Shangri-Las Lead Singer Mary Weiss Dies at 75

Christopher Vourlias K5 Intl., the international sales arm of K5 Media Group, has acquired world sales rights excluding North America to “Stay Online,” a tense Ukraine war drama that was entirely shot in the Eastern European country after the Russian invasion, the company announced at the European Film Market. The film, which debuted last year at Montreal’s Fantasia Film Festival, recently sold to Dark Star Pictures for North American distribution in a deal brokered by XYZ Films. A U.S.

Having recently left Millennium Media after a 14-year run, Jeffrey Greenstein is launching production and sales company, A Higher Standard.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Inspired by Arnold Wesker’s 1959 stage play, “The Kitchen,” Alonso Ruizpalacios’ “La Cocina” dives deep into the bowels of the industrial-size kitchen of a restaurant in New York City’s Times Square where food is churned out to serve throngs of diners, mostly tourists. For Ruizpalacios, whose feature debut, “Güeros,” won the best first feature award at the Berlinale nearly 10 years ago, “La Cocina” (“The Kitchen”) is basically an anti-food-porn movie. “I wanted to show the other side of the food industry where expediency is more important than the quality of the food.

Naman Ramachandran Blue Finch Films have sold North American rights to thriller “Last Straw” to Shout! Studios at the Berlin European Film Market. Written by Taylor Sardoni, “Last Straw” pays homage to the pressure- cooker genre films of the past and aims to present a raw and unrelenting twist on the home-invasion thriller. The story revolves around a young waitress working the late shift alone at a rural roadside diner.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Dark Star Pictures has acquired North American rights to “Zenithal,” a kung fu comedy directed by Jean-Baptiste Saurel, an up-and-coming filmmaker whose previous short, “The Dickslap,” premiered at Cannes’ Critics Week. “Zenithal” is being represented in international markets by Best Friend Forever, which will unveil an exclusive promo reel at the EFM. Currently in post-production, the film will world premiere this year.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Upscale crossover sales agent Latido Films has acquired international sales rights to “Re-creation,” directed by legendary Irish filmmaker Jim Sheridan, whose “In the Name of the Father” won a Berlin Golden Bear in 1994. Starring Vicky Krieps, a Cannes’ Un Certain Regard winner for “Corsage,” the docu-drama is co-written and co-directed by Irish artist and filmmaker David Merriman (“Rock Against Homelessness”). It will be unveiled to buyers at the European Film Market.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Asia Argento (“xXx,” “Land of the Dead”) and Melvil Poupaud (“Speed Racer,” “Laurence Anyways”) will star in French crime thriller “Stronger Than the Devil.” The project will be pitched for the first time at the European Film Market, attached to the Berlin Film Festival, by All Rights Entertainment, the Hong Kong, Paris and Los Angeles-based film sales agency which has picked up the rights. The picture, which heads into production later this month, is written and directed by Graham Guit (“Les Kidnappeurs,” “Hello, Goodbye”). The finished film is expected to be completed by the autumn.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent U.S. specialty distributor Shadow Distribution has taken North American rights to Italian director Giorgio Diritti’s ethnic cleansing drama “Lubo,” toplining Franz Rogowski, from Italy’s True Colours.

