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The Podcast Show, the biggest international festival for the business of podcasting, is back for its fourth year and is set to exceed previous years with record numbers of attendees already registered from over 40 countries including Australia, Germany, Ireland, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, South Africa, South Korea, the US and more.

This one-of-a-kind event brings together podcast industry leaders, brands, platforms and leading creators from across the globe to celebrate and help shape the future of podcasting. The show will take place across two days at Islington’s Business Design Centre, London, 21 & 22 May 2025.

With less than a week to go, The Podcast Show is proud to be presenting a programme packed with major global players, independent podcasters and over 120 partners. Global and iHeartPodcasts have returned to the show – this time, united as Headline Partners for 2025. Their strategic partnership brings iHeart’s podcasts to more UK listeners and monetises...

If the Recording Academy is listening, Bill Maher has some ideas for new Grammy categories.

With the 67th annual Grammy Awards just days away, the comedian took a moment during the latest episode of HBO’s Real Time to suggest some new creative categories for music’s biggest night.

While the Grammys typically only air a handful of top categories during the televised ceremony, such as album, record and song of the year, dozens of more awards are handed out during a premiere ceremony earlier in the day.

“We’re very excited because we are the award kings out here and it is Grammys weekend,” the host quipped at the beginning of the segment. “And it’s going to be a great weekend.”

After sharing the actual names of some of the non-televised categories, Maher decided he would propose some new music categories that he brainstormed. Although, in all honesty,...

We're ready to close the books on an eventful January. But one late-night TV show still has to have its say about what happened this month: Real Time with Bill Maher.

The month has given late-night TV a lot to talk about, including the January 6 anniversary and subsequent pardons, Donald Trump's inauguration, the string of executive orders, the LA wildfires, and the deadly airplane crash in Washington, D.C.

What Bill Maher will choose to talk about is anyone's guess. But the good news for fans is that there will be a brand-new episode of Real Time with Bill Maher tonight, January 31.

It's likely Maher will join other late-night TV hosts by responded to Trump's theory that Dei initiatives played a role in the collision between an Army helicopter and a commercial flight. The confirmation hearings for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Kash Patel, and Tulsi Gabbard are likely also on the table.

Game of Thrones established itself as one of the most successful fantasy drama TV series with its epic world-building. The show had a high-stakes narrative, political drama, captivating characters, and a dash of supernatural creatures. However, not everything from the TV series was made-up or unrealistic.

George R. R. Martin accepted on several occasions that he drew inspiration from other writers and real-world scenarios for A Song of Ice and Fire. Fans and history buffs soon noticed that the fictional struggle for ascension resembled the events of the Wars of the Roses. Now Sophie Turner and Kit Harington are reuniting for a film project which shares this special connection with Got.

The actual figures and war that inspired the events of Westeros Lena Headey in Game of Thrones | Credits: HBO

George R. R. Martin‘s A Song of Ice and Fire became a worldwide sensation when it was adapted into...

Sony Music’s Global Podcast Division today announced that it will join forces with Podster to bring the renowned history podcast This is History: A Dynasty to Die For into new territories and five new languages, including Danish, Swedish, Finnish and more. The adaptation will help the show reach new audiences across Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and the Netherlands.

This is History: A Dynasty to Die For is hosted by award-winning historian and author Dan Jones. The podcast delves into the dramatic and scandalous lives of the Plantagenet family. They can be categorised as one of the most infamous royal families in European history and their rule was marked by internal power struggles, political intrigue and personal vendettas.

While the story of the Plantagenet rule is rather complex, host Dan Jones guides the listener through this fascinating part of history with immense knowledge and an engaging narrative, making the podcast...

Exclusive: Little Dot Studios and its streamer, History Hit, have struck an exclusive deal with Rishi Sharma, a doc maker known for interviewing thousands of World War II veterans.

For the past eight years, digital content creator Sharma has been interviewing WWII vets around the globe, with each lasting between 2-4 hours. His repository of videos now numbers more than 2,000 video and audio interviews, making Sharma’s the almost certainly the largest, unexplored personal archives of its kind in the world.

