Innholdsfortegnelse for 2/16/2022 i Variety

As of this writing, the Motion Picture Academy has yet to officially announce its policy regarding COVID protocols for next month’s Oscar ceremony. Nonetheless, many in the Hollywood community are going on the assumption that The Hollywood Reporter’s Feb. 9 scoop that no proof of vaccination will be required for the March 27 awards show at the Dolby Theatre is already set in stone. And I’ve spoken with multiple insiders over the past week who tell me they’re plenty furious and flummoxed about a no-vax requirement if that turns out to be the case. Right after THR broke its story, Seth MacFarlane, who is livid over the matter, tweeted that for the Academy not to mandate vaccines is a “colossal abdication of responsible management. I cannot fathom what piece of…

By the time Ivan Reitman launched his Hollywood career in the late ’70s, it seemed like there wasn’t much left to rebel against — at least, not in middle-class American life. But that’s where Reitman, who died Feb. 12 at 75, had an inspiration. What if rebellion as we knew it really was played out? After the moralistic fervor of the ’60s and ’70s, what if there was nothing left to the idea of a “counterculture” but the sheer scruffy joy of bad behavior? What if the rebel no longer stood for anything but himself? The world was ripe for a new breed of rebel, the kind who didn’t take anything he stood for seriously. It was also ripe for the kind of rebellion that looked like you could have…

At the end of Super Bowl LVI, NBC Sports announcers Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth couldn’t help marveling in the cliché of it all: It was a Hollywood ending for a game played in Hollywood’s backyard (technically, Inglewood) featuring Hollywood’s home team. The Los Angeles Rams had pulled off a last-minute victory to win the big game — a nail-biting come-from-behind victory that’s the stuff of scripts. The first Super Bowl to take place in the Los Angeles metropolitan area since 1993, this year’s game was perhaps TV’s biggest love letter to the City of Angels in years. Not only were the aerial shots of the city breathtaking and straight out of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board’s playbook, but the halftime show spotlighted several hometown musical heroes —…

With the season finale of “The Book of Boba Fett” this month and the highly anticipated debut of “Obi-Wan Kenobi” on May 25, Lucasfilm’s TV slate for Disney Plus is finally kicking into high gear after lagging behind the breakneck output of corporate cousin Marvel Studios. At least five other series are in various stages of production and development for the streamer, with two aiming to debut this year — though streaming release dates are often a moving target. (A second season of “Boba Fett” remains a possibility, but Lucasfilm has yet to make an announcement.) Here is the latest on what to expect. “Willow”: The sequel series to Ron Howard’s 1988 feature film is Lucasfilm’s only announced non-“Star Wars” title in the pipe-line for streaming. Warwick Davis is…

Matthew McConaughey (1) hasn’t exactly shut the door on appearing in the third installment of Channing Tatum’s stripper franchise “Magic Mike.” But the actor, who appeared in the 2012 original (but said no to 2015’s “Magic Mike XXL”), is still waiting for his phone to ring about “Magic Mike’s Last Dance.” “Channing Tatum, call me, bro! I haven’t heard from ya!” the Oscar winner said when I recently asked him if he’ll be back in the role of strip club owner Dallas. “I don’t know,” McConaughey said. “I’d have to read [the script] first. It was a helluva lot of fun doing the first one.” Tatum announced in November that “Last Dance,” directed by Steven Soderbergh, will be released on HBO Max. Shooting is set to begin next month in…

The push-pull relationship between an individual developing his or her sense of self and the external forces trying to steer them — be they parental, professional, political or cultural — creates a tension that is common, and formative, to many people’s lives. Despite the wildly different stories that they tell, many of this year’s best picture nominees vividly illustrate this universal conflict, examining the challenge of retaining or asserting one’s identity while the world around them attempts to impose pressure or exert its influence. As perhaps the most fantastical of the nominees, “Dune” sends young Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) on a journey that owes no small debt to Joseph Campbell’s monomyth, but director and co-writer Denis Villenueve weaves a complex tapestry between the lineage into which the character was born,…

Transformation — through makeup, hair and even the judicial use of prosthetics — is key to the Makeup Artists & Hair Stylists Guild awards nominations. The kudos ceremony is set for Feb. 19 at the Beverly Hilton. “House of Gucci,” “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” “Coming 2 America” and “The Suicide Squad” all grabbed three guild noms apiece, leading the pack; “Cruella,” “Dune” and “No Time to Die” earned two each; and “West Side Story” has one. Linda Dowds, who is nominated for period and/or character makeup for “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” didn’t want the film’s star Jessica Chastain to be a caricature of Tammy Faye Bakker. In transforming Chastain, Dowds turned to drugstore makeup in her toolbox. She also collaborated with special makeup effects artist Justin Raleigh (also…

Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s “Drive My Car” defied expectations last week when it nabbed Oscar nominations for best picture, director, adapted screenplay and international feature. The Japanese movie, released domestically by venerable art-house distributor Janus Films, surpassed titles with more robust campaigns, including Amazon’s “Being the Ricardos” and Netflix’s “Tick, Tick … Boom!” Even Hamaguchi was surprised by the noms. “I could have never imagined that I would be a realistic contender,” he tells Variety, speaking through Stacy Lee, a Japanese interpreter. “In terms of the campaign, it was a steady effort where people at Janus made these recommendations. They also have very strong connections with the critics and other parts of the community.” Hamaguchi tells the story of being on a plane with no internet when the nominations were announced, and…

The Berlin Film Festival has staged its first in-person edition since 2020, soldiering on amid a wave of the COVID omicron variant in Germany and a last-minute virtual pivot for the European Film Market. Here are our main takeaways from the weeklong event. Buzz-free fest Deserted Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotel lobbies — traditionally hotbeds for frenzied deal-making — were a sad sight to behold. The reward for those who made the trek: more quality time with people in town for their premieres. “For me, as a producer trying to find new filmmakers, [it’s] a blessing, because otherwise it would be me and 100 other producers, sales companies and studios,” says Uri Singer, producer of Noah Baumbach’s forthcoming “White Noise,” who traveled from Los Angeles for the festival. Testing done right…

The season is off and running with the 28th annual SAG Awards, set to air at 5 p.m. PT Feb. 27 on both TNT and TBS. The SAG Awards tend to be a major indicator of how the Academy Award acting races will play out and on the television side, it marks the first major awards show of the new year — meaning several new shows are getting their first big shot to make an impact. Ahead of the ceremony, Variety takes a look at the pool of nominees. FILM CATEGORIES Why SAG Awards Matter for Film Simply put, the SAG Awards are the first strong indication of how the acting categories at the Academy Awards may be leaning. While other ceremonies have usually taken place prior to the SAG…

When the entertainment industry hit pause in 2020, Georgia’s only television festival was forced to make the same change that so many did, readjusting its annual SCAD TVfest into a virtual event. Not only did that event go on without a hitch, it became a tremendous success, and made the team realize that it was a trend they want to continue after the pandemic ends. “After presenting TVfest virtually for the first time, we were amazed with the reach, interest and attendance on a global scale,” says Christina Routhier, executive director of SCAD Theaters and Festivals. “The format allowed for industry leaders, prospective students, even our special guests and honorees to participate from locations all over the world. The virtual experience also allowed new audiences to discover our festival —…

After spending more than a decade in development and rotating through multiple directors, Sony’s “Uncharted” movie, based on the popular PlayStation video game series, is finally set to hit the big screen on Feb. 18, much to the delight of gamers everywhere. For the film’s crew, the challenge was to keep key aspects of the movie true to their source, which has sold more than 40 million copies, making it one of the most popular titles for Sony’s PlayStation console. Envisioned as playable “Indiana Jones” adventures, the game revolves around Nathan Drake, a bold treasure hunter obsessed with finding ancient prizes and firing off hilarious oneliners. In the film adaptation, Drake is aged down and played by “Spider-Man” star Tom Holland, in an original tale about his action-packed early days.…

FILM REVIEW Director: Claire Denis Starring: Juliette Binoche, Vincent Lindon, Gregoire Colin “Fire” begins in water: a wide, rippling expanse of Mediterranean blue under a cloudless sky, displaced and disrupted by two whirling human bodies. Sara (Juliette Binoche) and Jean (Vincent Lindon) tussle in the otherwise empty ocean as though they’ve just discovered weight-lessness, while Eric Gautier’s camera lingers on skin touching skin under the shimmer. The lovers are, we guess, on vacation, though in this immediately seductive opening scene, they seem suspended in another ecstatic reality altogether. It’s no spoiler to say we’ll never see them like this again in Claire Denis’ frank, hot-blooded relationship drama; most relationships have only select moments of such removed bliss, after all. But we frequently grieve for this sunlit simplicity in the messy,…

Team Zaslav didn’t waste any time. The same day the Justice De partment issued the regulatory greenlight for AT&T and Discovery to proceed with the $43 billion spinoff transaction that will create Warner Bros. Discovery, incoming CEO David Zaslav was on the WB lot in Burbank the morning of Feb. 9 to begin a series of meetings with senior executives from across Warner Bros.’ major divisions, HBO and HBO Max and the Turner networks. Zaslav, the Discovery CEO who began to orchestrate the takeover of WarnerMedia with AT&T CEO John Stankey this time last year, brought a small team of his top lieutenants, including Bruce Campbell, Discovery’s chief development officer; Gunnar Wiedenfels, Discovery chief financial officer; and Adria Alpert Romm, the company’s chief people and culture officer. The sessions left…

