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Variety

NBCU Unveils Unscripted Pitch Accelerator Initiative in Search for Company’s Next Hit Franchises (EXCLUSIVE)

NBCUniversal Launch, the company’s umbrella brand that houses the comprehensive inclusion efforts across NBCUniversal’s entertainment television portfolio, is unveiling its annual Unscripted Pitch Accelerator program. The program is designed to discover the next generation of unscripted storytellers for NBC, Bravo and Peacock. The initiative offers independent creators and producers the opportunity to pitch original concepts directly to […]

Variety

‘I Was Thrown Straight Into the Fire’: ‘SNL’ Freshmen on Crazy Auditions, Hate Comments and Advice From Lorne Michaels

Like any freshman year, one’s first season on “Saturday Night Live” is full of new friends, late nights and nervous poops. At least, that’s according to the five new cast members of Season 51, who together mark “SNL’s” biggest single-season intake since 2013, when six were added to the cast. The venerable sketch comedy series […]

Variety

‘All of a Sudden’ Review: Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto Forge a Life-Changing Friendship in Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Life-Giving Drama

Two women talk for the best part of three-and-a-quarter-hours and Ryusuke Hamaguchi makes of it an unassumingly momentous miracle. “All of a Sudden,” the Japanese director’s gorgeous new feature, is the rarest type of film, not merely good enough to remind you what cinema can be, but great enough to remind you what life can […]

Variety

Saudi Arabia Raises Film and TV Production Rebate to a Whopping 60% and Streamlines Red Tape

Saudi Arabia has raised its rebate for film and TV productions from 40% to a whopping 60% in a clear signal that the kingdom is keen to keep on driving it nascent industry after the removal of its religion-related 35-year cinema ban in late 2017. The Saudi Film Commission on Friday at the Cannes Film […]

Variety

LISTEN: Did OpenAI Kill What Disney’s ‘Super App’ Needs Most?

With all the bells and whistles rumored to be a part of Disney’s “super app” plans, there’s one feature that can be ruled out at this time: the AI magic the company had been conjuring via its recently aborted partnership with OpenAI. Which begs a question: Will consumers ever be able to create videos that […]

Variety

European Commission EVP Henna Virkkunen on Film Funding Overhaul and Paramount-WBD Merger: It ‘Might Have to Be Reviewed Under Several EU Regulatory Frameworks’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Henna Virkkunen, EVP of the European Commission responsible for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, made the trek to the Cannes Film Festival on Friday for the first time, just as Europe’s film community is up in arms over plans for major changes to the EU’s Creative Europe funding program. On the eve of the fest’s opening, […]

Variety

Jordan Firstman Sobs as ‘Club Kid’ Becomes Cannes’ First Breakout Hit of 2026 and Earns a 6-Minute Standing Ovation

Jordan Firstman whipped out something unexpected at the Cannes Film Festival — pure sincerity, with his triumphant directorial debut “Club Kid.” The movie premiered to instant acclaim from movie critics and a hugely-enthusiastic six minute standing ovation from the audience inside the Théâtre Claude Debussy, during which Firstman cried, kissed co-star Diego Calva and lifted […]

Variety

Jordan Firstman Sobs and Kisses Co-Star Diego Calva ‘Club Kid’ Becomes Cannes’ First Breakout Hit of 2026 and Earns a 6-Minute Standing Ovation

Variety

Prime Video’s Faith-Based Family Drama ‘It’s Not Like That’ Is Refreshingly Raw: TV Review

Following the success of its faith-based successes “The Chosen” and “House of David,” Amazon Prime is expanding in the genre with “It’s Not Like That,” from creators Ian Deitchman and Kristin Robinson. The intricate family drama uses Christianity as a pillar, but extends outward to explore the sticky nuances and unexpected circumstances that arise amid […]

Variety

Bong Joon Ho Says First Animated Movie ‘Ally’ Will ‘Unleash’ the ‘Control Freak in Me’ and Takes Blame for Any ‘Mickey 17’ Criticism: ‘S— on Me,’ Not the Studio

Seven years after he won the Palme d’Or with “Parasite,” Bong Joon Ho is back in Cannes, this time with his first animated feature. “Ally,” in the works since 2019 and due for completion later this year, is set in the uncharted depths of the South Pacific Ocean, where a curious piglet squid dreams of […]

