Texas’ Film Friendly Program Aims to Connect State’s Vast Production Network

Despite “Asteroid City” receiving mixed-to-positive reviews, it appears Wes Anderson still has a ton of fans out there excitedly rushing to theaters to see his work, with the film earning a really solid opening weekend box office. However, while “Asteroid City” has only just hit theaters, all eyes are on what he has next, a new Netflix film, “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” which is expected to arrive later this year.

John Bleasdale Guest Contributor The 69th Taormina Film Festival in Sicily saw the world premiere Saturday of the paranormal psychological thriller “In the Fire,” which marks the return to the big screen of Amber Heard following two highly publicized trials involving her former husband Johnny Depp. On the turquoise carpet (the color was chosen to match the Mediterranean, which serves as a stupendous backdrop), Heard greeted a crowd of fans — accompanied by paparazzi and tourists — who shouted words of encouragement at the “Aquaman” star. The producers and festival organizers had worried about possible demonstrations by Depp supporters. Producer Pascal Borno told Variety he had to persuade the Italian police to provide extra security after receiving online threats. “They took it seriously and afterwards I promised them selfies with Amber,” he said.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Welsh actor Alexander Vlahos, known for his roles in TV series such as “Merlin,” “Outlander” and “Versailles,” is set to play a British ornithologist who, during a field trip to Sicily, gets involved in more than mere birdwatching. Shooting is underway in Sicily on the indie drama “Hearts of Salt,” the first feature by London-based line producer Rosa Russo. The passion project is structured as a three-way co-production between Italy, the U.K. and Tunisia, with shooting also planned in the North African country. Tunisia will serve as a second location besides the Italian island. Though plot details are scarce, “Hearts of Salt” will see Vlahos — who will soon be seen opposite Lindsay Lohan in the Netflix rom-com “Irish Wish” — arrive in Sicily on a mission to study the effects of climate change on bird migrations. However, the ornithologist will soon have to abandon his role as a detached observer of flight patterns in the Sicilian skies after witnessing a series of dramatic events on the ground comprising cultural and generational clashes, a growing disconnect in family and human ties, and the broader ecological crisis which is the overall backdrop against which “Hearts of Salt” is set.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Jesse Watters, the wisecracking conservative who got his start with man-on-the-street interview segments for Fox News opinion host Bill O’Reilly’s 8 p.m. program, is about to enjoy a homecoming of sorts. Watters will take over Fox News’ 8 p.m. hour, assuming a role previously assigned to Tucker Carlson. The move is part of a broad overhaul of Fox News’ primetime schedule that takes place in the wake of Carlson’s sudden ouster and a subsequent decline in viewership at the Fox Corp.-backed outlet. Watters had previously led Fox News’ 7 p.m. show. Fox News will also move Greg Gutfeld into the primetime block, giving him the 10 p.m. hour, while the current occupant, the conservative firebrand Laura Ingraham. takes up the reins of the early-evening 7 p.m. hour. Sean Hannity will keep his perch at 9 p.m., a slot he has held since 2017. Trace Gallagher’s late-night news program, “Fox News @ Night,” will follow Gutfeld at 11 p.m., an hour earlier than its previous midnight slot.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter At the end of last summer, Flix Brewhouse faced a dire situation, albeit one that wasn’t unique to the Texas-based movie theater chain. There weren’t any movies to show in August. “We were going to A24 or Briarcliff Entertainment saying, ‘Does anyone have anything we can put on our screens?” recalls Chris Randleman, the company’s chief revenue officer. That’s not the case this summer as exhibitors grapple with a different reality. Can several back-to-back blockbusters succeed at once? Or will the glut of big movies cannibalize each other? Those are the big questions as popcorn season kicks into high gear with the arrivals of Harrison Ford’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (June 30), Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” (July 12), Greta Gerwig’s neon-coated “Barbie” (July 21) and Christopher Nolan’s atomic bomb drama “Oppenheimer” (also on July 21). All of those films carry big budgets and require outsized ticket sales to turn a profit.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor As Emmy voting comes to a close, score mixer Phil McGowan could find himself with multiple nominations, having worked on the sound of Paramount+’s “Star Trek: Picard,” Netflix’s “Cobra Kai” and “Ozark,” and Roku’s “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.” He spoke with Variety about his approach to each project and what needed to be taken into consideration to preserve the sonic integrity in his mixes. “This season was bigger and more maximal than previous seasons, but there wasn’t a big sonic shift. However, each episode is like a movie. Composers Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson approach it like it’s another ‘Karate Kid’ film. There are guitars, a drum kit, drum machines and lots of percussion. They use a lot of samples that are reminiscent of the 1980s and ’90s. So, I have fun applying mixing techniques with reverb that blends ’80s hair metal and ’90s pop music along with big orchestral symphonic sounds on the show.”

