Rebecca Rubin Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Eddie Murphy is reuniting with his original “Beverly Hills Cop” co-stars — Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser and Bronson Pinchot — for the upcoming sequel, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley.” Netflix picked up the rights in 2019 to release the next “Beverly Hills Cop” movie, which is currently in development. “Axel Foley” is the fourth installment in the hit action-comedy franchise, following 1984’s “Beverly Hills Cop,” 1987’s “Beverly Hills Cop II” and 1994’s “Beverly Hills Cop III.” For the fourquel, producers opted to ditch the roman numerals and instead name the film after Murphy’s fish-out-of-water character, a Detroit police officer who travels to Los Angeles to investigate crimes.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Ariana DeBose will host the Tony Awards for the third consecutive year. Broadway‘s biggest night will take place on June 16 in New York City at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.

Jaden Thompson Prepare for “the greatest Bigfoot story ever told.” Bleecker Street has released the trailer for the upcoming absurdist comedy “Sasquatch Sunset,” starring Riley Keough and Jesse Eisenberg as hairy (and horny) mythical creatures. It is set for theatrical release on April 12.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Bob the Builder is ready for his big screen debut. The construction worker with a can-do attitude will be the subject of a new animated feature film from Mattel Films. Jennifer Lopez is producing “Bob the Builder,” while “In the Heights” star Anthony Ramos will voice the title character.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Chrissy Teigen, restaurateur David Chang and comedian Joel Kim Booster have the dream assignment of getting to dish with celebrities over gourmet meals on their new series “Chrissy and Dave Dine Out.” The trio took a break from the fine dining scene in Los Angeles and traveled to Park City for the Sundance Film Festival to talk up their show, which debuts Jan. 24 on Freeform. “Chrissy and Dave Dine Out” follows Teigen, Chang (founder of Momofuku and creator of Netflix’s “Ugly Delicious”) and Booster (the writer and star of Searchlight’s “Fire Island”) as they indulge at Michelin-star restaurants with famous friends like Simu Liu, Jimmy Kimmel, Kumail Nanjiani and Regina Hall.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Jodie Foster said at the Variety Studio presented by Audible while at the Sundance Film Festival that the $1.4 billion success of “Barbie” helps prove that Hollywood no longer views women directors as too much of a risk. That wasn’t always the case, as Foster often saw women filmmakers being marginalized during her career ascent in Hollywood. “I’ve had the beauty of being able to be in the business since the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and so on,” Foster said to Variety’s Rebecca Rubin.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Robert Downey Jr. trekked to Sundance Film Festival‘s opening night gala to reveal that a “terrible tragedy” has befallen Christopher Nolan. But don’t worry about the filmmaker behind “Oppenheimer.” His hardship is really just a bad case of the blues, and it’s because Nolan — as Downey explained on Thursday while bestowing Nolan with the first-ever Trailblazer Award — “has become recognizable on the street.” According to Downey, the critical and commercial success of “Oppenheimer” causes the British director to recoil, “as though from a hot flame, from this new and unwelcome reality.” Well, Nolan may not be retreating from the spotlight anytime soon.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Baby Yoda is headed to the big screen. Jon Favreau is directing a new “Star Wars” movie, titled “The Mandalorian & Grogu.” It will go into production later this year.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Director Eli Roth is returning for seconds of “Thanksgiving.” He’s cooking up a sequel to his holiday-themed slasher film, with the follow-up set to open theatrically in 2025. It’s unclear if which — if any — any cast members will be back.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Paul Greengrass has been hired to adapt the big-screen version of T.J. Newman’s novel “Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 1421.” Greengrass will write, direct and produce the film, which is set at Warner Bros. The studio emerged victorious earlier this year in a bidding war, one that drew interest from the likes of Nicole Kidman, Alfonso Cuarón and Steven Spielberg, along with seven-figure offers from Apple and Bruckheimer, Paramount and Damien Chazelle, Legendary and Universal Television.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Break out the tobacco pipes and fedora hats: Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” is returning to Imax screens for a one-week encore presentation. The blockbuster historical drama will be back on the big(gest) screen starting this Friday, including six Imax 70mm film locations: AMC CityWalk Stadium 19 in Hollywood, Calif.; AMC Irvine Spectrum in Irvine, Calif.; AMC Lincoln Square in New York City; AMC Metreon 16 in San Francisco; BFI London in the United Kingdom; and Melbourne Museum in Australia. These premium screens were the first to sell out during the film’s initial box office run.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Aaron Tveit and Sutton Foster are heading to Fleet Street. The rialto royalty are joining the cast of Broadway‘s “Sweeney Todd” revival as the Demon Barber and his parter-in-crime (literally) Mrs. Lovett.