Author: Variety.com

‘Tron: Ares’ Trailer: Rogue Programs Race Light Cycles Through the City in First Look at Disney’s Sci-Fi Sequel

“Tron” is back, more than 40 years after the original sci-fi movie hit theaters. Disney has released the first trailer for “Tron: Ares,” the third film in the “Tron” franchise after the 1982 original and the 2010 sequel “Tron: Legacy.” Jared Leto leads the film, which includes original star Jeff Bridges back as Kevin Flynn. […]

Box Office: ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Builds Big With $58 Million Opening Day — Largest of 2025

After more than a decade in development, “A Minecraft Movie” has dug deep and struck box office diamonds. Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment’s long-gestating video game adaptation notched a stellar $58 million across Friday and preview screenings from 4,263 North American venues — blasting past “Captain America: Brave New World” ($40.9 million) to land the […]

‘A Minecraft Movie’: Unfinished Version Leaks Online in Rare Security Breach

An unfinished version of “A Minecraft Movie” leaked online in advance of the video game adaptation’s big-screen debut. Screenshots and footage from the fantasy adventure were being shared widely on social media platforms this week, and were also available on file sharing sites. The images and scenes have uncompleted visual effects. Most of the footage […]

Guatemala’s Jayro Bustamante Takes Up Indigenous Rights Once More with ‘Mountains of Fire’ (EXCLUSIVE)

At the Panama Int’l Film Festival (IFF Panama) to present his latest film “Rita” and give a masterclass, Guatemala’s acclaimed filmmaker Jayro Bustamante sat down with Variety to discuss his upcoming projects, “Mountains of Fire” (“Cordillera de Fuego”) which has just completed post-production, and his first comedy, the adaptation of 1998 Spanish romcom “Nada en […]

Julio Zachrisson’s Surreal, Provocative World Chronicled in ‘The Sorcerer’: ‘Art is Useless, But We Can’t Live Without It,’ Says the Artist

Set to premiere at the Panama International Film Festival (IFF Panama), Félix “Trillo” Guardia’s debut feature-length documentary “The Sorcerer: Julio Zachrisson” celebrates the provocative legacy of Panamanian artist Julio Zachrisson. Produced by Tomás Cortés of Cine Animal, with the backing of Panama’s Ministry of Culture, the film melds animation, archival footage, and interviews to chronicle […]

‘Beloved Tropic,’ Led by ‘Gloria’ Star Paulina Garcia, Opens IFF Panamá

The Panama Int’l Film Festival (IFF Panama) presented a brief opening ceremony April 4, where IFF Panama board president Pituka Ortega-Heilbron heralded the return of documentary filmmaker Ana Endara to the festival with her fiction feature debut “Beloved Tropic.” (“Querido trópico”). Said Endara: “’Beloved Tropic’ ‘has been traveling, but no screening will ever be as […]

Panama Forges New Plans to Grow Film Industry and Lure More Location Shoots

Big changes are afoot in Panama’s film industry as a young, dynamic (and mostly female) team backed by its newish President José Raúl Mulino is spearheading new initiatives. Leading the charge is Vice Minister of Culture Arianne Benedetti, a filmmaker and former film commissioner for Panama who helped push for the country’s 2012 film law. […]

Co-Production Boost and Sturdy Funding System Fuel a Healthy Crop of Swiss Films at Visions du Réel 

Those looking for homegrown talent and stories at the largest documentary film festival in Switzerland, Visions du Réel, will be spoiled for choice in 2025. This year’s edition, which runs April 4-13, features a whopping 31 Swiss productions or co-productions, including the festival’s opening film, Christian Frei’s “Blame.” Veteran Frei, the first-ever Swiss filmmaker to […]

Paul Schrader Accused of Sexually Harassing Assistant and Reneging on Settlement

Paul Schrader, the screenwriter of “Taxi Driver” and “Raging Bull,” has been accused in a legal filing of sexually harassing his former assistant, and of backing out of an agreement to pay her a settlement. The 26-year-old woman, identified only as Jane Doe, alleges that Schrader grabbed her and kissed her against her will while […]