Tanya Fedak

Role Model Shouts Out Jake Shane and Renee Rapp, Channels Chuck Timely on Final North American Tour Date: Concert Report

Without stretching the metaphor too far, Chuck Timely’s hourglass was closer to running out than he might have thought: While the second of two Los Angeles dates of Role Model’s “Chuck on Tour” jaunt in support of his third studio album — titled (naturally enough) “Chuck Timely & the Hourglass” — was scheduled to be the second-to-last North American show, it actually was the last, as he canceled the next night’s final stop in Berkeley due to illness.


However, there was no sign of illness at...

‘Whalefall’ Director Brian Duffield on Using Josh Brolin’s Heartbeat For the Whale: ‘Make It Feel as Personal as Possible’

Josh Brolin can now add a different kind of role to his resume.



In addition to starring as Mitt Gardiner, the late father of Austin Abrams’ character Jay in “Whalefall,” aspects of the actor were also used to create the appearance of the sperm whale that traps Jay inside its body for the majority of the film.



As Jay fights for survival, he communicates with the spirit of his father (via Brolin’s voice), which also doubles as the spirit of the whale. Because the its heartbeat triggers a...

‘Just Dance: Decades of Hits’ Costume Designer Breaks Down the New Game’s Look and Not Using AI: ‘It’s Our Art’

At a time when AI is increasingly being used to replace human creativity, “Just Dance” is refusing to change its hands-on approach.



The Ubisoft dance game, which just launched “Just Dance: Decades of Hits” on Tuesday, brings on-screen characters to life through a process rooted in human labor. Real dancers wear handmade costumes, wigs and makeup before being filmed against a green screen and integrated into the game.


“We are really loving what we do. It’s our art. It’s what we love,” Be...

‘Other Mommy’ Star Arabella Olivia Clark on Working With Jessica Chastain and Being Mentored by Mckenna Grace

Arabella Olivia Clark is proud to scare you.



The 10-year-old actress joined Variety over Zoom from her Los Angeles hotel room the morning after the premiere of “Other Mommy, wearing a jacket with her character’s name, Bela, printed on the front. Clark plays the daughter of Ursula (Jessica Chastain) and Russ (Jay Duplass), a young girl terrorized by a sinister figure who looks just like her mother, known as the titular Other Mommy.


Released on Friday, the Rob Savage-directed film debute...

Jason Blum on How ‘Other Mommy’ Got That Controversial Title, Kristen Bell Joins ‘Violent Night 2’ and More From Blumhouse at NYCC

Jason Blum and James Wan aren’t paying much attention to the bad reviews (but massive box office success!) for “Other Mommy.” Instead, the horror maestros spent Friday night looking ahead at what’s next, unveiling Blumhouse Atomic Monster’s upcoming slate of films during the 90-minute presentation at New York Comic Con.



In the next year, the horror house will launch a new installment of the “Exorcist” franchise starring Scarlett Johansson, “Violent Night 2” with Kristen Bell, and a revamped...

‘Love Hypothesis’ Director Claire Scanlon Breaks Down the Biggest ‘Star Wars’ Easter Eggs, From Gracie Abrams’ Song to Color-Coded Wardrobes

“Star Wars” has featured iconic locations throughout the franchise, taking audiences to Tatooine, Naboo and now, a campus biology lab at Stanford University.



The romantic comedy “Love Hypothesis” premiered on Amazon Prime on Sept. 23, featuring Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman as romantic interests who get caught in a fake-dating-turned-real-love trope. On the surface, there is no obvious connection to George Lucas’ franchise, but the story’s origin is actually deeply rooted in a galaxy far, f...

Halloween Horror Nights Opens at Universal Studios Hollywood With ‘Sinners,’ ‘Stranger Things 5’ and a Blood-Soaked Nikki From ‘Obsession’

Halloween has officially arrived at Universal Studios Hollywood. 



Halloween Horror Nights opened Thursday at the theme park where screams of excitement turned to screams of fright. Guests rushed into the park to face this year’s collection of haunted houses, which included the Upside Down from Netflix’s “Stranger Things 5” and the vampire-infested Club Juke from “Sinners.”


