Variety 11/17/2021

So much has been going horribly wrong lately. No sooner did I write an editor’s letter decrying the fact that the tragedy that unfolded on the set of “Rust,” killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, was 100% preventable had strict gun safety protocols been followed, than another deadly incident took the lives of 10 people at Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival in Houston. Both catastrophes were the result of human error. Our music writers Jem Aswad and Chris Willman posted a story on Nov. 10, titled “A Ticking Time Bomb,” saying how the victims’ lawyers and many in the general public were laying much of the blame squarely on Scott for not stopping the concert when chaos ensued and for “riling up an already unruly crowd, well after the festival had been declared…

1 Latest Netflix Addition: ‘Selling the OC,’ a Spinoff of ‘Selling Sunset’ “Selling Sunset,” Netflix’s unscripted series of real estate porn, is getting an Orange County spinoff. “Selling the OC” filming is underway, and the show will premiere on the streamer sometime in 2022. The show will follow Jason Oppenheim — owner of the real estate firm at the center of “Selling Sunset” — as he expands the company, having opened a second office in Newport Beach. It is produced by Adam DiVello’s Done and Done Prods. and Lionsgate. — Kate Aurthur 2 ‘Schitt’s Creek’ Star Eugene Levy Signs With UTA “Schitt’s Creek” star and Canadian screen icon Eugene Levy has signed with UTA. The multi-Emmy-winning actor, producer and writer co-created, starred in and executive produced the critically acclaimed CBC…

When a fire alarm was triggered on Sept. 25 at London’s Red Bee Media — the company that’s the distribution hub for many U.K. broadcasters — the BBC and Channel 4 went off air for a few hours on a Saturday night. But what was a minor inconvenience to most viewers was a crippling blow for the deaf and visually impaired, who lost access services to Channel 4 completely when the fire alarm’s gas suppression system damaged the broadcaster’s servers so severely that their systems needed to be entirely rebuilt. Almost two months later, audio description and sign language services are only now being reinstated. “It’s about where people put access in their list of priorities. The system that Channel 4 put in as a backup wasn’t fit for purpose.”--Melanie…

Will Welch, the global editorial director of GQ magazine, has been racking up his miles. Following back-to-back events in the English countryside, Madrid and Milan in support of the brand, the editor is preparing to land in Los Angeles to mark the in-person return of one of the most coveted invites of the year. Though nary a trophy is handed out, the GQ Men of the Year party attracts Oscar hopefuls and notable jawlines seeking refuge from awards season campaigning. A subtle theme of this year’s honors is bravery, highlighting the trailblazing performer Lil Nas X, NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo and Spidey himself, Tom Holland. All will be toasted in the heart of West Hollywood on Nov. 18 at Ian Schrager’s Edition hotel. “This issue subtly continues our idea of…

When Mckenna Grace turned 15 this year, the actor had already appeared in more than 50 films and TV titles, most recently with her Emmy-nominated turn as a teenage wife on Season 4 of “The Handmaid’s Tale.” She’s best known, though, for a string of at least eight roles in which she plays the younger version of the lead character, including in 2017’s “I, Tonya,” 2019’s “Captain Marvel” and 2021’s “Malignant.” In “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” directed by Jason Reitman, Grace upends that persona. She plays Phoebe, who looks and sounds like a kid version of her dead grandfather, Ghostbuster Egon Spengler (as originally played by the late Harold Ramis). But as a lifelong “Ghostbusters” fan — she saw the first film when she was 3 — Grace confidently makes the role…

From the moment Fox alternative entertainment president Rob Wade joined the network in 2017, he had an eye on a “Joe Millionaire” revival. But first, Wade had to make sure Fox still owned the rights to the franchise — given that some network properties were a part of the Disney acquisition of 21st Century Fox assets and some weren’t. But development hinged on an even larger question: What should “Joe Millionaire” even be in this modern age? “Joe Millionaire” was a smash in 2003, with nearly 40 million viewers tuning in to catch its big reveal — in which an unsuspecting woman discovered the wealthy man she was dating was actually broke. After the sequel fizzled, however, the franchise was shelved and sat dormant for nearly two decades. Until now.…