All stories by Brent Lang on BroadwayStars

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Tony Awards: How Ryan Murphy Made Jessica Lange’s Big Win Possible by Brent Lang

Jessica Lange first performed the part of Mary Tyrone 16 years ago in a London stage production, but the newly minted Tony winner said that she understood the part in a fresh way starring in…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:21PM
Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Why Lin-Manuel Miranda’s ‘Hamilton’ Movie Could Be a Decade Away by Brent Lang

At the Tony Awards this Sunday, Broadway musical “Hamilton” is widely expected to walk away with the top trophies. If it does, it’ll cap an extraordinary year that Lin-Manuel M…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:06PM
Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Disney Claims Dates for Several New Movies; Confirms ‘Jungle Book 2,’ ‘Mary Poppins’ Sequel by Brent Lang

Hot off the blockbuster success of “The Jungle Book,” Disney has been staking out several years worth of live action fairy tales. The studio confirmed that it is making “Cr…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:10AM
Sunday, April 17, 2016

Box Office: ‘Jungle Book’ Opens to Smashing $103.6 Million by Brent Lang

“The Jungle Book” dominated the weekend box office, grossing a massive $103.6 million, and extending the Walt Disney Company’s success in making live action versions of its…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:50PM
Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell Channel Raunchy Side in ‘Bad Moms’ by Brent Lang

Mila Kunis has a dirty sense of humor. Having previously starred in “Ted,” the teddy bear comedy that gleefully eviscerated nearly every sacred cow, Kunis is back in the raunch w…

SOURCE: Variety at 07:30PM
Monday, April 4, 2016

From Sheryl Sandberg to Peter Chernin: Counting Down Potential Disney Successors by Brent Lang

The shocking and sudden departure of Thomas Staggs as Walt Disney Company’s chief operating officer Monday has blown open the race to succeed Bob Iger atop the entertainment giant. It …

SOURCE: Variety at 08:06PM
Thursday, October 15, 2015

‘Bridget Jones’s Baby’ Hitting Theaters in September 2016 by Brent Lang

“Bridget Jones’s Baby” has a delivery date. The sequel to the romantic comedy hit will land in theaters on September 16, 2016, where it will face off against Sony and Scree…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:52AM
Friday, September 4, 2015

Sue Mengers Biographer Talks Barbra Streisand Feud, Wild Personality by Brent Lang

Before there was Ovitz or Ari, there was Sue Mengers. During the peak of her clout in the 1970s, the brash barrier-breaker helped popularize the idea of the Hollywood super-agent. The media …

SOURCE: Variety at 09:28AM
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Martin Scorsese’s ‘The King of Comedy’ Getting Broadway Adaptation by Brent Lang

Rupert Pupkin’s delusions of latenight grandeur will soon be set to music. Stephen Trask, the composer and lyricist behind “Hedwig & The Angry Inch,” and Chris D’…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:02PM
Friday, June 26, 2015

George Takei on Same-Sex Marriage, Why ‘Star Trek’ Fans Are Gay Friendly by Brent Lang

George Takei has been a leading advocate for LGBT rights since he announced to the world he was a gay man in 2005. Best known for his role playing Starship Enterprise helmsman Hikaru Sulu in…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:47PM
Thursday, May 21, 2015

New York Times Changes Film Review Policy, Can’t Guarantee Coverage by Brent Lang

The New York Times is changing its film review policies, with the paper telling distributors this week that it can no longer guarantee its critics will weigh in on every film that screens in…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:33PM
Wednesday, May 6, 2015

‘Cinderella’ Waltzes Past $500 Million at Global Box Office by Brent Lang

She nabbed her prince, settled down to live happily ever after, and just waltzed past an important box office milestone. “Cinderella” crossed the $500 million mark at the global …

SOURCE: Variety at 04:26PM
Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Student Loan Debt, Flat Wages Causing Youth to Ditch Theaters, Says AMC Chief by Brent Lang

Money worries — not gaming or YouTube — are responsible for the decline in younger moviegoers, AMC Entertainment CEO Gerry Lopez told Variety this week at CinemaCon. Over the past five y…

SOURCE: Variety at 02:23PM

Disney Set to Dominate as it Unleashes Full Power of Pixar, Marvel and ‘Star Wars’ by Brent Lang

Walt Disney Chairman Bob Iger has shown a willingness to write big checks, plunking down nearly $16 billion to purchase Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm. This marks the first year these big bets …

SOURCE: Variety at 01:00PM
Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Theater Chief Says 2015 Will Be ‘Year of Women’ at Box Office by Brent Lang

