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There are some actors who are not only talented but also true go-getters. One such person is Keke Palmer, who has built an impressive career as a singer, actress, producer, and all-around creative force. She has a couple of projects still left to come out this year, and one upcoming project that has people especially buzzing. That project has just received an exciting update. More actors have joined Palmer in the show's cast!

It's titled The 'Burbs, a mystery comedy series that was announced to be in the works last year. It will stream on Peacock and is described as an upcoming modern TV show adaptation of the 1989 black comedy film of the same name, which starred Tom Hanks in the leading role. When The 'Burbs was first announced late last year, Palmer was the only actor attached. Besides starring in the series, she is also signed on as executive producer.

A new book adaptation from Prime Video has led to another big win for Amazon's streaming service. We Were Liars is earning immediate chart success shortly after its debut.

Via Flix Patrol, We Were Liars is the top-ranked TV series on Prime Video globally. Debuting on June 18, 2025, the thriller became an immediate hit -- leading a Prime Video chart featuring high-profile shows such as The Better Sister and Countdown.

Based on the best-selling 2014 novel of the same name by E. Lockhart, We Were Liars centers on Cady Sinclair Eastman (played by Emily Alyn Lind), a teenager from an upstanding and wealthy family who often spends her summers on a private island. Following a terrible car accident that leaves her with memory loss, Cady's life changes forever as she learns everyone in her family and her friends are all hiding secrets. Cady also realizes that she has issues she must confront.

Spoiler Alert: This piece contains spoilers for the entirety of Prime Video’s We Were Liars, including the finale.

One of the core elements of E. Lockhart’s young adult novel We Were Liars is the will they won’t they dynamic between Cadence Sinclair Eastman and Gatwick Patil.

The television series adaptation follows Emily Alyn Lind’s Cadence, who goes by Cady, and Shubham Maheshwari’s Gat across eight episodes within a timeline slightly more condensed than that of the novel. All Cadence knows at the start of the show is that she suffered a traumatic brain injury during what she and her friend group call summer 16. Now, in summer 17, she is back on Beechwood Island, her favorite place where her rich, white, Democratic family summers every year, trying to remember what happened to her in summer 16.

Those who have read Lockhart’s book have an idea of how...

In the very last of its eight hours, Amazon’s We Are Liars finally gets really, truly, fire-up-the-group-chat interesting. How specifically it gets interesting I can’t say, since it constitutes the biggest, most spoiler-y reveal of the entire series. Suffice it to say the whole affair — not just the twist but the way it’s handled in the aftermath — is the sort of big swing that had me bug-eyed and howling.

Whether it actually lands is another question — and I’m not convinced it does, leaning heavily on relationships too thinly sketched to drum up the requisite emotion and on character choices so rash they strain credulity. But it is by far the most daring choice in a series that otherwise feels like a lukewarm casserole slapped together from overused ingredients: part YA romance, part not-quite-murder mystery and part self-hating wealth porn, smothered in enough overwrought fairy tale metaphors...

Top 6 Prime Video Adaptations Of 2025 (Photo Credit – Prime Video) 1. The Summer I Turned Pretty Based on: The Summer I Turned Pretty series by Jenny Han Directed by: Erica Dunton, Jeff Chan, and Jesse Peretz Rotten Tomatoes: 86% – Season 1

Jenny Han’s sun-drenched coming-of-age romance returns with more beachside nostalgia and emotional drama. Follow Belly Conklin (Lola Tung) as she navigates a complicated love triangle between brothers Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno). Fans are eagerly awaiting Season 3, set to premiere on July 16, 2025.

2. Reacher Based on: Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child Directed by: Lin Oeding, Stephen Surjik, Omar Madha, Mj Bassett, & Sam Hill Rotten Tomatoes: 92% – Season 1

Alan Ritchson stars as Jack Reacher, a former military police officer entangled in a deadly conspiracy. With sharp writing and intense action, Reacher became Prime Video’s most-watched original series in 2023. Season 4 is already in production and is expected to premiere in 2026.

Trending The...

Back in 2022, it was announced that E. Lockhart’s award-winning young adult fiction novel, We Were Liars, would be turning into a television show, along with a prequel, Family of Liars. The screen rights were purchased by Julie Plec’s My So-Called Company and Universal Television. Later, Amazon Studios greenlit the series, and now, in no time, it will be dropping on Prime Video.

Since it is only a matter of time before We Were Liars hits our screens, it’s quite obvious that fans want to know everything and anything there is to know about the series. Who is directing it, who is starring in it, what’s the plot…are common questions that come to every fan’s mind. Let me take some time to answer it for you!

What is the plot of We Were Liars? We Were Liars (2025) | Credits: Prime Video

Since the series is based on E.

Prime Video’s crime thriller Cross is a dark and gritty series that delves into Washington D.C.’s criminal underbelly, led by the titular forensic psychologist and homicide D.C. Metro detective played by Aldis Hodge. But once you meet Hodge and Isaiah Mustafa, who plays Detective John Sampson, Cross’ partner in the series, you wouldn’t believe the pair ever shared a serious moment since meeting on the project.

Hodge and Mustafa were joined by director Nzingha Stewart at the Deadline Studio at Prime Experience, where they joked about everything from tequila, Mustafa’s former gig starring in Old Spice ads, and Hodge’s aging knees.

The photos in the gallery below highlight the strong connections made thanks to their work on the series created by Ben Watkins.