Emiliano De Pablos Pink Parrot Media, the Montreal and Madrid-based international sales house, has revealed a flurry of deals for the German-Canadian CG animated fantasy feature “Elli and Her Monster Team!,” which is making its market premiere at the EFM. Underlining the appetite for toon family features by European distributors, the film has been sold to Just Entertainment in Benelux, Bim Distribuzione in Italy, NOS Lusomundo in Portugal, Flins&Piniculas in Spain and GPI for Baltics. “Elli” has also been acquired by Pro Films in Bulgaria, Rocket Releasing for CIS, Forum (Czech Republic/Slovak), MCF Megacom Film (Former Yugoslavia), Cinetel (Hungary), Forum for Poland, Romania and Israel, and Front Row in the Middle East.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Taipei and Los Angeles-based Organic Media Group has picked up rights to U.S.-produced classical music documentary title “Crescendo” and will be launching it at the European Film Market, which accompanies the Berlin Film Festival. The picture had its first commercial release in South Korea in December and became the highest grossing foreign documentary in the last three years.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Pulsar Content has closed major deals on “Niki,” a biopic of French-American artist Niki de Saint-Phalle. “Niki” marks the feature debut of popular French actor Céline Sallette and stars Charlotte Le Bon (“The Walk” “Saint-Laurent”) as de Saint-Phalle. Pulsar closed deals with Neue Visionen (Germany), Movies Inspired (Italy), Paradiso (Benelux), Praessens (Switzerland), Vercine (Spain), Magic Films (CIS), Best Films (Baltics), Shaw (Singapour), Sky Digi (Taiwan) and Immovision (Brazil).

Naman Ramachandran Top Indian star Allu Arjun has revealed franchise expansion plans for his 2021 blockbuster film “Pushpa: The Rise — Part 1.” Directed by Sukumar and produced by Mythri Movie Makers, the film traced the rise of Pushpa Raj (Arjun), a laborer who rises through the ranks of a red sandalwood smuggling syndicate and faces off against an egotistical police officer. The Telugu-language film was also dubbed into other Indian languages and went on to become India’s biggest box office hit of 2021. Arjun won best actor at India’s National Film Awards for the film.

Paul McCartney has finally been reunited with his famed Höfner bass guitar.The bass guitar – which has been dubbed the most important bass in history for its role in recording numerous Beatles hits – was stolen from the musician in 1972, and was last week returned to McCartney, according to his official website.According to the post, the bass was returned to McCartney and was authenticated by Höfner.The statement read: “Following the launch of last year’s Lost Bass project, Paul’s 1961 Höfner 500/1 bass guitar, which was stolen in 1972, has been returned. The guitar has been authenticated by Höfner and Paul is incredibly grateful to all those involved.”The long-lost instrument was discovered through the Lost Bass campaign, which began in 2018 but only began to make progress last year to locate the historic bass.

With long commutes and busy morning routines, it can be hard to squeeze in a bite to eat before heading to the workplace. While we all may know the importance of breakfast, a lack of time can cause many of us to simply skip what some regard as the most important meal of the day.

Jennifer Lopez’s much-anticipated new album “This Is Me… Now” — the sequel to 2002’s “This Is Me… Then,” which drops on Friday — once again revolves around her Hollywood love affair with “Gigli” co-star Ben Affleck.But just like that much-maligned romantic comedy did in 2003, Lopez’s first studio album in 10 years — since 2014’s “A.K.A.” — proves yet again that sometimes art and amor just don’t mix.First off, like most sequels, it pales compared to the original.While it was hardly Janet Jackson’s “The Velvet Rope,” Rihanna’s “Anti” or Beyoncé’s anything, “This Is Me… Then” was probably J.Lo’s most “artistic” album.Yes, it had two hit hip-pop bops in “Jenny from the Block” — which infamously featured Affleck in its video — and the lip-licking LL Cool J collab “All I Have.” But Lopez’s third studio LP also found the singer-actress digging for more emotional depth than she had shown on either 1999’s “On the 6” or 2001’s “J.Lo.”But you know what? “On the 6” and “J.Lo” were ultimately better albums because Lopez played to her strengths with booty-shaking beats — the better to hoof it up in some killer couture — rather than heart-tugging feels.And “This Is Me… Now” leans even more into J.Lover rather than J.Lo.While the first single, “Can’t Get Enough” — another hip-pop bop that samples Alton Ellis’ ’60s reggae classic “I’m Still in Love with You” while nodding to Marcia Aitken’s 1977 version of the song— would’ve been a hit 20 years ago, the rest of Lopez’s ninth studio album finds the Bronx-born diva stuck in a romantic rut.

unmasked during the third season of “The Masked Singer” following a hilarious rendition of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back,” Sarah Palin popped up on another Fox reality singing competition show.The 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee and former governor of Alaska surprised viewers when she appeared on Wednesday night’s episode of “We Are Family.” Hosted by actor and comedian Anthony Anderson and his mother, Doris Bowman, who are both fresh off of their joint appearance at the 2024 Emmys, the guessing game show features non-famous relatives of celebrities performing solo. Later in the show, they return to the stage to duet with their secret famous family member.

