Innholdsfortegnelse for 07/31/2024 i Variety

We produced a metric ton of coverage of Taylor Swift and “The Eras Tour” over the past two years. But we didn’t fully capture the phenomenon that the concert experience has become for Swift’s most ardent fans until we put Chris Willman on a plane to Dublin to commune with Swifties three June nights in a row. Willman, Variety’s chief music critic, returned from Eire with a report that, like Swift’s music, will stand the test of time. It’s a colorful snapshot of the fandom that has fueled the biggest, longest, most successful concert tour of all time. Willman channels his inner Tom Wolfe with an eye and ear for the telling detail, such as the “Spangly American,” or the mothers and daughters who wrangled overseas treks in order to…

The fifth-anniversary Broadway performance of “Moulin Rouge!” didn’t exactly go as planned. A technical issue delayed the July 25 curtain by 45 minutes and required pivotal scenes to be played farther upstage than usual. By intermission a featured actor had hurt his foot, and another performer replaced him for Act 2. But none of that dampened the enthusiasm of the audience, some of whom lined up two hours before the original curtain. Besides, thriving in the face of adversity feels like a signature move for this Broadway musical about bohemians struggling to keep their theater afloat. Just nine months after the strong-selling “Moulin Rouge!” opened on July 25, 2019, the pandemic shut down the show along with rest of the theater industry. And yet, since reopening in September 2021, the…

From beloved characters and songs to the notion of wishing upon a star for a dream to come true, Disney’s legacy is one of captivating audiences and creating long-lasting memories. It’s upheld by actors, animators, Imagineers, songwriters, business leaders and more, and each year, a select few who have contributed to the company’s most famed works are honored as Disney Legends. This year, 14 new Disney Legends will be celebrated during an awards ceremony at this year’s D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.. The Aug. 11 event hosted by Ryan Seacrest will honor actors such as Angela Bassett, Jamie Lee Curtis and Harrison Ford; directors James Cameron, James L. Brooks and Frank Oz; as well as Disney animator Mark Henn and Imagineer Joe Rohde. Established in 1987, the Disney Legends…

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder Platform Netflix Premiere date Aug. 1 Episodes 6 Creator Poppy Cogan Cast Emma Myers, Zain Iqbal, Yasmin Al-Khudhairi From “13 Reasons Why” to “Cruel Summer” to the various incarnations of “Pretty Little Liars,” mysteries centering on teen girls have carved out a distinct lane in the television landscape. “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder,” based on the first book in the bestselling novel series by Holly Jackson, is the latest mystery thriller to examine rage, obsession and sexual assault from a young person’s perspective. The series, which was adapted by Poppy Cogan and directed by Dolly Wells, opens in 2019 on a dark road in the tiny English town of Little Kilton. Andie Bell (India Lillie Davies), 17, stumbles down the street. In close-up,…

For all the raunchy jokes, club drugs, buckets of blood and meta punchlines, “Deadpool & Wolverine” may be the most sentimental movie of the summer. Hollywood insiders and super-hero-film fans were stunned to discover that last weekend’s Marvel blockbuster basically amounts to a big, sobbing, “Steel Magnolias”-grade send-off to 20th Century Fox. After all, it was at that defunct studio, founded in 1935 and sold by Rupert Murdoch to Disney in 2019, that “Deadpool” first shimmied on-screen in a skintight bondage suit and pistols. It’s also where two decades’ worth of Marvel films were made, most notably the “X-Men” series, which catapulted Hugh Jackman to stardom. These characters first appeared in Marvel Comics but were licensed to Fox, leaving them operating outside the Marvel Cinematic Universe (the moniker for Disney’s…

Will NBCUniversal score a grand triomphe over 17 consecutive Parisian nights this summer? The broadcaster presents its 18th Olympic Games, running from the July 26 opening ceremony to the Aug. 11 conclusion. Here are the numbers that matter during what NBCU is claiming will be the “biggest media event ever.” 7,000+ Total programming hours across NBCU’s linear and digital platforms, including 5,000-plus hours on Peacock, which for the first time will livestream all 329 medal events across 32 sports. In aggregate, the lineup is roughly what the broadcaster delivered for the 2021 Tokyo Games $1.25B+ Amount of advertising revenue NBCU execs expect from the Paris Olympics, anticipating it will exceed the take from the COVID-delayed Tokyo Games -42% Decline in viewership across NBCU TV and digital platforms for the Tokyo…

Two years ago, executives at Cincinnati-based E.W. Scripps Co. saw a big opportunity for their local TV stations with professional women’s sports. So they made like the WNBA’s Caitlin Clark, took a shot — and scored. Scripps Co.’s Ion Television network has become a hub for women’s sports on Friday and Saturday nights. It did so just in time to reap the rewards of this year’s miracle season for women’s basketball. “They certainly look smart right now,” says Daniel Kurnos, a media analyst with Benchmark who covers Scripps Co. “The WNBA has gone from a building league to sold-out stadiums with [star players] Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Cameron Brink.” Last year, Ion Television began a three-year deal with the WNBA to carry a Friday-night double-header of live games from…

San Diego Comic-Con Various locations, San Diego JULY 25-27 This year’s installment of the fan convention featured a slew of signature panels, sneak peeks and cosplay. It also marked debut appearances by “Doctor Who” stars Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson. “[I’m] throwing them into the lion’s den,” showrunner Russell T Davies joked of the young actors’ first foray to Hall H during a conversation at the Variety Comic-Con Studio, presented by Google TV. “You’re on your own kids! It’s big, it’s 6,000 people. But it’s wonderful. It’s a hall full of love, frankly. The joy and the love and the optimism and the energy, you’ll be buzzing off it for ages.” ‘Harold and the Purple Crayon’ Premiere Culver Theater, Culver City JULY 21 Zachary Levi, who plays the titular artist,…