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Amazon MGM Studios, the renamed joint venture of Amazon Studios and MGM, has acquired rights to James Ponti’s popular children’s book series “City Spies” and is developing a film based on the first novel. The idea is for the initial installment to launch a global franchise, described by the company as a “four-quadrant action-adventure that will delight audiences of all ages and as a universe-building property for the studio.” The story follows a 12-year-old coding prodigy, who is recruited by an eccentric MI6 agent to join the City Spies, a team of kids from around the world who feel unnoticed in their own lives.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter “Sweeney Todd” stars Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford will take their final bows as the Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Mrs. Lovett in 2024. They will be exiting the show on Jan.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter “Black Adam” filmmaker Jaume Collet-Serra has been hired by Amazon Studios to direct a movie starring Emily Blunt as pioneering female detective Kate Warne. Melissa Stack wrote the screenplay from a previous draft by Gustin Nash. The untitled film, described as a “propulsive action thriller,” centers around the Sherlock Holmes-esque Kate Warne.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Elliot Page conquered a new challenge for his first movie role in six years. In “Close to You,” an observant drama that premieres on Sunday at the Toronto Film Festival, there’s basically no written dialogue in the script, so everything that you hear in the movie was improvised by the actors on the day of shooting. “I’ve never done anything like this before,” Page told Variety in a recent Zoom interview prior to the film’s premiere.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Aziz Ansari is making his feature directorial debut with “Good Fortune,” a comedy whose plot is shrouded in secrecy. Lionsgate has landed rights to the film, which will be written and directed by Ansari. The comedian, who is also starring in “Good Fortune,” has assembled the high-wattage cast of Seth Rogen and Keanu Reeves. Since the logline is being kept under wraps, it’s unclear who the actors are playing in the movie. The production has been greenlit and will start principal photography next month in Los Angeles. Around the same time, Lionsgate is launching sales in Cannes Film Festival.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Ariana DeBose is back to do “the thing” as the host of this year’s Tony Awards. It’s the second time the actor is serving as emcee for Broadway’s biggest night, which is taking place on Sunday, June 11 at the United Palace in New York’s Washington Heights. The ceremony starts at 8 p.m. ET and will air live on CBS, as well as the streaming service Paramount+. “I was honored to serve as host last year and even more so to be asked back! So looking forward to celebrating this incredible season and the people who make the work happen,” DeBose said. “Here’s to adding some uptown flavor to the magic of the Tony Awards!”

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter At long last, “Smash,” a stage musical adaptation of the NBC series, is finally heading to Broadway. Original producers of the show Steven Spielberg, Robert Greenblatt, Neil Meron will serve as lead producers on the musical, which is expected to debut in the 2024-2025 season. Theater veteran Susan Stroman (“The Producers”) is directing the production, with a score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (“Some Like It Hot,” Hairspray,” “Mary Poppins Returns”), who wrote dozens of songs — including “Let Me Be Your Star” — for the television show, many of which will be used in the musical. They will also be writing additional new material.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Michelle Yeoh cemented Oscars history on Sunday night as she became the first Asian person to win for lead actress. Yeoh took home the first Academy Award of her celebrated career, for best actress in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” The honor came after a long career in martial arts and action movies like “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” and “Yes, Madam.” Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the zany sci-fi adventure centers on Yeoh’s Evelyn Wang, a middle-aged laundromat owner who, while being audited by the IRS, discovers she has to connect with versions of herself from parallel universes to prevent cataclysmic destruction.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Jack Kesy will portray Hellboy in “The Crooked Man,” a new movie about the demonic comic book character. It’s the latest reboot of the role, which has been previously immortalized on screen by Ron Perlman and David Harbour. Millennium Media is backing “The Crooked Man,” which will be directed by Brian Taylor from a script by “Hellboy” comic book creator Mike Mignola and Chris Golden. It will be the first film in the Millennium Media partnered development slate with German film and TV distributor Telepool, a division of Westbrook Inc. Here’s the logline for “The Crooked Man”: “Stranded in 1950s rural Appalachia, Hellboy and a rookie BPRD agent discover a small community haunted by witches, led by a local devil with a troubling connection to Hellboy’s past: the Crooked Man.”