Check out the Cross trio’s conversation in the video, and scroll down for the photos.

“Whenever you do a pilot, the one thing that a director does not know until day one is, ‘What’s the chemistry going to be like?’ Sometimes it feels really cold and separate, but right away from the first scene, [Hodge and Mustafa] have that chemistry,” said Stewart, who directed the first two episodes of Cross and served as executive producer.

She continued, “Ben writes beautiful dialogue, but [Hodge and Mustafa] always add little pluses to it. I remember the scene where Aldis said, [Mustafa] smelled like Old Spice, and it was great. It made me laugh out loud. I ruined so many takes and had to go again because I laughed out loud at something they said.”

“Are we really going there, you guys?” asked Mustafa, pretending to use a stern voice while laughing.

“Yeah, we’re going there, bro,” joked Hodge, who also produced Cross.

Mustafa replied while pointing at Hodge, “I’m older than him in real life, but he treats me like a little brother.”

01

Aldis Hodge, Nzingha Stewart, Isaiah Mustafa at the Deadline Hollywood Portrait Studio at Prime Experience 2025 on May 13, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

Anthony Avellano for Deadline

Aldis Hodge at the Deadline Hollywood Portrait Studio at Prime Experience 2025 on May 13, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

Anthony Avellano for Deadline

Isaiah Mustafa and Nzingha Stewart at the Deadline Hollywood Portrait Studio at Prime Experience 2025 on May 13, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

Anthony Avellano for Deadline

Aldis Hodge at the Deadline Hollywood Portrait Studio at Prime Experience 2025 on May 13, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

Anthony Avellano for Deadline

Isaiah Mustafa at the Deadline Hollywood Portrait Studio at Prime Experience 2025 on May 13, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

Anthony Avellano for Deadline

Hodge and Mustafa’s instant bond also helped make the many action scenes work flawlessly. They admit they declined to use stunt doubles; the work is heavily dependent on the trust forged between the two actors.

Hodge also highlighted his appreciation for the show having the perfect amount of fight scenes.

“The action scenes, everything is choreographed. The thing that I like about it is that it’s all tasteful, and it drives the narrative, tone, and style. Nothing feels egregious, it still keeps that sense of suspense and that sense of excitement because you don’t know exactly what they’re getting into, how they’re going to get out of it,” Hodge said.

He also spoke to the important role Stewart played in molding the series.

“There’s a tonal thing that happens, which I want to speak to on a few fronts. That relationship that [Cross and Sampson] have, Ben always intended that to be a big part of the heart of the show. With Nzingha, being the first director, it’s a bigger job for the overall show because you have to set the tone and basically the blueprint for what the show will look like in terms of our color palette. That’s Nzingha.

He added, “It’s those first two episodes that create the rules for how everything else flows. We got really lucky to work with her in that space and in that capacity.”...

A party host, a conductor, a taxi dispatcher, and a cheerleader. These are just some of the other careers to which television directors likened their work when Gold Derby gathered five of the top talent from comedy, drama, competition, and variety series and streaming film together to discuss their favorite part of the prep process, common misperceptions about their profession, and the moment they knew they wanted to pursue this career. Joining our Meet the Experts: TV Directors panel are Abbott Elementary director Randall Einhorn, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy director Michael Morris, Cross director Nzingha Stewart, The Daily Show director David Paul Meyer, and RuPaul’s Drag Race director Nick Murray.

Watch the full roundtable above. Click each person’s name to watch an individual discussion.

“I think the most valuable thing I do every day as a director is listen, and I think the preconception of everybody else...

Prime Video’s next YA book-based TV show with a big audience and set at the beach will likely be We Were Liars, based on the book by E. Lockhart.

The rights to the best-selling novel were optioned in 2022 by Julie Plec’s My So-Called Company and Universal Television.

Read on for everything we know about the We Were Liars television series:

When will We Were Liars come out?

E. Lockhart posted on Instagram to expect the series in 2025, and just recently she revealed that the release date is June 18 on Prime Video.

Entertainment Weekly also gave an exclusive first look at the series with photos of the liars themselves, their mothers and the whole Sinclair family.

L-r: Candice King, Caitlin Fitzgerald, Mamie Gummer, Joseph Zada, Emily Alyn Lind and Shubham Maheshwari in ‘We Were Liars

Is We Were Liars in production?

Yes! The series has wrapped production.

Who will be in We Were Liars?...

Keke Palmer has built a career across multiple genres, but there is one aspect of acting she has avoided.

In a conversation with The Independent, Palmer discussed her hesitation toward nudity in film and television. “Just because I’m so shy and, you know, embarrassed,” she said. “And to know that people are going to be able to have [those scenes] forever? I could never have the confidence to do something like that! I’m not that bold.”

Palmer has often been recognized for her humor and sharp comedic timing. Despite this, she described a different side of herself. “On a deep level, I think I’ve always been the kind of person that’s felt very lonely or had these big emotions,” she said. “And I always say that people who are considered comedians, or people that make people laugh, they’re not necessarily seen as serious. Usually, though, they’re...

“The ‘Burbs,” Peacock’s upcoming mystery comedy series starring Keke Palmer, has added six recurring guest stars to its cast.

Haley Joel Osment, Rj Cyler, Justin Kirk, Kyrie McAlpin, Danielle Kennedy and Randy Oglesby join previously announced cast members Palmer, Jack Whitehall, Julia Duffy, Paula Pell, Mark Proksch and Kapil Talwalkar.

