True Crime Podcast ‘Variety Confidential’ Tells the Shocking Story of a Hollywood Studio Kingpin

Holly Jones Inspired by the tragic case of Spanish toddler Jonathan Vega, abducted in broad daylight from a Madrid shopping center, writer-director Marc Romero (“75 Days”) is set to begin production on “Hour and Twenty” (“Hora y Veinte”), alongside producers El Orgullo Producciones, La Cochera, Sorenfilms, La Raíz, Shift Dif and Corax Films. The directors’ second high-octane feature shoots later this month, filming in Torrevieja (Alicante), Martos (Jaén), and Madrid over a five week stretch, further sponsored by Ayuntamiento de Torrevieja (Alicante) in collaboration with Ayuntamiento de Martos (Jaén).

Alison Herman TV Critic The protagonist of “Grimsburg” looks and acts nothing like Jon Hamm, though the actor lends his voice — and backing as an executive producer — to the lead of Fox’s latest animated sitcom. Detective Marvin Flute is a scruffy, potbellied deadbeat who’s somewhat skilled at solving crimes, if nowhere near as much as he thinks he is.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Samuel L. Jackson is set to star in the upcoming Peacock true crime limited series “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist,” Variety has learned. The show was ordered to series at Peacock in December with Kevin Hart attached to star and executive produce with Will Packer also executive producing.

article written by the New York Post titled “The 7 biggest mistakes you can make right after sex.” Written by Andrew Court, the piece hilariously outlined seven of the biggest blunders couples can make in the bedroom and Haines admitted that she was guilty of discussing chores immediately after doing the deed with her husband Max Shifrin. “So what happens is, sometimes when I recover, I think about all the things we still have to do,” she explained.The 46-year-old host, who has been married since 2014, admitted however that after recovering from the “pure exhaustion of that primal act,” her mind quickly focuses on other real-life responsibilities.“I stop and I say, ‘Babe, did the plumber call today?’” she said with a chuckle.

Editor’s note: Underplayed in the media intrigue over the prospect of Warner Bros swallowing Shari Redstone’s empire that includes Paramount and CBS is the gloomy reality that another storied Hollywood studio could go the way of Fox. That went from a vibrant multi-faceted creative content-generating enterprise to a headstone, when Rupert Murdoch decided to cash out for Disney stock. David Zaslav spent 2023 kicking employees and finished films to the curb to pay down debt just to get this far; chances are more blood will spill down Melrose if Redstone sells some or all the pieces of Paramount to be mashed into an existing studio. When Bill Mechanic was perched atop Paramount, Disney and Fox, he built Disney’s home video from a $30 million to $3 billion business, and found ways to take risks and squeeze max returns from blockbusters from Braveheart to Titanic, Independence Day and many others. Who better to remind Hollywood that once a major studio dies, it never comes back, and that there might be better ways to squeeze better performance out of an established creative business with global pipelines?

Fans of BBC's The Traitors, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, have been eagerly awaiting the return of the show and welcome 22 new contestants to the tense game, but nothing could have prepared them for what was in store for season two. Although Traitors are known for their scheming ways and whispers behind backs, episode three has taken it to a whole new level. Viewers watched as business manager Paul pulled fellow contestant Diane aside to let her know that parliamentary affairs advisor Zack has been "going around saying we're mother and son," which Diane just laughed off.

William Earl Variety’s third annual FYC Fest: The Shortlist will return Jan. 9 and feature 12 virtual panels with the top contending filmmakers and artisans that were shortlisted by the Academy in the sound, documentary short, documentary film, international film, original song, score, visual effects and makeup / hairstyling categories.

Lauren Ames Henry Willson’s behavior was protected by other powerful players in the entertainment industry who depended on him for a steady stream of fresh, young talent. In episode 3 of “Variety Confidential,” host Tracy Pattin and co-host Matt Donnelly, Variety’s senior entertainment and media writer, unearth the story of Willson, an aggressive, midcentury Hollywood talent agent and manager who succeeded in both spotting and taking advantage of young actors within whom he saw potential for fame.