The multi-year content agreement will see All3Media-owned digital studio Little Dot provide an upfront funding pot for further filming for Sharma, whose mission began when he was a teenager.

Little Dot will take on channel management and publishing of Sharma’s YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok channels, and will acquire exclusive Fast, broadcast, AVOD and SVOD rights to the library. This will be made available through Little Dot’s media network,...

Sony Music Entertainment’s (Sme) Global Podcast Division today previewed the company’s robust slate of shows at the 2023 Iab UK Podcast Upfront.

The presentation was highlighted by an exciting conversation with author and podcaster Elizabeth Day to celebrate that her podcast How To Fail will be joining the Sony Music podcast slate in January 2024. One of the UK’s most successful interview podcasts, the weekly series has published over 200 episodes and reached more than 45 million downloads since 2018. How to Fail delivers a loyal and highly-engaged female skewing audience, creating exciting opportunities for advertisers to engage with listeners that exhibit a strong affinity towards wellness and self-improvement.

Elizabeth Day said, “I’m so excited about this new chapter which will bring How To Fail to a bigger, wider audience whilst still retaining the fidelity of our core listenership. […] I love working with advertisers, and I love getting genuinely enthusiastic about...

“Britain’S Greatest Ghost Stories”

A new Drama-Documentary that explores two famous British ghost stories.

A team of paranormal investigators use modern techniques and advanced technology when looking into some of most famous ghost stories in and around Great Britain starting with the haunting of Borley Rectory and Pluckley Village in Kent which holds the record for most haunted village in Britain.

The Drama-Documentary stars Louisa Warren (Unhinged, Tooth Fairy, Cinderella’s Curse), Lee Hancock, Dan Jones (Ouija Hosts), Sarah Dorsett (Doll House) and is written & directed By Steven M. Smith and is produced by Louisa Warren and Steven M. Smith.

The film is to be released through 101 Films in UK and ITN Distribution the rest of the world this Halloween.

Steven M. Smith said, “We are so excited to release the Official Trailer for Britain’S Greatest Ghost Stories. Exploring true ghost stories throughout the UK, we have selected the two best...

Season three of This is History: A Dynasty to Die For today hosted by award-winning medieval historian, broadcaster and author Dan Jones, has launched. Dan brings the drama of medieval history to life through compelling stories, fascinating characters and vivid scenes, accompanied by an immersive soundscape. The podcast tells the story of the Plantagenets, one of the most powerful and dysfunctional families in European history.

Vaudeville Sound Group, a leading global audio design, production, and post-production group, today announced that it has delivered enhanced immersive audio for the popular Amazing War Stories podcast, which is currently in its second season. Vaudeville’s stunning work enables listeners to find themselves literally in scenes, with hyper realistic sound effects and scene design.

The complete design, mix, and mastering of ‘Amazing War Stories’ was performed in Dolby Atmos, created in a 9.1.4 configuration studio environment with binaural delivery. The podcast has tripled its download figures in season 2 and has propelled itself into the top 5% of podcasts worldwide. Featuring noted Second World War expert Bruce Compton, ‘Amazing War Stories’ recounts remarkable true stories of heroism and bravery, all taken from museum collections worldwide. With official endorsement from military museums, organizations, and armed services, the story-driven show aims to inspire listeners to support veterans charities and visit their local military institutions.

Exclusive: From ancient Egypt to the 1970s, Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden is to explore the history of sex via a Sky docu-drama.

Holden and TV historian Dan Jones are fronting the series for the Sky History channel and will also lead the dramatic elements of the exploration of how sexual behaviours through the ages have shaped civilizations in ways we are only now discovering.

In Sex: A Bonkers History, the pair will begin with the first contraceptive in ancient Egypt and end with swinging in 70’s suburban Britain. Along the way, they will discover how the Tudor sexual appetites changed the course of British history forever, and they will delve into Georgian Britain to discover that its prim and proper facade couldn’t be further from the truth.

Sex: A Bonkers History joins The Royal Mob in Sky’s recent docu-drama roster. It is the first Sky show helmed by Holden,...

Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin expressed differing opinions on sharing one’s own work.

