Paramount+ With Showtime Premium Tier Debuts to Fortify Paramount Global’s Platform Strategy: ‘Streaming Is a Scale Game’

MF DOOM‘s family after being questioned about the quality of the rapper’s care prior to his death.The British-born rapper – whose real name was Daniel Dumile – died on October 31, 2020, aged 49. His cause of death was not revealed until earlier this week.

The future of the UK’s Elstree Film Studios is in doubt, according to a new report that concluded the studio needs a substantial cash injection to fund extensive repairs to fix its old and “dangerous” infrastructure.

Endeavor’s investment in the non-scripted space continues.

Peacock today is launching Moley, the animated kids series starring Warwick Davies, Gemma Arterton and Julie Walters.

Drake is the latest artist to have an object thrown at them after he was hit by a phone during his recent Chicago gig.The Toronto rapper is currently touring North America with 21 Savage on their ‘It’s All a Blur’ joint tour. On Wednesday (July 5), it kicked off at Chicago’s United Center and will continue until September 5, when it ends in Glendale, Arizona.In a recent TikTok video, someone captured the dangerous incident of a fan throwing their phone on stage.

Candace Cameron Bure is coming under fire (yet again!) for claims she tried to get the first queer character “removed” from Fuller House!

Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky may be trying to spin the narrative on their rumored split, but their relationship seems to just keep speaking for itself…

This is too edgy to be a mainstream hit, but it is FIRE!

Leonardo DiCaprio and Gigi Hadid just cannot stay away from each other!

Kanye West is in more legal trouble over the allegedly bizarre happenings at his infamous school Donda Academy…

Taylor Swift has released her album ‘Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’, which features collaborations with Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams and Fall Out Boy – listen to them below.The two tracks are part of Swift’s ‘From The Vault’ series made up of songs that were written at the same time that the original 2010 album was being recorded but didn’t make the cut. ‘Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’ features six ‘From The Vault’ tracks.‘Castles Crumbling’ features Swift’s longtime friend Williams while ‘Electric Touch’ features Fall Out Boy.

Olivia Rodrigo has spoken about going to watch Depeche Mode and The Cure with her father.During a new interview with Vogue, the 20-year-old singer opened up about how her dad was “introducing [her] to all the bands he went to see when he was my age”.The publication was speaking to Rodrigo as she browsed the shelves of A-1 Records in New York’s East Village. After pulling out an album by The Cure, she said: “I’m going to see them in two weeks with my dad.”It was then noted that Rodrigo and her father had been to watch Depeche Mode together a few weeks prior.The synth-pop duo – comprising Dave Gahan and Martin Gore – are currently out on their ‘Memento Mori’ world tour in support of their 15th album of the same name.

Drake began his delayed ‘It’s All A Blur’ tour this week – where he performed with a giant sperm hologram. Check out fan-shot footage and the full setlist below.The Canadian artist is currently out on the road in North America for a run of joint shows with 21 Savage, which was originally scheduled to kick off in June.Opening the tour at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on Wednesday (July 5), Drake and Savage delivered a mammoth 48-song set that included numerous live debuts and rarities.The rapper at one point performed as a large hologram of a sperm floated above him.

The Nun II has been released – you can watch it above.Directed by Michael Chaves, the upcoming sequel from The Conjuring universe returns to familiar ground as Sister Irene (Taissa Fermiga) once again comes face-to-face with Valak, the demon nun.Alongside Farmiga, the film also stars Jonas Bloquet, Storm Reid, Anna Popplewell, and Bonnie Aarons.The Nun II was written by Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing, and Akela Cooper, and based on characters created by James Wan and Gary Dauberman.In the newly released trailer, a priest is mysteriously killed before Sister Irene once again finds herself confronting the demon nun in a number of jumpy moments.