Within just 30 minutes of opening, the wait for “Sinners”” had already reached 60 minutes. “Hellraiser,” which made...

‘Chad Powers’ Season 2 Ending: Who Knows the Truth About Russ Holliday and What Happened to Gerry?

SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for “12th Quarter,” the Season 2 finale of “Chad Powers,” now streaming on Disney + and Hulu.



It sure is tough being Chad Powers.



Infamous quarterback Russ Holliday (Glen Powell) knows this well. But he’s not going to let anything stop him from continuing his double life as the socially awkward star of the South Georgia Catfish football team — especially not his teammate Gerry (Colton Ryan), who’s closer than ever to exposing Russ’ secret....

The Rise of ‘Love Island USA’: From Death Threats Against Contestants to Agency Battles for the Biggest Stars

When Liv Walker first heard from the “Love Island USA” casting team, she thought it might be a scam. After all, she had never even seen the show.



Originally scouted for Season 5 of the reality dating show, Walker turned down the initial offer. But when the casting team reached out again for the sixth season a year later in 2024, she decided to give the show a shot.



That decision changed her life. 



Season 6 went on to transform the U.S. installment of “Love Island,” distinguishing...

After ‘Insidious 6’ Was Pulled, Star Lin Shaye Said ‘F— This’ and Wrote a Letter Pleading With Sony to Save It (EXCLUSIVE)

There might not be an “Insidious: Out of the Further” without franchise star Lin Shaye.



The sixth installment of the hit horror franchise was in the works, but after a behind-the-scenes change, the movie was pulled from Sony’s release slate. 



“Fuck this,” Shaye thought after learning of the film’s cancellation.


Eager to still bring the story to the big screen, Shaye wrote a letter to Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group chairman and CEO Tom Rothman, whom she’d met while filming 1998’...

How ‘The Pitt’ Production Designer Expanded the Emergency Room for Season 2

When production designer Nina Ruscio returned to the set of “The Pitt” for Season 2, she made subtle changes that weren’t necessarily visible to the audience, but for the cast and crew, they played a major role in making the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center feel larger, more immersive and more alive. 



The set now spans over 24,000 square feet and introduces several new locations, including the karaoke bar, the wing where Frank Langdon checks on one of his patients and the parking garage. An...

Confused by ‘The Odyssey’? All the Timelines, Monsters and Greek Myths Explained

“The Odyssey” is one hell of a journey.



Once again, director Christopher Nolan enlists a cast of A-list actors and jumbles timelines to tell his ambitious version of Odysseus’ journey from Homer’s “The Odyssey.”



Set after the conclusion of the 10-year Trojan War, the story follows the hero Odysseus (Matt Damon) as he returns to Ithaca, a journey that takes nearly as much time as the war. Borrowing from the Greek tradition of oral storytelling, Nolan’s nearly three-hour adaptation is to...

8 Harry Potter Book Moments We Hope HBO's New Show Will Include (That The Movies Didn't)

As HBO's new Harry Potter series moves forward, fans are eagerly anticipating getting to see their favorite unexplored book storylines finally come to life on screen. The show has a rare opportunity to revisit the Wizarding World with new levels of detail that the films didn't include, such as finally having the fan-favorite Peeves the Poltergeist appear on-screen.


Season 1 w...

Every 'Percy Jackson' and 'The Heroes of Olympus' Book, Ranked

Get ready, demigods. Percy Jackson and the Olympians will return to Disney+ on December 10 with its second season, bringing Rick Riordan‘s The Sea of Monsters to life. As we wait for Percy, Grover, and Annabeth to set off on a new quest to save Camp Half-Blood, we’re revisiting the books that started it all.
Whether you’re returning to Camp Half-Blood, journeying into Camp Jupiter, or are just looking for a refresher on the world of demigods, we’ve got you covered. We’re ranking every book from...

Does 'Stranger Things' Play Reveal Answer About Vecna's Cave?

