through that process that Libatique learned about what lenses they liked and what format worked.
On this episode of the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, Libatique discusses his process for shooting one of the most emotional scenes in the film – the Thanksgiving scene where Felicia (Carey Mulligan) finally confronts her husband, Leonard Bernstein (Cooper) over his late nights away from home.
Listen below.
In prepping for “Maestro,” the Oscar-nominated Libatique tells Variety: “What Bradley wanted to do was crack the code on the makeup and how he was going to physically transform into Lenny and working with Kazu.”
The result was a 40-minute proof of concept where they shot actual scenes. It was through that process that Libatique learned about what lenses they liked and what format worked.
- 2/2/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
“Rustin” star Colman Domingo has just been named an Oscar nominee for best actor for his powerhouse performance in the biographical drama. As he arrives to record the latest episode of Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast, Domingo says he wants to stay present in this moment, noting that he was “waiting around for a certain call for a few hours.”
That “certain call” would former President Barack Obama, who is the founder of the production company Higher Ground, which financed the George C. Wolfe drama.
A fashionable and charismatic figure (who’s also participating in “Dry January”), Domingo says that Presidential call came about one hour before he entered the studio. Doing his best Obama impression, Domingo says the first thing the former President said was, “Colman! Congratulations! Enjoy this moment. Enjoy every step of this. It’s a wonderful thing. Have fun.”
On this episode of the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast,...
That “certain call” would former President Barack Obama, who is the founder of the production company Higher Ground, which financed the George C. Wolfe drama.
A fashionable and charismatic figure (who’s also participating in “Dry January”), Domingo says that Presidential call came about one hour before he entered the studio. Doing his best Obama impression, Domingo says the first thing the former President said was, “Colman! Congratulations! Enjoy this moment. Enjoy every step of this. It’s a wonderful thing. Have fun.”
On this episode of the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast,...
- 1/25/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Detective Jay Halstead was a fan-favorite for years on Chicago P.D.
Actor Jesse Lee Soffer played the role, which began on a Chicago Fire episode.
But early in Chicago P.D. Season 10, Halstead appeared for the last time on an Intelligence case.
Fans are still frustrated with how the writers and showrunner dealt with Halstead’s exit. It has had a lasting impact on the show.
Tracy Spiridakos (she plays Detective Hailey Upton) is also leaving the show. She will appear in her final episode this spring.
Due to Jesse’s exit and the pending exit for Tracy, the writers had to speed up storylines involving their characters.
Chicago P.D. shocks fans with real name for Jay Halstead
The Chicago P.D. season premiere opened with several scenes to explain a time jump.
Six months had passed since Officer Adam Ruzek got shot, and several characters were spiraling.
Hank Voight (Jason Beghe...
Actor Jesse Lee Soffer played the role, which began on a Chicago Fire episode.
But early in Chicago P.D. Season 10, Halstead appeared for the last time on an Intelligence case.
Fans are still frustrated with how the writers and showrunner dealt with Halstead’s exit. It has had a lasting impact on the show.
Tracy Spiridakos (she plays Detective Hailey Upton) is also leaving the show. She will appear in her final episode this spring.
Due to Jesse’s exit and the pending exit for Tracy, the writers had to speed up storylines involving their characters.
Chicago P.D. shocks fans with real name for Jay Halstead
The Chicago P.D. season premiere opened with several scenes to explain a time jump.
Six months had passed since Officer Adam Ruzek got shot, and several characters were spiraling.
Hank Voight (Jason Beghe...
- 1/22/2024
- by Ryan DeVault
- Monsters and Critics
Emma Stone has a dream, and not one you’d expect. The “Poor Things” star, coming off a Golden Globe win this week, tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast that she wants to be a contestant on the classic game show “Jeopardy” — and no, not the “Celebrity” edition.
“I apply every June,” she says. “I don’t want to go on ‘Celebrity Jeopardy.’ I want to earn my stripes. You can only take the test once a year with your email address, and I’ve never gotten on the show. I watch it every single night and I mark down how many answers I get right. I swear, I could go on ‘Jeopardy.'”
Stone could be the second woman nominated for producing and acting in the same year following Frances McDormand for “Nomadland” (2020), who won both. In addition, she could be the second actress to receive Oscar nods for...
“I apply every June,” she says. “I don’t want to go on ‘Celebrity Jeopardy.’ I want to earn my stripes. You can only take the test once a year with your email address, and I’ve never gotten on the show. I watch it every single night and I mark down how many answers I get right. I swear, I could go on ‘Jeopardy.'”
Stone could be the second woman nominated for producing and acting in the same year following Frances McDormand for “Nomadland” (2020), who won both. In addition, she could be the second actress to receive Oscar nods for...
- 1/11/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Legendary filmmaker Michael Mann is “worried about the future” of movies. But, he also declares, “Cinema is not dying.” A luminary auteur with a distinctive visual style and gripping storytelling, Mann calls this time following the end of the historic Hollywood strikes “a real watershed moment.”
“The companies are split in ways they haven’t been before between streamers and legacy studios,” he tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast. “Those interests don’t sometimes align. There isn’t a ‘Lew Wasserman’ figure now. There needs to be because this isn’t the end. These issues come up every time there’s a new modality. It always precipitates this.”
On this episode of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, Mann discusses the experience of making his latest film, the awards contender “Ferrari,” and how working with Adam Driver and Penélope Cruz compares to his other actors from past movies. That includes reflecting...
“The companies are split in ways they haven’t been before between streamers and legacy studios,” he tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast. “Those interests don’t sometimes align. There isn’t a ‘Lew Wasserman’ figure now. There needs to be because this isn’t the end. These issues come up every time there’s a new modality. It always precipitates this.”
On this episode of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, Mann discusses the experience of making his latest film, the awards contender “Ferrari,” and how working with Adam Driver and Penélope Cruz compares to his other actors from past movies. That includes reflecting...