Kim Kardashian is an easy, breezy, beautiful cover girl. 

Quavo and Offset paid tribute to their late bandmate, Takeoff, with a surprise performance at the 2023 BET Awards.

Prince William and King Charles have reportedly reached a "stalemate" in their attempt to rebuild their relationship with Prince Harry as the feud between the royals continues on.

The Princess of Wales wowed tennis legend Roger Federer when she beat the eight-times champion during a quick game of tennis at Wimbledon.

Disney alum Emily Osment found her fairy-tale love story. The actress is engaged to boyfriend Jack Anthony.

Blair Underwood is married, and his love story is one for the movies!On Saturday, Underwood and Josie Hart tied the knot after getting engaged last year, and following a 43-year friendship. reports that the actor and Hart said their «I dos» in front of 100 family and friends at the Casa de Campo Resort & Villas in the Dominican Republic.For her part, Hart wore a bespoke two-in-one gown by Nneka C. Alexander of Brides by Nona Couture Atelier.

Drew Sidora is trying to look toward her future while having to relive her past.The star, 38, filed for divorce from her husband of nine years, Ralph Pittman, 40, in March, the now-estranged couple appearing to race to the courthouse to file first (Drew's petition made it in an hour before Ralph's did). Bravo cameras went back up to capture the aftermath for season 15 of the reality show, which previously wrapped filming earlier in the year and largely captured what appeared to be a happier time for Drew and Ralph's marriage. «You definitely don't see everything,» Drew tells ET of what led to her decision to divorce.

Morgan Wallen is back in the saddle and taking his sold-out stage by storm, following a dramatic six-week hiatus from his One Night At A Time world tour. The country star made his return in Chicago on Thursday, playing to a crowd of over 40,000 fans at the renowned Wrigley Field.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly facing pressure from Netflix to come up with more shows.

. After two months living in , where she was working on her latest film, Gomez is off-duty and jetting off for some summer sun.

Taipei Film Festival is aiming to shine an international spotlight on Taiwanese actors through a new initiative, Top Talents, that will showcase nine actors including major stars Kai Ko and Chen Bolin. 

Ryan Reynolds’ love affair with Wales is getting stronger.

Princess Diana died almost 26 years ago, but her legacy lives on with her eldest son, Prince William. The 41-year-old Prince of Wales honored his mother while giving a speech honoring the new Homewards initiative, a five-year program to help end homelessness. «My first visit to a homelessness shelter was when I was 11 with my mother,» the next in line to the British royal throne shared.

