“I don’t know the last time I watched so many films! And they’re all amazing, all so daring, so courageous!”
You can hear the excitement in Lee Daniels’ voice. He’s running between screenings in a movie marathon at the Zurich Film Festival, where the Oscar-nominated director of Precious, and co-creator of TV’s Empire, is president of this year’s competition jury.
“I’d forgotten what this is like,” says Daniels, referring to the international art house cinema scene. “It’s a real return to my roots for me.”
Daniels started his film career in the indie world, as a producer on Marc Forster’s Monster’s Ball. The powerful, disturbing look at the American prison system and the poisonous legacy of institutional racism is told through the unlikely romance between a white prison guard (Billy Bob Thornton) and the Black widow of a man he executed (Halle Berry...
You can hear the excitement in Lee Daniels’ voice. He’s running between screenings in a movie marathon at the Zurich Film Festival, where the Oscar-nominated director of Precious, and co-creator of TV’s Empire, is president of this year’s competition jury.
“I’d forgotten what this is like,” says Daniels, referring to the international art house cinema scene. “It’s a real return to my roots for me.”
Daniels started his film career in the indie world, as a producer on Marc Forster’s Monster’s Ball. The powerful, disturbing look at the American prison system and the poisonous legacy of institutional racism is told through the unlikely romance between a white prison guard (Billy Bob Thornton) and the Black widow of a man he executed (Halle Berry...
- 10/11/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Colman Domingo has new plans on his weekend schedule.
The Oscar nominated actor has been selected to receive a Voice & Visibility Award from NewFest, New York’s LGBTQ+ film festival. He’ll receive the shine this Saturday at the city’s Sva Theatre during a program that will also feature a conversation between Domingo and Vanity Fair staff writer Chris Murphy.
Per NewFest, “individuals awarded this honor are recognized for exceptionally demonstrating NewFest’s mission to give voice and visibility to LGBTQ+ stories and artists. Recipients have played an active and essential role in empowering and advancing the LGBTQ+ community in the media.” NewFest executive director David Hatkoff called out one of Domingo’s roles as evidence he fits the bill.
“Colman Domingo’s Academy Award-nominated performance as queer trailblazer Bayard Rustin in Rustin, the opening night film of NewFest’s 2023 festival, was one for the ages,” Hatkoff stated. “His work in television,...
The Oscar nominated actor has been selected to receive a Voice & Visibility Award from NewFest, New York’s LGBTQ+ film festival. He’ll receive the shine this Saturday at the city’s Sva Theatre during a program that will also feature a conversation between Domingo and Vanity Fair staff writer Chris Murphy.
Per NewFest, “individuals awarded this honor are recognized for exceptionally demonstrating NewFest’s mission to give voice and visibility to LGBTQ+ stories and artists. Recipients have played an active and essential role in empowering and advancing the LGBTQ+ community in the media.” NewFest executive director David Hatkoff called out one of Domingo’s roles as evidence he fits the bill.
“Colman Domingo’s Academy Award-nominated performance as queer trailblazer Bayard Rustin in Rustin, the opening night film of NewFest’s 2023 festival, was one for the ages,” Hatkoff stated. “His work in television,...
- 10/8/2024
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson are both back for Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera, which is confirmed for January 2025 release.-
Happily and proudly drawing influence from Michael Mann’s Heat, the heist thriller Den Of Thieves is a really entertaining movie. Released in 2018, it stars Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson, and was written and directed by Christian Gudegast.
The film – rightly – was something of a success as well, and the wheels were soon in metaphorical motion for a follow-up. It’s had to take its place in the queue behind some other Gerard Butler films, including the mighty Plane, but now Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera is readying for release.
The film shot in 2023, with Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson again headlining the film. Christian Gudegast is again in the director’s chair too, having penned the screenplay. Lionsgate, which backed the first movie, has put money into the second,...
Happily and proudly drawing influence from Michael Mann’s Heat, the heist thriller Den Of Thieves is a really entertaining movie. Released in 2018, it stars Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson, and was written and directed by Christian Gudegast.
The film – rightly – was something of a success as well, and the wheels were soon in metaphorical motion for a follow-up. It’s had to take its place in the queue behind some other Gerard Butler films, including the mighty Plane, but now Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera is readying for release.
The film shot in 2023, with Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson again headlining the film. Christian Gudegast is again in the director’s chair too, having penned the screenplay. Lionsgate, which backed the first movie, has put money into the second,...
- 9/20/2024
- by Simon Brew
- Film Stories
Lee Daniels is anything but typical. He’s made sobering character studies (“Precious”), historical and political epics (“The Butler”), and even supernatural horror films (“The Deliverance”), so when it comes to his choices in the Criterion Closet, it’s not surprising to learn his range of influence would be so eclectic. Daniels himself calls the space a “candy store” at the top of his video, signaling a visit that will see him lean into his varied taste and take home selections that encompass Italian surrealism, the work of John Waters, and 1950s noir. First in the bag for Daniels was Essential Fellini, a box set that features 14 of the beloved filmmaker’s work.
“Fellini is my god, my hero,” said Daniels. “Fellini made it possible for me to think that I was a filmmaker because none of his stuff makes sense really, at the end of the day, but it does make sense.
“Fellini is my god, my hero,” said Daniels. “Fellini made it possible for me to think that I was a filmmaker because none of his stuff makes sense really, at the end of the day, but it does make sense.
- 9/13/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
The Boy and the Heron (Hayao Miyazaki)
Cinema at its most boundlessly imaginative, The Boy and the Heron is a journey of thrilling, pure dream logic chock full of images that feel conjured from the deepest corners of Miyazaki’s mind. Considering the painstaking, hand-drawn labor it takes to pull off an animation this encumbered by standard narrative conventions, the feat of Miyazaki being able to corral such a vision feels miraculous. For the sake of the medium, here’s hoping the 82-year-old legend has one more in him.
Where to Stream: Max
Coup! (Austin Stark and Joseph Schuman)
Let’s talk about the pandemic for a moment. No, not the Covid-19 Pandemic. The pandemic that, 100 years ago, killed millions and shuttered...
The Boy and the Heron (Hayao Miyazaki)
Cinema at its most boundlessly imaginative, The Boy and the Heron is a journey of thrilling, pure dream logic chock full of images that feel conjured from the deepest corners of Miyazaki’s mind. Considering the painstaking, hand-drawn labor it takes to pull off an animation this encumbered by standard narrative conventions, the feat of Miyazaki being able to corral such a vision feels miraculous. For the sake of the medium, here’s hoping the 82-year-old legend has one more in him.
Where to Stream: Max
Coup! (Austin Stark and Joseph Schuman)
Let’s talk about the pandemic for a moment. No, not the Covid-19 Pandemic. The pandemic that, 100 years ago, killed millions and shuttered...
- 9/6/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Lee Daniels wants to do it all. The filmmaker behind Monster’s Ball, Precious, and The Butler has made an endlessly compelling horror movie, The Deliverance, for Netflix, starring Andra Day, Glenn Close, Mo’Nique, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. The Film Stage chatted with Daniels about his new film, never wanting to do the same thing twice, loving filming in Pittsburgh, selling out a bit, being convinced white people will not get the Glenn Close performance, and changing the media landscape with Empire.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Film Stage: So I have to tell you: I live in Pittsburgh.
Lee Daniels: Currently live in Pittsburgh?
Yeah.
Were you there when we were shooting?
I’ve been here since 2018, so I was definitely here when you were.
Where in Pittsburgh?
I live south of the city. Where did you shoot?
All around. [South of the city] is familiar. We shot exteriors there…...
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Film Stage: So I have to tell you: I live in Pittsburgh.
Lee Daniels: Currently live in Pittsburgh?
Yeah.
Were you there when we were shooting?
I’ve been here since 2018, so I was definitely here when you were.
Where in Pittsburgh?
I live south of the city. Where did you shoot?
All around. [South of the city] is familiar. We shot exteriors there…...
