VFX/Animation Studio Tippett Expands Into Canada (EXCLUSIVE)

Oscars have set a date for their 2023 ceremony – see all you need to know below.After this year’s Academy Awards, which hit headlines following Will Smith’s notorious onstage slap of Chris Rock, the Oscars will return next year on March 12 and take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California.The submission deadline for general entry categories will be November 15 this year, with preliminary shortlists being announced on December 21.Voting for nominations will then take place on the week of January 12-17, 2023 after the eligibility period ends on New Year’s Eve.The nominations for the 2023 Oscars will then be revealed on January 24 next year, with final voting taking place in the week before the ceremony (March 2-7).In an incident that has since gone down in history, Smith struck Rock onstage during the Academy Awards ceremony this March following a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith’s shaved head.Following numerous apologies over the incident, the actor resigned from the Academy. He was later banned from all Academy events for 10 years.Jada Pinkett Smith has said her family have been “focusing on deep healing” following her husband’s altercation with Rock.Jada originally shared a post on Instagram seemingly in response to the incident, writing: “This is the season of healing and I’m here for it.”Then, as her show Red Table Talk returned on Wednesday (April 20), a message was displayed on the screen promising to share more information about their family’s “healing” at a later date.The message read: “Considering all that has happened in the last few weeks, the Smith family has been focusing on deep healing.

After being on hiatus for the last two years during Covid, the Producers Guild of America (PGA)’s 12th annual Produced By Conference has announced its first round of speakers. The event is taking place on Saturday, June 11 and Sunday, June 12 at the FOX Studio Lot in Century City.

He’s got jokes. Chris Rock‘s Oscars incident with Will Smith continues to be topic of conversation — and even the comedian is not afraid to find the humor in the situation.

EXCLUSIVE: Ukrainian-Canadian-American filmmaker Vadim Perelman has inked with Artist International Group for management.

EXCLUSIVE: Leslie Bibb has been tapped to star alongside Kristen Wiig in in Apple TV+ comedy series Mrs. American Pie, executive produced by Laura Dern. Based on Juliet McDaniel’s book, Mrs. American Pie hails from creator Abe Sylvia (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) and director Tate Taylor (Breaking News in Yuba County). Oscar winner Allison Janney also recently signed on to star in the series, in which Dern is poised for a key role.

Manori Ravindran International EditorIcelandic filmmaker Valdimar Jóhannsson, who made his feature directorial debut with “Lamb,” has signed with CAA, Variety can reveal.Jóhannsson made a splash last year with the Noomi Rapace-led “Lamb,” which the helmer co-wrote with Icelandic author Sjón. The off-kilter film — which became a viral sensation after its trailer debuted — follows a childless couple who discover a hybrid lamb baby that’s half-human, half lamb.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaFusion Entertainment has signed filmmaker Ira Sachs, actor Mya Taylor and writer-director-actor Jude Dry. The management company, which was founded this year by Chris Evans and Adam Kersh, hails the signings as an important step in bolstering their roster of LGBTQ+ talent.Kersh and Sachs have had a long association, having worked together for a decade. Kersh helped spearhead the publicity campaigns for the Sachs’ queer-positive NYC triptych “Keep the Lights On” (2012), “Love Is Strange” (2014), and “Little Men” (2016).

Naman Ramachandran Emmy nominee Paapa Essiedu (“I May Destroy You”) and BAFTA winner Stephen Dillane (“Alex Rider”) have joined Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan (“Little Women”) on the cast of “The Outrun.” The film is the feature adaptation of Amy Liptrot’s bestselling memoir “The Outrun,” adapted by Nora Fingscheidt, the multiple award winning director of “System Crasher.” Fingscheidt has written the adaptation in collaboration with Liptrot.Ronan stars as Rona, who fresh out of rehab, returns to the wild Orkney Islands after more than a decade away. As she reconnects with the dramatic landscape where she grew up, memories of her childhood merge with the more recent challenging events that have set her on the path to recovery. Protagonist Pictures has sold all international territories on the film, which is currently shooting on location in the Orkney Islands.

Wanda Sykes was one of the three co-hosts of the 2022 Oscars and she’s opening up about Will Smith‘s on-stage slap, a month and a half after the controversial moment.

EXCLUSIVE: John Cho rounds out the Season 2 ensemble cast of Apple TV+’s hit murder mystery comedy series The Afterparty, from Oscar winners Chris Miller and Phil Lord.

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Prime has quietly picked up domestic rights to UK boxing movie Prizefighter: The Life Of Jem Belcher.