Taylor keeps on truckin’.The ongoing, headline-making, groundbreaking ‘Eras Tour’ is stopping into Cincinnati’s Paycor Stadium for a pair of huge back-to-back concerts this weekend on Friday, June 30 and Saturday, July 1.And if you want to see Taylor live in her Cincinnati Era, you can still grab last-minute tickets.Only problem is, it’ll cost ya.At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on seats was $1157 before fees on Vivid Seats.However, there is reason to remain optimistic that seats will become more affordable as we inch closer to night one of Taylor’s two-night stint in Cincy.Therefore, if you’re on the fence about buying last-minute tickets, we recommend refreshing this page all week to see if a deal pops up.Who knows?You just might find an “Enchanted” deal.In the meantime, here’s everything you need to know — from best lower-level and floor seat prices to big name opening acts to a map of Paycor Stadium — about Swift’s short stay at the Bengals’ home this weekend.All prices listed above are subject to fluctuation.A complete breakdown of all the best prices on upper-deck, lower-level and floor seats for each of Taylor’s Cincinnati gigs can be found below.(Note: The New York Post confirmed all above prices at the publication time.

Treat Williams‘ wife, Pam Van Sant, remembered the love of her life on their wedding anniversary.

Julian Sands went missing more than five months ago.The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department reported that the remains were reported by hikers at about 10 a.m.Deputies responded and transported the victim's remains to the county coroner's office for identification, the sheriff's department disclosed.The 65-year-old Sands was reported missing on the night of Jan. 13 on Mt. Baldy, a popular hiking area located in the San Gabriel Mountains, about 50 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Sheriff's officials announced last week that they resumed the search for Sands on June 17, with over 80 search and rescue volunteers, deputies and staff taking part.

Taylor Swift doesn’t want any more bad blood. In multiple fan videos, the 33-year-old chart-topper addressed the crowd at the Minneapolis US Bank Stadium on Saturday night amid her, with a message to her concertgoers.Noting that she’s been moved by the displays of friendship and love she’s witnessed on tour, Swift asked that the «kindness and that gentleness» also extend to the internet. «I’m 33 years old, I don’t care about anything that happened to me when I was 19 except the songs I wrote,» the GRAMMY winner shared.

Jon Hamm married his Mad Men co-star Anna Osceola this weekend at the location of the show’s 2015 series finale.Back in March reports emerged that Hamm and Osceola were engaged, having been romantically linked since 2020, and were believed to have met on the set of the show’s seventh and final season.Osceola portrayed Clementine in the show’s final episode, who works at a remote wellness retreat ad man Don Draper (Hamm) attends.In the episode, titled ‘Person To Person’, Don is on the verge of what appears to be a mental break, before he experiences enlightenment about his life and career while meditating on a hilltop.On Saturday (June 24), the couple got married at Anderson Canyon in Big Sur – the same California location where filming took place, according to photos obtained by TMZ.Hamm’s co-star, John Slattery, who played Roger Sterling in the Emmy Award-winning series, was reportedly in attendance, along with guests Larry David and Tina Fey.Since Mad Men, Hamm and Osceola starred together in the 2022 crime comedy film Confess, Fletch, alongside Marcia Gay Harden and Kyle MacLachlan.Hamm discussed his relationship with Osceola during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show last year, where he said he could see himself getting married.“I’m in a relationship right now and it’s comfortable,” Hamm said. “It’s a feeling of taking care of someone else and being taken care of.”Hamm was last year cast in a leading role in the fifth season of Fargo, alongside Juno Temple and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

Rylan Clark has declared it's 'fake news' as he was revealed to have tied the knot while on his current Italian adventure. The BBC Radio 2 presenter jetted over to Italy earlier this month to film his next TV gig.

A cyclist has admitted he has risked 'life and limb' on roads south of Ayr as part of a video campaigning for a new active travel route.

Kim Richards. The former star celebrated the nuptials of her daughter, Whitney Davis, and Luke White in Aspen, Colorado, on Saturday. The Western-themed wedding featured guests in cowboy hats and stunning mountain backdrops.

