Yesterday on the blog we announced the Fellows participating in the 2024 Film Independent Episodic Lab. Today, we’re drawing your attention to the fact that applications for next year’s cohort are currently open, with the regular deadline of February 26.
We asked 2020 Episodic Lab Fellow Katherine Ruppe to share her experience in the Lab developing her Sloan-supported series project Liftoff, about the lives and careers of NASA’s first class of female astronauts. Follow Katherine online at @RuppeVerse on Instagram and X.
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It’s the grand finale of our 2020 Film Independent Episodic Lab. I’m facing a zoom screen of half a dozen Netflix executives, about to pitch Liftoff, my TV project centered around America’s first six female astronauts as they break through the brotherhood of spaceflight. My stomach has so many butterflies it’s ready to rocket into orbit. I take in the encouraging faces of the other...
We asked 2020 Episodic Lab Fellow Katherine Ruppe to share her experience in the Lab developing her Sloan-supported series project Liftoff, about the lives and careers of NASA’s first class of female astronauts. Follow Katherine online at @RuppeVerse on Instagram and X.
***
It’s the grand finale of our 2020 Film Independent Episodic Lab. I’m facing a zoom screen of half a dozen Netflix executives, about to pitch Liftoff, my TV project centered around America’s first six female astronauts as they break through the brotherhood of spaceflight. My stomach has so many butterflies it’s ready to rocket into orbit. I take in the encouraging faces of the other...
- 2/16/2024
- by Katherine Ruppe
- Film Independent News & More
National Geographic has greenlit “Sally,” a new documentary about Dr. Sally Ride, the first American woman to go to space in more than 40 years ago, the network announced Thursday at the Television Critics Association winter press tour.
From director director Cristina Costantini (“Science Fair”) and producers Dan Cogan (“Icarus”) and Lauren Cioffi (“Naomi Osaka”), the film will delve into the life of the groundbreaking astronaut and the sexism she faced as one of very few women in space exploration at the time. “Sally” (working title) will feature never-before-seen archival footage in space and on the ground, along with interviews with Ride’s fellow astronauts Anna Lee Fisher and Kathy Sullivan, friend (and one-time tennis opponent) Billie Jean King, and her life partner Tam O’Shaughnessy, the last of whom also serves as executive producer.
Ride made history as the first American woman and third woman overall to fly in space when the space shuttle Challenger,...
From director director Cristina Costantini (“Science Fair”) and producers Dan Cogan (“Icarus”) and Lauren Cioffi (“Naomi Osaka”), the film will delve into the life of the groundbreaking astronaut and the sexism she faced as one of very few women in space exploration at the time. “Sally” (working title) will feature never-before-seen archival footage in space and on the ground, along with interviews with Ride’s fellow astronauts Anna Lee Fisher and Kathy Sullivan, friend (and one-time tennis opponent) Billie Jean King, and her life partner Tam O’Shaughnessy, the last of whom also serves as executive producer.
Ride made history as the first American woman and third woman overall to fly in space when the space shuttle Challenger,...
- 2/8/2024
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Nat Geo has ordered a trio of new projects.
The network has greenlit Pathological, a true-crime doc about conman Stéphane Bourgoin and Sally, a feature doc about space pioneer Sally Ride, while Anthony Mackie is taking Shark Beach over from Chris Hemsworth.
Pathological: Chasing A True-Crime Con Man follows the rise and fall of bestselling French author and serial killer expert Bourgoin, whose career was built on a foundation of lies. The series takes viewers through the dramatic twists and turns of Bourgoin’s life in front of and behind the camera and tracks his pursuit by a group of true-crime enthusiasts, whose passion for the genre turned them into amateur sleuths and seekers of truth.
Based on the New Yorker’s 2022 piece on Bourgoin from journalist Lauren Collins, the three-part series comes from filmmaker Ben Selkow. It is produced by The New Yorker Studios and The Circus producer Left/Right.
The network has greenlit Pathological, a true-crime doc about conman Stéphane Bourgoin and Sally, a feature doc about space pioneer Sally Ride, while Anthony Mackie is taking Shark Beach over from Chris Hemsworth.
Pathological: Chasing A True-Crime Con Man follows the rise and fall of bestselling French author and serial killer expert Bourgoin, whose career was built on a foundation of lies. The series takes viewers through the dramatic twists and turns of Bourgoin’s life in front of and behind the camera and tracks his pursuit by a group of true-crime enthusiasts, whose passion for the genre turned them into amateur sleuths and seekers of truth.
Based on the New Yorker’s 2022 piece on Bourgoin from journalist Lauren Collins, the three-part series comes from filmmaker Ben Selkow. It is produced by The New Yorker Studios and The Circus producer Left/Right.
- 2/8/2024
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Chris Hemsworth will continue testing his phyical and mental boundaries for Nat Geo.
The Disney-owned company has renewed Limitless With Chris Hemsworth for a second season, which like the first will stream on Disney+. The formal pickup comes more than a year after the first season debuted in November 2022.
Nat Geo and Disney+ have also renewed A Real Bug’s Life, the (partially staged) nature series that uses the 1998 Pixar movie A Bug’s Life as its inspiration. That pickup was much quicker, coming two weeks after the series premiered. Nat Geo announced both pickups during its time at the Television Critics Association press tour on Thursday.
Season one of Limitless followed Hemsworth as he explored — using himself as a test subject — scientific developments in helping people live longer, healthier lives. Season two will focus on “a series of physical and mental obstaclesthat people across the world face daily: mental agility, pain,...
The Disney-owned company has renewed Limitless With Chris Hemsworth for a second season, which like the first will stream on Disney+. The formal pickup comes more than a year after the first season debuted in November 2022.
Nat Geo and Disney+ have also renewed A Real Bug’s Life, the (partially staged) nature series that uses the 1998 Pixar movie A Bug’s Life as its inspiration. That pickup was much quicker, coming two weeks after the series premiered. Nat Geo announced both pickups during its time at the Television Critics Association press tour on Thursday.
Season one of Limitless followed Hemsworth as he explored — using himself as a test subject — scientific developments in helping people live longer, healthier lives. Season two will focus on “a series of physical and mental obstaclesthat people across the world face daily: mental agility, pain,...
- 2/8/2024
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Limitless With Chris Hemsworth” has been renewed for a second season at National Geographic.
The news came during the network’s presentation at the Winter 2024 Television Critics Association Press Tour, during which “A Real Bug’s Life” was also renewed while greenlights were announced for a new “Shark Beach” special headlined by Anthony Mackie, a docuseries about Stéphane Bourgoin, and a documentary film about Sally Ride.
“Limitless” follows Chris Hemsworth as he attempts to find and demonstrate secrets to a living longer, healthier life. Season 1 featured the actor exploring topics like stress management and exposure to extreme temperatures, while Season 2 will see him continue the journey across Nepal, Italy, Australia and the U.K.
“A Real Bug’s Life,” inspired by Pixar’s “A Bug’s Life,” is narrated by Awkwafina. Per its logline, Season 2 will feature “an all-new cast of insects including femme fatale firefly, bachelor luna moth, a real-life assassin bug,...
The news came during the network’s presentation at the Winter 2024 Television Critics Association Press Tour, during which “A Real Bug’s Life” was also renewed while greenlights were announced for a new “Shark Beach” special headlined by Anthony Mackie, a docuseries about Stéphane Bourgoin, and a documentary film about Sally Ride.
“Limitless” follows Chris Hemsworth as he attempts to find and demonstrate secrets to a living longer, healthier life. Season 1 featured the actor exploring topics like stress management and exposure to extreme temperatures, while Season 2 will see him continue the journey across Nepal, Italy, Australia and the U.K.
“A Real Bug’s Life,” inspired by Pixar’s “A Bug’s Life,” is narrated by Awkwafina. Per its logline, Season 2 will feature “an all-new cast of insects including femme fatale firefly, bachelor luna moth, a real-life assassin bug,...