- 1/4/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
It sounds like “The Golden Bachelorette” could be right around the corner.
When it comes to focusing on a female lead, “nothing would make us happier,” executive producer and showrunner Bennett Graebner said during a Producers Guild FYC panel for “The Golden Bachelor” on Monday night. Newly engaged duo Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist, as well as executive producers and showrunners Claire Freeland and Jason Ehrlich were also on the panel in New York.
During the “Golden Bachelor” finale, Turner, 72, and Nist, 70, got engaged after he sent home a devastated Leslie Fhima. Following the breakup, viewers have rallied on social media for Fhima, 64, to become the first Golden Bachelorette.
Emily Longeretta, Gerry Turner, Theresa Nist, and Executive Producers Bennett Graebner, Claire Freeland, and Jason Ehrlich.
At the panel at the Times Center, when “The Golden Bachelorette” was brought up, the audience began chanting different names from Turner’s season, including Fhima,...
When it comes to focusing on a female lead, “nothing would make us happier,” executive producer and showrunner Bennett Graebner said during a Producers Guild FYC panel for “The Golden Bachelor” on Monday night. Newly engaged duo Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist, as well as executive producers and showrunners Claire Freeland and Jason Ehrlich were also on the panel in New York.
During the “Golden Bachelor” finale, Turner, 72, and Nist, 70, got engaged after he sent home a devastated Leslie Fhima. Following the breakup, viewers have rallied on social media for Fhima, 64, to become the first Golden Bachelorette.
Emily Longeretta, Gerry Turner, Theresa Nist, and Executive Producers Bennett Graebner, Claire Freeland, and Jason Ehrlich.
At the panel at the Times Center, when “The Golden Bachelorette” was brought up, the audience began chanting different names from Turner’s season, including Fhima,...
- 12/14/2023
- by Emily Longeretta
- Variety Film + TV
Season 2 of “The Last of Us” will commence on Feb. 12.
Showrunner Craig Mazin disclosed the production start date during A Night in the Writers’ Room, a panel featuring writers from popular drama series moderated by Variety‘s senior TV features editor Emily Longeretta.
The other panelists included Charlotte Stoudt of “The Morning Show”; Nathan Fielder of “The Curse”; Sonja Warfield of “The Gilded Age”; Fred Golan of “Silo”; Debora Cahn of “The Diplomat”; and Michael Dinner of “Justified: City Primeval.”
Now that the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes have concluded, the other shows will soon be back in production as well. Stoudt hopes that “The Morning Show” will start shooting Season 4 in spring or summer and have been in the room for “four weeks.” “Silo” is currently in production; and “The Diplomat” resumes production on Thursday, Dec. 7.
As for “Justified: City Primeval,” there’s a chance there will be more to come.
Showrunner Craig Mazin disclosed the production start date during A Night in the Writers’ Room, a panel featuring writers from popular drama series moderated by Variety‘s senior TV features editor Emily Longeretta.
The other panelists included Charlotte Stoudt of “The Morning Show”; Nathan Fielder of “The Curse”; Sonja Warfield of “The Gilded Age”; Fred Golan of “Silo”; Debora Cahn of “The Diplomat”; and Michael Dinner of “Justified: City Primeval.”
Now that the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes have concluded, the other shows will soon be back in production as well. Stoudt hopes that “The Morning Show” will start shooting Season 4 in spring or summer and have been in the room for “four weeks.” “Silo” is currently in production; and “The Diplomat” resumes production on Thursday, Dec. 7.
As for “Justified: City Primeval,” there’s a chance there will be more to come.
- 12/1/2023
- by Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
Following the resolution of the writers’ strike, Variety’s “A Night in the Writers’ Room” returns Nov. 30 in-person, featuring three panels moderated by Variety’s esteemed journalists, Michael Schneider and Emily Longeretta, with this year’s Emmy-contending writers in the drama, comedy and limited series categories.
An invite-only audience of industry voters will attend the event which features a cocktail reception prior to the panels.
The Comedy panel features:
Duffy Boudreau, “Barry” Michele Fazekas, “Gen V” Justin Halpern, “Abbott Elementary” John Hoffmann, “Only Murders in the Building” Chris Harris, “Frasier” Bill Lawrence, “Shrinking” Judah Miller, “Bupkis” Migizi Pensoneau, “Reservation Dogs” Boots Riley, “I’m A Virgo”
The Drama panel features:
Debora Cahn, “The Diplomat” Michael Dinner, “Justified: City Primeval” Craig Mazin, “The Last of Us” Charlotte Stoudt, “The Morning Show” Sonja Warfield, “The Gilded Age”
The Limited Series panel features:
Andy Breckman, “Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie” Lee Eisenberg,...
An invite-only audience of industry voters will attend the event which features a cocktail reception prior to the panels.
The Comedy panel features:
Duffy Boudreau, “Barry” Michele Fazekas, “Gen V” Justin Halpern, “Abbott Elementary” John Hoffmann, “Only Murders in the Building” Chris Harris, “Frasier” Bill Lawrence, “Shrinking” Judah Miller, “Bupkis” Migizi Pensoneau, “Reservation Dogs” Boots Riley, “I’m A Virgo”
The Drama panel features:
Debora Cahn, “The Diplomat” Michael Dinner, “Justified: City Primeval” Craig Mazin, “The Last of Us” Charlotte Stoudt, “The Morning Show” Sonja Warfield, “The Gilded Age”
The Limited Series panel features:
Andy Breckman, “Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie” Lee Eisenberg,...
- 11/20/2023
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
“How I Met Your Father” has been canceled after two seasons at Hulu, Variety has confirmed.
The Hilary Duff-led “How I Met Your Mother” spinoff concluded its second (and now final) season July 11 without revealing who Duff’s character, Sophie, ended up having a child with. The show debuted in January 2022 and aired 30 episodes overall.
