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On today’s episode of Variety’s “Strictly Business” podcast, Wonder Project CEO Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten talks about the subscription streaming platform the company launched with Amazon last month and how it strengthens the indie studio’s exclusive content brand. Hoogstraten launched the company in late 2023 with film director John Irwin. The company’s rapid growth within two years has reaffirmed her belief that there is a market for themed movies and television shows that incorporate faith, spirituality, family, and patriotism without explicitly branding them as faith-based content. The Wonder Project subscription streaming platform, launched through the Amazon Prime Video platform, has gained…

This week, “Oprah’s Favorite Things 2025” was published on Oprah Daily. Filled with thoughtful, stylish and functional gifts to suit every budget. As a shopping editor, I regularly cover SenseMaker’s holiday gift lists. While her annual list always includes big-ticket gifts (think the latest Apple AirPods and cozy loungewear), there are also plenty of affordable goodies that can be wrapped or given as stocking stuffers. And I’m getting a head start on my holiday shopping with some of my favorite Oprah-approved products from recent years. Everything is under $25 on Amazon. Amazon’s Best Holiday Gifts Under $25 Approved by Oprah…

“1001 Frames,” which premiered at the Thessaloniki Film Festival this week, consists of a series of eerie scenes from auditions in Tehran, Iran. But it can happen in any city. During auditions, aspiring actors are asked to improvise scenes such as becoming a cat, being locked in a room, or being suggested by a famous director. In fact, the last thing theater wannabes eventually discover is the real deal. At this point the movie skews into a horror movie. At the audition, actors are told that the movie they are auditioning for is inspired by “One Thousand and One Nights”…

The increasingly ugly battle between CBS Media Ventures and Sony Pictures Television over the first distribution of the syndicated megahits Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy has reached its conclusion! The two companies issued a joint press release on Friday announcing that they had reached an “amicable resolution” to the legal battle over the two shows. According to the settlement, international distribution of “Wheels” and “Jeopardy” will transition to Sony on December 1st. U.S. distribution for both shows will continue to be handled by CBS until the 2027-2028 television season, after which the distribution will be transferred to Sony. Marketing, promotions…

Buzz Hayes wants his Hollywood colleagues to understand the pros and cons of generative AI, especially model tweaking. And a good starting point for explaining this controversial topic is the work Google Cloud’s global entertainment industry solutions leader Hayes and his team did to bring Warner Bros. Discovery’s The Wizard of Oz to life at the Sphere event in Las Vegas in August. “What led us to this project is a sometimes confusing process. I’ve heard people use the term incorrectly, but there’s a process called model fine-tuning,” Hayes told Variety. “You could say, “Give me the output of the…

Buzz Hayes wants his Hollywood colleagues to understand the pros and cons of generative AI, especially model tweaking. And a good starting point for explaining this controversial topic is the work Google Cloud’s global entertainment industry solutions leader Hayes and his team did to bring Warner Bros. Discovery’s The Wizard of Oz to life at the Sphere event in Las Vegas in August. “What led us to this project is a sometimes confusing process. I’ve heard people use the term incorrectly, but there’s a process called model fine-tuning,” Hayes told Variety. “You could say, “Give me the output of the…

What you need to know Ariel Winter announced on Friday, November 7th that her beloved dog Casper had passed away. The Modern Family star had Casper for 11 and a half years. “I hope with all my might that I will see him again someday,” she wrote in tribute to her beloved dog. Ariel Winter is mourning the death of her beloved dog Casper. On Friday, Nov. 7, the Modern Family alum posted a heartfelt tribute to her Samoyed, which was accompanied by several photos of Casper over the years. The 27-year-old actress said the past two weeks had been…

“Welcome to the party, friends!” Emma Heming Willis, who is married to Bruce Willis, and Demi Moore, who is married to the “Die Hard” star, joined forces to celebrate the actor in Lower Manhattan Wednesday night. Soho Sessions hosted an evening featuring performances by Keith Richards, Mavis Staples, Norah Jones and Warren Hayes to raise awareness for the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD). Demi Moore performed with Emma Heming Willis at a concert honoring Bruce Willis. Presented by Soho Sessions Emma married the “Die Hard” star in 2009. GC images Willis, 70, who retired from acting in March 2022, was…

Those who want to make a case for the richness of European cinema need not know about the new talent that has been thrust into the limelight at this year’s Seville European Film Festival. Last year, the festival launched a Rampa section for first and second feature films, and added short films to its lineup in 2025. Variety has featured seven feature films and five short films, with critical acclaim and unmistakable talent to watch. “Anatomy of a Horse” (“La Anatomya de los Caballos”, Daniel Vidal Toche, Playa Chica Films, Sideral, Spain, Pioneros Producciones, Peru, Los Niños Films, Colombia, Mito…

Here’s something interesting for screenwriters. John August, co-host of the podcast Scriptnotes, has been named co-chair of the Writers Guild of America’s bargaining committee. The other co-chair is Daniel Sánchez Witzel, showrunner of the Netflix series “Survival of the Thickest.” The WGA is scheduled to begin negotiations next spring for the first time since the five-month writers strike in 2023. The current contract expires on May 1, 2026. As in 2023, the writers’ lead negotiator will be Ellen Stutzman, who is also the executive director of WGA West. She will be negotiating with Greg Hessinger, the new president of the…