- 2/8/2024
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" has already proven itself to be one of the best films of 2023, and certainly one of the most quotable. Whether it's funny ("Do you guys ever think about dying?"), introspective, or memeable ("my job is just beach"), there are so many fantastic lines to choose as a favorite. During an interview with BBC Radio 1, Gerwig confessed that her favorite line reading is one of the film's most unexpected laughs.
Interviewer Ali Plumb said that one of his favorite line readings was when Stereotypical Barbie looked toward the sky on her drive and sees two Astronaut Barbies floating in the sky, and declares "Yay, space!" Gerwig immediately interjected with excitement, "Yay, space! That's my favorite, that's my favorite!" The line has gotten a huge laugh in every screening I've been a part of because the simplistic expression of joy is contagious. Space is something many of us are fascinated by,...
Interviewer Ali Plumb said that one of his favorite line readings was when Stereotypical Barbie looked toward the sky on her drive and sees two Astronaut Barbies floating in the sky, and declares "Yay, space!" Gerwig immediately interjected with excitement, "Yay, space! That's my favorite, that's my favorite!" The line has gotten a huge laugh in every screening I've been a part of because the simplistic expression of joy is contagious. Space is something many of us are fascinated by,...
- 8/28/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
IMAX has reminded us that 40 years ago, an IMAX camera was used to shoot in outer space, by Sally Ride, who was the first American woman astronaut. Shooting with IMAX cameras is complicated. However, shooting with IMAX cameras in space is even more.
First IMAX Camera Shooting in Outer Space. Picture: IMAX Astronaut Sally Ride, and IMAX
This week marks 40 years since Sally Ride made her mark on history as the first American woman in space. Born on May 26, 1951, in Los Angeles, California, Ride received a Bachelor’s in Physics and English in 1973 from Stanford University and, later, a Master’s in Physics in 1975 and a Doctorate in Physics in 1978, also from Stanford. NASA selected Dr. Ride as an astronaut candidate in January 1978. She completed her training in August 1979 and began her astronaut career as a mission specialist on Sts-7, which launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on June 18, 1983. The...
First IMAX Camera Shooting in Outer Space. Picture: IMAX Astronaut Sally Ride, and IMAX
This week marks 40 years since Sally Ride made her mark on history as the first American woman in space. Born on May 26, 1951, in Los Angeles, California, Ride received a Bachelor’s in Physics and English in 1973 from Stanford University and, later, a Master’s in Physics in 1975 and a Doctorate in Physics in 1978, also from Stanford. NASA selected Dr. Ride as an astronaut candidate in January 1978. She completed her training in August 1979 and began her astronaut career as a mission specialist on Sts-7, which launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on June 18, 1983. The...
- 6/22/2023
- by Yossy Mendelovich
- YMCinema
This post contains spoilers for HBO's "The Last Of Us" as well as Naughty Dog's video games, "The Last Of Us" and "The Last Of Us: Part II."
For seven weeks now, we've watched smuggler Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) fight to get teenager Ellie (Bella Ramsey) safely to the Fireflies, but all along, we've also been watching him fight for something else: her right to be a kid. The HBO series set the stage early on with the death of Joel's own daughter, Sarah (Nico Parker), familiarizing us with a world in which safety is far from guaranteed and the innocent are just as likely to die as the guilty. Ellie's own naivety perfectly balances Joel's cynicism, and it becomes clearer every week that he'll do anything to protect her as he would his own daughter.
But until now, we haven't actually gotten to see what being a kid...
For seven weeks now, we've watched smuggler Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) fight to get teenager Ellie (Bella Ramsey) safely to the Fireflies, but all along, we've also been watching him fight for something else: her right to be a kid. The HBO series set the stage early on with the death of Joel's own daughter, Sarah (Nico Parker), familiarizing us with a world in which safety is far from guaranteed and the innocent are just as likely to die as the guilty. Ellie's own naivety perfectly balances Joel's cynicism, and it becomes clearer every week that he'll do anything to protect her as he would his own daughter.
But until now, we haven't actually gotten to see what being a kid...
- 2/27/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
This post contains spoilers for HBO's "The Last of Us" and the video game series of the same name.
Early on in "The Last of Us" season 1, episode 6, "Kin," Ellie (Bella Ramsey) shares a hypothetical around the campfire: If her blood is successfully reverse-engineered into a cure, and she and Joel (Pedro Pascal) are free to do whatever they want, "Then what?" What are their dreams and ambitions in a world without the infected? Joel fantasizes about owning a farmhouse and herding sheep, and Ellie looks up to the stars. As a teenager who's been trapped behind Quarantine Zone walls her entire life, she's always wondered what it would be like to explore the cosmos as an astronaut.
In addition to paying tribute to Joel and Ellie's voice actors, this scene serves as a slight alteration of a similar one from the original 2013 video game. In the show, however, we...
Early on in "The Last of Us" season 1, episode 6, "Kin," Ellie (Bella Ramsey) shares a hypothetical around the campfire: If her blood is successfully reverse-engineered into a cure, and she and Joel (Pedro Pascal) are free to do whatever they want, "Then what?" What are their dreams and ambitions in a world without the infected? Joel fantasizes about owning a farmhouse and herding sheep, and Ellie looks up to the stars. As a teenager who's been trapped behind Quarantine Zone walls her entire life, she's always wondered what it would be like to explore the cosmos as an astronaut.
In addition to paying tribute to Joel and Ellie's voice actors, this scene serves as a slight alteration of a similar one from the original 2013 video game. In the show, however, we...
- 2/21/2023
- by Tyler Llewyn Taing
- Slash Film
The Chinese American actress Anna May Wong is going to be honored by being featured on a new quarter going into circulation on October 24, the U.S. Mint announced.
Wong’s career began in the silent film era, and she was synonymous with the “flapper” look for many years but also continued working in film and TV until her death in 1961 from a heart attack.
Wong will be featured on the “tails” side of the quarter, with the reverse being a classic George Washington carving first designed in the early 20th century.
The new design was made by Emily Danstra and carved by John P. McGraw.
“She is remembered as an international film star, fashion icon, television trailblazer, and a champion for greater representation of Asian Americans in film,” the statement from the U.S. Mint also said.
Wong’s first film acting role was in 1922 as an extra in The Red Lantern.
Wong’s career began in the silent film era, and she was synonymous with the “flapper” look for many years but also continued working in film and TV until her death in 1961 from a heart attack.
Wong will be featured on the “tails” side of the quarter, with the reverse being a classic George Washington carving first designed in the early 20th century.
The new design was made by Emily Danstra and carved by John P. McGraw.
“She is remembered as an international film star, fashion icon, television trailblazer, and a champion for greater representation of Asian Americans in film,” the statement from the U.S. Mint also said.
Wong’s first film acting role was in 1922 as an extra in The Red Lantern.
- 10/23/2022
- by Jacob Linden
- Uinterview
Silent era movie icon Anna May Wong is now a different kind of star. Starting Monday, her image will appear on new quarters, making her the first Asian American to appear on US currency.
Wong’s image on the currency is the fifth new face in the American Women Quarters Program, which spotlilghts pioneering women. The other four quarters put into production this year feature poet and activist Maya Angelou; Sally Ride, the first American woman in space; Wilma Mankiller, a Cherokee Nation leader; and suffragist Nina Otero-Warren. The latter two and Wong were selected with input from the public.
Wong, who died in 1961, had a four-decade career in film, theater, and radio. Her co-stars included Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, and Laurence Olivier, while she made stage appearances in London and New York.
Born in Los Angeles, Wong started acting at 14, winning her first film lead role three years later...
Wong’s image on the currency is the fifth new face in the American Women Quarters Program, which spotlilghts pioneering women. The other four quarters put into production this year feature poet and activist Maya Angelou; Sally Ride, the first American woman in space; Wilma Mankiller, a Cherokee Nation leader; and suffragist Nina Otero-Warren. The latter two and Wong were selected with input from the public.
