News

Exclusive: Season 7 of The Chi is putting up a strong performance on Showtime.

Sunday night’s mid-season episode managed 1.78M cross-platform viewers in just three days, making it one of the top episodes of the season, per Showtime. The episode was up 23% versus the season-to-date average of 1.45M viewers after three days.

Additionally, the episodes is the most-streamed in series history, Showtime says. The network didn’t share specific streaming numbers.

The Chi has been on a growth trajectory the entire season, scoring series’ best audience numbers since Season 7 premiered. The Season 7 debut had 2M cross-platform viewers in seven days and, at the time, was the most-streamed episode to-date. So, it’s quite a feat for the mid-season episode to garner nearly that entire audience in less than half the time.

The series was already renewed for Season 8, which is a strong indicator that parent company Paramount Global is happy with this performance.

Exclusive: Lena Waithe is changing course for Hillman Grad, the company she founded in 2018 and has been building for the past seven years. The full-service media outfit is scaling back significantly to become a production banner for its Emmy-winning principal, who plans to refocus on purely creative endeavors as a creator, writer-producer and performer.

That is resulting in the departures of most of the staff including Hillman Grad CEO Rishi Rajani, who, working alongside Waithe, has been leading the company’s expansion, and Naomi Funabashi, head of development TV and film. The duo will stay on as producers with Waithe on projects developed during their tenure in addition to pursuing their own venture. Rajani and Funabashi are expected to launch a company together, I hear.

For the past seven years, Hillman Grad’s focus has been on giving opportunities to up-and-coming talent from Bipoc and other marginalized communities, including first-time...

Following its record-setting premiere, Paramount+ with Showtime today announced it has given the green light to The Chi season eight.

The season seven premiere scored two million cross-platform viewers and became the most-streamed premiere in series history, shattering the streaming viewership record.

The Chi is a timely coming-of-age story centering on a group of residents on the South Side of Chicago who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption. Created entirely in its namesake city, The Chi is produced by 20th Television.

This season, with Alicia at the helm, the pivotal women of The Chi rise to reclaim their power. Yet, as loyalties are tested and new rivalries are stoked, it becomes clear that there’s only one crown, and it will come at a heavy cost.

The Chi is created and executive produced by Emmy winner Lena Waithe under her Hillman Grad banner.

“The Chi” has scored an early Season 8 renewal at Parmaount+ with Showtime.

The news comes just under two weeks after the Season 7 premiere, which was the most-streamed premiere in series history according to Paramount.

The official description of Season 7 states, “With Alicia (Lynn Whitfield) at the helm, the pivotal women of ‘The Chi’ rise to reclaim their power. Yet, as loyalties are tested and new rivalries are stoked, it becomes clear that there’s only one crown and it will come at a heavy cost.”

Along with Whitfield, the cast of the series includes Jacob Latimore, Yolonda Ross, Michael V. Epps, Shamon Brown Jr., Birgundi Baker, Luke James, and Wendy Raquel Robinson.

With the Season 8 renewal, “The Chi” is now one of the longest-running Showtime shows in the network’s history. It now ranks alongside shows like “Dexter,” “Homeland,” and “Weeds,” which all ran eight seasons at the premium cabler.

Exclusive: The Chi has been renewed for an eighth season by Paramount+ with Showtime. The news comes on the heels of the Season 7 premiere drawing 2 million cross-platform viewers in the first seven days to become the series’ most-streamed opener, up 2% from last season.

With the Season 8 pickup, The Chi has tied Dexter, Homeland and Weeds for the second-longest run in Showtime’s history, only behind Shameless‘ 11 seasons.

The Chi, created by Lena Waithe, has been on a renewal track since the start of the year. As Deadline reported exclusively, Showtime by early February had commissioned a Season 8 writers room. At the time, there were no deals with the cast; their options subsequently were picked up.

From 20th Television, The Chi revolves around a group of residents on the South Side of Chicago who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption.

This season, with Alicia (Lynn Whitfield) at the helm,...

The Chi has broken a series record with its Season 7 premiere. The episode drew two million cross-platform viewers, making it the most-streamed in series history, up 2% on streaming versus last season, according to Showtime.

“With the seventh season of The Chi, Lena Waithe raised the bar creatively and it shattered viewership records, becoming the most-watched season premiere in the show’s history, ” said Chris McCarthy, Co-CEO of Paramount Global and President of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios. “Lena’s storytelling defies convention and cuts through cliché, revealing the depth, power and complexity of life on the South Side of Chicago with fearless honesty.”

The Chi is a timely coming-of-age story centering on a group of residents on the South Side of Chicago who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption.

Directed by Nancy C. Mejia, the premiere episode focuses on Alicia, on a mission to find her son’s killer,...

Showtime today revealed the official trailer and key art for season seven of The Chi. Season seven will premiere Friday, May 16, on demand and on streaming for Paramount+ subscribers with the Paramount+ with Showtime plan, before making its on-air debut on Sunday, May 18, at 9 p.m. Et/Pt.

