Manori Ravindran Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International The U.K.’s media watchdog, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), has upheld two complaints lodged by women’s rights charities against Jeremy Clarkson’s December column in The Sun about Meghan Markle. Variety can reveal that after a months-long process, IPSO found that the “Grand Tour” host’s column breached Clause 12 of the regulator’s Editors’ Code of Practice, which relates to discrimination. The case marks the first time in its nine-year history that IPSO has upheld a complaint on the basis of sexism. As a result, The Sun has been instructed to publish a summary of the regulator’s findings in the spot where Clarkson’s column regularly appears in the print edition, and reference the decision on its front page and website homepage for 24 hours — something the tabloid hasn’t been forced to do since 2016, when its front-page “Queen Backs Brexit” splash was found to have breached press regulations.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Gugu Mbatha-Raw will lead the voice cast of the animated short film “To My Daughter.” The “Surface” star will narrate the movie, which is an adaptation of “This Thread of Gold,” the debut book by actor, writer, filmmaker and UN gender advisor Catherine Joy White (“Black Mirror,” “Ten Percent”). “This Thread of Gold” is billed as a celebration of Black womanhood, weaving a story about resilience that connects Beyoncé, Nina Simone, Shirley Chisholm and Meghan Markle, as well as those throughout history “who resisted in secret through trusted networks.” The film is described as “part guidebook, part exuberant narrative and part poetry.”

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Hillary Clinton’s HiddenLight Productions has partnered with Roger Ross Williams and “The Inspection” director Elegance Bratton on a feature documentary about 1979’s Disco Demolition Night in Chicago. Known as one of the darkest days in American music history, the incident saw 50,000 white teenagers descend on Chicago’s Comiskey Park to blow up records made by mostly Black artists. The doc, which is called “The Night Disco Died,” is a co-production between HiddenLight and One Story Up, and will be presented by Impact Partners and Los Angeles Media Fund (LAMF).

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International When the BBC revealed it was adapting hit British indie film “Boiling Point” into a TV show, it was applauded as one of the most forward-thinking orders made at the public broadcaster in years — demonstrating the kind of savvy seen at global streamers, which are always quick on the draw in commissioning adjacent programming for a hit title. This time, Britain’s public broadcaster had also capitalized on a local sensation. The four-time BAFTA-nominated “Boiling Point” centred on a stressed-out head chef, played by “Matilda” star Stephen Graham, who quickly loses the room in a fast-paced kitchen. The movie, which released in the U.K. in January 2022, used an anxiety-inducing one-shot technique for the entire feature, heightening the intensity of the frenzied kitchen scenes. It later drew comparisons to another claustrophobic kitchen drama, FX series “The Bear,” which premiered last summer.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Sky Deutschland, the German arm of Comcast-owned pay-TV operator Sky, is pulling out of scripted originals from 2024, Variety can reveal. Staff were notified of the surprise move by Sky Deutschland boss Devesh Raj on Thursday morning, local time. Variety understands that the entire scripted originals team will eventually be disbanded, though shows that have already been commissioned and are in production, such as post-apocalypse drama “Helgoland 513″ and “Das Boot” Season 4, will finish filming. Any projects in development will be “put into turnaround,” as per another internal note from Sky Studios CEO Cécile Frot-Coutaz, also seen by Variety.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Top editors are rallying behind Poland’s independent media as it comes under increased scrutiny from the country’s right-wing, nationalist government. In a joint statement, the editors in chief of local outlets such as Fakt, Polityka and Gazeta Radomszczańska as well as international media such as Forbes and Canal+, have said they “declare our unwavering dedication to stand firm and defend the independence of Polish journalism.” “Newsrooms under our leadership will exhibit solidarity and resolutely inform the public about any attempts by the ruling party to exert influence over the media,” reads the statement.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Canadian filmmaker Jamie Kastner has launched a fundraiser to support his legal costs in fighting the Ontario Provincial Police against a production order that could force him to surrender the source material for his documentary. Kastner is the director of “There Are No Fakes,” a 2019 doc that uncovered an art fraud ring that passed off fake paintings as originals by the celebrated Indigenous artist Norval Morrisseau, known for his vibrant paintings of the natural world and First Nations mythology. The eye-opening film revealed there were up to 10 times more Morrisseau forgeries on the market as there were real works, and that the artist’s own nephew may have been complicit in helping to produce the fakes.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Utopia has acquired the North American rights to the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard New Voice Prize winner “Omen,” the debut feature from artist-musician turned director Baloji. The film follows a young man, Koffi, played by Marc Zinga (“Spectre”), who after spending years in Belgium returns home to the Congo to find himself confronted by his past and culture at a family event. Koffi visits his birthplace after being mysteriously shunned by his family and spending years abroad in Europe. With his soon-to-be wife and unborn child in tow, Koffi’s arrival sets in motion a sprawling, nightmarish and psychedelic fairy tale about ancestry, belief, wrestling, witchcraft and sorcery in Africa today.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International If you ask most people in the U.K. industry how business is going right now, they’ll likely tell you it’s been agonizingly “slow.” It’s meant to be boom time for production, but this summer, the U.S. writers strike combined with a cost of living crisis is brutally squeezing unscripted and scripted projects. This week, as the clock ticks away on negotiations between American actors union SAG-AFTRA and Hollywood’s collective bargaining agent, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the prevailing thought will be: is all of this about to get much worse? A number of British actors Variety has spoken to say they’ve yet to hear from local actors’ union Equity with any guidance about their situation. That’s likely because it’s being worked out in real time. Paul W. Fleming, general secretary for Equity, has been in Los Angeles for discussions with SAG-AFTRA, which is optimistic about its negotiations with the AMPTP. (He’s also visiting New York to meet with theater union Actors’ Equity.)

