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By Pat Saperstein The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge awarded prizes in several categories at a Thursday event on the Sony Pictures Studios lot in Culver City. The Disability Film Challenge is celebrating 11 years of advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion in the entertainment industry. Presenters and attendees included “Ricky Stanicky” writer, producer and director Peter Farrelly, comedian Nate Bargatze, “Coda” director Siân Heder, Caterina Scorsone of “Grey’s Anatomy,” Sheaun McKinney of “The Neighborhood,” Rick Glassman of “Not Dead Yet,” Jillian Mercado of “The L Word: Generation Q” and Heather Morris of “Glee.” The winners were selected from 135 submitted from around the world. They include: Best Film – “Audio Description” – Lee Pugsley; Best D...

By Adam B. Vary History? They just made some. A long anticipated sequel to the hit 2023 romantic comedy “Red, White & Royal Blue” is officially in development at Amazon MGM Studios, with stars Nicholas Galitzine and Taylor Zakhar Perez set to return. Matthew López, who co-wrote and directed the first film, is returning to write the screenplay with Casey McQuiston, who wrote the best selling novel of the same name. The cast and filmmakers made the announcement on Thursday following a special screening of the movie in Culver City, Calif. The original film chronicles the how the First Son of the United States, Alex Claremont-Diaz (Perez), and Prince Henry (Galitzine), third in line to the British throne, navigate the classic trajectory of transformin...

By Jordan Moreau It’s all monkey business at the box office. “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” the latest film in 20th Century Studios’ primate franchise, will rule over the box office this weekend. It’s already made $6.6 million in previews so far. The new “Apes” movie is the fourth in the modern reboot franchise and the first since 2017’s “War for the Planet of the Apes.” “Kingdom” is projected to make between $50 million and $55 million in its opening weekend, which is roughly in line with the three previous entries. The series’ second movie, 2014’s “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” holds the opening-weekend record with $72 million ($4.1 million in previews); followed by “War for the Planet of the Apes” with its $56.2 million opening ($5 million in previews); and finally ...

By Angelique Jackson After producing the upcoming documentary “The Blue Angels,” J.J. Abrams and Glen Powell are in early talks to team up for a new movie, with Abrams eyeing Powell to star in his next directorial effort. Deals have yet to close, but in the aftermath of “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Anyone but You,” no one’s career has been hotter than Powell’s, who continues to garner interest from big-name filmmakers and studios. There’s no telling when this project would fit into Powell’s jam-packed production schedule. He’ll next be seen starring in Netflix’s “Hit Man,” which he also co-wrote with director Richard Linklater, but he’s also set to star in Edgar Wright’s “The Running Man” reboot for Paramount. That news was revealed at Cine...

By Alex Ritman Mubi has kicked off its 2024 Cannes Film Festival early and in style, acquiring worldwide rights to one of the buzziest films set to premiere in competition. The arthouse distributor, production banner and streamer has landed Coralie Fargeat’s body horror “The Substance,” starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and Denis Quaid, picking up all rights for North America, U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria, Latin America and Benelux, where it will release theatrically this year. Mubi has also acquired the rights for Turkey and India. The Match Factory, owned by Mubi, is handling sales for all other territories. Written and directed by Fargeat, who made a noise with her debut, 2017’s action-thriller “Revenge,” “The Substance” goes into ...

By Todd Spangler Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery — ordinarily rivals for consumers’ time and money — are teaming up for a triple-play bundle of Disney+, Hulu and Max. The companies announced a new streaming bundle comprising Disney+, Hulu and Max will be available this summer in the U.S. There’s no pricing info or specific launch date at this point. Disney and WBD said the bundle will be available for purchase on any of the three streaming platforms’ websites and offered as both an ad-supported and ad-free plan.  The apps and content from each company will remain separate. Disney recently integrated Hulu content into Disney+ for customers who have both services. Note that Hulu already has agreements to sell add-on subscriptions for Max and Paramount Global’s Paramount+ With...

By Jack Dunn The South by Southwest festival, held annually in Austin, Texas, will launch a European edition in London in June 2025. SXSW London will feature the mix of keynotes conversations, film and TV events, music showcases and showcases for innovations in digital and gaming that have defined SXSW since the festival began in 1987. The London festival will emphasize visual arts, design and fashion with exhibitions and immersive experiences that will be held in the Shoreditch area of east London. SXSW is owned by Variety parent company PMC. “As a life-long fan of SXSW, I truly believe that it’s more than an event — it’s a movement, a platform where the world’s greatest minds, musicians and motivators come to share their passion and their vision of the future,” sa...