Oscar-winning Free Solo wife- and- husband directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin debated the niceties of promoting one’s own work in a talk about their filmmaking careers - spotlighting the professional climbers who have been the subject of two of their films.

They were talking at an event in the Cph:Conference Artists & Auteurs series at Cph:Dox on March 21.

“There’s always been those athletes that were really good at self-promotion – leveraged what they did to make their career or start a business,” said Chin,...

Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin expressed differing opinions on sharing one’s own work.

Oscar-winning Free Solo wife- and- husband directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin debated the niceties of promoting one’s own work in a talk about their filmmaking careers - spotlighting the professional climbers who have been the subject of two of their films.

They were talking at an event in the Cph:Conference Artists & Auteurs series at Cph:Dox on March 21.

“There’s always been those athletes that were really good at self-promotion – leveraged what they did to make their career or start a business,” said Chin,...

Exclusive: Anne Boleyn, the British drama series starring Jodie Turner-Smith in the titular role, is heading to AMC+.

The streaming service has picked up the U.S. rights to the series, which was originally commissioned by ViacomCBS-owned UK broadcaster Channel 5 and co-financed by Sony Pictures Television.

The convention-defying three-part drama will launch in the U.S. on December 9 and will be rolled out weekly.

It examines the downfall of Boleyn through the prism of a psychological thriller rather than a stuffy period drama retreading the demise of King Henry VIII’s second wife.

Penned by newcomer Eve Hedderwick Turner, the drama shines a feminist light on the final months of Boleyn’s life, re-imagining her struggle with Tudor England’s patriarchal society, her desire to secure a future for her daughter, Elizabeth, and the brutal reality of her failure to provide Henry with a male heir.

Turner-Smith, who starred in Queen & Slim,...

Jodie Turner-Smith, previously known for her role in Queen & Slim, has taken on a historical role for Channel 5's upcoming series, Anne Boleyn. Turner-Smith will be playing the role of Boleyn herself, a decision which has led to some controversy from the public. In a recent interview with Glamour UK, Turner-Smith explained that "I did know it would be something that people felt very passionately about, either in a positive or a negative way, because Anne is a human in history who people feel very strongly about. More than anything, I wanted to tell the human story at the centre of all of this."

In a statement released by Channel 5, the actor noted that the element of motherhood is what initially drew her to the role, saying that "as a mother, there was just so much about this that resonated with me and made me feel like I could understand this story.

Exclusive: All3Media’s digital content arm Little Dot Studios is making a big play in the U.S.

The company, which recently produced electric car racing series Extreme E for TikTok, has hired former Fullscreen exec John Holdridge to run its U.S. business.

Holdridge has joined as Managing Director, USA and will replace Holly Graham, who has headed up its U.S. arm since 2018. She will return to the UK to take on the new role of Chief Business Officer.

Holdridge, who was previously Fullscreen’s General Manager of Brand Services, is bringing over a number of his Fullscreen colleagues including James Norell, who takes on the role of Senior Vice President, Business Operations and Strategy, and Jordan Benedict, who becomes Senior Vice President, Content Development and Creative Strategy.

Little Dot Studios, which is a digital content agency and operates a slew of YouTube channels and other digital platforms,...

Their relationship may have been, um, cut short, but Jodie Turner-Smith’s Anne Boleyn and Mark Stanley’s Henry VIII look pretty cosy in the first image of the pair from the upcoming Channel 5 drama.

In Variety’s exclusive first look, Turner-Smith’s Tudor queen is nestled against the formidable Henry VIII, played by “White House Farm” actor Stanley, when times were, presumably, better.

Boleyn is the most notorious of Henry VIII’s six wives, best known for her untimely demise by execution. The three-part psychological thriller “Anne Boleyn” for ViacomCBS-backed U.K. broadcaster Channel 5 will explore the final months of Boleyn’s life from her perspective, as she struggles to secure a future for her daughter and challenge the powerful patriarchy closing in around her.

The series will depict the key moments that cause Anne to topple, reflecting her strength, fatal vulnerabilities and determination to be an equal among men.

Channel 5, Fable Pictures, and Sony Pictures Television have released a first-look image of Queen & Slim actress Jodie Turner-Smith as Anne Boleyn in their convention-busting series on the Tudor monarch.