Wong, who died in 1961, had a four-decade career in film, theater, and radio. Her co-stars included Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, and Laurence Olivier, while she made stage appearances in London and New York.
Born in Los Angeles, Wong started acting at 14, winning her first film lead role three years later...
- 10/20/2022
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
As part of the American Women Quarters Program from the United States Mint, classic Hollywood star Anna May Wong is making history as the first Asian American woman ever featured on U.S. currency. The program launched earlier this year and will continue through 2025, releasing up to five new designs on the back of quarters. Wong joins Maya Angelou, Dr. Sally Ride, Wilma Mankiller, and Nina Otero-Warren as part of the first wave of releases. Production on the Anna May Wong quarters began on October 18, 2022, and will feature an image of Wong resting her face in her hands surrounded by the bulbs of a marquee sign. Wong is considered by many to be the first Chinese American movie star, starting her career in entertainment when she was only 14 years old as an extra in the film "The Red Lantern."
Born Wong Liu Tsong, her family gave her the English name "Anna May.
Born Wong Liu Tsong, her family gave her the English name "Anna May.
- 10/19/2022
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Early movie star Anna May Wong will be the first Asian American to be featured on U.S. currency, nearly 100 years after her first film role.
The U.S. Mint will begin shipping quarter coins featuring her likeness Monday.
Dubbed the first Asian American Hollywood star, Wong overcame intense racism and discrimination to sustain her 40-year career in silent and sound film, theater and radio.
Also Read:
Netflix Wants to Downplay Subscriber Numbers and Make Revenue the New Success Metric
Born in Los Angeles, Wong started acting at 14 and took a lead role in “The Toll of the Sea” in 1922. She struggled to land mainstream roles and break from negative typecasting, as early 20th century Hollywood was a time of “yellowface,” when white people wore makeup and clothes to “appear” Asian, so industry heads could avoid casting Asian actors. There were also anti-miscegenation laws, which criminalized interracial relationships, limiting the sorts...
The U.S. Mint will begin shipping quarter coins featuring her likeness Monday.
Dubbed the first Asian American Hollywood star, Wong overcame intense racism and discrimination to sustain her 40-year career in silent and sound film, theater and radio.
Also Read:
Netflix Wants to Downplay Subscriber Numbers and Make Revenue the New Success Metric
Born in Los Angeles, Wong started acting at 14 and took a lead role in “The Toll of the Sea” in 1922. She struggled to land mainstream roles and break from negative typecasting, as early 20th century Hollywood was a time of “yellowface,” when white people wore makeup and clothes to “appear” Asian, so industry heads could avoid casting Asian actors. There were also anti-miscegenation laws, which criminalized interracial relationships, limiting the sorts...
- 10/19/2022
- by Aarohi Sheth
- The Wrap
The actor Anna May Wong will be the first Asian American featured on the US quarter.
Wong, born in Los Angeles, was considered the first Chinese-American film star. She is one of five women chosen to appear on the quarter as part of the the US Mint’s American Women Quarters Program, which honours American women who have made a contribution to a multitude of different fields.
Wong’s quarter, which will be released next Tuesday, is historic. Her coin, which like all others will feature George Washington on one side, will show her resting her head on her hand. It will also display her full name.
The actor was born Wong Liu Tsong in 1905, where her parents gave her the English name Anna May. She achieved widespread recognition during a barrier-breaking career that that saw her feature in numerous films and star in her own television show called The...
Wong, born in Los Angeles, was considered the first Chinese-American film star. She is one of five women chosen to appear on the quarter as part of the the US Mint’s American Women Quarters Program, which honours American women who have made a contribution to a multitude of different fields.
Wong’s quarter, which will be released next Tuesday, is historic. Her coin, which like all others will feature George Washington on one side, will show her resting her head on her hand. It will also display her full name.
The actor was born Wong Liu Tsong in 1905, where her parents gave her the English name Anna May. She achieved widespread recognition during a barrier-breaking career that that saw her feature in numerous films and star in her own television show called The...
- 10/19/2022
- by Abe Asher
- The Independent - Film
As part of a new initiative, the United States Mint will honor Anna May Wong, star of movies such as “Shanghai Express,” by making her the first Asian American featured on U.S. currency, placing her likeness on quarters with production starting Oct. 18.
The printed quarter shows an image of Wong resting on her hand, serving as a tribute to what most consider the first Chinese American movie star. She was born in 1905 in Chinatown, Los Angeles and died in 1961 of a heart attack in her Santa Monica home.
Wong started her career in the entertainment business at 14 years old, talking her way into her first movie role. In the following years, she rose to stardom as among the first Asian American stars in Hollywood and appeared in more than 50 films. Though the quarter seeks to pay tribute to her career in the film industry, it also acknowledges the difficulties...
The printed quarter shows an image of Wong resting on her hand, serving as a tribute to what most consider the first Chinese American movie star. She was born in 1905 in Chinatown, Los Angeles and died in 1961 of a heart attack in her Santa Monica home.
Wong started her career in the entertainment business at 14 years old, talking her way into her first movie role. In the following years, she rose to stardom as among the first Asian American stars in Hollywood and appeared in more than 50 films. Though the quarter seeks to pay tribute to her career in the film industry, it also acknowledges the difficulties...
- 10/18/2022
- by EJ Panaligan
- Variety Film + TV
Hollywood star William Shatner felt a sense of “grief” when he went up to space.
The actor, who is known for his starring role as Captain Kirk in the ‘Star Trek’ franchise, became the oldest person ever to reach space when he blasted off on Jeff Bezos’s New Shepard Ns-18 rocket in October 2021 but has revealed that the experience wasn’t as “beautiful” as he thought it was going to be, reports aceshowbiz.com.
He said: “I had thought that going into space would be the ultimate catharsis of that connection I had been looking for between all living things–that being up there would be the next beautiful step to understanding the harmony of the universe.
“I discovered that the beauty isn’t out there, it’s down here, with all of us. Leaving that behind made my connection to our tiny planet even more profound. It was...
The actor, who is known for his starring role as Captain Kirk in the ‘Star Trek’ franchise, became the oldest person ever to reach space when he blasted off on Jeff Bezos’s New Shepard Ns-18 rocket in October 2021 but has revealed that the experience wasn’t as “beautiful” as he thought it was going to be, reports aceshowbiz.com.
He said: “I had thought that going into space would be the ultimate catharsis of that connection I had been looking for between all living things–that being up there would be the next beautiful step to understanding the harmony of the universe.
“I discovered that the beauty isn’t out there, it’s down here, with all of us. Leaving that behind made my connection to our tiny planet even more profound. It was...
- 10/10/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
There are multiple purposes in play on Quantum Leap Season 1 Episode 2, and the writers do an admirable job strumming the narrative tune so that they combine effectively.
Ben's leap into childhood hero David Tamara not only jogs his memory about his own identity, his actions while in the astronaut's body remind Addison of his personal integrity and moral compass.
Meanwhile, Jenn's reminder that Ben was the team's peacemaker pushes everyone onto a middle ground where they can do what they do best with transparency to help bring him back.
It comes down to trust. Both the teams on 1998's Atlantis shuttle and 2022's Quantum Leap project suffer setbacks when a key member is taken out of play.
For the Atlantis, Jim Reynolds's injury thrusts Samantha Stratton into command, a position she's trained for all her life but always with Jim's supervision.
Despite Ben/David's support, her relative inexperience gives...
Ben's leap into childhood hero David Tamara not only jogs his memory about his own identity, his actions while in the astronaut's body remind Addison of his personal integrity and moral compass.
Meanwhile, Jenn's reminder that Ben was the team's peacemaker pushes everyone onto a middle ground where they can do what they do best with transparency to help bring him back.
It comes down to trust. Both the teams on 1998's Atlantis shuttle and 2022's Quantum Leap project suffer setbacks when a key member is taken out of play.
