Entertainment Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor A media consultant sued Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, alleging he is owed “at least several million dollars” for work he did related to the company’s $370 million acquisition in 2022 of Redbox, the DVD kiosk and streaming company. Keith Knee, described in his legal complaint as an advisory and consulting services professional in the media industry, filed suit against Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment on Friday, April 19, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Keanu Reeves is in talks to star in two-time Palme d’Or winner Ruben Östlund’s highly anticipated next feature “The Entertainment System Is Down,” Variety has learned. While the exact plot of the movie remains under wraps, Östlund has teased it several times as a social satire set on a long-haul flight on which the entertainment system isn’t working, sparking chaos and rages among passengers.

Keanu Reeves is reportedly eying a role in director Ruben Ostlund‘s new movie The Entertainment System is Down.

Katcy Stephan Jeff Boone has joined Fremantle‘s North American team as its new VP of scripted development. In this role, Boone will be responsible for developing new series for its pipeline and play an active role within Fremantle’s global scripted network. Boone will report to Fremantle’s EVP of Scripted Programming, Jenni Sherwood.

EXCLUSIVE: Ethan Coen has rounded out the cast for his comedy Honey Don’t! for Focus Features and Working Title, on which we were first to report. Newcomers include Charlie Day (Fool’s Paradise), Billy Eichner (Bros), Lera Abova (Anna), Jacnier (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory National Tour), Gabby Beans (Presumed Innocent), Talia Ryder (Dumb Money), Kristin Connolly (The Cabin in the Woods), Lena Hall (Your Friends & Neighbors), Don Swayze (All Saints Day), Josh Pafchek (Marvel’s Runaways), Kale Brown (Mike), Alexander Carstoiu (Magnolia Flowers) and Christin Antidormi (Netflix’s Lincoln Lawyer).

EXCLUSIVE: US-Bangladeshi action movie MR-9: Do or Die, starring ABM Sumon, Michael Jai White and Frank Grillo, has been picked up by Quiver Distribution for a North American VOD/digital release this month.

A lap dancing club which has operated in Altrincham town centre for the last 24 years has been shut down with immediate effect.

Sia just dropped her brand new song “Fame Won’t Love You” featuring Paris Hilton!

New details have emerged in the case of late adult film star Sophia Leone.

Frank Rizzo A musical that captures the sweep of history in all its complexities without sacrifice of character or credibility is no easy feat. But “Suffs,” which tells the story of the final push to achieve the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote in 1920, does just that with a singular vision and a collective collaboration that is smart, inspiring and thoroughly entertaining.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Sony Pictures Entertainment and Apollo Global Management are considering a possible joint bid for Paramount Global. News of the discussions was first reported by the New York Times. Sources close to the situation confirmed the conversations but cautioned that there are numerous obstacles that would need to be overcome before the sides could formally submit an offer.

Elsbeth is going to be back for a second season at CBS!

EXCLUSIVE: Blu Hunt (The New Mutants) and Peter Vack (PVT Chat) are in production in North Macedonia on Replay, the sophomore feature from veteran music video director Jason Lester (High Resolution), which has unveiled a first-look still.

Kevin Hart and his entertainment company Hartbeat have signed with WME for representation in all areas. Hart continues to develop, star, and produce feature films, television, commercials and podcasts via Hartbeat. The move to WME comes as Hart and Hartbeat continue to expand their portfolio of multi-platform IP.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. As more and more people cut the cord and swap cable for streaming services, sports remains the biggest reason people still tune into live TV. So, it makes sense that in an effort to adopt and retain users new to the streaming world, platforms are flaunting competitive sports offerings to give themselves an edge.

Katcy Stephan Kevin Hart and his global entertainment company Hartbeat have signed with WME for representation in all areas. Hart will continue to develop, star in and produce feature films, television, commercials, and podcasts via Hartbeat. The move to WME comes as Hart and Hartbeat continue to expand their portfolio of multi-platform IP.

