News

Sabrina Carpenter has been taking over the music scene with her irresistibly catchy tunes; her latest album, Short n’ Sweet, is no exception. The multi-talented singer and actress has been making waves, not just for her music but also for her eventful love life. From high-profile romances to whirlwind flings, her relationships have often found their way into her songs, keeping fans buzzing with speculation.

Even before she dropped the steamy lyrics of her newest album, Carpenter’s dating history had already been a hot topic. Over the years, she’s been linked to fellow Disney stars, had romances that inspired heartfelt tracks, and experienced fleeting connections that were, well, short and sweet.

Sabrina Carpenter | Credit: Instagram\@sabrinacarpenter

While the album’s title may hint at her petite stature, Carpenter has clarified that it’s actually a nod to past relationships, some of which, despite their brief duration, left an impact on her.

Pete Davidson recently claimed that he wants to be known to the public only for his good work. The comedian shot to fame in the early 2010s with his stand-up segments and guest appearances on shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. However, his big break came with his casting in Saturday Night Live in 2014, which he continued with for eight years before quitting in 2022.

Pete Davidson on SNL. | Credit: NBC.

One aspect of his life, though, has taken center stage during his time in the entertainment industry far more than his actual work. That is his very public relationships with some of the industry’s most influential personalities throughout the years.

According to the Big Time Adolescence star, his love life has been under constant public scrutiny to the point that he feels like his work is not getting recognized at all. And now, he seems to want to change that,...

Pete Davidson kick-started his career with Saturday Night Live or SNL. He got his big break when he landed a job as a featured player in the popular sketch comedy show. Davidson worked for eight seasons between 2014 and 2022, starting with season 40 which premiered in 2014. During his first season, Davidson starred in 20 out of 21 episodes.

Pete Davidson on SNL | Credits: Saturday Night Live YouTube

Because of his career graph in SNL, Davidson got to work on many big projects in Hollywood, including the Netflix rom-com Set It Up, a cameo in Suicide Squad, Big Time Adolescence, The King of Staten Island, and more. He made his exit from SNL after season 47 in 2022 but was featured as a host in season 49 and had a special appearance in season 50.

But do you know how much he was paid for his contribution to the sketch comedy show? In this article, we will take a...

If you were hoping to see Pete Davidson return to SNL as a host this season, you may be out of luck.

Pete first hosted in 2022, and he was slated to return for a second time last season. But that episode was canceled due to the writers’ strike.

Many fans assumed that Davidson would return for SNL‘s historic fiftieth season, which got underway last month.

Pete Davidson attends Paramount’s “Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts” premiere at Kings Theatre on June 05, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

Now, however, that seems unlikely. The reason?

Well, according to The Sun Pete is in the midst of a nasty feud with his former friend and costar Colin Jost.

Pete Davidson’s Return to SNL Jeopardized By Feud

One insider tells The Sun that the situation has gotten so bad that it’s come to the attention of...

Exclusive: Actress Jillian Bell (Brittany Runs a Marathon) is set to make her feature directorial debut with Summer of 69, an American High comedy for Hulu, starring Saturday Night Live‘s Chloe Fineman.

Written by Liz Nico, Jules Byrne, Jillian Bell, the film’s cast also includes Sam Morelos (That ’90s Show), Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Natalie Morales (The Morning Show), Alex Moffat (Saturday Night Live), Paula Pell (Girls5eva), Liza Koshy (A Family Affair), Nicole Byer (Nailed It!), Matt Cornett (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series), Fernando Carsa (Acapulco) and Amalia Yoo (Grand Army). Production is set to kick off in Syracuse, NY this month.

In Summer of 69, which falls under American High’s first-look deal with Hulu, an awkward high school senior hires an exotic dancer to help seduce her longtime crush before graduation, leading to unexpected friendship and lessons in self-confidence, acceptance, and adulthood.

Jeremy Garelick,...

Sydney Sweeney is an up-and-coming young actor who has taken the world by storm because of her brilliant talent. The American actress has been acting from a young age and she has been around the industry for a long time. She has been doing small roles in many big movies but got her big break because of shows like Everything Sucks! and Sharp Objects, but her stardom reached a new level after her HBO series Euphoria came out.

Sweeney has also enjoyed a healthy film career and has her own production company, Fifty-Fifty Films which recently produced the psychological horror film Immaculate while she did technically appear in a Marvel film known as Madame Web, let’s ignore that film as best we can. So, if you are also a fan of Sweeney and want to all of her best performances here are the 10 best films and shows she has...

Sydney Sweeney sets a new high with the religious-themed film Immaculate, scoring highest on Rotten Tomatoes at 71%. Sweeney's collaboration with director Michael Mohan sets Immaculate above previous horror films, promising heightened success. Immaculate follows Sweeney's recent box office flop Madame Web with a superior performance compared to her past horror movies.