The Chi is a timely coming-of-age story centering on a group of residents on the South Side of Chicago who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption. Produced entirely in its namesake city, The Chi is produced by 20th Television.

Season six was record-breaking for The Chi, with the drama series delivering its most-watched season yet on streaming, surging nearly 25% over the previous season.

This season, with Alicia at the helm, the pivotal women of The Chi rise to reclaim their power. Yet, as loyalties are tested and new rivalries are stoked, it becomes clear that there’s only one crown,...

Variety’s Producers to Watch list is back.

Hosted in 2025 by Arkansas’ Bentonville Film Festival, the annual impact list, which identifies notable up-and-coming film producers, is seeking submissions for 2025. Past honorees include Tom Ackerley (“Barbie”), Jordan Fudge and Jeremy Allen (“The United States vs. Billie Holiday”), Youree Henley (“Priscilla”), Nikkia Moulterie (“Nanny”), Alex Saks (“It Ends With Us”), Karina Manashil (“MaXXXine”), Elisabeth Moss and Lindsey McManus (“Shining Girls”), Rishi Rajani (“Being Mary Tyler Moore”) and more.

As the entertainment industry’s publication of record, Variety seeks to highlight creatives who are making waves across a spectrum of disciplines. Like similar lists for actors, animators, screenwriters and directors, Producers to Watch looks at recent, current and upcoming work from young producers working primarily in film. (Television showrunners are honored separately with their own list.) In some cases, selected producers secure or facilitate projects with high-profile talent; in others, their slate cultivates ambitious,...

Today, Paramount+ with Showtime announced that The Chi season seven will premiere on Friday, May 16, on-demand and on streaming for Paramount+ subscribers with the Paramount+ with Showtime plan.

The seventh season will make its on-air debut on Sunday, May 18, at 9 p.m. Et/Pt.

In The Chi season seven, with Alicia at the helm, the pivotal women of The Chi rise to reclaim their power. Yet, as loyalties are tested and new rivalries are stoked, it becomes clear that there’s only one crown, and it will come at a heavy cost.

Season six was record-breaking for The Chi, with the drama series delivering its most-watched season yet on streaming, surging nearly 25% over season five.

Series regular Lynn Whitfield recently took home an NAACP Image Award win for her role in the show, with the series also nominated for a GLAAD Media Award.

Created and executive produced by Emmy winner...

The Chi has a comeback date.

The Paramount+ with Showtime drama from Lena Waithe will return for its seventh season on May 16. The series that follows a group of residents on the south side of Chicago hits the streamer before making its on-air debut May 18 at 9 p.m. Et/Pt.

The new season follows Alicia at the helm with the women of The Chi rising to reclaim their power. As loyalties are tested and new rivalries are stoked, it becomes clear that there’s only one crown and it will come at a heavy cost.

Season six was apparently one for the books for The Chi, as it delivered its most-watched season yet on streaming, reports Paramount+.

Created and executive produced by Waithe under her Hillman Grad banner, the series is executive produced by co-showrunners Justin Hillian and Jewel Coronel, and by Common (Selma).

The cast includes Jacob Latimore,...

Exclusive: The Chi is eyeing another potential early renewal ahead of the launch of its most recent installment. Paramount+ with Showtime has commissioned a Season 8 writers room for the drama created by Lena Waithe, sources tell Deadline. There are no deals yet with the cast who still have time on their options, I hear, but the intention is to go to another season.

If that happens The Chi would tie Dexter, Homeland and Weeds for the second longest run in Showtime’s history, 8 seasons, only behind Shameless, 11 seasons.

Season 7 of The Chi is now in the can (It wrapped production in October). Its 2025 premiere date is Tbd. Season 6 had a strong showing, logging the series’ most watched premiere and most-watched season on streaming to date.

The Chi, from 20th Television, centers on a group of residents on the South Side of Chicago who become linked by coincidence but bonded by...

Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” was a poster child for the power of inclusion when it broke box office records in 2023, but the $1.45 billion-grossing movie is only the 119th most inclusive film made in the past five years, according to the Inclusion List.

The annual list — presented by Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, in collaboration with the Adobe Foundation — is a data-driven ranking that identified the 150 most inclusive films from 2019 to 2023 and ranks a single year’s films across gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQ+, disability and age representation.

“Our goal with the Inclusion List is to celebrate those who are showcasing and working with exceptional talent from all backgrounds,” stated Dr. Smith in a press release announcing the researchers’ findings. “In the second year of its release, the newest iteration of the Inclusion List spotlights films, filmmakers, and distributors who clearly demonstrate that inclusion...

Exclusive: With 346 submissions since the Desi List was first announced earlier this year, the South Asian scribe spotlighting partnership between The Black List and The Salon has some big talent looking at the work of the talent of tomorrow.