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter On the stage at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, Harry Styles is a bonafide rock star, brimming with swagger and self confidence. But Styles, the actor, was more soft spoken while accepting an acting award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Styles was a man of few words as he, along with the cast of “My Policeman,” received the ensemble award at the festival’s Tribute Awards on Sunday.  “Thank you so much to everyone here on behalf of all of us for this wonderful, wonderful award,” said Styles, who stars in the romance drama as a closeted police officer. “We all loved working on this film so much. And we hope you enjoy it.”

Wilson Chapman editor In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ben Kingsley plays the role of Trevor Slattery, a washed-up actor recruited to pose as menacing villains like The Mandarin in “Iron Man 3.” And soon after making a cameo appearance in “Shang-Chi,” Kingsley is set to return to the bumbling character in a new Disney+ series “Wonder Man,” about the longtime Avenger and aspiring actor. “If I may humbly speak as an artist and a craftsman, I think our role is to constantly surprise and refresh,” Kingsley told Variety film and media reporter Rebecca Rubin about his role. “So I hope that I continue to constantly surprise and refresh.” Kingsley stopped by the Variety Studio presented by King’s Hawaiian at the Toronto International Film Festival to promote his new film “Dalíland,” the festival’s closing film. Directed by Mary Harron, the film focuses on legendary surrealist artist Salvador Dalí during the final years of his life, with a focus on his tempestous relationship with his wife and muse Gala (Barbara Sukowa). Speaking about his process of playing the dying artist, Kingsley revealed that acting in the film and portraying Dalí’s life was a full-bodied process.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterAMC Theatres, the world’s largest cinema chain, is honoring Olivia Newton-John by bringing “Grease” back to the big screen.Starting on Friday, the classic 1978 movie musical will play in 135 AMC locations around the country. All tickets will cost $5, and $1 from each sale will be donated to AMC’s charitable fund AMC Cares, with the proceeds going to breast cancer research.Newton-John, who memorably played Sandy to John Travolta’s Danny Zuko in “Grease,” died on Aug. 8 at age 73.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterRobert De Niro will be sharing the screen with Hollywood legend Robert De Niro in the upcoming gangster drama “Wise Guys.”The movie, set at Warner Bros., will be directed by Barry Levinson, the veteran filmmaker who is best known for “Rain Man” and “Wag the Dog.”Nicholas Pileggi, the co-writer of Martin Scorsese’s crime epic “Goodfellas,” which starred De Niro, is penning the screenplay for “Wise Guys.” The story follows Italian American crime bosses Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, who ran their respective families during the 20th century. In 1957, Genovese tried (and failed) to assassinate Costello, who was ultimately injured and attempted to retire from the mafia.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterKenya Barris is taking the yellow brick road to Oz for Warner Bros.’ upcoming “Wizard of Oz” remake.The creator of “Black-ish” is set to write and direct the reimagining, which is completely separate from New Line’s previously announced retelling of “The Wizard of Oz.” New Line’s version will be directed by Nicole Kassell (“Watchmen”) and is described as “fresh take” on Dorothy and the Land of Oz. Any specifics about Barris’s version have been kept under wraps.Both projects are based on L.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterNew movies from directors Claire Denis, Park Chan-wook, Ruben Östlund, Kelly Reichardt and Paul Schrader will play at the 60th New York Film Festival, which is running from Sept. 30 through Oct.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter“Jane the Virgin” actor Justin Baldoni is hoping to bring the exploits of Pac-Man to a movie theater near you.Baldoni’s production company Wayfarer Studios is backing a live-action film based on the popular arcade game, along with Bandai Namco Entertainment, the Japanese video game publisher that created Pac-Man, as well as Ace Combat, Galaga and Tekken.The ubiquitous video game, in which a starving Pac-Man chomps his way through a maze while attempting to evade deadly ghosts, has previously served as inspiration for television, with a 1980s animated TV series of the same name that ran on ABC and a 2013 cartooned show “Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures” that played on Disney XD in the United States. But until now, Pac-Man has only been a highlighter-yellow face on a pixilated screen.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterCameron Diaz is officially out of retirement. The actor, who stepped back from Hollywood in 2014, will star alongside Jamie Foxx in Netflix’s action-comedy “Back in Action.” The project reunites Diaz and Foxx, who worked together on 1999’s sports drama “Any Given Sunday” and 2014’s “Annie” remake.Seth Gordon (“Horrible Bosses”) is directing the movie from a script he wrote with Brendan O’Brien (“Neighbors”).

