Comment on Mel Stuart, director of 'Willy Wonka,' dead at 83

The race to produce true crime and documentary about Luigi Mangione — the man accused of killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York — continues to get more crowded. Next up, Variety has learned that Warner Bros. Discovery true crime network Investigation Discovery is readying its own take on the story, which has […]

Diane Delano, an American actor best known for her roles in “Northern Exposure” and “The Wicker Man,” has died. She was 67. Delano died on Friday night after a battle with a brief illness, according to her rep. Delano appeared as Officer Barbara Semanski in 12 episodes of the CBS sitcom “Northern Exposure” and played […]

Mason Gooding will be back for more “Scream.” Sources tell me that the actor will reprise his role Chad Meeks-Martin for the seventh installment of the horror franchise. Jasmin Savoy Brown, who plays Chad’s sister Mindy, has not officially signed on yet. News of Gooding’s return comes after the film weathered production delays, creative overhauls […]

Jamie Lee Curtis better bust out the doilies and contempo casual trench coats — it seems she’s headed to “Murder, She Wrote.” Variety has confirmed that Oscar winner Curtis is in early talks to play the iconic Jessica Fletcher, a crime writer turned crack detective, who was at the center of the long-running original TV […]

Magnify has acquired the international and U. S. sales rights to “Obex” ahead of its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Directed by and starring “Sylvio” and “Strawberry Mansion” filmmaker Albert Birney, “Obex” is a black and white fantasy film that marks Birney’s first live-action directorial effort. Written by Birney and Pete Ohs, the […]

The series finale of “Blue Bloods” delivered the show’s best viewership of its final season. According to VideoAmp data, the Season 14/series finale drew 6.68 million viewers in the Live+Same Day ratings when it aired on Dec. 13 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. That is up 15% over the season-to-date viewership average in Live+Same […]