“We’re committed to transforming the conversation on South Asian and Desi representation in TV and film” said The Salon’s co-founders Nik Dodani, Bash Naran, and Vinny Chhibber on new feature scripts and TV pilots. “Our goal is to shine a light on a forward-looking slate of scripts and retire the tropes and stereotypes that have defined our community on screen for so long,” the trio added.

“In order to ensure that the diversity of our large community is reflected in The Desi List – in terms of cultural background, professional experience, and creative taste – we’ve recruited an eclectic group of 43 writers, showrunners, directors, actors, producers, executives, agents, and managers...

Exclusive: Lynn Whitfield will have an expanded role in The Chi moving forward, as the actress has been upped from guest star to series regular for Season 7.

Whitfield stars as Alicia, an intimidating, fearless and powerful matriarch who is laser-focused on avenging her brother’s murder. Last season, she squared off with rival villain Douda (Curtiss Cook), ultimately losing her son (guest star Iman Shumpert) to gun violence in the process.

Season 6 wrapped in June and set a new record for the series as the most-streamed season The Chi has ever seen, Deadline can also reveal exclusively, meaning that the season held onto momentum that began when the second half premiered in May.

The May 12 episode scored nearly 2M viewers across platforms in its first seven days, up 4% versus the last premiere episode (for the first half of Season 6).

The Chi is created and executive produced by Lena Waithe under...

Exclusive: Power alum Rotimi is set for a heavily recurring role in the upcoming seventh season of The Chi.

Rotimi plays Charles, Pastor Ezekiel’s (Daniel J. Watts) former assistant who returns to the church for a second chance. The character was introduced in the Season 6 finale and the storyline will continue with Rotimi returning for a multi-episode arc in Season 7.

Created and executive produced by Lena Waithe under her Hillman Grad banner and executive produced by Common (Selma), The Chi centers on a group of residents on the South Side of Chicago who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption. The Paramount+ with Showtime series is produced by 20th Television.

Season 6 cast included Jacob Latimore, Alex Hibbert, Yolonda Ross, Shamon Brown Jr., Michael V. Epps, Birgundi Baker, Luke James and Curtiss Cook.

Along with Waithe and Common, the series...

Disney’s curated short film program, Launchpad, features six unique features created by diverse filmmakers from different backgrounds. In the series second season, The Roof, directed by Alexander Bocchieri and written by W.A.W. Parker, which is up for Emmy consideration, tells a touching story about a queer two-spirit teenager (Phoenix Wilson) who is forced to spend time with his Northern Cheyenne Grandfather (Wes Studi) as he dangerously toils away on repairs to his leaky roof.

Here, Deadline talks to Launchpad senior manager and producer Phillip Domfeh about the powerful impact of diverse storytelling.

Deadline: How would you describe Launchpad as a program?

Phillip Domfeh:The best way to discuss Disney Launchpad is that it sits at the intersection of 100 years of storytelling expertise that resides within the Walt Disney Studios, and the next generation of storytellers that we’re trying to bring up that often come from underrepresented backgrounds, or...

Reflecting on her career, Lena Waithe says, “I think about legacy a lot.” The writer-producer-actor, whose body of work includes creating Showtime drama The Chi and BET’s Twenties, has been on a steady upward trajectory since winning a primetime Emmy Award in 2017 for outstanding writing on Netflix’s Master of None. But for Waithe, success raised questions about where she was headed. “I didn’t know what I was actually trying to build. I wanted to have real agency over my career, but it was also not just about me, it’s about who I can work with.”

Together with Rishi Rajani, a studio exec who honed his skills at 20th Century Fox, UTA, Paradigm, and Studio 8, Waithe has created a multi-platform entertainment company that accomplishes both. At Hillman Grad Productions, Waithe and Rishi develop projects that often go against the industry grain, while also hiring up-and-coming talent...

Ahead of the highly anticipated season six premiere, Paramount+ with Showtime today announced that it has already given the green light to The Chi Season 7. The first half of season six was record-breaking for The Chi, with the drama series delivering its most-watched season yet on streaming, surging nearly 25 percent over season five.

The second half of season six of The Chi returns on Friday, May 10, on-demand and on streaming for Paramount+ subscribers with the Paramount+ with Showtime plan before making its on-air debut on Sunday, May 12, at 9 p.m. Et/Pt. The seventh season will start production later this month in Chicago.

“Lena Waithe is a generational storyteller, whose authentic and unflinching narratives in The Chi resonate deeply, offering a powerful lens into both the complexities of life in Chicago as well as the Black experience in America,” said Nina L. Diaz, President of Content and Chief Creative Officer,...

“The Chi” has been renewed for Season 7 at Paramount+ with Showtime.

The news comes ahead of the series’ return for the second half of its sixth season, which will debut on Paramount+ with Showtime on May 10 before its linear debut on Showtime on May 12 at 9 p.m.Et/Pt. Like the first half, the second will consist of eight episodes. The seventh season will begin production in Chicago later this month.