NME about being a part of a viral cypher with Dave and Central Cee, as well as radio and grime culture.Cyphers (also known as radio sets) are when multiple rappers come together and share a microphone, rapping over randomly selected beats. Before mainstream media aired the underground genre, pirate radio, handmade mixtapes and DIY videos were the only way fans could hear these rhymes.

Ice-T has asked the current generation of hip-hop artists to “get a hold” of themselves, when talking about the slew of rappers dying.The rap icon – whose real name is Tracy Marrow – has recently been making TV and festival appearances in celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary. Last weekend (June 29-July 3), he was at Essence Fest and reflected on the growth of hip-hop music.“When we started, hip-hop was supposed to be a fad, he said, per People.

Flying Lotus (aka Steven Ellison) has already made a name for himself in the music business as a Grammy Award-winning rapper, producer, and composer. But the multi-hyphenate dabbles in film production, too, like his 2017 feature debut “Kuso,” which had its world premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo explores the mind of a criminal in “The Crowded Room.” Created by Akiva Goldsman (“A Beautiful Mind,” “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” “I Am Legend”), the show follows Danny (Tom Holland), a young man who is arrested for a violent crime in 70’s Manhattan, and the complex case that arises from the accused man’s unique condition.

A brother and sister brought up in Rutherglen have captured their mother’s most cherished and personal memories in a special book to mark her 100th birthday.

A man returned home looking like he had "fallen into a ditch" on the night he allegedly murdered his teenage sister.

Bradley Cooper is opening up about fatherhood. In a rare moment, during an upcoming episode of “Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge”, the actor says he hopes to “unburden” his six-year-old daughter.

Eva Mendes is offering a sweet tribute to husband Ryan Gosling.

The gunman who killed a 26-year-old beautician when he opened fire outside a pub on Christmas Eve has been sentenced to life with a minimum term of 48 years.

A health expert has shared what she snacks on to keep her skin plump, luscious and healthy.

Bradley Walsh has cemented himself as one of the UK's top presenters, but in his early career he found himself in a completely different profession.

Friday, July 7 marks the release date of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), Taylor Swift’s re-recorded version of her 2010 album.

Ariana Madix is hitting the dance floor.

‘Eras Tour’ era.On Friday, July 7, Taylor Swift fans all over the globe prepared to ‘Never Grow Up’ while listening to Swift’s latest “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” for the first time.The highly-anticipated album features six (!) vault tracks from the star’s late teen years. No matter how diehard a Swiftie you are, there are always more Taylor treasures to discover and we’re here for it.And now that fans have yet another record to unpack, it’s best not to be the ‘Foolish One’ and discuss some of “Speak Now’s” most notable highlights.We simply could not wait to talk about quite possibly the most controversial aspect of the “Speak Now” release…one of Taylor’s most blatant lyric changes.

K.J. Yossman Warwick Davis-led animated series “Moley” has been picked up by Peacock for its U.S. launch. The show, which also stars Gemma Arterton (“Prince of Persia”), Jessica Henwick (“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”), Julie Walters (“Harry Potter”), Richard E Grant (“Loki”) and Stanley Tucci (“The Devil Wears Prada”), is produced by Two Daughters Entertainment. “Moley” follows an optimistic young mole (voiced by Davis) who lives in MoleTown, a secret city buried deep under Windsor Castle in England. With his charming manner and magic book, the adventurous Moley finds himself on a new caper in each episode – and often gets himself into a pickle. Luckily his friends Mona Lisa (Arterton) and Dotty (Henwick) are there to help, accompanied by Uncle Mishmosh (Tucci) and mom Mrs Mole (Walters).

William Earl The first half of 2023 has been a particularly robust time for horror, with films ranging from microbudget fare to Hollywood sequels making headlines. This list is sure to get shaken up by the year’s end, as there are a lot of provocative titles on the horizon, from studio sequels (“The Exorcist: Believer,” “Saw 10”) to campy fare (“Five Nights At Freddy’s,” “Thanksgiving”) and some rollicking festival hits (“Talk to Me,” “It Lives Inside”).