For the Atlantis, Jim Reynolds's injury thrusts Samantha Stratton into command, a position she's trained for all her life but always with Jim's supervision.
Despite Ben/David's support, her relative inexperience gives...
- 9/27/2022
- by Diana Keng
- TVfanatic
The ashes of the late Nichelle Nichols, who played lieutenant Noyota Uhura on the original Star Trek series, will be sent into deep space.
Celestis, a company that specializes in “memorial spaceflights”, announced that some of Nichelle Nichols’ ashes and DNA will be launched on a rocket called Vulcan. Also on board will be partial remains of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and “Scotty” himself, James Doohan.
In a statement, Celestis said, “We are truly honored to add a legendary actress, activist, and educator to the Enterprise Flight manifest…Now our Enterprise Flight will have on board the person who most completely embodied the vision of ‘Star Trek’ as a diverse, inclusive, and exploring universe.”
The trailblazing actress, who died in July, had a long history with space. Following her tenure on Star Trek, Nichols helped NASA recruit minorities into the program. One of the new recruits was Sally Ride,...
Celestis, a company that specializes in “memorial spaceflights”, announced that some of Nichelle Nichols’ ashes and DNA will be launched on a rocket called Vulcan. Also on board will be partial remains of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and “Scotty” himself, James Doohan.
In a statement, Celestis said, “We are truly honored to add a legendary actress, activist, and educator to the Enterprise Flight manifest…Now our Enterprise Flight will have on board the person who most completely embodied the vision of ‘Star Trek’ as a diverse, inclusive, and exploring universe.”
The trailblazing actress, who died in July, had a long history with space. Following her tenure on Star Trek, Nichols helped NASA recruit minorities into the program. One of the new recruits was Sally Ride,...
- 8/26/2022
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
As Trekkies around the world mourn and reflect on the legacy of “Star Trek” icon Nichelle Nichols, those who have actually traveled into the final frontier are honoring the actress’ pivotal work in getting women and people of color into NASA’s astronaut program.
On Paramount+, alongside all of Nichols’ “Star Trek” adventures, the documentary “Woman in Motion” chronicles how Nichols used her fame as Enterprise officer Lt. Uhura to challenge NASA to seek out a more diverse set of astronauts during the development of its space shuttle program, leading to a partnership between the space agency and Nichols’ program Women in Motion.
When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon in 1969 — and “Star Trek” was finishing its original run on TV — the astronaut program was exclusively filled with white men who served as military test pilots. Nichols criticized NASA for its claims that it could not find...
On Paramount+, alongside all of Nichols’ “Star Trek” adventures, the documentary “Woman in Motion” chronicles how Nichols used her fame as Enterprise officer Lt. Uhura to challenge NASA to seek out a more diverse set of astronauts during the development of its space shuttle program, leading to a partnership between the space agency and Nichols’ program Women in Motion.
When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon in 1969 — and “Star Trek” was finishing its original run on TV — the astronaut program was exclusively filled with white men who served as military test pilots. Nichols criticized NASA for its claims that it could not find...
- 7/31/2022
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Nichelle Nichols, the actress who played the groundbreaking role of Nyota Uhura on the original Star Trek series, has died at the age of 89.
Nichols’ son Kyle Johnson announced his mother’s death Sunday on her official website, writing that she died Saturday night from natural causes.
“I regret to inform you that a great light in the firmament no longer shines for us as it has for so many years,” Johnson wrote. “The light, however, like the ancient galaxies being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy,...
Nichols’ son Kyle Johnson announced his mother’s death Sunday on her official website, writing that she died Saturday night from natural causes.
“I regret to inform you that a great light in the firmament no longer shines for us as it has for so many years,” Johnson wrote. “The light, however, like the ancient galaxies being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy,...
- 7/31/2022
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Click here to read the full article.
Nichelle Nichols, who made history and earned the admiration of Martin Luther King Jr. for her portrayal of communications officer Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek, has died. She was 89.
Nichols, who earlier sang and danced as a performer with Duke Ellington’s orchestra, died Saturday night of natural causes, her son, Kyle Johnson, posted on her official Facebook page.
“Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration,” he wrote Sunday. “Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all.” (Read tribute to the late actress here.)
A family spokesman told The Hollywood Reporter that she died in Silver City, New Mexico. She had been living with her son and was recently hospitalized.
Nichols played a person of authority...
Nichelle Nichols, who made history and earned the admiration of Martin Luther King Jr. for her portrayal of communications officer Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek, has died. She was 89.
Nichols, who earlier sang and danced as a performer with Duke Ellington’s orchestra, died Saturday night of natural causes, her son, Kyle Johnson, posted on her official Facebook page.
“Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration,” he wrote Sunday. “Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all.” (Read tribute to the late actress here.)
A family spokesman told The Hollywood Reporter that she died in Silver City, New Mexico. She had been living with her son and was recently hospitalized.
Nichols played a person of authority...
- 7/31/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Nyota Uhura on the original “Star Trek,” has died at the age of 89, her son Kyle Johnson announced on her official Facebook page.
“Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away,” Johnson’s statement read. “Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration. Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all.”
“Today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend,” Nichols’ co-star George Takei tweeted.
Also Read:
Hollywood Remembers Nichelle Nichols as ‘Ground-Breaker’ Who Showed ‘the Extraordinary Power of Black Women’
As Uhura, Nichols was one of the first Black women ever to play a main cast role on a television series, as “Star Trek...
“Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away,” Johnson’s statement read. “Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration. Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all.”
“Today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend,” Nichols’ co-star George Takei tweeted.
Also Read:
Hollywood Remembers Nichelle Nichols as ‘Ground-Breaker’ Who Showed ‘the Extraordinary Power of Black Women’
As Uhura, Nichols was one of the first Black women ever to play a main cast role on a television series, as “Star Trek...
- 7/31/2022
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Dominque Jackson, Alex Newell, Leslie Jordan and Ross Mathews will be celebrating Pride Month with Discovery+ this year. The four have been announced as guest narrators for the upcoming docuseries “The Book of Queer,” set to launch on the streaming service June 2.
The upcoming special event series — which has its first-look featurette above —will feature five episodes, each of which tells the story of multiple historic and groundbreaking queer individuals throughout history. The subjects of the episodes span people that have lived across thousands of years, and include politicians, artists, activists, scientists and world leaders. Some of the names include: ancient Greek poet Sappho, Alexander the Great, King James, Joan of Arc, Akhenaten, Lenardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Alan Turning, Josephine Baker, Stormé DeLarverie, Sylvia Rivera, Eleanor Roosevelt, Gilbert Baker, Harvey Milk, Marsha P. Johnson, Ma Rainey and Bayard Rustin.
Each episode features reenactments and recreations of several subjects’ lives, featuring...
The upcoming special event series — which has its first-look featurette above —will feature five episodes, each of which tells the story of multiple historic and groundbreaking queer individuals throughout history. The subjects of the episodes span people that have lived across thousands of years, and include politicians, artists, activists, scientists and world leaders. Some of the names include: ancient Greek poet Sappho, Alexander the Great, King James, Joan of Arc, Akhenaten, Lenardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Alan Turning, Josephine Baker, Stormé DeLarverie, Sylvia Rivera, Eleanor Roosevelt, Gilbert Baker, Harvey Milk, Marsha P. Johnson, Ma Rainey and Bayard Rustin.
Each episode features reenactments and recreations of several subjects’ lives, featuring...
- 4/27/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Variety Film + TV
CAA has signed Krystin Ver Linden, writer and director of the Sundance Film Festival selection “Alice,” for representation.
The dramatic thriller marks Ver Linden’s feature film debut. Prior to its festival launch, Roadside Attractions and Vertical Entertainment nabbed U.S. rights to the picture, starring Keke Palmer, Common and Johnny Lee Miller, in a deal made by CAA Media Finance. “Alice” will be released in theaters on Friday, March 18.