Aramide Tinubu In his seven-part Netflix miniseries, “Baby Reindeer,” adapted from his one-man show, Scottish writer and comedian Richard Gadd recounts the true story of being harassed and stalked for years. Compelling and unsettling, Gadd, who portrays Donny Dunn, the fictionalized version of himself, transports the audience to one of the most painful periods of his life. The series untangles the nuances of his emotions, his stalker’s temperament and past incidents that fortified his frame of mind at the time.

EXCLUSIVE: NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), the Black List, the Redford Center, and the CAA Foundation today announced the recipients of the 2024 NRDC Climate Storytelling Fellowship and the Hollywood creatives who will mentor them. Along with new partner NBCUniversal, the organizations also announced the opening of the submission window for the 2025 cycle of the fellowship.

Rudie Obias editor If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. After massive fan turnout and hype throughout U2’s residency last fall followed by a special Grammy performance from the band this past February, The Sphere is getting ready to host rock jam band Phish for a four-night concert event. Running Thursday, April 18 through Sunday, April 21, Phish is set to perform an immersive experience for fans at the music and entertainment arena in Las Vegas.

Anna Marie de la Fuente NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises Chairman Luis Fernandez is spearheading an executive shuffle and a restructuring of Telemundo Studios in a bid to amp up the company’s scripted content for both linear and streaming platforms. “At a time when Telemundo is the most-watched network in prime time, we are super-charging our scripted content production under one strong brand: Telemundo Studios,” said Fernandez who returned in December to Telemundo where he was previously head of the news division for six years before taking a hiatus.

Gemma Atkinson has jokingly said 'who knows where Gorka Marquez is' as she revealed she's been left solo at home following their exciting joint news. The couple are set to return to TV screens in another series of their very own reality series.

William Earl “The Gray House,” the Kevin Costner-produced limited series about a female spy ring during the Civil War, will open Monaco’s 63rd annual Monte-Carlo Television Festival in June. The six-episode limited series tells the hidden-history tale of four Southern women — a Virginia socialite and her mother, a formerly enslaved Black woman and a high-end prostitute — who served as key espionage agents for the Union. The foursome are credited as unsung heroes who helped end the nation’s brutal cleavage in 1865.

Rihanna is stepping for the launch of the FENTY x PUMA Creeper Phatty Earth Tone at Tobacco Dock on Wednesday (April 17) in London.

EXCLUSIVE: Starz‘s Power Book III: Raising Kanan has added Sibongile Mlambo (Lost in Space) and Paul Ben-Victor (The Wire) to its Season 4 cast in recurring roles.

A three-day festival featuring the very best food and drink Bury has to offer from across the world will be held for the first time next month. From Thursday, May 23 the town centre will be packed with pop-up food markets, artisan drinks and craft stalls, music and live entertainment.

Andrew Wallenstein President and Chief Media Analyst Horror continues to perform well at theaters. But as this new Variety VIP+ analysis of the track record scary movies have put together in 2024, no genre is immune to the ups and downs of the marketplace.

EXCLUSIVE: D. Smith, the filmmaker behind the critically acclaimed documentary Kokomo City, which won the NEXT Audience and Innovator Awards at Sundance 2022, has partnered with Media Res and Brandon Sharp’s Agenda on her next docu project, Blvd, which is said to ask Dr. King the question: Was it just a dream?

The Walking Dead maker Skybound Entertainment is pushing into the unscripted game.

It doesn’t seem like Kelly Clarkson and her ex Brandon Blackstock are EVER going to stop duking it out in court, does it?

Shoppers are going wild for Ninja's latest space-saving air fryer, which has been hailed as a “game changer” by happy customers.The gadget giant, known for its popular air fryers, has released a world-first today - the Ninja Double Stack XL 9.5L Air Fryer SL400UK, £269.99 here.This innovative appliance launched in the UK on Wednesday, 17 April after an unprecedented pre-order demand, with thousands of shoppers already snapping it up from Ninja direct and other retailers like John Lewis and Very.The Double Stack XL is designed to cook food in four layers and features two drawers large enough to accommodate an entire chicken each. Unlike most of Ninja's iconic wide air fryers and grills, the Double Stack is narrower but taller, taking up 30% less space than an equivalent capacity air fryer while still fitting under standard kitchen cupboards.