Here’s the comedy’s synopsis: “In the near future, Sophie (Duff) is telling her son the story of how she met his father: a story that catapults us back to the present where Sophie and her close-knit group of friends are in the midst of figuring out who they are, what they want out of life, and how to fall in love in the age of dating apps and limitless options.”
While it was a separate story from the 2005-2014 CBS hit “How I Met Your Mother,” which starred Josh Radnor, Neil Patrick Harris,...
The Hilary Duff-led “How I Met Your Mother” spinoff concluded its second (and now final) season July 11 without revealing who Duff’s character, Sophie, ended up having a child with. The show debuted in January 2022 and aired 30 episodes overall.
Here’s the comedy’s synopsis: “In the near future, Sophie (Duff) is telling her son the story of how she met his father: a story that catapults us back to the present where Sophie and her close-knit group of friends are in the midst of figuring out who they are, what they want out of life, and how to fall in love in the age of dating apps and limitless options.”
While it was a separate story from the 2005-2014 CBS hit “How I Met Your Mother,” which starred Josh Radnor, Neil Patrick Harris,...
- 9/1/2023
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
This is it! This year’s Emmy voting is over, ending what was a rather muted Phase 2. We’ve noted the limited number of Phase 2 FYC events due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes (as well as the inability of nominated talent to participate in any press that they hadn’t already completed pre-strike). And now, with voting ending, the usual anticipation of September Emmy events won’t be there, and we’ll all go on pause until (hopefully!) January.
But before we go… Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast has one more look at this year’s race, in a Mega Roundtable edition featuring hosts Michael Schneider, Clayton Davis, Emily Longeretta and Jazz Tangcay. The team goes through all of the major categories and shares their picks for who will win — and who should win. Listen below!
How strategic are voters in choosing between different shows and stars? Will...
But before we go… Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast has one more look at this year’s race, in a Mega Roundtable edition featuring hosts Michael Schneider, Clayton Davis, Emily Longeretta and Jazz Tangcay. The team goes through all of the major categories and shares their picks for who will win — and who should win. Listen below!
How strategic are voters in choosing between different shows and stars? Will...
- 8/31/2023
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
It’s the artisans’ time to shine. Emmy For Your Consideration campaigning continues to be limited by the simultaneous WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, as actors currently aren’t allowed to speak about projects they’ve been involved with (past or present) and showrunners/writers can talk to the press (via personal publicists) but can’t participate in anything underwritten by studios and networks.
For those of us who write about the industry, it’s been a bit of a challenge finding ways to still cover the Emmy Awards, especially as Phase 2 voting got underway on Aug. 17. My colleague Emily Longeretta, who oversees our special Emmy extra editions, has gotten creative in turning some of our podcast interviews into stories, for example, and relying on other approaches to covering nominated shows and talent. And Variety‘s wonderful art team, who would normally shot portraits of nominees for Phase 2, have instead come up with fun,...
For those of us who write about the industry, it’s been a bit of a challenge finding ways to still cover the Emmy Awards, especially as Phase 2 voting got underway on Aug. 17. My colleague Emily Longeretta, who oversees our special Emmy extra editions, has gotten creative in turning some of our podcast interviews into stories, for example, and relying on other approaches to covering nominated shows and talent. And Variety‘s wonderful art team, who would normally shot portraits of nominees for Phase 2, have instead come up with fun,...
- 8/21/2023
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast hosts Michael Schneider, Clayton Davis, Emily Longeretta and Jazz Tangcay gathered on Wednesday, just hours after the Television Academy announced this year’s Emmy nominations, to dissect the news — from the big winners like “Succession,” to the shocking omissions (no Harrison Ford or Elizabeth Olsen), and then the nice surprises. The nominations were telling on a number of fronts — including the current assessment that we may very well see a beat “Succession”/”Ted Lasso” dominance.
Did the voting procedural changes help bring in a wider group of nominees? No. And will voters pick straight tickets of “Succession” and “Ted Lasso” nominees? Quite possible. Who will win the “SNL”/”Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” smackdown? What are our favorite faceoffs this year?
From snubs and surprises to big wins and the usual befuddlement, the Roundtable tackles it all in this week’s episode. Listen below!
Did the voting procedural changes help bring in a wider group of nominees? No. And will voters pick straight tickets of “Succession” and “Ted Lasso” nominees? Quite possible. Who will win the “SNL”/”Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” smackdown? What are our favorite faceoffs this year?
From snubs and surprises to big wins and the usual befuddlement, the Roundtable tackles it all in this week’s episode. Listen below!
- 7/14/2023
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Variety won 14 first-place awards Sunday night at the Los Angeles Press Club’s 65th annual SoCal Journalism Awards, more than twice as many as any other entertainment publication.
The 14 awards represented a historic high for Variety at the SoCal Journalism Awards, topping the previous best of 12 first-place prizes the magazine earned in 2018. Variety came into Sunday’s ceremony with a record 96 nominations, representing work published online and in print during the 2022 calendar year.
The awards were handed out during a gala dinner attended by hundreds in the historic Crystal Ballroom at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
Several staffers won dual honors. Owen Gleiberman, Variety‘s chief film critic, won best obituary/appreciation for a look back at actor William Hurt, plus best online arts commentary for the column “Is ‘Tar’ Rooting for or Against Cate Blanchett’s Superstar Predator Conductor?” Chris Willman, senior writer and chief music critic,...
The 14 awards represented a historic high for Variety at the SoCal Journalism Awards, topping the previous best of 12 first-place prizes the magazine earned in 2018. Variety came into Sunday’s ceremony with a record 96 nominations, representing work published online and in print during the 2022 calendar year.
The awards were handed out during a gala dinner attended by hundreds in the historic Crystal Ballroom at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
Several staffers won dual honors. Owen Gleiberman, Variety‘s chief film critic, won best obituary/appreciation for a look back at actor William Hurt, plus best online arts commentary for the column “Is ‘Tar’ Rooting for or Against Cate Blanchett’s Superstar Predator Conductor?” Chris Willman, senior writer and chief music critic,...