“The ‘Burbs” is adapted from the 1989 film of the same name. Per the official logline, the series is set in the present day and “follows a young couple who have reluctantly relocated to the husband’s childhood home. Their world is upended when a new neighbor moves in across the street bringing old secrets of the cul-de-sac to light, and new deadly threats shatter the illusion of their quiet little neighborhood.”

The series is written by Celeste Hughey, who serves as executive producer alongside Palmer and Rachel Shukert; Nzingha Stewart, who will direct the first episode; Brian Grazer, who produced the 1989 film,...

BAFTA nominee Daniel Radcliffe (the Harry Potter franchise) and Oscar nominee Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea) are set to take the lead roles in the Vietnam War thriller Trust the Man, which Deadline reports will be directed by Will Graham, whose credits include an episode of Daisy Jones & The Six (which earned him an Emmy nomination). This is the second Daisy Jones & The Six director we’ve talked about today, as Nzingha Stewart – who was at the helm of four episodes of that limited series – will be directing the first episode of The ‘Burbs TV series.

Given that Radcliffe left the Harry Potter franchise behind 14 years ago, I should note that some of his more recent work includes Miracle Workers, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, and The Lost City. In addition to Manchester by the Sea, Hedges’ credits include Honey Boy, French Exit, and Shirley.

Graham has...

The Peacock streaming service has given a straight-to-series order for The Burbs, a contemporary series adaptation of the 1989 movie of the same name (which starred Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher). A few months ago, it was announced that Keke Palmer (Nope) is set to star in and executive produce the series – and now, Deadline has revealed that Palmer is being joined in the cast by Jack Whitehall (Jungle Cruise), Julia Duffy (Newhart), Paula Pell (Girls5eva), Mark Proksch (What We Do In The Shadows), and Kapil Talwalkar (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist).

Celeste Hughey is writing and executive producing the series. Set in present-day suburbia, The ‘Burbs follows a young couple, with Palmer playing the wife, returning to the husband’s (Whitehall) childhood home. Their world is upended when new neighbors move in next door, bringing old secrets of the cul-de-sac to light, and new deadly threats shatter the illusion of their quiet little neighborhood.

Mark Proksch (“What We Do in the Shadows”), Jack Whitehall (Jungle Cruise), Julia Duffy (“Newhart”), Paula Pell (“Saturday Night Live”), and Kapil Talwalkar (“Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”) have joined “The ‘Burbs” as series regulars.

Keke Palmer (Nope) will star in and executive produce the Peacock series based on Joe Dante‘s 1989 dark comedy film.

Palmer and Whitehall play a young couple who have reluctantly relocated to the husband’s childhood home. Their world is upended when a new neighbor moves in across the street bringing old secrets of the cul-de-sac to light, and new deadly threats shatter the illusion of their quiet little neighborhood.

Nzingha Stewart will direct the first episode, written by showrunner Celeste Hughey (“Dead to Me”). Both are on board to executive produce as well.

“Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane and veteran producer Brian Grazer are also among the executive producers, while original The ‘Burbs writer Dana Olsen serves as a co-executive producer.

“The ‘Burbs” TV series adaptation at Peacock has cast five series regulars, Variety has learned.

Jack Whitehall, Julia Duffy, Paula Pell, Mark Proksch, and Kapil Talwalkar have all been cast in the series version of the 1989 dark comedy of the same name.

In addition, Nzingha Stewart has boarded the show as an executive producer and will direct the first episode.

The new additions join previously announced lead Keke Palmer in the show, which was picked up straight-to-series at Peacock in September 2024.

The official logline for the show states, “Set in present-day suburbia, ‘The ‘Burbs’ follows a young couple who have reluctantly relocated to the husband’s childhood home. Their world is upended when a new neighbor moves in across the street bringing old secrets of the cul-de-sac to light, and new deadly threats shatter the illusion of their quiet little neighborhood.”

Celeste Hughey will adapt the film for television and executive produce.

Jack Whitehall (Jungle Cruise), Julia Duffy (Palm Royale), Paula Pell (Girls5eva), Mark Proksch (What We Do In The Shadows), and Kapil Talwalkar (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist) have joined Peacock’s upcoming mystery comedy series The ‘Burbs as series regulars.

They join previously announced Keke Palmer who stars and executive produces in this new series adaptation of the 1989 film of the same name starring Tom Hanks.

Set in present-day suburbia, The ‘Burbs follows a young couple — with Palmer playing the wife returning to the husband’s (Whitehall) childhood home. Their world is upended when new neighbors move in next door, bringing old secrets of the cul-de-sac to light, and new deadly threats shatter the illusion of their quiet little neighborhood.

Celeste Hughey writes and executive produces alongside executive producers Brian Grazer, Kristen Zolner, and Natalie Berkus for Imagine Entertainment, Seth MacFarlane (Ted), Erica Huggins,...

Prime Videos new detective series, Cross, has gotten a lot of buzz, enough that it already had a Season 2 guaranteed long before it premiered. Fans of the James Patterson books that Alex Cross originates from may already have some clues about what to expect in the future season, especially about a major antagonist. The character of sharp FBI agent Kayla Craig is awfully similar to the name Kyle Craig in Pattersons books. The latter, once a friend of Cross, eventually becomes a major villain to defeat. Do we see the writing on the creative wall here?