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Cold, cold heart, hard done by you. And Glastonbury fans were certainly hard done by Elton John and Britney Spears on Sunday night. Spears was widely rumored to be joining John during his closing headline set at the British music festival, but in her place to sing their hit “Tiny Dancer” remix was — Brandon Flowers. Fans were stunned when The Killers frontman traipsed on stage instead of Spears, especially as the “Baby One More Time” singer had dropped Instagram hints in the lead-up to John’s set that suggested she was in the U.K. On Friday, Spears posted a picture of an oil painting featuring McDonald’s food and a vase of roses with three Union Jack flags as the caption. In another now-deleted post, she reportedly told fans she was heading to London this week, claiming it was for a shopping trip.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Authorities confirmed that human remains have been found near the search area where British actor Julian Sands went missing during a hike in January. The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Dept. confirmed late on Saturday that civilian hikers discovered human remains in the Mt. Baldy wilderness earlier that day. “Fontana Station deputies, along with the Sheriff’s Department’s Emergency Operations Division, responded to the scene,” sheriffs said in a news release. “The decedent was transported to the Coroner’s Office, pending positive identification. Identification should be completed next week at which time we will update this press release. No further details are available at this time.”

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International “Fleabag” star Angus Imrie and “Am I Being Unreasonable?” actor Juliet Cowan have joined the cast of the provocatively-titled short film “Does Your Condom Make You Fat?” Described as an “awkward” comedy-drama, the film explores a world in which men can become pregnant. The script is from Danielle Papamichael. Imrie plays Owen, a happy-go-lucky lad, whose reliance on the Zap App for effective contraception is disrupted when his phone battery dies. This realization triggers his fears of an unwanted pregnancy, amplified by his date’s early unannounced departure. Throughout the film, Owen grapples with a rollercoaster of emotions as he confronts the unintended consequences of his actions.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International BBC Studios has acquired pan-Scandinavian production company STV. The acquisition will help the British production-distribution powerhouse grow its footprint in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and build out its existing production outfits. BBCS has said the deal is “in response to the growing appetite and opportunity for BBC content in the market.” Based in Copenhagen with offices in Norway and Sweden, STV’s credits include factual entertainment formats such as “Big Love” and “Get Lost Honey.” STV also acts as the local producer for “Long Lost Family,” “Wheel of Fortune” and “Bargain King,” in addition to long-running scripted series “The First Years” across Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International BBC drama “Informer,” which originally starred Paddy Considine, Bel Powley and Nabhaan Rizwan, is getting a German adaptation. Production has begun in Hamburg, Germany, on “Informant,” an adaptation of the All3Media International scripted format, which was BAFTA-nominated. The BBC One show was executive produced by Sam Mendes, who produced via his production outfit Neal Street Productions. The six-part German thriller is being produced by filmpool fiction (part of All3Media Deutschland) for NDR, ARD Degeto, ARTE and NRK (Norway). The show is expected to debut in fall 2024.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Amazon has said its investments have contributed £4.8 billion ($6.1 billion) of gross value — and 16,000 jobs — to the U.K. economy since 2010. This covers the gamut of the online retail giant’s various subsidiaries, including Kindle Direct Publishing, Amazon Publishing, Prime Video, Audible, Amazon Fashion, Amazon Music and Amazon Games, among others. Overall, the company — which revealed the figures on Wednesday — has invested more than £4.2 billion in U.K. creative industries since 2010, and has doubled its investment since 2018. As Prime Video continues to embed in the U.K. creative sector, it can also count the British Film Institute as its next stop. A number of the streamer’s U.K.-shot originals, including “Good Omens” and “Clarkson’s Farm,” will be digitally preserved in the BFI National Archive as part of a new partnership. The Prime Video deal comes almost a year after Netflix reached a similar agreement to induct some of its own originals into the celebrated archive. That deal was struck in September, Variety understands.