Clayton Davis Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official awards predictions for the upcoming Oscars and Emmys ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis; Awards Circuit Column, a weekly analysis dissecting the trends and contenders by television editor Michael Schneider (for Emmys) and Davis (for Oscars); Awards Circuit Podcast, a weekly interview series with talent and an expert roundtable discussion; and Awards Circuit Video analyzes various categories and contenders by Variety's leading awards pundits. Variety's unmatched coverage gives its readership unbeatable exposure in print and online, as well as provide inside reports on all the contenders in this year's awards season races.

On this week’s edition of the Deadline Podcast series, TV Talk,  Deadline’s television critic Dominic Patten and Awards columnist Pete Hammond take on network broadcast tv’s Emmy dilemna. Although the Television Academy heavily relies on fees from the four broadcast networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX) who share the annual Primetime Emmy telecast on a rotating wheel, it is each of those networks that benefit the least from Emmy attention in the major marquee categories of  Drama, Comedy, Limited Series, and other categories which almost exclusively cater to pay cable networks like HBO or streamers like Netflix, Apple, Hulu, Amazon and others who have simply – and successfully – crashed and taken over bragging rights for TV’s most valued award which when the wheel with rights to telecast the Emmys was originally created, the Primetime Emmys was dominated by nominees and winners from those TV networks. My how times have changed.

EXCLUSIVE: Oscar winner Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise), Oscar nominee Bette Midler (The First Wives Club) and Emmy winner Megan Mullally (Will And Grace) are attached to star in The Fabulous Four from director Jocelyn Moorhouse (The Dressmaker).

EXCLUSIVE: Oscar winner Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) has cast Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl) to lead her second feature film.

Video: Amy Schumer reveals joke she could not tell at the Oscars (Indy 100)Robots That ‘Feel’ Human Emotion…Are We There Yet?Kanye West goes to Tokyo with Chaney Jones, misses son Psalm's birthday . . .

Two months has passed since the slap that shocked the world and Steve Harvey is finally sharing his opinion. Harvey, 65, attended an event at Georgia State University over the weekend and reportedly called Will Smith’s Oscars slap against Chris Rock a "punk move" which resulted in Harvey losing "a lot of respect for him."  The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported on the event, noting that the "Family Feud" host brought up faith in the discussion.  Steve Harvey addresses Will Smith's 2022 Oscars slap against Chris Rock nearly two months later. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP) "I’m a Christian, but I’m really undeveloped," Harvey began.

James Cromwell, nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1995 for his role in Babe, took up the banner of animal rights today in a protest at a New York-area Starbucks. As part of a PETA action against the chain upcharging for non-dairy milk substitutes favored by vegans, Cromwell and one other man glued themselves to the front counter in the store while other activists held signs protesting the policy.

Rachel Zegler is proving that at the end of the day, family is what matters most.ALSO: HELLO! launches Jubilee T-shirt collection to celebrate Queen Elizabeth in styleThe West Side Story star penned an emotional tribute to her family as they took part in a major milestone for their daughter, though she revealed that she unfortunately had to miss the special moment.The star's success and her family's support came full circle when they visited Disney World recently, and saw a display of none other than Rachel's very own dress she wore to portray the iconic María Vázquez in the Steven Spielberg musical.WATCH: The trailer for West Side StoryMORE: West Side Story star Rachel Zegler updates fans after Oscars invite snubShe shared a heartfelt shot of her parents admiring the classic, frilly white dress with a red belt as it was presented behind a glass casing.The 21-year-old wrote: "My parents saw my costume from West Side Story on display at Walt Disney World today," and she revealed why it was extra meaningful, explaining that Disney was: "A place they took me every year as a kid that truly helped me cultivate my dreams."Though she couldn't be next to them for the sentimental moment, the reason was undoubtedly worth it, and she went on to reveal an exciting career update.

Steve Harvey is the latest celeb to speak out about the Will Smith and Chris Rock Oscars altercation, two months after the televised encounter.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentSian Heder’s heartwarming family film “CODA” not only scored a historic Oscar for Deaf actor Troy Kotsur, it’s also the first English-language remake of a French film to win the best picture Academy Award.Acquired by Apple Studios at the 2021 Sundance in a record-breaking $25 million deal, “CODA” is based on the 2014 French box office hit “La Famille Bélier,” about a teenage girl with a singing talent who is the only hearing member of a Deaf family. Like most remakes, the underdog movie could have died off after sitting on a shelf for too long had it not been for the all-star team of French producers with U.S.

Two months after the moment has passed Steve Harvey has spoken about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars.

EXCLUSIVE: Oscar winner Halle Berry (Monster’s Ball) is set to star in thriller Mother Land for Arrival and Stranger Things outfit 21 Laps. Lionsgate will launch sales on the hot package at next week’s Cannes market.