Palmer plays the titular “Alice,” an enslaved woman who escapes her plantation and finds herself in 1973 Georgia. When the filmmaker and star joined Variety‘s senior entertainment writer Adam B. Vary for the Variety Virtual Sundance Studio, alongside producer Peter Lawson, they unpacked the movie’s complex themes.
Despite the fact that she was the filmmaker’s first choice for the part, Palmer was initially hesitant to sign on due to the sensitive subject matter.
“But when I read it,...
The dramatic thriller marks Ver Linden’s feature film debut. Prior to its festival launch, Roadside Attractions and Vertical Entertainment nabbed U.S. rights to the picture, starring Keke Palmer, Common and Johnny Lee Miller, in a deal made by CAA Media Finance. “Alice” will be released in theaters on Friday, March 18.
Palmer plays the titular “Alice,” an enslaved woman who escapes her plantation and finds herself in 1973 Georgia. When the filmmaker and star joined Variety‘s senior entertainment writer Adam B. Vary for the Variety Virtual Sundance Studio, alongside producer Peter Lawson, they unpacked the movie’s complex themes.
Despite the fact that she was the filmmaker’s first choice for the part, Palmer was initially hesitant to sign on due to the sensitive subject matter.
“But when I read it,...
- 3/16/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
2022 was supposed to be different: The return of the physical component of the Sundance Film Festival, with requirements such as fully boosted attendees and regular testing, was meant to return. But after omicron’s surge, the festival is now entering its second straight year as strictly a virtual affair. Nevertheless, from year to year, there’s always a difference at Sundance. It’s the films. And in this case, films directed by Black creators.
We’ve combed through this year’s lineup to select 10 exciting long-form works directed by Black folks, most making their feature debuts, which compose a diverse assortment of stories that survey academia, policing, systematic bias, anti-capitalist, and anti-colonialist themes from a uniquely Black perspective. Here are the exciting Black-helmed projects, from incisive docuseries to adventurous feature films, to look out for at this year’s Sundance.
Curious about how to re-create the magic of Sundance at home?...
We’ve combed through this year’s lineup to select 10 exciting long-form works directed by Black folks, most making their feature debuts, which compose a diverse assortment of stories that survey academia, policing, systematic bias, anti-capitalist, and anti-colonialist themes from a uniquely Black perspective. Here are the exciting Black-helmed projects, from incisive docuseries to adventurous feature films, to look out for at this year’s Sundance.
Curious about how to re-create the magic of Sundance at home?...
- 1/18/2022
- by Robert Daniels
- Indiewire
The Online Film Critics Society (Ofcs) has named Nomadland as Best Picture in their reveal of the annual top ten films and winners of other award categories.
“The Online Film Critics Society (Ofcs) has revealed its annual Top Ten List as well as winners of its film awards which was topped by Nomadland. In addition, The Chloé Zhao American wanderlust drama was named Best Picture. Also on the list is Pixar’s Soul which was also named Best Animated Feature.”
Read more at Deadline.
Acclaimed poet and writer Maya Angelou is the latest addition to Mattel’s “Inspiring Women” line of Barbie dolls.
“Since its inception in 2018, Mattel’s ‘Inspiring Women’ line of Barbies has featured Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks, Sally Ride, and seven other female role models from the past and present. The latest is celebrated poet and writer Maya Angelou.”
Read more at Mental Floss.
Check out...
“The Online Film Critics Society (Ofcs) has revealed its annual Top Ten List as well as winners of its film awards which was topped by Nomadland. In addition, The Chloé Zhao American wanderlust drama was named Best Picture. Also on the list is Pixar’s Soul which was also named Best Animated Feature.”
Read more at Deadline.
Acclaimed poet and writer Maya Angelou is the latest addition to Mattel’s “Inspiring Women” line of Barbie dolls.
“Since its inception in 2018, Mattel’s ‘Inspiring Women’ line of Barbies has featured Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks, Sally Ride, and seven other female role models from the past and present. The latest is celebrated poet and writer Maya Angelou.”
Read more at Mental Floss.
Check out...
- 1/27/2021
- by Ivan Huang
- Den of Geek
The house that the New York Supreme Court deemed “as a matter of law, haunted,” is yet again on the market, for sale by its current owner, Matisyahu.
“Many buyers understandably don’t want to move in with a spirit or, if they’re skeptics, they just might not like living in a place that’s well-known in local lore to be haunted and could attract other gawkers. So maybe, if you’re selling the house, you just won’t tell the buyers! That’s what Helen Ackley thought when she sold her Nyack, New York home in 1989, and her failure to disclose her home’s history led to the infamous ‘Ghostbusters ruling.’ “
Read more at The Mary Sue.
A fragmented, 14,000-year-old tooth contained the genome that links today’s Native Americans to the first people who migrated to North America.
“The tooth belonged to a male, designated UKY001. Analysis...
“Many buyers understandably don’t want to move in with a spirit or, if they’re skeptics, they just might not like living in a place that’s well-known in local lore to be haunted and could attract other gawkers. So maybe, if you’re selling the house, you just won’t tell the buyers! That’s what Helen Ackley thought when she sold her Nyack, New York home in 1989, and her failure to disclose her home’s history led to the infamous ‘Ghostbusters ruling.’ “
Read more at The Mary Sue.
A fragmented, 14,000-year-old tooth contained the genome that links today’s Native Americans to the first people who migrated to North America.
“The tooth belonged to a male, designated UKY001. Analysis...
- 5/26/2020
- by Brian Berman
- Den of Geek
If you can’t afford a Nintendo Switch to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons with, check out Pocket Camp!
“Your feeds have almost certainly been taken over by an influx of Animal Crossing: New Horizons content since the Switch game’s release on March 20. Friends are gathering on each others’ islands and doing stupid shit together; other people are torturing their resident villagers to get them to move off their islands; others have made ridiculously intricate custom designs or caught rare whale shark and showed them off online. If you are someone without a Nintendo Switch, and have no intentions of getting one, but still feel like you’re missing out on a Major Cultural Moment, there’s an alternative solution, and it’s free: the mobile game Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp.”
Read more at Thrillist.
Dceu’s Justice League may just be worse than Batman v Superman. Do you agree or disagree?...
“Your feeds have almost certainly been taken over by an influx of Animal Crossing: New Horizons content since the Switch game’s release on March 20. Friends are gathering on each others’ islands and doing stupid shit together; other people are torturing their resident villagers to get them to move off their islands; others have made ridiculously intricate custom designs or caught rare whale shark and showed them off online. If you are someone without a Nintendo Switch, and have no intentions of getting one, but still feel like you’re missing out on a Major Cultural Moment, there’s an alternative solution, and it’s free: the mobile game Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp.”
Read more at Thrillist.
Dceu’s Justice League may just be worse than Batman v Superman. Do you agree or disagree?...
- 4/9/2020
- by Ivan Huang
- Den of Geek
Fresh off her Independent Spirit and BAFTA Awards in the past week, Renee Zellweger became a two-time Oscar winner tonight, taking home the Best Actress prize for her portrayal of Judy Garland in musical biopic Judy. Zellweger previously won in the Supporting Actress category for 2003’s Cold Mountain. Her two other nominations were for Chicago and Bridget Jones’s Diary.
For Judy, Zellweger transformed herself into Garland at a time when the legendary actress/singer was struggling with addiction, money woes and her own fading star. Set in winter 1968, the story takes place 30 years after Garland played the iconic role of Dorothy in The Wizard Of Oz. When she arrives in Swinging London to prepare for a sell-out run at The Talk of the Town, she battles with management, finds new love and reminisces with friends and adoring fans. Yet Garland is fragile after working for 45 of her 47 years, haunted by...
For Judy, Zellweger transformed herself into Garland at a time when the legendary actress/singer was struggling with addiction, money woes and her own fading star. Set in winter 1968, the story takes place 30 years after Garland played the iconic role of Dorothy in The Wizard Of Oz. When she arrives in Swinging London to prepare for a sell-out run at The Talk of the Town, she battles with management, finds new love and reminisces with friends and adoring fans. Yet Garland is fragile after working for 45 of her 47 years, haunted by...