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 and Stranger Things: The First Shadow, a play currently on Broadway and the West End.]
It turns out the unshakeable ruler of the Upside Down does have a weakness, but it may not be what you think.
Stranger Things has introduced some shocking revelations in Season 5 Volume 1, including the fate of Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink). After being attacked by Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) in the Season 4 finale, Max was forced t...

'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' Prequel Explained by Broadway Stars (VIDEO)

Ever wonder what life in Hawkins looked like before the events of Stranger Things Season 1? Stage show Stranger Things: The First Shadow dives into the town’s history with many of its beloved residents — and their parents — in 1959, when Hawkins encountered a different type of superpowered outcast.
The play follows a teenage Henry Creel, long before he became the Upside Down’s ruler, Vecna, Season 4’s villain, and likely key to the show’s ending. Henry moves from Nevada to Hawkins with his famil...

How Is the 'Stranger Things' Play Connected to the Final Season?

As Stranger Things approaches its fifth and final season, the Netflix phenomenon is expanding its universe in a new way.
Its stage prequel, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, transports audiences to 1959 Hawkins, Indiana, decades before Eleven and her friends ever faced the Upside Down. While the play isn’t directly tied to Season 5, it offers new insights into the story and even shares an actor with the new season, hinting at subtle ties between both versions.
The play follows a young Henry Cre...

The Most Controversial 'DWTS' Casting Decisions Explained

When Dancing With the Stars premiered in 2005, the most controversial thing you’d see was likely some tension between pairings or a mid-dance misstep. On a particularly interesting day, maybe you’d get lucky and see Maks Chmerkovskiy talking back to one of the judges.
But as reality TV began to evolve and social media made fame more attainable, the show’s casting started to change, too, expanding to include some of pop culture’s more controversial names.
These choices weren’t necessarily an inte...

North central Florida schools face uncertainty after Trump’s order to dismantle the Department of Education

A little over a month since President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 20 to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, and local education officials are still unsure of what its effects might ultimately mean.In North Central Florida, students and school leaders alike have received little to no information about how this move might impact funding or support services. Alachua County Public Schools alone — which serves nearly 30,000 students — relies on about $21 million each year...

The Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit expedites life-saving care in two years since opening

When Cheryl Hamrick woke up in the middle of the night, she didn’t know what time it was. It was the awful pain radiating from the right side of the back of her head that was at the forefront of her mind.The 77-year-old said she felt something go “pop” in that area. She didn’t do anything about it at first, so she laid back down. She didn’t even think of going to the doctor until later that morning, when her house-cleaner and daughter encouraged her to go.When she got to UF Health Shands Hospita...

UF fans prove their dedication by camping out for The Driver Era concert - The Independent Florida Alligator

Outside the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, Gainesville fans were emitting “obsession.”
But the “obsession” surpassed a national-champion-winning men’s basketball team, who plays their home games at the arena. In fact, the “obsession” wasn’t with the Gators at all. 

On Monday night, there was only two things they had an eye for: The Obsession Tour and Ross Lynch. 
Hosted by UF Student Government Productions, The Driver Era made a stop in Gainesville Monday night as...

From The Swamp to the Concrete Jungle, one UF musical theatre student makes his Broadway debut - The Independent Florida Alligator

When Trevor Wayne first picked up his worn-out copy of S.E. Hinton’s novel “The Outsiders” in seventh grade and began to read the opening lines, it became more than just an assignment. Even though he was sitting in an English classroom in Boca Raton, Florida, he saw himself in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He saw himself in the characters who came to life before him, both Greasers and Socs alike. 
Most people know “The Outsiders” as nothing more than a book they were required to read in middle school English...

Jonah Marais reflects on boy band fame, mental health and self-discovery - The Independent Florida Alligator

Jonah Marais has navigated the complexities of fame and identity since his time in the boy band Why Don’t We. The group, which played venues like Madison Square Garden and continues to hold over 6 million listeners on Spotify, announced their hiatus in 2022. Since then, Marais embarked on a solo career, using music as a means of rediscovery. 
But while he was searching for his voice as an artist, he also found himself in Orlando, entangled in a legal battle involving his former management compan...
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