variety.com - 80 451 Showbiz News and Updates

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief HYBE Corp., the biggest corporation in the South Korean pop music scene, has begun an audit into ADOR, the label responsible for K-pop act NewJeans. HYBE says that executives at the majority-owned subsidiary mya be attempting to break away from the conglomerate. “HYBE invoked the right to audit CEO Min Hee-Jin and top executives of its subsidiary label ADOR, called them to summon a shareholder meeting and sent an official letter to ask CEO Min to step down,” HYBE said in a statement emailed to Variety. Media sources in Korea have reported that the audit targets Min and one of her deputies and that computer assets have been seized and face-to-face statements already taken. They also report that HYBE suspects Min and her deputy to have circulated confidential information to outsiders in a possible bid to attract investors who would allow ADOR to gain its independence from the parent company. ADOR was founded in 2021 as a HYBE subsidiary and is currently 18% owned by Min, a renown hit-maker in the Korean music industry.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent The Locarno Film Festival will honor Jane Campion with its Pardo d’onore Manor award. The prominent Swiss fest dedicated to indie cinema will celebrate the revered auteur from New Zealand on Aug.

Annika Pham South Australian Anthony Frith’s close encounter with “Sharknado” prodco The Asylum in “Mockbuster” is among five handpicked titles to be showcased at the Adelaide Film Festival Goes to Cannes showcase, held at Cannes Marché du Film on May 17. The five works in progress range from queer adult anime, comedic doc, and traditional non-fiction to family dramas, helmed mostly by newcomers, and reflect the dynamic filmmaking community of Southern Australia, set to tempt potential co-financiers in Cannes.

Naman Ramachandran U.K. media regulator Ofcom has said it is “sounding a warning to broadcasters” to maintain “the highest level of due impartiality” ahead of a general election that is likely due later this year. Ofcom has enhanced rules that apply during election periods.

Naman Ramachandran “My Neighbor Totoro,” a stage adaptation of Miyazaki Hayao‘s beloved 1988 Studio Ghibli film, is transferring to the Gillian Lynne Theatre in London’s West End in early 2025. The production is a collaboration between multi-award-winning composer Joe Hisaishi, who executive produces, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), Improbable and Nippon TV. Adapted by Tom Morton-Smith (“Oppenheimer”), it opened at London’s Barbican in 2022 and broke the venue’s box office record for most tickets sold in a single day.

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic Any photographer who shoots what’s happening in the gleaming, raw, people-packed carnival of New York City — the stores and walls and towers and alleyways, the celebrities, the endless cross-section of humanity — already has an artistic leg up. But the other leg is what he or she does with it. Weegee shot the violent night world of sin and crime.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Epic war-time survival tale “The Guns of Muschu” has already assembled a weighty cast ahead of a production start in the first quarter of 2025. The film is an adaptation of the non-fiction book “The Guns of Muschu,” written by Don Dennis, with an adapted screenplay by Tom Broadhurst and Jack Brislee (“Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan”). The narrative brings to life a pivotal chapter of Australian war history with gritty authenticity, recounting the high body count Operation Copper, a mission during WWII when Australian and New Zealand troops were sent into the jungles of Papua New Guinea. The objective of the mission was to investigate the Japanese defenses on Muschu Island, capture a Japanese officer for interrogation and discover the location of two naval guns on the island that were protecting a harbor.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor The U.S. Senate voted Tuesday to approve a bill that would ban TikTok nationwide unless Chinese parent company ByteDance sells its stake in the popular app. The development will likely result in a court battle between the U.S.

Thania Garcia Megan Thee Stallion‘s former photo and videographer alleges he was forced to witness her having sex with a woman in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles. Plaintiff Emilio Garcia is also accusing the Texas-born entertainer of harassment and a hostile work environment.

Michaela Zee The “FBI: International” team just got a little smaller. Luke Kleintank, who has played Scott Forrester in “FBI: International” since its debut, is leaving the crime drama series after three seasons, Variety has confirmed. Kleintank’s last episode airs May 7, while the Season 3 finale drops May 21.