Variety

‘Rivals,’ Hulu’s British Dark Comedy, Is Pitch-Perfect in Season 2: TV Review

Guilty pleasures are one thing, but utterly delicious bits of television are something else entirely. Season 2 of Hulu’s “Rivals,” the 1980s-set dark comedy adapted from Jilly Cooper’s “Rutshire Chronicles” novels, is exactly that. The series, which is set in the fictional county of Rutshire, England, follows an intense rivalry. Legendary television executive Lord Tony Baddingham […]

Variety

Canex Creations Boss Talks Global Ambitions for African Film as Neon Drops First Look for Buzzy Cannes Premiere ‘Clarissa’ (EXCLUSIVE)

CANEX Creations CEO Osahon Akpata has outlined his strategic vision for how the pan-African institution can boost the profile of the continent’s filmmakers, while Neon has released a first-look image for the CANEX-backed “Clarissa,” the buzzy, Lagos-set adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway” that premieres May 16 in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard sidebar. Directed by Arie […]

Variety

‘To Hold a Mountain,’ a Meditation on Sisterhood, Grief and Perseverance, Wins Top Prize at Millennium Docs Against Gravity

“To Hold a Mountain,” a documentary from directing duo Biljana Tutorov and Petar Glomazić about sisterhood and solitude in the Montenegrin highlands, won the Grand Prix at Millennium Docs Against Gravity during an award ceremony in Warsaw on Thursday. The film, which won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at Sundance earlier this year, was praised by […]

Variety

Matthew McConaughey Exiled Himself From Hollywood and Lived in Peru as Mateo for 22 Days Without Electricity When Fame Became Too Much

Matthew McConaughey revealed on the “No Magic Pill” podcast (via People) that he once exiled himself from Hollywood and lived without electricity for 22 days in Peru when the pressures of early fame became too much for him to handle. He exclusively went by Matteo during this period as to further disassociate himself from his celebrity status. […]

Variety

‘Momo,’ Starring Martin Freeman, Claes Bang, Sells to Several Additional Territories at Cannes (EXCLUSIVE)

Epsilon Film has closed a raft of international deals on “Momo,” the live-action family adventure film based on the novel by Michael Ende, best known for “The NeverEnding Story,” and starring Martin Freeman and Claes Bang. U.K. and Ireland rights have been acquired by Signature Entertainment, which plans a summer 2026 theatrical release. Additional sales […]

Variety

Marie Kreutzer, Director of Cannes Competition Film ‘Gentle Monster,’ on Exposing Evildoers: ‘It’s Not the Creepy Guy Behind the Bush … It Could Be Someone You Trust’

At the start of 2023, as the awards campaign for Marie Kreutzer’s “Corsage” was in full swing, a bombshell landed: Florian Teichtmeister, one of its lead actors, was charged with possession of child pornography. On Friday, Kreutzer debuts her latest film, “Gentle Monster,” in competition at Cannes. Its subject: a man is charged with possession […]

Variety

‘The Napa Boys’ Heads to Cannes Film Market as Mise-En-Scène Company Launches International Sales (EXCLUSIVE)

London-based sales outfit The Mise-En-Scène Company is launching international rights to “The Napa Boys,” an ensemble comedy, at the Cannes Film Market, with the acquisition struck through Sunset Rose Pictures, the production banner of producer Mike Rosenstein. Co-written by and starring Armen Weitzman (“Veep”) and Nick Corirossi (“What We Do in the Shadows”) – Corirossi […]

Variety

Ukrainian War Thriller ‘Honeymoon’ Wins Mediawan, BYD Backed Build Your Dream Prize in Cannes

Ukrainian filmmaker Zhanna Ozirna’s claustrophobic marital drama “Honeymoon” won the inaugural Build Your Dream award at a chic Cannes ceremony atop the JW Marriott on May 14. Set at the start of the Russo-Ukrainian war, the intimate thriller follows Kyiv newlyweds trapped in their apartment and cut off from the outside world, a situation endangering […]

Variety

Ukrainian War Thriller ‘Honeymoon’ Wins Mediawan, BYD Backed Build Your Dream Prize in Cannes

Variety

Jordana Brewster Wants More Practical Action Scenes and ‘Agency’ in Last ‘Fast and Furious’ Movie, Says Mia Became ‘More Passive’ as Franchise Went On

Jordana Brewster helped electrify Cannes during the 25th anniversary screening of “The Fast and the Furious,” which she attended alongside original cast members Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez plus Paul Walker’s daughter Meadow. Speaking to Variety’s Angelique Jackson a few days later during a Kering Women in Motion talk, the actor behind Mia Toretto called […]