In a recent interview with MovieWeb, Alona Tal, who plays Craig in the series, was quick to note: This is the fun part. Since this is a new world, any resemblance [of the two characters] is just fuel for the speculation, and that keeps you at the edge of your seat. In every good character, there has to...

Aldis Hodge has a new Cross to bear, but his take on author James Pattersons beloved detective will be a vastly different interpretation than has appeared in previous adaptations of the novels. And Hodge is rightfully excited about his divergent and nuanced iteration of Alex Cross, who appears in the upcoming Prime Video series, which is aptly titled Cross. Hodge said in an interview with Screen Rant while appearing at the New York Comic Con (Nycc):

I think that, for me, I see our execution of Cross as just one element, which is the vast fullness of his entire world it's alluding to, if we get to explore that. We get to see the cop, not only that, we get to see the father, we get to see the family man, the friend. We get to see the vulnerable person that may not have all the answers, and is still trying to find out.

James Patterson’s Alex Cross book series is heading to the screen once again, and here’s the trailer for Cross.

Thus far, James Patterson’s Alex Cross action thriller novels have only been seen on the big screen. Morgan Freeman first took on the role of the detective for 1997’s Kiss the Girls, directed by Gary Fleder, and 2001’s Along Came A Spider, directed by Lee Tamahori. Both were well received and feature strong casts, including Ashley Judd, Carey Elwes and Michael Wincott.

A reboot landed in 2012, directed by Rob Cohen and starring Tyler Perry. However, Alex Cross was a critical and commercial failure, and plans for a sequel were dropped.

That brings us to Cross, a television series coming to Amazon Prime Video which follows Reacher's template of using the protagonist’s surname as the title.

The synopsis reads as follows:

Alex Cross (Aldis Hodge) is a detective and forensic psychologist,...

Aldis Hodge has hung up his Hawkman wings, but hes still fighting crime in the official trailer for Prime Videos upcoming series, Cross. And his character, Alex Cross, is facing a seemingly unstoppable opponent as the 38-year-old detective goes up against a creepy masked killer in the brand-new footage. Check out the video (below), which gives fans a glimpse into the crime thriller, which adapts author James Pattersons beloved literary character for the small screen.

Ben Watkins teams up with Hodge in the Cross creative collaboration. Watkins acts as the Prime Video series showrunner and executive producer, and his most prolific work as an EP comes from his contributions to the television shows Burn Notice, Hand of God and Truth Be Told. And Watkins knows Hodge has something special to offer the fans with his interpretation of Alex Cross. Watkins said of Hodge during an interview with Entertainment Weekly:...

Emily Alyn Lind, Shubham Maheshwari, Joseph Zada and Esther McGregor have joined the cast of Prime Video’s new drama series “We Were Liars,” based on the young adult novel of the same name by E. Lockhart.

They join previously announced cast members Mamie Gummer, Caitlin FitzGerald, Candice King, David Morse, and Asher Ali.

Lind joins the cast as Cadence, “the revered eldest granddaughter of a Kennedy-esque American dynasty, effortlessly clever and adventurous [with] a knack for dramatic storytelling,” per the official character description. Maheshwari will take on the role of Gat, a “thoughtful, ambitious and intelligent New York City kid with an edge — so he can’t help but feel a bit out of place amongst Martha’s Vineyard’s cashmere-and-gingham elite.” McGregor will play Mirren, a “wickedly funny and keenly observant…artist who is too worried about being perfect to color outside the lines.” Zada has been cast as Johnny,...

We Were Liars, Prime Video’s series adaptation of E. Lockhart’s YA novel, has found its infamous Liars. Emily Alyn Lind (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire), newcomer Shubham Maheshwari, Esther MacGregor (Baby Girl), and Joseph Zada (Total Control) are set as series regulars, joining Mamie Gummer, Caitlin Fitzgerald, Candice King and David Morse. The series hails from Julie Plec, Carina Adly MacKenzie, Universal Television and Amazon MGM Studios.

We Were Liars is a tragic love story and an amnesia thriller set on a privately owned island off the coast of Massachusetts. It centers on the wealthy, seemingly perfect Sinclair family, who spend every summer on their private island. Gummer, FitzGerald and King play the three Sinclair sisters.

Lind plays Cadence. The revered eldest granddaughter of a Kennedy-esque American dynasty is effortlessly clever and adventurous and has a knack for dramatic storytelling. She falls in love for the first time during an idyllic,...

Nzingha Stewart is attached to direct the first episode of the upcoming Amazon Prime Video series adaptation of “We Were Liars,” Variety has learned exclusively.

The series was originally picked up at Prime Video in March 2023. It is based on the E. Lockhart YA novel of the same name. The series is described as “a tragic love story and an amnesia thriller set on a privately owned island off the coast of Massachusetts.” Mamie Gummer, Caitlin FitzGerald, and Candice King will star.

Stewart previously served as an executive producer and director on the Prime Video series “Daisy Jones and the Six” as well as on the upcoming Prime Video series “Cross,” based on the Alex Cross novels by James Patterson. Her other TV directing credits include “Little Fires Everywhere,” “From Scratch,” “Inventing Anna,” “Maid,” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” In film, she directed the popular Netflix film “Tall Girl” and is attached...

Verve has hired longtime agent Valarie Phillips. The agency also recently hired Non-Fiction Agent Jacy Schleier.