The three-part series, first revealed by Deadline, will examine the downfall of Boleyn through the prism of a psychological thriller rather than a stuffy period drama retreading the demise of King Henry VIII’s second wife.

Penned by newcomer Eve Hedderwick Turner, Anne Boleyn shines a feminist light on the final months of Boleyn’s life, re-imagining her struggle with Tudor England’s patriarchal society, her desire to secure a future for her daughter, Elizabeth, and the brutal reality of her failure to provide Henry with a male heir.

Vogue, which was first with the stills of Turner-Smith in character, spoke to her about taking on the iconic role. She said: “There’s so much about her story that feels modern.

There’s a new queen in town.

Variety can reveal the first look of “Queen & Slim” actor Jodie Turner-Smith as Tudor queen Anne Boleyn — the most notorious of Henry VIII’s wives, best known for her untimely demise by execution — in three-part psychological thriller “Anne Boleyn” for ViacomCBS-backed U.K. broadcaster Channel 5. The show wrapped production on location in Yorkshire in December, and is set to air later this year.

Produced by Fable Pictures and Sony Pictures Television, “Anne Boleyn” garnered headlines last year for Turner-Smith’s casting, which marks one of a handful of times a Black actor has portrayed a major royal figure on a British terrestrial broadcaster. More recently, Sophie Okonedo played Queen of England Margaret, who was married to Henry VI, in the BBC’s “The Hollow Crown.” She starred opposite Benedict Cumberbatch.

“Anne Boleyn” — which is gearing up to be Channel 5’s...

If 2020 has been a year to forget for producers, it’s been a year of opportunity for some writers. In the darkest depths of lockdown, when cameras had stopped rolling and an industry had largely downed tools, there was a rush of activity at the keyboard. With time to think and create, development has been a lifeline. A number of our picks for this year’s Rising TV Scribes list are testament to this, having secured options or commissions in the rubble of coronavirus.

This Deadline feature, now in its second year, seeks to spotlight this work by celebrating some of the buzziest new British writers in the business. This talented bunch has its hands in everything from iconic brands, such as The Crown, to some of the freshest new shows that will land on TV next year. They traverse genres including epic fantasy, horror and history, while many are...

A new drama about Tudor queen Anne Boleyn, starring Jodie Turner-Smith, has found its Henry VIII.

British actor Mark Stanley has been cast as the iconic monarch. Best known for playing Grenn in the HBO series “Game of Thrones,” Stanley has also had starring roles in “Kajaki,” “Our Kind of Traitor” and “Dickensian.”

Boleyn was the Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of King Henry VIII. Their tempestuous marriage, and her execution for treason, made her one of the most colorful figures in English history. The Fable Pictures drama for U.K. broadcaster Channel 5 will explore the final months of Boleyn’s life from her perspective, and will follow her as she struggles to survive, to secure a future for her daughter, and to challenge the powerful patriarchy closing in around her.

The hotly anticipated series — which is shaping up to be one of the most...

“Queen & Slim” star Jodie Turner-Smith will star as the Tudor-era queen, Anne Boleyn, in a three-part psychological drama for ViacomCBS-backed U.K. broadcaster Channel 5.

Boleyn was the Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of King Henry VIII. Their tempestuous marriage, and her execution for treason, made her one of the most colorful figures in English history. The drama will explore the final months of Boleyn’s life from her perspective, and will follow her as she struggles to survive, to secure a future for her daughter, and to challenge the powerful patriarchy closing in around her.

The series is being produced by Sony Pictures Television-backed production outfit Fable Pictures. Eve Hedderwick Turner has written the mini-series, which will be directed by Lynsey Miller (“Deadwater Fell”).

The cast also includes Amanda Burton (“White House Farm”), Paapa Essiedu (“I May Destroy You”), Thalissa Teixeira (“Trigonometry...

Exclusive: Here’s a hot one: British model and Queen & Slim actress Jodie Turner-Smith is to play Anne Boleyn in a convention-defying Channel 5 drama made by the Sony-backed Stan & Ollie producer Fable Pictures.