Aramide Tinubu Parenting inspires varying schools of thought. While some relish the tasks of caretaking, others speak candidly about the hardships of child-rearing, sharing the true realities of motherhood that have been glamorized over time. In “Mary Jane,” the 2017 play written by Amy Herzog and making its Broadway debut under Anne Kauffman’s direction, viewers witness both a young mother’s joy and her anguish as she works around the clock to keep her disabled toddler alive.

Jack Dunn The National Association of Broadcasters and Curtis LeGeyt have agreed to a contract extension that will keep him as CEO of the organization through 2029, NAB joint board chair Perry Sook announced Tuesday. LeGeyt has been with NAB for more than a decade.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Several crew members were injured during rehearsal of an action sequence on the set of “The Pickup” on Saturday. The Amazon Studios feature film is currently shooting in Georgia. The studio confirmed on Tuesday that multiple people were hurt while rehearsing the second unit sequence.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday issued a final rule banning noncompete clauses in employment contracts in the U.S. But experts in the field said the FTC‘s move will definitely be challenged in court. Under the FTC’s new rule, if it goes into effect, existing noncompete agreements for the “vast majority” of workers will no longer be enforceable.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “Clue” could soon be heading back to the screen. Hasbro Entertainment has closed a deal with Sony‘s TriStar Pictures and Sony Pictures Television for the film and TV rights for the beloved board game. “Sony is the perfect partner to adapt a property as culturally impactful and mystery-defining as ‘Clue,'” said Hasbro Heads of Film and TV Zev Foreman and Gabriel Marano.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent In the run-up to its world premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, Francis Ford Coppola‘s 135-minute epic “Megalopolis” is on track to sell to a French distributor, Le Pacte. The indie company, presided over by veteran French distributor Jean Labadie, is currently negotiating a deal. It seems like an odd match for such a pricey movie considering Le Pacte’s fairly modest size.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Sylvester Stallone revealed on the TMZ special “Arnold & Sly: Rivals, Friends, Icons” (via The Daily Mail) that a near career-ending injury in the lead up to “Rocky II” threatened to end the boxing franchise before its first sequel got off the ground. Stallone was training with bodybuilder Franco Columbu about a month and a half before the “Rocky 2” shoot when he ripped his pec muscle right off the bone. “So, I go down, and it’s maybe only 200 [lbs].

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Callum Turner has been cast in the lead role of the series adaptation of the William Gibson novel “Neuromancer” at Apple TV+, Variety has learned. The series was originally announced in February. Per the official description, the 10-episode drama follows “a damaged, top-rung super-hacker named Case (Turner) who is thrust into a web of digital espionage and high stakes crime with his partner Molly, a razor-girl assassin with mirrored eyes, aiming to pull a heist on a corporate dynasty with untold secrets.” This will mark the second starring role in an Apple series for Turner.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line,” a documentary feature about the veteran Australian rock band Midnight Oil, has been set as the opening gala title at the Sydney Film Festival. It will have its world premiere at the State Theatre on June 5, kicking off the festival that runs until June 16. The film is written and directed by Paul Clarke and produced by Carolina Sorensen. It was executive produced by Mikael Borglund, Paul Clarke and Martin Fabinyi. It is a Blink TV and Beyond Entertainment feature documentary with principal production funding from Screen Australia and Australian Broadcasting Corporation in association with Screen NSW.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic The Eddie Vedder-founded Ohana Festival will return to southern California for three days in September, with the opening and closing nights headlined by Pearl Jam, sandwiching a performance by Neil Young & Crazy Horse in the top-billed Saturday evening slot. Other performers joining the eclectic lineup, scheduled for Sept. 27-29, include Alanis Morissette, Turnpike Troubadours, Garbage, Black Pumas, Maren Morris, Crowded House, the Breeders, Idles and Jenny Lewis.