The generational differences in media consumption have never been greater, as revealed in an ongoing study of respondents who were asked to rate their favorite sources by consumer insights firm GetWizer, in partnership with Variety Intelligence Platform. The results show attitudes that shift depending on age. For the younger set (ages 15-29, who’ve never known a world without the internet), YouTube gets the highest marks, followed by social media; traditional TV options placed considerably lower. Older Americans (60+), meanwhile, favored cable and broadcast TV by a wide margin, with the web-based formats far down the list. Groups in the middle (33-44 and 45-59) chose a more even mix of sources and delivery systems, though cable and broadcast still fell far short among the younger of those two demos. Simply put,…

GUEST COLUMN My mother raised me to believe that the soul is everlasting. She simply did not believe that you could kill someone’s spirit. The physical body may go away, but the spirit — the Divine essence within us that makes us who we are — is something that is always here. Since the tragic passing of my mother’s body, I feel her presence alive in different forms. I feel her when I share stories about her with our loved ones, I feel her as I read through her old letters, and admire her beautiful collections of art, books and Japanese lacquer. Lately, I have felt her most when I reflect on her teachings. This is my first Black History Month without her, and I am reminded that if there…

AWARDS CIRCUIT The most shocking Oscar-nom snub was Denis Villeneuve’s omission from the directing category for “Dune,” a film that received 10 nominations overall, including best picture. Yet, Villeneuve’s lack of recognition could rally widespread support from Academy voters and result in the science-fiction epic tying or surpassing a 50-year record held by “Cabaret” (1972). Bob Fosse’s classic adaptation of the Broadway stage musical won eight Oscars at the 45th Academy Awards, setting a record for the most victories without best picture. Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” walked away with that trophy, though Fosse won the directing statuette. Distributed by Warner Bros., “Dune” is nominated in production design (Patrice Vermette and Zsuzsanna Sipos), cinematography (Greig Fraser), costume design (Jacqueline West and Robert Morgan), film editing (Joe Walker), makeup and hairstyling…

When longtime “Law & Order” fans discuss the show coming back for a historic 21st season, it’s impossible not to hear the anticipation in their voices. The same goes for star Sam Waterston, who will be back on the NBC procedural when the series returns Feb. 24 after more than a decade off the air. In fact, the man behind District Attorney Jack McCoy couldn’t help raising his voice in excitement when asked about setting foot on the famous set again. “It was totally surreal. Unbelievable,” says Waterston, who appeared on nearly 400 episodes of the mother-ship series, from seasons 5 to 20. “It’s a step back in time. They built the sets in every detail down to the books on the shelves to the linoleum on the floor. You…

GRAY’S GOLD We are in the midst of Hollywood’s two big film events. One is the Oscar race, in which film artists salute great work. The other is the surrounding mini-industry that involves campaigners, contenders, agents, journalists and Oscar pundits. There is always confusion because the latter event is also called the Oscar race — but in fact, the two are very different species. Oscar Race #1 includes major names (this year including Nicole Kidman, Will Smith, Steven Spiel-berg), newcomer/vets (Troy Kotsur, Ciaran Hinds) plus top-of-the-line artisans. Peer recognition by Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences voters is the whole point of Race #1. Many look upon Race #2 with confusion or contempt, because it involves money, marketing and the elusive factor of buzz. Oscar’s parallel races generally…

They say two minds are better than one — and three minds is the ultimate trifecta. That’s the case for HBO’s “Hacks.” Created by Jen Statsky, Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs, the series follows the relationship between a comedy legend (played by Jean Smart) and a young writer (Hannah Einbinder). The show became a massive hit following its launch in May 2021, taking home three Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes. The comedy was renewed for a second season two days before its finale aired in June. “Hacks” marked the first time that Statsky, Aniello and Downs created a show together. This year, they will be honored with the inaugural Variety Showrunner Award at the 10th annual SCAD TVfest, set to take place virtually from Feb. 17 to 19.…

For his new film “Catch the Fair One,” out now in theaters, director Josef Kubota Wladyka worked with executive producer Darren Aronofsky to help find the right tone. The gritty thriller revolves around Kaylee, played by Kali “KO” Reis, a former boxer, as she discovers that her missing sister is possibly alive and involved in a sex trafficking network. She immerses herself in this dark and dangerous world to find her. Ross Giardina, the film’s DP, says Aronofsky and Wladyka held conversations about texture that he reflected in his work, pulling from Aronofsky’s 2008 “The Wrestler,” particularly for the fight sequences. Giardina dialed down the colors as audiences are introduced to Kali training in the ring. The realism let the emotion and energy of Kali’s existence stand out as Giardina…