- 9/4/2024
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
There’s a line from Glenn Close in the third act of Lee Daniels’ possession horror The Deliverance that is undeniably gasp-worthy — a gratuitous piece of unholy dialogue that would be eyebrow-raising anyway, let alone when delivered by an Egot nominee sporting pointy teeth and demon claws. Whether that line falls on the side of so-wild-it’s-kind-of-great, or just-plain-cringe, it is at least attention-grabbing — which sadly can’t be said for the rest of The Deliverance’s denouement.
The intention is interesting. Daniels — previously behind Precious, The Butler, and most recently The United States Vs. Billie Holiday — places a rare Black lens on the possession-horror subgenre, exploring the trials of single mother Ebony. Her predicament is already precarious: she’s previously spent time in prison; she has issues with alcohol; she’s raising three kids while funding her mother’s (Glenn Close) cancer treatment; social services are constantly circling. She...
The intention is interesting. Daniels — previously behind Precious, The Butler, and most recently The United States Vs. Billie Holiday — places a rare Black lens on the possession-horror subgenre, exploring the trials of single mother Ebony. Her predicament is already precarious: she’s previously spent time in prison; she has issues with alcohol; she’s raising three kids while funding her mother’s (Glenn Close) cancer treatment; social services are constantly circling. She...
- 9/2/2024
- by Ben Travis
- Empire - Movies
"The Exorcist," "Poltergeist," and... "The Deliverance"? With its wild writing choices, a wig-wearing Glenn Close, and a mounting pile of mostly negative reviews, the new Netflix horror film from Lee Daniels doesn't exactly seem like it's ready to stand among the genre greats. Yet according to Daniels himself, the three movies have something in common: their sets were all supposedly cursed.
"Listen, I read those books about the making of 'Poltergeist' and the making of 'The Exorcist,'" Daniels told Variety in a new interview. "And I'm like, 'Nope, not today, Satan. Ain't happening today up in this motherf***er.'"
The filmmaker behind "The Butler" and "The Paperboy" may have had some reason to be concerned. Although both of the other movie "curses" mentioned above were likely a combination of coincidence and unsafe working conditions (more on that later), the allegedly true story "The Deliverance" is based on is pretty spooky.
"Listen, I read those books about the making of 'Poltergeist' and the making of 'The Exorcist,'" Daniels told Variety in a new interview. "And I'm like, 'Nope, not today, Satan. Ain't happening today up in this motherf***er.'"
The filmmaker behind "The Butler" and "The Paperboy" may have had some reason to be concerned. Although both of the other movie "curses" mentioned above were likely a combination of coincidence and unsafe working conditions (more on that later), the allegedly true story "The Deliverance" is based on is pretty spooky.
- 8/31/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
The wild making of Lee Daniels’ “The Deliverance,” his Christian horror movie for Netflix, included star Andra Day actually speaking in tongues on set — and off-script. And it may be the first Black-driven studio movie ever made for the mainstream that tackles demonic paranormal activity, a space otherwise dominated by the white likes of everything from “The Exorcist” to “Insidious.”
Of all the auteurs Netflix could’ve hired for a streaming push into faith-based content, hiring Daniels, the Oscar-nominated director of the bleak family drama “Precious,” political tapestry “The Butler,” and B-movie Southern hothouse “The Paperboy,” may seem a surprise choice. But Daniels, who was raised Christian in Philadelphia before his move into Hollywood as a talent manager and casting director and then a filmmaker, might be the most inspired pick. “I wanted to be the first at the gate to tell this type of story,” Daniels told IndieWire.
Both...
Of all the auteurs Netflix could’ve hired for a streaming push into faith-based content, hiring Daniels, the Oscar-nominated director of the bleak family drama “Precious,” political tapestry “The Butler,” and B-movie Southern hothouse “The Paperboy,” may seem a surprise choice. But Daniels, who was raised Christian in Philadelphia before his move into Hollywood as a talent manager and casting director and then a filmmaker, might be the most inspired pick. “I wanted to be the first at the gate to tell this type of story,” Daniels told IndieWire.
Both...
- 8/27/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Netflix’s possession horror movie The Deliverance centers on a single mother struggling to raise her kids while struggling with her inner demons, and that’s before the actual evil takes root in the new family home. Cycles of abuse lead to intense confrontations in this family, particularly between protagonist Ebony Jackson (Andra Day) and her mother Alberta (Glenn Close).
The Deliverance, out now in select theaters before arriving on Netflix August 30, is loosely based on a true story: that of Latoya Ammons and her 2011 haunting in the house that’s also known as the Demon House. While director Lee Daniels, who also wrote with writers David Coggeshall and Elijah Bynum, spends a lot of time establishing complex characters that stand apart from their real-life inspirations, the filmmaker previously told us in a recent interview that he wanted to really dig into the drama and get to know the characters...
The Deliverance, out now in select theaters before arriving on Netflix August 30, is loosely based on a true story: that of Latoya Ammons and her 2011 haunting in the house that’s also known as the Demon House. While director Lee Daniels, who also wrote with writers David Coggeshall and Elijah Bynum, spends a lot of time establishing complex characters that stand apart from their real-life inspirations, the filmmaker previously told us in a recent interview that he wanted to really dig into the drama and get to know the characters...
- 8/26/2024
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
This week we are blessed with some brand-new series and films, like the Greek god-filled “Kaos” (on Netflix), a Lee Daniels-directed horror thriller called “The Deliverance” (also on Netflix), plus documentaries on Gary Coleman (“Gary” on Peacock) and “Baywatch” (“After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun” on Hulu). Also, we’ve got a new Adam Sandler stand-up special (“Love You” on Netflix) and a “Terminator” anime series (“Terminator Zero” on Netflix). Oh and “Only Murders in the Building” (on Hulu) and “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” (on Prime Video) return!
On with the television!
“Kaos” Jeff Goldblum in “Kaos” (Netflix)
Thursday, August 29, Netflix
Charlie Covell, creator of “The End of the F***ing World,” returns with a new series that focuses on Greek gods in modern society who discover that a trio of humans have a mysterious connection that could bring about the end of the f***ing world.
On with the television!
“Kaos” Jeff Goldblum in “Kaos” (Netflix)
Thursday, August 29, Netflix
Charlie Covell, creator of “The End of the F***ing World,” returns with a new series that focuses on Greek gods in modern society who discover that a trio of humans have a mysterious connection that could bring about the end of the f***ing world.
- 8/25/2024
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
After decades of producing dramas like the Oscar-nominated Precious, The Butler, The Paperboy and The United States vs. Billie Holiday, Lee Daniels is trying his hand at horror.
The Deliverance draws inspiration from the true-life story of Latoya Ammons, a Gary, Indiana, mother who, in 2011, claimed her children had become possessed by a demonic spirit. The film — which was released in select theaters Aug. 16 and will stream on Netflix on Aug. 30 — sees the producer and director reuniting with Andra Day (who won a Golden Globe for best actress and received an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of the titular character in Billie Holiday) in the lead role of Ebony, a neglectful, alcoholic mother struggling with her own abandonment issues. Daniels also works with Mo’Nique for the first time since their public falling out over financial expectations around promoting Precious, the 2009 film for which Mo’Nique won the supporting actress Oscar.
The Deliverance draws inspiration from the true-life story of Latoya Ammons, a Gary, Indiana, mother who, in 2011, claimed her children had become possessed by a demonic spirit. The film — which was released in select theaters Aug. 16 and will stream on Netflix on Aug. 30 — sees the producer and director reuniting with Andra Day (who won a Golden Globe for best actress and received an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of the titular character in Billie Holiday) in the lead role of Ebony, a neglectful, alcoholic mother struggling with her own abandonment issues. Daniels also works with Mo’Nique for the first time since their public falling out over financial expectations around promoting Precious, the 2009 film for which Mo’Nique won the supporting actress Oscar.
- 8/20/2024
- by Brande Victorian
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In the late 1990s, Oprah Winfrey took an unusual turn and starred in a horror film. Audiences were much more interested in a new movie about Chucky the Doll that was in theaters at the time. This event led Oprah to eat 30 pounds of mac and cheese. Here’s a look at what Oprah thought about this binge years later.
Oprah Winfrey hadn’t heard of Chucky the Doll until he overshadowed her movie
Oprah has appeared in several historical films, like The Color Purple, Selma, and The Butler. One of the least remembered is Beloved, based on the classic novel of the same name by Toni Morrison. The combination of a massive star and a classic book could have been Oscar gold, but that wasn’t the case. According to a 2011 USA Today article, Oprah told Piers Morgan that Beloved‘s failure led her into “a massive, depressive macaroni and cheese-eating tailspin.
Oprah Winfrey hadn’t heard of Chucky the Doll until he overshadowed her movie
Oprah has appeared in several historical films, like The Color Purple, Selma, and The Butler. One of the least remembered is Beloved, based on the classic novel of the same name by Toni Morrison. The combination of a massive star and a classic book could have been Oscar gold, but that wasn’t the case. According to a 2011 USA Today article, Oprah told Piers Morgan that Beloved‘s failure led her into “a massive, depressive macaroni and cheese-eating tailspin.
- 8/19/2024
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Lee Daniels’ The Deliverance is, on the one hand, a typical and considered domestic drama about a matriarch (Andra Day) balancing family obligations, alcoholism and a tempestuous relationship with her mother (Glenn Close). On the other hand, it represents the director’s foray into the supernatural. Here, Daniels, the director of slushy films like Precious and The Butler, digs into hauntings and, from them, extracts lessons in faith. It’s possible for both narrative threads to co-exist or intertwine harmoniously, and the film’s structure reveals Daniels’ intention for them to inform one another. But The Deliverance is too choppy an affair, and the mix rarely achieves total coherence.
Taking inspiration from the real-life story of Latoya Ammons, an Indiana woman who claimed that malevolent spirits lurked in her home and possessed her children, Daniels tells the tale of Ebony (Day), a single mother contending with financial problems and state surveillance,...
Taking inspiration from the real-life story of Latoya Ammons, an Indiana woman who claimed that malevolent spirits lurked in her home and possessed her children, Daniels tells the tale of Ebony (Day), a single mother contending with financial problems and state surveillance,...
- 8/16/2024
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Looking back at actors’ final performances often feels like flipping through the pages of a bittersweet novel. The passing of Robin Williams in 2014 left the world in a state of collective mourning, a profound sadness that rippled through the hearts of fans. To say the world was staggered would be putting it mildly; the fact that he took his own life was a shock that reverberated across the globe.
Robin Williams in Patch Adams | Universal Pictures
What could have driven such a torrent of despair into the heart of a man who brought so much joy? Let’s take a closer look at his diagnosis and discuss the profound impact it had on his life, culminating in his final interview—a poignant moment captured during his work on Lee Daniels’ 2013 flick, The Butler.
As Williams discussed the sweeping changes of the past fifty years and took on the role of Dwight Eisenhower,...
Robin Williams in Patch Adams | Universal Pictures
What could have driven such a torrent of despair into the heart of a man who brought so much joy? Let’s take a closer look at his diagnosis and discuss the profound impact it had on his life, culminating in his final interview—a poignant moment captured during his work on Lee Daniels’ 2013 flick, The Butler.
As Williams discussed the sweeping changes of the past fifty years and took on the role of Dwight Eisenhower,...
- 8/12/2024
- by Siddhika Prajapati
- FandomWire
You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Nicole Kidman squat-piss on Zac Efron’s jellyfish sting, or eye-fuck John Cusack from across the room of a no-contact death row prison visit, or Efron dancing to Linda Clifford’s “I Just Wanna Wanna” in clinging tighty-whities in the rain. All of this and more happens in Lee Daniels’ sweaty, swampy Southern Gothic “The Paperboy,” the writer/director’s 2012 follow-up to his Oscar-winning sensation “Precious.” It’s a movie, as Daniels told IndieWire, that “doesn’t get any love.”
Set in 1969, this delirious entertainment follows Matthew McConaughey as a Florida reporter covering inmate Hillary Van Wetter (Cusack), who has been convicted of killing a racist cop. McConaughey hires his brother Jack (Efron) to probe Hillary’s possible innocence. Efron is seduced by the vamping, sex-mad blonde Charlotte Bless (Kidman), a southern-friend Alabama belle in love with Hillary from afar. Violence, madness,...
Set in 1969, this delirious entertainment follows Matthew McConaughey as a Florida reporter covering inmate Hillary Van Wetter (Cusack), who has been convicted of killing a racist cop. McConaughey hires his brother Jack (Efron) to probe Hillary’s possible innocence. Efron is seduced by the vamping, sex-mad blonde Charlotte Bless (Kidman), a southern-friend Alabama belle in love with Hillary from afar. Violence, madness,...
- 8/5/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
If you’ve heard of but haven't seen Lee Daniels’ 2012 thriller The Paperboy, it’s probably for one of two reasons. First and most notably, it’s the one where Nicole Kidman pisses on a jellyfish-stung Zac Efron. Second, it was an almost Earth-shattering flop for the director, who had...
- 8/5/2024
- by Emma Keates
- avclub.com
Oprah Winfrey remained preoccupied with her weight for decades. Ever since the talk show legend entered the public eye in 1984, fans and critics have scrutinized her body’s highs and lows. Winfrey reached her heaviest, 237 pounds, in 1992. Four years prior, she’d lost 67 pounds utilizing a now-controversial liquid diet. As the diet industry has transformed, so has the now 70-year-old.
Oprah Winfrey at the American Museum of the Moving Image Awards on March 19, 1992 | Oscar Abolafia/Tplp/Getty Images
Perhaps the most exciting time in her weight loss journey is now. Winfrey started taking semaglutide, an antidiabetic and an anti-obesity medication, sometime in 2023. She began dropping noticeable pounds as she attended media events and TV productions. Currently, The Color Purple producer’s goal weight is 160 pounds, which she hopes to maintain long-term, reports Today.
Oprah Winfrey at the 55th Annual NAACP Awards on March 16, 2024 in LA | Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Oprah...
Oprah Winfrey at the American Museum of the Moving Image Awards on March 19, 1992 | Oscar Abolafia/Tplp/Getty Images
Perhaps the most exciting time in her weight loss journey is now. Winfrey started taking semaglutide, an antidiabetic and an anti-obesity medication, sometime in 2023. She began dropping noticeable pounds as she attended media events and TV productions. Currently, The Color Purple producer’s goal weight is 160 pounds, which she hopes to maintain long-term, reports Today.
Oprah Winfrey at the 55th Annual NAACP Awards on March 16, 2024 in LA | Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Oprah...
- 7/31/2024
- by Ali Hicks
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Lee Daniels is directing a supernatural drama based on a true story.
The Academy Award-nominated director reunites with his “United States vs. Billie Holiday” star Andra Day for Netflix film “The Deliverance.” Written by David Coggeshall and Elijah Bynum, “The Deliverance” centers on a single mother (Day) who endures strange occurrences in a new home. The feature is billed as being a “genre-defying take on darkness, possession, and finding a higher power.”
The official synopsis reads: “Ebony Jackson, a struggling single mother fighting her personal demons, moves her family into a new home for a fresh start. But when strange occurrences inside the home raise the suspicions of Child Protective Services and threaten to tear the family apart, Ebony soon finds herself locked in a battle for her life and the souls of her children.”
Glenn Close, Daniels’ “Precious” Oscar winner Mo’Nique, Anthony B. Jenkins, Miss Lawrence, Demi Singleton, and Tasha Smith co-star,...
The Academy Award-nominated director reunites with his “United States vs. Billie Holiday” star Andra Day for Netflix film “The Deliverance.” Written by David Coggeshall and Elijah Bynum, “The Deliverance” centers on a single mother (Day) who endures strange occurrences in a new home. The feature is billed as being a “genre-defying take on darkness, possession, and finding a higher power.”
The official synopsis reads: “Ebony Jackson, a struggling single mother fighting her personal demons, moves her family into a new home for a fresh start. But when strange occurrences inside the home raise the suspicions of Child Protective Services and threaten to tear the family apart, Ebony soon finds herself locked in a battle for her life and the souls of her children.”
Glenn Close, Daniels’ “Precious” Oscar winner Mo’Nique, Anthony B. Jenkins, Miss Lawrence, Demi Singleton, and Tasha Smith co-star,...
- 7/16/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker has had a long and celebrated acting career though initially he aspired to be an opera singer. He enrolled at the University of Southern California to study opera but then changed his major to acting and graduated from the school with a Bfa in Drama.
While still enrolled in college, Whitaker began acting professionally. His first film role came in a movie called “Tag: The Assassination Game,” which starred Robert Carradine and Linda Hamilton. That same year he would get a small role in a movie about high school students that would become a classic. He joined a cast of unknown actors including Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold and Phoebe Cates in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” The film was a bit of a sleeper hit in 1982 but became a classic through repeated showings on cable TV.
Six years later Whitaker would gain his...
While still enrolled in college, Whitaker began acting professionally. His first film role came in a movie called “Tag: The Assassination Game,” which starred Robert Carradine and Linda Hamilton. That same year he would get a small role in a movie about high school students that would become a classic. He joined a cast of unknown actors including Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold and Phoebe Cates in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” The film was a bit of a sleeper hit in 1982 but became a classic through repeated showings on cable TV.
Six years later Whitaker would gain his...
- 7/11/2024
- by Robert Pius, Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
For some 10 years, British-American actor-producer David Oyelowo has nurtured his obsession with the legendary post-Civil War Deputy U.S. Marshall Bass Reeves — long considered an inspiration for the Lone Ranger, with his white horse and Native American sidekick. Others had tried to make movies about him. Morgan Freeman, for one, spent some three decades pushing the project forward, to no avail. Always, there was resistance to centering a project on a Black lawman.
“You simply cannot avoid the question of race,” said Oyelowo at his spacious home in the San Fernando Valley. “Because arguably, the most, if not one of the most beloved genres, certainly, in American cinema is the Western. The narrative in our business, ‘Black doesn’t travel,’ ‘Black is niche,’ ‘Black is not global,’ therefore, does not warrant the level of budget.”
As time passed, mounting a Western set in the 1800s only became more expensive. “The further away you get,...
“You simply cannot avoid the question of race,” said Oyelowo at his spacious home in the San Fernando Valley. “Because arguably, the most, if not one of the most beloved genres, certainly, in American cinema is the Western. The narrative in our business, ‘Black doesn’t travel,’ ‘Black is niche,’ ‘Black is not global,’ therefore, does not warrant the level of budget.”
As time passed, mounting a Western set in the 1800s only became more expensive. “The further away you get,...
- 6/19/2024
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
It’s been 10 years since David Oyelowo made his U.S. breakthrough portraying Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in “Selma.” Playing the awe-inspiring civil rights leader was an opportunity for the British-Nigerian actor to live up to his surname, which translates to “a king deserves respect.”
Oyelowo has been reflecting on that time in his life a lot more lately, thanks in part to “Becoming King,” a documentary directed by his wife, Jessica Oyelowo, that captures the seven-year journey to bring “Selma” to the big screen.
“It was a big year,” he says of 2014. “There was no way you could know the sheer amount of things that would happen, because at the beginning of it, nothing was happening. ‘Selma’ felt dead. I was in the middle of shooting ‘A Most Violent Year,’ having a good time with that, but just feeling in a state of limbo and then—”
He stops mid-thought.
Oyelowo has been reflecting on that time in his life a lot more lately, thanks in part to “Becoming King,” a documentary directed by his wife, Jessica Oyelowo, that captures the seven-year journey to bring “Selma” to the big screen.
“It was a big year,” he says of 2014. “There was no way you could know the sheer amount of things that would happen, because at the beginning of it, nothing was happening. ‘Selma’ felt dead. I was in the middle of shooting ‘A Most Violent Year,’ having a good time with that, but just feeling in a state of limbo and then—”
He stops mid-thought.
- 5/23/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Veteran US independent producer Cassian Elwes and Chinese tech entrepreneur and NextG founder Edward Zeng are launching a $100m fund to invest in five to eight features over the next three years.
The pair are in Cannes to meet with potential partners on their Next Generation Media Fund and are talking to buyers on the first project on the slate, the crime biopic Gambino.
Elwes, whose credits include The Butler, Precious and Mudbound, is lead producer on the story of the Mafia boss who led the Gambino crime family in New York until his death in 1976.
Nick Vallelonga, the Oscar-winning...
The pair are in Cannes to meet with potential partners on their Next Generation Media Fund and are talking to buyers on the first project on the slate, the crime biopic Gambino.
Elwes, whose credits include The Butler, Precious and Mudbound, is lead producer on the story of the Mafia boss who led the Gambino crime family in New York until his death in 1976.
Nick Vallelonga, the Oscar-winning...
- 5/19/2024
- ScreenDaily
A new Guy Ritchie project is launching at the Cannes market with Black Bear.
Plot details are being kept under wraps and casting is in process but Wife And Dog will deal with class in a similar vein to recent Netflix TV series The Gentlemen.
Ritchie is coming off the starry action-comedy The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare as well as The Gentlemen. Apple pic Fountain Of Youth is in production and Black Bear project In The Grey is in post.
Warfare is the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced war movie starring Henry Cavill (Superman), Eiza González (Baby Driver), Alan Ritchson, Henry Golding, Henrique Zaga (Beyond The Universe), Alex Pettyfer, Cary Elwes (Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre), Hero Fiennes Tiffin (After franchise), Babs Olusanmokun and Til Schweiger. Black Bear was also in on that one.
Plot details are being kept under wraps and casting is in process but Wife And Dog will deal with class in a similar vein to recent Netflix TV series The Gentlemen.
Ritchie is coming off the starry action-comedy The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare as well as The Gentlemen. Apple pic Fountain Of Youth is in production and Black Bear project In The Grey is in post.
Warfare is the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced war movie starring Henry Cavill (Superman), Eiza González (Baby Driver), Alan Ritchson, Henry Golding, Henrique Zaga (Beyond The Universe), Alex Pettyfer, Cary Elwes (Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre), Hero Fiennes Tiffin (After franchise), Babs Olusanmokun and Til Schweiger. Black Bear was also in on that one.
- 5/13/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
As Oscar night fades in the rearview, arguments over who got robbed and who had the nicest dress continue to recede. One story, however, continues to rage on — a backlash (and backlash to the backlash) to the acceptance speech given by Jonathan Glazer alongside producers James Wilson and Len Blavatnik when The Zone of Interest won for best international film. THR has learned that that, even though Glazer claimed to speak for all three of them, he had not run his comments by Blavatnik, according to a spokesperson for the billionaire.
Glazer, The Zone of Interest’s writer-director, said (and it’s important to get this right) that his Auschwitz-set movie “shows where dehumanization leads at its worst” and continued “right now we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people,...
Glazer, The Zone of Interest’s writer-director, said (and it’s important to get this right) that his Auschwitz-set movie “shows where dehumanization leads at its worst” and continued “right now we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people,...
- 3/13/2024
- by Jordan Hoffman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Dylan O’Brien is set to headline in James Sweeney’s dark comedy Twinless, which the latter wrote and will also star in. Republic Pictures has taken global rights to the movie. Cameras are currently rolling on the movie in Portland, Or. O’Brien will executive produce.
The pic follows two young men who meet in a twin bereavement support group. An unlikely bromance develops between them. Twinless follow Sweeney’s directorial debut, Straight Up, which notched the filmmaker a Best First Screenplay nom at the 2021 Independent Spirit Awards.
Three Point Capital is financing the film with Ali Jazayeri, David Gendron and Liz Destro also serving as EPs.
Twinless is produced by Academy Award nominated producer David Permut and Permut Presentations whose most recent Netflix movie, Rustin, garnered Colman Domingo a Best Actor Oscar nomination.
Miky Lee (Parasite) Vice Chairwoman of Cj and who most recently executive...
The pic follows two young men who meet in a twin bereavement support group. An unlikely bromance develops between them. Twinless follow Sweeney’s directorial debut, Straight Up, which notched the filmmaker a Best First Screenplay nom at the 2021 Independent Spirit Awards.
Three Point Capital is financing the film with Ali Jazayeri, David Gendron and Liz Destro also serving as EPs.
Twinless is produced by Academy Award nominated producer David Permut and Permut Presentations whose most recent Netflix movie, Rustin, garnered Colman Domingo a Best Actor Oscar nomination.
Miky Lee (Parasite) Vice Chairwoman of Cj and who most recently executive...
- 2/15/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Almost two years ago, Netflix paid a reported $65 million for the rights to Oscar-nominated director Lee Daniels’ (Precious, The Butler) possession horror movie The Deliverance. This morning we’ve finally learned through Netflix’s “What’s Next” announcement that the buzzy horror title is finally set to make a 2024 debut.
About The Deliverance: “When Ebony Jackson, a struggling single mom, moves her mother and children into a new home, strange occurrences begin to happen, and child protective services, suspects Ebony of child abuse. But when these occurrences reveal to be demonic, Ebony not only has to battle the system for her children, but she soon finds herself in a spiritual battle against a demon for her faith, her life, and for the souls of her children. Inspired by a true story.”
The horror movie has quite the impressive cast, too.
Andra Day, Glenn Close, Mo’nique, Anthony B. Jenkins, Miss Lawrence,...
About The Deliverance: “When Ebony Jackson, a struggling single mom, moves her mother and children into a new home, strange occurrences begin to happen, and child protective services, suspects Ebony of child abuse. But when these occurrences reveal to be demonic, Ebony not only has to battle the system for her children, but she soon finds herself in a spiritual battle against a demon for her faith, her life, and for the souls of her children. Inspired by a true story.”
The horror movie has quite the impressive cast, too.
Andra Day, Glenn Close, Mo’nique, Anthony B. Jenkins, Miss Lawrence,...
- 2/1/2024
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
A decade after his breakthrough role as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Ava DuVernay’s Selma, David Oyelowo says he is heartened by the long-overdue shift toward a more culturally diverse marketplace for onscreen storytelling.
As part of NATPE 2024’s official programming, Oyelowo appeared onstage in front of a lively crowd of 150 guests at the InterContinental Miami to discuss his wide-ranging career as an actor, director and producer before receiving The Hollywood Reporter’s “Trailblazer Award” — a commendation given to Hollywood creatives whose work reflects a commitment to amplifying marginalized creators and stories.
“Streaming has really democratized things and the generational impact is seismic,” said Oyelowo, who joins recent THR Trailblazer honorees America Ferrera, Eva Longoria and Niecy Nash-Betts in receiving the award. “I know what marginalization looks like. I know how stories can break down prejudices. I feel it deeply because I’ve experienced it.”
Oyelowo’s star...
As part of NATPE 2024’s official programming, Oyelowo appeared onstage in front of a lively crowd of 150 guests at the InterContinental Miami to discuss his wide-ranging career as an actor, director and producer before receiving The Hollywood Reporter’s “Trailblazer Award” — a commendation given to Hollywood creatives whose work reflects a commitment to amplifying marginalized creators and stories.
“Streaming has really democratized things and the generational impact is seismic,” said Oyelowo, who joins recent THR Trailblazer honorees America Ferrera, Eva Longoria and Niecy Nash-Betts in receiving the award. “I know what marginalization looks like. I know how stories can break down prejudices. I feel it deeply because I’ve experienced it.”
Oyelowo’s star...
- 1/18/2024
- by Stacey Wilson Hunt
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Lenny Kravitz usually waits for music to come to him, like the way he wrote his iconic 1991 song, “It Ain’t Over ‘til It’s Over”.
“[I was] in the hotel room after my breakup with Zoe’s mom, which was extremely emotional and painful, and I was just staying at this hotel in LA with the curtains drawn, very sad, depressed,” he says. “All I had was a Fender Rhodes, which is an electric piano. And just sat down one day and just started playing these chords.”
Kravitz’s creativity functions “like an antenna” he explains. He had a similar process writing “Let Love Rule”: “I’d written [the words] ‘let love rule’ on the wall outside of my apartment, next to the elevator. And I kept passing this thing for months, in and out of the apartment, in the elevator, in New York. And then, one day, I walked in the...
“[I was] in the hotel room after my breakup with Zoe’s mom, which was extremely emotional and painful, and I was just staying at this hotel in LA with the curtains drawn, very sad, depressed,” he says. “All I had was a Fender Rhodes, which is an electric piano. And just sat down one day and just started playing these chords.”
Kravitz’s creativity functions “like an antenna” he explains. He had a similar process writing “Let Love Rule”: “I’d written [the words] ‘let love rule’ on the wall outside of my apartment, next to the elevator. And I kept passing this thing for months, in and out of the apartment, in the elevator, in New York. And then, one day, I walked in the...
- 1/12/2024
- by Antonia Blyth
- Deadline Film + TV
As expected, Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) and Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”) led the way among first-time nominees for the 2024 Screen Actors Guild Awards, snatching Best Film Actress and Actor bids, respectively. They were among a half-dozen SAG Awards rookie nominees spread across the film and TV categories, while numerous others were honored with their first solo bids after previously landing cast or ensemble attention.
Here is the list of first-timers and second-timers (both overall and as individuals):
Best Film Actress
Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) – First nomination
Best Film Actor
Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”) – First nomination Colman Domingo (“Rustin”) – Second nomination but first individually after being honored as past of the cast of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”
Best Film Supporting Actress
Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Holdovers”) – First nomination Jodie Foster (“Nyad”) – Second nomination Danielle Brooks (“The Color Purple”): Fifth nomination but first individually following four...
Here is the list of first-timers and second-timers (both overall and as individuals):
Best Film Actress
Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) – First nomination
Best Film Actor
Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”) – First nomination Colman Domingo (“Rustin”) – Second nomination but first individually after being honored as past of the cast of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”
Best Film Supporting Actress
Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Holdovers”) – First nomination Jodie Foster (“Nyad”) – Second nomination Danielle Brooks (“The Color Purple”): Fifth nomination but first individually following four...
- 1/10/2024
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Zorro and Expats are the big shows coming to Prime Video in January. The former is what Amazon are calling a “bold reinterpretation” of the classic hero El Zorro for 2024. Starring Miguel Bernardeau as Diego de la Vega and Renata Notni as Lolita Marquez, it’s definitely an intriguing-sounding action-adventure series, with a ten-episode first season based on the iconic character originally created by Johnston McCulley all the way back in 1919.
Meanwhile, upcoming drama series Expats is based on the bestselling 2016 novel The Expatriates by Janice Y. K. Lee, and follows “the vibrant lives of a close-knit expatriate community” in Hong Kong. Nicole Kidman has been known for picking the right kind of shows to lead in the past, so let’s hope this is another banger for the actress, who is also on board as an executive producer here.
Here’s everything coming to Amazon Prime Video and Freevee this month.
Meanwhile, upcoming drama series Expats is based on the bestselling 2016 novel The Expatriates by Janice Y. K. Lee, and follows “the vibrant lives of a close-knit expatriate community” in Hong Kong. Nicole Kidman has been known for picking the right kind of shows to lead in the past, so let’s hope this is another banger for the actress, who is also on board as an executive producer here.
Here’s everything coming to Amazon Prime Video and Freevee this month.
- 1/1/2024
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
The award is presented in honour of late UK critic and film historian, Derek Malcolm.
The Color Purple and Rustin star Colman Domingo is to receive the inaugural London Critics’ Circle Innovation Award at the 44th ceremony in February 2024.
Domingo is a US actor, producer, writer and director in film, television and theatre, winning an Emmy for his role in TV series Euphoria. His notable feature credits include Sing Sing (for which he received Toronto’s Tribute Performer Award), Candyman, If Beale Street Could Talk, The Butler, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Zola.
Malcolm was a long-standing member of...
The Color Purple and Rustin star Colman Domingo is to receive the inaugural London Critics’ Circle Innovation Award at the 44th ceremony in February 2024.
Domingo is a US actor, producer, writer and director in film, television and theatre, winning an Emmy for his role in TV series Euphoria. His notable feature credits include Sing Sing (for which he received Toronto’s Tribute Performer Award), Candyman, If Beale Street Could Talk, The Butler, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Zola.
Malcolm was a long-standing member of...
- 12/21/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
The UK’s leading film critics will present Colman Domingo with the first ever Derek Malcolm Award for Innovation at their upcoming awards ceremony.
Legendary critic and film historian Malcom died in August, aged 91. The award named in his honor will be part of the 44th London Critics’ Circle Awards that take place on February 4, 2024.
Domingo is being recognized for his work as an actor, producer, writer, and director in a career that spans film, television and theater.
He won an Emmy for his role in Euphoria and received a Tony nom as a producer of Fat Ham, a retelling of Hamlet. In film, his recent credits include The Color Purple and Rustin and other work includes appearances in Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk, Lee Daniels’ The Butler and Ava DuVernay’s Selma.
“It’s an honor to receive the inaugural Derek Malcolm Award for Innovation and to...
Legendary critic and film historian Malcom died in August, aged 91. The award named in his honor will be part of the 44th London Critics’ Circle Awards that take place on February 4, 2024.
Domingo is being recognized for his work as an actor, producer, writer, and director in a career that spans film, television and theater.
He won an Emmy for his role in Euphoria and received a Tony nom as a producer of Fat Ham, a retelling of Hamlet. In film, his recent credits include The Color Purple and Rustin and other work includes appearances in Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk, Lee Daniels’ The Butler and Ava DuVernay’s Selma.
“It’s an honor to receive the inaugural Derek Malcolm Award for Innovation and to...
- 12/21/2023
- by Stewart Clarke
- Deadline Film + TV
Colman Domingo will receive the London Film Critics’ Circle’s inaugural Innovation Award.
Domingo has been recognized for his work as an actor, producer, writer and director in film, television and theater. He won an Emmy for his role in “Euphoria.” He starred in Broadway musical “The Scottsboro Boys” (2011) for which he received a Tony nomination, and an Olivier nomination when the production transferred to London’s West End in 2014. He is a producer on “Fat Ham,” a retelling of “Hamlet,” which was nominated for five Tonys.
This year, he played Mister in film “The Color Purple” and civil-rights activist Bayard Rustin in Netflix’s “Rustin,” for which he has been nominated for a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award. Domingo’s film credits also include Barry Jenkins’ “If Beale Street Could Talk,” Lee Daniels’ “The Butler” and Ava DuVernay’s “Selma.” He was nominated for an Independent Spirit and...
Domingo has been recognized for his work as an actor, producer, writer and director in film, television and theater. He won an Emmy for his role in “Euphoria.” He starred in Broadway musical “The Scottsboro Boys” (2011) for which he received a Tony nomination, and an Olivier nomination when the production transferred to London’s West End in 2014. He is a producer on “Fat Ham,” a retelling of “Hamlet,” which was nominated for five Tonys.
This year, he played Mister in film “The Color Purple” and civil-rights activist Bayard Rustin in Netflix’s “Rustin,” for which he has been nominated for a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award. Domingo’s film credits also include Barry Jenkins’ “If Beale Street Could Talk,” Lee Daniels’ “The Butler” and Ava DuVernay’s “Selma.” He was nominated for an Independent Spirit and...
- 12/21/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Rustin star Colman Domingo will receive the inaugural Derek Malcolm Award for innovation from the London Film Critics’ Circle, the U.K. longest-standing film critics association.
The award, named in honor of the late British critic Derek Malcolm, who died in August at age 91, will be presented to Domingo at the 44th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards in London on Feb. 4, 2024.
Domingo, currently generating awards buzz for his performance as Civil Rights leader Bayard Rustin, the chief architect of the historic 1963 March on Washington, in George C. Wolfe’s Netflix drama Rustin, is being honored for his work as an actor, producer, writer and director across film, television and theater. Domingo has picked up Critics Choice and Golden Globe nominations for Rustin, has won an Emmy for a guest role on HBO’s Euphoria and earned a Tony nomination as a producer of Fat Ham, a Broadway retelling of Hamlet.
The award, named in honor of the late British critic Derek Malcolm, who died in August at age 91, will be presented to Domingo at the 44th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards in London on Feb. 4, 2024.
Domingo, currently generating awards buzz for his performance as Civil Rights leader Bayard Rustin, the chief architect of the historic 1963 March on Washington, in George C. Wolfe’s Netflix drama Rustin, is being honored for his work as an actor, producer, writer and director across film, television and theater. Domingo has picked up Critics Choice and Golden Globe nominations for Rustin, has won an Emmy for a guest role on HBO’s Euphoria and earned a Tony nomination as a producer of Fat Ham, a Broadway retelling of Hamlet.
- 12/21/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“I definitely felt a responsibility,” admits Lenny Kravitz of being tasked with ending the film “Rustin” with an original song. The Netlix movie follows the unsung story of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin (Colman Domingo) as he orchestrates the infamous 1963 March on Washington. Through conversations with Domingo and director George C. Wolfe, and a period of quiet reflection, Kravitz turned out the inspiring song “Road to Freedom” which soars through the end credits. It recently earned the artist a Golden Globe nomination. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
The rock and roll icon sums up his songwriting process as “getting quiet.” “I waited for a couple days after I got the phone call because I don’t like to sit down. I prefer to wait to hear something that’s being transmitted. I’m just an antenna. That’s what my job is, to pick up what’s to be given,...
The rock and roll icon sums up his songwriting process as “getting quiet.” “I waited for a couple days after I got the phone call because I don’t like to sit down. I prefer to wait to hear something that’s being transmitted. I’m just an antenna. That’s what my job is, to pick up what’s to be given,...
- 12/13/2023
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
Lenny Kravitz’s family had been involved in the Civil Rights Movement, so it was only fitting he should lend his musical talent to George C. Wolfe’s new biopic about the activist leader Bayard Rustin, who played a key role in planning the 1963 March on Washington.
Except, Kravitz had never heard of the Civil Rights figure. “I was disturbed that I did not know about Bayard Rustin,” the rock musician tells Variety. While Martin Luther King Jr.’s story was, of course, taught to him in school, Rustin’s was not. So, when producer Bruce Cohen approached him to write the end song for the Colman Domingo-starring “Rustin,” Kravitz dropped everything to learn about the story. “I knew immediately that this was something that I needed to do,” he says.
The assignment, in Kravitz’s words, was “due yesterday,” as Wolfe wanted the song right away. But Kravitz explains,...
Except, Kravitz had never heard of the Civil Rights figure. “I was disturbed that I did not know about Bayard Rustin,” the rock musician tells Variety. While Martin Luther King Jr.’s story was, of course, taught to him in school, Rustin’s was not. So, when producer Bruce Cohen approached him to write the end song for the Colman Domingo-starring “Rustin,” Kravitz dropped everything to learn about the story. “I knew immediately that this was something that I needed to do,” he says.
The assignment, in Kravitz’s words, was “due yesterday,” as Wolfe wanted the song right away. But Kravitz explains,...
- 12/12/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has ordered the drama “Ransom Canyon” to series, with Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly set to star.
Netflix has given “Ransom Canyon” a 10-episode order. The series is described as a romance-fueled family drama and contemporary Western. The official logline states that the show “charts the intersecting lives of three ranching families, all set against the rugged expanse of Texas Hill Country.”
Duhamel will star as Staten Kirkland, described as the owner and sole occupant of the sprawling Double K Ranch. He is further described as “Steadfast and stoic, Staten leads the charge to resist outside forces threatening his way of life and the land that he loves.”
Kelly will play Quinn. It is said that the character “has often found herself in the shadow of others, but after a stint in New York pursuing her career as a concert pianist, she has returned to Ransom Canyon to carve...
Netflix has given “Ransom Canyon” a 10-episode order. The series is described as a romance-fueled family drama and contemporary Western. The official logline states that the show “charts the intersecting lives of three ranching families, all set against the rugged expanse of Texas Hill Country.”
Duhamel will star as Staten Kirkland, described as the owner and sole occupant of the sprawling Double K Ranch. He is further described as “Steadfast and stoic, Staten leads the charge to resist outside forces threatening his way of life and the land that he loves.”
Kelly will play Quinn. It is said that the character “has often found herself in the shadow of others, but after a stint in New York pursuing her career as a concert pianist, she has returned to Ransom Canyon to carve...
- 12/5/2023
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
On Friday night, Oprah Winfrey hosted a swanky celebration for “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” executive producer and star David Oyelowo at the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood.
Photographers lined the driveway of the iconic hotel while a who’s who of Hollywood — including Gayle King, Lupita Nyong’o, Niecy Nash-Betts and the cast of the hit Paramount+ series — posed in front of a black and gold backdrop. Inside the luxurious venue, even more stars — like Macro chief Charles D. King, Yvonne Orji, O-t Fagbenle, Anna Diop, Edwina Findley, Mykelti Williamson, Mo McRae, Eugene Ashe, Deon and Roxanne Taylor — mixed and mingled as the party took over the whole of the bar and pool area on a windy, yet starry night in Los Angeles. The affair felt more like a family reunion than an industry function, with Oyelowo joined by his wife (and Yoruba Saxon producing partner) Jessica Oyelowo and their children Asher,...
Photographers lined the driveway of the iconic hotel while a who’s who of Hollywood — including Gayle King, Lupita Nyong’o, Niecy Nash-Betts and the cast of the hit Paramount+ series — posed in front of a black and gold backdrop. Inside the luxurious venue, even more stars — like Macro chief Charles D. King, Yvonne Orji, O-t Fagbenle, Anna Diop, Edwina Findley, Mykelti Williamson, Mo McRae, Eugene Ashe, Deon and Roxanne Taylor — mixed and mingled as the party took over the whole of the bar and pool area on a windy, yet starry night in Los Angeles. The affair felt more like a family reunion than an industry function, with Oyelowo joined by his wife (and Yoruba Saxon producing partner) Jessica Oyelowo and their children Asher,...
- 12/4/2023
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Rustin is a biographical drama film directed by George C. Wolfe, from a screenplay by Julian Breece and Dustin Lance Black. The Netflix film is based on the life of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, who helped Martin Luther King Jr. and others organize the 1963 March on Washington. The film shows us how history erased him from the civil rights movement he helped build just because an openly gay Black man. Rustin stars Colman Domingo in the lead role of Bayard Rustin, with Chris Rock, Jeffrey Wright, Aml Ameen, Lilli Kay, and Johnny Ramey starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the Netflix film here are some similar movies you could watch next.
Selma Credit – Paramount Pictures
Synopsis: Selma is the story of a movement. The film chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition.
Selma Credit – Paramount Pictures
Synopsis: Selma is the story of a movement. The film chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition.
- 11/19/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
Although Colman Domingo’s spent three decades in the entertainment industry, with title roles in the theater, he says he’s been sidelined in film and television. He played a trombonist in Chadwick Boseman’s final film, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom; counselor to Zendaya’s troubled Rue in Euphoria; a violent, turn-on-a-dime pimp in Zola, and the father to a wrongly accused Harlem artist (Stephen James) in If Beale Street Could Talk.
The craft and the composition comes first, he says, and by working in the margins of breakout shows and award-winning theatrical productions,...
The craft and the composition comes first, he says, and by working in the margins of breakout shows and award-winning theatrical productions,...
- 11/18/2023
- by Kalia Richardson
- Rollingstone.com
Directed by Baptiste Etchegaray and Maxime Bonnet, The Billionaire, The Butler, and the Boyfriend is a three-part Netflix docu-series based on French socialite and principal shareholder of L’Oréal, Liliane Bettencourt. The docu-series focuses on a conflicting relationship between Liliane and her daughter, Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, while also delving deeper into the significant scandals in Liliane’s life, raising questions about her moral compass. Being one of the richest personalities in the world, Liliane had many unexpected people come into her life. Each of them was after Liliane’s money, and as a result, she became manipulated in various ways.
Spoilers Ahead
What Was Liliane’s Relationship With Francois-Marie Banier?
Originally named Liliane Henriette Charlotte Schueller, she could be perceived as some who was born with a silver spoon. Her father, Eugene Schueller, was the founder of the famous beauty brand, L’Oréal. After losing her mother at a young age,...
Spoilers Ahead
What Was Liliane’s Relationship With Francois-Marie Banier?
Originally named Liliane Henriette Charlotte Schueller, she could be perceived as some who was born with a silver spoon. Her father, Eugene Schueller, was the founder of the famous beauty brand, L’Oréal. After losing her mother at a young age,...
- 11/8/2023
- by Poulami Nanda
- Film Fugitives
When the nominations for the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards are announced in January, there appear to be four locks in the best ensemble category. “Oppenheimer,” “Barbie,” “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Poor Things” currently lead the Gold Derby odds, with “The Color Purple” next in line. It’s quite possible that these five casts are the ones that will ultimately be chosen by the SAG Awards. However, there’s another film steadily hovering in sixth place. And it’s one that we should not ignore.
Here are five reasons why Amazon Studios’ “Air” might make its way into the guild’s best ensemble playoff.
1. It has the fab four making up its core.
Matt Damon. Ben Affleck. Jason Bateman. And, of course, Viola Davis. Those are huge names in the acting industry, and the fusion of the four may prove irresistible to the guild’s nominating committee.
Here are five reasons why Amazon Studios’ “Air” might make its way into the guild’s best ensemble playoff.
1. It has the fab four making up its core.
Matt Damon. Ben Affleck. Jason Bateman. And, of course, Viola Davis. Those are huge names in the acting industry, and the fusion of the four may prove irresistible to the guild’s nominating committee.
- 11/7/2023
- by Tariq Khan
- Gold Derby
With George C. Wolfe’s “Rustin” out in limited release on Friday, Netflix has debuted an original song by Lenny Kravitz that plays over the film’s credits.
Called “Road to Freedom,” the track finds Kravitz backed by a “glowing choir,” according to a Netflix press release. The four-time Grammy winner is not just the singer of “Road to Freedom” but he also plays “drums, bass, piano, Hammond B-3, and tambourine.” The song also “features a guest appearance by fellow Grammy winner Trombone Shorty and longtime Kravitz collaborator and guitarist Craig Ross.”
Kravitz has never been nominated for an Academy Award in his lengthy career (he does have two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations as an ensemble member of “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” and “Precious”).
“Rustin,” which debuts on Netflix starting on November 17 after its brief theatrical run, is about civil rights activist and hero Bayard Rustin (Emmy winner Colman Domingo...
Called “Road to Freedom,” the track finds Kravitz backed by a “glowing choir,” according to a Netflix press release. The four-time Grammy winner is not just the singer of “Road to Freedom” but he also plays “drums, bass, piano, Hammond B-3, and tambourine.” The song also “features a guest appearance by fellow Grammy winner Trombone Shorty and longtime Kravitz collaborator and guitarist Craig Ross.”
Kravitz has never been nominated for an Academy Award in his lengthy career (he does have two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations as an ensemble member of “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” and “Precious”).
“Rustin,” which debuts on Netflix starting on November 17 after its brief theatrical run, is about civil rights activist and hero Bayard Rustin (Emmy winner Colman Domingo...
- 11/2/2023
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Months after scoring his first Emmy notice for playing a fictionalized version of himself on “Jury Duty,” James Marsden is seeking recognition from the Screen Actors Guild for the same meta performance. Since he is, of course, eligible as both a solo actor and cast member, his lifetime SAG Award nominations total could soon rise to seven, with this possibly being his third Best TV Comedy Ensemble outing. Based on the fact that his previous two bids came for his work on as many programs, he now has a strong shot at blazing a trail as the first man to earn SAG ensemble mentions for three different comedy series.
According to Gold Derby’s 2024 SAG Awards odds, the actors from “Jury Duty” are comfortably ranked fifth in the comedy ensemble race with the support of 60% of our prognosticating users. On the Amazon Freevee original, Marsden ostensibly acts as a Los...
According to Gold Derby’s 2024 SAG Awards odds, the actors from “Jury Duty” are comfortably ranked fifth in the comedy ensemble race with the support of 60% of our prognosticating users. On the Amazon Freevee original, Marsden ostensibly acts as a Los...
- 10/23/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
The plot line for Passenger C reads like an “only in Hollywood” inspirational tale. Big-time Hollywood agent and producer Cassian is on a red-eye flight back to Los Angeles when he agrees to take the seat next to Marco, an ex-Marine with Ptsd. When Marco begins to flip out, physically assaulting Cassian and threatening the other passengers, Cassian tries to calm him down. After landing, when Marco is handed over to the police, Cassian promises he “won’t forget him.”
He never did. Cassian is the producer and big-time Hollywood agent Cassian Elwes, and the incident on the red-eye, more than a decade ago, changed his life. It altered the course of Elwes’ career, pushed him to back a project nobody in Hollywood believed in — a little Oscar winner called Dallas Buyers Club — and to set up programs like the Horizon program to help female filmmakers and, most importantly, to...
He never did. Cassian is the producer and big-time Hollywood agent Cassian Elwes, and the incident on the red-eye, more than a decade ago, changed his life. It altered the course of Elwes’ career, pushed him to back a project nobody in Hollywood believed in — a little Oscar winner called Dallas Buyers Club — and to set up programs like the Horizon program to help female filmmakers and, most importantly, to...
- 9/15/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For three decades, the Oldenburg Film Festival has been devoted to celebrating independent cinema outside the mainstream of both Hollywood and the international art-house market.
For its 30th edition, which runs through Sunday, festival founder and artistic director Torsten Neumann continues to highlight weird, extreme and cutting-edge indie movies from around the world.
Here are five can’t-miss movies from the 2023 crop.
The Wait The Wait
After the success of his debut film Before the Fall (2008), Spanish director Javier Gutiérrez followed Hollywood’s call and directed Rings (2017), the third entry in The Ring horror franchise. Despite grossing $83 million at the box office, the film was considered a flop, and Gutiérrez returned to Spain, spending six years developing his third feature, which will have its world premiere in Oldenburg. The raw drama, about a hardscrabble family whose life slowly descends into a nightmare, looks like a return to form for one...
For its 30th edition, which runs through Sunday, festival founder and artistic director Torsten Neumann continues to highlight weird, extreme and cutting-edge indie movies from around the world.
Here are five can’t-miss movies from the 2023 crop.
The Wait The Wait
After the success of his debut film Before the Fall (2008), Spanish director Javier Gutiérrez followed Hollywood’s call and directed Rings (2017), the third entry in The Ring horror franchise. Despite grossing $83 million at the box office, the film was considered a flop, and Gutiérrez returned to Spain, spending six years developing his third feature, which will have its world premiere in Oldenburg. The raw drama, about a hardscrabble family whose life slowly descends into a nightmare, looks like a return to form for one...
- 9/13/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"Grey's Anatomy" alum Jesse Williams balances his busy acting career with being a father of two. The star made his onscreen debut on "Law & Order" in 2006 and later became a household name after landing the role of Jackson Avery in "Grey's Anatomy," which he starred in from 2009 to 2022. Along with his role on the long-lasting medical drama, Williams has also appeared in a variety of films, ranging from "The Butler" to "Secret Headquarters," and most recently, Netflix's "Your Place or Mine." Off screen and on stage, Williams recently played Darren Lemming in the 2022 revival of "Take Me Out," which earned him a Tony nomination for best featured actor in a play.
When he isn't working, Williams shares parenting duties with his ex-wife, Aryn Drake-Lee. The two met in 2007 and married in September 2012, as reported by People. The two kept their relationship out of the spotlight and privately welcomed their two children,...
When he isn't working, Williams shares parenting duties with his ex-wife, Aryn Drake-Lee. The two met in 2007 and married in September 2012, as reported by People. The two kept their relationship out of the spotlight and privately welcomed their two children,...
- 8/28/2023
- by Alicia Geigel
- Popsugar.com
The Oldenburg Film Festival, Germany’s leading all-indie fest, unveiled highlights for its 30th-anniversary edition, including several world premieres featuring Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard and Mission : Impossible star Ving Rhames.
Uppercut, a boxing film featuring Mission: Impossible star Ving Rhames, will close the festival on September 17. Director Torsten Ruether remade his own, German-language, debut Leberhaken, which premiered in Oldenburg in 2021. The Million Dollar Baby-style story sees Rhames as a disillusioned former boxer who gets a shot at redemption when a young woman shows up at his gym, begging him to train her.
Spanish genre director F. Javier Gutierrez will bring his latest horror tale, The Wait, to Oldenburg this year. Gutiérrez’s 2008 debut Before the Fall, an end-of-the-world sci-fi thriller, was a cross-over hit, and his follow-up was the big-budget Rings (2017) for Paramount, the third entry in the Japanese-inspired horror saga. But the film, despite grossing $83 million worldwide, was...
Uppercut, a boxing film featuring Mission: Impossible star Ving Rhames, will close the festival on September 17. Director Torsten Ruether remade his own, German-language, debut Leberhaken, which premiered in Oldenburg in 2021. The Million Dollar Baby-style story sees Rhames as a disillusioned former boxer who gets a shot at redemption when a young woman shows up at his gym, begging him to train her.
Spanish genre director F. Javier Gutierrez will bring his latest horror tale, The Wait, to Oldenburg this year. Gutiérrez’s 2008 debut Before the Fall, an end-of-the-world sci-fi thriller, was a cross-over hit, and his follow-up was the big-budget Rings (2017) for Paramount, the third entry in the Japanese-inspired horror saga. But the film, despite grossing $83 million worldwide, was...
- 8/16/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Actor Terrence Howard’s career has flourished thanks to his lead roles in projects like Empire and the Oscar-winning film Crash.
But Howard once alleged that his successful career was temporarily put in jeopardy after an argument with Bill Cosby.
Terrence Howard once explained how Bill Cosby blackballed him from the entertainment industry Terrence Howard | Unique Nicole/WireImage
Before he ended up in lead roles in projects like The Butler and Hustle and Flow, Howard got his start on The Cosby Show. A meeting with a casting director gave Howard an opportunity to feature in Cosby’s iconic television franchise. But Howard’s enthusiasm was shortlived, and his appearance on The Cosby Show didn’t go as planned.
“I got on the show after begging the casting person to see me. We did the episode, I told all my friends it was coming on, and then they cut me out at the last minute,...
But Howard once alleged that his successful career was temporarily put in jeopardy after an argument with Bill Cosby.
Terrence Howard once explained how Bill Cosby blackballed him from the entertainment industry Terrence Howard | Unique Nicole/WireImage
Before he ended up in lead roles in projects like The Butler and Hustle and Flow, Howard got his start on The Cosby Show. A meeting with a casting director gave Howard an opportunity to feature in Cosby’s iconic television franchise. But Howard’s enthusiasm was shortlived, and his appearance on The Cosby Show didn’t go as planned.
“I got on the show after begging the casting person to see me. We did the episode, I told all my friends it was coming on, and then they cut me out at the last minute,...
- 5/17/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
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