Women and family audiences will help drive 2015 to record-breaking box office numbers, predicted National Association of Theatre Owners President and CEO John Fithian in a speech to exhibito…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:51PM
Thursday, April 16, 2015

Cirque du Soleil Close to Sale (Report) by Brent Lang

Canadian entertainment company Cirque du Soleil will sell a majority stake to private equity firm TPG Capital and Chinese firm Fosun, according to multiple media reports. A spokesperson for …

SOURCE: Variety at 01:25PM
Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Cablevision Mulls $1 Offer for New York Daily News: Report by Brent Lang

Cablevision, the parent company of New York’s Newsday daily newspaper, is considering making a $1 offer for the New York Daily News. Daily News owner Mortimer Zuckerman told staff in F…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:33AM
Monday, March 30, 2015

NYPD Confirms Harvey Weinstein Questioned for Allegedly Groping Woman by Brent Lang

Police questioned Harvey Weinstein after the indie studio chief allegedly groped a 22-year old woman in Tribeca on Friday, a NYPD spokesman confirmed to Variety. The woman accused the Weinst…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:35PM
Sunday, March 22, 2015

Sony to Make 'Beautiful: The Carole King Musical' a Feature Film by Brent Lang

Broadway hit "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" will be made into a feature film produced by Tom Hanks' production company and released by Sony Pictures Entertainment.

SOURCE: Philly.com at 03:41PM

Sony to Make ‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’ a Feature Film by Brent Lang

Broadway hit “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” will be made into a feature film produced by Tom Hanks’ production company and released by Sony Pictures Entertainment. Th…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:02PM
Sunday, March 15, 2015

‘Cinderella’ Shows Disney’s Live-Action Fantasy Strategy is Working by Brent Lang

Walt Disney Studios has been in the happily-ever-after business since 1937’s “Snow White” ushered in a golden age of feature film animation. Over the past decade, the Magic…

SOURCE: Variety at 03:23PM
Wednesday, March 4, 2015

MovieTickets.com to Sell Tickets for Regal Entertainment by Brent Lang

MovieTickets.com will sell tickets for Regal Entertainment Group, the country’s largest theater chain. As part of the pact, the online ticketer will service 572 theaters, boasting 7,35…

SOURCE: Variety at 10:34AM
Sunday, February 22, 2015

Academy Awards: J.K. Simmons Wins for ‘Whiplash,’ Neil Patrick Harris Offers Diversity Jokes by Brent Lang

J.K. Simmons scored the first major award of the 87th Academy Awards on Sunday, winning Best Supporting Actor for his performance as a demanding jazz instructor in “Whiplash.” Th…

SOURCE: Variety at 08:47PM
Monday, February 9, 2015

Study Finds Fewer Lead Roles for Women in Hollywood by Brent Lang

“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part I,” “Gone Girl” and “Maleficent” are powered by indelible female protagonists and rank among the biggest films …

SOURCE: Variety at 09:31PM
Thursday, January 1, 2015

Box Office Drops 5% in 2014: What’s Behind the Fall by Brent Lang

Without Iron Man, Batman or James Bond to bolster ticket sales, the overall box office plunged 5.2% in 2014, topping out at $10.3 billion domestically. Audiences cooled to Hollywood offering…

SOURCE: Variety at 01:45PM
Sunday, December 28, 2014

Box Office: ‘Hobbit’ Finale, ‘Unbroken,’ ‘Into the Woods’ Score on Christmas Weekend by Brent Lang

“Unbroken,” “Into the Woods” and the final “Hobbit” film gave Hollywood something to be merry about over Christmas weekend. The success of these films and…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:19AM
Thursday, November 20, 2014

John Cameron Mitchell Taking Over ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ by Brent Lang

John Cameron Mitchell is strutting back to the role that made him famous in “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” He will break out the pumps, blonde wig and East German accent playing th…

SOURCE: Variety at 05:47PM

Mike Nichols Remembered By Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks as ‘Irreplaceable Man’ by Brent Lang

Mike Nichols, the Oscar-winning director of “The Graduate” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” was remembered by friends and colleagues as an artist, a mentor…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:15PM
Sunday, November 16, 2014

Disney Hits $4 Billion at Global Box Office Thanks to ‘Maleficent,’ Marvel by Brent Lang

“Maleficent,” “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” pushed Walt Disney Studios past $4 billion at the global box office at a…

SOURCE: Variety at 12:20PM
Monday, October 27, 2014

MovieTickets.Com Introduces Scanner-Free Mobile Tickets by Brent Lang

MovieTickets.com will begin offering mobile tickets that can be validated without scanners. The company will begin rolling out a pilot edition of the technology by the end of the year and ha…

SOURCE: Variety at 11:21AM

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