John Sacret Young, the acclaimed writer and producer who co-created the Vietnam War medical drama China Beach, has died. He was 75.
Young, who earned seven Emmy nominations and won two Writers Guild Awards and two Humanitas Prizes, died Thursday in Los Angeles after a 10-month battle with brain cancer, CAA announced.
Young was also known for mentoring young writers and other crewmembers on his shows; the China Beach writers room included a host of future Emmy winners and nominees, among them John Wells, Carol Flint, Lydia Woodward, Paris Qualles and Ann Donahue.
“John was my mentor and my friend. He was ...
Young, who earned seven Emmy nominations and won two Writers Guild Awards and two Humanitas Prizes, died Thursday in Los Angeles after a 10-month battle with brain cancer, CAA announced.
Young was also known for mentoring young writers and other crewmembers on his shows; the China Beach writers room included a host of future Emmy winners and nominees, among them John Wells, Carol Flint, Lydia Woodward, Paris Qualles and Ann Donahue.
“John was my mentor and my friend. He was ...
John Sacret Young, the acclaimed writer and producer who co-created the Vietnam War medical drama China Beach, has died. He was 75.
Young, who earned seven Emmy nominations and won two Writers Guild Awards and two Humanitas Prizes, died Thursday in Los Angeles after a 10-month battle with brain cancer, CAA announced.
Young was also known for mentoring young writers and other crewmembers on his shows; the China Beach writers room included a host of future Emmy winners and nominees, among them John Wells, Carol Flint, Lydia Woodward, Paris Qualles and Ann Donahue.
“John was my mentor and my friend. He was ...
Young, who earned seven Emmy nominations and won two Writers Guild Awards and two Humanitas Prizes, died Thursday in Los Angeles after a 10-month battle with brain cancer, CAA announced.
Young was also known for mentoring young writers and other crewmembers on his shows; the China Beach writers room included a host of future Emmy winners and nominees, among them John Wells, Carol Flint, Lydia Woodward, Paris Qualles and Ann Donahue.
“John was my mentor and my friend. He was ...
It's a project that she first announced in early 2012 - one of a few Viola Davis is developing via her 3-year-old JuVee production company (formed with her husband) - but we haven't heard anything further about it since then... until today. First a recap... Viola Davis will tackle the life story of Barbara Jordan in a feature film that will be based on the 2000 biography "Barbara Jordan: American Hero," written by Mary Beth Rogers. Paris Barclay was attached to direct the film from a script adapted by Emmy-nominated writer Paris Qualles (primarily a writer for TV). But given today's news, it appears Barclay and Qualles are no longer...
- 9/24/2015
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
One of a few new projects Viola Davis is developing via her recently-formed (with her husband) JuVee production company, first announced in March of this year, but I've yet to hear anything further about it... until today. First a recap... Viola Davis will tackle the life story of Barbara Jordan in a feature film that will be based on the 2000 biography Barbara Jordan: American Hero, written by Mary Beth Rogers. Paris Barclay will direct from a script adapted by Emmy-nominated writer Paris Qualles (primarily a writer for TV). A little about Barbara Jordan... she was the first African American to serve in the Texas Senate since Reconstruction, the first...
- 7/24/2012
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
When Viola Davis is cast in a role, we are more than likely to get a commanding performance from the actress, and no role is as commanding as a powerful congresswoman.
Variety says that Davis is currently developing a project based on the life of Congresswoman Barbara Jordan with with director Paris Barclay, and would produce with her husband Julius Tennon and Barclay. Shelly Glasser and Diane Nabatoff are also on board to produce the project.
Paris Qualles (The Rosa Parks Story) is currently writing the screenplay which is based on an adaptation of Mary Beth Rogers‘ book Barbara Jordan: American Hero. Sure Jordan isn’t a household name, but amongst the political spectrum, she is an icon.