- 6/26/2023
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
“Law & Order” fans, you have Rob Lowe to thank for the entire franchise. As does Dick Wolf’s bank account. At least, Lowe says this, with his tongue a bit in cheek (but also with some accuracy). As the star of Fox’s “9-1-1: Lone Star” and Netflix’s “Unstable” recently told Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast, Lowe starred in Wolf’s 1988 feature flop “Masquerade.” It was just the kind of movie disappointment that would have sent Wolf back to TV — and two years later, “Law & Order” premiered. “I remember him saying to me how frustrated he was in the movie business, that he was going to write a pilot,” Lowe said. “And he wrote ‘Law and Order.’ And the rest is history. You’re welcome. Yeah, I’m happy to provide the bomb that powers your rise to dominance.”
Lowe’s not asking for credit — well, Ok,...
Lowe’s not asking for credit — well, Ok,...
- 6/21/2023
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Variety’s annual TV FYC Fest was packed with big names and your favorite stars from the small screen. Christina Applegate (“Dead to Me”) made a rare appearance to accept the Legacy Award, Brooke Shields spoke passionately about the reality of co-existing in the world of social media and Kerry Washington (“UnPrisoned”) joined a collective of equally hilarious actresses including Elle Fanning (“The Great”), Janelle James (“Abbott Elementary”) and Gina Rodriguez (“Dead To Me”) to discuss forging vanity for laughs and embracing the “messy” woman.
The all-day discussion also tackled the state of television today amid a writers strike and an ever-changing landscape of streaming. We’ve rounded up the standout moments from Variety’s TV FYC Fest panels and presentations which brought out important — and at times hilarious — conversations about this season of shows.
Unscripted TV For the Soul and How Nostalgia Sells
When it comes to unscripted television,...
The all-day discussion also tackled the state of television today amid a writers strike and an ever-changing landscape of streaming. We’ve rounded up the standout moments from Variety’s TV FYC Fest panels and presentations which brought out important — and at times hilarious — conversations about this season of shows.
Unscripted TV For the Soul and How Nostalgia Sells
When it comes to unscripted television,...
- 6/8/2023
- by Sophia Scorziello
- Variety Film + TV
Things have been pretty quiet on the Dutton Ranch of late. Ever since New Year’s Day, when “Yellowstone’s” Season 5 midseason finale aired on Paramount Network, all fans have heard regarding the series has been details about its possible demise, and future spinoffs on Paramount+ that don’t feature current star Kevin Costner.
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Paramount initially promised that the second half of Season 5 would begin airing sometime this summer, though it declined to give a firm date. But as of April 1, the cast had not yet started filming new episodes, or been given a start date for production, according to Variety writer Emily Longeretta.
Considering it usually takes several weeks at minimum to film, edit and add special effects to a TV episode, that information certainly makes it seem like Paramount won’t...
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Paramount initially promised that the second half of Season 5 would begin airing sometime this summer, though it declined to give a firm date. But as of April 1, the cast had not yet started filming new episodes, or been given a start date for production, according to Variety writer Emily Longeretta.
Considering it usually takes several weeks at minimum to film, edit and add special effects to a TV episode, that information certainly makes it seem like Paramount won’t...
- 4/14/2023
- by David Satin
- The Streamable
JoAnna Garcia Swisher, from Reba and Sweet Magnolias, is excited for viewers to dive into Netflix‘s The Ultimatum: Queer Love and shared what hosting the series was like for her.
She’s an LGBTQ advocate and said the series, which she teased will stream “soon” is for everyone and anyone who wants to witness bold vulnerability.
“I think that this is such an important celebration of these relationships,” she told Showbiz Cheat Sheet. “First of all, the cast is incredibly, incredibly vulnerable and strong, and generous in sharing their love stories with all of us.”
‘The Ultimatum: Queer Love’ creator shares why JoAnna Garcia Swisher was chosen to host
The Ultimatum creator Chris Coelen revealed why Swisher was chosen to host the Queer Love spinoff. “She’s in the Netflix family, and I think she did a great job,” he explained to Variety. “She really was passionate about doing it.
She’s an LGBTQ advocate and said the series, which she teased will stream “soon” is for everyone and anyone who wants to witness bold vulnerability.
“I think that this is such an important celebration of these relationships,” she told Showbiz Cheat Sheet. “First of all, the cast is incredibly, incredibly vulnerable and strong, and generous in sharing their love stories with all of us.”
‘The Ultimatum: Queer Love’ creator shares why JoAnna Garcia Swisher was chosen to host
The Ultimatum creator Chris Coelen revealed why Swisher was chosen to host the Queer Love spinoff. “She’s in the Netflix family, and I think she did a great job,” he explained to Variety. “She really was passionate about doing it.
- 3/23/2023
- by Gina Ragusa
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Cara Maria Sorbello appears during MTV’s The Challenge aftershow on YouTube. Pic credit: MTV’s The Challenge/YouTube
A three-part documentary series about MTV’s The Challenge will bring fans a behind-the-scenes look at the reality TV show’s creation and the franchise’s evolution over the years.
Many Challenge stars are featured in the documentary series, which includes interviews with cast members and individuals connected to the show.
Other celebrities, including Kim Kardashian, will also pop up throughout the documentary series via interviews and sound bites as they comment on the popular reality TV competition series.
Following the reveal of a teaser trailer for the upcoming documentary on @thechallenge’s Instagram, many of the show’s former and current cast members gave their thoughts.
That included former finalist Paulie Calafiore and his girlfriend, two-time champion Cara Maria Sorbello, who both seemed to show support for the upcoming documentary.
A three-part documentary series about MTV’s The Challenge will bring fans a behind-the-scenes look at the reality TV show’s creation and the franchise’s evolution over the years.
