John Oliver Fires First Salvo At Emmy Rival ‘SNL’ With Host Announcement Taunt

James Corden is gearing up to say farewell to The Late Late Show, and Tom Cruise is going to help him close out the era with a bang.

The obvious question in David Zaslav’s reveal today that Warner Bros/New Line intend to to head back into Middle-earth with rights owner Embracer and expand the Lord of the Rings franchise is this: What do the Kiwi creatives who architected the Oscar-winning, billion-dollar-grossing franchise feel about the whole thing?

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer “Hogwarts Legacy” has wingardium leviosa-ed Warner Bros. Games’ sales, earning $850 million in global sales and moving more than 12 million units in just its first two weeks post-launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. That marks the biggest global launch ever for the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned video game company, with the “Harry Potter” action role-playing game also setting the Twitch record for single-player games with 1.28 million peak concurrent viewers at launch. As Variety previously reported, “Hogwarts Legacy” opened with stunning player engagement, topping 267 million hours played from launch on Feb. 10 through Feb. 21. On Thursday, Warner Bros. Games revealed the game had broken company records with 280 million hours played to date.

BBC Studios is gearing up for next week’s Showcase event by signing a global first-look deal with former Warner Bros. Australia TV boss Shaun Murphy.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer “The Flash” is set to blaze through CinemaCon 2023, where Warner Bros. Pictures will screen the superhero blockbuster at the annual convention of movie theater owners in April, multiple sources told Variety. Showing the film in this capacity is yet another sign of Warner Bros.’ passionate support of the project, one that has been saddled with controversy due to trouble surrounding star Ezra Miller. It’ll be the first full screening of “The Flash,” which opens in theaters on June 16. CinemaCon is taking place in Las Vegas from April 24 through April 27. Major studios typically bring sizzle reels, first-look trailers and trot out celebrities at the yearly gathering, which is designed to get exhibitors pumped about the movies they’ll put on their screens in the coming year.

The 34th annual Producers Guild Awards got underway Tuesday with HBO Max’s Sesame Street winning the children’s program award and HBO’s documentary Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off winning for sports program in categories announced during the PGA’s East Coast nominee celebration in New York.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Just days after Warner Bros. announced the cancellation of “Judge Mathis” after 24 seasons, Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group has scooped up the services of Judge Greg Mathis to host a new first-run one-hour strip for fall 2023. “Mathis Court with Judge Mathis” has been given a “firm go” by Allen Media Group, which is now pitching the show for broadcast, cable and distribution platforms.In addition to broadcast syndication, the show will join Allen Media Group’s eight court series are carried on its television network Justice Central, available in more than 50 million U.S. homes. Allen Media Group’s “America’s Court with Judge Ross” (which premiered in fall 2010), as well as “Justice for All with Judge Cristina Perez,” “Justice with Judge Mablean,” “Supreme Justice with Judge Karen,” “The Verdict with Judge Hatchett,” “We the People with Judge Lauren Lake” and “Equal Justice with Judge Eboni K. Williams.” (“Equal Justice” also premieres in fall 2023.) “Judge Greg Mathis is an outstanding, charismatic, and iconic television host, and we are extremely confident that our eighth and newest court series with Judge Mathis will be very successful for years to come as he joins our outstanding roster of talent, including Judge Kevin Ross, Judge Mablean Ephriam, Judge Christina Perez, Judge Karen Mills-Francis, Judge Glenda Hatchett, Judge Lauren Lake, and Judge Eboni K. Williams,” said Byron Allen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group, which produces and distributes globally.

The incoming Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD)/ BT Group UK sports streaming JV will be named TNT Sports, the U.S. media giant has revealed.

John Oliver returned with Last Week Tonight after a three-month hiatus and it wasn’t long before he started taking swipes at Fox News.

From Super Bowl winners to the cast of The Addams Family, Saturday Night Live is returning with three more back-to-back shows.

Angelique Jackson M. Night Shyamalan has inked a new multi-year, first-look deal with Warner Bros. Pictures, with the Oscar-nominated filmmaker switching his allegiance from Universal. The announcement was made Thursday by Warner Bros. Pictures Group co-chairs and CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy. News of the pact comes as the director celebrates his latest release “Knock at the Cabin,” which marks his seventh No. 1 opening at the box office — he has a No. 1 film in each of the last four decades — and further contributes to his more than $3 billion haul at the global box office, beginning with his breakout hit, “The Sixth Sense.” “Where I write and direct is my home,” Shyamalan said in a statement announcing the new deal. “Disney and Universal, where I’ve made most of my films, will always be home and family to me. Warner Bros. has a storied history of cinema. Through its recent experiences, the company has rediscovered its love and appreciation for filmmakers, and the impact of the theatrical experience. We all win when movies succeed in theaters. I believe David Zaslav, Michael De Luca, and Pam Abdy have dedicated themselves to unique filmmakers, and to filling theaters all around the world for years to come.”

EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros Pictures Group has inked a multi-year first-look directing and producing agreement with two-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan, whose movies have grossed $3.3 billion at the box office.

William Earl Variety is pleased to announce the return of its Entertainment Marketing Summit, presented by Deloitte, on April 19 in Los Angeles. This year’s summit will feature Karen Bronzo, chief marketing officer, Warner Bros. Discovery; Dwight Caines, president, domestic marketing, Universal Pictures; Marc Weinstock, president, worldwide marketing and distribution, Paramount Pictures; Lisa Vanderpump, TV personality and executive producer of “Vanderpump Rules,” businesswoman, author and philanthropist; Terry Crews, actor, bestselling author, entrepreneur and host; among other elite creative and industry speakers. Bronzo, Caines and Weinstock will be among participants of a Keynote Entertainment Marketing Roundtable, moderated by Claudia Eller, chief production officer, Variety, in which leading film and TV marketers will share how they are promoting their projects to today’s audiences.

EXCLUSIVE: Akiva Goldsman is returning his Weed Road to Warner Bros, in a multi-year first look deal.

Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn in “Joker: Folie à Deux” dropped on Tuesday with her looking devilishly in love.The “A Star Is Born” actress, 36, will portray the DC villain alongside Joaquin Phoenix in the “Joker” sequel.Director Todd Philips posted a set photo of the lovebirds for Valentine’s Day showing the baddies about to share a kiss.The close-up shot featured the “Shallow” singer with messy platinum blond hair and a bloodied mouth as she grabbed Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck close.In December, Philips revealed a first-look image of Phoenix in the highly-anticipated follow-up movie. “Day 1.

Lady Gaga has been seen for the first time as Harley Quinn as she stars alongside Joaquin Phoenix in the upcoming Joker sequel.Director Todd Phillip recently released a never-before-seen screenshot of the performing pair in Joker: Folie à Deux, which is set to be released in October 2024.Lady Gaga could be seen on the left with her long blonde hair worn in a loose wavy updo as she stared intently into Joaquin’s eyes.READ MORE:Iggy Azalea pours sizzling curves into tiny slashed dress with Emily RatajkowskiHer striking features were highlighted by dark, furrowing brows and a beauty mark just under her eye.The singer seemed manic as she grabbed Phoenix’s face with her hands while he stared back at her with a smile on his face.Joker could be seen wearing the remnants of his clown makeup, a faint white wash across his face with a bright red nose, a mouth slightly upturned and curly brown hair framing his face.The characters' steamy scene captured their fated love and fan reaction has exploded online.Fans gathered on Twitter to comment on the new scene and gushed over their first taste of Lady Gaga as the iconic Harley Quinn.One wrote: "Interesting! Can’t wait to see how this plays out."Another typed: "God dammit, she’s perfect."A third fan tweeted: "If she can bring the craziness out, then she’s perfect for the role."According to reports, Joker: Folie à Deux is presented in the style of a musical, which has excited followers of the franchise.The film’s predecessor was released back in November 2019 and soon became both the most profitable comic book movie of all time and the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever.Warner Bros.

J. Kim Murphy Lady Gaga is putting on a happy face. Director Todd Phillips has shared a new look at “Joker: Folie à Deux,” posting an image depicting star Joaquin Phoenix in the arms of Gaga. “Happy Valentines Day,” reads Phillips’ brief caption on Instagram. The image marks the public’s first look at Gaga in the film.A post shared by Todd Phillips (@toddphillips) Gaga is reportedly playing a version of the DC Comics character Harley Quinn, a psychiatrist who finds herself smitten with the Joker before taking on his villainous ways. Margot Robbie had previously portrayed Quinn in the “Suicide Squad” films and “Birds of Prey.” Kaley Cuoco voices the character on the ongoing HBO Max animated series “Harley Quinn.”

TV host and journalist Elizabeth Chambers is set to headline a series about toxic and traumatic relationships for Investigation Discovery as part of a development deal with the network.