Davis’ next roles include a leading role opposite Maggie Gyllenhaal in this fall’s Won’t Back Down, as well as supporting roles in Ender’s Game and Beautiful Creatures. But...
Variety says that Davis is currently developing a project based on the life of Congresswoman Barbara Jordan with with director Paris Barclay, and would produce with her husband Julius Tennon and Barclay. Shelly Glasser and Diane Nabatoff are also on board to produce the project.
Paris Qualles (The Rosa Parks Story) is currently writing the screenplay which is based on an adaptation of Mary Beth Rogers‘ book Barbara Jordan: American Hero. Sure Jordan isn’t a household name, but amongst the political spectrum, she is an icon.
Davis’ next roles include a leading role opposite Maggie Gyllenhaal in this fall’s Won’t Back Down, as well as supporting roles in Ender’s Game and Beautiful Creatures. But...
- 3/10/2012
- by Mike Lee
- FusedFilm
When Meryl Streep won the Academy Award for Best Actress last month, it was actually an upset. Sure Streep is the most nominated person in the history of the awards, but Viola Davis was actually the odds-on favorite to win for her performance in The Help. Now it appears the actress is headed back down the road to Oscar because Variety reports she'll star in a biopic of Barbara Jordan, one of the most important women of the Civil Rights movement. Davis joins Tom Hardy as an actor set to make her feature producing debut in a film she'll star in, producing alongside veteran TV director Paris Barclay, who will also direct the film. Amusingly, the writer of this project shares the same first name as the director - Paris Qualles will take a crack at the script, and the thematic subject matter sounds like a good match since he's...
- 3/9/2012
- by Ben Pearson
- firstshowing.net
Viola Davis is producing with an eye to starring in a biopic of African-American political pioneer Barbara Jordan reports Variety.
The story follows Jordan's rise from a poor Houston neighborhood to an elected member of Congress and an influential figure in liberal politics, especially during the Watergate hearings when she addressed Congress on the impeachment of President Nixon. Later in her life she battled multiple sclerosis.
Davis and her husband Julius Tennon will produce the film along with Paris Barclay, Shelly Glasser and Diane Nabatoff. The latter two have optioned the film rights to Mary Beth Rogers' biography "Barbara Jordan: American Hero" which scribe Paris Qualles is adapting.
Barclay will direct, he and Davis previously worked on the CBS medical drama "City of Angels" a little over a decade ago.
The story follows Jordan's rise from a poor Houston neighborhood to an elected member of Congress and an influential figure in liberal politics, especially during the Watergate hearings when she addressed Congress on the impeachment of President Nixon. Later in her life she battled multiple sclerosis.
Davis and her husband Julius Tennon will produce the film along with Paris Barclay, Shelly Glasser and Diane Nabatoff. The latter two have optioned the film rights to Mary Beth Rogers' biography "Barbara Jordan: American Hero" which scribe Paris Qualles is adapting.
Barclay will direct, he and Davis previously worked on the CBS medical drama "City of Angels" a little over a decade ago.
- 3/9/2012
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Viola Davis is never one to back down from a crusade.
The Oscar-nominated star of "The Help" will be trading the uneasy domestic politics of the South for the uneasy domestic politics of the White House itself as she's signed on to headline a biography film about political pioneer Barbara Jordan, according to Variety.
The currently untitled film will be based on Mary Beth Rogers' biography, "Barbara Jordan: American Hero," which traces Jordan's rise from a poor Houston neighborhood to an influential member of Congress. Jordan made headlines in 1966 as the first African-American woman to be elected to the Texas senate and in 1972 became the first African-American woman from the South elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Jordan was known for her powerful public speaking voice. She was a key speaker during the impeachment of President Nixon during the Watergate hearings, with her speech being credited as...
The Oscar-nominated star of "The Help" will be trading the uneasy domestic politics of the South for the uneasy domestic politics of the White House itself as she's signed on to headline a biography film about political pioneer Barbara Jordan, according to Variety.