“Lena Waithe is a generational storyteller, whose authentic and unflinching narratives in ‘The Chi’ resonate deeply, offering a powerful lens into both the complexities of life in Chicago as well as the Black experience in America,” said Nina L. Diaz, president of content and chief creative officer for Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks. “On the heels of a record-breaking season and ahead of this week’s return, we’re excited to provide fans with the promise...

Showtime is keeping its presence in the Windy City.

The premium outlet, now known as Paramount+ With Showtime, has ordered a seventh season of its drama series The Chi. The renewal for the series, created by Lena Waithe, comes two days ahead of its return to Paramount+ With Showtime for the second half of season six.

Production on the seventh season is slated to begin later this month in Chicago.

“Lena Waithe is a generational storyteller, whose authentic and unflinching narratives in The Chi resonate deeply, offering a powerful lens into both the complexities of life in Chicago as well as the Black experience in America,” said Nina L. Diaz, president of content and chief creative officer for Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks. “On the heels of a record-breaking season and ahead of this week’s return, we’re excited to provide fans with the promise of...

Paramount+ with Showtime today released the official trailer and key art for the upcoming second half of season six of The Chi series. The series will return on Friday, May 10, on streaming and on-demand for Paramount+ subscribers with the Paramount+ with Showtime plan before making its on-air debut on Sunday, May 12, at 9 p.m. Et/Pt.

The Chi series recently wrapped production in Chicago on the remaining eight episodes of the supersized 16-episode season. Produced entirely in its namesake city, the show is produced by 20th Television.

Created and executive produced by Emmy winner Lena Waithe under her Hillman Grad banner and executive produced by Academy Award and Emmy winner Common (Selma), The Chi is a timely coming-of-age story centering on a group of residents on the South Side of Chicago who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption.

The record-breaking season-six premiere, which...

Paramount+ with Showtime has released the trailer and key art for the upcoming second half of season six of The Chi, which will return May 10.

The series recently wrapped production in Chicago on the remaining eight episodes of the supersized 16-episode season.

The season-six premiere, which ranks among the top Showtime premieres ever in streaming viewership, picked up with Emmett (Jacob Latimore) and Kiesha’s (Birgundi Baker) blended union tested by his perilous partnership with Douda, (Curtiss Cook), who is dealing with the fallout of Q’s murder and its effect on the shifting loyalty of his inner circle. Victor’s (Luke James) tangled past impacts his new role as city councilman. Newlyweds Jada (Yolonda Ross) and Darnell (Rolando Boyce) fear for son Emmett after he makes a desperate, life-threatening move. Rob (Iman Shumpert) and Tiff’s (Hannaha Hall) cannabis business and Jake’s (Michael V. Epps) apparel line take off,...

Exclusive: Showtime’s The Chi will feature four additional new actors in recurring guest star roles when Part 2 of Season 6 premieres on May 10. They are Kadeem Hardison (A Different World), Leon (Swarm), Brett Gray (I’m A Virgo) and Daniel J. Watts (Werewolf By Night).

Hardison plays Professor Gardner, a college literature professor; Leon plays Alonzo, a charming, street-savvy attorney with old ties to Alicia (guest star Lynn Whitfield); Gray plays Damien, a whip-smart young man who will impact Emmett’s (Jacob Latimore) life in more ways than one; Watts plays Pastor Ezekiel, a charismatic pastor of a megachurch.

Created and executive produced by Lena Waithe under her Hillman Grad banner and executive produced by Common, The Chi is a timely coming-of-age story centering on a group of residents on the South Side of Chicago who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption.

In Season...

Greta Lee and Teo Yoo in ‘Past Lives’ (Photo Credit: Jon Pack / Courtesy of A24)

Past Lives took home top film honors at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, held on February 25th in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica. The film also earned Celine Song the Best Director award, with American Fiction‘s Cord Jefferson and May December‘s Samy Burch earning screenplay honors.

On the television side, The Last of Us collected two awards: Nick Offerman for Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series and Keivonn Montreal Woodard for Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series. Beef also netted two wins, with Ali Wong awarded Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series and the show earning the Best New Scripted Series award.

2024 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations

Best Feature (Award given to the producer.)

All of Us Strangers

Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin,...

Past Lives was named best feature at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which were handed out Sunday afternoon in Santa Monica.

In addition, Celine Song was named best director for her work on the film.

Elsewhere, Da’Vine Joy Randolph won the Spirit Award for best supporting performance, for her role in The Holdovers, repeating her win from Saturday night’s SAG Awards and other shows this awards season. Her co-star, Dominic Sessa, won the Spirit Award for best breakthrough performance.

American Fiction also collected two trophies: Cord Jefferson won the award for best screenplay, while Jeffrey Wright won for best lead performance.

May December won the award for best first screenplay for Samy Burch (story by Burch and Alex Mechanik). Four Daughters was named best documentary.

On the TV side, Beef was named best new scripted series, while Ali Wong won best lead performance for her role in the show,...

The best in independent film and television were honored at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards!

Plenty of A-List stars were in attendance at the event on Sunday afternoon (February 25) at the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, Calif.

