variety.com - 82 249 Showbiz News and Updates

Lise Pedersen Honoring an annual tradition, Nicolas Philibert, the head of this year’s Œil d’Or Jury, which rewards the best documentary at the Cannes Film Festival, opened up about his filmmaking process before an industry crowd on the final day of Cannes Docs, the Film Market sidebar dedicated to documentary film. Hosted by France’s National Film Board (CNC) and moderated by film programmer and producer Madeline Robert, the conversation focused on the French director’s work in psychiatry, notably his recent trilogy, which started with the 2023 Golden Bear winner “On the Adamant.” Shot on a floating day care centre in Paris for people suffering from mental disorders, “On the Adamant” follows a group of patients as they attend a variety of activities and share the stories of their lives with the filmmaker.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Dissident Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof will be attending the Cannes world premiere of his latest work, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” having traveled to Europe clandestinely after receiving an eight-year prison sentence from the country’s authorities for making the film. Rasoulof decided to leave Iran illegally and arrived in Europe a few days ago, shortly after being sentenced to eight years in prison and flogging by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Court.

Naman Ramachandran Payal Kapadia‘s “All We Imagine as Light” is the first Indian film in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 30 years. A graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Kapadia’s “Afternoon Clouds” was a 2017 Cannes Cinefondation selection and she won the festival’s Golden Eye award in 2021 for her documentary “A Night of Knowing Nothing.” Fiction feature “All We Imagine as Light” follows two nurses (Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha) from Kerala, southern India, who are roommates in Mumbai. A trip to a beach town allows them to find a space for their desires to manifest.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Super Bowl LVIII on CBS and “Toy Story Funday Football” on Disney+ and ESPN+ led this year’s tally of Sports Emmys winners, with three each, as announced Tuesday evening by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Hosted by The Kid Mero, the 45th annual Sports Emmy Awards featured the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Honor to sportscaster and three-time Emmy Award-winner James Brown, by Sean McManus (former Chairman, CBS Sports).

Marta Balaga International filmmakers are calling for solidarity with Mohammad Rasoulof and persecuted filmmakers in Iran in an open letter, shared with Variety. Rasoulof – about to screen his latest film “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” in Cannes’ main competition – was sentenced to imprisonment and torture by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Jim Halterman Spoiler Alert: The following interview discusses events from “The Good Doctor” series finale “Goodbye,” streaming on Hulu as of May 22. If you’re looking for the right prescription for a solid series finale consisting of high emotional stakes, happy and sad tearful moments followed by a big dose of hope, then “The Good Doctor” delivered on all of those elements in Tuesday’s series finale, which wrapped up seven seasons on ABC. The drama, which premiered on September 20, 2017, followed the journey of autistic surgeon Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore) as he grew from surgical resident not only to being a successful doctor at San Jose’s St. Bonaventure Hospital, but also a husband, father and friend to the colleagues he worked with over the years.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer In a victory for trash-talking lawyers, a judge on Tuesday threw out a lawsuit against attorney Bryan Freedman, finding he did not defame ad exec Michael Kassan by calling Kassan a “pathological liar.” Kassan sued in March, as one part of an acrimonious legal battle over his departure from United Talent Agency. Kassan claimed that Freedman, who represents UTA, “crossed the line” when he made the “shocking and defamatory” statement to Deadline. Judge Daniel S.

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic There’s one very good scene in “Armand,” a movie written and directed by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, the grandson of Ingmar Bergman and Liv Ullmann. We’re inside a primary school in Norway. Elisabeth, the mother of a student, has been summoned to the school to appear before a panel of teachers.

Naman Ramachandran The verdict is out. The audience has spoken. Sanjay Leela Bhansali‘s magnum opus debut series “Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar” is a global hit for Netflix, dancing to second position on the streamer’s worldwide non-English TV chart.