The currently untitled film will be based on Mary Beth Rogers' biography, "Barbara Jordan: American Hero," which traces Jordan's rise from a poor Houston neighborhood to an influential member of Congress. Jordan made headlines in 1966 as the first African-American woman to be elected to the Texas senate and in 1972 became the first African-American woman from the South elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Jordan was known for her powerful public speaking voice. She was a key speaker during the impeachment of President Nixon during the Watergate hearings, with her speech being credited as...
- 3/9/2012
- by Bryan Enk
- NextMovie
Taking her surprise Oscar loss in stride, Variety tells us that Viola Davis will spearhead a biopic of Civil Rights leader and politican Barbara Jordan. Based on Mary Beth Rogers‘ Barbara Jordan: American Hero, set to be directed by Dennis Barclay, and scripted by Paris Qualles, the developing project will provide an account of “Jordan’s rise from a poor Houston neighborhood to an elected member of Congress and an influential figure in liberal politics.” Davis will also produce with her husband, Julius Tennon, through their company JuVee.
Expressing the belief that Jordan’s story can stand apart from the glut of modern blockbusters, Barclay went on to say, “We’re hoping this becomes a movie that shows the world everything that Viola can do. People haven’t seen everything that she’s capable of, and this role is so powerful.” (Not that this reads like some response to...
Expressing the belief that Jordan’s story can stand apart from the glut of modern blockbusters, Barclay went on to say, “We’re hoping this becomes a movie that shows the world everything that Viola can do. People haven’t seen everything that she’s capable of, and this role is so powerful.” (Not that this reads like some response to...
- 3/9/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
The nominees for the 40th Naacp Image Awards have been announced. During a press conference at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on Wednesday, January 7, it was uncovered that "The Secret Life of Bees" and "Cadillac Records" have led the fields with multiple counts. Southern-set drama "Secret Life" collected 8 nods, while musical drama "Cadillac" received 7 gongs.
Both "Secret Life" and "Cadillac" will have to compete against each other for many categories including, Outstanding Motion Picture and Outstanding Writing. In the run for Outstanding Motion Picture, the two were joined by Spike Lee's "Miracle at St. Anna", Gabriele Muccino's "Seven Pounds" and Tyler Perry's "The Family That Preys". Meanwhile, for the writing category, they are up against "Rachel Getting Married", "A Raisin In The Sun" and "Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom".
Beside the two categories, "Secret Life" and "Cadillac" have also brought their stars nominations. Dakota Fanning and Queen Latifah got Outstanding Actress nod,...
Both "Secret Life" and "Cadillac" will have to compete against each other for many categories including, Outstanding Motion Picture and Outstanding Writing. In the run for Outstanding Motion Picture, the two were joined by Spike Lee's "Miracle at St. Anna", Gabriele Muccino's "Seven Pounds" and Tyler Perry's "The Family That Preys". Meanwhile, for the writing category, they are up against "Rachel Getting Married", "A Raisin In The Sun" and "Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom".
Beside the two categories, "Secret Life" and "Cadillac" have also brought their stars nominations. Dakota Fanning and Queen Latifah got Outstanding Actress nod,...
- 1/8/2009
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
The Naacp has announced it's 40th Annual Image Awards nominations. In the film category, Cadillac Records, The Secret Life of Bees, Miracle at St. Anna, Seven Pounds and Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys" have been nominated.
The TV network with the most nominations? ABC with 24 total!
The awards night will be televised on Fox, Feb. 12 from the Shrine Auditorium.
Click Read More to see the complete list of nominees:
Television Categories
Comedy Series
"30 Rock" (NBC)
"Everybody Hates Chris" (CW)
"The Game" (CW)
"Tyler Perry.s House of Payne" (TBS)
"Ugly Betty" (ABC)
Actor in a Comedy Series
Donald Faison - "Scrubs" (NBC)
Lavan Davis - "Tyler Perry.s House of Payne" (TBS)
Paul James - "Greek" (ABC Family)
Terry Crews - "Everybody Hates Chris" (CW)
Tyler James Williams - "Everybody Hates Chris" (CW)
Actress in a Comedy Series
America Ferrera -...
