Daily Variety

Daily Variety

Variety journalists and entertainment leaders deliver business news and analysis tailored for industry insiders.

Episodes

August 10, 2026 13 mins

On today's episode, in our Box Office segment, Variety's Rebecca Rubin reports that the good news keeps on coming for the movie biz as "Spider Man: Brand New Day" soars in weekend two and "The Odyssey" becomes Christopher Nolan's highest-grossing film. Most important, the summer tally to date has already reached the $4 billion benchmark that was the norm pre-COVID.

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On today's episode of Variety's "Strictly Business," Matt Strauss, chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group, details the evolution of the Peacock streamer and his view of the "the great re-bundling" that is underway for streaming media.

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On today’s episode,Variety’s Corbin Bolies reports from Las Vegas where he is covering the AI4 conference with a slew of top leaders and true believers. The excitement around generative AI still runs as hot as the temperature in Sin City, but the polarizing effect of the technology is evident as well, Bolies reports.

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On today’s episode, Variety’s Todd Spangler offers an update on where things stand for Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger process now that a judge has set a March trial start date for the antitrust case brought by 12 state attorneys general and the Writers Guild of America. “I think he feels like he’s been misunderstood,” Spangler says of Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison.

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On today’s episode, Journey Gunderson, executive director of the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, N.Y. – Lucille Ball’s hometown -- explains why it’s important to have an institution devoted to the study of comedy. Jamestown will be abuzz with laughs as the center hosts the annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival Aug. 7-9, headlined by Jerry Seinfeld, Bert Kreischer and Seth Meyers.

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On today’s episode, Variety’s box office expert Rebecca Rubin breaks down an astounding weekend at global turnstiles with the debut of Sony Pictures’ “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and weekend three of Universal Pictures’ “The Odyssey.”

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On today’s episode, Colleen Bell, director of the California State Film Commission, discusses her wins in her role as the Golden State’s film chief and the hurdles that remain to restore a high volume of TV and film lensing activity in Hollywood's backyard. Bell says the past few years have been a “seminal moment” for the entertainment industry in California. “People want to shoot their projects here. ...

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On today’s episode, in our Cover Story segment, Variety’s Angelique Jackson details the time she spent with multihyphenate superstar Travis Scott, who comes off a record-setting music tour with a high-profile role in the movie of the moment, Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey.”

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On today's episode, country music superstar Reba McEntire discusses celebrating her golden anniversary in music this year with a series of EP releases that pair a newly recorded song with several vintage tunes. McEntire also weighs in on how she’s navigated a turbulent TV marketplace to get her NBC comedy “Happy’s Place” to a third season.

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On today’s episode, “Scary Movie” director Michael Tiddes explains how he came to be trusted with the revival of Shawn and Marlon Wayans’ beloved horror comedy franchise. And Tiddes details the extras in the extended director’s cut that bowed today on PVOD platforms.

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On today’s episode, in our box office segment, Variety’s Rebecca Rubin breaks down the spectacular $264 million worldwide opening for Universal Pictures’ “The Odyssey.” It couldn’t have come at a better time for Imax, the large-format exhibitor that delivered more than 50% of the opening weekend receipts.

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On today’s episode, in our Cover Story segment, Variety’s Brent Lang details the report he delivered with Rebecca Rubin on the summer box office rebound, and what Hollywood and exhibitors must do to keep it going.

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On today’s episode, as part of Variety’s ongoing series celebrating NBC’s centennial, we revisit the history of NBC’s “Must See TV” branding campaign that came to define the network’s dominance in the 1990s. Jennifer Storms, NBCUniversal’s chief marketing officer for television and streaming, explains how that sturdy foundation helps them reach multiplatform viewers today.

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On today’s episode, Variety’s Gene Maddaus explains the legal rationale behind the lawsuit filed July 13 by 12 state attorneys general to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. takeover. And Columbia University Law School professor Eric Talley breaks down the power the AGs have to wield and why they will use the pressure of litigation to demand concessions from Paramount.

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On today’s episode of “Daily Variety” podcast, in our weekly Box Office segment, Variety‘s Rebecca Rubin unpacks what went wrong with Disney’s “Moana” live-action remake. And Jon Erwin, the filmmaker behind “Young Washington,” explains how his Wonder Project banner is making indie theatrical films work as a business.

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Three years after he signed off CBS’ “The Late Late Show,” James Corden is having the time of his life hosting the World Cup after show for Fox, “After Hours With James Corden.” On today's episode, the multihyphenate discusses the joy of indulging in his lifelong love of football and why the call from Fox Sports was the one hosting gig that he’s been offered in recent years that he couldn’t...

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On today’s episode, Variety’s Jennifer Maas details Microsoft’s massive overhaul of its Xbox unit with 3,200 layoffs and a realignment of operations coming under newly appointed Xbox CEO Asha Sharma.

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Variety’s Rebecca Rubin breaks down a muted July 4th holiday weekend at the box office with a tepid U.S. opening for Universal and Illumination’s “Minions and Monsters” but a solid turnout for indie Angel Studios’ “Young Washington.” And Variety's K.J. Yossman explains why Comcast's Sky has struck a deal to buy U.K. broadcaster ITV for $2.1 billion.

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On today’s episode, Variety’s Jennifer Maas explains how notable directors David Fincher and Zach Cregger helped shape Netflix’s ambitious new property “Unhinged,” which is a video game that plays like a TV series and your smartphone is the controller.

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On today’s episode, Variety’s Marlow Stern unpacks LeBron James’ decision to leave the Los Angeles Lakers after eight seasons and one championship title. The shakeup leaves one of the NBA’s most high-profile teams a little short on star power.

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