Culture, style, and media — the stories, sounds, and scenes shaping the conversation.

Ken Ziffren has logged more than 50 years in Los Angeles’ legal community. He’s represented a wide range of players from the late great showrunner entrepreneur Stephen J. Cannell to the Television Academy to the Directors Guild of America. He’s been on every industry commission i

Animation studio Laika, responsible for films like “Coraline” and “ParaNorman,” has become a Certified B Corporation. B Corporations are certified by the nonprofit organization B Lab and must meet rigorous standards for social and environmental performance, accountability, and tr

Josh Johnson is trying out bits on me in the back of a black Cadillac. We’re making conversation on the way from a “Daily Show” promotional event to his set at the New York Comedy Club in Midtown, and I can sense when small talk starts inching toward a punchline. He asks how I li

Indigenous director Banchi Hanuse’s “Ceremony” won the Audience Award at SXSW, a DGC Award at Hot Docs and the First Nations Award at the Sydney Film Festival — that success underlines her goals with the film. The film screens June 19 at the Bentonville Film Festival. Hanuse spen

D’oh! Homer, Marge, Bart and the rest of “The Simpsons” cast of characters are set to run riot in a slew of new battles across Epic Games’ Fortnite under a new pact. Disney and Epic Games announced that “The Simpsons” is joining Fortnite’s IP Partner Program, giving third-party d

“Brooke and Connor Make a Podcast” co-host Brooke Averick’s debut novel, “Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It,” is being adapted into a movie at Netflix. Following a highly competitive bidding war, the streamer landed the film rights to Averick’s “Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It,” which

Karen Kingsbury, the bestselling author crowned the “Queen of Christian Fiction” by Time magazine, has signed with UTA for representation in all areas. Kingsbury has published nearly 100 novels and sold more than 30 million copies in the U.S. Her catalog includes the multi-genera

BET is returning to its comedy roots by rebooting its beloved stand-up series “ComicView.” Titled “ComicView: Rooftop Series,” the 10-episode revival will premiere on the network on June 30 at 9:30 p.m. ET. It’s hosted by Chris “CP” Powell and will take place outside, from a roof

Janelle James is developing a new comedy series at Hulu with “Happy Endings” creator David Caspe. Titled “Rock City,” the show would follow a woman who returns to her hometown in the Virgin Islands after she inherits a local tourist trap from her estranged father. According to th

For the first time, the New York Comedy Festival (NYCF) will present Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch, bringing the annual industry spotlight on emerging comedic talent into the festival’s official programming. The presentation and showcase will take place on Nov. 12 during the festi