Movies are only eligible for a Spirit Award if they have a budget of less than $30 million, so there are some awards favorites like Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Killers of the Flower Moon that are not nominated.

American Fiction, May December, and Past Lives lead the pack this year with five nominations each.

Make sure to check out our post with photos of Every celeb who attended the event! Also check out our best dressed list.

Head inside to see the full list of winners…

Keep scrolling to see the full list of winners…

Best Feature (Award given to the producer)

All of Us Strangers

Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey

American Fiction

Producers: Cord Jefferson,...

The 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards on Sunday awarded A24’s Past Lives its Best Feature and the film’s Celine Song the Best Director in a ceremony on the beach in Santa Monica, giving the indie romantic drama a boost as it heads toward the Oscars where it is up for Best Picture.

Past Lives topped a marquee Best Feature category that included Netflix’s May December, Amazon MGM Studios’ American Fiction, Searchlight’s All of Us Strangers, Sony Pictures Classics’ We Grown Now and Mubi’s Passages.

“There is a concept in our film, an Eastern concept, and it’s called inyeon,” Song, making her feature directorial debut, said in her acceptance speech with her producers and cast. “It is about how just by being in the same space and time in this life, it means we actually knew each other for many, many lives that came before this one.

The 2024 Independent Spirit Awards took place on Sunday at the traditional Santa Monica beach tent location, with Aidy Bryant hosting. “Past Lives” took home the coveted Best Feature award, with “Beef” being honored as Best New Scripted Series. Check out the full list of winners and nominees below.

Best Feature

“Past Lives”

Producers: David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon

“All of Us Strangers”

Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey

“American Fiction”

Producers: Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair

“May December”

Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell, Grant S. Johnson, Pamela Koffler, Tyler W. Konney, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman, Christine Vachon

“Passages”

Producers: Michel Merkt, Saïd Ben Saïd

“We Grown Now”

Producers: Minhal Baig, Joe Pirro

Best Lead Performance

Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction”

Jessica Chastain, “Memory”

Greta Lee, “Past Lives”

Trace Lysette, “Monica”

Natalie Portman, “May December”

Judy Reyes, “Birth/Rebirth”

Franz Rogowski, “Passages”

Andrew Scott, “All of Us Strangers”

Teyana Taylor,...

The Film Independent Spirit Awards have been dutifully assigned to their worthy recipients, thus putting a button on yet another great year of indie film and innovative visual storytelling. And as awards prognosticators now ponder their Oscar futures with this new data set and the tent falls around our knees, we want to shout out one more time all of the producers, writers, directors, performers and more who made this such a special experience.

This year’s ceremony streamed live on IMDb’s YouTube and across other social platforms, including Film Independent’s own YouTube channel and Twitter (or “X” if you’re being pedantic). The full livestream (see below) will remain available to watch On Demand for the next eight weeks, which highlights, behind-the-scenes moments, arrival carpet interviews and more will are available at filmindependent.org and wherever fine entertainment journalism prevails.

Best Supporting Performance

Da’Vine Joy Randolph

The Holdovers...

Exclusive: D. Smith’s breakout documentary Kokomo City, a top contender for Oscar recognition, will make its debut on Showtime and Paramount+ on February 2, Deadline can reveal.

The film, which has won awards around the world, will become available for streaming as part of the Paramount+ with Showtime plan first thing Friday, February 2, and will premiere on the Showtime linear platform that night at 9 p.m. Et/Pt. Magnolia Pictures released Kokomo City theatrically over the summer, beginning in New York and Los Angeles.

“In the wildly entertaining and refreshingly unfiltered documentary, filmmaker D. Smith passes the mic to four Black transgender sex workers in Atlanta and New York City – Daniella Carter, Koko Da Doll, Liyah Mitchell and Dominique Silver – who unapologetically break down the walls of their profession,” notes a release about the film. “Holding nothing back, the film vibrates with energy, sex, challenge and hard-earned wisdom.”

‘Kokomo City’ director D.

Exclusive: Amazon MGM Studios has tapped Taylor Chukwu (The Mysterious Benedict Society) to script The Truth About Mrs. Claus, a new film based on the same-name book by Meena Harris that is currently in development.

The story takes place at the North Pole, where every elf dreams of being part of Santa’s workshop. But only a select few get to know an amazing secret: Mrs. Claus is the true force behind Christmas. Through the eyes of a precocious elf girl who dreams of something more, we set off on a journey to meet the world’s most brilliant and secretive entrepreneur.

Hillman Grad Productions and Phenomenal Media will produce, with Tori Sampson executive producing. Rishi Rajani, Rocio Melara, and Travis Ing will oversee for Hillman Grad.

Prior to adaptating The Truth About Mrs. Clause, Chukwu served as a staff writer on Disney+’s series The Mysterious Benedict Society, based...