Deadline can reveal that the ViacomCBS-owned broadcaster has commissioned a three-part series that will examine the downfall of Boleyn through the prism of a psychological thriller rather than a stuffy period drama retreading the demise of King Henry VIII’s second wife.

Penned by newcomer Eve Hedderwick Turner, the drama shines a feminist light on the final months of Boleyn’s life, re-imagining her struggle with Tudor England’s patriarchal society, her desire to secure a future for her daughter, Elizabeth, and the brutal reality of her failure to provide Henry with a male heir.

Fable has assembled an eye-catching cast to star alongside Turner-Smith, who teamed with Daniel Kaluuya on racially-charged film...

Sony Pictures Television has signed an exclusive deal with British historian and author Dan Jones to develop TV drama adaptations of his books through Sony companies including Left Bank Pictures and Eleven.

Jones’ books have sold more than a million copies around the world and include titles like The Plantagenets and The Templars. He also worked with picture colorist Marina Amaral on the Sunday Times bestseller The Colour Of Time.

Jones is a fixture on British television, hosting more than 60 hours of documentaries, not least the Netflix/Channel 5 series Secrets Of Great British Castles.

As well as adapting his books, Jones will act as a consultant of sorts to Sony Pictures Television’s international producers, providing historical context and expertise to other productions.

“Dan has written some of the most popular histories of our time,” said Wayne Garvie, Sony’s president of international production. “He has a terrific slate...

Sony Pictures Television has announced an overall development deal with British historian Dan Jones, author of bestsellers such as “The Plantagenets,” “The Hollow Crown” and “The Templars.”

The deal will see Jones develop adaptations of his works for option by Sony Pictures Television’s stable of international scripted production companies, including Left Bank Pictures and Eleven. He will also act as a consultant for other productions across the group.

Jones’ books have sold more than a million copies. He collaborated with Brazilian artist Marina Amaral for “The Colour of Time” and “The World Aflame.” He has written and presented more than 60 hours of TV documentaries including Channel 5 show “Elizabeth I,” the BBC’s “Henry VIII and His Six Wives” and Netflix/Channel 5 series “Secrets of Great British Castles.”

Wayne Garvie, president of international production for Sony Pictures Television, said, “Dan has written some of the most popular histories of our time.

Dan Jones, Adam Driver, and Scott Z. Burns all have one thing in common – aside from their roles in presenting the story of “The Report” to the world. Their obsessive streaks. Well, more than streaks, says Burns. He reveals that he approached writing the script for “The Report” in the same way that the movie’s real-life protagonist Dan Jones (portrayed by Driver) tackled researching, creating, and delivering the report on the secret torture program inside the CIA.

“The fact that Dan was was fact-driven and so disciplined in his conclusions, I felt that I had to imitate that in my approach to the script. I did an incredible amount of research – not just the report, which I, fortunately, had at my disposal, but also spending time talking to Us senators who are portrayed in the story, speaking to people in the military who are interrogators, and FBI agents portrayed in the movie.

Read more from Variety’s Directors on Directors, in which filmmakers praise their favorite movies of the year, here.

Scott Z. Burns’ “The Report” tells the story of the Herculean efforts of Daniel J. Jones to make sure that the Senate Intelligence Committee report on torture saw the light of day.

Its powerful resonance with “right now” is because it makes us imagine how many thousands of unseen Daniel J. Joneses — mid-range white-collar workers with normal values and decent character — in government are leaving in droves from Justice, State, Fda, Epa, DEA … etc.

Dan Jones is a whistleblower in the tradition of Mark Felt, Karen Silkwood and Jeffrey Wigand; and Scott’s film fully earns its place at the table alongside the iconic pictures of Alan J. Pakula, Sidney Lumet and Mike Nichols, not just because “The Report” is similarly grounded in Washington and government, but because Scott perfectly conveys...

Between her celebrated performances as the unraveling Nic in The Kids Are Alright, dying legend Gloria Grahame in Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool, and one-third of the devious Grifters, Annette Bening has created a highly-respected filmography of complex female characters over three decades. But in the political drama The Report, Bening approaches the role of Senator Dianne Feinstein with a deft, quiet performance that feels entirely new. With four previous Oscar nominations, and this year’s Captain Marvel role under her belt, Bening continues to demonstrate an ever-expanding range and an apparently bottomless depth of skill.