Many Challenge stars are featured in the documentary series, which includes interviews with cast members and individuals connected to the show.
Other celebrities, including Kim Kardashian, will also pop up throughout the documentary series via interviews and sound bites as they comment on the popular reality TV competition series.
Following the reveal of a teaser trailer for the upcoming documentary on @thechallenge’s Instagram, many of the show’s former and current cast members gave their thoughts.
That included former finalist Paulie Calafiore and his girlfriend, two-time champion Cara Maria Sorbello, who both seemed to show support for the upcoming documentary.
- 9/10/2022
- by Matt Couden
- Monsters and Critics
And this is it, the final 25 categories from the 74th Emmy awards will be revealed, and winners crowned, on Monday at the Microsoft theater in Downtown Los Angeles. Will it ultimately be a roster of predictable victors and repeats from past years? Or are we in for some surprises?
On this episode of the “Variety Awards Circuit Podcast,” it’s an all-roundtable edition as we go through all of the remaining categories and give out final best guesses and biggest dreams.
Will predictable winners wind up on stage, or are we in for some big surprises from the likes of “Squid Game” or “Abbott Elementary”? What hints can be found in last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys winners? Listen below!
Here is a roundup of predictions from Variety’s Team TV. Be gentle: Unlike past years, this Emmy season is either the most unpredictable in years… or we’ll look...
On this episode of the “Variety Awards Circuit Podcast,” it’s an all-roundtable edition as we go through all of the remaining categories and give out final best guesses and biggest dreams.
Will predictable winners wind up on stage, or are we in for some big surprises from the likes of “Squid Game” or “Abbott Elementary”? What hints can be found in last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys winners? Listen below!
Here is a roundup of predictions from Variety’s Team TV. Be gentle: Unlike past years, this Emmy season is either the most unpredictable in years… or we’ll look...
- 9/9/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Laura Peterson hive, rejoice! Julianna Margulies — who plays an anchor at Uba, a love interest for Bradley (Reese Witherspoon) and the former rival of Alex (Jennifer Aniston) — will return to “The Morning Show” for its third season. The Apple TV+ series is currently in production, and recently announced that Jon Hamm has joined the Season 3 cast.
Margulies’ Laura made quite an impression in the show’s second season, when she began dating Bradley before they co-anchored “The Morning Show” together. She will return in a major recurring role, according to Apple, similar to Season 2.
Reese Witherspoon e Julianna Margulies na nova temporada de “The Morning Show”. Que spoiler bom… pic.twitter.com/j79wUjVq2S
— lesbocine (@lesbocine) October 1, 2021
Season 2 was set before, and then during, the panicky early days of the coronavirus pandemic. When Alex returned to “The Morning Show” after Bradley has to take her brother to rehab, she...
Margulies’ Laura made quite an impression in the show’s second season, when she began dating Bradley before they co-anchored “The Morning Show” together. She will return in a major recurring role, according to Apple, similar to Season 2.
Reese Witherspoon e Julianna Margulies na nova temporada de “The Morning Show”. Que spoiler bom… pic.twitter.com/j79wUjVq2S
— lesbocine (@lesbocine) October 1, 2021
Season 2 was set before, and then during, the panicky early days of the coronavirus pandemic. When Alex returned to “The Morning Show” after Bradley has to take her brother to rehab, she...
- 8/22/2022
- by Kate Aurthur
- Variety Film + TV
Variety is pleased to announce that Amanda Seyfried, Murray Bartlett, Brendan Hunt, Lily James, Himesh Patel and Danny Strong have been added to the lineup for its second-ever Virtual TV Fest: The Nominees, featuring five panels airing virtually on Aug. 10 to an audience of voters. To register for the event, head to variety.com/tvfest.
Variety TV Fest: The Nominees expands its popular TV Fest franchise to include panels with Emmy-nominated actors, directors, producers and writers in the comedy, drama, limited/anthology, documentary and reality competition/nonfiction series categories.
The comedy series panel includes:
Paul W. Downs, “Hacks” John Hoffman, “Only Murders in the Building” Brendan Hunt, “Ted Lasso” Amy Sherman-Palladino & Dan Palladino, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Paul Simms, “What We Do in the Shadows”
Henry Winkler and Anthony Carrigan, “Barry” Moderated by Michael Schneider, TV Editor, Variety
The drama series panel includes:
Dan Erickson, “Severance” Peter Gould, “Better Call Saul” Ashley Lyle,...
Variety TV Fest: The Nominees expands its popular TV Fest franchise to include panels with Emmy-nominated actors, directors, producers and writers in the comedy, drama, limited/anthology, documentary and reality competition/nonfiction series categories.
The comedy series panel includes:
Paul W. Downs, “Hacks” John Hoffman, “Only Murders in the Building” Brendan Hunt, “Ted Lasso” Amy Sherman-Palladino & Dan Palladino, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Paul Simms, “What We Do in the Shadows”
Henry Winkler and Anthony Carrigan, “Barry” Moderated by Michael Schneider, TV Editor, Variety
The drama series panel includes:
Dan Erickson, “Severance” Peter Gould, “Better Call Saul” Ashley Lyle,...
- 8/3/2022
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
The 2022 Primetime Emmys nominations were announced on Tuesday, and there were plenty of surprises — both welcome and, well, unexpected. Variety’s Awards Circuit roundtable team of Michael Schneider, Emily Longeretta, Jazz Tangcay and Clayton Davis gathered a day later to dissect the announcement. What did the Television Academy get right? What were the big shockers? Was anything really snubbed?
On this special mega-roundtable edition of the Variety Awards Circuit podcast, the roundtable dives deep into this year’s announcement, including their favorite choices — and biggest WTFs. Listen below!
Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast, produced by Michael Schneider, is your one-stop listen for lively conversations about the best in film and television. Each week “Awards Circuit” features interviews with top film and TV talent and creatives; discussions and debates about awards races and industry headlines; and much, much more. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or anywhere you download podcasts. New episodes post weekly.