Y2K! Artist Ice Spice Label 10K Projects/Capitol Records Producers RiotUSA, Goldin, Synthetic, UpMadeIt, Ojivolta, DJH, Lily Kaplan, Nico Baran, Venny When she emerged with her deadpan, sureshot flow on 2022’s “Munch (Feelin’ U),” Ice Spice planted her flag as drill music’s next torchbearer. A subgenre predicated on hard-nosed beats, sugary samples and slippery flows, drill was largely front-lined by male rappers (the late Pop Smoke, Fivio Foreign) until Spice crashed in, injecting it straight into pop music’s aorta thanks to co-signs from and hits with Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj. Success came quickly for the then-22-year-old, who infused colloquialisms from her native Bronx and Gen Z meme culture into nimble anthems produced by her musical co-pilot RiotUSA. Songs like “Deli” and “In Ha Mood” struck the right equilibrium between street…

The first San Diego Comic-Con in five years without pandemic cancellations, COVID protocols or strike-related pullbacks was a refreshing return to normal. “Transformers One” stars Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry and Keegan-Michael Key charmed attendees in the 6,500-person Hall H by geeking out over the original 1980s cartoon series. There wasn’t an empty seat to be found in the “Abbott Elementary” panel, but the hit ABC comedy really made an impact with A.V.A. Fest (A Very Abbott Festival), a larger-than-life carnival activation that was the talk of the Con. Vice president Kamala Harris even popped up (via prerecorded video) at the panel for “The Simpsons.” And yet, the presumptive Democratic nominee couldn’t quite equal the sensation caused by the former Iron Man. Deadpool and RDJ Conquer Hall H Marvel Studios…

The only woman to have scaled Mount Everest 10 times is making easy work of a steep hill in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park. On a blistering July day, Lhakpa Sherpa — whose remarkable story is told in the documentary “Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa” — is leading a hike that has most of the group huffing and mopping their brows. But the 50-year-old Sherpa, clad in sandals and wrapped in a sweater, isn’t even breaking a sweat. “Mountain Queen” details Sherpa’s journey to becoming the first Nepali woman to summit Everest in 2000, a particularly impressive feat as she was illiterate and had no formal education. But the movie, which arrives on Netflix July 31, isn’t just an account of physical triumph. It begins in 2022, with Sherpa…

1 ESPN/ABC ESTIMATED ANNUAL RIGHTS FEE $2.6 billion REGULAR-SEASON GAMES 80 PLAYOFF GAMES 18 • One of two conference finals series • NBA Finals 2 NBCUniversal ESTIMATED ANNUAL RIGHTS FEE $2.5 billion REGULAR-SEASON GAMES Up to 100 • Monday doubleheaders on Peacock • Tuesday doubleheaders on NBC • NBA All-Star Game 3 Amazon Prime Video ESTIMATED ANNUAL RIGHTS FEE $1.8 billion REGULAR-SEASON GAMES 66 • Thursday doubleheaders • Friday doubleheaders • International distribution of games in Mexico, Brazil, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, the U.K. and Ireland…

ON THE MORNING THAT Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” is about to begin a three-night stand in Dublin, the older gentleman taking charge of my passport at airport customs has clearly had his fill of Swifties, probably processing them by the hundreds already today. When I reveal myself to be one too — despite being arguably the wrong gender, inarguably old and lacking a telltale “Lover” mascara star over my right eye — his disdain is palpable. Suddenly, I’m getting way more screening questions than anyone not on a watch list should. “What do you like about her?” he sneers, peering up over specs. This is probably the wrong time for me to point out Swift’s Irish heritage, or to assert that she is this generation’s James Joyce. (The original king…

The second Emmys of 2024 is sure to set records. With multiple first-time nominees, groundbreaking recognition for Indigenous performers and an actual good mix of shows, the nominations cast a wide net. Below, Variety breaks down the contenders in most of the main categories. Drama Series The drama category is one of the most peculiar in this year’s Emmy competition. “The Crown” is the only series nominated last year, while the rest are either new shows or shows finally getting their due. In fact, “The Crown” — which took home this trophy in 2021 — was probably the front-runner until FX decided freshman hit “Shōgun” would not be a limited series. Other newcomers this year: Amazon Prime Video’s “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and “Fallout,” plus Netflix’s “3 Body Problem” for…

Deadpool & Wolverine Director Shawn Levy Screenwriters: Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells, Shawn Levy Cast Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin Distributor Walt Disney Motion Pictures Studios Deadpool can’t die. If he were a character in Greek mythology, that might be a source of tragedy, but in Wade Wilson’s scuzzy corner of the Marvel universe, it functions as a catalyst for off-color comedy instead. Last time the trash-mouthed mercenary headlined a movie, Deadpool could be seen chugging drain cleaner and trying to nuke himself into oblivion — a stunt that sent his extended middle finger flying in Wolverine’s direction. The two heroes have had a long-running rivalry, since both were given regenerative healing powers via the Weapons-X program, but only Wolverine could make grown men cry. Until now.…

Back before Taylor Swift was “Red,” she was teal. Here, on May 14, 2007, the 17-year-old Swift was captured in a sweet moment in Las Vegas just before she performed at the Academy of Country Music’s new artist showcase, the day before the ACM Awards. The next day, I talked with her as she was getting her hair and makeup done for her first big awards show, where she was to sing her first hit, “Tim McGraw,” to that very singer, whom she hadn’t yet met. At the time, Swift wasn’t dating anyone, but had gotten a lot of mileage out of “one cute little relationship” for “Tim McGraw” and “Our Song” and a more crushing one for some of the other early songs. “You want to hear my new…