Jenni Toivoniemi’s Daughter-Father Comedy ‘Butterflies’ Acquired by Picture Tree Intl. (EXCLUSIVE)

Coronation Street star Claire Sweeney has been flooded with message after she shared a cryptic post on social media. Fans currently know the actress for being busy playing Cassie Plummer in the ITV soap.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Paris-based international sales and production company Totem Films has revealed its production slate, with projects by Nastia Korkia, Vytautas Katkus, Ernst de Geer and Anna Roller. Totem brought together the directors and writers of the projects they are developing to take part in a Script Circle in Berlin, led by consultants Françoise von Roy and Franz Rodenkirchen. Totem partners Bérénice Vincent and Laure Parleani said that the production companies they are working with, Garagefilm, TamTam and Kalekone, were “enthusiastic about this collaborative idea, so were the directors and scriptwriters.” They added: “It is very nurturing to have a mix of different personalities, countries and backgrounds.

Jenelle Riley Deputy Awards and Features Editor Since 2000, Variety has been naming its annual 10 Comics to Watch — and watching them go on to impressive careers. We decided to invite a few notable alumni who happen to be performing at the Netflix Is Joke Festival this year for a conversation over Zoom. We were joined by comics Hannah Berner, Zarna Garg, Jay Jurden, Matteo Lane, Brian Simpson and Jenny Yang.

One year after it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, the New Zealand black comedy “Bad Behaviour,” starring Jennifer Connelly (“Top Gun: Maverick,” “Snowpiercer”), is finally coming out in North America. The film is the directorial debut of actor-turned-filmmaker Alice Englert.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Berlin-based sales agency Picture Tree Intl. has acquired the supernatural crime thriller “The Osha Rule,” and will start seeking distribution partner at the Cannes Film Market. The film will start principal photography in August 2024.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Berlin-based sales agency M-Appeal has acquired worldwide rights to the LGBTQ romantic comedy “Perfect Endings,” directed by Daniel Ribeiro. The Brazilian film is set to make its world premiere later this year. “Perfect Endings” centers on filmmaker João.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Beta Cinema has added Andres Veiel‘s upcoming documentary film “Riefenstahl,” about controversial filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, to its Cannes lineup. The film is an exploration of Riefenstahl’s legacy, delving deep into her complex relationship with the Nazi regime. With unprecedented access to Riefenstahl’s 700-box personal archive, the documentary navigates between her sanitized narrative and incriminating evidence regarding her knowledge of the regime’s atrocities.

The Chase fans were left scratching their heads after spotting quiz queen Jenny Ryan in a throwback episode of BBC's Only Connect.The brainy bombshell, known as 'the Vixen' on ITV's The Chase, had previously showcased her quizzing prowess by winning the third series of Only Connect back in 2010, according to the Mirror. Before she became a household name on The Chase, Jenny flexed her intellectual muscles alongside teammates Dave Bill and Alan Gibbs as part of the Gamblers, clinching victory over the Epicureans from the fourth series.The "winners special" episode that aired on Monday 25 February on BBC Two brought back some serious nostalgia.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Picture Tree Intl. has boarded international sales for Constantin Film’s comedy fantasy blockbuster “Chantal and the Magic Kingdom,” which will receive its market premiere in Cannes. The film has been No.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent “Barren Land,” from Spain’s Albert Pintó, director of Netflix global blockbusters “Money Heist,” “Berlin” and “Nowhere,” have been snapped up by Spain’s Film Factory Entertainment. From an original idea by producer Alvaro Ariza, “Barren Land” (“Tierra de Nadie”) is penned by Fernando Navarro, one of Spain’s go-to screenwriters whose credits include Netflix hits “Below Zero” and “Veronica.” Film Factory will launch world sales on “Barren Land,” as it builds a powerful slate of upscale commercial packages.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Strand Releasing has acquired North American rights from sales company Films Boutique to tender coming-of-age drama “Young Hearts” by Belgian newcomer Anthony Schatteman, which recently launched from the Berlin Film Festival. Schatteman’s standout debut follows a 13-year-old boy named Elias, who feels attracted to his new neighbor, Alexander, and must overcome his conflicted feelings about being attracted to another boy.

Coronation Street's Claire Sweeney has shared a major update about her future on the ITV soap. The actress joined the show last year as Tyrone Dobbs' real mum and Evelyn Plummer's daughter.

Donnie Wahlberg is opening up about his marriage to wife Jenny McCarthy and how they keep their relationship strong while spending time away from each other.

EXCLUSIVE: Picture Tree International (PTI) has acquired world sales rights for A Quiet Resilience, the debut feature of rising Swedish, fraternal directorial duo Gustav and David Bengtsson.

Coming off the massive critical success of “Killers of The Flower Moon,” Martin Scorsese is reexamining his next potential options. While it briefly seemed like Scorsese’s next movie would be an adaptation of the high seas pic “The Wager” with current muse Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Wolf of Wall Street”) attached to star, a long-developing project from years ago seems to have circled back to his main interest.

Lexi Carson The international distribution company Glass House Distribution has acquired the worldwide rights to “The Private Eye,” a mystery, comedy and romance. The film was written and directed by Jack Cook and stars comedian Matt Rife. Glass House Distribution will represent the movie at the Cannes Film Festival in May with all territories available.

Lise Pedersen Berlinale Forum entry “Shahid,” the debut feature of Iranian-German filmmaker Narges Kalhor, has been picked up by Prague-based doc specialist Filmotor ahead of its premiere at Swiss documentary festival Visions du Réel, where it is competing in the more experimental Burning Lights section. Described by Kalhor as a collective work between herself and other artists, including a costume artist and a painter from Iran, a German music composer and a choreographer from Berlin, “Shahid” shifts playfully between genres, challenging conventional filmmaking rules.

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events.

Annika Pham Copenhagen-based REinvent International Sales has closed Spain and Portugal with AMC Networks International Southern Europe, on the Finnish suspense disaster drama “Seconds”, Variety has learned exclusively. One of REinvent’s MipTV highlights, “Seconds,” made a strong debut on Finnish pubcaster Yle this week, according to head of drama, Jarmo Lampela. “It will easily go over the average viewing target,” he said.

Jenny McCarthy was not looking for love when she met her husband. During a recent appearance on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," McCarthy told host Kelly Clarkson that prior to meeting her husband, Donnie Wahlberg, she had just come off "a slew of uncomfortable and not healthy relationships," prompting her to "reset" her love life. "I’m like, ‘I’m really going to let the universe know I am shutting this down,’" she explained.