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International The heartrending search to locate and rescue the Titan submersible before it runs out of its four-day air supply will be the focus of a new fast-turnaround documentary on U.K. broadcaster Channel 5. “Titanic Sub: Lost at Sea” has been scheduled to air on Thursday at 7 p.m. local time. The doc will be presented by 5 News host Dan Walker. The ITN-produced documentary promises to “go beyond” news coverage and bring viewers up to date, while examining the wider context about the voyage, its passengers and the fascination with the Titanic shipwreck. The film will also talk to experts and look at the rise of extreme tourism.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Christian Petzold’s Silver Bear winner “Afire” has received a new trailer. The drama follows writer Leon (Thomas Schubert) and photographer Felix (Langston Uibel) who are surprised by a mysterious young woman named Nadja (Paula Beer) staying as a guest at Felix’s family’s holiday home by the Baltic Sea. Nadja distracts Leon from finishing his latest novel and, with brutal honesty, forces him to confront his caustic temperament and self-absorption. As Nadja and Leon grow closer, an encroaching forest fire threatens the group. Meanwhile, tensions escalate when a handsome lifeguard and Leon’s tight-lipped book editor also arrive.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Prime Video has revealed its top traveling non-English local originals in the history of the service, with Spanish YA romance “My Fault” and French crime thriller “Medellín” topping the list. Both are feature films that launched in the last two weeks across Prime Video’s footprint in 240 countries around the world. Interestingly, both titles have more than 75% of their viewership coming from outside their country of origin (Spain for “My Fault,” and France for “Medellín”), though Prime Video hasn’t disclosed any further metrics related to ratings or impressions. Of the list (available in full below), 60% are movies and 40% are TV series.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International An underwater vessel used to take tourists to the wreckage of the Titanic has gone missing, with a search and rescue operation now underway to locate the craft. The submersible, which is roughly the size of a truck, went missing in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday with crew members on board. Government agencies and deep-sea specialists are assisting with the operation. The craft is understood to be the Titan, built by Washington-based exploration company OceanGate Inc. The Titan is designed to take five people to a depth of 4,000 meters. The structure has a life support span of 96 hours (four days) for five people, according to OceanGate’s website. Each round-trip journey to the Titanic wreckage can take up to 10 hours.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Duncan Heath’s legendary London agency Independent Talent Group is coming off the sales block. Variety understands that the U.K. company has secured a private equity buyer, and that a due diligence period is currently underway. The specific private equity firm involved in the deal isn’t currently known, though sources indicate that a well-known and respected entertainment executive is involved in the outfit. Sources tell Variety that CAA was at one point talking to Independent Talent, but that the U.S. agency — which acquired ICM Partners for $750 million last year — pulled away from a sales conversation in recent months. Other interested parties that have been in the mix in the last year are believed to include WME and Wasserman.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International U.K. broadcaster ITV has confirmed that it’s “actively exploring the possible acquisition” of “Fleabag” and “The Traitors” producer All3Media. In a letter to shareholders on Friday morning local time, the “Love Island” broadcaster confirmed media speculation about its talks to buy All3Media, which was first reported by Reuters. “There can be no certainty as to whether any transaction will take place, nor as to the terms of any such transaction,” reads the letter. “A further announcement will be made if and when appropriate.” Citing sources close to the deal, Reuters reported on Thursday that ITV is looking to combine All3Media with its own in-house production and distribution business ITV Studios, which itself has been the subject of sales speculation in the last year. (ITV CEO Carolyn McCall told Variety earlier this year, however, that the studios operation “is not for sale.”)

