Richard Romanus Dies: Actor In ‘Mean Streets’ And ‘The Sopranos’ Was 80

With its streaming operations facing scrutiny as 2024 gets under way, Paramount Global continues to pursue a diversified approach to distributing its flagship, Paramount+.

Variety Staff Follow Us on Twitter Known for “Chinatown,” “Rosemary’s Baby” and “The Pianist,” Roman Polanski is one of the most acclaimed directors in cinematic history. He is also a convicted child rapist who has faced several sexual assault allegations over the course of his career. In “Disgraced Genius,” the fifth episode of Variety and iHeart Podcasts’ true crime podcast “Variety Confidential,” host Tracy Pattin and co-host Matt Donnelly, Variety’s senior entertainment and media writer, examine Polanski’s downfall after decades of Hollywood reverence.

Pat Saperstein Deputy Editor Netflix is kicking off its Milestone Movies: The Anniversary collection with films that are turning 50 in 1974 — a group that happens to include some of the medium’s all-time classics. The anniversary titles will stream on the platform in the U.S., along with in-person special screenings starting in March at New York’s Paris Theater and L.A.’s Egyptian Theater in Hollywood and Bay Theater in Pacific Palisades.

Christine Baumgartner is moving on!

Blue Monday is upon as. No, we’re not talking about the famous New Order song but the name given to the third Monday of January, reputedly the most depressing day of the year.

In Netflix’s San Gabriel-based crime action–comedy The Brothers Sun, actor Sam Song Li plays Bruce Sun, a kind-hearted college student who dreams of being a master of improv despite his mother’s wishes for him to be a doctor. However, his life gets turned upside down upon the arrival of his long-estranged brother, Charles (Justin Chien), a cutthroat assassin who enlists the help of their mother, Mama Sun (Michelle Yeoh), to take down a dangerous crime syndicate. Throughout the eight-episode series, co-created by Byron Wu and Brad Falchuk, Bruce has to contend with learning that his family, unbeknownst to him, are major players in one of the most lucrative and dangerous gangster businesses in Taiwan.

Mike White‘s The White Lotus is rounding out its Season 3 cast with Milos Bikovic (South Wind), Christian Friedel (The Zone of Interest), Morgana O’Reilly (Neighbours), Lek Patravadi and Shalini Peiris (The Arc) in the Thailand-set new installment.

< 1 min read In a landmark announcement, Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis has revealed plans to legalize same-sex marriage and grant adoption rights to LGBTQ+ couples. This historic move marks a significant […]

Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series spotlighting the year’s most talked-about scripts continues with Yorgos Lanthimos‘ Poor Things, the darkly comedic genre-bender penned by Tony McNamara that marks a reunion of the Greek filmmaker with McNamara and star Emma Stone after 2018’s Oscar-nominated The Favourite.

A restaurant in Manchester has been named one of the best new eateries in the country. Higher Ground, in the city centre, which is approaching its first anniversary, has been recognised by the prestigious Good Food Guide.

Carrie Coon, star of HBO‘s period drama The Gilded Age, which was just renewed for a third season, has joined the cast of another HBO drama headed into Season 3, Mike White’s anthology The White Lotus.

In what producers are calling a “provocative and zeitgeisty” new musical, The Ghost of John McCain, with a book by Scott Elmegreen and score by Drew Fornarola, will get an invitation-only industry reading in New York this week.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. A field of 59 golfers will descend on Plantation Course at Kapalua, Hawaii this Thursday, Jan. 4, kicking off the 2024 PGA Tour season.

Billie Shepherd has shared a heartwarming video with her almost 3 million followers as her baby Margot is close to hitting an important milestone. Posting from her lavish holiday abroad, the ITVBe reality star showed her little one officially becoming a toddler as she walked while pushing a toy pram along the beach.

Matthew Lawrence and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas are sharing their love in the new year!

Dry January — abstaining from alcoholic drinks for a month — as a way to reset health priorities after the holidays or as a test run for an alcohol-free lifestyle. And now there’s also “Damp January,” which can mean whatever you want it to but often involves cutting down to weekend-only drinking or trying lower-proof alternatives. Much of the interest is fueled by Gen Z, who want the style and flavor of cocktails to fit into their zero-proof lifestyles.

Richard Madeley has shared a shocking story about how his sister saved his life during a near-death experience. Returning to Good Morning Britain screens on Tuesday (January 2), Richard was joined by co-host Susanna Reid, who had taken a break from the show over the festive period. During the show, they chatted with Chesney Hawkes about his upcoming tour and album, with the conversation quickly turning to Chesney's terrifying experience when the plane he was on suddenly lost pressure.

The Hollywood Reporter. A cause of death has not yet been announced.

Former EastEnders actress Shana Swash has announced that she welcomed her first child just days before Christmas. Announcing the new arrival, Shana, 33, shared a black-and-white photo of the newborn on her Instagram page, where she shared the tot's name, simply captioning the snap: "Kitty Frances Swash Jones [white heart emoji] 18.12.2023." Fans were quick to share messages of congratulations, with one writing: "Beautiful name for a perfect little girl congratulations." While another added: "She’s beautiful, huge congratulations to you all! Love her name xx" "ohh congrats! So delighted for you! Biggest hugs and love" penned a third, while a fourth said: "Massive Congrats @shana_swash She's divine! Sx" Over the summer, Shana who is the younger sister of Joe Swash announced she and fiancé Nick Jones were expecting their first child.

Selome Hailu SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for “We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium,” Episode 3 of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.” For fans of Rick Riordan‘s “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” books, Medusa represents one of Percy’s first big victories: After being tricked into spending time with “Aunty Em,” he beheads the snake-haired woman, and her cursed, dead eyeballs are later used to turn another enemy into stone. But for those with a deeper knowledge of Greek mythology, and for many women, Medusa is a symbol of something darker. In the original myth, Medusa is a human woman who takes a vow of celibacy out of devotion to Athena, the goddess of wisdom.