On this special mega-roundtable edition of the Variety Awards Circuit podcast, the roundtable dives deep into this year’s announcement, including their favorite choices — and biggest WTFs. Listen below!
Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast, produced by Michael Schneider, is your one-stop listen for lively conversations about the best in film and television. Each week “Awards Circuit” features interviews with top film and TV talent and creatives; discussions and debates about awards races and industry headlines; and much, much more. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or anywhere you download podcasts. New episodes post weekly.
- 7/14/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Greetings from Variety Awards Headquarters! Today is June 27, 2022, which means Emmy nomination round voting ends today. From there, it’s 15 days until Emmy nominations are announced on July 12; then 46 days until final round voting begins on August 12, followed by 62 days until final round voting ends on August 22 . Then comes the finales: It’s 68 days until the Creative Arts Emmys kicks off its two-night event on September 3; and then it’s 77 days until the 74th Emmy Awards takes place, live on NBC, September 12.
Listen, it’s obviously hard to put this newsletter out this week when the Supreme Court has just declared a war on women, stealing away their Constitutional right to autonomy over their own bodies… and promising that more rulings that curb other hard-fought freedoms may soon also be taken away. It’s the darkest time for this country, and sometimes it feels helpless as the fascist right-wing has...
Listen, it’s obviously hard to put this newsletter out this week when the Supreme Court has just declared a war on women, stealing away their Constitutional right to autonomy over their own bodies… and promising that more rulings that curb other hard-fought freedoms may soon also be taken away. It’s the darkest time for this country, and sometimes it feels helpless as the fascist right-wing has...
- 6/27/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Hey, remember 2021? It may only be 2022 right now, but I’ve done the math — and I can confirm that 2021 was a decade ago. Or at least it feels that way, particularly as we still live in a Covid-induced fog in which no one really knows what day it is anymore.
The barrage of TV launches over the past several months has further blurred the sense of time. Although series like “Ted Lasso,” “Succession” and “Dopesick” remain front-runners in their respective comedy, drama and limited-series categories, they all aired last fall. Are they vulnerable when it comes time for Phase 2 final voting?
Maybe, or perhaps not, as they’ve been consistently at the top of most pundits’ prediction pages. But I’m getting ahead of myself: First off, as Phase 1 Emmy nomination voting ends today, it’s about handicapping who might even make it to that next stage. And with the...
The barrage of TV launches over the past several months has further blurred the sense of time. Although series like “Ted Lasso,” “Succession” and “Dopesick” remain front-runners in their respective comedy, drama and limited-series categories, they all aired last fall. Are they vulnerable when it comes time for Phase 2 final voting?
Maybe, or perhaps not, as they’ve been consistently at the top of most pundits’ prediction pages. But I’m getting ahead of myself: First off, as Phase 1 Emmy nomination voting ends today, it’s about handicapping who might even make it to that next stage. And with the...
- 6/27/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Given the volume of TV out there, it’s no surprise that viewers are seeing double or even triple, with overlapping trends and actors seemingly everywhere you look. As my colleague Emily Longeretta recently noted, stars like Elle Fanning, Chloë Sevigny, Sandra Oh, Julia Garner and Nicole Byer are just some of the performers eligible for multiple projects in this year’s Emmy race.
That’s a tremendous trend among actors. It’s also pretty clear that 2022 will go down as the year of true-crime adaptations, both of the murder and the non-murder varieties. And then there are just the good ol’ fashioned “adapting a true story because it’s a good yarn” entrants such as “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” and “Angelyne.”
As I’ve noted before there are so many damn shows this year that the titles start to merge: “Anatomy of a Scandal” versus “A Very British Scandal.
That’s a tremendous trend among actors. It’s also pretty clear that 2022 will go down as the year of true-crime adaptations, both of the murder and the non-murder varieties. And then there are just the good ol’ fashioned “adapting a true story because it’s a good yarn” entrants such as “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” and “Angelyne.”
As I’ve noted before there are so many damn shows this year that the titles start to merge: “Anatomy of a Scandal” versus “A Very British Scandal.
- 6/26/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
A “Game of Thrones” spinoff series based around Jon Snow is in early development at HBO, Variety has confirmed.
Kit Harington is attached to reprise his role as the fan-favorite hero in the live-action show, which would take place after the events of “Game of Thrones” — potentially opening up what many thought was an iron-clad ending to the wildly popular series.
In the final season of “Game of Thrones,” Snow realized his true identity and that he could be an heir to the Iron Throne. The series concluded with his exile from Westeros as he rides into the Haunted Forest with Ghost and the Wildlings to begin a new life.
Since the potential Jon Snow sequel series would take place after the final season of “Game of Thrones,” it’s possible that familiar characters — such as his half-siblings Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) and Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) — could show their faces.
Kit Harington is attached to reprise his role as the fan-favorite hero in the live-action show, which would take place after the events of “Game of Thrones” — potentially opening up what many thought was an iron-clad ending to the wildly popular series.
In the final season of “Game of Thrones,” Snow realized his true identity and that he could be an heir to the Iron Throne. The series concluded with his exile from Westeros as he rides into the Haunted Forest with Ghost and the Wildlings to begin a new life.
Since the potential Jon Snow sequel series would take place after the final season of “Game of Thrones,” it’s possible that familiar characters — such as his half-siblings Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) and Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) — could show their faces.
- 6/17/2022
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
The conclusions of dramas like “Ozark” and “Better Call Saul” have ruled cultural conversation about TV in 2022, while new shows such as “Bel-Air” and “As We See It” are a sign of the innovation and creativity to come. Creators and showrunners of some of the top dramas on the small screen came together for Variety’s “A Night in the Writers’ Room” to discuss bringing new ideas to old properties, what it’s like to write a series finale and more.
Moderated by TV features editor Emily Longeretta, the event began with a conversation about what it looks like to run a writers’ room under pandemic restrictions. Each writer offered different perspectives on the pros and cons.