- 2/10/2020
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Renée Zellweger won best actress at the 92nd Academy Awards for her portrayal of Hollywood icon Judy Garland in “Judy.”
The actress took the stage celebrating heroes, and her hero Garland. “This past year of conversations celebrating Judy Garland across generations and across cultures has been a really cool reminder that our heroes unite us,” Zellweger said. “The best among us, who inspire us to find the best in ourselves, when they unite us, when we look to our heroes, we agree, you know? And that matters.”
She continued to list several famous figures of inspiration, including Neil Armstrong, Sally Ride, Venus and Serena Williams, Selena, Bob Dylan, Martin Scorsese, Fred Rogers and Harriet Tubman.
“Judy Garland did not receive this honor in her time,” the actress continued. “I am certain that this moment is an extension of the celebration of her legacy that began on our film set and...
The actress took the stage celebrating heroes, and her hero Garland. “This past year of conversations celebrating Judy Garland across generations and across cultures has been a really cool reminder that our heroes unite us,” Zellweger said. “The best among us, who inspire us to find the best in ourselves, when they unite us, when we look to our heroes, we agree, you know? And that matters.”
She continued to list several famous figures of inspiration, including Neil Armstrong, Sally Ride, Venus and Serena Williams, Selena, Bob Dylan, Martin Scorsese, Fred Rogers and Harriet Tubman.
“Judy Garland did not receive this honor in her time,” the actress continued. “I am certain that this moment is an extension of the celebration of her legacy that began on our film set and...
- 2/10/2020
- by Alex Stedman
- Variety Film + TV
Rambo, David Copperfield, and Daniel Craig are coming to Amazon Prime Video in the U.K. after the streamer struck an output deal with U.S. studio Lionsgate.
The agreement hands Amazon U.K. streaming rights to Lionsgate’s theatrical titles, meaning the likes of Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out,” Gerard Butler-starrer “Angel Has Fallen,” London Film Festival opener “The Personal History of David Copperfield,” World War II pic “Midway,” and Sylvester Stallone’s “Rambo: Last Blood” will be on the Svod service.
The multiyear deal covers titles from Lionsgate’s upcoming theatrical slate and kicks in at the beginning of 2020. Projects in the works at the studio include a biopic about Sally Ride, the first American woman in space. Jill Soloway, creator of Amazon hit series “Transparent,” is attached to develop and direct.
“We’re excited to be bringing Lionsgate’s slate of compelling movies to Prime Video,” said Martin Backlund,...
The agreement hands Amazon U.K. streaming rights to Lionsgate’s theatrical titles, meaning the likes of Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out,” Gerard Butler-starrer “Angel Has Fallen,” London Film Festival opener “The Personal History of David Copperfield,” World War II pic “Midway,” and Sylvester Stallone’s “Rambo: Last Blood” will be on the Svod service.
The multiyear deal covers titles from Lionsgate’s upcoming theatrical slate and kicks in at the beginning of 2020. Projects in the works at the studio include a biopic about Sally Ride, the first American woman in space. Jill Soloway, creator of Amazon hit series “Transparent,” is attached to develop and direct.
“We’re excited to be bringing Lionsgate’s slate of compelling movies to Prime Video,” said Martin Backlund,...
- 11/14/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
Lionsgate is partnering yet again with director Deon Taylor, acquiring Taylor’s “Free Agents,” a heist thriller set in the world of professional sports, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group president Nathan Kahane announced Friday.
Lionsgate in August nabbed “Fatale,” another thriller which Taylor is set to direct starring Hilary Swank and Michael Ealy. But Taylor will now also direct “Free Agents,” and he co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Bockol about a team of pro football players who turn to crime to get back at the team owners who are exploiting and under paying them on and off the field.
Taylor will also produce with Roxanne Taylor for the Hidden Empire banner. Brady Fujikawa is overseeing for Lionsgate.
Also Read: Hilary Swank, Michael Ealy Thriller 'Fatale' Lands at Lionsgate
“Deon is an enormously talented storyteller and director and we think he will turn ‘Free Agents’ into a fascinating and topical...
Lionsgate in August nabbed “Fatale,” another thriller which Taylor is set to direct starring Hilary Swank and Michael Ealy. But Taylor will now also direct “Free Agents,” and he co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Bockol about a team of pro football players who turn to crime to get back at the team owners who are exploiting and under paying them on and off the field.
Taylor will also produce with Roxanne Taylor for the Hidden Empire banner. Brady Fujikawa is overseeing for Lionsgate.
Also Read: Hilary Swank, Michael Ealy Thriller 'Fatale' Lands at Lionsgate
“Deon is an enormously talented storyteller and director and we think he will turn ‘Free Agents’ into a fascinating and topical...
- 10/25/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Sally Ride was the first American woman in space, inspiring a whole new generation of girls to become astronauts. Now the story of her life and the mission that put her in the history books will be turned into a movie by Transparent creator Jill Soloway and Lionsgate. Lionsgate sent out a press release announcing […]
The post Lionsgate Developing Biopic About Astronaut Sally Ride with Director Jill Soloway at the Helm appeared first on /Film.
The post Lionsgate Developing Biopic About Astronaut Sally Ride with Director Jill Soloway at the Helm appeared first on /Film.
- 10/24/2019
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen Hollywood become obsessed with a good, old-fashioned space drama. Last year, it was “First Man.” This year, we have not one, not two, but three space dramas that have premiered in theaters and festivals, with “Ad Astra,” “Lucy in the Sky,” and the upcoming “Proxima,” starring Eva Green.
Continue reading ‘Transparent’ Creator Jill Soloway To Direct A Biopic About Astronaut Sally Ride at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Transparent’ Creator Jill Soloway To Direct A Biopic About Astronaut Sally Ride at The Playlist.
- 10/24/2019
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
Jill Soloway is set to direct Ride, a biopic about Sally Ride, the first American woman to journey to space, which is in development at Lionsgate. Cassie Pappas wrote the script based on an original spec by Krystin Ver Linden. The Emmy-winning Transparent show creator will produce the pic with Andrea Sperling through their Topple banner, and Cruella producer Kristin Burr via Burr! Productions.
The film will explore the life of Ride and her historic mission on the Challenger space shuttle in in 1983, her first of two trips into space.
Meredith Wieck and Aaron Edmonds will oversee the project on behalf of the studio.
Soloway is adapting the Red Sonja feature, based on the comic book character, for Millennium Films, Topple, Campbell/Grobman Films and Cinelou Films, and is co-writing and directing the drama Mothertrucker, with Julianne Moore attached to star as Joy Mothertrucker, America’s one and only female ice road trucker.
The film will explore the life of Ride and her historic mission on the Challenger space shuttle in in 1983, her first of two trips into space.
Meredith Wieck and Aaron Edmonds will oversee the project on behalf of the studio.
Soloway is adapting the Red Sonja feature, based on the comic book character, for Millennium Films, Topple, Campbell/Grobman Films and Cinelou Films, and is co-writing and directing the drama Mothertrucker, with Julianne Moore attached to star as Joy Mothertrucker, America’s one and only female ice road trucker.
- 10/24/2019
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
“Transparent” creator Jill Soloway has signed on to develop and direct a biopic about Sally Ride, the first American woman to journey to space, for Lionsgate.
Cassie Pappas will write the screenplay for “Ride,” based on an original spec script by Krystin Ver Linden.
The film will be produced by Kristin Burr (“Cruella”) via Burr! Productions. Soloway and Andrea Sperling will also produce through Topple, with Meredith Wieck and Aaron Edmonds overseeing on behalf of Lionsgate.
“Sally Ride is an American Hero and icon whose life and career was and is endlessly fascinating and inspirational,” said Nathan Kahane, president of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. “In the hands of Jill Soloway and our tremendous team of producers, we feel we have the right storytellers to honor and properly tell Sally’s incredible story.”