Sydney Sweeney's new movie Immaculate has garnered enough critical praise to break her current horror genre trend. After starring in the romantic comedy and surprise box office hit Anyone But You, Sweeney will appear in a completely different film in terms of genre, tone, and fear factor that can be described as a religious-themed horror. Immaculate is directed by Michael Mohan and written by Andrew Lobel.

Sweeney, who also produced the project, looks to make a quick recovery from the recent disastrous Madame Web box office flop. Sweeney stars as Cecilia, a devout religious follower who resides in...

Exclusive: The cast for the American High and Hartbeat Hulu movie Prom Dates has been set with Chelsea Handler and Best in Show‘s John Michael Higgins, but also Julia Lester, Antonia Gentry, Kenny Ridwan, Jt Neal, Jordan Buhat, Zión Moreno, and Terry Hu. The movie will hit the service this spring.

The Kim O. Nguyen directed, D.J. Mausner scripted movie follows best friends Jess and Hannah (Gentry and Lester), who make a pact at 13 to have the perfect senior prom. Despite the impending changes that college will bring over the next four years, the two are committed to honoring their prom pact. But with only 24 hours left before the big event, everything falls apart when they break up with each of their dates. Jess and Hannah are left with one night to find new dates and live out their middle-school fantasies.

Producers are Jeremy Garelick, Will Phelps and Molle DeBartolo...

Exclusive: Veteran talent agent and Take 3 Talent founder Natasha Matallana Marken and manager-attorney Sherry Kayne, the former founder of Moxie Artists, have partnered to launch new bi-coastal management and production company Rebel Creative Group in collaboration with American High, the full-service production company spearheaded by Jeremy Garelick and Will Phelps.

With offices in Los Angeles and New York, the company will rep actors, writers, directors, producers, musicians and more. It will produce in all areas of entertainment, including television, film, theater, commercial, animation, branding, and music.

Marken and Kayne came to partner with The Binge producer American High after placing clients in a number of the company’s projects over the years. Under the partnership, the Rebel Creative founders will team with American High to co-produce new projects, also providing a management hub for writers, director and actors affiliated with the company. Going forward, Rebel talent will star in and produce projects alongside American High,...

Hulu's original movies have proven to be successful and diverse, offering unique and varied options for subscribers. Boss Level, Hulu's first action movie, received praise for its new approach to the time-loop genre and its over-the-top action. Hulu's original movies include impactful biopics, star-studded comedies, and inventive genre films, showcasing the platform's commitment to high-quality content.

While more successful with its original series, the best Hulu original movies show the streaming platform has developed some excellent cinematic entries. Hulu has emerged as a formidable player in the streaming world with hit shows like The Handmaid's Tale and Only Murders in the Building helping to give it plenty to high-quality original content to offer subscribers. Hulu has also gradually been dedicating more to their original movie projects, resulting in some excellent and varied options available that can't be found anywhere else.

While certain high-profile titles from Hulu, like Adrian Lyne...

Hulu's original movies have attracted big-name actors and have received acclaim for their storytelling. The platform offers a wide variety of genres, from comedies to thrillers, appealing to all types of viewers. Some of Hulu's original movies have become hits, earning awards and recognition, and showcasing the platform's commitment to diverse and innovative storytelling.

As it continues to grow into one of the biggest streaming platforms around, the collection of Hulu original movies grows more impressive. Beginning in 2019, Hulu began competing with the likes of Netflix in producing its own original movies. The streaming service is still more well-known for its original series, like The Handmaid's Tale and Only Murders in the Building, but each year sees more original movies added to the platform, with a wide variety of choices instantly available for subscribers.

Even though Hulu hasn't delivered a streaming awards contender like Netflix's The Power of the Dog or Apple's Coda,...

Hulu has picked up “Prom Dates,” a coming-of-age comedy film produced by Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat as well as American High.

“Prom Dates” follows best friends Jess and Hannah, who made a pact at 13 to have the perfect senior prom. Despite the impending changes that college will bring over the next four years, the two are committed to honoring their prom pact. But with only 24 hours left before the big event, everything falls apart when they break up with each of their dates. Jess and Hannah are left with one night to find new dates and live out their middle-school fantasies.

The movie, which has already been shot, was directed by Kim O. Nguyen, repped by 3 Arts, from a script written by D.J. Mausner (“Baroness Von Sketch Show”). Producers include Jeremy Garelick, Will Phelps and Molle DeBartolo for American High; Kevin Hart, Bryan Smiley and Luke Kelly-Clyne for Hartbeat; and...

The combined Disney+ and Hulu app will launch in December, with a full rollout expected in March 2024. Disney CEO Bob Iger assures investors that the app will provide extensive general entertainment content for bundle subscribers. Disney has decided to keep Disney+ and Hulu as separate streaming services, but will offer a combined app for bundle subscribers.

Disney+ and Hulu's combined app will launch in December before the full rollout is expected next year. In May 2023, the Mouse House announced that they were planning to launch a merged app that would combine Disney+ and Hulu content into a single experience for subscribers of both services before the end of the year. However, the two streaming services themselves will remain separate. This was despite Disney not fully owning Hulu, but earlier this month, Disney bought out full ownership of Hulu for $8.61 billion.