Deadline: How did you come aboard The Report?

Annette Bening: Scott Burns, the writer/director, sent it to me and I thought it was very strong. So, I met with him and just signed up. I had a very surface knowledge of what had happened when this report had come out. But...

Summer’s not the only season where heroes rule the multiplex. Well, that’s the main time for the fictional, larger than life heroes, the super spies, super cops, and, well, superheroes. But after Fall began the real-life heroes started to arrive, usually the subject of the big end of the year awards contenders. First to make her mark was Harriet Tubman in her inspiring biographical slice of history. Then there were the countless military men and women, from generals to sailors (and their wives) in Midway. As we near the major holidays, we’ve seen more recent heroes, like Dan Jones played by Adam Driver in The Report. Now comes a crusader from a profession generally derided and scorned by the public (especially in this weekend’s Marriage Story), a lawyer. Ah, but he’s got the spirit of an Avenger, apropos since he’s played by one of the original sextet.

Scott Z. Burns, writer-director of “The Report” and writer-producer of Steven Soderbergh’s “The Laundromat,” built his career with the Oscar-winning filmmaker. They’ve now collaborated on five films, with these last two tackling the Panama Papers and torture reform via screwball comedy and a CIA procedural, respectively. If that seems a little schizophrenic, it’s only because most of us don’t have a history of working with Soderbergh.

“That’s the price of admission for me if I want to come back,” said Burns. “I come back with something new.”

The approaches to Netflix’s “The Laundromat” and Amazon’s “The Report,” a deep dive into Dan Jones’ massive and controversial 2012 Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture, seem very different. However, both rely on Burns’ unique capacity for diving into the weeds so that, as he says, “the audience doesn’t have to.”

Burns first worked with...

Scott Z. Burns, writer-director of “The Report” and writer-producer of Steven Soderbergh’s “The Laundromat,” built his career with the Oscar-winning filmmaker. They’ve now collaborated on five films, with these last two tackling the Panama Papers and torture reform via screwball comedy and a CIA procedural, respectively. If that seems a little schizophrenic, it’s only because most of us don’t have a history of working with Soderbergh.

“That’s the price of admission for me if I want to come back,” said Burns. “I come back with something new.”

The approaches to Netflix’s “The Laundromat” and Amazon’s “The Report,” a deep dive into Dan Jones’ massive and controversial 2012 Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture, seem very different. However, both rely on Burns’ unique capacity for diving into the weeds so that, as he says, “the audience doesn’t have to.”

Burns first worked with...

The opening day Telluride Film Festival brunch had a surprise guest: director Martin Scorsese. He mingled with the likes of Antonio Banderas, Sterling K. Brown, Noah Baumbach, and Bong Joon Ho, who all came to town for the 46th installment of the festival. All harbor hopes for rousing acclaim as they go into a fall awards corridor that’s clouded by exhibition anxiety: The rising power of streamers and questions about studio support of the struggling mid-level adult drama are all too real.

But not today, Satan. Scorsese was not schlepping to the Rockys to mount a surprise screening of one of the fall’s most anticipated movies, “The Irishman,” but to cheer on the Safdie brothers’ noisy festival rouser “Uncut Gems”, which he executive-produced, and pay homage to the late, great Agnès Varda, whose last film “Varda by Agnès” is showing here. She gave him moral support over the years,...

The opening day Telluride Film Festival brunch had a surprise guest: director Martin Scorsese. He mingled with the likes of Antonio Banderas, Sterling K. Brown, Noah Baumbach, and Bong Joon Ho, who all came to town for the 46th installment of the festival. All harbor hopes for rousing acclaim as they go into a fall awards corridor that’s clouded by exhibition anxiety: The rising power of streamers and questions about studio support of the struggling mid-level adult drama are all too real.

But not today, Satan. Scorsese was not schlepping to the Rockys to mount a surprise screening of one of the fall’s most anticipated movies, “The Irishman,” but to cheer on the Safdie brothers’ noisy festival rouser “Uncut Gems”, which he executive-produced, and pay homage to the late, great Agnès Varda, whose last film “Varda by Agnès” is showing here. She gave him moral support over the years,...