Variety

Fantastic Lab Central America & Caribbean Unveils Winners at Cannes Fantastic Pavilion (EXCLUSIVE)

The winners are in. Fantastic Lab Central America & Caribbean has unveiled six finalists and one grand prize at the Cannes Fantastic Pavilion. Presented by Baby Atómica, one of Fantastic Lab’s partners, the grand prize goes to “We Won’t Let the Goat Die” (“No dejaremos que muera la cabra “) a co-production involving Costa Rica, […]

Variety

Paris Outfit Pavo Films Launches With Gurvinder Singh’s ‘Rehmat,’ Starring Naseeruddin Shah (EXCLUSIVE)

A new Paris-based production company dedicated to independent and auteur Indian cinema has entered the market. Pavo Films, co-founded in by Cosmin Illes and Némésis Srour, announced its formation at the Cannes Film Market, with Gurvinder Singh’s “Rehmat” – starring Naseeruddin Shah – as its debut co-production. The two co-founders bring complementary backgrounds in streaming […]

Variety

Isabelle Huppert on the Mystery of Asghar Farhadi’s ‘Parallel Tales,’ Cannes and Why ‘Hollywood Remains Hollywood’

Relaxed, witty and fresh off another globe-spanning theater tour, Isabelle Huppert was already slipping back into Cannes mode when we met at Paris’ iconic Lutetia Hotel ahead of the world premiere of Asghar Farhadi’s “Parallel Tales” in competition. In the Paris-set movie, Huppert stars alongside a powerful cast including Virginie Efira, Vincent Cassel, Pierre Niney, […]

Variety

Eric Cantona on His Lifelong Passion for Cinema, Being an Actor for 30 Years and Love for Ken Loach

The busiest actor in Cannes this year is a man considerably more famous for his artistry on the football field than on screen. Eric Cantona has an impressive three films in the festival, with the French soccer legend and Manchester United hero acting in two and the subject of another. In Avril Besson’s debut feature […]

Variety

Asghar Farhadi Says ‘Any Murder Is a Crime’ When Asked About Iran War at Cannes: ‘It’s Extremely Cruel and Tragic’

Asghar Farhadi spoke about the conflict in his native Iran during the Cannes Film Festival press conference for his new film “Parallel Tales,” saying: “Any murder is a crime.” It didn’t take long for the Iranian auteur to be asked his thoughts on the war between Iran, the U.S. and Israel. The Oscar winner has […]

Variety

How Indonesia’s New Film Agency Chief Plans to Turn Local Box Office Dominance Into Global Presence

Fauzan Zidni is at Cannes this year as the newly elected chair of the Indonesian Film Agency (BPI) with a program already in Critics’ Week and the agency making its first institutional appearance at the festival. “Next Step Studio Indonesia” — four short films by Indonesian directors made alongside peers from Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines […]

Variety

African Producers Accelerator Announces New Partnerships, Participants of 2026 Edition (EXCLUSIVE)

The African Producers Accelerator, an initiative designed to tackle persistent industry barriers faced by mid-career African film and television producers, has selected the six participants who will take part in its 2026 edition. The producers, who were chosen from 267 applications submitted across 31 countries, are South Africa’s Babalwa Baartman (“Good Madam”) and David Franciscus (“Street Trash”); […]

Variety

Wild Bunch Takes Hit Survival Thriller ‘Balandrau’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Wild Bunch has acquired German rights to “Balandrau: Where the Fierce Wind Blew” (“Balandrau, Vent Salvatge,” original Catalan title), the Spanish survival thriller sold internationally by Filmax. The deal is one of several closed by Filmax ahead of and around the Cannes Marché du Film. The film has also been sold to Latin America with […]

Variety

‘Mandalorian and Grogu’ Is First ‘Star Wars’ Movie to Be Shot Entirely in Los Angeles Thanks to California Tax Incentive, Says Director Jon Favreau

It’s been almost 50 years since the first “Star Wars” was released. And it’s taken that long for a movie in the beloved franchise — “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” — to be shot in Los Angeles. “I’d like to thank the California Film Commission for allowing us to have a tax incentive here […]

Variety

‘Mandalorian and Grogu’ Is First ‘Star Wars’ Movie to Be Shot Entirely in Los Angeles Thanks to California Tax Incentive, Says Director Jon Favreau

It’s been almost 50 years since the first “Star Wars” was released. And it’s taken that long for a movie in the beloved franchise – “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” — to be shot in Los Angeles “I’d like to thank the California Film Commission and allowing us to have a tax incentive here […]

Variety News

NBCU Unveils Unscripted Pitch Accelerator Initiative in Search for Company’s Next Hit Franchises (EXCLUSIVE)

‘I Was Thrown Straight Into the Fire’: ‘SNL’ Freshmen on Crazy Auditions, Hate Comments and Advice From Lorne Michaels

‘All of a Sudden’ Review: Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto Forge a Life-Changing Friendship in Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Life-Giving Drama

Saudi Arabia Raises Film and TV Production Rebate to a Whopping 60% and Streamlines Red Tape

LISTEN: Did OpenAI Kill What Disney’s ‘Super App’ Needs Most?

