Cannes Critics’ Week has revealed the jury for its Next Step program’s €2,500 ($2,835) development prize, with three key industry figures set to select the most promising debut feature project from the talent incubator. Priscilla Bertin, producer at Silex Films; Stefano Centini, producer at Volos Films; and Gabor Greiner, head of acquisitions at Films Boutique […]
Variety
Canneseries Opens With ‘House of Cards’ Showrunner But Work Commitments Force Jury President Norman Reedus to Cancel
Held under clear skies, Canneseries kickstarted Thursday with much panache via the out-of-competition French premiere of Paramount+’s ‘”The Agency,” a remake of the French hit thriller “The Bureau.” For its eighth edition, the festival was slightly overshadowed, however, when jury president Norman Reedus of “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon” fame had to cancel at the last minute for other […]
Sebastián Lelio, Lukas Dhont, Eliza Hittman, Kornél Mundruczó and Jasmila Žbanić to Pitch Projects at Cannes’ Investors Circle
10 directors from eight countries are set to pitch their latest projects in development to a select group of VIP private investors in Cannes as part of the Marche du Film’s Investors Circle initiative. The list of filmmakers includes Italian director Giacomo Abbruzzese, Belgian director Lukas Dhont, American director Eliza Hittman, Austrian directors Jessica Hausner […]
A ‘Rebound’ Can Be Your Next Love or ‘Destructive Way of Avoiding Pain,’ Says Creator Melike Leblebicioglu Kaveh as Beta-Sold Series Debuts Trailer (EXCLUSIVE)
Some stories begin with a meet-cute, Norwegian series “Rebound” with a devastating break-up nobody saw coming. Premiering at Canneseries, it sees Alex (Mathilde Storm), back from a holiday in Bali. She’s happy to see her on-again, off-again boyfriend Mikkel, even though things have been rocky between them. Alex’s hoping they can finally get back together, […]
‘Nepobaby’ From ‘Pørni’s’ Henriette Steenstrup Inks First Sales Ahead of Canneseries (EXCLUSIVE)
Canneseries’ Norwegian competition entry “Nepobaby,” showrun by Henriette Steenstrup (“Pørni”) and Siri Seljeseth (“Young & Promising”), has been picked up by Be.tv for Belgium and RÚV for Iceland. The news was broken by sales outfit Oble as the French series festival, running April 24-29, hit full stride. In “Nepobaby,” “Pørni” actor Vivild Falk Berg plays Emma […]
Canneseries Entry ‘How to Kill Your Sister’ Takes on ‘The Big C’ as Director Jonas Geirnaert Teases ‘Extreme Comedy and Extreme Drama’
Canneseries entry “How to Kill Your Sister” takes on “The Big C.” In the Belgian-German series, one of three Banijay Entertainment titles at Canneseries, terminally ill Anna (Emma Rotsaert) shows up at her sister’s doorstep after eight years of silence following their parents’ passing (Sofie Decleir, Nico Sturm). With a coffin on the roof of her […]
Blake Lively Honors Her Mother, Who Survived an Attack on Her Life, in Time100 Gala Speech: ‘Never Underestimate a Woman’s Ability to Endure Pain’
Blake Lively honored her mother, Willie Elain McAlpin, at the Time100 Gala Thursday evening with a personal five-minute speech that revealed that McAlpin had survived an attack on her life before Lively was born. “My life was influenced most by my mother, Willie Elain McAlpin, who’s here with me tonight, an eternal optimist who’s always […]
Hip-Hop Stars Okasian, Bryan Chase Signed by Universal Music Korea (EXCLUSIVE)
Universal Music Korea, a division of Universal Music Group, has signed hip-hop artists Okasian and Bryan Chase. The signing coincides with a rebranding of the company’s local Artist & Label (A&L) division. Okasian, a veteran with more than a decade in the industry, first gained prominence as part of The Cohort hip-hop crew alongside Keith […]
2025 Fashion Los Angeles Awards Red Carpet Arrivals: Chappell Roan, Ashley Park, Tyra Banks and More
The Daily Front Row rolled out the red carpet on Thursday night for the Fashion Los Angeles Awards at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The evening, hosted by funnyman Matt Rogers, honored designer Betsey Johnson with the lifetime achievement award. Demi Moore’s stylist Brad Goreski was named style curator of the year while Tyra Banks was […]
Black Bear’s Teddy Schwarzman and NPR’s Ailsa Chang Set to Be Honored at Pacific Council Gala (EXCLUSIVE)
Black Bear CEO Teddy Schwarzman and NPR host Ailsa Chang are set to be honored by the Pacific Council on International Policy, Variety can exclusively announce. The gala is set for May 8 at the Maybourne Hotel in Beverly Hills. As part of the Council’s 30th anniversary and theme revolving around the power of storytelling, Schwarzman […]