Vancouver Film Studios Acquired By Hackman Capital Partners

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor A mass exodus of Black women from senior leadership posts across Hollywood during the last few weeks is raising questions about the depth of the film and television industry’s commitment to diversifying the top ranks of the entertainment industry. The high-profile departures have sparked outrage on social media, with mounting concerns that major studios are only performing lip service after pledging to elevate more people of color to positions of influence. In the last month, six Black women executives in prominent leadership roles have abruptly left their positions in the studio system. Many oversaw DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) departments, putting them on the frontlines of larger effort to change corporate cultures and hiring practices. The exits include Karen Horne, who led DEI efforts at Warner Bros. Discovery and Jeanell English, executive VP of impact and inclusion at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. The other prominent executives are Netflix’s Vernā Myers, the streamer’s first head of inclusion; Disney’s LaTondra Newton, chief diversity officer and senior VP; and another Warner Bros. executive, Terra Potts, VP of worldwide marketing. On Monday, Joanna Abeyie, the BBC’s creative diversity director, joined their ranks. And even though the steady stream of departures is alarming, multiple industry sources tell Variety that more BIPOC executives are expected to join them in the coming weeks.

GQ magazine has removed a profile of Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav from its website after the company objected to the article.

Back in April, it was revealed that Warner Bros. Discovery is hoping to capitalize on the “Harry Potter” brand with a new reboot of the film series.

Days after Vietnam banned Warner Bros’ upcoming Barbie due to a scene depicting a map of the South China Sea with the “nine-dash line” that is contested by its government, the Philippines is now weighing whether it will follow suit.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Authorities in The Philippines are weighing a decision on whether to follow the lead taken by Vietnam and ban Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” movie. Vietnam on Monday announced that it will bar the film’s commercial release due to the movie’s depiction of a map that depicts the “nine dash line,” a disputed representation of China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea. The Philippines, like Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia, have competing claims in the South China Sea and strongly refute China’s claim to nearly the entire maritime region. “If the invalidated 9-dash line was indeed depicted in the movie ‘Barbie,’ then it is incumbent upon the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to ban the same as it denigrates Philippine sovereignty,” said Philippines Senator Francis Tolentino, vice chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, according to local media reports.

reinstated at Warner Bros. Discovery after widespread outcry over his dismissal from the classic movie network, thanked fans for their continued support on Tuesday. “The support for TCM, and for me, has been wonderful,” he tweeted.“I just want to say that it’s always taken a true team to make it work,” he added.

Daniel Radcliffe is fine with sitting on the sidelines for Max’s upcoming Harry Potter TV series.

J. Kim Murphy Daniel Radcliffe is alright sitting out the next round of “Harry Potter” projects. Warner Bros. Discovery recently ordered a new adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s best-selling series of novels, conceived this time as a television series for its streaming service Max. The project will feature an entirely new cast — a decision that Radcliffe is at peace with. In a new interview with ComicBook to promote his TBS comedy series “Miracle Workers: End Times,” Radcliffe expressed his support for whatever comes for “Harry Potter,” but that he doesn’t feel he needs to be there. “My understanding is that they’re trying to very much start fresh and I’m sure whoever is making them will want to make their own mark on it and probably not want to have to figure out how to get old Harry to cameo in this somewhere,” Radcliffe stated. “I’m definitely not seeking it out in any way. But I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world and I’m very excited to have that torch passed. But I don’t think it needs me to physically pass it.”

With the recent news that HBO’s streaming service, Max (previously known as HBO Max), is developing a new “Harry Potter” series, what are the odds that the original Harry will be making an appearance?

“Barbie” is entering the contentious realm of global politics.

"Barbie" fans in Vietnam may be out of luck, as the country has banned commercial screenings of the film. The Warner Bros. film, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, was set to be released there on July 21.

Reuters. The decision was based on a scene that depicts a map with the “nine-dash line,” a representation of China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, which Vietnam says violates its sovereignty.

Before Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie captured the zeitgeist with their Warner Bros-backed Barbie, the popular doll was the subject of a much darker indie pic directed by Todd Haynes.

The Barbie movie won’t be seen in movie theaters in Vietnam.

Vietnam has banned commercial screenings of Warner Bros’ Barbie due to a scene that depicts a map of the South China Sea with the “nine-dash line” that is contested by the Vietnamese government. 

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Authorities in Vietnam have banned commercial screenings of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie.” The Warner Bros. film starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, one of the most anticipated movies of the summer, was set to have been released in the country on July 21. The film contains a scene that depicts a map with the “nine dash line,” a representation of China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, which Vietnam says violates its sovereignty. Vi Kien Thanh, director general of the Vietnam Cinema Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, said on Monday that the ban was decided by the National Film Evaluation Council.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” is stumbling in its box office debut, generating $70 million internationally and $130 million globally to start. Those ticket sales wouldn’t be bad for a film aimed at older audiences, except for the fact that Disney and Lucasfilm spent $295 million before marketing to bring the fifth and final action-adventure, starring Harrison Ford, to the big screen. “Dial of Destiny” is posting similar numbers to Warner Bros. and DC’s misfire “The Flash,” which opened to $75 million internationally and $139 million globally but cost $100 million less to make. Both tentpoles are expected to lose money in their theatrical runs.

July 2022. In that capacity, she led the Academy’s initiatives to address underrepresentation as well as talent development programs like Academy Gold. Kendra Carter has been promoted to SVP Impact and Global Talent Development.