Deadline has launched the streaming site for its second annual Sound & Screen, an award-season composer showcase of original music for television.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film WriterIndie film sales, financing, and distribution shop WME Independent has bolstered its ranks with several new hires, Variety has learned exclusively.Division co-heads Deborah McIntosh and Alex Walton announced on Monday the arrival of Julia Harris as senior vice president of business affairs, Melissa Martinez as vice president of marketing, and Victoria Romley as an agent focused on international distribution. All appointments are effective immediately.“Julia, Melissa and Victoria each bring unique perspective to the team, and we’re excited to continue the growth of this team with these hires” said McIntosh and Walton.

From the cutting room floor! Amy Schumer is continuing to share jokes she hoped to tell while cohosting the 2022 Oscars — before they were axed from the script.

Glenn Close is weighing in on the importance of the role, and what she'd like to see in the new take on the story.ET spoke to Close at the New York premiere of her Apple TV+ series,, last week, and she reflected on the iconic and frightening role of Alex Forrest, and how the character is still «very special» to her.«I love her. I will love her always,» Close shared. «It was a very important step in my career.»The film, released in September 1987, snagged six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Close.In regards to the planned TV miniseries reboot, Close has some ideas about what she would like to see when it comes together.«I hope they tell her backstory, her side of the story,» Close shared. «I mean, I would be flattered if it was the one that we came up with [originally], but obviously I'll be very curious.»The forthcoming mini-series has tapped Lizzy Caplan to play the role Close made famous, and the celebrated actress has some advice for Caplan on how to approach the character."[Alex] is a human being in need of great help," Close said of her famously troubled character.

Looking back. During Benedict Cumberbatch’s second stint as the host of Saturday Night Live, he couldn’t help but marvel over his career progress — and being in the Dolby Theatre when Will Smith’s Oscars drama went down.

Will Smith’s film Emancipation, which was expected to be Apple’s next big awards project following the Oscar success of CODA, has now been delayed until 2023. Directed by Training Day’s Antoine Fuqua, the movie was going to be released in time for the autumn film festival circuit later this year, and would have marked the actor’s first release since he slapped Chris Rock during the Oscars. Smith was banned from attending the Academy Awards for 10 years following the incident.

Clayton Davis Don’t expect an “Emancipation” for Oscar winner Will Smith in 2022. Originally expected to drop on the fall festival circuit later this year, the actor’s next film from Apple, and co-produced by his production company Westbrook Studios, is planning to delay the film’s release to sometime in 2023.Directed by Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day”), the movie would have been the first release for Smith following his assault on comedian Chris Rock during the 94th Oscars.

After falling in love on the set of Good Will Hunting, Minnie Driver and Matt Damon had one of the most talked-about breakups of the late 1990s.

Manori Ravindran International EditorA new documentary about “The Power of the Dog” director Jane Campion has been picked up for sales by WestEnd Films and Cinephil.Directed by César Award-winning “Since Otar Left…” helmer Julie Bertuccelli, “Jane Campion, The Cinema Woman” is screening as part of the Cannes Classics line-up.The New Zealand director was the first woman to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes, for “The Piano,” and this year won the best director Oscar for her Netflix western “The Power of the Dog.”  Bertuccelli’s documentary on the 68-year-old filmmaker, which spans 40 years, is described as “the portrait [Campion] deserves, in a film that is unapologetically subjective and offbeat, very much mirroring [Campion’s] own trailblazing journey in cinema and life.” The film is produced by Academy Award nominee Estelle Fialon (“The Gatekeepers,” “Flickering Ghosts of Loves Gone By”), and crew members include editors Laure Gardette (“Capernaum,” “Polisse”) and Svetlana Vaynblat (“Flickering Ghosts of Loves Gone By”), as well as César Award-winning sound editor and mixer Olivier Goinard (“Adolescentes,” “Le Chant du Loup”).“Jane Campion, The Cinema Woman” is produced by Les Films du Poisson, which had three films in Cannes in 2021. The outfit recently produced the French remake of Hagai Levi’s “In Treatment,” with showrunners Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, which became French broadcaster ARTE’s most watched broadcast with more than 60 million viewers.Bertuccelli said of her documentary: “Jane is the director for whom I have the most admiration and with whom I feel a genuine connection.

Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment WriterIt’s not every day that one can write a sentence that reasonably connects the Fox animated series “Bob’s Burgers,” the House of Terror museum of fascist and communist regimes in Hungary, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe — but in 2022, anything is possible.Let’s back up.

On her mom’s side. Khloé Kardashian weighed in after Kris Jenner‘s decision not to invite Kourtney Kardashian‘s kids to Travis Barker‘s proposal.

Zack Sharf Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro fired back at Leonardo DiCaprio after the Oscar winner used social media to stress the importance of the Amazon rainforest on the environment. DiCaprio has been urging Brazilians to register to vote in the upcoming election in an effort to help save the Amazon, which has been severely effected by deforestation during Bolsonaro’s presidency.