Chris Mundy, writer and executive producer of “Ozark” much prefers in-person writing, but he found that keeping the writing staff consistent allowed the Zoom experience to go as smoothly as possible.
“In the final season of ‘Ozark,...
Moderated by TV features editor Emily Longeretta, the event began with a conversation about what it looks like to run a writers’ room under pandemic restrictions. Each writer offered different perspectives on the pros and cons.
Chris Mundy, writer and executive producer of “Ozark” much prefers in-person writing, but he found that keeping the writing staff consistent allowed the Zoom experience to go as smoothly as possible.
“In the final season of ‘Ozark,...
- 6/10/2022
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
Actors, producers, directors, executives, writers and more joined together to discuss the ins and outs of their TV programs in a stacked season of small-screen excellence for the 2022 Variety Virtual TV Fest. From shows moving to new streaming platforms to the boom in true crime series on television, there was a lot to discuss and the biggest names behind some of the shows this season covered it all.
Here, Variety lists the 10 biggest takeaways from this year’s panels.
Marlon Wayans Thinks Comedy Is Better the Deeper it Goes
For his recent HBO Max comedy special “You Know What It Is,” popular comic Marlon Wayans gets more personal than ever, discussing his experiences learning about his daughter’s sexuality, getting caught cheating and many other mistakes he’s made throughout his life. Although he said it was uncomfortable for him to discuss these topics, Wayans maintains that the special was stronger for it.
Here, Variety lists the 10 biggest takeaways from this year’s panels.
Marlon Wayans Thinks Comedy Is Better the Deeper it Goes
For his recent HBO Max comedy special “You Know What It Is,” popular comic Marlon Wayans gets more personal than ever, discussing his experiences learning about his daughter’s sexuality, getting caught cheating and many other mistakes he’s made throughout his life. Although he said it was uncomfortable for him to discuss these topics, Wayans maintains that the special was stronger for it.
- 6/10/2022
- by Wilson Chapman, Sasha Urban and Carson Burton
- Variety Film + TV
Greetings from Variety Awards Headquarters! Today is June 6, 2022, which means it’s now 10 days until Emmy nominations-round voting begins on June 16 and 21 days until Emmy nomination round voting ends on June 27. From there, it’s 36 days until Emmy nominations are announced on July 12; then 67 days until final round voting begins on August 12, followed by 83 days until final round voting ends on August 22. Then comes the finales: It’s 89 days until the Creative Arts Emmys kicks off its two-night event on September 3; and then it’s 98 days until the 74th Emmy Awards takes place, live on NBC, September 12.
Welcome back from another edition of Awards HQ written high in the sky, as I head back to Los Angeles after a weekend at the Atx TV Festival. It was the first in-person Atx in three years, after the last two went virtual due to Covid. Among the highlights: On Sunday morning, I...
Welcome back from another edition of Awards HQ written high in the sky, as I head back to Los Angeles after a weekend at the Atx TV Festival. It was the first in-person Atx in three years, after the last two went virtual due to Covid. Among the highlights: On Sunday morning, I...
- 6/7/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Danny McBride and the “Righteous Gemstones” writers’ room began shaping Season 2 of the HBO megachurch comedy in the fall of 2019. They started shooting in March 2020, but after two days, the Covid-19 pandemic halted production. What started as a weeks-long delay soon turned into almost a year, and McBride — stuck in lockdown — couldn’t help himself but tweak what he had. And so he rewrote the entire season.
“I ended up pulling out whole storylines and characters that didn’t make it into the season,” McBride tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit podcast. “There are things I’ll probably push maybe into [the third] season, but with a little bit of perspective and a little bit of […] rest in between seasons, it just helped me sort of solidify what I really wanted to do with this season.”
Listen below!
McBride says one of the plot lines that changed the most post-rewrite was Eli Gemstone...
“I ended up pulling out whole storylines and characters that didn’t make it into the season,” McBride tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit podcast. “There are things I’ll probably push maybe into [the third] season, but with a little bit of perspective and a little bit of […] rest in between seasons, it just helped me sort of solidify what I really wanted to do with this season.”
Listen below!
McBride says one of the plot lines that changed the most post-rewrite was Eli Gemstone...
- 6/3/2022
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
In 1980, Texas homemaker Candy Montgomery was accused of murdering Betty Gore, the wife of the man she was involved with. It was a crime no one saw coming, and that was part of the reason Jessica Biel was drawn to play the role in Hulu’s limited series “Candy.”
Starring opposite Melanie Lynskey and Pablo Schreiber, Biel completely transformed — wig, glasses and all — into the character. She also worked double duty as an executive producer on the gory project.
On this edition of the “Variety Awards Circuit Podcast,” we talk to “Candy” star and executive producer Jessica Biel about adapting the real-life true crime story. After that, we chat with “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” star Adrien Brody about playing iconic Los Angeles Lakers coach Pat Riley. Listen below!
Variety’s Emily Longeretta sat down with Biel to talk about starring and executive producing “Candy” and what...
Starring opposite Melanie Lynskey and Pablo Schreiber, Biel completely transformed — wig, glasses and all — into the character. She also worked double duty as an executive producer on the gory project.
On this edition of the “Variety Awards Circuit Podcast,” we talk to “Candy” star and executive producer Jessica Biel about adapting the real-life true crime story. After that, we chat with “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” star Adrien Brody about playing iconic Los Angeles Lakers coach Pat Riley. Listen below!
Variety’s Emily Longeretta sat down with Biel to talk about starring and executive producing “Candy” and what...