Glee‘s Matthew Morrison had his fill and wanted out. Then tragedy struck.

All American is returning in April for its sixth season, and there is no shortage of stories to explore after the way Season 5 ended.

Alec Mills, a camera operator on five James Bond films before becoming a cinematographer on the Timothy Dalton-starring The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill, has died at 91.

SPOILER ALERT! This post contains details from the Season 3 premiere of CBS‘ Ghosts.

Michael Cera fought when Batman couldn’t.

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will open the 15th annual TCM Classic Film Festival on Thursday, April 18 with a 35mm screening of the classic neo-noir Pulp Fiction (1994). Two-time Academy Award nominee John Travolta will attend to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the film. 

When it comes to handbags few are quite as well publicised as Aspinal of London’s, which have been photographed on the arms of Royals like Kate Middleton and Zara Phillips and celebrities like Gigi Hadid, Holly Willoughby and Michelle Keegan. However, its bags are known for their high quality – and even higher price tag.

Dakota Johnson admitted her three Gen Z co-stars in her new film "Madame Web" make her feel old. "I love them, and they annoy me, and I love them," the 34-year-old joked to "Late Night" host Seth Myers last week. She confirmed she meant she was annoyed on a "generational level," telling Myers "all the time, every second of the day" after he asked when Sydney Sweeney, 26, Celeste O’Connor, 25, and Isabela Merced, 22, made her feel the oldest.

Are Cardi B and Offset officially back on?!

Nicola Peltz is reacting to those on social media saying she doesn’t work.

Christian Nodal and Cazzu are celebrating their first Valentine’s Day as parents. Inti, their daughter, was born last September, leaving the parents joyful and happy to be exploring a new stage in their lives.

Austin North is speaking out after being arrested in Las Vegas on Tuesday (February 13).

Amy Schumer is speaking out and responding to people commenting on her face.

Kelly Rowland is getting support from her Destiny’s Child sisters!

Jonny Lee Miller is sharing some very rare comments about his ex-wife Angelina Jolie!

Cillian Murphy and Matt Damon are stepping out for the premiere of their new movie!

Sylvester Stallone has been playing Rambo since 1982, but he has an idea for the future of the iconic character.

Naman Ramachandran India’s Sandeep Singh will direct “The Pride of Bharat – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” a biopic of revered 17th century Indian ruler Shivaji Bhonsle. Singh has produced several acclaimed films including Toronto title, boxing biopic “Mary Kom” (2014), Asia Pacific Screen Awards-winning gay rights drama “Aligarh” (2015) and slum soccer film “Jhund” (2022). He made his directorial debut with ZEE5 streaming original, the transgender-themed “Safed” (2023).

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you have not watched the Season 3 premiere of “Ghosts,” titled “The Owl,” which aired Feb. 15 on CBS. Flower, hopefully you’re finally getting to cuddle a few bears up there in the sky. Yes, you read that right: There’s one less ghost on “Ghosts,” as the characters said farewell to Flower on the Season 3 premiere of CBS’ hit comedy.

Katcy Stephan Ridley Scott is in talks to direct Paramount’s Bee Gees film. Scott will produce the currently-untitled film alongside Graham King for GK Films, Stacey Snider, and Michael Pruss for Scott Free. John Logan, who wrote Scott’s 2000 epic “Gladiator,” will pen the script.