It looks like Tyga and Chloe Bailey have been spending some quality time together!

Reese Witherspoon is officially single again.

Hanging on the wall next to a picturesque window view of the White House grounds in Doug Emhoff’s sunlit corner office is a handmade rectangular wood carving with the words, in all caps, “SECOND GENTLEMAN.”

Prime Video India has unveiled Wedding.con, a true-crime docu-series about women who are deceived and betrayed in pursuit of love. Scroll down for a trailer for the show that launches next week.

Over the years, the Royal Family have introduced many customs which have gone on to become popular traditions. One of the most famous of these is the Christmas tree which is thought to have first seen in the UK thanks to King George III's wife, Queen Charlotte.

Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series spotlighting the year’s most talked-about scripts continues with the Paul King-directed and co-written Wonka. From Warner Bros, Village Roadshow and Heyday Films, the Timothée Chalamet starrer is also co-written by Simon Farnaby based on characters created by Roald Dahl.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Many stories have been told about Westward expansion, but few have focused on the impact and consequences. John Williams’ 1960 novel “Butcher’s Crossing” follows William Andrews, a Harvard student who leaves his life behind to join a buffalo-hunting expedition, facing many harsh realities on his journey. Producer Molly Conners sat down with Variety for the film’s DVD release to discuss director Gabe Polsky’s journey adapting the story, financing the film, casting its star Nicolas Cage and working with the Blackfeet Nation to tell the story about the destruction of the buffalo population in 19th century America.

Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series spotlighting the year’s most talked-about scripts continues with Sofia Coppola’s biopic Priscilla. Based on the 1985 memoir Elvis and Me co-authored by Priscilla Presley and Sandra Harmon, the script was adapted by Coppola who also directed.

obtained by TMZ, the “Creed” star, 36, is seen speeding down the street in his blue Ferrari. After a quick move left, the vehicle takes a sharp right before hitting a parked Kia.

Zac Efron has praised late Friends actor Matthew Perry for motivating him to reach the next stage of his career after starring together on 17 Again, during a speech at the Hollywood Walk of Fame.The High School Musical star, 36, was honoured with his own star on the iconic Hollywood road, which he described as "so surreal" and "just insane." During his speech, he also opened up about his time working with his 17 Again co-star Matthew, who passed away in October, aged just 54. He said: "I really also want to mention someone that is not here today, and that’s Matthew Perry, who was so kind and generous with me when we worked on 17 Again." He continued: "Collaborating with him…it was so much fun and it really did propel me and motivate me in so many ways.

Rafa Sales Ross Guest Contributor The third edition of the Red Sea Film Festival, wrapping Saturday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, felt like a direct response to a burning question from executives and investors present at the festival’s market arm last year: Could Saudi Arabia step out from drama and comedy and head into genre filmmaking? The answer offered by the festival, it turns out, was a resounding yes. “Arabs are closer to fantasy than the Western world,” director Yasir Al-Yasiri told Variety of this year’s Red Sea Film Festival opening film, “HWJN.” The film, a sprawling fantasy about the Arab Jinn culture set and shot in Jeddah, comes at the “right time,” according to the director.

In 1972, a small passenger plane crashed into a mountain in the Andes, its tail and wings ripping off in the impact. When the fuselage came to rest on the snow, it contained 33 survivors, among them the young members of a Uruguayan rugby team. Over an unimaginable 72 days, they would contend with starvation, exposure, hypothermia and two avalanches, until only 16 remained alive. Ultimately, they were forced to make an agonizing choice: consume the bodies of the dead or die themselves. J.A. Bayona’s film Society of the Snow, based on Pablo Vierci’s book of the same name, takes a fresh look at the story, giving voice to both the dead and the living. Here, the Spanish filmmaker and the Uruguayan author discuss how they collaborated to tell a vital story of human will and sacrifice that would honor the real experience of the survivors and their dear departed friends.