In order for a movie to wind up in the Best Picture race, everything has to go right. So it’s way too early to jump into real predicting. For now, let’s assess the likely players. And we will update as we see where the chips fall, from Cannes to the all-important gatekeepers, the fall film festivals.

As always, this year’s Oscar derby started off at January’s Sundance Film Festival. Their most likely awards contender is Amazon’s $14-million buy, writer-turned-director Scott Z. Burns’ post-9/11 fact-based political thriller “The Report,” a taut drama slated for fall release that imparts reams of info about CIA interrogation techniques, along the lines of post-Watergate journalism drama “All the President’s Men,” which won four Oscars. “The Report” makes heroes out of dogged investigator Dan Jones (Adam Driver) and his boss, California Senator Dianne Feinstein (four-time Oscar-nominee Annette Bening).

Also breaking...

In order for a movie to wind up in the Best Picture race, everything has to go right. So it’s way too early to jump into real predicting. For now, let’s assess the likely players. And we will update as we see where the chips fall, from Cannes to the all-important gatekeepers, the fall film festivals.

As always, this year’s Oscar derby started off at January’s Sundance Film Festival. Their most likely awards contender is Amazon’s $14-million buy, writer-turned-director Scott Z. Burns’ post-9/11 fact-based political thriller “The Report,” a taut drama slated for fall release that imparts reams of info about CIA interrogation techniques, along the lines of post-Watergate journalism drama “All the President’s Men,” which won four Oscars. “The Report” makes heroes out of dogged investigator Dan Jones (Adam Driver) and his boss, California Senator Dianne Feinstein (four-time Oscar-nominee Annette Bening).

Also breaking...

When Sundance Film Festival programmers assembled the most diverse selection of features and documentaries in their history, they weren’t thinking about big buys or awards appeal. Nevertheless, a range of online and theatrical buyers plunked down unprecedented millions for a raft of cross-cultural movies with global playability. Mainstream crowdpleasers “Blinded By the Light” and “Brittany Runs a Marathon” (which won the dramatic audience award) aren’t necessarily heading for awards consideration — until and unless they score rave reviews and boffo box office. Both New Line and Amazon will go for maximum summer play to make their money back, and then see where they are.

While “Manchester By the Sea,” “The Big Sick,” “Call Me By Your Name,” “Whiplash,” and “Get Out” are among the narrative Sundance breakouts that went all the way to the Oscars, in recent years it’s documentaries that tend to go the Oscar distance. The...

When Sundance Film Festival programmers assembled the most diverse selection of features and documentaries in their history, they weren’t thinking about big buys or awards appeal. Nevertheless, a range of online and theatrical buyers plunked down unprecedented millions for a raft of cross-cultural movies with global playability. Mainstream crowdpleasers “Blinded By the Light” and “Brittany Runs a Marathon” (which won the dramatic audience award) aren’t necessarily heading for awards consideration — until and unless they score rave reviews and boffo box office. Both New Line and Amazon will go for maximum summer play to make their money back, and then see where they are.

While “Manchester By the Sea,” “The Big Sick,” “Call Me By Your Name,” “Whiplash,” and “Get Out” are among the narrative Sundance breakouts that went all the way to the Oscars, in recent years it’s documentaries that tend to go the Oscar distance. The...

“That’s a great Netflix movie,” said one premium cable executive of “Brittany Runs a Marathon,” a scruffy New York comedy based on rookie writer-director Paul Downs Colaizzo’s best friend, an overweight 30ish party girl (TV star Jillian Bell), who changes her life by committing to run the New York Marathon. After the world premiere at the Eccles, the executive was wiping her eyes as a heated Sundance bidding war was already under way. However, the buyer wasn’t Netflix; it was Amazon Studios. It wasn’t chasing the big numbers at first, but as soon as new chief Jennifer Salke saw it, she rushed back into the fray to nail down the movie for $14 million worldwide. It was their third big buy of the festival.

The shift in the market for Sundance titles is dramatic, as the buyers with the most to spend and the most need for ample content — Apple,...

