‘Search Party’s Brandon Micheal Hall Signs With Artists First

A shady favor? Justin Bieber has been accused of handing out a gift at his birthday party that doubles a serious dig at ex Selena Gomez.

ABC is in negotiations with Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) to headline Motherland, a comedy pilot based on the British series. Karan Soni (Deadpool franchise) has been tapped for a lead in the project, from writer Julieanne Smolinski, Sharon Horgan and Clelia Mountford’s Merman Television, Paul Feig’s Feigco Entertainment, Lionsgate and ABC Signature. Michael Showalter (The Big Sick) has come on board to direct.

Damon Albarn has recalled his first encounter with The Specials’ Terry Hall in a new interview, calling the late star “the coolest human being on earth”.Hall died in December 2022 after being diagnosed with cancer months earlier. He was 63 years old.Speaking to Radio X, Albarn spoke about the first time he was in Hall’s presence.

Selena Gomez is living her best life… despite all that online drama she’s found herself in!

EXCLUSIVE: The hit CW series All American has added Darone Okolie (Winning Time) and Tre Hale (Platonic) to its Season 5 cast in recurring roles.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large As former The CW chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz gets back into the production business, he has sign on with CAA for representation, the tenpercentary announced on Thursday. Pedowitz has revived his shingle, Pine Street Entertainment, which is represented by CAA as part of the arrangement. Pedowitz announced his departure from The CW in October, following Nexstar Media Group’s acquisition of the network from its previous joint operators CBS and Warner Bros. (Those two entities maintain minority stakes in The CW, but Nexstar is now the majority owner and operator.) In reviving Pine Street Entertainment, Pedowitz is bringing back his independent production company that produced CBS’ “The Crazy Ones” (starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Robin Williams), as well as a number of development projects.

Zachary Quinto is returning to the small screen in NBC’s medical drama series, Wolf.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Zachary Quinto has been cast in the lead role of the NBC drama pilot “Wolf,” Variety has learned. The project was first ordered to pilot at the broadcaster back in January. It is inspired by the books “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat” and “An Anthropologist on Mars” by Oliver Sacks. Per the official logline, “Wolf” will follow “a revolutionary, larger-than-life neurologist (Quinto) and his team of interns as they explore the last great frontier, the human mind, while also grappling with their own relationships and mental health.” Quinto’s character is named Dr. Oliver Wolf. He is further described as “head of neurology at Bronx General and an obsessive genius. He’s drawn to people that society has deemed “other” and helps them find hope and purpose. He embraces differences rather than suppressing them.”

Heroes star Zachary Quinto is returning to NBC as the titular character in NBC’s Wolf, a one-hour medical drama pilot from writer-producer Michael Grassi, producer-director Lee Toland Krieger and executive producer Greg Berlanti. The project comes from Warner Bros Television, where all three are under overall deals.

K.J. Yossman “Aftersun” star Paul Mescal and “Killing Eve’s” Jodie Comer are among those nominated for Olivier Awards, the U.K.’s top theater awards. Mescal has been nominated for Best Actor for his role in “A Streetcar Named Desire” while Comer is up for “Best Actress” for her turn in legal drama “Prima Facie.” “My Neighbour Totoro,” the stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s animated classic, received the most noms, scoring nine, including for Best Director and Best Actress. The awards, which will be hosted by “Ted Lasso” star Hannah Waddingham, are set to take place on April 2 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. They will be broadcast on ITV.

EXCLUSIVE: Artists First has today announced its promotion of Caroline Soss to Manager, and its hire of Curtis Shaw Flagg in the same role.

Lucy Hale is opening up about his history of alcoholism.

Rebecca Lenkiewicz will be this year’s recipient of the WGA West’s Paul Selvin Award in recognition of her adapted screenplay for She Said, the Universal film about the New York Times reporters who broke the story that exposed disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein. The guild said Thursday that she will be honored at the WGA Awards’ Los Angeles ceremony March 5 at the Fairmont Century Plaza.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Production on Season 3 of HBO Max’s Emmy-winning comedy “Hacks” has paused as star Jean Smart recovers from a heart procedure. Smart revealed on Thursday that she had successfully undergone the procedure and was doing well. “February is American Heart Month — a time when the nation spotlights heart health, so it feels important to share with all of you that I am recovering from a recent, successful heart procedure,” Smart wrote on her Instagram account. “I am fortunate to have excellent professional care and support from family and friends while I continue to recuperate. Please listen to your body and talk to your doctor — I’m very glad I did!”

UPDATED: Hacks star Jean Smart has taken to social media to reveal she’s recovering from a recent successful heart procedure.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Atari has signed with APA for representation, Variety has learned exclusively. The pioneering video game company will work with APA to develop projects around its best known IP in the live-action, animation, and non-scripted film and television spaces. Atari celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022. The company’s most well-known games include classics like “Pong,” “Asteroids,” “Centipede,” and “Missile Command.” Its games are available on PC, console, and mobile platforms. In addition to games, Atari’s core businesses also include consumer hardware, licensing, and Web3.

A Scots mum who is believed to have tragically died after she went missing last week has been described as the "brightest ray of sunshine".

Paul Mescal and Colin Farrell fans have claimed the actors was “robbed” after losing out to Elvis star Austin Butler for the Leading Actor Award at the 2023 BAFTAs.The 76th BAFTAs took place earlier tonight (February 19) at London’s Royal Festival Hall in the Southbank Centre in a ceremony hosted by Richard E. Grant and Alison Hammond.All Quiet On The Western Front was the big winner of the night, taking away seven of the 14 awards it had been nominated for while The Banshees Of Inisherin won four awards.However Aftersun only won in one of the four categories it was nominated in, with Charlotte Wells picking up the award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.Aftersun lost out in the Outstanding Film category to The Banshees Of Inisherin while both Paul Mescal and Colin Farrell were beaten in the Leading Actor category by Austin Butler – and fans aren’t happy.“I would have accepted losing to Colin Farrell but Paul Mescal losing to Elvis? No, just no” wrote one fan.

Brendan Fraser has been praised as a “class individual” while on the red carpet of the BAFTAs 2023.The 76th BAFTAs (British Academy Film Awards) are revealed tonight (February 19) in a ceremony hosted by Richard E. Grant and Alison Hammond at London’s Royal Festival Hall in the Southbank Centre.Taking to the red carpet ahead of the event though, Fraser proved just how classy he could be.Speaking to red carpet host Ali Plumb, Fraser was given a bumper sticker that reads “Honk if you’d rather be watching the 1999 cinematic masterpiece The Mummy starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz.”“I don’t know where this will fit, but maybe one of your many people…” started Plumb before Fraser took the stickers and put them inside his jacket pocket.

EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros Pictures Group has inked a multi-year first-look directing and producing agreement with two-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan, whose movies have grossed $3.3 billion at the box office.