Now, during the company's latest quarterly earnings call (via Collider...

Exclusive: Heading into next week’s AFM, U.S. sales firm The Exchange has made multiple hires and promotions.

Daniel Gusman has been promoted from VP of Marketing and Distribution to Head of Acquisitions and Marketing while the company has hired Matt Hechinger as Acquisition & Development Director and Yue Wang as Director, Worldwide Sales & Distribution Director with Danyelle Foord aboard as Consultant on Production & Development.

The staff changes follow the departure of Head Of Production and Acquisitions, Caddy Pantida Vanasirikul, who left earlier this year to join Plan B.

Gusman was one of the first employees at The Exchange. In his role as VP of marketing and distribution, he has a hand in the promotion, acquisition, and release strategy of most films on company’s slate. He also negotiated the acquisition of the Pete Davidson comedy Big Time Adolescence with Hulu and Exchange’s first series, Tales from the Void.

Miguel Wants to Fight is a comedy film directed by Oz Rodriguez. The Hulu original film is set in a neighborhood where fighting and violence are at every corner despite that our protagonist Miguel has never been a part one. Miguel Wants to Fight stars Tyler Dean Flores, Raul Castillo, Imani Lewis, Suraj Partha, and Jordyn Owens. So, if you loved the Hulu film here are some similar movies you could watch next.

Big Time Adolescence (Hulu) Credit – Hulu

Synopsis: A seemingly bright and mostly innocent 16-year-old named Mo (Griffin Gluck) attempts to navigate high school under the guidance of his best friend Zeke (Pete Davidson), an unmotivated-yet-charismatic college dropoout. Although Zeke genuinely cares about Mo, thing start to go awry as he teaches Mo nontraditional life lessons in drug dealing, partying, and dating. Meanwhile, Mo’s well-meaning dad (Jon Cryer) tries to step in and take back the reins of his son’s upbringing.

Adapted from the 2015 novel by Katherine Center, Netflix’s “Happiness for Beginners” largely takes place in the wilderness, where different kinds of people are forced to bond while braving the elements as they hike the Appalachian Trail. Led by “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and “The Office” alum Ellie Kemper, the gaggle of goofballs provides laughs of all kinds as well as some heartfelt moments.

Zealous camp guide Bennett (Ben Cook) keeps everything interesting, especially when he scolds Helen (Kemper) for her careless mistakes on the hike and praises Jake (Luke Grimes) for all of his perfect moves in setting up and taking down camp. Nico Santos and Gus Birney even more humor to this romantic comedy story.

Here’s who plays who in “Happiness for Beginners”:

Helen (Ellie Kemper)

Ellie Kemper portrays Helen, who wants to start over after she divorces her husband. She experienced infidelity and a miscarriage during their marriage.

Most people spend their entire lives avoiding physical altercations, but in Miguel’s case, all he can think about is giving someone the gift of chin music in the Hulu Original film Miguel Wants to Fight. Hulu debuted the first Miguel Wants to Fight trailer on Tuesday, teasing the next film from American High. The light-hearted coming-of-age comedy taps into the curse of peer pressure, self-doubt, and the mystery of knowing if you can hold your own in a schoolyard scuffle.

Here’s the official synopsis for Miguel Wants to Fight:

Despite living in a neighborhood where fighting is stitched into the fabric of everyday life, high school junior Miguel (Tyler Dean Flores) has never found himself in one. And, to be honest, he’s perfectly fine with that. But when a combination of events turn his life upside down, Miguel and his three best friends —the stoic David...

Updated, 9:09 a.m.: “Miguel, have you ever gotten into a fight?” Tyler Dean Flores’ high schooler is asked in the first trailer for the Hulu Original Film, Miguel Wants to Fight. “It’s like what everyone does.”

He once got into an altercation outside of a grocery store, involving “aggressively hugging,” he recalls. But realizing that this doesn’t count, he succumbs to a bit of peer pressure, embarking on a series of misadventures with his three best friends — the stoic David (Christian Vunipola), the rowdy Cass (Imani Lewis) and the quick-tongued Srini (Suraj Partha) — as he tries to get into his first real brawl.

Read more about the film, arriving on Hulu on August 16th, below. Check out the trailer above.

Previously, July 19: Hulu on Wednesday unveiled a series of first look photos for Miguel Wants to Fight — its eighth Original Film from American High (Big Time Adolescence...

Joey Bragg, Tyler Alvarez, Genevieve Hannelius star.

Premiere Entertainment Group has acquired international rights to American High and Ld Entertainment’s teen comedy Sid Is Dead starring Joey Bragg, Tyler Alvarez and Genevieve Hannelius and is kicking off talks in Cannes this week.

Eli Gonda directed the film from Peter Warren’s screenplay based on a novel by Drew Frist and Tom Dolby. The story centres on a high school senior (Bragg) who fears for his life after getting the school bully suspended and creates a bucket list of everything he will miss out on when he expects his life...

Freeform's Cruel Summer is soon returning for its anticipated second season. The network has just dropped a new trailer and announced its June 5 premiere date. Once again, Cruel Summer will follow a tale of two teen girls whose lives are turned upside down due to a lie, but this time the series takes place in the 2000s. While this season's theme is consistent with the first, it will feature a new cast and storyline. You can watch the official trailer below.

The trailer, set to Tommee Profitt's cover of Linkin Park's 2000 song In the End, sees new exchange student Isabelle (Lexi Underwood) coming to town and befriending Megan (Sadie Stanley). The two's friendship seems to flourish as they hold hands and declare each other their "ride or die" before jumping off a cliff together. But things take a dark twist somewhere between the female bonding; when a body is recovered from a lake,...

What is it about Pete Davidson?

That’s the question that comes up every time the tabloids report on his dating life, every time we hear about Lorne Michaels taking him on vacation or Jeff Bezos promising to shoot him into space. It sometimes seems even to extend to his roles — like his signature Saturday Night Live character Chad, a totally unremarkable dude who nevertheless attracts attention and adoration everywhere he goes.

It’s a question that might find its way to your lips again as you scan the eye-watering list of cameos for Davidson’s new Peacock dramedy Bupkis — everyone from Machine Gun Kelly (of course) to Ray Romano (why not) to Al Gore (what?). Heck, it’s more or less the premise of Bupkis, created by Davidson (alongside Judah Miller and David Sirus) and starring Davidson as a fictionalized version of himself. Based on the season’s eight uneven episodes,...

Pete Davidson is a fascinating public figure, a household name who has arguably become so more for his off-screen behavior than any of his film or TV projects. He’s an undeniably talented comedian, as proven on “Saturday Night Live” and in projects like “Big Time Adolescence” and “The King of Staten Island,” but he seems to get more attention for who he’s dating or his personal demons than he does for his comic timing.

Continue reading ‘Bupkis’ Review: Pete Davidson Puts His Life on Display in Oft-Inspired, Semi-Biographical Peacock Comedy at The Playlist.

So there's this guy called Pete Davidson — perhaps you've heard of him? You might be familiar with the fact that he's dated countless beautiful, talented women. Maybe you once read that he bought a decommissioned Staten Island ferry boat with "Saturday Night Live" co-star Colin Jost. Perhaps you've seen videos showcasing his openness about his struggles with substance abuse or his plethora of tattoos. But what often gets lost in the headlines highlighting his fascinating life is his work as an actor and comedian.

Davidson wrote, starred in, and executive produced "The King of Staten Island." He was a cast member on "SNL" for eight seasons. He's been in "Meet Cute," "The Suicide Squad," "Good Mourning," "Big Time Adolescence," "Bodies Bodies Bodies," and the upcoming "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts." But now, he's got a new semi-autobiographical series on the way called "Bupkis" for Peacock.

The NBCUniversal streamer released a new trailer for the series,...

"You run around like a kid, and you're not a kid anymore." Peacock has revealed an official trailer for Pete Davidson's new comedy series called Bupkis, arriving for streaming at the beginning of May. The show is described as a "heightened fictionalized version of Pete Davidson's life." Apparently it's an action comedy, mixing grounded storytelling with Davidson's usual absurdity, directed by the filmmaker who also made the films Big Time Adolescence and I Want You Back. The series has been compared to Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm, featuring Pete's real-life persona with unapologetically R-rated storytelling – he ain't holding back. In addition to Pete Davidson, the cast includes Edie Falco as Davidson's mom, and Joe Pesci as Davidson's grandfather. Guest stars include Charlie Day, Brad Garrett, Simon Rex, Jon Stewart, Ray Romano, Kenan Thompson, and Chase Sui Wonders. This is just a comedy TV series, but this trailer plays like a feature film.

Pete Davidson will return to host Saturday Night Live next month.

The 29-year-old comedian and actor will guest host on 6 May to promote his Peacock show Bupkis, produced by SNL creator Lorne Michaels.

Davidson was a regular on the late-night comedy sketch show until last year.

He joined SNL in 2014, making him â€.one of the youngest performers ever to be featured in the sketch comedy series’s five-decade history.

In 2022, the Big Time Adolescence star left SNL alongside fellow cast members Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant and Kyle Mooney.

Last year, before the season’s finale aired, Davidson shared a goodbye message on SNL writer Dave Sirus’s Instagram alongside a clip of him celebrating his first-ever sketch on the show.

“This video was taken 8 years ago,” Davidson wrote. “Jerrod [Carmichael] sent it to me last night and it made me super emotional in the best way. In the video I...

Pete Davidson is returning to Saturday Night Live as a first-time host, following his eight seasons as a cast member on the late-night live comedy variety show. Joining the SNL ensemble in time for its season 40 premiere at just 20 years old, the comedian quickly became a standout figure on the late-night satire show. Due to his appearances on the Weekend Update segment, he became known for his self-deprecating humor regarding his experience as one of the show's youngest cast members, past drug use, and, most notably, his high-profile relationships. Davidson left the show after season 47 to begin development on a semi-autobiographical sitcom for Peacock called Bupkis.

One year after Pete Davidson's Saturday Night Live departure, Page Six has reported that the comedian will return to host the sketch comedy show live on May 6. Davidson's return will allow him to promote his upcoming Peacock series Bupkis which he executive produces alongside SNL creator Lorne Michaels.

The Big Door Prize is a new high-concept comedy that has already garnered favorable reviews since its premiere on March 29. The conceit of the show, that there is a mysterious machine that tells users their life’s potential, is a jumping-off point for a humorous and thought-provoking character study centered around Chris O’Dowd’s Dusty and a fantastic supporting cast. The 10-episode series was adapted from M.O. Walsh’s novel of the same name and developed by David West Read.

The music for The Big Door Prize was composed by Zachary Dawes and Nick Sena, who together have come up with a unique sound for the series that perfectly underscores its unique story and tone. Each member of the composing duo is an established musician in his own right, but together have scored a number of projects including Big Time Adolescence, A League of Their Own, and the upcoming Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies.

Pete Davidson is returning to the Peacock Network — sort of. The former “Saturday Night Live” cast member is heading to Peacock for his new comedy series “Bupkis,” and the show has set its release date for May 4.

Davidson writes and stars in the series which — somewhat similar to his film “The King of Staten Island” — is based heavily on his own life, though unlike that Judd Apatow film, Davidson appears to explicitly be playing a fictionalized version of himself. Peacock describes the show as a “a heightened, fictionalized version of Pete Davidson’s real life,” one that “combines grounded storytelling with absurd elements from the unfiltered and completely original worldview for which Pete is well known.”

The series also stars Italian American acting legends Edie Falco (“The Sopranos”) and Joe Pesci (“Goodfellas”) as Davidson’s mother and grandfather, respectively. The show also features several guest stars, including Davidson’s “Bodies Bodies Bodies...

Following the success of their years-long partnership that spawned seven original films including Natalie Morales’ “Plan B” and “Crush,” Hulu Originals has renewed its first look deal with comedy production company American High. Jason Zaro (“Brigsby Bear”) will serve as co-producer across the new slate of films for Hulu.

The renewed partnership comes on the heels of the successful release of “It’s a Wonderful Binge” in November 2022, which starred Kaitlin Olson, Danny Trejo, Nick Swardson, Tim Meadows. The movie serves as a sequel to the first Hulu original comedy under the American High banner, “The Binge,” which featured Vince Vaughn, Skyler Gisondo, Eduardo Franco, Dexter Darden.

Coming up, Hulu will release the eighth film on American High’s original slate, “Miguel Wants to Fight,” a coming of age comedy about a 17-year-old who asks his three best friends to help him get in his first fight ever before he moves to a new city.

Hulu Originals renewed a first look output deal with comedy production company American High.

Founded in 2017 by writer, director and producer Jeremy Garelick and producer Mickey Liddell’s Ld Entertainment, American High aims to tell “modern stories of eclectic characters from diverse backgrounds as they navigate the most formative (and often most hilarious) years of their lives.”

Under the renewed partnership announced Wednesday, the companies will release “Miguel Wants to Fight,” a coming of age comedy about a 17-year-old who asks his three best friends to help him get in his first fight ever before he moves to a new city. The cast includes Tyler Dean Flores, Imani Lewis, Christian Vunipola, Suraj Partha and Raul Castillo.

Also Read:

Here’s What’s New on Hulu in March 2023

The agreement with Hulu, first established in 2019, has generated seven original films so far, with an eighth and final film of the original slate on the way.

Following their collaboration on “I Want You Back,” Amazon Studios is re-teaming with filmmakers Jason Orley and Isaac Aptaker on a yet-to-be-titled comedy.

Orley will direct the new project from a script by Aptaker, based on a story they wrote. While plot details are being kept under wraps for the film, Amazon Studios landed the project in a preemptive deal based on the success of “I Want You Back,” from Orley, Aptaker and producer Elizabeth Berger.

Aptaker and Berger will produce the new film via their The Walk-Up Company production banner, with the company’s head of development Adam Londy executive producing alongside Orley.

“I Want You Back” launched on Prime Video in February 2022 to rave reviews, with Variety’s film critic Courtney Howard describing the romantic comedy, starring Charlie Day and Jenny Slate, as “eloquently executed.”

“Perhaps what’s most noteworthy is the feature’s sly, enlightened messaging that...

(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)

The Movie: "Sex Appeal"

Where You Can Stream It: Hulu

The Pitch: High school senior Avery Hansen-White (Mika Abdalla) excels in every area of academics. With a laundry list of extracurricular activities, philanthropy efforts, and a 5.00 Gpa, she's ready to take MIT by storm next year. But first, rather than focusing on the time-honored tradition of the senior prom, she chooses to conquer her "nerd prom" instead: a scientific competition that offers the winner a fellowship that sets them up for life.

Thanks to this year's STEMcon prompt, Avery must create an app that solves a problem in her personal life, which is something that she hasn't cultivated since she's preoccupied with academic milestones instead of "superfluous" ones. After finding...

Kaley Cuoco and Pete Davidson in Meet Cute Image: Mki Distribution Services / Peacock The first day at any “introduction to screenwriting” class worth its salt hammers one thing home: your story won’t connect with an audience if your lead characters don’t want anything. Yes, yes, rules are made to be broken,...

Click here to read the full article.

A former HBO health adviser, Georgia Hesse, is suing the company for wrongfully terminating her after she claimed a Covid-19 testing vendor endangered crewmembers by fraudulently using the wrong type of test on the production of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.

The crew was falsely told they were receiving lab-based Pcr tests when they were actually receiving lower efficacy rapid tests, in violation of industry testing protocols, the complaint filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court alleges. The lawsuit accuses HBO of knowing about the fraud and sweeping it under the rug to keep the production on track.

“It’s unknown to Plaintiff, at this point, why producers and HBO favored a vendor who lied to them, ripped them off, fabricated medical records, and put the lives and safety of cast and crew at risk by peddling overpriced, inferior tests,...

The San Diego International Film Festival has announced its 2022 lineup, featuring the return of Opening Night Film Premiere & Reception, the Night of the Stars Tribute and Culinary Cinema, Variety has learned exclusively.

In its 21st year, Sdiff received more than 3,000 film submissions from 82 countries. The lineup consists of 115 films total, including 27 Narrative Competition films, 11 Documentary Competition films and 77 shorts.

Sdiff’s Gala Features screenings this year include the San Diego premieres of “Taurus,” “Empire of Light” and “The Lost King.” James Gray’s “Armageddon Time” leads the pack of award season studio films at this year’s film fest, which is featured in Sdiff’s Opening Night Film lineup alongside “The Banshees of Inisherin,” “Close,” “Empire of Light” and “Good Night Oppy.”

Colson Baker, known professionally as Machine Gun Kelly, will also receive the annual Spotlight Award following the screening of his newest drama film “Taurus” on Oct. 23. Baker made...

Exclusive: UTA has expanded its relationship with multi-hyphenate Machine Gun Kelly, otherwise known as Colson Baker, and will now represent him worldwide in all areas. UTA will continue to help build on the artist’s impressive career across a range of business verticals, including film and television, among other areas.

In film and television, he acts under his real name Colson Baker. As Baker, stars in the upcoming feature film Taurus, which had its US premiere at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival following its global premiere at the Berlin Film Festival and the upcoming One Way with Kevin Bacon and Storm Reid. He also caught the eye of studio execs when he played, Tommy Lee in Netflix’s Motley Crue biopic The Dirt and appeared in two of Netflix’s 10 Most Watched films of all time (Bird Box and Project Power). His other credits include Cameron Crowe’s Roadies,...

Exclusive: Netflix alum Natalie DeVito has signed a first-look deal with Jeremy Garelick and Will Phelps’ American High.

During her four-plus years at Netflix, which ultimately had her serving as Manager, Original Independent Features, DeVito was heavily involved in the development and production of such female-driven YA projects as writer-director Sophia Alvarez’s Along for the Ride—based on the novel by Sarah Dessen—and Jennifer Kaytin Robinson’s upcoming Do Revenge. She worked at Focus Features and Universal Pictures prior to her time at the streamer, and is a proud alum of the The University of Texas at Austin and the NBC Page Program.

“Having experienced three different high schools across state lines, I’m thrilled to be partnering with American High, a company founded on the belief that high school, with all its ups and downs, is the shared experience that brings us all together,” said DeVito. “Garelick...

Click here to read the full article.

Glen Trotiner, the veteran assistant and second-unit director who worked on films from The Untouchables, Awakenings and Independence Day to Phone Booth, Captain America: The First Avenger and Morbius, died Thursday, his family announced. He was 65.

Born in 1957 in The Bronx, Trotiner began as a DGA trainee on the 1986 films Power and Brighton Beach Memoirs, then served as a second assistant director on Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables (1987).

His A.D. résumé included Moon Over Parador (1988), Regarding Henry (1991), City Hall (1996), Private Parts (1997), Big Daddy (1999), Maid in Manhattan (2002), Mona Lisa Smile (2003), Reservation Road (2007), What Happens in Vegas (2008) and Set It Up (2018).

Trotiner also handled producing duties on Tony & Tina’s Wedding (2004), Bernard and Doris (2006), Banana Split (2018), the Sundance entry Big Time Adolescence (2019) and the upcoming The Mental State, among other films.

For television, he worked on the first three seasons of Oz and...

Exclusive: Tyler Dean Flores (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Imani Lewis (First Kill), Christian Vunipola (Queenpins), Suraj Partha (Modern Family) and Raúl Castillo (Cha Cha Real Smooth) will star in Miguel Wants to Fight, a coming-of-age comedy that American High is producing for Hulu, which has entered production.

The film centers on Miguel (Flores), a 17-year-old who asks his three best friends to help him get in his first fight ever before he moves to a new city. It stems from Hulu’s partnership with American High, which has also seen the release of titles including Big Time Adolescence, Plan B, Crush and The Binge.

Emmy winner Oz Rodriguez (Kenan) is directing from a script by Jason Concepcion and Shea Serrano.

Update, 5:51 p.m. Et: Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, and Kyle Mooney are also parting ways with “Saturday Night Live” ahead of Season 48. Creator Lorne Michaels previously hinted that this year would be a “year of change” for the live sketch comedy series, as reported by Deadline. The final May 21 episode with these cast members will include a group goodbye with “Russian Doll” star Natasha Lyonne hosting.

Season 47 featured the largest “SNL” cast to date with 21 stars and eight cast members. McKinnon marks a decade with “SNL” since becoming a major breakout star from the sketch series. McKinnon went on to appear in scene-stealing turns in “Bombshell,” Peacock series “Joe vs. Carole,” and upcoming “Barbie.” Bryant, who also joined “SNL” in 2012, starred in critically acclaimed Hulu series “Shrill,” and Mooney had roles in “Arrested Development” and “Spree.” Mooney was part of the “SNL” ensemble since 2013.

Earlier, Published May 20, 4:50 p.

Exclusive: Megan Stalter, one of the breakout stars of HBO Max’s Emmy-winning series Hacks, has found her first leading film role in the dark comedy Cora Bora, from director Hannah Pearl Utt (Disengaged). She’ll star alongside Jojo T. Gibbs (Fresh) and Manny Jacinto (Top Gun: Maverick).

The indie centers on Cora (Stalter), who senses her open relationship is on the rocks. When the struggling musician and messy millennial goes home to Portland to win her girlfriend back, she realizes it’s much more than her love life that needs salvaging.

Ayden Mayeri (I Love That for You), Thomas Mann (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), Chrissie Fit (Pitch Perfect franchise), Andre Hyland (Big Time Adolescence) and Heather Morris (Glee) will also star in the pic, which is a co-production between the Los Angeles Media Fund and Neon Heart Productions, in collaboration with Almanor Films.

The film written...

Peacock has given a straight-to-series order to a semi-autobiographical comedy series starring Pete Davidson, Variety has learned.

The series, title “Bupkis,” was first reported as being on the market back in March, with Peacock acquiring it in a competitive situation. Davidson serves as a writer and executive producer on the show in addition to starring. The half-hour comedy is described as a heightened, fictionalized version of Davidson’s real life. Per Peacock, it will combine grounded storytelling with absurd elements from the worldview for which Davidson is well known.

Dave Sirus and Judah Miller will write and executive produce the show along with Davidson. Lorne Michaels, Andrew Singer, and Erin David of Broadway Video will also executive produce. Universal Television is the studio.

“Pete Davidson is one of the most sought-after comedians today with his smart, one-of-a-kind humor and honest point of view,” said Susan Rovner, chairman of entertainment content at NBCUniversal Television and Streaming.

In honor of 4/20, Colson Baker aka Machine Gun Kelly debuted the Red Band trailer for his stoner comedy “Good Mourning,” which he wrote, directed, and stars in with Mod Sun.

The rom-com follows movie star London Clash (Baker) after the love of his life Apple (Becky G) breaks up with him via text. The timing couldn’t be worse as London has the most important meeting of his career on the same day. Compounded by chaotic roommates and wildly unpredictable twists and turns, London’s day keeps going downhill until, ultimately, he is forced to choose between pursuing his one true love and landing a life-changing, starring role in a major motion picture.

Whitney Cummings plays London’s agent, while Mod Sun and Pete Davidson star as his friends. Megan Fox also has a special guest appearance, with the ensemble cast rounded out by Dove Cameron, GaTa, Zach Villa, Jenna Boyd and Boo Johnson.

Image Source: Getty / Amy Sussman

Machine Gun Kelly's new album, "Mainstream Sellout," features two people very important to him: his 12-year-old daughter, Casie Colson Baker, and his friend Pete Davidson.

In the song titled "Wall of Fame (Interlude)," Colson Baker and Davidson are heard joking around together. "What's this wall?" Davidson asks. Colson Baker shouts, "We love the wall!" Davidson jokes, "It's a wall of famous people? Wow . . . LA sucks." Colson Baker says, "Dad, you on the wall?" Mgk confirms he is, and Davidson admits he's "a little jealous." He adds, "I think the wall's lame, but I want to be on it. Does that make sense?"

"Anyway, I hope the next song is a banger. Enjoy Machine Gun Kelly's album," Davidson adds.

It's not the only high-profile collaboration on the album. Mgk's song with Willow Smith, "Emo Girl," has become a major hit on TikTok. And it's also...

Well, that was fast.

Three days after announcing that Pete Davidson would be the celebrity passenger on the next Blue Origin flight, the Jeff Bezos-owned private spaceflight company announced that actually, Pete Davidson won’t be on that flight after all. As a result, the flight has been delayed.

Blue Origin's 20th flight of New Shepard has shifted to Tuesday, March 29. Pete Davidson is no longer able to join the Ns-20 crew on this mission. We will announce the sixth crew member in the coming days.

— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) March 18, 2022

No explanation was given for the change in passenger lineup, and it isn’t clear whether the date change was caused by Davidson’s dropping out, or if he dropped out because of the date change.

Which means we’re forced to speculate wildly about it. We like to imagine that Davidson found out Ye (Kanye West) used to produce albums for the moon.

Sydney Sweeney, of “Euphoria” and “White Lotus” fame, has joined “Madame Web,” a comic book tentpole set in Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters.

Sweeney’s role has not been announced. As previously reported, Dakota Johnson has been cast as the title character, a paralyzed elderly woman who has myasthenia gravis, a chronic autoimmune disorder requiring her to connect to a life support system resembling a spiderweb.

S.J. Clarkson, known for her work on Netflix’s darker Marvel series “Jessica Jones” and the McU-set spinoff “The Defenders,” has been hired to direct “Madame Web.” Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, the duo behind Jared Leto’s upcoming vampire chiller “Morbius,” will write the screenplay.

Plot details have been kept under wraps. In the comics, Madame Web is introduced as a blind clairvoyant mutant whose abilities prove to be greatly beneficial to Spider-Man and his fellow arachnid allies, like Spider-Woman. Given her condition,...

Director Jason Orley ("Big Time Adolescence") wants audiences to root for everyone in "I Want You Back." It is not a romantic comedy about evil exes. It's about relationships that simply don't work out, in the end, for the better. Although Orley gets to go broad in the rom-com, the director doesn't paint with many broad strokes in his film, which stars Charlie Day and Jenny Slate. 

For Orley, all the honesty was there on the page from the beginning, thanks to "This is Us" showrunners and "Love, Simon" writers Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, who wrote this...

The post I Want You Back Director Jason Orley on Rom-Com Staples and Securing the Rights to Little Shop of Horrors [Interview] appeared first on /Film.

In the new Amazon rom-com “I Want You Back,” Pete Davidson has a small but very memorable cameo where he gives partygoers molly, gets on a roof, strips off his clothes and jumps into a jacuzzi. At the film’s Los Angeles premiere, director Jason Orley revealed how he snagged the “SNL” star last minute for the role.

“I didn’t even tell him what he’s doing,” Orley said. “I said, ‘Can you come down for a night?’ and he said ‘Sure!’ And he showed up and I said, ‘Okay, get up on this ledge and take off your clothes.’ And he was like, ‘What are you talking about?'”

Orley first worked with Davidson on “Big Time Adolescence,” his 2019 directorial debut where the actor played a 23-year old burnout who is best friends with a high schooler. Orley went on to direct Davidson’s stand up special “Pete Davidson: Alive From New York,...

Many mainstream romantic comedies are so predictable a robot could write them. Some unlucky-in-love woman cannot find a husband (despite looking like a supermodel and having a glamorous job), so a condescending guy helps her become more appealing in order to attract Mr. Right. Eventually, it turns out the condescending guy was Mr. Right all along, and the woman is blessedly saved from the ninth circle of Female Hell: spinsterhood. Katy Perry plays over the credits.

For an antidote to this formula, look no further than “I Want You Back,” where the characters and the world they inhabit are both refreshingly mundane, and the film is all the funnier for it.

“I Want You Back” sports a cast and crew destined for comedic success: Screenwriters Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger are no strangers to the subversive rom-com, and capable directing and editing by Jason Orley (“Big Time Adolescence”) and Jonathan Schwartz (“Stuber”), respectively,...

At some point in between finishing her first bright-red “Lover’s Punch” at a bustling brunch place and ordering a second one (keep ’em coming!), the writing is already on the wall: Emma (Jenny Slate) is about to be dumped. Across town, Peter (Charlie Day) is similarly mere moments from having his heart stomped on by his long-time girlfriend. What could possibly happen next to heal these two broken-hearted sad-sacks and cure their breakup blues? In the context of the romantic comedy, we all know: They’ve gotta meet-cute, hatch some wacky plan, and fall in love with each other. Easy peasy!

Despite ticking off all the boxes of standard issue rom-com plotting, Jason Orley’s “I Want You Back” eventually twists itself into something much more complicated, frazzled, and ultimately less satisfying than the film’s log line would lead audiences to believe. Pulling liberally from other rom-coms before...