Ride became the first American woman to travel to space in 1983 at the age of 32, and remains the youngest U.
Cassie Pappas will write the screenplay for “Ride,” based on an original spec script by Krystin Ver Linden.
The film will be produced by Kristin Burr (“Cruella”) via Burr! Productions. Soloway and Andrea Sperling will also produce through Topple, with Meredith Wieck and Aaron Edmonds overseeing on behalf of Lionsgate.
“Sally Ride is an American Hero and icon whose life and career was and is endlessly fascinating and inspirational,” said Nathan Kahane, president of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. “In the hands of Jill Soloway and our tremendous team of producers, we feel we have the right storytellers to honor and properly tell Sally’s incredible story.”
Ride became the first American woman to travel to space in 1983 at the age of 32, and remains the youngest U.
- 10/24/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Jill Soloway will direct “Ride,” a biopic about astronaut Sally Ride, the first American woman to journey to space for Lionsgate, Nathan Kahane, president of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, announced on Thursday. It will be written by Cassie Pappas.
Based on an original spec script by Krystin Ver Linden, “Ride” will look at the life of astronaut Sally Ride and the legendary mission that led her to become the first American woman in space.
The film will be produced by Kristin Burr via Burr! Productions and, Soloway and Andrea Sperling will produce through Topple. Meredith Wieck and Aaron Edmonds will oversee Ride on behalf of Lionsgate.
Also Read: Jill Soloway to Direct Julianne Moore in Adaption of Memoir 'Mothertrucker'
“Sally Ride is an American Hero and icon whose life and career was and is endlessly fascinating and inspirational,” Kahane said. “In the hands of Jill Soloway and our tremendous team of producers,...
Based on an original spec script by Krystin Ver Linden, “Ride” will look at the life of astronaut Sally Ride and the legendary mission that led her to become the first American woman in space.
The film will be produced by Kristin Burr via Burr! Productions and, Soloway and Andrea Sperling will produce through Topple. Meredith Wieck and Aaron Edmonds will oversee Ride on behalf of Lionsgate.
Also Read: Jill Soloway to Direct Julianne Moore in Adaption of Memoir 'Mothertrucker'
“Sally Ride is an American Hero and icon whose life and career was and is endlessly fascinating and inspirational,” Kahane said. “In the hands of Jill Soloway and our tremendous team of producers,...
- 10/24/2019
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Emmy-winner Jill Soloway is developing biopic Ride, about Sally Ride, the first American woman to make it to space.
Based on an original spec script by Krystin Ver Linden, Ride will look at the life and career of the astronaut and go behind-the-scenes of the legendary mission.
Lionsgate is behind the project, with a script by Cassie Pappas. Kristin Burr will produce via her Burr! Productions along with Soloway and Andrea Sperling for Topple.
"Sally Ride is an American hero and icon whose life and career was and is endlessly fascinating and inspirational," said Nathan Kahane, president of Lionsgate Motion ...
Based on an original spec script by Krystin Ver Linden, Ride will look at the life and career of the astronaut and go behind-the-scenes of the legendary mission.
Lionsgate is behind the project, with a script by Cassie Pappas. Kristin Burr will produce via her Burr! Productions along with Soloway and Andrea Sperling for Topple.
"Sally Ride is an American hero and icon whose life and career was and is endlessly fascinating and inspirational," said Nathan Kahane, president of Lionsgate Motion ...
- 10/24/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Emmy-winner Jill Soloway is developing biopic Ride, about Sally Ride, the first American woman to make it to space.
Based on an original spec script by Krystin Ver Linden, Ride will look at the life and career of the astronaut and go behind-the-scenes of the legendary mission.
Lionsgate is behind the project, with a script by Cassie Pappas. Kristin Burr will produce via her Burr! Productions along with Soloway and Andrea Sperling for Topple.
"Sally Ride is an American hero and icon whose life and career was and is endlessly fascinating and inspirational," said Nathan Kahane, president of Lionsgate Motion ...
Based on an original spec script by Krystin Ver Linden, Ride will look at the life and career of the astronaut and go behind-the-scenes of the legendary mission.
Lionsgate is behind the project, with a script by Cassie Pappas. Kristin Burr will produce via her Burr! Productions along with Soloway and Andrea Sperling for Topple.
"Sally Ride is an American hero and icon whose life and career was and is endlessly fascinating and inspirational," said Nathan Kahane, president of Lionsgate Motion ...
- 10/24/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Exclusive: Lionsgate has acquired action comedy The Spoils, a pitch for Malcolm D. Lee to produce through Blackmaled Productions. The screenplay will be written by Roshan Sethi and Hayley Schore.
The plot revolves around a group of disparate immigrants who realize the London Museum holds their countries’ most prized possessions. They plan an elaborate heist to recover the stolen artifacts and return them to their rightful homes. Both Sethi and Schore wrote The Resident for Fox and Code Black for TBS. Schore also wrote The Black Box for ABC.
The scribes recently were also tapped by Universal/Working Title and Chadwick Boseman to write the true story of astrophysicist Hakeem Oluseyi, based on his upcoming autobiography. Sethi and Schore had two scripts on the Black List in 2017 and currently have several feature films in development — including the Rosalind Franklin drama Exposure and Call Jane, which is set in the pre-Roe v Wade abortion rights movement.
The plot revolves around a group of disparate immigrants who realize the London Museum holds their countries’ most prized possessions. They plan an elaborate heist to recover the stolen artifacts and return them to their rightful homes. Both Sethi and Schore wrote The Resident for Fox and Code Black for TBS. Schore also wrote The Black Box for ABC.
The scribes recently were also tapped by Universal/Working Title and Chadwick Boseman to write the true story of astrophysicist Hakeem Oluseyi, based on his upcoming autobiography. Sethi and Schore had two scripts on the Black List in 2017 and currently have several feature films in development — including the Rosalind Franklin drama Exposure and Call Jane, which is set in the pre-Roe v Wade abortion rights movement.
- 9/9/2019
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Last year, it was announced that Preston Fassel's Our Lady of the Inferno—the first book in the "Fangoria Presents" line from Cinestate—is being developed as a film, and now it's been revealed that it will also come to life in audio form, with horror icon Barbara Crampton voicing one of the lead characters.
Mark Alan Miller is overseeing an audiobook version of the 1980s-set Our Lady of the Inferno at his imprint Encyclopocalypse Publications, and The A.V. Club reports that Crampton will voice Nicolette Aster, “a waste management executive in 1980s Manhattan who moonlights as a serial killer.”
Crampton will be joined by other impressive talents in the voice cast, including Gigi Shane as Nicolette's adversary Ginny Kurva, Autumn Ivy as Ginny's sister Tricia, and Kasey Lansdale as Tammy, a new-in-town target of Nicolette.
Other voice roles are still being cast, and we'll be sure to...
Mark Alan Miller is overseeing an audiobook version of the 1980s-set Our Lady of the Inferno at his imprint Encyclopocalypse Publications, and The A.V. Club reports that Crampton will voice Nicolette Aster, “a waste management executive in 1980s Manhattan who moonlights as a serial killer.”
Crampton will be joined by other impressive talents in the voice cast, including Gigi Shane as Nicolette's adversary Ginny Kurva, Autumn Ivy as Ginny's sister Tricia, and Kasey Lansdale as Tammy, a new-in-town target of Nicolette.
Other voice roles are still being cast, and we'll be sure to...
- 4/18/2019
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Elissa Karasik’s Snapchat drama “Frat Boy Genius,” and scripts about Matt Drudge and the father of the Williams sisters are at the top of the 2018 version of the Black List.
“Frat Boy Genius” is a fictional story centering on a Snapchat employee, who chronicles the rise of her former Stanford classmate — “preeminent douchebag” and current boss Evan Spiegel.