Pat Saperstein Deputy Editor For over a dozen years, n/naka chef Niki Nakayama has been revered among L.A. restaurant mavens and the Hollywood crowd alike as a master of the kaiseki style of dining — the elaborate Japanese interpretation of a seasonal tasting menu.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Eric Weinberg, a veteran writer-producer on the TV show “Scrubs,” was ordered on Tuesday to stand trial on 28 charges of rape and sexual assault. Weinberg, 63, who also wrote on “Californication” and “Politically Incorrect” with Bill Maher, faces multiple life sentences if convicted. Judge Charlaine Olmedo heard testimony from nine women at a preliminary hearing that ran for more than two weeks in late April and early May.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor As the Television Academy continues to review submissions, NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” will see at least 17 of its 20 guest hosts of Season 49 listed on the Emmy ballot in the guest acting race, the highest number of the past five seasons. The most recent season of the iconic sketch comedy show, which heads into its 50th year, featured an impressive lineup of emcees. Those confirmed to be submitted include comedians Nate Bargatze, Shane Gillis and Ramy Youssef; former “SNL” cast members Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph; and Hollywood A-listers Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, Adam Driver, Jacob Elordi, Ayo Edebiri, Sydney Sweeney, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Jake Gyllenhaal and Jason Momoa.

Jessica Kiang You might not get the dog you want, but you always get the dog you need. That old dog-lover’s adage applies peculiarly well to Chinese director Guan Hu‘s “Black Dog.” A far smaller-scale project than his recent blockbusters “The Eight Hundred” and “The Sacrifice,” Guan’s latest — an Un Certain Regard standout at Cannes this year — nonetheless has the grandly cinematic vision to lend an intimate tale a gloriously epic, allegorical edge.

Paolo Sorrentino embraced the stars of his latest film “Parthenope,” including Gary Oldman, Celeste Della Porta and Stefania Sandrelli, as the film received a 9.5-minute standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday night. Tears streamed down the face of Della Porta, who plays the title character, and Sorrentino looked visibly moved as he addressed the crowd. “For me, this movie is a celebration of the journey of my life,” he said.

William Earl Paul Scheer is known for his joie de vivre in scores of comedy projects, from TV (“The League,” “Veep”), to podcasts (co-hosting “How Did This Get Made?” and “Unspooled”) and movies (“The Disaster Artist,” “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping”). Yet behind his impish persona is a troubled childhood marked by bouts of physical and emotional abuse. For better or worse, Scheer was the last person to identify it as a troubled upbringing.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Seth Rogen has gotten into TV in a big way: As star and EP of Apple TV+’s “Platonic,” exec producer of Prime Video’s “The Boys” franchise, animated series like “Invincible” and “Sausage Party: Foodtopia,” and his upcoming Hollywood satire “The Studio,” also for Apple. But he’s still bullish on film as well. “I think people still like movies,” he tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Ayo Edebiri said during a new Vanity Fair cover story that Jennifer Lopez “was very chill and nice about it” when a potential online controversy threatened to derail their February episode of “Saturday Night Live.” Edebiri, coming off multiple award wins for “The Bear,” was the night’s host and Lopez was the musical guest amid the rollout for her album “This Is Me… Now.” In the week leading up to the episode, a 2020 episode of the “Scam Goddess” podcast resurfaced on social media and went viral as it featured Edebiri speaking critically of Lopez. Responding to host Laci Mosley’s claim that Lopez’s “whole career is one long scam,” Edebiri responded: “Well, that’s the thing — she thinks she’s on multiple tracks, but it’s not her.

Siddhant Adlakha A decades-spanning drama about a young woman born in Naples — the hometown of writer-director Paolo Sorrentino — “Parthenope” is an exquisite treatise on cinematic beauty. Chronicling her birth, her youthful teenage summers and the years she spends adrift as a young adult, the film is an intoxicating reflection on the way people and places are seen, and the way they see themselves.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “Walker” has been canceled at The CW after four seasons, Variety has learned. “We want to thank the entire cast, crew, writers, directors and producers of ‘Walker’ for their hard work and dedication over four incredible seasons,” The CW said in a statement.

A.D. Amorosi With the arrival of the Paramount+ documentary miniseries “Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza,” alt-rock fans who attended the era-defining Lollapalooza festival in its national heyday will experience a rush of nostalgia, and viewers from Gens Z and Alpha will see and hear what Gen X has been crowing about since 1991. That’s the year Perry Farrell created a touring farewell party for his Jane’s Addiction, invited still-new bands such as Nine Inch Nails and Ice T’s Body Count for the ride, and found a tribe of like-minded rebel youth enthralled with his tribal gathering.

Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment Writer The X-Men are one step closer to joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe with their own movie.

“Industry” Season 3 is set to premiere on August 11 on HBO, and will be available to stream on Max. The official synopsis of Season 3 reads: “As Pierpoint looks to the future and takes a big bet on ethical investing, Yasmin (Marisa Abela), Robert (Harry Lawtey), and Eric (Ken Leung) find themselves front and center in the splashy IPO of Lumi, a green tech energy company led by Henry Muck (Kit Harington), in a story that runs all the way to the very top of finance, media, and government.

Angelique Jackson Nathalie Emmanuel‘s first trip to the Cannes Film Festival was certainly a memorable one. The “Fast and Furious” franchise star and “Game of Thrones” alum knows what it’s like to be in the spotlight, but Cannes is unique. First, consider the fact that she’s the leading lady in legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola‘s longtime passion project “Megalopolis,” which made its world premiere at the festival.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. In New York City, there are always a few surefire signs that summer has officially arrived. Sheep’s Meadow becomes as crowded as the 6 train during 8 a.m.

Jack Dunn The DEA and LAPD have launched a criminal investigation into Matthew Perry‘s death, which was caused by acute ketamine effects last year. Variety confirmed with a LAPD spokesperson that there is an ongoing investigation into Perry’s death; the Los Angeles Times reported the DEA is also involved. Perry died on Saturday, Oct.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Shot between his directing Alicia Vikander in “Firebrand” and Kristen Stewart in “Rosebushpruning,” “Motel Destino,” which bows in Cannes Competition on May 22, can be seen as a return by Brazil’s now most international director to his Brazilian roots. This axis between international and local, plays out in “Motel Destino” and Aïnouz insists, in now his whole career. An erotic thriller, “Motel Destino” turns on Dayana, the young wife of a roadside sex hotel owner who seduces on-the-run minor mobster Heraldo for great sex.

Thania Garcia The third annual Bésame Mucho Festival lineup has been revealed with Shakira, Pitbull, Enrique Iglesias, Los Tigres Del Norte and Banda MS as headliners. Set to take place in Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium on Dec. 21, the one-day Latin music festival returns with a jam packed list of performers, including Juanes, Gloria Trevi, Elvis Crespo, Paulina Rubio, Los Tucanes de Tijuana and more.

Selena Kuznikov Richard Foronjy, a character actor who grew up in the gangster world and went to prison before becoming an actor in movies including “Midnight Run,” “Prince of the City” and “Carlito’s Way,” died Sunday. He was 86.

Rebecca Rubin Senior Film and Media Reporter “Garfiosa”? “Furiofield”? Whatever the portmanteau for this Memorial Day weekend’s dual release of “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and “The Garfield Movie,” the two newcomers are aiming to jolt the sluggish summer season. (“Barbenheimer” it is not, but exhibitors will take what they can get as overall ticket sales remain roughly 20% behind 2023.) “Furiosa,” the fifth entry in director George Miller’s post-apocalyptic “Mad Max” series, looks to lead the way with $40 million to $45 million from 3,750 venues over the four-day holiday weekend. Sony’s animated “The Garfield Movie” should trail in second with $30 million to $35 million from 4,000 venues between Friday and Monday.

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events John Kander may be close to 100 years old, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t involved with the upcoming film adaptation of the Broadway musical “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” Kander and the late lyricist Fred Ebb – known collectively as Kander and Ebb – composed the music and wrote the songs for the original 1993 Tony-winning Broadway production of “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” The upcoming film, directed by Bill Condon, stars Jennifer Lopez, Diego Luna and newcomer Tonatiuh. “John Kander, who is 97 years old, was in the studio with me,” Lopez told me Monday at the premiere of her new Netflix sci-fi action movie, “Atlas.” “He is the most beautiful man. He was there for all of our recordings of the album and the pre-records for the movie.