Storytelling Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

To Mando or not to Mando, that’s the question posed in this week’s episode of The Playlist Podcast. And to help Charles, Brian, and Mike figure out if “The Mandalorian” is actually any good after reaching the halfway point in Season 2 or if this “Star Wars” series is pure Bantha feces, they’re joined by The Playlist’s Editor-in-Chief, Rodrigo Perez (who is a closet “Star Wars” expert, but likes to keep that lowkey, so don’t tell anyone).

November, among other things, is Trans Awareness Month and it probably goes without saying, unfortunately, that anybody who wanted to celebrate that by watching trans stories would have a hard time finding more than a handful of them.

Dino-Ray Ramos Associate Editor/ReporterThe cancellation of GLOW is a big loss when it comes to the representation of women on TV. Although it moved the needle, actress Sunita Mani, who played Arthie Premkumar on the Netflix comedy series, recently posted a letter on Instagram addressing the lack of authentic inclusion in the series.

Films such as Ordinary Love, Black '47 and Rosie, and actors Andrew Scott and Jessie Buckley have won big at the Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) awards last night..

Caroline Framke Chief TV CriticAn understandable if tricky to navigate instinct during these many months of quarantine is the instinct to create meaningful art out of These Times. Even as the entire world goes on pause, creativity marches stubbornly on, hoping to make sense out of senseless things.

Philippe Lacôte understands the cyclical nature of human conflict and how invaluable the stories people tell about their collective past are. In the remarkable “Night Of The Kings,” the Ivorian director’s follow-up to the political turmoil drama “Run,” oral tradition enlivens a chaotic microcosm that’s suspended somewhere between an ancient saga and contemporary unrest.

Peter Debruge Chief Film CriticSet partly in Ivory Coast’s “Mad Max”-like MACA correctional facility and partly in the imagination of its newest inmate, “Night of the Kings” feels radically different from most films set behind bars, and not just because of its one-of-a-kind location.

We Are Who We Are (★★★★☆) can’t be beat. Their joy and abandon permeates the screen — when they’re not also grappling with the disorienting experience of life as Army brats, hailing from U.S.

Jay Weissberg The producers and funding bodies behind “The Furnace” took quite a chance when they agreed to back Roderick MacKay in his debut feature, yet clearly the young writer-director knows how to sell his vision just as well as he knows how to make a movie.

Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, winner of the Best Actor in a Musical Olivier award in 2019 for his role in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, has told HuffPost UK he has never felt so seen.Following the eerie silence of deep lockdown in March and April, the Black Lives Matter protests in May signified a drastic change of pace: there was still a pandemic on, but the killing of George Floyd meant empty streets were now full with thousands of furious protestors.“As a Black man I’ve never felt as seen, and I’m

Variety Staff Follow Us on TwitterThe “Variety Streaming Room” will host new conversations on business strategies and creative trends for connected TV, featuring panelists Tim Sims, Chief Revenue Officer at The Trade Desk, and Krishan Bhatia, EVP, Business Operations & Strategy, Advertising Sales at NBCUniversal, as well as Dulé Hill and James Roday Rodriguez, stars and executive producers of Peacock’s “Psych 2: Lassie Come Home.” The event, presented by The Trade Desk, will take place on Sept.

Rebecca Rubin News Editor, OnlineMelvin Gregg, the actor best known for “American Vandal” and the Ben Affleck-led “The Way Back,” is taking his talents to the (very) small screen. He is partnering with Whatifi, a new interactive storytelling app, to write and direct an original film that will exclusively play on the mobile platform.Gregg’s movie, titled “This Call Will Be Recorded,” is a choose-your-own adventure comedy with 16 different endings.

Christopher Vourlias A young pickpocket is locked up amongst hardened criminals in the notorious MACA prison on the outskirts of Abidjan. As a red moon rises, he’s chosen by the prison boss to be the new “Roman” who, in keeping with tradition, must tell a story to the other inmates.

Partner Content A great story not only entertains — it also empowers.A well-told tale helps us understand the experiences of people we might never meet in our own lives.

Dino-Ray Ramos Associate Editor/ReporterWME Partner Phillip Sun has teamed with MACRO Founder and CEO Charles D. King to launch M88, a full-service representation firm that will continue to move the needle when it comes to amplifying stories from underrepresented communities.This marks a reunion between Sun and King who previously worked together at WME.

Dino-Ray Ramos Associate Editor/ReporterEXCLUSIVE: Disney Channel has promoted Theresa Helmer to the newly created role of Executive Director, Integrated Content Strategy and Development.

Anthony D'Alessandro Editorial Director/Box Office EditorVeteran industry executive and producer Alana Mayo has joined MGM as the President of the newly relaunched Orion Pictures.The division will concentrate exclusively on underrepresented voices and authentic storytelling in film with a focus on developing, producing and acquiring feature films that amplify underserved voices, both in front of and behind the camera.

Tom Grater International Film ReporterThe Venice Film Festival’s industry-focused Production Bridge had unveiled the line-up of projects that will take part in its ‘Final Cut In Venice’ workshop this year. The six films all hail from the MENA region.

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film CriticEver since David Lynch, decades ago, flirted with the prospect of making a film of “The Secret Garden,” Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1911 children’s novel, I’ve always leaned toward thinking it could make a great movie — and I’ve always imagined that movie as a spooky, earthy Lynchian dream, since that so connects with my memories of the book as a child.

Janet W. Lee Experts from across the industry explored the intersection of race, storytelling and inclusion in the entertainment biz on Tuesday as part of SAG-AFTRA’s “Race & Storytelling: Asian American Voices” panel discussion.This event was part of the President’s Task Force on Education, Outreach & Engagement’s Race & Storytelling livestream series featuring SAG-AFTRA members and industry colleagues.“Dr.

That’s all, folks: The Brothers Duplass, Mark and Jay, are shuttering the motel.

Matt Grobar Assistant Editor, AwardslineA couple of years ago, comedian Gary Gulman went through one of the worst experiences of his life, opening up about it in HBO’s The Great Depresh.In the comedy special, executive produced by Judd Apatow, Gulman speaks to his lifelong struggles with depression and anxiety, the rock bottom he hit, when he felt like he had lost his battle with mental illness, and the journey of recovery in which he engaged, to reclaim his life, get back up on stage, and tell

Matt Grobar Assistant Editor, AwardslineAfter his experience with Watchmen, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has been thinking a lot about disruption. In the show’s timely exploration of systemic racism in America, the actor plays two roles—stay-at-home dad Cal, and the Black god known as Doctor Manhattan.

St Vincent will take part in a forthcoming instalment of Audible’s Words and Music listening series, exploring the artist’s creative journey and vision. The new chapter will launch in the coming months on Audible.In the new instalment, titled ‘St.

Will Thorne Staff WriterDahvi Waller says she felt like she was rolling a massive boulder up a hill when she started her research for the FX on Hulu limited series “Mrs.

Danielle Turchiano Senior Features Editor, TVAlthough they are set a century apart, both Netflix limited series “Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J.

Black American culture as one of the most influential businessmen in entertainment. The directed by Reginald Hudlin, features interviews with Snoop Dogg, Jamie Foxx, Ludacris and former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, among others.