True Detective EP Richard Brown’s Passenger has struck a first-look deal with Patrick Daly’s Caledonia Productions.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Prime Video has unveiled 12 new unscripted reality and entertainment series coming to the Nordics, including an adaptation of the hit format “LOL: Last One Laughing” for Denmark and Norway. The streamer has also renewed the Swedish version of “LOL: Last One Laughing” for a second season. All Nordic versions of “LOL: Last One Laughing” are filmed and produced in Sweden by Jarowskij in Sweden, Metronome in Denmark and Nordisk Banijay in Norway. New Prime Video shows also include the Norwegian docu-reality series “Girls of Oslo,” a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of of well-known influencers Sophie Elise, Isabel Raad, Nora Haukland and Anniken Englund Jørgensen. “Girls of Oslo” is produced by Salto Film and will launch this Fall on Prime Video in Norway.

South Korea’s Busan International Film Festival has moved to resolve its ongoing management crisis by confirming that managing director Cho Jongkook has been dismissed and will be replaced by deputy director Kang Seung-ah. 

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Sales agency Cercamon has debuted the trailer for time-shift drama “Embryo Larva Butterfly,” which has its world premiere in the Proxima Competition section of Karlovy Vary Film Festival. The film, directed and written by Cypriot Kyros Papavassiliou, is described by the festival as “an imaginative film about the paradoxes of time and of romantic and other relationships.” It centers on Penelope and Isidoros, who live in a world where today they are lovers but the following day they scarcely know one another. It is a place where time doesn’t flow, where the days appear randomly in the past, present and future.

Emiliano Granada Ensconsed in Tribeca’s Midnight section, Spain’s “One Night With Adela” the feature debut of Hugo Ruiz, came pretty much from nowhere to walk off with the festival’s best new narrative director award, won in the past by Michelle Garza Cervera for “Huesera.”  Produced by Spain’s Muertos de Envidia Company and FTFCam, the film follows Adela, a deeply wounded and disturbed night sweeper that is hellbent on retaliating against those who she believes have wronged her.  Over the course of one night, we accompany Adela, slowly putting together the pieces of who she truly is. Shot on a variety of one shot sequences that find a style and aesthetic in the bleak night universe that Adela traverses, the film is driven by Laura Galán who proves once again – after Sundance hit “Piggy” (2022) – that she has the acting strength to carry an entire film by herself.  #ConUnPack will handle international sales and distribution in Spain.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Eye Eye Pictures, the banner recently launched by the producers of Joachim Trier’s Oscar-nominated “The Worst Person in the World,” has started filming “Armand,” a feature film starring Cannes prizewinning actor Renate Reinsve. Charades has come on board to handle international sales on the film. “Armand” marks the feature debut of Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, whose short film “Fanny” was nominated for an Amanda Award, Norway’s equivalent to the Oscars, in 2017. The story follows a 6-year-old boy, Armand, who is accused of crossing boundaries against his best friend at elementary school. While no one knows what actually happened between the two boys, the incident triggers a series of events, forcing parents and school staff into a captivating battle of redemption where madness, desire and obsession arise.

Ed Sheeran opened for himself on the most recent date of his US tour, sharing that opener Khalid had been involved in a car accident.Performing at the FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland on Saturday (June 24) for his ‘+ – = ÷ x’ (‘Mathematics’) tour, the ‘Shape Of You’ singer took to stage earlier than planned.According to the singer, Khalid, his planned opening act, was involved in a car accident.“He is recovering, and we wish him the best,” he explained in a fan-shot video.“And I’m going to say this after every song because if people don’t know who was going to be the opening act today, people are going to be walking in being like, ‘This show isn’t what I thought it was,’” he said.

'No pain, no gain' is Gemma Collins new motto as she embarks on a new exercise regime ahead of reports she's joining the cast of ITV's The Real Full Monty.Telling fans in an Insta update she feels "amazing" and "invigorated" after her workout with personal trainer CJ Fitness, the star said she is now starting her day 'the right way'. Although she does admit she's been in "terrible pain" following some of the exuberant regimes, Gemma reveals she "won't give up" as "consistency is key" when it comes to exercise.

Black Bear UK, the newly established theatrical distribution arm of indie studio Black Bear, has made a series of hires, solidifying its core distribution team who will work out of the UK.