Paramount Animation, Nickelodeon Animation and the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” filmmakers partnered with non-profit Reel Start and animation/visual effects academy Exceptional Minds to debut the animated short “Tree’s Blood.” The premiere took place at Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” writer-producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg attended the screening, as did producer James Weaver and cinematographer Kent Seki. Rose Byrne and Ayo Edebiri, who star together in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” also voice characters in “Tree’s Blood.”

“Tree’s Blood” was produced from a partnership between Reel Start and Exceptional Minds. The initiative allows Reel Start’s students to create shorts with animation services provided by Exceptional Minds.

Indeed, Hillman Grad, 271 Films Announce Ten Rising Voices Filmmakers for Season Four

Hiring platform Indeed, Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad and Doménica and Constanza Castro’s 271 Films have announced the ten filmmakers selected for the fourth...

While the likes of Oppenheimer, Barbie, and Killers of the Moon will likely battle it out at the Oscars, Film Independent Spirit Awards is putting the spotlight on the indie productions of the year, with budget ranges from $10,000 to $28 million. May December, Past Lives, and American Fiction lead the nominations for the 39th ceremony, each taking five nods.

Other highlights include All of Us Strangers and Passages for Best Feature, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt and Earth Mama for Best First Feature, Kokomo City and The Mother of All Lies for Best Documentary, Glenn Howerton for BlackBerry, Marin Ireland and Anne Hathaway for Eileen, Marshawn Lynch for Bottoms, How to Blow Up a Pipeline for Best Editing, Godland and Tótem for Best International Film, and more.

See the nominations below ahead of the ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024 (a full two weeks before the Oscars), hosted by Aidy Bryant.

Best...

Erika Alexander stars as Coraline and Jeffrey Wright as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison in ‘American Fiction’ (Photo credit: Claire Folger © 2023 Orion Releasing LLC)

American Fiction, Past Lives, and May December lead the list of the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Each of the three films picked up five nominations and will be going head-to-head in the Best Film and Best Supporting Performance categories. Films and TV shows earning four nominations included The Holdovers, I’m a Virgo, The Last of Us, and Passages.

The 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards will be held on February 25 on the beach in Santa Monica. Aidy Bryant (Saturday Night Live) is on board to host.

“This year’s exciting group of Spirit Award nominees reflect the undeniable strength and vitality of independent storytelling – this is the beating heart of film culture today,” said Josh Welsh, President of Film Independent. “It’s especially thrilling to see so many nominees...

The full list of nominations for the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards has been announced!

Movies are only eligible for a Spirit Award if they have a budget of less than $30 million, so there are some awards favorites like Maestro and Killers of the Flower Moon that are not nominated here.

Aidy Bryant is set to host the 2024 awards ceremony, which will take place on February 25. The event will no longer air on television and will instead stream on YouTube.

American Fiction, May December, and Past Lives lead the pack this year with five nominations each.

Head inside to check out the full list of nominations…

Keep scrolling to see the full list of nominations…

Best Feature (Award given to the producer)

All of Us Strangers

Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey

American Fiction

Producers: Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair

May December

Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell,...

American Fiction, May December and Past Lives lead the nominations for the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which were were announced Tuesday morning.

Each film garnered five noms, including best feature. Also nominated in that category are All of Us Strangers, Passages and We Grown Now.

The Robert Altman Award, which is given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast, will be presented to Showing Up, directed by Kelly Reichardt. The casting director is Gayle Keller, and the ensemble cast includes André Benjamin, Hong Chau, Judd Hirsch, Heather Lawless, James Le Gros, John Magaro, Matt Malloy, Amanda Plummer, Maryann Plunkett, Denzel Rodriguez and Michelle Williams.

On the TV side, Jury Duty was tapped for the award of best ensemble in a new scripted series, an honor bestowed on one show (there are no nominees). The cast includes Alan Barinholtz, Susan Berger, Cassandra Blair, David Brown, Kirk Fox, Ross Kimball,...

“American Fiction,” “May December” and “Past Lives” dominated the 2024 Independent Spirit Awards nominations on Tuesday, picking up five nods apiece. The three movies are all up for best feature, where they will battle it out against “All of Us Strangers,” “Passages” and “We Grown Now.”

The annual honors recognize the best of television, as well as film. “The Last of Us,” a sci-fi epic that was a ratings hit for HBO, and “I’m a Virgo,” an absurdist miniseries from Boots Riley that was produced by Amazon, led the small screen crop, with four nominations each. Only new TV shows that have run for one season and were released between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of this year are eligible for awards. That’s why some big-budgeted fare was deemed eligible or, in the parlance of the show, independent.

That’s not the case on the feature front, where films have to be...

This interview contains spoilers about the end of “A Thousand And One.”

“It was a beautiful moment,” reflects Lena Waithe on the 33rd annual Gotham Awards, where the producer of the film “A Thousand And One” celebrated three nominations and a victory for A.V. Rockwell for Breakthrough Director. As she explains, “We’ve been rocking with A.V. for a while… A.V. has passion and something to say.” Rishi Rajani, the CEO of Waithe’s production company Hillman Grad, had pitched her on the idea that she “should be working with directors like A.V.,” and, indeed, she signed on to producer the writer-director’s first feature film before she had even seen a script. Watch our exclusive video interview above.

