As ‘Fallout 76′ Crosses 20 Million Players Amid Success of Amazon TV Series, Bethesda Game Studios’ Todd Howard Talks Franchise’s Future (EXCLUSIVE)

Selome Hailu “House of the Dragon” returned to HBO and Max with 7.8 million viewers on Sunday night, putting the Season 2 premiere 22% below the 10 million viewers that the “Game of Thrones” prequel series launched with in 2022. Despite the drop, according to Warner Bros Discovery, the episode still led Max to its biggest streaming day ever.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Perhaps the toughest takeaway from Ron Howard’s documentary “Jim Henson Idea Man” is the fact that his sudden death in 1990, at just age 53, robbed us all that “The Muppets” creator might have created in the computer age. Henson was already experimenting with technology before he died — and we can only imagine what he might have done with the tools we now have. “It would have been fantastic,” Howard says.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Dana White, chief executive of UFC, is one of the stars of the new Roku original docuseries “Fight Inc.: Inside the UFC,” touted as an “unprecedented” insider’s look at the company, marking its 30th anniversary. Earlier this month, White — a well-known supporter of Donald Trump — played a starring role in different production: Trump’s first TikTok video. Following footage of the ex-president greeting fans at UFC 302 in Newark, N.J., on June 1, the video shows White with Trump backstage at the fight.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor The X Games is shifting to a team-based league structure — and it wants to be in your face over the full calendar year. The action-sports competition franchise on Thursday unveiled the X Games League: a new global, team-based format to be introduced in 2026 with year-round events. The X Games League (or “XGL”) will let athletes earn compensation beyond the $2.4 million already awarded annually through existing prize purses, according to the company.

Lord Of The Rings composer Howard Shore and will run in association with the BFI next year from March 19-26.The event will feature a conversation with Shore and legendary filmmaker David Cronenberg about their collaborative work, as well as live performances, panel discussions, in-conversation screenings, composer Q&As and masterclasses with some of the biggest names in film, TV and games music.Cronenberg and Shore have worked together for over 45 years on films including Videodrome, The Fly, Dead Ringers, Crash, M Butterfly, Eastern Promises, A History of Violence, Naked Lunch and The Shrouds – their most recent collaboration and their 17th overall.A retrospective of the work of Shore will run alongside events events celebrating the work of Hildur Guðnadóttir (Tar, Joker), Anna Meredith (Eighth Grade), Anne Dudley (Poldark, The Full Monty), Harry Gregson-Williams (The Martian), Stephen Barton (Star Trek: Picard, Star Wars: Jedi – Fallen Order, Apex Legends), Natalie Holt (Loki, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Paddington) and Paul Farrer (The Chase, Weakest Link).

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor David Ellison, chief executive of Skydance Media, thanked employees of his company for their focus as he was engaged in a months-long bid to merge with Paramount Global. And even though that effort failed, he said that Skydance is stronger after having gone through the M&A cycle.

If Sage Steele ever does drop by, it’s going to be pretty awkward the next time the former ESPN host goes to visit CAA.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor After more than six months of on-again-off-again talks, Shari Redstone has ended negotiations with David Ellison‘s Skydance Media about a prospective merger with Paramount Global. Redstone is Paramount Global’s controlling shareholder through National Amusements Inc., which owns 77% of the voting shares in Paramount.

The Zurich Film Festival will hand Canadian composer and three-time Academy Award winner Howard Shore its Career Achievement Award during this year’s edition, which runs October 3-13. 

EXCLUSIVE: Eric Dane (Euphoria) has been tapped to star opposite Jensen Ackles and Jessica Camacho in Countdown, Prime Video’s thriller drama series from One Chicago veteran Derek Haas.

Randall Park is getting in some exercises.

Quinn Hemphill is making her big screen debut in the new movie Bad Boys: Ride or Die and we caught up with her to learn some fun facts.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Jessica Camacho has joined Jensen Ackles in the Amazon Prime Video thriller series “Countdown,” Variety has learned. The series recently received a 13-episode order at the streamer. The official logline states the show begins “following a suspicious murder in broad daylight, which leads to LAPD officer Mark Meachum (Ackles) being recruited to join a secret task force of undercover agents from all branches of law enforcement to investigate.

Jessica Camacho (S.W.A.T.) has been tapped as the female lead opposite Jensen Ackles in Countdown, Prime Video’s thriller drama series from One Chicago veteran Derek Haas.

Taylor Swift is coming out to defend Lady Gaga after rumors that she is pregnant.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor The cast of contestants and comedians from the sixth season of “Game Changer” can best be described as reminiscent of the old stop-motion holiday special, where the titular reindeer meets a group of outcasts on the Island of Misfit Toys. This diverse and eclectic group embodies a modern, inclusive ethos that starkly contrasts the early days of CollegeHumor. Sam Reich, CEO of Dropout and host of “Game Changer,” reflects on the company’s evolution from its early days of College Humor before rebranding as a standalone, ad-free subscription service.

Whether exploring post-apocalyptic wastelands or the far reaches of space, it’s easy to get lost in the visual language of a video game world. Transitioning that experience into a cinematic storytelling form is no easy task, but this season has seen more than a few production designers square up to the challenge.

We Were Liars, Prime Video’s series adaptation of E. Lockhart’s YA novel, has found its infamous Liars. Emily Alyn Lind (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire), newcomer Shubham Maheshwari, Esther MacGregor (Baby Girl), and Joseph Zada (Total Control) are set as series regulars, joining Mamie Gummer, Caitlin Fitzgerald, Candice King and David Morse. The series hails from Julie Plec, Carina Adly MacKenzie, Universal Television and Amazon MGM Studios.

Fox in the box Jordan Hulme scored 22 league goals for Radcliffe this season but the prolific forward insists his teammates deserve all the credit.

Jax Taylor is ready to mingle.