- 6/1/2022
- by Emily Longeretta
- Variety Film + TV
Greetings from Variety Awards Headquarters! Today is May 2, 2022, which means it’s now 10 days until the Emmy entry deadline on May 12; also 45 days until Emmy nominations-round voting begins on June 16 and 56 days until Emmy nomination round voting ends on June 27. From there, it’s 71 days until Emmy nominations are announced on July 12; then 102 days until final round voting begins on August 12, followed by 112 days until final round voting ends on August 22 . Then comes the finales: It’s 124 days until the Creative Arts Emmys kicks off its two-night event on September 3; and then it’s 133 days until the 74th Emmy Awards takes place, live on NBC, September 12.
Hard to believe that it’s already May, but here we are! And yes, the Emmy competition is heating up as FYC season gets more frantic in the coming weeks. Amazon already launched its “Prime Experience” this weekend at a crazy large estate up...
Hard to believe that it’s already May, but here we are! And yes, the Emmy competition is heating up as FYC season gets more frantic in the coming weeks. Amazon already launched its “Prime Experience” this weekend at a crazy large estate up...
- 5/3/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Celebrities showed up in droves for Sunday’s SAG Awards, driving the first big awards show of the year (and since the pandemic) to the top of Variety’s Trending TV chart for the week of Feb. 21 to 27. The show collected an impressive 3.6 million engagements during its broadcast on TNT and TBS, earning more than nine times that of this week’s runner-up, “Euphoria.”
The emotional and politically charged telecast doled out top prizes to projects like “Coda,” “Ted Lasso” and “Succession.” The internet also followed along as winner Will Smith (“King Richard”) teared up during his acceptance speech, Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story”) became the first Latina to win a film award from the Guild and the cast of “Squid Game” made history. Twitter also lit up when Michael Keaton was in the restroom when Salma Hayek announced his “Dopesick” acting win. He later delivered a tearful tribute to his late nephew.
The emotional and politically charged telecast doled out top prizes to projects like “Coda,” “Ted Lasso” and “Succession.” The internet also followed along as winner Will Smith (“King Richard”) teared up during his acceptance speech, Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story”) became the first Latina to win a film award from the Guild and the cast of “Squid Game” made history. Twitter also lit up when Michael Keaton was in the restroom when Salma Hayek announced his “Dopesick” acting win. He later delivered a tearful tribute to his late nephew.
- 2/28/2022
- by Amber Dowling
- Variety Film + TV
Rockmond Dunbar has filed a lawsuit against Disney and 20th Television over his firing from the television series “9-1-1.” Dunbar — who played Michael Grant for five seasons on the Fox procedural, which is produced by the Disney-owned studio 20th Televsion — is unvaccinated against Covid. The actor said he filed paperwork to the studios seeking a religious and medical exemption for the Covid vaccine.
“In September 2021, [the studios] introduced a new policy mandating that all employees be vaccinated against Covid-19, but allowed actors like Mr. Dunbar to request an accommodation based on either medical or religious reasons,” the lawsuit reads. “Mr. Dunbar submitted paperwork seeking both a religious and a medical accommodation. … The producer of ‘9-1-1’ assured Mr. Dunbar that he wanted him to remain with the show and that they could adjust his schedule to accommodate Mr. Dunbar’s need to avoid obtaining the Covid-19 vaccine.”
After asking for a religious and medical Covid vaccine exemption,...
“In September 2021, [the studios] introduced a new policy mandating that all employees be vaccinated against Covid-19, but allowed actors like Mr. Dunbar to request an accommodation based on either medical or religious reasons,” the lawsuit reads. “Mr. Dunbar submitted paperwork seeking both a religious and a medical accommodation. … The producer of ‘9-1-1’ assured Mr. Dunbar that he wanted him to remain with the show and that they could adjust his schedule to accommodate Mr. Dunbar’s need to avoid obtaining the Covid-19 vaccine.”
After asking for a religious and medical Covid vaccine exemption,...
- 2/17/2022
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Variety has expanded its television editorial staff with three new hires.
Emily Longeretta, formerly senior entertainment editor for Us Weekly, has joined Variety’s Focus department as senior TV features editor, overseeing TV-related features and the 10 to Watch franchise, Impact lists and other franchises. She will work closely with senior editor, TV awards, and deputy TV editor Michael Schneider and other editors in steering TV features and awards season coverage. She will be based in Los Angeles.
Jennifer Maas, formerly a TV reporter for The Wrap, has signed on as a TV business writer, based in New York. Maas will cover television industry news as well as corporate earnings, financial, M&a and business-related news and analysis, reporting to Variety co-editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton.
Selome Hailu, who joined Variety last year as an intern, has been promoted to reporter. Based in Los Angeles, she will focus on working with Schneider to cover the TV awards beat,...
Emily Longeretta, formerly senior entertainment editor for Us Weekly, has joined Variety’s Focus department as senior TV features editor, overseeing TV-related features and the 10 to Watch franchise, Impact lists and other franchises. She will work closely with senior editor, TV awards, and deputy TV editor Michael Schneider and other editors in steering TV features and awards season coverage. She will be based in Los Angeles.
Jennifer Maas, formerly a TV reporter for The Wrap, has signed on as a TV business writer, based in New York. Maas will cover television industry news as well as corporate earnings, financial, M&a and business-related news and analysis, reporting to Variety co-editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton.
Selome Hailu, who joined Variety last year as an intern, has been promoted to reporter. Based in Los Angeles, she will focus on working with Schneider to cover the TV awards beat,...
- 1/6/2022
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
Let's go back to the real Orange County. On Friday, Oct. 23, the cast of Laguna Beach got together for a virtual reunion on Ig TV that included former rivals Kristin Cavallari and Lauren Conrad, and the boy at the center of their feud, Stephen Colletti. In the reunion, which was organized to drive voter registration via HeadCount's #GoodToVote campaign, the Laguna Beach squad—which also included Lo Bosworth, Morgan Smith, Christina Sinclair, Trey Phillips, Talan Torriero and Loren Polster—played a round of games with host Emily Longeretta, including "Never Have I Ever." (It really was a high school reunion!) While the...
- 10/23/2020
- E! Online
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