“That’s a great Netflix movie,” said one premium cable executive of “Brittany Runs a Marathon,” a scruffy New York comedy based on rookie writer-director Paul Downs Colaizzo’s best friend, an overweight 30ish party girl (TV star Jillian Bell), who changes her life by committing to run the New York Marathon. After the world premiere at the Eccles, the executive was wiping her eyes as a heated Sundance bidding war was already under way. However, the buyer wasn’t Netflix; it was Amazon Studios. It wasn’t chasing the big numbers at first, but as soon as new chief Jennifer Salke saw it, she rushed back into the fray to nail down the movie for $14 million worldwide. It was their third big buy of the festival.

The shift in the market for Sundance titles is dramatic, as the buyers with the most to spend and the most need for ample content — Apple,...

‹We know that the bland, dark-suited people who run the government can sometimes be villains. But it’s easy to forget that people in government can also be heroic.

Making stories about those people can be challenging as entertainment, but Scott Burns’ “The Report” manages to do just that, dramatize in deliberate, thoughtful chapters the investigation into America’s shameful descent into torture after 9/11.

The film debuted on Saturday at the Sundance Film Festival.

Also Read: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Skip Sundance Screening of Doc About Her Primary Campaign

Senator Dianne Feinstein, played by Annette Bening, is the unlikely hero of this drama, as the veteran, centrist Democrat of California leads the Senate Intelligence Committee looking into allegations that the CIA tortured detainees.

Her staffer Dan Jones, played by Adam Driver, is even more worthy of note. He spends fully six years digging into mountains of evidence, seeking the truth of what the CIA did,...

Among new members are Maren Ade, Hugh Grant and Hayley Squires.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) has revealed its 2018 intake of new members drawn from the film, TV and games industry.

Among the 386 new members are actors Hugh Grant, Willem Dafoe and Hayley Squires, directors Maren Ade (Toni Erdmann), Daniel Kokotajlo (Apostasy) and Michael Pearce (Beast), film execs Shana Eddy-Grouf (Studiocanal) and Katie Goodson-Thomas (Fox Searchlight), and La La Land producers Jordan Horowitz and Fred Berger.

Former UK and Ireland Screen Stars of Tomorrow in the new intake include producer Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly and actor Jessie Barden.

Hugh Grant, Jodie Whittaker and Letitia Wright are among 386 new BAFTA members. The 2018 intake span the film, games and TV industries across eleven countries. Scroll down for the full list of new members.

Among new members are BAFTA-winner Grant, Doctor Who star Whittaker, BAFTA-nominee Willem Dafoe, Black Panther star Letitia Wright, La La Land producers Jordan Horowitz and Fred Berger, Mad Max: Fury Road costume designer Jenny Beavan, Toni Erdmann director Maren Ade, and UK broadcasters Sandi Toksvig and Simon Mayo.

BAFTA comprises around 8,000 members worldwide. The UK org tweaked its membership requirements in 2016 in a bid to improve diversity of intake.

Amanda Berry, Chief Executive of BAFTA, said, “We’re delighted to welcome our new members to BAFTA. Our members represent the breadth of the ever-evolving film, games and television industries. They sit at the heart of everything BAFTA does, from mentoring emerging talent, voting in the Awards, sharing...

Viacom’s Channel 5 is exploring the history of London in a four-part documentary series from The Big Family Cooking Showdown producer Voltage TV.

The British commercial broadcaster has ordered London: 2000 Years Revealed, hosted by Dr. Suzannah Lipscomb, Dan Jones and Rob Bell.

The series will chart the origins of London and its meteoric rise to power and take viewers through the frequently glorious and always compelling history of the British capital. The series examines how it grew from a small Roman trading post, to the capital of the British Empire, and ultimately to the thriving megacity we know today, despite facing dramatic invasions, fires and deadly plague.

Distributed by Banijay Rights, the doc series was commissioned by Factual Commissioning Editor Lucy Willis and is exec produced by Sanjay Singhal and Alice Harper.

Willis said, “London is now a global metropolis but 2000 years ago it was still a wild and uninhabited swamp.