Variety

In a major shift for Oscar voting protocol, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced that members will now be required to confirm they’ve watched all nominated films in a category before being allowed to vote in that race. The initiative, aimed at strengthening the integrity and credibility of the awards process, […]

There’s a moment in Netflix’s behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of the streamer’s new “Stranger Things” play in which the majority of a conversation between the play’s director and playwright is bleeped out because it includes too many spoilers about the hit TV series’ upcoming fifth and final season. It serves as a not-so-subtle response […]

Marvel’s “Thunderbolts” has been revealed to members of the film press, and the first reactions are calling the superhero tentpole a “bold dive into trauma, healing and redemption.” Cast member Florence Pugh, who made her Marvel debut in “Black Widow” as Yelena and is now headlining her first MCU movie after popping up in shows […]

Roy Thomas Baker, whose intricate work on multiple albums by Queen — including “Bohemian Rhapsody” — the Cars, Foreigner and others made him one of the most successful and influential producers of the 1970s and ‘80s, has died. No cause of death was announced; he was 78. “Bohemian Rhapsody,” from Queen’s 1975 album “A Night […]

SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for Season 2, Episode 2 of HBO’s “The Last of Us,” now streaming on Max. When composer David Fleming realized that this week’s episode of “The Last of Us” would feature both the bloody siege of Jackson and Joel’s (Pedro Pascal) death at the hands of the vengeful Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), […]

Mark Measures, a longtime talent agent, was arraigned Tuesday on charges of bilking 160 actors out of $1.8 million. Measures, 60, of Los Angeles, is also accused of stealing $26,000 from six employees of his agency, Kazarian/Measures/Ruskin & Associates. Measures was indicted in Manhattan on 40 counts, including grand larceny, petit larceny and scheming to […]

Nothing stings like the death of a favorite television character. Whether it’s an honorable lord with his head on the chopping block, or an upstanding, if snooty, attorney in the wrong place at the wrong time, TV deaths can surprise, upset and even betray viewers, who spend hours upon hours with these characters in their […]

Indie streaming service Dropout has set the dates for its Dropout Improv 2025 tour. This year’s multi-city tour will feature appearances by comedians who regularly appear on the streamer’s shows, including Jacob Wysocki, Kurt Maloney, Jeremy Culhane, Kimia Behpoornia and “some special guests,” per Dropout. The live show will include “electric performances of short form […]

Lionsgate has hired digital media veteran Brad Haugen, most recently president of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Media, as executive VP of digital strategy and growth. In the role, Haugen will lead Lionsgate’s original content creation for digital platforms, brand partnerships and other “storytelling initiatives” in the digital space. He’s tasked with helping the […]

Comedian Kevin Hart is set to host the 2025 BET Awards as part of the organization’s 25th anniversary event, airing live on BET Monday, June 9, at 8 p.m. ET/PT from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Hart, who hosted the award ceremony back in 2011, is an Emmy-award nominated actor for his work in […]