“A Thousand And One” follows the mother-son relationship of Inez (Teyana Taylor) and Terry as they lean on each other after Inez is released from Rikers Island and...

On Monday night, November 27, at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, the Gotham Awards presented the winners at their 33rd annual event. “All of Us Strangers” went in with a leading four bids, followed by “Past Lives,” “The Zone of Interest” and the TV limited series “Beef” with three apiece. But who prevailed? Scroll down for the full list, updated throughout the night.

The nominations were decided by panels of film and television critics, journalists, festival programmers and film curators. The winners were then selected by juries of writers, directors, actors, producers, editors and others directly involved in filmmaking. That makes these awards unique and often results in surprising winners like “The Rider” for Best Feature in 2018 over the higher-profile “The Favourite,” or Danielle Deadwyler (“Till”) for Best Lead Performance in 2022 over eventual Oscar winners Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) and Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”). So a...

The 2023 Gotham Awards ceremony is officially kicking off awards season and so many A-list celebrities were in attendance!

The awards ceremony was held on Monday night (November 27) at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.

In the past, the Gothams only celebrated independent films, but they have removed the requirement that all projects are made for under $35 million. Now, some of the contenders this year include big budget movies like Barbie.

The awards show also took away gendered acting categories, opting for an Outstanding Lead Performance category and an Outstanding Supporting Performance category with 10 nominees in each one.

Head inside to see the full list of celebs who attended the event…

Keep scrolling to see the full list of celebs at the event…

Barbie’s Margot Robbie

Fyi: Margot is wearing Prada.

Ferrari’s Shailene Woodley

Killers of the Flower Moon‘s Leonardo DiCaprio with co-star Lily Gladstone

Are You There God?...

The Gotham Film & Media Institute announced today the nominations for the 33rd Annual Gotham Awards! This list includes 20 feature films, 11 series, and 30 performances in 10 award categories. Each nomination represents what the group deems a high point in 2023 across aspects of the entertainment spectrum. The nominations were announced live from Cipriani Wall Street by Jeffrey Sharp, award-winning film producer and the Executive Director of The Gotham, and Kia Brooks, Deputy Director of The Gotham.

“We are proud to announce this year’s Gotham Award nominees and look forward to celebrating these amazing storytellers in a few weeks. The Gotham Awards in many ways reflects the industry and community we serve. Seen by this year’s nominees, storytelling knows no boundaries as our industry continues to find new audiences across the globe,” Sharp said about the upcoming celebration.

While there are several outstanding performances nominated across the board, a few highlights...

A short wretch and slight taste of bile comes upon realizing we are firmly in “awards season,” that time of disgrace and degradation recently portended by the first round of Look Upon My Suffering Narratives––Bradley Cooper took two hours to apply a fake nose, but is that braver than Michael Fassbender never blinking?––and established, now, by the announcement of Gotham Award nominees. Credit where it’s due, though, that this voting body gives a mite more attention to films of substance and note: leading the pack are Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest and Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers, while a director nod went to Raven Jackson for All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt, Cristian Mungiu earned a screenplay nomination, and Franz Rogowski might win a best actor prize.

One can find the nominations below, while many are now streaming:

Best Feature

Passages –– Ira Sachs,...

All Of Us Strangers by Andrew Haigh led the Gotham Awards Nominations today, with some love for Celine Song’s Past Lives and Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest, and with a Best Performance nod to Ryan Gosling for Barbie after the indie-centric awards removed a longstanding budget cap on eligibility, an opening for big-budget studio and streamer fare to submit for consideration.

All Of Us Strangers was nominated for Best International Feature, Best Screenplay and Outstanding Lead and Supporting Performances for Andrew Scott and Claire Foy. Past Lives was nominated for Best Feature, Breakthrough Director, and Outstanding Lead Performance by Greta Lee.

The disappearance of the decade-old budget cap, which had been set most recently at $35 million, is the biggest change this year. The Gotham Film & Media Institute, announcing the shift last summer, said it was meant “to broaden our reach in terms of recognition and accessibility to the wider community.

On October 24 the Gotham Awards announced their official nominations for their 33rd annual event. Led by “All of Us Strangers” with four bids and followed by “Past Lives” and “The Zone of Interest” with three, the nominees were presented by Jeffrey Sharp, Executive Director of the Gotham Film and Media Institute, and Kia Brooks, Deputy Director at the Gotham Film and Media Institute, via Variety’s YouTube channel. The awards ceremony for the winners will take place on Monday, November 27, at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. Scroll down for the full list.

Sharp said in a statement, “We are proud to announce this year’s Gotham Award nominees and look forward to celebrating these amazing storytellers in a few weeks. The Gotham Awards in many ways reflects the industry and community we serve. Seen by this year’s nominees, storytelling knows no boundaries as our industry continues to...

