‘PM Narendra Modi,’ ‘Mary Kom’ Producer Sandeep Singh Sets Indian Ruler Shivaji Biopic (EXCLUSIVE)

Whitney Cinkala Variety’s annual Power of Comedy event will return to SXSW on March 8 at ACL Live, celebrating honorees Samantha Bee, John Leguizamo, Nick Kroll, Lilly Singh, Andrew Rannells, Hannah Einbinder, Pamela Adlon, Jaboukie Young-White, Robbie Praw and Cazzie David. Variety Power of Comedy is part of the official SXSW Comedy lineup. At the event, Bee will receive the Comedy Innovator Award, presented by Brooke Shields, recognizing her accomplishments as a comedian, writer, author and trailblazing late-night TV host and producer.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Oscar nominee America Ferrera has been cast in her next role outside of Barbie World. Ferrera has signed on to star in Oscar nominee Paul Greengrass’ upcoming drama “The Lost Bus” alongside Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey, Variety has learned exclusively.

Mary Berry shared a 'rather special' chicken and herb casserole recipe that is the perfect solution for a midweek dinner.

When it comes to footwear, this spring the must-have style of the season is a pair of classic Mary Janes.The strappy, heeled shoes are the perfect accompaniment to the coquette aesthetic that’s still trending, and they couldn't be easier to style, working with everything from jeans to pleated mini skirts. Although you can usually get them as a pair of comfy flats, heels are making something of a comeback this year and a pair of block heeled court shoes are the perfect way to reintroduce heels into your wardrobe without worrying about aching arches and the balls of your feet burning.

Naman Ramachandran Its raining biopics of revered 17th century Indian ruler Shivaji Bhonsle in Mumbai. Days after Sandeep Singh’s “The Pride of Bharat – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj” was announced, billionaire Mukesh Ambani‘s Jio Studios and actors Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh’s Mumbai Film Company have unveiled their collaboration on “Raja Shivaji.” Both films were revealed on the occasion of the 394th birth anniversary of Shivaji, Feb. 19.

Nothing says the weekend quite like a delicious brunch, and instead of going out to your local cafe and potenially spending a fortune, why not try preparing something at home?

EXCLUSIVE: Gravitas Ventures has acquired North American rights to writer-director Heidi Weitzer’s comedy My Divorce Party, starring Rumer Willis, slating it for release on digital and cable VOD on April 30.

A Gogglebox star has shared a shocking story about her family home being targeted by vandals. Mary Killen, who appears on the Channel 4 show alongside her husband Giles Wood, The TV star, revealed that her home was once broken into and set on fire.

Xbox has confirmed that four exclusive games will be released on rival consoles, after weeks of speculation.Earlier this month, several reports emerged that Microsoft was planning on releasing several big exclusives like Starfield, Indiana Jones & The Great Circle, Halo and Gears Of Wars on the PlayStation 5. Microsoft then confirmed a press conference to discuss the “vision for the future” of Xbox, which finally took place last night (February 15).Those rumours were swiftly debunked, but Microsoft did announce their intention “to take four games to the other consoles [PS5 and Nintendo Switch]”.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Culturally pluralistic and gender-diverse Taiwan is the backdrop for “The Chronicles of Libidoists,” a new film by Gilles Yang, a director whose three previous films have also explored the erotic. The story is inspired by “The Little Mermaid,” the traditional fairy tale in which a mermaid princess falls in love with a human prince. But in Yang’s hands there is a twist in that the mermaid turns out to be a boy.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent U.S. specialty distributor Shadow Distribution has taken North American rights to Italian director Giorgio Diritti’s ethnic cleansing drama “Lubo,” toplining Franz Rogowski, from Italy’s True Colours.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Upscale crossover sales agent Latido Films has acquired international sales rights to “Re-creation,” directed by legendary Irish filmmaker Jim Sheridan, whose “In the Name of the Father” won a Berlin Golden Bear in 1994. Starring Vicky Krieps, a Cannes’ Un Certain Regard winner for “Corsage,” the docu-drama is co-written and co-directed by Irish artist and filmmaker David Merriman (“Rock Against Homelessness”). It will be unveiled to buyers at the European Film Market.

Filmmaking duo Veronika Franz And Severin Fiala, best known Goodnight Mommy, which was Austria’s 2014 entry for Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, and the Riley Keough-led The Lodge, have signed on to direct the horror feature A Head Full of Ghosts. Production is set to begin later this year.

Naman Ramachandran “A Head Full of Ghosts,” an adaptation of Paul Tremblay’s Bram Stoker Award-winning novel, will be directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala. The horror feature will be adapted and directed by Franz and Fiala, the filmmaking duo best known for horror-thriller hit, “Goodnight Mommy,” which was selected as Austria’s 2014 Oscar entry, and the Riley Keough-led “The Lodge,” which premiered at Sundance and was acquired by Neon in 2019. Their next film, “The Devil’s Bath,” is competing for the Golden Bear at the ongoing Berlin Film Festival.

One of India’s biggest stars has been announced as the first south Asian artist to perform at Manchester’s newest arena Co-Op Live.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent The life of Rosa Bonheur, a trailblazing feminist and artist who rose to fame in 19th century France, will be played by Melanie Laurent in a sprawling period movie directed by Fabienne Berthaud. “Rosa Bonheur” is being produced by Carole Scotta, Barbara Letellier and Caroline Benjo at Haut et Court, the company behind “Coco Before Chanel” and “The Night of the 12th,” which won a raft of Cesar Awards last year.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Beta Cinema has sold political thriller “Hammarskjöld — Fight for Peace,” which is a box office hit in its home territory Sweden, to multiple key territories. Sales include Italy (Rai Cinema), France (Swift Prods.), Spain (Twelve Oaks), Portugal (Outsider Films) and former Yugoslavia (Discovery). A U.S.

EXCLUSIVE: Kellan Lutz, known for his roles in FBI: Most Wanted and the Twilight saga, has signed on to headline the cast of the highly anticipated biographical drama Finding Normal. The film is set to commence production in North Carolina later this year, marking a significant milestone as it will also serve as the directorial debut of the talented Jordyn Ferguson.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “Star Trek: Discovery” has a premiere date for Season 5, which will also be the show’s last. The fifth and final season of the series will premiere with two episodes on April 4 on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, Austria, and Canada. New episodes will then drop weekly on Thursdays.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Mandy Moore stars in a new Audible podcast series as Sue Brewer, the unsung hero of the outlaw country music movement whose home became the epicenter of the scene in 1960s Nashville. Moore — singer, songwriter, producer and actor (“This Is Us”) — leads the cast of “The Boar’s Nest: Sue Brewer and the Birth of Outlaw Country Music,” a scripted podcast from Fresh Produce Media for Audible.