Steven Olikara When millions of Americans came together to marvel at the stunning solar eclipse, we saw a rare moment of unity amid the darkness of a country torn apart by polarization. Bookending the same week? The release of action-thriller “Civil War,” now the number one film in America and A24 Films’ most successful release yet. Set against the backdrop of an imagined second American Civil War, the film follows photojournalists led by Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst), as they capture the horrors of a failed country.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter The “One Piece” live-action series at Netflix is bringing in Joe Tracz to serve as its new co-showrunner for Season 2. Tracz will helm the popular series based on the Eiichiro Oda manga of the same name alongside Season 1 co-showrunner, writer, and executive producer Matt Owens. Steven Maeda, who developed the series with Owens and was co-showrunner on Season 1, will step down but continue to serve as an executive producer on the series.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Super-producer Jerry Bruckheimer recently told People magazine that Bruce Willis was so generous on the set of their 1998 blockbuster “Armageddon” that he gave money away to the crew to make sure people had some “nice extra cash at the end of the week.” Willis headlined the Michael Bay-directed film opposite Billy Bob Thornton, Liv Tyler and Ben Affleck. “Bruce is such a good guy,” Bruckheimer said. “He was so generous to the crew.

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events The last time I spoke to Noah Jupe was four years ago when he was just 15 years old. It was over Zoom, and he was promoting HBO’s “The Undoing” from a Detroit hotel room, where he was under mandatory quarantine waiting to be cleared to start work on Steven Soderbergh’s “No Sudden Move.” At the time, Jupe’s list of credits already included “The Night Manager,” “Suburbicon,” the first two “A Quiet Place” films and “Ford v Ferrari.” He had earned a Spirit Award nomination for his work starring role in “Honey Boy,” director Alma Har’el’s drama loosely based on Shia LaBeouf’s childhood.

Katcy Stephan Post Malone, Vault Comics and Michael Bay and Brad Fuller’s Platinum Dunes have partnered to create an all-new IP universe based on an original story by the recording artist. Blending elements of road thrillers like “Mad Max: Fury Road” and demonic horror like “Evil Dead,” Malone’s story is set in medieval Europe, where the only thing standing in the way of the horde of demons infesting the continent is a mysterious armored 18-wheeler seemingly sent back from the heavens. “I’m so pumped to share this badass story with the world, and I couldn’t ask for better partners than Michael Bay and Vault to help bring this story to life,” says Malone.

Thania Garcia Hip-hop producer BNYX (Yeat, Drake, Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, Nicki Minaj) has signed a new deal with Zack Bia‘s Field Trip Recordings and Capitol Records. Yeat’s Lyfestyle Corporation will also work with BNYX as part of the deal. “BNYX is an exceptional musician, a true artist with a specific vision but above all an incredible human,” said Bia.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Jo Ann Ross, the first woman to run a broadcast TV network’s ad-sales efforts and one of the last senior ad-sales executives in the TV industry to hold direct relationships with advertisers when primetime broadcast programs were seen as the primary venue for Madison Avenue’s dollars, is leaving the industry, stepping down from her role as chairman of Paramount Global‘s ad sales division at the end of April. Ross had already stepped back from day to day duties, ceding that role to John Halley, who was named president of ad sales for the company in 2022.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Thandiwe Newton is the latest new cast member to join “Wednesday” Season 2 at Netflix. Variety has learned exclusively from sources that Newton will star in the second season of the megahit series. Exact character details are being kept under wraps.

Naman Ramachandran “Homeland” actor David Harewood thinks that actors should be able to “Black up” for roles, but warns “it’d better be fucking good.” Speaking to The Guardian, Harewood, who also serves as president of prestigious British drama school the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, said: “We’re at this strange point in the profession where people go: ‘Oh, you can’t play that role because you’re not disabled, or you can’t play that because you’re not really from there.’ The name of the game is acting.” He added, “Yes, we’ve got to be representative, but I do think we have to be careful. That even extends to ‘Othello’ in Blackface. I say, if you want to Black up, have at it, man.

Steven J. Horowitz Senior Music Writer Tyler, the Creator, the Killers and Sturgill Simpson have been tapped to headline the upcoming Outside Lands Festival, taking place on August 9-11 in San Francisco. The festival, which is entering its 16th year, will take over Golden Gate Park for the three-day event.