Phillips, who brings more than two decades of agency experience to Verve, was most recently Co-Head of the Motion Picture Literary department at A3 Artists Agency, and prior to that, spent two decades at Paradigm Talent Agency where she started as an assistant, and worked her way up to Department Head.

Following Phillips to Verve are several of the busiest and highly sought after writers in town, including Guy Busick, Greg Erb and Jason Oremland, and Tory Kamen. Also following Phillips to Verve, Charles Leavitt, Anthony Jaswinski, Shiwani Srivastava and directors Andy Tennant, Tom Dey, Sasie Sealy, Todd Robinson and Patrick Lussier.

Throughout her career, Phillips has consistently demonstrated her commitment to excellence and a keen eye for discovering and nurturing talent, previously working with Nzingha Stewart, Eric Tuchman, Ehren Kruger and Kenny Ortega.

Exclusive: Rob McElhenney has launched More Better Industries, a multi-faceted company which encompasses three dynamic entities: More Better Productions, More Better Advisory and More Better Ventures. He has appointed Jackie Cohn as the head of More Better Productions.

She previously ran television at Red Hour where she developed and executive produced Severance for Apple TV+, which earned fourteen Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series. Cohn was also an executive producer on Apple TV+’s High Desert starring Patricia Arquette, the CW’s In the Dark, worked on Comedy Central’s hit shows Another Period and Big Time in Hollywood, Fl, and executive produced the independent romantic comedy Plus One.

The company is a film, television, and multimedia company that expands upon McElhenney’s unique approach to worldbuilding by creating, developing and producing bold, human stories. More Better Productions has rapidly become a creative hub expanding across numerous genres and media platforms including HBO,...

On Thursday, Disney Entertainment Television (Det) announced that it has selected the latest cohorts for the company’s Scripted Directing and Writing Programs, two of the entertainment industry’s most successful talent development initiatives.

After expanding into daytime television just last year, three program participants will direct episodes for ABC’s “General Hospital,” with other individuals positioned across Disney-owned 20th Television, ABC Entertainment and ABC Signature-produced programs as directors or writers.

“General Hospital”

ABC

Joining the “General Hospital” team are Erica Eng, Nina Kramer and Aubrey Smyth, each of whom will be shadowing and directing episodes of the daytime drama series, which recently won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing Team for a Daytime Drama Series at “The 50th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards” in December. The team was represented by directors Tina Keller, Robert Markham, Allison Reames Smith, Gary Tomlin, Frank Valentini (the show’s executive producer), Denise Van Cleave and Phideaux Xavier,...

Disney Entertainment Television has selected its latest cohorts for its Directing and Writing Programs, talent development initiatives which nurture creatives on the cusp of television episode directing and staff writing.

“It’s an honor to welcome these exceptional directors and writers into the Det Directing and Writing Programs,” said Tim McNeal, senior vice president, Creative Talent Development and Inclusion, Det. “It’s clear that this group of talented creatives will have a lasting impact not only on Disney but on the industry at large. We’re proud to be part of their journey to shape the future of storytelling.”

2023-2024 Det Directing Program – Scripted Cohort

The Det Directing Program guarantees participants the opportunity to direct an episode of a Disney scripted series or a segment of a Disney unscripted series, and offers professional and career development through mentorship, on-set shadowing experience, and networking opportunities with the company’s creative executives and program alumni.

Oppenheimer won Best Feature Film at the 76th DGA Awards, beating out a stacked roster of nominees. The Last of Us won Best Drama Series, The Bear season 2 won Best Comedy Series, and Lessons in Chemistry won Best Limited Series. Filmmakers discuss their projects, the importance of independent film, and the stories that resonate with audiences at the event.

The latest Directors Guild of America Awards has concluded, honoring everything from blockbuster hits to acclaimed indie projects. Hosted by Judd Apatow, the night saw Oppenheimer beat out the likes of Barbie, The Holdovers, Poor Things, Past Lives, and Killers of the Flower Moon for Best Feature Film. When it came to television, The Last of Us won Best Drama Series, The Bear season 2 won Best Comedy Series and Lessons in Chemistry won Best Limited Series.

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Related All 10 Oscars 2024 Best Picture Nominees, Ranked Worst To Best The 2024 Oscar nominations include...

With the 96th Academy Awards now only a month away, each weekend brings a new award show that reveals a new look at the shape of the Oscar race. Tonight, the auteurs behind some of 2023’s biggest films gathered at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles to celebrate the craft of filmmaking at the Directors Guild of America Awards.

Martin Scorsese, Greta Gerwig, Christopher Nolan, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Alexander Payne were nominated for the night’s top prize, Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film, with Oscar frontrunner Nolan walking away with the coveted trophy. Celine Song, Cord Jefferson, A.V. Rockwell, Manuela Martelli, and Noora Niasari competed for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Theatrical Feature Film, which ultimately went to Song.

The show celebrated some of the best directors working in television, with awards in a variety of categories ranging from TV dramas and sitcoms to commercials and reality TV.

The 76th Directors Guild of America Awards took place on Saturday, February 10 at 7:30 p.m. Pt with Judd Apatow hosting the in-person, non-televised ceremony. These kudos honored the best helmers of the year in movies and television, as voted on by more than 18,000 members of the directing guild. Scroll down for the 2024 DGA Awards winners list in three film and eight TV categories.

