Variety 2/15/2023

Dexter won Emmys for Showtime, and Hannibal devoured his victims on NBC. But TV’s latest superstar serial murderer is making a killing on streaming. In its fourth season, the crime thriller “You,” anchored by Penn Badgley’s riveting work as Joe Goldberg, continues to top Netflix viewership every time a new batch of episodes drops. Badgley has been a presence on TV for almost 20 years — since he played Dan Humphrey on the original “Gossip Girl” — and now he’s pursuing new paths as a director, producer and podcaster. Over the course of several months, Badgley sat down for two interviews with our editor-at-large Kate Aurthur to discuss his initial ambivalence about playing Joe, and how he learned to finally love the character. One observation that rang painfully true: Badgley’s…

Editor-at-large Kate Aurthur interviewed Penn Badgley for this week’s cover story twice — and luckily, lived to describe how different Badgley is from Joe Goldberg, the charismatic serial-killer character he plays on the Netflix thriller “You.” Senior music writer and chief music critic Chris Willman was driven to amazed profanity while reviewing Pink’s 2018 show at the Forum, writing that it contained “the most holy fucking shit act of physicality I’ve ever seen as part of a pop show.” Senior culture and events editor Marc Malkin met with “Batgirl” star Leslie Grace for her first in-depth interview since the DC movie was killed by Warner Bros. Discovery. He hopes the film will be released one day. Photographer Heather Hazzan captured Penn Badgley on Jan. 27 in New York City: “He…

On Nov. 20, Disney shocked Hollywood when it announced that Bob Iger would return as CEO after less than a year away. Two days later, Disney’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” landed a coveted China release. Then, the sci-fi film received a rare release extension in China that allowed it to run through Feb. 14, enabling it to gross more than $240 million in the country. Though Disney insiders say China’s embrace of “Avatar” was unrelated to Iger’s return, its success and a string of good fortune for the company has raised eyebrows at rival studios. That’s because after seeing its Marvel releases denied entry to China for nearly four years, Disney recently announced that “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” were being waved into the…

The César Awards are characterized as France’s answer to the Oscars. And just like their awards show cousin halfway across the world, the Césars are embroiled in controversy after failing to nominate any women directors. This year’s Academy Awards were slammed by advocacy groups after ignoring the likes of Gina Prince-Bythewood (“The Woman King”) and Sarah Polley (“Women Talking”) in favor of an all-male contingent of auteurs. The Césars have followed suit with an all-male group of directing nominees, despite a banner year for French female filmmakers. It’s one that saw directors from Alice Diop (“Saint Omer”) to Claire Denis (“Stars at Noon”) dominating the festival circuit and scoring prizes, only to come up short when the Césars unveiled their contenders on Jan. 25. The omission has sparked a debate…

As a composer, Burt Bacharach’s brilliance was in the deceptive simplicity of his work. Bacharach, who died Feb. 8 at age 94, crafted songs and scores that were sophisticated, complex and often downright weird, combining a world of influences with startling-but-smooth key and time-signature changes. Bacharach’s songs — mostly written with lyricist Hal David — have been covered by hundreds of artists, from the Carpenters to Nina Simone, Elvis Costello to the White Stripes. But his ultimate vocal instrument was the incomparable Dionne Warwick. Her arch, crisp delivery and formidable talent were a perfect match for his melodies and arrangements. Here’s a look at the genius of Bacharach in 10 songs. DIONNE WARWICK “Anyone Who Had a Heart” (1963) This is where the magic really be gins. The bridge between…

So you’ve been nominated for a BAFTA Award or simply received an invitation to attend the posh Feb. 19 gala — well then, hats off to you. While in London, you’ll want to celebrate your good fortune with a proper spot of Da Hong Pao, a flute of festive bubbles and a fancy cress sandwich. Or maybe you didn’t snag a nomination or even an invite. But you’re in London! Well then, you’ll want to drown your sorrows in a proper spot of Da Hong Pao, a flute of festive bubbles and a fancy cress sandwich. See? Either way, you win. Put on your best Stella or Vivienne Westwood — for guys, make it Tom Ford — grab a Chanel bag from your closet and take a seat at one…