European Commission EVP Henna Virkkunen on Film Funding Overhaul and Paramount-WBD Merger: It ‘Might Have to Be Reviewed Under Several EU Regulatory Frameworks’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Jordan Firstman Sobs as ‘Club Kid’ Becomes Cannes’ First Breakout Hit of 2026 and Earns a 6-Minute Standing Ovation

Jordan Firstman Sobs and Kisses Co-Star Diego Calva ‘Club Kid’ Becomes Cannes’ First Breakout Hit of 2026 and Earns a 6-Minute Standing Ovation

Prime Video’s Faith-Based Family Drama ‘It’s Not Like That’ Is Refreshingly Raw: TV Review

Bong Joon Ho Says First Animated Movie ‘Ally’ Will ‘Unleash’ the ‘Control Freak in Me’ and Takes Blame for Any ‘Mickey 17’ Criticism: ‘S— on Me,’ Not the Studio

‘Rivals,’ Hulu’s British Dark Comedy, Is Pitch-Perfect in Season 2: TV Review

Canex Creations Boss Talks Global Ambitions for African Film as Neon Drops First Look for Buzzy Cannes Premiere ‘Clarissa’ (EXCLUSIVE)

‘To Hold a Mountain,’ a Meditation on Sisterhood, Grief and Perseverance, Wins Top Prize at Millennium Docs Against Gravity

Matthew McConaughey Exiled Himself From Hollywood and Lived in Peru as Mateo for 22 Days Without Electricity When Fame Became Too Much

‘Momo,’ Starring Martin Freeman, Claes Bang, Sells to Several Additional Territories at Cannes (EXCLUSIVE)

Marie Kreutzer, Director of Cannes Competition Film ‘Gentle Monster,’ on Exposing Evildoers: ‘It’s Not the Creepy Guy Behind the Bush … It Could Be Someone You Trust’

‘The Napa Boys’ Heads to Cannes Film Market as Mise-En-Scène Company Launches International Sales (EXCLUSIVE)

Ukrainian War Thriller ‘Honeymoon’ Wins Mediawan, BYD Backed Build Your Dream Prize in Cannes

Ukrainian War Thriller ‘Honeymoon’ Wins Mediawan, BYD Backed Build Your Dream Prize in Cannes

Jordana Brewster Wants More Practical Action Scenes and ‘Agency’ in Last ‘Fast and Furious’ Movie, Says Mia Became ‘More Passive’ as Franchise Went On

Fantastic Lab Central America & Caribbean Unveils Winners at Cannes Fantastic Pavilion (EXCLUSIVE)

Paris Outfit Pavo Films Launches With Gurvinder Singh’s ‘Rehmat,’ Starring Naseeruddin Shah (EXCLUSIVE)

Isabelle Huppert on the Mystery of Asghar Farhadi’s ‘Parallel Tales,’ Cannes and Why ‘Hollywood Remains Hollywood’

Eric Cantona on His Lifelong Passion for Cinema, Being an Actor for 30 Years and Love for Ken Loach

Asghar Farhadi Says ‘Any Murder Is a Crime’ When Asked About Iran War at Cannes: ‘It’s Extremely Cruel and Tragic’

How Indonesia’s New Film Agency Chief Plans to Turn Local Box Office Dominance Into Global Presence

African Producers Accelerator Announces New Partnerships, Participants of 2026 Edition (EXCLUSIVE)

Wild Bunch Takes Hit Survival Thriller ‘Balandrau’ (EXCLUSIVE)

‘Mandalorian and Grogu’ Is First ‘Star Wars’ Movie to Be Shot Entirely in Los Angeles Thanks to California Tax Incentive, Says Director Jon Favreau

‘Mandalorian and Grogu’ Is First ‘Star Wars’ Movie to Be Shot Entirely in Los Angeles Thanks to California Tax Incentive, Says Director Jon Favreau

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