As always, the all-important feature film category is one of the most telling bellwethers for the eventual Best Director Oscar. The guild and the academy have only disagreed for Best Director eight times over the past seven decades, with the last three years lining up perfectly for Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert (2022’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once”), Jane Campion (2021’s “The Power of the Dog”) and Chloé Zhao (2020’s “Nomadland”).

This year, just three of the DGA’s nominees also reaped directing Oscar bids: Yorgos Lanthimos...

Directors may call the shots on set, but in TV, they are just one piece of a well-oiled machine. For every auteur who writes and directs every episode of a show, there are hundreds of episodic directors who come in and out of shows, adapting to the series’ tones and looks, and collaborating with dozens of people. And that’s precisely what our Directors Guild of America Awards TV nominees panelists love about TV.

“I never saw myself as an auteur particularly, and so in episodic TV, that’s one thing you certainly don’t need or maybe don’t want to have because there’s not a whole lot of room for it. I think in episodic TV, as well as making your episode as amazing as it is and as best it can be, there’s a huge amount of fitting in and working with the parameters of...

“Goodfellas” may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of “Daisy Jones & the Six,” but the Martin Scorsese crime drama served as inspiration for Nzingha Stewart, who directed four of the Amazon Prime Video series’ final five episodes. The back half of the limited series showcased the titular band at the height of its fame in the 1970s. More money meant more drugs, more problems, more messiness. It’s a far cry from the first half of the series, when the upstart group was just trying to land its big break, and showrunner Scott Neustadter encouraged Stewart to make her block completely different from the first one.

“I think it was always probably floating in the ether because I did watch ‘The Last Waltz,’ which was Scorsese’s documentary on a rock band just in me doing research on shooting live concerts. So it might...

Yaya (played by Camryn Jones) just wants to walk to school with her boyfriend. Living on the South Side of Chicago in a house overflowing with family members, the only thing that gets the exhausted teen out of bed every morning is knowing Dre (Travis Wolfe Jr.) will be waiting on her stoop. The only issue: her protective brother, Mouse (Victor Musoni), doesn’t approve. He thinks her friends aren’t a good influence — they show up late to school too often, eat too much junk food, and don’t pay enough attention to their surroundings. Mouse, clearly, just wants his little sister to be safe, get good grades, and live a better life, but by intimidating Dre, he’s unwittingly snuffing out her one spark of joy — joy that manifests itself via her favorite hobby: dance.

Yaya loves to dance, and “Me/We” — one of three entries in Sundance’s 2024 Pilot Showcase,...

IndieWire has partnered with Sundance Film Festival presenting sponsor Adobe to host several panels at the Adobe on Main space. The last of these will take place today, January 21, at 11 a.m. Mt. It’s called New Voices in Film: Sundance x Adobe Fellows Spotlight, and it’s moderated by IndieWire Executive Editor, Craft and Special Projects, Chris O’Falt. Speakers Gerardo Coello, Gabriela Ortega, Iliana Sosa, and Sean Wang will discuss their latest projects, creative processes, and their unique stories shaping the future of film.

If you can’t make it in person, IndieWire will be live streaming the panel right here.

Coello is a 2018 Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellow director/screenwriter whose short film “Viaje de Negocios” is debuting at 2024 Sundance. Ortega, one of the 2023 Sundance Women to Watch x Adobe Fellows, is the producer and actor behind short film “Border Hopper.” Sosa, a 2020 Sundance Women to Watch x Adobe Fellow,...

IndieWire’s 2024 Sundance lineup of events is officially being revealed.

In addition to IndieWire’s annual Sundance Studio, the publication is partnering with Adobe for three panel discussions taking place at Adobe’s 558 Main Street location in Park City. Sign up to gain access to the space here.

The first, taking place January 20 at 3 p.m. Mt, is titled IndieWire: Creative Collaborations in Filmmaking, presented by Adobe.

Join the guest list here.

IndieWire’s Crafts editor Chris O’Falt will moderate a discussion with Duplass Brothers Productions president Mel Eslyn and producer/director/actor Mark Duplass. The conversation will focus on the longtime partnership behind the production company behind projects such as HBO’s “Room 104,” “Somebody Somewhere,” Hulu’s “Sasquatch,” and new release “Penelope,” which is premiering at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

The second conversation, at 3:30 p.m. Mt, January 20, will have O’Falt moderate a discussion with the...

The annual IndieWire Studio at Sundance returns for the 2024 season to honor the 40th anniversary of the iconic festival.

The IndieWire Studio at Sundance will feature interviews with the talent behind the most anticipated films of the festival with discussions taking place in-person on Main Street in historic Park City, Utah.

Presented by Dropbox, and with supporting partners ACLU and Cotopaxi, the IndieWire Studio at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival will serve as a hub for video interviews with the top attending talent from the hottest indie films presented at the fest. Actors, directors, producers, screenwriters, and documentary subjects will be interviewed by IndieWire’s senior staff for exclusive video and social media content.

Dropbox is the perfect partner for IndieWire — and for Sundance — because it’s a brand that recognizes the power of collaborative effort. Their tools keep creative teams on the same page, whether sharing dailies, shooting schedules, costume specs,...

Because the Primetime Emmys and the DGA Awards are operating on two different schedules, nominations often have little overlap. However, with the Director Guild of America (DGA) coincidentally releasing the TV nominations for its DGA Awards the same week as the postponed 75th Primetime Emmys, it’s become even more noticeable the ways in which the two awards bodies aligned and differed on shows from 2023.