The TV network with the most nominations? ABC with 24 total!
The awards night will be televised on Fox, Feb. 12 from the Shrine Auditorium.
Click Read More to see the complete list of nominees:
Television Categories
Comedy Series
"30 Rock" (NBC)
"Everybody Hates Chris" (CW)
"The Game" (CW)
"Tyler Perry.s House of Payne" (TBS)
"Ugly Betty" (ABC)
Actor in a Comedy Series
Donald Faison - "Scrubs" (NBC)
Lavan Davis - "Tyler Perry.s House of Payne" (TBS)
Paul James - "Greek" (ABC Family)
Terry Crews - "Everybody Hates Chris" (CW)
Tyler James Williams - "Everybody Hates Chris" (CW)
Actress in a Comedy Series
America Ferrera -...
- 1/7/2009
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
"Lars and the Real Girl" and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" edged out "Juno" to tie for top feature film honors at the 34th annual Humanitas Prize Awards, handed out Wednesday at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
"Lars" writer Nancy Oliver gave an emotional acceptance speech during the ceremony, which honors film and TV writing that explores the human condition. She discussed the difficulty of "trying to sell a story about loss and grief and aggravation that's a comedy."
"Diving Bell" writer Ronald Harwood was unable to make the event.
Each Humanitas award carries a cash prize, with a total of $95,000 handed out Wednesday.
In the TV categories, writers on two historical-themed HBO projects were recognized: "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee," written by Daniel Giat, in the 90-minute category, and "John Adams (Part 1)," written by Kirk Ellis, in the 60-minute category. Ellis -- following remarks by a couple of...
"Lars" writer Nancy Oliver gave an emotional acceptance speech during the ceremony, which honors film and TV writing that explores the human condition. She discussed the difficulty of "trying to sell a story about loss and grief and aggravation that's a comedy."
"Diving Bell" writer Ronald Harwood was unable to make the event.
Each Humanitas award carries a cash prize, with a total of $95,000 handed out Wednesday.
In the TV categories, writers on two historical-themed HBO projects were recognized: "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee," written by Daniel Giat, in the 90-minute category, and "John Adams (Part 1)," written by Kirk Ellis, in the 60-minute category. Ellis -- following remarks by a couple of...
- 9/17/2008
- by By Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The writers behind "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," "Juno" and "Lars and the Real Girl" have been named finalists in the 2008 Humanitas Prize feature film category.
Episodes from "Boston Legal," "John Adams" and "The Wire" were the finalists in the 60-minute television category.
The Humanitas, which honor film and TV program writing that explores the human condition, also ushered in a new era by bringing writer-producer John Wells aboard as president. Frank Desiderio, who has been president since 2000, will now become chairman of the board.
Humanitas' annual luncheon is also changing its venue, from the Hilton Universal to the Beverly Hills Hotel for its September 17 awards festivities.
Ronald Harwood ("Butterfly"), Diablo Cody ("Juno") and Nancy Oliver ("Lars") are now in the running for part of the $115,000 in prize money that will be handed out.
Other finalists include:
-- "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee," "Charlie & Me," "A Life Interrupted,...
Episodes from "Boston Legal," "John Adams" and "The Wire" were the finalists in the 60-minute television category.
The Humanitas, which honor film and TV program writing that explores the human condition, also ushered in a new era by bringing writer-producer John Wells aboard as president. Frank Desiderio, who has been president since 2000, will now become chairman of the board.
Humanitas' annual luncheon is also changing its venue, from the Hilton Universal to the Beverly Hills Hotel for its September 17 awards festivities.
Ronald Harwood ("Butterfly"), Diablo Cody ("Juno") and Nancy Oliver ("Lars") are now in the running for part of the $115,000 in prize money that will be handed out.
Other finalists include:
-- "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee," "Charlie & Me," "A Life Interrupted,...
- 8/25/2008
- by By Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sundance Film Festival
PARK CITY -- The first network television movie to be screened at Sundance, A Raisin in the Sun never totally transcends its origins on the stage and it's a long way from cutting edge cinema. But those who can relax into the leisurely pace and lush language will be rewarded with an earnest and moving night at the movies. After its late February airing on ABC, film should have a long shelf life in schools and on home video.
Adapted from Lorraine Hansberry's groundbreaking 1959 play and powered by the high-profile cast -- Sean Combs, Phylicia Rashad, Sanaa Lathan and Audra MacDonald -- from the acclaimed 2004 Broadway revival, A Raisin in the Sun is a throwback to an earlier era of theater and race relations. But what's remarkable is that Hansberry's wit and vitality, the work of a 27-year-old playwright, still feels alive and relevant today.
This is American kitchen-sink drama, engaged and socially conscious, where every line has a purpose. It's the story of the Younger family set in the Southside of Chicago in the early 1950s. Hansberry was prescient enough to see that black history was at a turning point in this country and she was able to create a play that captured the changing aspirations of a new generation.
The dream of freedom, the ultimate goal for people like the matriarch of the family Lena Younger (Rashad), has been replaced by the pursuit of the American Dream by her son Walter (Combs). A chauffeur for a rich white family, he feels like he's missing out on his big chance, and he is not going to take it lying down.
While Walter chases his piece of the pie, his sister Beneatha (Sanaa Lathan) represents another strain of the black experience. She feels she can be whatever she wants to be, and that alternately includes an actor, a Nigerian dancer, an artist and a doctor. As her mother puts it, "I've seen butterflies do less flitting." As Beneatha spreads her wings to find herself, Hansberry delivers a touch of feminism before its time.
Hovering over the household is the ghost of Walter's father, and more specifically, his $10,000 life insurance check that is due any day. Walter wants to use the money to buy a bar with his none-to-bright friend Bobo (Bill Nunn), which makes them ripe patsies for another emerging type of black man -- the worldly hustler.
Lena is bitterly opposed to Walter's business venture and uses some of the money to put a down payment on a house in an all-white neighborhood where the family is destined to be unwelcome. What's at stake here is nothing less than the soul and the future of the black people as Hansberry sees it. It's a battleground to be sure and it plays out largely in the two-room Younger apartment.
Director Kenny Leon, who also helmed the show on Broadway, attempts to open up the action, drawing on Paris Qualles' screenplay, which in turn is adapted from a TV version of the original play by Hansberry herself. The staging remains a bit creaky and theatrical and the local saloon or the street life in front of the apartment still seems more like a set than a real place.
But that almost seems beside the point. None of this diminishes the spirit of the play or the cast's commitment to the material, which almost seems palpable. As he did on stage, Leon gets the most out of his actors and with Hansberry's words, that's what carries the film. Rashad beautifully captures the wounded pride and hopes of the older generation, while the rapper and music entrepreneur Combs holds his own in his first major movie role. Balanced between her mother-in-law's idealism and her husband's pragmatism is Walter's wife Ruth, who may be getting the worst of both worlds. MacDonald gives the role a heartbreaking dimension.
Befitting the television production it is, the music by Mervyn Warren is a bit too insistent and visual elements are straightforward without being distinguished. But as old-fashioned as it may be, it's still a provocative, powerful piece of work. In hindsight, one can only watch the Younger family set out for greener (or whiter) pastures and see the turmoil and violence of the '60s just around the corner.
A RAISIN IN THE SUN
ABC World Premiere Movie Event
A Storyline Entertainment and Bad Boy World Wide Entertainment Group production in association with Sony Pictures Television
Credits:
Director: Kenny Leon
Writer: Paris Qualles, based on the play by Lorraine Hansberry
Producer: John M. Eckert
Executive producers: Sean Combs, Carl Rumbaugh, Susan Batson, David Binder, Craig Zadan, Neil Meron
Director of cinematography: Ivan Strasburg
Production designer: Karen Bromley
Music: Mervyn Warren
Costumes: Gersha Phillips
Editor: Melissa Kent
Cast:
Walter Lee Jr.: Sean Combs
Beneatha Younger: Sanaa Lathan
Ruth Younger: Audra McDonald
Lena Younger: Phylicia Rashad
Travis Younger: Justin Martin
Bobo: Bill Nunn
Asagai: David Oyelowo
Willy: Ron Cephas Jones
George: Sean Patrick Thomas
Karl Linder: John Stamos
Running time -- 131 minutes
No MPPA rating...
PARK CITY -- The first network television movie to be screened at Sundance, A Raisin in the Sun never totally transcends its origins on the stage and it's a long way from cutting edge cinema. But those who can relax into the leisurely pace and lush language will be rewarded with an earnest and moving night at the movies. After its late February airing on ABC, film should have a long shelf life in schools and on home video.
Adapted from Lorraine Hansberry's groundbreaking 1959 play and powered by the high-profile cast -- Sean Combs, Phylicia Rashad, Sanaa Lathan and Audra MacDonald -- from the acclaimed 2004 Broadway revival, A Raisin in the Sun is a throwback to an earlier era of theater and race relations. But what's remarkable is that Hansberry's wit and vitality, the work of a 27-year-old playwright, still feels alive and relevant today.
This is American kitchen-sink drama, engaged and socially conscious, where every line has a purpose. It's the story of the Younger family set in the Southside of Chicago in the early 1950s. Hansberry was prescient enough to see that black history was at a turning point in this country and she was able to create a play that captured the changing aspirations of a new generation.
The dream of freedom, the ultimate goal for people like the matriarch of the family Lena Younger (Rashad), has been replaced by the pursuit of the American Dream by her son Walter (Combs). A chauffeur for a rich white family, he feels like he's missing out on his big chance, and he is not going to take it lying down.
While Walter chases his piece of the pie, his sister Beneatha (Sanaa Lathan) represents another strain of the black experience. She feels she can be whatever she wants to be, and that alternately includes an actor, a Nigerian dancer, an artist and a doctor. As her mother puts it, "I've seen butterflies do less flitting." As Beneatha spreads her wings to find herself, Hansberry delivers a touch of feminism before its time.
Hovering over the household is the ghost of Walter's father, and more specifically, his $10,000 life insurance check that is due any day. Walter wants to use the money to buy a bar with his none-to-bright friend Bobo (Bill Nunn), which makes them ripe patsies for another emerging type of black man -- the worldly hustler.
Lena is bitterly opposed to Walter's business venture and uses some of the money to put a down payment on a house in an all-white neighborhood where the family is destined to be unwelcome. What's at stake here is nothing less than the soul and the future of the black people as Hansberry sees it. It's a battleground to be sure and it plays out largely in the two-room Younger apartment.
Director Kenny Leon, who also helmed the show on Broadway, attempts to open up the action, drawing on Paris Qualles' screenplay, which in turn is adapted from a TV version of the original play by Hansberry herself. The staging remains a bit creaky and theatrical and the local saloon or the street life in front of the apartment still seems more like a set than a real place.
But that almost seems beside the point. None of this diminishes the spirit of the play or the cast's commitment to the material, which almost seems palpable. As he did on stage, Leon gets the most out of his actors and with Hansberry's words, that's what carries the film. Rashad beautifully captures the wounded pride and hopes of the older generation, while the rapper and music entrepreneur Combs holds his own in his first major movie role. Balanced between her mother-in-law's idealism and her husband's pragmatism is Walter's wife Ruth, who may be getting the worst of both worlds. MacDonald gives the role a heartbreaking dimension.
Befitting the television production it is, the music by Mervyn Warren is a bit too insistent and visual elements are straightforward without being distinguished. But as old-fashioned as it may be, it's still a provocative, powerful piece of work. In hindsight, one can only watch the Younger family set out for greener (or whiter) pastures and see the turmoil and violence of the '60s just around the corner.
A RAISIN IN THE SUN
ABC World Premiere Movie Event
A Storyline Entertainment and Bad Boy World Wide Entertainment Group production in association with Sony Pictures Television
Credits:
Director: Kenny Leon
Writer: Paris Qualles, based on the play by Lorraine Hansberry
Producer: John M. Eckert
Executive producers: Sean Combs, Carl Rumbaugh, Susan Batson, David Binder, Craig Zadan, Neil Meron
Director of cinematography: Ivan Strasburg
Production designer: Karen Bromley
Music: Mervyn Warren
Costumes: Gersha Phillips
Editor: Melissa Kent
Cast:
Walter Lee Jr.: Sean Combs
Beneatha Younger: Sanaa Lathan
Ruth Younger: Audra McDonald
Lena Younger: Phylicia Rashad
Travis Younger: Justin Martin
Bobo: Bill Nunn
Asagai: David Oyelowo
Willy: Ron Cephas Jones
George: Sean Patrick Thomas
Karl Linder: John Stamos
Running time -- 131 minutes
No MPPA rating...
After taking a break from original movies last season, ABC is bringing back the genre with two high-profile projects next season.
The network has set premiere dates for Oprah Winfrey Presents: Mitch Albom's For One More Day, which will air Dec. 9, and Sean Combs, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron's adaptation of the play A Raisin In the Sun, which will air Feb. 25, the night after the network's live broadcast of the 80th Annual Academy Awards.
Sun, an adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry's play about a family living and struggling on Chicago's South Side in the 1950s, features the primary cast of the play's Broadway revival, led by Combs, Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald and Sanaa Lathan, along with "ER" star John Stamos.
Kenny Leon, who staged the play on Broadway, is directing Sun, which was adapted by Paris Qualles.
Zadan and Meron's Storyline Entertainment, Combs' Bad Boy World Wide Entertainment Group and Sony Pictures TV are producing the movie, which is exec produced by Zadan, Meron, Combs and the show's Broadway producers, Carl Rumbaugh, Susan Batson and David Binder.
The network has set premiere dates for Oprah Winfrey Presents: Mitch Albom's For One More Day, which will air Dec. 9, and Sean Combs, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron's adaptation of the play A Raisin In the Sun, which will air Feb. 25, the night after the network's live broadcast of the 80th Annual Academy Awards.
Sun, an adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry's play about a family living and struggling on Chicago's South Side in the 1950s, features the primary cast of the play's Broadway revival, led by Combs, Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald and Sanaa Lathan, along with "ER" star John Stamos.
Kenny Leon, who staged the play on Broadway, is directing Sun, which was adapted by Paris Qualles.
Zadan and Meron's Storyline Entertainment, Combs' Bad Boy World Wide Entertainment Group and Sony Pictures TV are producing the movie, which is exec produced by Zadan, Meron, Combs and the show's Broadway producers, Carl Rumbaugh, Susan Batson and David Binder.
- 8/17/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
ESPN has greenlighted an original film about the life of boxing champion Jack Johnson. Expected to air sometime next year, the untitled biopic will be executive produced by Gerald Abrams (Nuremberg) of Cypress Point Prods. and written by Paris Qualles (The Tuskegee Airmen). Johnson became the first black boxing champion when he won the heavyweight title in 1908. His presence inflamed racial tensions in the United States throughout his seven-year title reign and the rest of his turbulent life.
- 12/23/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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