Variety 11/1/2023

Kevin Feige may boast the longest winning streak in Hollywood. The head of Marvel Studios is not only the producer of three of the biggest movies of all time worldwide — 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame” ($2.8 billion), 2018’s “Avengers: Infinity War” ($2.1 billion) and 2012’s “The Avengers” ($1.5 billion) — but he changed what comic book movies could do. Forget about sequels or trilogies. Feige created an interlocking universe populated with Iron Men and Black Widows, making superstars out of half-forgotten characters. It used to be that movie stardom was defined by an actor’s ability to pack a multiplex with millions of fans. But in Feige’s hands, the real star power was the intellectual property that he owned on-screen, with America’s favorite characters vanquishing all enemies, including the box office competition.…

For the cover story, executive editor of film & media Tatiana Siegel rewatched “She-Hulk” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” just to make sure the shoddy VFX work really did get cleaned up. Emily Longeretta, senior TV features editor, has a “You’ve Got Mail” quote framed on her bedroom wall. So it’s only fitting that she’d be the one to speak to Meg Ryan about the rom-com icon’s return to the genre. For Peter Caranicas, managing editor of features, creating Variety’s annual New Leaders list is like accessing a crystal ball. “These smart young execs and creatives,” he says, “are showing the way forward.” Illustrator Rafa Alvarez says, “This cover was a treat for me since I was able to combine two of my favorite fields in illustration: creating an editorial…

When I first moved into my own apartment, the first thing I bought was a print of the floor plan of apartments 19 and 20 in “Friends.” Years — and one cross-country move — later, it still hangs in my kitchen. The reason is simple: It feels like home. Growing up, I remember watching “The One With the Jellyfish,” the Season 4 episode my mom had taped on a VHS. I cried laughing when Matthew Perry’s Chandler let out an excruciating scream as Joey told the group that he had peed on Monica to try to lessen the pain from a jellyfish sting. The episode aired two weeks before my eighth birthday; the show wasn’t deemed appropriate for me to watch just yet, but I managed to sneak it in…

• Matthew Perry will most often be remembered for his wit and charm, but there was so much more to him. The pilot script of “Friends” had a lot of heat at the agencies, and young actors both familiar and fresh were vying for the roles. Once we saw and heard Matthew’s audition we knew that our prayers had been answered. The pilot that tested as a “high weak” would show itself to be a hit. Week in and week out, Matthew would reveal just how gifted he was comedically. At the fall upfront advertiser presentation in May of ’96, a crisis hit. Due to an electrical failure, the presentation stopped. I panicked. But then, out walked Matthew, who proceeded to entertain the audience. He winked and gave me a…

As they were writing the pilot script for their new Max comedy series “Bookie,” co-creators Chuck Lorre and Nick Bakay thought it would be fun to add a real-life Hollywood star playing a version of themself as an inveterate gambler. The show stars stand-up comedian Sebastian Maniscalco as a Los Angeles sports betting bookie, so it made sense that his character might run into a few high-roller celebrities during his travels. In early drafts, the character was left as a “TBD.” But Lorre couldn’t shake an idea he had for who might be perfect for the role: “It should be Charlie,” he tells Variety. “I remember Charlie was very much engaged in sports betting, and he would tell me stories about it all the time. You know, when things were…

Tinseltown is all about sweeping storytelling, and the tale of the Egyptian Theatre is as stirring as any Golden Age epic. Movie stars, earthquakes, dinosaurs, elephants, hidden tunnels — the 101-year-old Hollywood Boulevard movie palace has seen it all. Now, after a meticulous rebuild, new owner Netflix, along with partner the American Cinematheque, is ready to unspool the next reel of the theater’s story. More than just a remodeling, the extensive renovations roll back time to undo earlier modifications but also position the 516-seat auditorium for the future of cinema via cutting-edge projection, sound, lighting and live event capabilities. For Netflix, it’s a way to preserve Hollywood history while providing a splashy roost for film and TV premieres, exhibits and live events. The streamer has taken over New York’s Paris…