For instance, DGA Awards favorite “Succession” once again dominates the Drama Series category, receiving four nominations (one less than the last time the show was eligible). While the guild was on the same page about honoring directors Andrij Parekh and Mark Mylod (a past winner) for their work on the fourth and final season of the HBO awards juggernaut, DGA voters opted to recognize Becky Martin and duo Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman for their “Succession” Season 4 episodes over Lorene Scafaria, the show’s...

The Directors Guild of America announced the nominees for television, commercials and documentary for its 76th annual DGA Awards today, a list headed by three-time winner Bill Hader and installments of the third and final season of HBO’s “Succession,” which claimed four of the five Drama Series nomination slots – the fifth going to an episode of fellow HBO hour “The Last of Us.”

The Comedy Series nomination lineup features the directors of a pair of episodes of Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso” along with two installments of FX’s “The Bear” (including a repeat nomination for showrunner Christopher Storer – the acclaimed “Fishes” edition from Season 2 of the series – and a first for comedian and actor Ramy Youssef).

SEEBill Hader will set multiple SAG Award records with win for ‘Barry’

The Apple TV+ limited series “Lessons in Chemistry” also scored multiple bids in the Movies For Television/Limited Series category with three.

The 2024 Directors Guild of America Award’s TV nominations were unveiled today, January 9, with “Succession” leading the Dramatic Series category with a whopping four nominations.

The only other series nominated in the “Succession”-dominated category was the “Long, Long Time” episode of “The Last of Us.” Other series nominated in different categories include “Barry,” “Ted Lasso,” and “The Bear,” with the Ramy Youssef-directed episode “Honeydew” especially recognized.

Shawn Levy’s limited series “All the Light We Cannot See” and Nzingha Stewart’s installment of “Daisy Jones and the Six” are additionally nominated.

See the full list of 2024 DGA Award nominations below.

Dramatic Series

The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series for 2023 are (in alphabetical order):

Peter Hoar

The Last of Us, “Long, Long Time”

(HBO | Max)

Directorial Team:

Unit Production Manager: Cecil O’Connor First Assistant Director: Bethan Mowat

Becky Martin

Succession,...

The Directors Guild of America has unveiled the television and documentary nominations for its 76th annual DGA Awards, which will be handed out next month. See the full list below.

The helmers vying for Dramatic Series are Peter Hoar (The Last of Us) and several for different episodes of Succession: Becky Martin, Mark Mylod, Andrij Parekh and Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman. Up for Comedy Series are Erica Dunton (Ted Lasso), Bill Hader (Barry), Declan Lowney (Ted Lasso), Christopher Storer (The Bear) and Ramy Youssef (The Bear).

The DGA’s film nominees will be revealed Wednesday, and the guild’s trophies will be handed out on Saturday, February 10, at the Beverly Hilton.

Here are the television, documentary and commercials nominees for the 2024 DGA Awards:

Dramatic Series

Peter Hoar

The Last Of Us, “Long, Long Time”

(HBO | Max)

Directorial Team:

Unit Production Manager: Cecil O’Connor First Assistant Director: Bethan Mowat

Becky Martin

Succession,...

The schedule for the milestone 40th Sundance Film Festival continues to fall into focus. The beloved Utah event — scheduled for Jan. 19-26 in Park City — has unveiled the lineup for Beyond Film programming and revealed that the documentary The Greatest Night in Pop, a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the iconic song “We Are the World,” will be part of this year’s program.

The roster of Beyond Film speakers includes notables with films in this year’s festival like Steven Soderbergh (Presence), Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Rob Peace), Sue Bird (Sue Bird: In The Clutch), Dee Rees (Pariah), Lucy Lawless (Never Look Away), André Holland (Exhibiting Forgiveness), Debra Granik (Conbody vs Everybody), Jay Ellis (Freaky Tales) and Nzingha Stewart (Me/We).

The slate also includes a conversation within New Frontier, which champions artists practicing at the crossroads of film, art, performance and new media. Titled...

A still from ‘The Greatest Night in Pop’ by Bao Nguyen, an official selection of the Episodic Program at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute)

The 2024 Sundance Film Festival has added The Greatest Night in Pop, a documentary that explores the creation of the collaborative “We Are the World” song and video, to its lineup.

“We’re thrilled to be adding to our program a special screening of The Greatest Night in Pop, taking us behind the scenes of how ‘We Are the World’ came together, followed by a conversation with Lionel Richie, filmmaker Bao Nguyen, and producer Julia Nottingham,” stated Kim Yutani, Sundance Film Festival Director of Programming. “Our robust film lineup will be rounded out by a wide range of conversations touching upon themes in the programming and featuring some of today’s most inspiring creators and leaders.”

The festival also announced the 2024 Beyond Film schedule,...

The 2024 Sundance Film Festival’s Beyond Film — described as a “community hub for Festivalgoers through artist conversations, talks with filmmakers and experts across the fields of art and science, and audience discourse,” as per the press release — has revealed its lineup of speakers and events slated for Jan. 19 to Jan. 26. This will be the festival’s 40th anniversary with special celebration events for the occasion.

Speakers this year include Jesse Eisenberg, Steven Soderbergh, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sue Bird, Dee Rees, Lucy Lawless, André Holland, Debra Granik, Jay Ellis and Nzingha Stewart. Additionally, there will be a “New Frontier: Let’s Rebrand Artificial Intelligence!” conversation about technology and popular culture led by experts in the field.