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter“They’re coming out of the woodwork!”Jennifer Lopez is gushing in delight as an impromptu flash mob breaks out — to the tune of “Jenny From the Block,” naturally — on the red carpet of “Halftime,” her new documentary that opened the 2022 Tribeca Festival. “Only in New York,” she said, letting out a “woo.”the woman of the hour, @jlo, watching in delight as a flash mob breaks out on the red carpet at the #Halftime world premiere pic.twitter.com/vHxShRTTxx— Rebecca Rubin (@rebeccaarubin) June 9, 2022Wednesday’s world premiere doubled as a homecoming, of sorts, for the global icon, who grew up only a few blocks from the United Palace in Washington Heights, where the movie played to 3,000 mostly maskless and always enthusiastic audience members.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterReigning scream queen Neve Campbell isn’t returning to Woodsboro for “Scream 6.”Campbell, who played Sidney Prescott in the long-running slasher series, will not be reprising her role in the upcoming installment because she felt “the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise.”“Sadly, I won’t be making the next Scream film,” Campbell said in a statement to Variety. “As a woman I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to Scream.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterArthur Miller’s classic play “Death of a Salesman” is returning to Broadway this fall.“The Wire” actor Wendell Pierce and Sharon D Clarke (a current Tony nominee for “Caroline, or Change”) will reprise their roles as Willy and Linda Loman in the revival, which will be told for the first time on Broadway from the perspective of an African American family. “Death of a Salesman” will run at the Hudson Theatre for only 17 weeks, starting on Sept.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterStephanie Hsu is set for a guest starring role in Disney+ series “American Born Chinese,” Variety has learned exclusively.The role reunites Hsu with previously announced cast member Michelle Yeoh, with whom Hsu starred in the hit film “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”Based on the graphic novel of the same name by Gene Luen Yang, the series follows Jin Wang (Ben Wang), a teenager juggling his high school social life with his immigrant home life. When Jin meets foreign exchange student Wei-Chen (Jim Liu) on the first day of school, their worlds collide as Jin becomes entangled in a battle of Chinese mythological gods.

Britney Spears in a recent Variety Magazine feature.During her interview with writer Rebecca Rubin, conducted for the magazine’s “Power Of Women” series, Barrymore said that Spears would be a dream guest for her talk show, The Drew Barrymore Show.“We can have a unique conversation,” she said. “There’s not a ton of us out there who have publicly lost our freedom, had breakdowns in front of everyone, become punchlines and fought our way back.”Indeed, both Barrymore and Spears were brought into the entertainment industry at very young ages – Barrymore was six years old when she starred in E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial, whereas Spears was enlisted as a cast member of The Mickey Mouse Club at age 10.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterSearchlight Pictures has suspended production on “Being Mortal,” a new movie starring Aziz Ansari, Seth Rogen and Bill Murray, over complaints about Murray’s inappropriate behavior on set.The studio sent a letter to the movie’s cast and crew on Wednesday, informing them filming had been suspended due to an unspecified complaint. “Late last week, we were made aware of a complaint, and we immediately looked into it,” the note said.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter“Navalny,” a fly-on-the-wall documentary about Russian dissident and one-time presidential candidate Alexei Navalny, was intended to debut directly on HBO Max. But since the harrowing story has renewed timeliness amid Russia’s recent unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Warner Bros.