Jeanell English is leaving the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences less than a year after being named to the newly post of EVP Impact & Inclusion. She had been with the group since joining as VP Impact & Operations in 2020.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Jeanell English, executive vice president of impact and inclusion, is exiting her role at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. English was promoted to the newly created role in July 2022 by Academy CEO Bill Kramer. In her role, she led the Academy’s initiatives to address underrepresentation across the industry and the talent development programs such as Academy Gold. Over the past year, she’s been a key figure in major initiatives and changes across the organization including developing the infrastructure for the Academy’s inclusion standards and enabling a path for community, advocacy, education and empowerment amongst its members and staff. She also designed and implemented the Academy’s first mid-career talent development program, the Academy Film Accelerator, which advocates for the careers of filmmakers from underrepresented communities.

Warner Bros.’ “Barbie” and Universal’s “Oppenheimer,” two films that have captured the internet’s imagination with their shared July 21 release, have hit box office tracking with early projections expecting solid results for both films. “Barbie,” as long expected, is projected to take No. 1 that weekend with a $70 million-plus opening.

Barbie.” Currently, you can pre-order a Barbie-themed Xbox that you can play in your Barbie painted home (part of the movie’s partnership with Backdrop paint) and sleep in a bed with Barbie pillows (as part of their partnership with online retailer Kitsch). And don’t forget to protect all that with a home insurance policy courtesy of Progressive, whose new commercial takes place in Barbie’s Dreamhouse! And that’s just the few that pop up on TV, Twitter and Instagram feeds in the last 48 hours. It’s not precisely known how many active “Barbie” partnerships are currently out there, but “Barbie” mania is upon us — and it’s impressing everyone in Hollywood.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Snapchat is pinking out loud for Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie.” Warner Bros. Pictures is launching a “Barbie” AR Lens ad campaign exclusively on the social and messaging app — meaning Snapchat is the only place where you can dress up to look like Margot Robbie’s Barbie or Ryan Gosling’s Ken in fashions based on the film. The studio’s paid campaign on Snapchat launches Friday (June 30), three weeks ahead of the movie’s wide opening on July 21. Snapchat users can access the virtual Barbie wardrobe from the app’s Lens Carousel or by scanning the QR code (left). With the debut of the new Barbie Wardrobe AR Lens, Snapchatters can see themselves wearing different outfits and accessories inspired by costumes in the upcoming film. You can share the resulting pics or videos in a Snap message or a Snapchat Story (or save it to your camera roll to share via text or on other social platforms).

The campy romp Cocaine Bear and buzzy comedy series Only Murders in the Building nabbed four trophies apiece and Christopher Nolan’s upcoming Oppenheimer took three at the 23rd annual Golden Trailer Awards, which were handed out Thursday night in Los Angeles. See the full list of winners below.

It’s a battle of the ages.

Timotheé Chalamet and Zendaya are back to saving the universe in the latest “Dune: Part Two” trailer, while Austin Butler embarks on a mission to devour their mission.

It is quite conceivable another near $200M weekend will be in store at the box office over the weekend of July 21-21.

EXCLUSIVE: The Gotham Group has secured the motion picture and television rights to two YA novels.

The new Dune: Part Two trailer is finally here!

In three weekends, Greta Gerwig‘s “Barbie” squares off against Christopher Nolan‘s “Oppenheimer” for this summer’s big box-office battle. So which film will walk away victorious? Both movies boast stacked ensemble casts, but given its soundtrack, premise, and Margot Robbie as its lead, “Barbie” may be 2023’s movie to beat.

TCM while directors Paul Thomas Anderson, Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese will provide guidance on curation and programming scheduling, Warner Bros. Discovery announced on Wednesday. “TCM is a cultural treasure, and we are honored to help steer the future direction of this beloved brand with the partnership of three of the most iconic filmmakers of our time, Steven, Marty, and Paul.

The Sundance Institute has undergone a round of layoffs, TheWrap has confirmed. CEO Joana Vicente made the announcement to staff on Wednesday, and the staff cuts will impact 11 employees across multiple departments or 6% of the 180-person organization.

revealed as DC’s new Superman and Lois Lane on Tuesday, it was hard to get revved up about the news.That’s not to diss the casting for 2025’s “Superman: Legacy.” Corenswet, the 29-year-old freshly minted Clark Kent, appropriately looks like a younger version ofhis predecessor Henry Cavill and was charismatic on the Netflix series “Hollywood” and “The Politician.” And 32-year-old Brosnahan, the lovable star of Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” is ideal as his Daily Planet counterpart.I’m sure they’ll do fine.But the casting change-up didn’t come across as a major victory for Warner Bros.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Warner Bros. Discovery raised the hackles of some in the film community with last month’s launch of Max — the reskinned and renamed version of HBO Max — because the new service’s content details pages consolidated writers, directors, producers and others under a single “creators” heading. Five weeks after issuing a mea culpa and promising to fix the situation, WBD has now updated the listings in Max. The updates appear to be live on platforms including the max.com website and iOS and will be rolling out across all device platforms this week. For example, on Max, Oscar-winning film “Raging Bull,” starring Robert De Niro, now includes the following listings: Directors: Martin Scorsese; Writers: Paul Schrader, Mardik Martin; Producers: Irwin Winkler, Robert Chartoff; Based on Source Material by: Jake La Motta, Joseph Carter, Peter Savage. When Max launched on May 23, the service grouped all of those individuals under a single “creators” heading.

After two full weekends of a decidedly underwhelming release, it’s not hyperbole to say “The Flash” is an unmitigated box office disaster for Warner Bros. Discovery.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Warner Bros. Discovery has walked back its decision to cut longtime Turner Classic Movies programming exec Charles Tabesh following a PR black eye over dramatic cost-cutting changes at the beloved cable network, and announced a partnership with filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson to help curate content at TCM. Tabesh, a 25-year TCM executive who had been slated to leave as part of the downsizing of TCM staff, will now stay in his post and report to Warner Bros. film chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, who Variety previously reported were slated to take oversight of the operations at the network.