Oscars invite Steven Yeun, Issa Rae, others to join Academy

One of the more exciting remake announcements of the last couple of years is the new “Irma Vep” TV series that is coming to HBO from A24 and filmmaker Olivier Assayas. The critically-acclaimed feature from 1996 is getting expanded into a TV series, written by Assayas, with Alicia Vikander on board to star in the lead role.

EXCLUSIVE: Chris Gray (The Society) is set to play young Ray in Showtime’s follow-up feature-length movie Ray Donovan. The film picks up where Season 7 of the popular series left off following its surprise cancellation last year, with Mickey (Jon Voight) in the wind and Ray (Liev Schreiber) determined to find and stop him before he can cause any more carnage.  Gray plays the younger version of Schreiber’s Ray Donovan.

Clayton Davis Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars and Emmys ceremonies from film awards editor Clayton Davis. Following history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar and Emmy predictions are updated regularly with the current year's list of contenders in all categories.

EXCLUSIVE: Devon Terrell (Cursed, Barry) is set as a lead opposite Aida Osman and Kamillion in Rap Sh*t (working title), HBO Max’s half-hour comedy series from Insecure co-creator Rae and her Hoorae Productions.

Behati Prinsloo was spotted enjoying the sun and surf in Miami Beach on Saturday. The 33-year-old supermodel and wife of Adam Levine donned a light blue and orange bikini which showed off her svelte figure.  Meanwhile, the Maroon 5 frontman, 42, was seen separately going for a walk after finishing a workout.

John Legend has joined Insecure stars Jay Ellis and Issa Rae for a new podcast created to showcase young authors who have completed prison terms. In each of the 13 episodes of Written Off, the brainchild of Ellis, host and former New York Times reporter Walter Thompson-Hernandez will talk to one former inmate about their creative journey, before a celebrity reads the aspiring writer's work aloud.

Minari actor Steven Yeun, Promising Young Woman filmmaker Emerald Fennell and its co-star Laverne Cox are among 395 names that have been invited to be Academy members this year.This year’s list is comprised of 46 per cent female names, with 39 per cent of those invited also hailing from underrepresented ethnic or racial communities.

So many stars have joined the cast of Elizabeth Banks‘ movie Cocaine Bear!

Universal Pictures is working on a feature film “Cocaine Bear,” based on a 1985 New York Times article about a 175-pound black bear that got into a duffle bag filled with more than 70 pounds of cocaine that was dropped from an airplane in Kentucky by local drug smuggler Andrew Carter Thornton II, a wealthy son of an elite Kentucky horse-breeding family.

a steep decline, dropping 58% year-on-year to a new record low. This week also saw the Academy officially approving new changes to next year’s awards.

Ree Drummond is brushing shoulders with TikTok royalty.

Oscar winner Yuh-Jung Youn, who took Supporting Actress in April for Minari, along with a number of her recent fellow acting nominees including Maria Bakalova, Andra Day, Vanessa Kirby, Leslie Odom Jr., Paul Raci, and Steven Yeun, are among the new class of 395 artists and executives who have been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

Clayton Davis The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has announced the 395 artists and executives that have been invited to join this year — about half the number of last year’s class. The 2021 class is comprised of 46% women, 39% underrepresented ethnic/racial communities and 53% international from 49 countries outside the United States.

ActorsYahya Abdul-Mateen II – “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” “Us”Maria Bakalova – “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,” “XIIa”Vidya Balan – “Tumhari Sulu,” “Kahaani”Nicole Beharie – “Miss Juneteenth,” “42”Kingsley Ben-Adir – “One Night in Miami…,” “Noelle”Hugh Bonneville – “Downton Abbey,” “Paddington 2”Jesse Borrego – “Colombiana,” “Con Air”Carrie Coon – “The Nest,” “Gone Girl”Laverne Cox – “Promising

Anna Tingley All products and services featured by Variety are independently selected by Variety editors.

EXCLUSIVE: Insecure star Jay Ellis is behind a new podcast series that will aim to give voice to formerly incarcerated young authors.

Havoc,” an action thriller starring Tom Hardy and Forest Whitaker, has rounded out its cast.In addition to the previously announced Hardy and Whitaker, the Netflix movie will also feature Timothy Olyphant, “Training Day” and “The Umbrella Academy” actor Justin Cornwell, star of the upcoming Edgar Wright horror film “Last Night in Soho” Jessie Mei Li and Malaysian actress Yeo Yann Yann.