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Toho International, an offshoot of the storied Japanese film and TV giant Toho, is to launch twin e-commerce sites serving the growing legion of North American fans of Japanese pop culture. One platform is specific to the Godzilla brand. The other, iiZO, will cater to a wider range of anime fans who will be served with original Japanese merchandize. The moves are being headed by Kristin Parcell GM at Toho International, and her U.S.-based team who joined the firm from Crunchyroll at the end of last year. They foresee the twin initiatives as a business with $100 million of revenue within a few years. Their in-house operation comprises anime and “Godzilla” brand experts, and also includes specialist in merchandizing, buying and fashion. The sites go live at unspecified dates this summer.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Unlike in the U.K., Spain and Sweden — where kings and queens are still formally heads of state — Italy’s royal family, the House of Savoy, no longer rules. The last heir to the Italian throne, Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy and his family were forced into exile in 1946, when the prince was 9. That year, the Italian people voted in a referendum about whether the monarchy should continue. They chose to create a republic and punished the royals for failing to save their country from Mussolini’s fascist regime. The Savoys were allowed to return in 2003 after 57 years of exile. In 1978, Vittorio Emanuele – the king who never was – got into trouble while he and his wife and kids were living on the island of Cavallo, on the south coast of Corsica, France. As reconstructed from eyewitness interviews in a new Netflix documentary, on a hot August night he became enraged when some loud “shitty Italians” “borrowed” the dinghy off his yacht and tied it to another nearby boat. Fuming, he took a rifle, went to one of their boats and, after shots from his rifle rang out – that were just meant to scare – someone got hurt. Dirk Hamer, a 19-year-old sleeping on another boat nearby, died of gunshot injuries in early December. Though it was never legally proven that Vittorio Emanuele killed Hamer, this incident had a big impact on the prince’s life.

William Earl Stage 32, the social network designed to support TV and film professionals in more than 185 countries, has reached the milestone of 1 million members as the company expands its offerings. The service was founded in 2011 by Richard “RB” Botto, an actor, producer and screenwriter. The platform features global job boards and 3,000 hours of webinars, classes and labs to support a wide range of entertainment industry careers, including above- and below-the-line disciplines. Among the top markets for Stage 32 are the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, South Africa, India, Saudi Arabia, Germany, the Netherlands and Australia. The price of the service ranges depending on the level and duration of access. A one-year subscription to its Writers Room plan, offering a database of open film and TV writing jobs, costs about $350.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor The days of elastic budgets are over. The documentary arena is feeling the great contraction in the volume of content ordered by the largest networks and streamers as the entertainment industry reckons with its spending binge of the past decade. The high-end nonfiction and documentary production community benefited enormously from the spike in demand for episodic series and evergreen films. In recent months, filmmakers, producers and buyers say strictures have tightened on producers to deliver highly accessible, easily promotable documentary content. “Crime, food, music sports”: that’s how director and cinematographer Nicola Marsh describes the hot subject areas for docu makers in the present writers strike-disrupted marketplace.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor How do you make money in the emerging creator economy? Who better to answer this question than street-level entrepreneurs who were on duty working the show floor and environs on June 22 at Vidcon, fan convention for creators and influencers held annually in Anaheim, Calif. If you’re going to hawk a product or service all day at a convention, you’d better master the 60-second pitch. The seven street-level entrepreneurs who spoke to Variety‘s for this week’s “Strictly Business” podcast offered insights into where the opportunity is and where the market is heading for creators and influencers who aim to ply their trade largely virtually via social, streaming and e-commerce platforms. The companies represented are involved in distribution, technology and visual effects, e-commerce, marketing and promotion and matchmaking between brands and influencers.

Starting today, Paramount+ is the new streaming home of Showtime, the latest in a string of moves at major media companies looking to integrate their offerings to boost engagement and reduce churn.