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International The next season of “Bad Sisters” is slowly taking shape, even amid a writers strike. Creator Sharon Horgan confirmed that she’s currently writing Season 2 of the hit Apple TV+ series “Bad Sisters,” which will continue the story of the Garvey sisters after they successfully got rid of their toxic brother-in-law Jean-Paul (played by a deliciously evil Claes Bang). Horgan, who was speaking at the Banff World Media Festival, is likely able to continue working on the U.K.-filmed show — which she writes alongside Brett Baer and Dave Finkel — because she has a local contract in place with Apple TV+ for “Bad Sisters” rather than a WGA-governed deal. Under the current rules, U.K. writers can continue working on existing projects (under the jurisdiction of non-WGA contracts) with “struck” companies such as Apple, but can’t take on new work.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International When talent agency UTA officially opens shop in London on Thursday, it will be the latest American agency heavyweight to have a brick-and-mortar presence in the U.K. The 28,000-square-foot office at 1 Newman Street straddles Fitzrovia and trendy Soho. Designed by Gensler and Modus Workspace, the headquarters will be home to UTA’s music business as well as film and TV agents, and those working across everything from production arts to podcasting. The London office, which will be the agency’s European hub, will continue to be headed up by music agents Neil Warnock MBE and Obi Asika. UTA first carved out a presence in London in 2015 when it acquired British music practice The Agency Group. In 2021, the company expanded its footprint in music with the purchase of London-based Echo Location Talent Agency.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Disney+ has put the brakes on original commissions in Canada until at least the end of the year, Variety can reveal. Sources indicate that the Mouse House has put a pin in local programming from across its brands in Canada, and isn’t actively commissioning. It’s understood that this mandate will be in place until the end of 2023 and could extend into 2024. Disney+ officially launched in Canada in November 2019, but like other streaming services north of the border, it’s taken a few years to get originals underway. Last summer, the company hired respected Telefilm executive Stephanie Azam as its director of content for Canada — an appointment that generated some buzz in the local industry.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International CBS chief George Cheeks has said the broadcaster is maintaining a “fluid and active” approach as it curates its fall programming schedule amid month two of the writers strike. The executive, who took on his new remit at CBS just weeks before the pandemic struck in March 2020, said the streamers’ series model poses “serious challenges” for writers that the whole industry will need to “figure out” in the long term. Cheeks was speaking as part of a wide-ranging keynote session at the Banff World Media Festival in Alberta, Canada, where Paramount Global has been the most prominent studio on the ground.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International “Run the Burbs” producer Pier 21 Films has partnered with Canadian stand-up comic Julie Kim on a half-hour comedy series. The development deal marks Kim’s debut at the helm of a sitcom, which Kim will co-write with “Strays” alum, Clara Altimas. The project comes on the heels of her gala performance at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal, her debut at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and a 40-theater North American tour with Ronny Chieng (“Crazy Rich Asians”). “Julie Kim is one of today’s freshest stand-up performers with an impeccable track record for creating comedy gold,” said Karen Tsang, senior VP of creative affairs at Pier 21 Films. “We are incredibly excited to collaborate with her as she plunges into her own scripted series.”

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Garcelle Beauvais has said the new season of the Bravo reality series will drop in November — and will be a kinder edition of the franchise. “I’m hearing November is our release date. It’s back to fun and glamour and friendships,” said Beauvais of Season 13. “It’s not as toxic as it was. I think the last season was pretty hardcore on everybody.” Season 12 has been described by Variety’s resident “Real Housewives” correspondent Kate Aurthur as “grisly,” and ultimately led to the departure of long-time provocateur Lisa Rinna this past January. Rinna constantly stirred the pot on the show, and feuded heavily with Kathy Hilton. She also got into her share of spats with Beauvais, who had been friendly with Rinna, a fellow actor, prior to starring together on “Real Housewives.”

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International The debate around the application of artificial intelligence in the creative sector has been a hot-button issue in the writers strike, but not all scribes believe it warrants the airtime it’s so far received. Speaking on a Variety-moderated writers strike panel at the Banff World Media Festival on Monday, “The Other Black Girl” and “Swarm” writer Kara Brown said AI has been “the stickiest thing and people have been talking about it a lot, when it feels to me like this is not our biggest issue — I would like residuals.” Continued Brown: “There are other things that are more fundamental today in impacting a writer’s ability to do their job. And AI feels like something that people outside the industry can understand, and people are talking about. It sounds scary, but to me at least, I don’t think it’s close to our biggest issue.”

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International The documentary “This Changes Everything” is getting a Canadian adaptation. Geena Davis and New York-based production house CreativeChaos will again partner for a new edition of their Gracie Award-winning film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and was released in U.S. cinemas in 2019 and globally distributed by Starz and Netflix. The doc included interviews with top women in Hollywood discussing discrimination and the #MeToo movement, which was still in its nascent stages at that time. Actors involved in the original film included Davis, Meryl Streep, Natalie Portman, Taraji P. Henson, Reese Witherspoon, Cate Blanchett, Tiffany Haddish, Jill Soloway, Shonda Rhimes, Jessica Chastain, Yara Shahidi, Chloe Grace Moretz, Amandla Stenberg, Alan Alda, Sandra Oh, Anita Hill, Rashida Jones, Rose McGowan, Judd Apatow, Rosario Dawson and Maria Giese.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Amazon Studios’ head of drama series Odetta Watkins says big-budget drama “Citadel,” which has yet to crack Nielsen’s weekly streaming rankings, still “needs time to grow” with “very jaded” U.S. audiences. The exec was speaking at the Banff World Media Festival in Alberta, Canada, on Sunday, where the global-facing “Citadel” was a key topic of conversation during an international media leaders panel, moderated by The Ankler’s Elaine Low. In response to a question from Variety about “Citadel’s” sluggish domestic performance but strong showing overseas — and whether that matters to Prime Video — Watkins said: “I can tell you from a creative perspective, for me, it’s a victory, because the show was conceived to be able to speak to the world.”