As part of the lineup, there will be a special screening of the music documentary “The Greatest Night in Pop,” which spotlights the recording session behind the song “We Are the World” from Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie,...

Sundance Institute announced the addition of the documentary The Greatest Night in Pop to the 2024 Sundance Film Festival film program and the lineup for the Festival’s Beyond Film programming.

In addition to the three annual series — Power of Story, Cinema Café presented by Audible, and The Big Conversation — this year’s lineup also includes a New Frontier conversation about artificial intelligence and special 40th Edition Celebration events. With the exception of Power of Story, the sole ticketed event, all Beyond Film events are free and open to the public.

Supplementing the Festival experience, Beyond Film provides a community hub for Festivalgoers through artist conversations, talks with filmmakers and experts across the fields of art and science, and audience discourse. The events will take place in person from January 19–26, 2024, with select Beyond Film offerings available beginning January 25, 2024, to audiences across the country on the online Festival Platform. The Festival will...

The 2024 Sundance Film Festival has unveiled its Beyond Film programming, including discussions with leading auteurs and rising stars.

A trio of annual series — Power of Story, Cinema Café presented by Audible, and The Big Conversation — have shared their respective filmmaker lineups, with the festival also launching special 40th anniversary celebration events and a New Frontier conversation about artificial intelligence in film. The 2024 Sundance Film Festival runs January 18 to 28, with the talks taking place January 19 to 26. Select Beyond Film offerings available beginning January 25 on the digital platform.

The Beyond Film speakers series includes discussions with Steven Soderbergh, Jesse Eisenberg, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sue Bird, Lucy Lawless, Nzingha Stewart, and Debra Granik, who also serves on the festival jury. For the 40th edition of the festival, alums like Richard Linklater, Dawn Porter, Miguel Arteta, and Christine Vachon will participate in “Power of Story: Four Decades of Taking Chances,” a talk about the importance of independent filmmaking.

The Sundance Institute unveiled the lineup of 53 short films for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, taking place Jan. 18-28 in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah. The film fest will happen in person, with a selection of titles available online from Jan. 25-28. Sundance was forced to re-format its 2021 and 2022 editions as virtual events because of the pandemic, but it returned in physical form in 2023.

Celebrating its 40th edition, Sundance will also feature a slate of special screenings including a restored version of “Napoleon Dynamite,” which first premiered at the festival in 2004, as well as 2014’s “The Babadook” and 1984’s “The Times of Harvey Milk.” Festival programming also includes events with Richard Linklater, Miguel Arteta, Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass, Carlos López Estrada, Sterlin Harjo, Steve James, Dawn Porter, Nzingha Stewart and Christine Vachon.

“Selecting the shorts for the Festival Program every year is an exercise in taking the pulse of film culture,...

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:

Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys

2023 Emmy Predictions:

Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series

Weekly Commentary: Acting nominees Richard Jenkins and Evan Peters (“Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”) and Steven Yeun and Ali Wong (“Beef”) added producing noms to their Emmy celebrations.

“Dahmer” marks Peters’ second executive producer credit (the first was “American Horror Story...

The honest answer for why Hello Sunshine had such a prolific TV season is the pandemic.

“The timing has a lot to do with Covid because there was this moment where everything was quiet, but we were still working, so we were driving all these different things forward,” said Lauren Levy Neustadter, President of Film & TV of the media company co-founded by actress and mogul Reese Witherspoon. “When it was safe to go back and shoot, we had all of these shows that started production, and they all came together in a very similar window.”

Now the company has entered the 2023 Emmys season with not only one Television Movie contender and two Drama Series submissions but a whopping four Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series entrants — even more than some major networks. “From Scratch” (Netflix), “Daisy Jones and the Six” (Prime Video), “Tiny Beautiful Things” (Hulu), and “The Last Thing He Told Me...

The Emmy race has never been more crowded for those working behind the camera on TV’s most acclaimed series.

While these directors below have never won Emmys, their work on this year’s juggernaut dramas, side-splitting comedies and affecting limited series could change that come September.

Lee Sung Jin

As creator and showrunner of Netflix’s limited series “Beef,” Jin guides the series from its inciting road rage incident all the way to its cliff-diving conclusion. In addition to penning several episodes, the veteran comedy writer finally steps behind the camera to make his directorial debut on the finale.

Peter Hoar

Fresh off directing Max’s “It’s a Sin,” Hoar helmed “Long, Long Time,” the third episode of HBO’s freshman hit “The Last of Us” — possibly the most-loved episode of television this year. The feature-length outing tells the sweeping tale of Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett...

Prime Video’s “Daisy Jones and the Six” ends with a look that says more than an entire monologue could express. After years of estrangement, former band members and creative soulmates Daisy Jones (Riley Keough) and Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin) reunite to fulfill one of the last wishes of Billy’s late wife, Camila (Camila Morrone). When Billy knocks on Daisy’s front door, he greets her with a smile; she, in response, has a look of reticence that slowly melts into a grin before the series smash cuts to the final credits.

Co-creator Scott Neustadter has compared the ending to “The Graduate.” “I hate happy endings,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “I’m really allergic to happy endings but I really love hopeful endings. To me, there was a lot of hope at the end of the book. [‘Daisy Jones’ author Taylor [Jenkins Reid] and I both have talked about this a lot and we...