Screenwriters Behind ‘BlackBerry,’ ‘Flamin Hot’ Share How They Turned Brands Into Stories: ‘We Never Saw Our Movie as a Product Movie’

Valerie Wu Intern Before the saga of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsay) plowing their way through a post-apocalyptic world became appointment TV, “The Last of Us” only existed in a computer-generated reality. The creators of this HBO series had a huge task before them: make the unthinkable real.

Dianne Buswell has given Strictly Come Dancing fans a dose of 'reality' as she gave fans a different look at her most recent transformation for the show. Last week, the professional dancer returner to the ballroom with celebrity dance partner Bobby Brazier.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor The “Barbenheimer” craze continues with Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” being named among AFI Awards 2023 top 10 best films of the year. Netflix led studios with two movies making the list — Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein biopic “Maestro” and Todd Haynes’ black comedy “May December.” With an eclectic mix of critically acclaimed and consumer friendly titles, the list of top movies also includes films by newcomers (Cord Jefferson’s “American Fiction” and Celine Song’s “Past Lives”), veterans (Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers”) and stylish visionaries (Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” and Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K.

Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series spotlighting the year’s most talked-about scripts continues with Flamin’ Hot, the script from Lewis Colick and Gentefied creator Linda Yvette Chávez that became Eva Longoria‘s feature directorial debut.

Between James Mangold’s “Ford Vs. Ferrari,” Michael Mann’s “Ferrari,” maybe even Ron Howard’s “Rush,” racing dramas have really experienced a new shelf life in recent years (not to mention Brad Pitt and “Top Gun: Maverick” filmmaker Joseph Kosinski are putting together their own Formula One racing drama likely sometime in 2024).

Hot Hot Heat have shared a new single, ‘Shock Me’ marking their return to music after a seven-year hiatus.The Canadian band – comprised of frontman Steve Bays, Paul Hawley, Dante DeCaro, and Parker Bossley – released their fifth and final self-titled album back in 2016, 14 years after their debut, ‘Make Up The Breakdown’, was released.Now, the band are back with ‘Shock Me’, a track with a nostalgic beat that would fit perfectly within the 2001 Meet Me In The Bathroom era. The song features a catchy repetitive chorus with the lyrics: “Shock Me / shock me / oh you shock me / oh, I’m shocked”.Speaking about how the track came to fruition in a video post on the band’s official Instagram account, Bays said: “I feel like we all needed just a little bit of time to digest life and enjoy what it feels like to wake up in your own bed.

Jaden Thompson Hollywood veteran Edward James Olmos once offered a piece of sage advice to Eva Longoria in the 1990s when she was an extra on the set of “Selena” in her hometown of Corpus Christie, Texas. “Move to LA,” he told the young actress. More 20 years later, Olmos presented Longoria’s feature directorial debut “Flamin’ Hot” with the award for Best Feature Film at the 38th annual Imagen Awards, which celebrate the wide ranging talents of Hollywood’s Latino community.

The 38th annual Imagen Awards celebrated Latino excellence and it was a flamin’ night for Eva Longoria who took the trophy for her feature-length directorial debut.

Kate Winslet is reflecting on working with Leonardo DiCaprio on Titanic.

Strictly Come Dancing star Bobby Brazier has shared the toll the show is having on him physically before sending a fresh message to fans. The EastEnders star and his professional dance partner Dianne Buswell are currently preparing for the quarter-finals of the BBC One dance contest this Saturday (December 2).

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic The Hollywood biographical drama — or biopic, to use the word that always makes it sound like a dental instrument — is enjoying its mega-moment. “Oppenheimer,” Christopher Nolan’s three-hour epic about the father of the atomic bomb, proved that a story-of-a-life movie could be as big and coruscating as the cosmos; not so incidentally, it’s garnered Nolan the most ecstatic reviews of his career.

Dua Lipa is treating New York City to a very fashionable show!

Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo have been announced as the musical guests for the final two Saturday Night Live shows of the year.Rodrigo will perform on the show on December 9, joined by Adam Driver on hosting duties. The actor is promoting his role in Michael Mann’s upcoming film Ferrari, which is released in cinemas from December 25.Eilish will play the following week on December 16, with SNL veteran Kate McKinnon set to host.

A Strictly Come Dancing legend has revealed how he beat the dreaded show 'curse' - and why women just can't resist his pal Nigel Harman. Nigel's Casualty and EastEnders ' pal Charles Venn has opened up about his time on the show in 2016 and the secret to why Nigel is the show's 'Mr Smooth'. Charles, 50, said: "Ahh Nigel.

On a wing and a prayer, The Gotham Awards took a chance the SAG-AFTRA Strike would end by the time the November 27th ceremony was scheduled. Their faith paid off.

William Earl administrator Only a comedic mind like John Mulaney’s could mine gold from one of the lowest points of his life. The comic released his third Netflix special, “Baby J,” in April. In stark relief to his previous, more ebullient hours, his latest work examined his 2020 drug relapse and the intervention that led to a successful stint in rehab.

Thousands of families across Scotland are facing poverty, and they’re relying on support from Aberlour Children's Charity to help them fund essentials such as food, clothes and bedding.

Welcome to Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we’ll shine a spotlight on key executives and companies outside of the U.S. shaking up the offshore marketplace. This week, we’re talking visual effects powerhouse Union VFX, an independent outfit based in London and, more recently, Montréal, which has spent the last 15 years quietly building a reputation for delivering some of the most seamless and invisible visual effects across the film and television spheres. We sit down with three of their heads to talk about how the business has grown, why it’s important to involve VFX teams at early stages and what’s next for the company. 

Todd Gilchrist editor In a year in which evaluating the contributions of writers became a major point of contention across the entertainment industry, Variety is especially pleased to announce its list of 10 Screenwriters to Watch. Some among them are scribes whose work has already made waves — cultural as much as commercial — with others on the precipice of transforming this year’s awards season and the broader landscape of film for years to come.

Rachel Zegler and Josh Andrés Rivera had a fun time on the set of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes!