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Exclusive: Ahead of the release of his Paramount holiday comedy Dear Santa, starring Jack Black, Bobby Farrelly has found his next project in Sporkinfeesten, a “finding your roots” style family vacation comedy loosely inspired by true events, which has landed at Amazon MGM Studios.

Farrelly will work from a hot spec by Aaron and Will Eisenberg, which the studio recently acquired, with Cobra Kai‘s Counterbalance Entertainment producing. Further plot details are under wraps.

Aaron Eisenberg and Will Eisenberg

Prior to his work on Dear Santa, which has not yet announced a release date, Farrelly directed the Special Olympics dramedy Champions, a remake of the 2018 Spanish film for Focus Features, starring Woody Harrelson and Kaitlin Olson. Along with his brother Peter, he’s best known for iconic comedies like Dumb & Dumber and There’s Something About Mary, though he’s also worked on hit shows like Loudermilk and Trailer Park Boys,...

Sony had been planning to give director Chris Weitz’s horror film They Listen a theatrical release on August 25th of 2023, but in May of last year they decided to delay the release an entire year, pushing They Listen to August 30, 2024. By the time that date rolled around, the movie had been given the new title Afraid (or AfrAId)… and neither the new title nor the new release date worked out for the movie at the box office, because it only ended up making $9 million at the global box office. Just two weeks after its theatrical release, Afraid has now been given a digital release and is available for rent on Amazon’s Prime Video for $9.99. It can also be purchased for the price of $14.99.

Afraid‘s physical media release will follow on November 5th, when it comes to Blu-ray and DVD with the following extras: – 5 Deleted & Extended Scenes including...

After 25 years, Jason Biggs took advantage of one of his most memorable roles for some tongue-in-cheek marketing.

The American Pie star, who hosts Netflix‘s Blue Ribbon Baking Championship, joked “there were no pies harmed” while filming the backing competition series, which is “safe for family viewing” and now available on the streamer.

“I’ve really wanted to host something in the food world,” Biggs told USA Today. “Of course, there’s the wink at the camera and the audience with me as a baking show host. And whenever I can’t think of something to say, I always have a pie joke in my back pocket that brings the house down.”

The show’s premiere comes after last month’s milestone anniversary of his breakout role in American Pie (1999), which has long been known for its eponymous scene, in which Biggs’ bumbling teen character Jim fornicates with an apple pie.

Sony had been planning to give director Chris Weitz’s horror film They Listen a theatrical release on August 25th of 2023, but in May of last year they decided to delay the release an entire year, pushing They Listen to August 30, 2024. With that date swiftly approaching, we knew the marketing for the film had to start any time now… and as it turns out, it has started today. They Listen has been retitled Afraid, and a trailer for the film can be seen in the embed above.

Afraid is coming to us from Sony, Blumhouse, and Depth of Field. Weitz is producing the film with Jason Blum and Andrew Miano. Bea Sequeira, Dan Balgoyen, Britta Rowings, and Paul Davis serve as executive producers. Filming took place in Los Angeles back in December of 2022.

Along the with release of the trailer comes, finally, some information on what this movie is actually about.

Alyson Hannigan Fondly Remembers Her Role In American Pie(Photo Credit –Instagram)

Following the 25th anniversary of the first 1999 American Pie movie, Alyson Hannigan made a stunning revelation about her role as the lovable band nerd Michelle Flaherty and how she nearly missed out on the sequels.

During an interview with Vulture, Hannigan added, “The best story from the whole thing was that you know, it was a low-budget movie with all these tiers of negotiations. There was an A-tier and a B-tier. I think I was on the bottom C-tier with Seann [William Scott].”

She continued, “I was like, ‘Okay, fine.’ It was seven days and it was more of a passion project. Then, in the contract, there was a sequel clause. I said, ‘Look, I’m getting paid scale plus 10. I’m not going to sign for a sequel. That doesn’t make sense.’ I sound like I was being really difficult,...

Obliterated has lived up to its name. Netflix has opted not to proceed with a second season of the hourlong action-comedy series.

The cancellation comes as a little bit of a surprise as Obliterated spent a respectable six weeks in the Netflix Top 10 for English-language series following its Nov. 30 release, peaking at No.1 in Week 2. The streamer largely bases its renewal decisions on analyzing viewing vs. cost.

From Cobra Kai creators Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg and Josh Heald, Obliterated tells the story of an elite Special Forces team who thwarts a deadly threat to Las Vegas. After their celebratory party, filled with booze, drugs and sex, the team discovered that a bomb they deactivated was a fake. The now-intoxicated team had to fight through their impairments, overcome their personal issues, find the real bomb and save the world.

Nick Zano, Shelley Hennig, Terrence Terrell, Alyson Gorske, C. Thomas Howell, Eugene Kim,...

In a 2022 interview for Variety, actor, writer, and director Christopher Guest said, “When I met (Jennifer Coolidge), I knew there was something going on that was special. And I was right, fortunately.” He praised her ability to command attention without commanding the dialogue. “This person stands out. Everyone else to me is invisible. You want to see her.”

We have seen her on our television and theater screens since the early 90s. And 2023 may have been her best year yet.

So, what happened to Jennifer Coolidge, the self-deprecating eccentric humorist and sometimes sex symbol, who owns over 100 credits in television and film? To know that, we must do what we always do: start at the beginning where the beginning began.

Jennifer Coolidge was born in Boston, Massachusetts on August 28, 1961. She says she always looked old for her age, so she was able to buy a case of beer when she...

The 1999 coming-of-age comedy "American Pie" was a massive hit when it was released in 1999. Starring a who's-who of upcoming teen talent, "American Pie" delved deeply into the more embarrassing sexual details of being an adolescent boy in the modern day. There were scenes involving bodily fluids, oral sex, and multiple references to creative masturbation. While the bulk of the film -- written by Mike Herz and directed by Paul Weisz -- prided itself on aggressive raunchiness, it wisely ended on a sweet note, allowing the characters to realize that despite having had sex, they still have a lot to look forward to on their journey of growing up. 

For a while in the early 2000s, Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Mena Suvari, Shannon Elizabeth, Seann William Scott, Thomas Ian Nicholas, and Natasha Lyonne were household names largely because of the "American Pie" movies. To date, the series has made $990 million. 

"American Pie" gave rise to many,...

The hits don’t stop for Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, the trio behind Cobra Kai and most recently, Netflix’s latest No. 1 hit, Obliterated.

Obliterated is a return to the trio’s roots which began with raunchy comedies like Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle (2004) and its follow-ups Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008), Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam (2008) and A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011); American Reunion (2012); Blockers (2018); and Hot Tub Time Machine (2010), among others.

The new 8-episode Netflix series, currently available to stream in its entirety, follows an elite joint-special operations team assembled from various branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and intelligence services to stop a deadly terrorist network from blowing up Las Vegas. Obliterated stars Nick Zano, Shelley Hennig, Terrence Terrell, Paola Lázaro, C. Thomas Howell and Eugene Kim.

As Deadline reported earlier this week, the series took over...

It would be almost impossible to imagine comedy in the late '90s and early 2000s without "American Pie." For people of that generation, it was a defining film that went on to become a massive mainstream hit, spawning a long-running franchise that made Universal Pictures a lot of money. It also made stars of Jason Biggs, Sean William Scott, Natasha Lyonne, Tara Reid, and much of the rest of the cast. Now, 24 years later, it appears a fifth theatrically released "American Pie" movie is on the way.

We learned last year that Sujata Day ("Insecure") has been tapped to write a "fresh take" on the franchise for Universal Pictures. It will be the first entry in the series to hit theaters since 2012's "American Reunion." It makes sense for the studio to revisit Jim, Stifler, and the gang, as the series has grossed nearly $1 billion at the global box office to date.

The coming-of-age film American Pie was one of the surprise hit movies of the 1999 film season. Fans quickly became invested in a group of high school friends and their families in the Jason Biggs, Eugene Levy, and Jennifer Coolidge-led big-screen success. Two years later, American Pie 2 revisited the friend group, now college students. However, when the third sequel, American Wedding, was filmed in 2003, many cast favorites were missing. Why was that so?

Why were so many of ‘American Pie’s’ original cast members not a part of ‘American Wedding?’

In 2003, producers of the American Pie film franchise orchestrated the wedding of Jim Levenstein (Jason Biggs) and Michelle Flaherty (Alyson Hannigan) as the centerpiece of American Wedding. The movie intended to bring together the cast of the first two installments as a love letter for the characters and film fans who supported the franchise since 1999.

However, the third installment...

Seann William Scott is the latest actor speaking out about their small paycheck in light of the actor’s strike.

The “American Pie” star — who played the iconic role of Stifler — says he went from starring in the 1999 hit to working as the churro guy at the LA zoo after he was only paid $8,000 for the entire movie.

Scott made the shocking claim while appearing on the “Rick Eisen Show”. The two played a game of truth or dare when he was asked if it was true that “American Pie” was his first feature-length film and whether he was only paid the four-figure number.

“I think so, yeah, because I remember afterwards I bought a used Thunderbird for like $5,000 or maybe $6,000, I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, baby’,” he said. “I don’t know what happened to the other $2,000 because I ended up having to work at the LA Zoo as a churro guy,...

While American Pie was one of the biggest comedy hits of the nineties, grossing over $235 million on an $11 million budget (and millions more on DVD), one of its stars received a pretty paltry salary. Seann William Scott, who stole the movie as the breakout character Stifler, was a newcomer to movies at the time and, according to a recent interview, only earned $8000 for his role.

According to Deadline, Scott told T.V. host Rick Elsen that he was so broke after the movie that he went to work at the L.A. Zoo as a Churro guy. He spent most of the check buying a used Thunderbird, saying that while it sounds like very little money, “it was a lot of money for me at the time.”

At any rate, Scott was soon able to quit his LA Zoo job as Stifler became a breakout character, earning him a leading roles in...

In this new era of actors’ financial transparency, actor Seann William Scott has revealed the paltry amount he was paid to appear in 1999 hit comedy American Pie.

Scott told TV chat show host Rick Elsen that he earned $8,000 for his work on the movie, which went on to make $235million at the box office.

The actor revealed in the interview that it “was a lot of money for me at the time” and revealed he’d splashed out.

“I remember afterwards I bought a used Thunderbird for like $5000 or maybe $6000, I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, baby’,” he said. “I don’t know what happened to the other $2000 because I ended up having to work at the LA Zoo as a churro guy, so maybe it was even less than $8000.”

Scott, who hails from Minnesota, played the role of wild lacrosse player Steve Stifler, aka Stifmeister. Scott continued working with the hit sex teen comedy franchise,...

One of the biggest events in the world is coming in July and the only way to stream it without a live TV streaming subscription will be on Peacock. The 2023 Women’s World Cup will be played in Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to Aug. 20. The NBCUniversal service will stream every match of the event in Spanish for the entire month. The United States Women’s National Team is scheduled to play three games during the group stage, facing off against Vietnam on July 21 at 9 p.m. Et, Netherlands on July 26 at 9 p.m. Et, and Portugal on Aug. 1 at 3 a.m. Et.

Toward the end of the month, Peacock will drop all 10 episodes of the highly anticipated adaptation of the beloved video game “Twisted Metal.” In the series, which premieres on July 27, Anthony Mackie is a motor-mouthed amnesiac milkman who is offered a chance at a better life,...

Sony had been planning to give director Chris Weitz’s horror film They Listen a theatrical release on August 25th of this year, which is why we have it listed on our Summer Horror Movie Preview… but we’re going to have to remove it from that list, because Sony has (according to Yahoo) decided to delay the release an entire year. They Listen is now set to reach theatres on August 30, 2024.

They Listen is coming to us from Sony, Blumhouse, and Depth of Field. Weitz is producing the film with Jason Blum and Andrew Miano. Bea Sequeira, Dan Balgoyen, Britta Rowings, and Paul Davis serve as executive producers. Filming was already underway in Los Angeles back in December, so this movie is going to be complete and sitting on a shelf a while before its new release date rolls around next year.

All details about They Listen are being kept under wraps.

Four “Hunger Games” movies are coming to Fox’s free streaming service Tubi beginning May 1. The games begin with one girl and one boy from each district trained in the art of survival and ultimately, battling to the death. Unless your character is played by Jennifer Lawrence, in which case, all bets are off.

Watch the trailer for “The Hunger Games”:

Also coming is the Tubi original comedy “Pastacolypse” on May 21. When a global ban on gluten destroys the life of billionaire celebrity chef Alfredo Manicotti, he leads a pasta uprising that threatens humanity. It’s up to his spoiled heiress daughter to save the world.

The true-crime story of Joseph DeAngelo arrives May 10. A devoted family man and police officer, DeAngelo was also the Golden State Killer. For 40 years, he raped and murdered women in California. “Evil Among Us: The Golden State Killer” reveals how a genetic match...

We’ve previously heard that Katherine Waterston (Alien: Covenant), John Cho (Searching), Havana Rose Liu (No Exit), Lukita Maxwell (Shrinking), and Riki Lindhome (Wednesday) will be starring in director Chris Weitz’s horror film They Listen, and now Deadline has revealed that Keith Carradine (Fear the Walking Dead), Ben Youcef (Seal Team), and Wyatt Linder (Little America) are also in the cast. As is to be expected when it comes to this project, details on the characters the new cast members will be playing are being kept under wraps.

In fact, all details about They Listen are being kept under wraps. We don’t even have any idea what the story is about. So we have to gauge our interest in this one based entirely on the names of the people involved with the making of it.

They Listen is coming to us from Sony, Blumhouse, and Depth of Field.

Havana Rose Liu recently had her breakthrough role playing the lead in the Hulu thriller No Exit (read our review Here) – which was an okay movie, but underwhelming in comparison to the awesome Taylor Adams novel it was based on. Now Deadline reports that Liu is returning to the thriller realm with a role in in director Chris Weitz’s horror film They Listen. Liu joins a cast that includes the previously announced Katherine Waterston (Alien: Covenant), John Cho (Searching), Lukita Maxwell (Shrinking), and Riki Lindhome (Wednesday). Details on her characters, and in fact on every character in the movie, are being kept under wraps.

They Listen is coming to us from Sony, Blumhouse, and Depth of Field. Weitz is producing the film with Jason Blum and Andrew Miano. Bea Sequeira, Dan Balgoyen, Britta Rowings, and Paul Davis serve as executive producers. Filming was already underway in Los Angeles back in December.

Riki Lindhome, who was recently seen playing Dr. Valerie Kinbott in the Addams Family series Wednesday on the Netflix streaming service, has signed on to join Katherine Waterston (Alien: Covenant), John Cho (Searching), and Lukita Maxwell (Shrinking) in director Chris Weitz’s horror film They Listen. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news, but wasn’t able to dig up any information on the character Lindhome will be playing… which is to be expected, because all They Listen plot and character details are being kept entirely under wraps.

They Listen is coming to us from Sony, Blumhouse, and Depth of Field. Weitz is producing the film with Jason Blum and Andrew Miano. Bea Sequeira, Dan Balgoyen, Britta Rowings, and Paul Davis serve as executive producers. Filming was already underway in Los Angeles back in December.

In addition to Wednesday, Lindhome’s credits include Million Dollar Baby, The Last House on the Left,...

Lukita Maxwell, who may be best known for playing Alice in 10 episodes of the Apple TV+ series Shrinking, Delilah in 16 episodes of the HBO Max series Generation, or Jillian in 4 episodes of the ABC series Speechless, has signed on to star in director Chris Weitz’s horror film They Listen. Maxwell joins previously announced cast members Katherine Waterston (Alien: Covenant) and John Cho (Searching). Deadline hears that Maxwell will have “a top-billed role” in the film.

They Listen is coming to us from Sony, Blumhouse, and Depth of Field. Weitz is producing the film with Jason Blum and Andrew Miano. Bea Sequeira, Dan Balgoyen, Britta Rowings, and Paul Davis serve as executive producers.

Filming was already underway in Los Angeles back in December, but plot details are still being kept entirely under wraps. So we have to gauge our interest in this one based only on the title and the...

1999’s American Pie was a sensation upon release, launching the careers–however quickly some fizzled out–of its core cast. The American Pie ensemble had several breakouts, but one who made her own impact on both the horny teen characters and wide-eyed male moviegoers was Shannon Elizabeth, who played foreign exchange student Nadia. But Elizabeth didn’t want anyone to see it at all.

Reflecting on her experience shooting American Pie, Shannon Elizabeth said Czech bombshell Nadia wasn’t nearly as fun to play as she was to watch. Yet it has nothing to do with baring it all on the world wide web (in the famous scene featured in the thorough documentary Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies), but rather post-production problems. “When I did American Pie, they called me in to do Adr [additional dialogue recording]. They were like, ‘We’re gonna play with the accent.’ So I’d...

Shannon Elizabeth became a teen movie icon with her breakthrough role in 1999’s “American Pie.” She played Nadia, the foreign exchange student from Czech Republic who Jason Biggs’ Jim wants to lose his virginity to before high school graduation. Elizabeth recently revealed on the “Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum” podcast (via The Independent) that she was left “devastated” by the film after the post-production team screwed with her accent. Elizabeth said the accent in the film was not what she originally wanted.

“When I did American Pie, they called me in to do Adr,” Elizabeth said. “They were like, ‘We’re gonna play with the accent.’ So I’d say something and then they’d go, ‘Ok, do less of an accent.’ I was like, ‘Why are they messing with this accent so much?’ I had worked really hard with a dialect coach on this.”

“I told all my friends,...

Chris Weitz went uncredited on his feature directorial debut American Pie, which he directed alongside his brother Paul Weitz, but since then he has earned directing credits on Down to Earth, About a Boy, The Golden Compass, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, A Better Life, and Operation Finale. He dealt with some horror elements in the Twilight movie, but now Deadline reports that he is going all-in on horror with his new film They Listen. They also report that Katherine Waterston (Alien: Covenant) and John Cho (Searching) have signed on to star in the film.

This makes They Listen a continuation of a working relationship between Weitz and Cho that stretches all the way back to American Pie. Weitz has only directed Cho in two movies previously, American Pie and Down to Earth, but Weitz was a producer on American Pie 2, American Wedding, American Reunion, See This Movie, In Good Company,...

Netflix is culling a large quantity of titles from its service in December.

While the next 31 days will bring plenty more movies and TV shows for users to enjoy, several things that may have been on your watchlist will suddenly disappear.

To minimise surprise, we have compiled a full list of everything being taken down this month.

Find the full list of every movie and TV series coming to Netflix from now until the end of the year here.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

1 December

Airplane!

American Pie 2

American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile

American Reunion

American Wedding

Amistad

Bad Santa 2

Barbie in Princess Power

The Blue Lagoon

Changeling

Child’s Play 3

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant

The Cleanse

Constantine

The Crow

The Danish Girl

Deliver Us from Eva

Dune (1984)

Executive Decision

The Express

Far and Away

Four Brothers

Free Birds...

Netflix is culling a large quantity of titles from its service in December.

While the next 31 days will bring plenty more movies and TV shows for users to enjoy, several things that may have been on your watchlist will suddenly disappear.

To minimise surprise, we have compiled a full list of everything being taken down this month.

Find the full list of every movie and TV series coming to Netflix from now until the end of the year here.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

1 December

Airplane!

American Pie 2

American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile

American Reunion

American Wedding

Amistad

Bad Santa 2

Barbie in Princess Power

The Blue Lagoon

Changeling

Child’s Play 3

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant

The Cleanse

Constantine

The Crow

The Danish Girl

Deliver Us from Eva

Dune (1984)

Executive Decision

The Express

Far and Away

Four Brothers

Free Birds...

Netflix is culling a large quantity of titles from its service in December.

While the next 31 days will bring plenty more movies and TV shows for users to enjoy, several things that may have been on your watchlist will suddenly disappear.

To minimise surprise, we have compiled a full list of everything being taken down this month.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

1 December

Airplane!

American Pie 2

American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile

American Reunion

American Wedding

Amistad

Bad Santa 2

Barbie in Princess Power

The Blue Lagoon

Changeling

Child’s Play 3

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant

The Cleanse

Constantine

The Crow

The Danish Girl

Deliver Us from Eva

Dune (1984)

Executive Decision

The Express

Far and Away

Four Brothers

Free Birds

Geostorm

The Great Outdoors

High Plains Drifter

How High

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry

In Bruges

The Incredible Hulk...

Just when you thought you'd sung the words, "Bye, bye, Miss American Pie," for the last time, Universal Pictures is ready to reheat the pie and kindly offer you some more. And you better like it because this is a multimillion-dollar film franchise and it's too expensive to pie you in the face with it. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a new "American Pie" movie is in the oven, based on an original pitch that is said to offer a "fresh take" on the 23-year-old sex comedy film series.

Sujata Day, known for her roles in Issa Rae and Larry Wilmore's HBO series, "Insecure," as well as Rae's web series "The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl," is the up-and-coming filmmaker behind this new "American Pie" pitch. There are no specific details available yet for what the plot or angle of the pitch is, but Day is known for her...

The “American Pie” franchise is one of the most popular and successful comedy franchises. The series spans nine movies and follows a group of friends navigating the highs and lows of teenage life.

From first kisses to losing their virginity, the “American Pie” movies capture the essence of being young and in love. And whether you’re a fan of the original cast or the newer additions, there’s something for everyone in this hilarious franchise.

Throughout the first film in the original series, Jim Levenstein (Jason Biggs) attempts to establish a connection with Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth), his schoolmate. Jim and three of his closest pals, Kevin Myers (Thomas Ian Nicholas), Paul Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), and Chris Ostreicher (Chris Klein), make a promise to lose their virginity before graduation.

“The American Pie Movie” series was a huge success and became an American cultural phenomenon. The series began with a...

Legendary Entertainment is developing a Duke Nukem film after acquiring rights to the video game franchise from Gearbox, Deadline can confirm. Legendary will produce the feature along with Cobra Kai creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg for Counterbalance Entertainment and Marla Studio’s Jean Julien Baronnet.

Launched with a self-titled debut in 1991, Duke Nukem centers on an L.A.-based action hero of the same name, who looks to fend off an alien invasion. The franchise has set the bar for first-person shooter titles with its groundbreaking design and technical achievements, has generated more than 1 billion in revenue, and continues to be a cultural and economic mainstay—entertaining scores of millions around the globe. Its most recent release, Duke Nukem Forever, debuted in 2011 after Gearbox acquired the rights to the franchise from Apogee Software Ltd.

Counterbalance’s Heald, Hurwitz and Schlossberg are also the executive producers and showrunners...

Exclusive: Following the critical acclaim of his Netflix comedy Bad Trip, director Kitao Sakurai has set his sights on his next major studio pic, being set to helm 72 Hours for Sony Pictures. John Davis is producing through his Davis Entertainment banner along with Cobra Kai creators Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg and Josh Heald through their Counterbalance Entertainment. Davis Entertainment’s John Fox and Jeremy Stein are executive producing.

While the plot is being kept under wraps, top-tier talent already is lining up, given the heat behind Bad Trip and Cobra Kai. Hurwitz and Schlossberg wrote the original screenplay for 72 Hours, with rewrites by Nicholas Thomas.

Sakurai has been a rising star in directing circles and gained support from his peers after directing and executive producing The Eric Andre Show for Adult Swim. Following that success, Andre and Sakurai teamed up on Netflix’s top comedy Bad Trip, directed and co-written by Sakurai and starring Andre.

New Kids on the Block released a video for their new song “Bring Back the Time” last week that’s perhaps the most potent expression of nostalgia we’ve ever seen. It’s the past in its purest, most uncut form, like it was created in Walter White’s secret basement laboratory and injected directly into the veins of their fans.

The video, which doubles as a commercial for the group’s upcoming Mixtape Tour, features Rick Astley, Salt-n-Pepa, and En Vogue (who are all on the tour) re-creating classic...

“Venom: Let There Be Carnage” (Sony/$19.99) hits home platforms this week after its eighth weekend exclusively in theaters. It will very likely lead charts in upcoming weeks, with, among top titles still to come, Marvel’s “The Eternals” not announced and not likely to be available for home viewing before Christmas.

Meanwhile, two other top fall releases, both at $19.99, share the top position at the moment. “No Time to Die” (United Artists) and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” (Disney) both took #1 spots among the three charts below. Both were made available last week, with initially the Bond title atop across the board.

That makes sense for “No Time to Die,” especially because of its early (31-day) PVOD release and older, still theater-averse audience. But the strong showing of “Shang-Chi” stands out as a sign of strange times where decision makers look for guidance of what strategies to pursue.

Exclusive: In a competitive situation with multiple bidders, Cobra Kai creators Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg and Josh Heald’s Counterbalance Entertainment and Sony Pictures Television, where the company is under an overall deal, have acquired rights to Marc Fisher’s Washington Post article “Powerball mystery: Someone in this tiny town won $731 million. Now everyone wants a piece of it.” The story will be developed into a half-hour comedy and a search for a writer is currently underway.

The article, published in mid-July, chronicles the aftermath of a Powerball ticket sold in the small town of Lonacoming, MD, winning $731 million. Maryland is one of seven states that allow lottery winners to remain anonymous, and the lucky Lonacoming group, who call themselves “Power Pack,” took advantage of that when they eventually claimed their reward four months after hitting the jackpot. The news turns this small town upside down as the residents...

Exclusive: SAG Award winner Iqbal Theba has signed on to star in Land of Gold, a drama from writer-director Nardeep Khurmi, which is currently in production in Oklahoma.

Pic centers on Kiren, a first-generation Punjabi trucker and anxious father-to-be, who stumbles across a 10-year-old undocumented Mexican-American named Elena during a cross-country trip. As Kiren helps her to find her way home, the pair connect over a shared history and evolving expectations of what family truly is.

Theba will play Kiren’s father, Gurinder, who is older than his years, losing his memory and dreaming of better days.

Land of Gold was the winner of the $1 million dollar Grand Prize at the 2021 Tribeca/AT&T Untold Stories pitch competition, and will premiere at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival, subsequently being distributed by Warner Bros. and HBO Max.

Keertana Sastry is producing the film with Pallavi Sastry and Simon Taufique.

Theba...

Exclusive: Cobra Kai creators, executive producers and showrunners Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg and Josh Heald have signed a big new four-year overall deal with the studio behind the hit Karate Kid sequel series, Sony Pictures Television.

When the trio signed their first overall deal with Sony Pictures TV in early 2019 and launched their Counterbalance Entertainment production company, Cobra Kai had just been renewed for a third season by YouTube. Since then, Sony TV successfully moved the series to Netflix where it has become a global hit, topping viewership charts and earning Season 4 and Season 5 renewals, along with landing four 2021 Emmy nominations for Season 3, including Outstanding Comedy Series.

Now, ahead of the Primetime Emmy Awards this month and Cobra Kai’s Season 4 premiere in December, Sony Pictures TV has stepped up with an early renewal of Counterbalance’s three-year overall deal for four more years.

Under the new pact, Hurwitz, Schlossberg and Heald,...

Having cut his showbiz teeth co-creating, writing, producing and/or directing the cult-favorite Harold & Kumar stoner-film franchise, which has hauled in nearly $100 million in worldwide box office on combined budgets of about $41 million, Hayden Schlossberg went on to co-write and direct the bawdy 2012 ensemble comedy American Reunion, the fourth installment of the hugely successful American Pie franchise, and to co-create, write, direct and produce the 2021 Emmy nominated Netflix series Cobra Kai, a continuation of The Karate Kid films. Next up for the master of low-brow comedy franchises is the upcoming fifth installment of the American Pie films, which he’s slated to write, direct and produce with his longtime professional partner Jon Hurwitz.

Schlossberg has now parlayed his growing string of successes, per tax records, into the almost $7.7 million purchase of a stately traditional home in Pacific Palisades that offers six bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms in almost 5,900-square-feet of unquestionably luxurious if somewhat generic living space.

Having cut his showbiz teeth co-creating, writing, producing and/or directing the cult-favorite Harold & Kumar stoner-film franchise, which has hauled in nearly $100 million in worldwide box office on combined budgets of about $41 million, Hayden Schlossberg went on to co-write and direct the bawdy 2012 ensemble comedy American Reunion, the fourth installment of the hugely successful American Pie franchise, and to co-create, write, direct and produce the 2021 Emmy nominated Netflix series Cobra Kai, a continuation of The Karate Kid films. Next up for the master of low-brow comedy franchises is the upcoming fifth installment of the American Pie films, which he’s slated to write, direct and produce with ...

Having cut his showbiz teeth co-creating, writing, producing and/or directing the cult-favorite Harold & Kumar stoner-film franchise, which has hauled in nearly $100 million in worldwide box office on combined budgets of about $41 million, Hayden Schlossberg went on to co-write and direct the bawdy 2012 ensemble comedy American Reunion, the fourth installment of the hugely successful American Pie franchise, and to co-create, write, direct and produce the 2021 Emmy nominated Netflix series Cobra Kai, a continuation of The Karate Kid films. Next up for the master of low-brow comedy franchises is the upcoming fifth installment of the American Pie films, which he’s slated to write, direct and produce with ...

I had the pleasure of speaking with Katrina Bowden about her upcoming horror film, Great White, which releases in theaters, VOD, and Digital on Friday, July 16, 2021. Katrina is best known for playing Cerie on NBC's 30 Rock (2006-2013) and has also appeared in such films as Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, Sex Drive, Piranha 3Dd, American Reunion, and Scary Movie 5. She can currently be seen on the CBS daytime soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful playing Flo Fulton. Her new role in Great…...

Legendary has closed a deal for Counterbalance Entertainment’s Josh Heald (“Cobra Kai”) to direct a feature film adaptation of The History Channel’s hit series “Ancient Aliens,” the company announced Wednesday.

“Ancient Aliens” was originally developed for television by Prometheus Entertainment and executive produced by the late Kevin Burns. Details of the project are being kept under wraps, but the story will be a two-handed, globe-spanning adventure featuring ancient sites and artifacts, confronting the theories and questions raised by the popular docuseries. The film adaptation will be written and executive produced by Luke Ryan.

“Helming my first feature with this same dream team who believed in me very early in my career is incredibly special,” Heald said in a statement to TheWrap. “My partners and I are fired up to produce this epic story with Mary, Cale and Luke. It’s a homecoming for me personally — and another bold step for Counterbalance Entertainment.

HBO Max is out with its list of everything new coming to the streaming service in October and everything leaving at the end of the month.

The list includes HBO Originals like the limited series “The Undoing” starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant, out Oct. 25, and David Byrne’s “American Utopia” special event about Byrne’s Broadway show that electrified audiences, out Oct. 17.

There is also Nathan Fielder’s comedic docuseries “How To With John Wilson,” out Oct. 23, and the first season finale of “Lovecraft Country” on Oct. 18.

Among the things leaving at the end of the month are “Amelie,” “Ocean’s 11,” “V For Vendetta,” “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” and “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.”

Read the full list here:

Oct. 1

A World of Calm, Documentary Series Premiere

Akeelah And The Bee, 2006 (HBO)

All-Star Superman, 2011

American Dynasties: The Kennedys, 2018

American Reunion, 2012 (HBO)

Analyze That,...

It’s almost spooky season, and the various streaming services are making sure that subscribers have got plenty of great horror content for all ages available to watch this Halloween. Given the current state of the world, this All Hallow’s Eve will see more folks staying in than ever before, so we’ll need as much choice when it comes to finding a perfect movie or TV show to dive into as possible. Thankfully, Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video have got us covered.

Of course, there’s much more beyond just horror content arriving across the streaming world this October, with the first day of the month launching hundreds of new titles on all the various sites. There are also a few key highlights scattered throughout the month. Arguably the biggest is Aaron Sorkin’s much-anticipated all-star drama based on real events, The Trial of the Chicago 7,...

HBO Max is serving up a lot of great new movies this October. Fittingly for the spooky season, the Warner Bros. streaming service is adding a fair few classic horrors to its library next month, but there’s really something for everyone going up – from comedies to romances to sci-fi to superhero films.

Speaking of that last genre, DC lovers will be pleased to note that 2013’s Man of Steel, the movie that kicked off the Dceu, is among the titles arriving on October 1st. Besides that, there’s a bunch of animated DC pics dropping the same day, including Superman/Batman: Public Enemies and All-Star Superman. 2005’s Constantine featuring Keanu Reeves, meanwhile, also debuts on the service from the 1st.

That’s not the only film starring the beloved actor headed to the platform, though, as probably the highlight of October’s haul is the addition of the...

Exclusive: Sony Pictures Television has put in development Unsportsmanlike Conduct, a limited series based on Walter Byers’ book Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Exploiting College Athletes. The project hails from Cobra Kai co-executive producers Joe Piarulli and Luan Thomas, series creators/exec producers/showrunners Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, & Hayden Schlossberg and their Counterbalance Entertainment, Sharon Hall (Euphoria) and Jon Steinberg (The Rookie). Prolific, Emmy-nominated TV director Lesli Linka Glatter (Homeland) is set to direct and executive produce.

Written by Piarulli and Thomas, Unsportsmanlike Conduct follows Walter Byers, the first executive director of the National College Athletic Association. In the tone of The Big Short and Wolf of Wall Street, Unsportsmanlike Conduct will span three decades, during which Byers transformed a toothless non-profit into one of the most profitable organizations in history while examining the cost of turning college sports into a lucrative business enterprise. .

Piarulli and Thomas executive produce with Glatter. Hall via her Mom De Guerre Productions,...

Costume designer Mona May is responsible for many iconic looks that came out of the ‘90s. The designer is behind the clothes of Cher in “Clueless,” “Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion” and “Never Been Kissed.”

Her credits span 66 films and to this day, her looks are recreated at costume parties every year and on TikTok.

Below, May breaks down some of her memorable films with Variety and discusses what it was like working with frequent collaborator, actress Drew Barrymore.

There is a thread that connects some of the movies you worked on, especially in the ’90s; movies like “Clueless,” “Never Been Kissed,” “The Wedding Singer” and “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion.” There is a search for identity in all of those movies and the clothes are an expression of that, of finding who you are.

Not just in the ’90s. There is “Enchanted” (2007) and “The House Bunny” (2008) and “American Reunion” (2012). To me,...

Cobra Kai will live on.

Netflix today announced it is the new home to Cobra Kai, the series continuation of the iconic The Karate Kid film franchise from Sony Pictures Television.

The film’s stars, Ralph Macchio and William Zabka reprise their star-making roles in the series along with Martin Kove as sensei John Kreese.

Under the terms of the deal, the first two seasons of Sony Pictures Television’s Cobra Kai will premiere on Netflix this year, with an all-new third season to follow.

The series takes place 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, where a now successful Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) struggles to maintain balance in his life without the guidance of Mr. Miyagi, and must face his previous adversary, down-and-out Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), who seeks redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai karate dojo.

The series has been a critical success since its debut,...

Hide your flutes and lock up your friends’ moms, because Alyson Hannigan and Eddie Kaye Thomas are coming over for a visit. The American Pie stars reunite with former co-star Jason Biggs on Thursday’s episode of Outmatched (Fox, 8:30/7:30c), and TVLine has an exclusive first look at their, ahem, American Reunion.

Hannigan and Thomas play Beth and Sigmund, a couple that the Bennetts attempt to befriend — with alcohol, naturally — in the clip above. “Sorry if we’re being weird,” Kay tells Beth and Sigmund after she and Mike lure them into their basement. “We’re just out of practice making friends.

When Jason Biggs played a fictional father in 2012's American Reunion (the American Pie franchise's fourth and final installment), he didn't think too much of it. "You know, it was fine," the Outmatched star recalls in this exclusive clip from Thursday's Pop of the Morning. "It was like, 'Oh, cool. I have a kid.'" Nowadays, Biggs approaches onscreen parenting with a new perspective. As an actual dad to sons Sid and Lazlo—who he shares with wife Jenny Mollen—the actor says he's able to intertwine a newfound "emotional component" to his new sitcom character, a father of three very smart children. "Even though it's a comedy and it's...

Exclusive: Fox has put in development a single-camera workplace comedy from writer-comedian Scott Eckert, Cobra Kai creators Jon Hurwitz, Josh Heald and Hayden Schlossberg and their Counterbalance Entertainment, Stun and Sony Pictures TV, where Counterbalance is based.

Written by Eckert, the Untitled Scott Eckert Comedy is a workplace comedy centered around the misfit crew of a nuclear submarine.

Eckert executive produces with Brad Roth, Mark Feldstein, Jeremy Colfer for Stun (The Writers Room), and Schlossberg, Hurwitz, Heald and Dina Hillier for Counterbalance. The project is a co-production between Sony Pictures Television and Fox Entertainment.

Eckert is a New York Television Festival Best Writing Award winner and a two-time Fox Comedy Script Contest finalist. He created the web comic Roger Christ, about Jesus’ deadbeat brother. Before moving to Los Angeles, Eckert performed improv and sketch in New York. He starred in Scott & Ellie, a two-person sketch...