The 2023 Gotham Awards have officially unveiled its nominations. This year’s nominees were announced on Tuesday, October 24 via live broadcast on Variety’s YouTube channel. Nominees were listed off by Jeffrey Sharp, the executive director of the Gotham Film and Media Institute, as well as Kia Brooks, the deputy director at the Gotham Film and Media Institute. Twenty feature films, 11 TV series, and 30 performances in 10 award categories were recognized, with features like “Barbie,” All of Us Strangers,” “Passages,” and “Past Lives” earning the bulk of the nods.

“We are proud to announce this year’s Gotham Award nominees and look forward to celebrating these amazing storytellers in a few weeks,” Sharp said during the broadcast. “The Gotham Awards in many ways reflects the industry and community we serve. Seen by this year’s nominees, storytelling knows no boundaries as our industry continues to find new audiences across the globe.”

The...

Past Lives, A Thousand and One and All of Us Strangers are among the top film nominees for the 2023 Gotham Awards.

Past Lives and A Thousand and One are both up for best feature, breakthrough director (Celine Song for Past Lives and A.V. Rockwell for A Thousand and One) and best lead performance (Greta Lee for Past Lives and Teyana Taylor for A Thousand and One).

Other best feature nominees are Ira Sachs’ Passages, which is also up for best lead performance (Franz Rogowski); Tina Satter’s Reality; and Kelly Reichardt’s Showing Up.

All of Us Strangers, meanwhile, scored a leading four nominations, the most of any film. The Searchlight title is up for best international feature, best screenplay (writer-director Andrew Haigh), best lead performance (Andrew Scott) and best supporting performance (Claire Foy).

In the TV categories, Beef leads with three nominations, with Anne Rice’s Interview with The Vampire,...

It’s hard today to remember just how many people watched Mary Tyler Moore during her peak half-hour network comedy era, first with “The Dick Van Dyke Show”, then “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”. That Emmy-lauded newsroom sitcom reached 30 million homes, with some 100 million tuning in every Saturday night to watch Moore embody that rare thing on television: a single career woman who was not defined by the men in her life. At the time, this was radical.

Given that those millions were watching Moore back in the 60s and 70s, and later with Nick at Nite reruns, it’s no surprise that many people who did not grow up with Moore do not know her at all. Maybe they’d seen the iconic hat toss or heard a reference in a Weezer song (“Buddy Holly”).

That was the level of knowledge for the Harlem-born TV cinematographer-turned-documentary director James Adolphus,...

A version of this story about Lena Waithe and “Being Mary Tyler Moore” first appeared in the Down to the Wire: Comedy/Variety/Reality/Nonfiction issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.

You’d expect people like James L. Brooks and Rob Reiner to be involved in a documentary about actress and producer Mary Tyler Moore, a TV pioneer who died in 2017 at the age of 80 — and they are part of the HBO documentary “Being Mary Tyler Moore.” But so are Lena Waithe, the Emmy-winning writer, producer and actress whose work includes the TV series “The Chi” and “Master of None” and the films “Queen & Slim” and “The Forty-Year-Old Version,” and Rishi Rajani, the CEO of Waithe’s Hillman Grad Productions.

Neither of them was born when “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” went off the air in 1977, and Rajani knew virtually nothing of Moore when Waithe signed on to produce the documentary,...

A4’s supernatural horror Talk To Me opens the debut film by Australian brothers and popular YouTubers Danny and Michael Philippou on 2,300 screens. Strong reviews (see Deadline’s here), A24 large built-in fan base and its elevated horror cred saw a Thursday gross of $1.25 million, looking to top a $4-5M weekend.

The Sundance-premiering pic follows a group of friends who discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand and become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces. Michael Philippou gleefully freaked out a Comic-Con event last week with a stunt that saw him possessed by an embalmed hand before meeting what appeared to be a bloody end. Stars Sophie Wilde, Joe Bird, Alexandra Jensen, Otis Dhanji and Joe Bird. Written by Bill Hinzman and Danny Philippou.

Limited openings: Music Box Pictures presents The Unknown Country by Morissa Maltz...

“The Chi” dropped its first trailer for Season 6 Tuesday, teasing how the Showtime series will put Emmett and Keisha’s blissful union to the test while spotlighting Douda’s shifting loyalties in the fallout of Q’s murder, Kiesha’s burgeoning career aspirations, the high schoolers’ graduation and more.

“I’m forever grateful to Chicago. It made me who I am,” Kevin (Alex R. Hibbert) says in the trailer, which shows him and his friends enjoying their senior prom.

“The city is all we got. We’re going to stumble sometimes, but we’ve got to help each other get back up again,” Emmett (Jacob Latimore) adds.

But on the flip side, a new character Darnell (Rolando Boyce) indicates that “The Chi” won’t be all fun and laughs: “And we all need to be mindful of the company we keep,” he says.

While there’s new beginnings and new friendships,...