The list, now in its 13th year, was unveiled on Monday and compiled by Franklin Leonard’s Black List organization. The list of the best unproduced screenplays in Hollywood is based on suggestions of more than 300 film executives, each of whom contributed the names of up to 10 favorite scripts that were written in, or are somehow uniquely associated with, 2018, and will not have begun principal photography during this calendar year. Scripts had to receive at least seven mentions to be included on the Black List.
Karasik is a Mexican-Jewish writer and...
“Frat Boy Genius” is a fictional story centering on a Snapchat employee, who chronicles the rise of her former Stanford classmate — “preeminent douchebag” and current boss Evan Spiegel.
The list, now in its 13th year, was unveiled on Monday and compiled by Franklin Leonard’s Black List organization. The list of the best unproduced screenplays in Hollywood is based on suggestions of more than 300 film executives, each of whom contributed the names of up to 10 favorite scripts that were written in, or are somehow uniquely associated with, 2018, and will not have begun principal photography during this calendar year. Scripts had to receive at least seven mentions to be included on the Black List.
Karasik is a Mexican-Jewish writer and...
- 12/17/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
This past year, the creative team at Cinestate not only resurrected Fangoria magazine, they also launched the "Fangoria Presents" line of books featuring innovative and exciting voices in the literary world. First up was Preston Fassel's Our Lady of the Inferno, which is now being developed as a film by Fangoria.
Deadline reports that Laura Moss and Brendan J. O’Brien have been hired to pen a screenplay adaptation of Fassel's novel, which features a killer New York City backdrop, a rad ’80s setting, and a violent date with destiny for two women: madam Ginny Kurva and city safety inspector/serial killer Nicolette Aster.
Moss and O'Brien will work with Fassel on the script, with Fassel also executive producing alongside Fangoria Editor-in-Chief Phil Nobile Jr. and Cinestate's Dallas Sonnier, with Amanda Presmyk also on board as a producer. A director has yet to be announced, but we'll keep...
Deadline reports that Laura Moss and Brendan J. O’Brien have been hired to pen a screenplay adaptation of Fassel's novel, which features a killer New York City backdrop, a rad ’80s setting, and a violent date with destiny for two women: madam Ginny Kurva and city safety inspector/serial killer Nicolette Aster.
Moss and O'Brien will work with Fassel on the script, with Fassel also executive producing alongside Fangoria Editor-in-Chief Phil Nobile Jr. and Cinestate's Dallas Sonnier, with Amanda Presmyk also on board as a producer. A director has yet to be announced, but we'll keep...
- 12/4/2018
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Some girls get the life they want, some girls don't. And there doesn't seem to be much of a difference yet anyway on The Deuce.
This The Deuce review contains spoilers.
The Deuce Season 2 Episode 5
“I saw on the news they even got women astronauts now,” nickel joint operator Irene says partway through “All You’ll Be Eating is Cannibals.”
She’s right, of course. Sally Ride became the first American female astronaut in 1978, the year that The Deuce Season 2 is set in. Ride would go on to become the third ever woman in space in 1983, one year after Svetlana Savitskaya and 20 years (!) after Valentina Tereshkova.
Making it to outer space has long been one of mankind’s greatest aspirations. How could it not be? It’s literally the farthest thing we can see. It is heaven itself. To this day, I’m shocked that The Onion’s Neil Armstrong...
This The Deuce review contains spoilers.
The Deuce Season 2 Episode 5
“I saw on the news they even got women astronauts now,” nickel joint operator Irene says partway through “All You’ll Be Eating is Cannibals.”
She’s right, of course. Sally Ride became the first American female astronaut in 1978, the year that The Deuce Season 2 is set in. Ride would go on to become the third ever woman in space in 1983, one year after Svetlana Savitskaya and 20 years (!) after Valentina Tereshkova.
Making it to outer space has long been one of mankind’s greatest aspirations. How could it not be? It’s literally the farthest thing we can see. It is heaven itself. To this day, I’m shocked that The Onion’s Neil Armstrong...
- 10/7/2018
- Den of Geek
While “Hidden Figures” explored the progress of black women behind the scenes as the U.S. launched the first man into space, the Netflix-produced documentary “Mercury 13” probes another struggle for inclusion taking place at the same time — the attempt by several woman to make the cut as astronauts. Unfolding as a series of tests in 1958 as Nasa prepared for Project Mercury, the experiments on the eponymous 13 women have received far less exposure than the stories surrounding the Nasa excursions themselves, but this straightforward, informative documentary provides an efficient historical revision, arguing that the bracing stories of the first men to enter space aren’t complete without an acknowledgement of the women stuck on Earth.
An engaging blend of modern-day interviews and archival footage, “Mercury 13” complicates the traditional narrative of triumph surrounding the Mercury missions of the ‘60s and their culmination with the moon landing. The surviving members...
An engaging blend of modern-day interviews and archival footage, “Mercury 13” complicates the traditional narrative of triumph surrounding the Mercury missions of the ‘60s and their culmination with the moon landing. The surviving members...
- 4/9/2018
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
A prestigious Los Angeles prep school was forced to close today after a threat was posted on the apparent Instagram account of a former NFL player who is an alum of the school, People confirms.
Jonathan Martin attended the Harvard-Westlake School, in Studio City, before playing in the NFL from 2012 through 2014. He is best known for being the alleged victim at the center of a bullying scandal with the Miami Dolphins that made headlines in 2013, when Martin left the team and accused several teammates of bullying him.
The Instagram post apparently apparently from his account that compelled the school’s...
Jonathan Martin attended the Harvard-Westlake School, in Studio City, before playing in the NFL from 2012 through 2014. He is best known for being the alleged victim at the center of a bullying scandal with the Miami Dolphins that made headlines in 2013, when Martin left the team and accused several teammates of bullying him.
The Instagram post apparently apparently from his account that compelled the school’s...
- 2/23/2018
- by Greg Hanlon and Chris Harris
- PEOPLE.com
A major historical event of the 20th century is getting made into a movie, and you could grab a lead or supporting role. Casting is now underway for “Angry Men,” a film based on the true story of the night in 1986 before the Challenger explosion, where “a hot-headed engineer leads a desperate race against the clock to stop the launch, and then the subsequent cover-up and whistleblowing.” The film will largely take place in the engineering facility, while its third act will revolve around the presidential hearing investigating the disaster. A male actor, aged 35–67, is sought to play the lead role of Adam, the o-ring engineer who blows the whistle and challenges organizations intending to launch. There are also several supporting roles in the film for male and female talent, aged 34–69, including Dr. Sally Ride. “Angry Men” will shoot for 16 days beginning Jan. 3 in San Antonio, Texas. The film pays $75–$100 per day,...
- 12/14/2017
- backstage.com
“Witches,” the hilarious, empowering, and altogether outstanding sixth episode of “Broad City” Season 4, takes on Donald Trump. The series that’s been bleeping his name all season cites the 45th President of the United States as the root cause of Ilana’s unprecedented sexual frustration and depicts him, in a particularly stirring montage, as a women-hating, fire-breathing, extra-orange monster.
“Witches” burns Trump at the stake, but it does more than that. It’s about aging, maturity, accountability, adulthood, satisfaction, human rights, societal fears, misogyny, the patriarchy, and all of these big ideas forced to the front of our collective consciousness throughout 2017 by… Donald Trump.
“It’s not about Trump at all, but it is,” Ilana Glazer said.
Glazer, along with fellow-co-creator, co-star, and “Witches” director Abbi Jacobson, sat down with IndieWire earlier this summer. At the time, the episode had already been screened twice: Press members got to see it ahead of the Season 4 premiere,...
“Witches” burns Trump at the stake, but it does more than that. It’s about aging, maturity, accountability, adulthood, satisfaction, human rights, societal fears, misogyny, the patriarchy, and all of these big ideas forced to the front of our collective consciousness throughout 2017 by… Donald Trump.
“It’s not about Trump at all, but it is,” Ilana Glazer said.
Glazer, along with fellow-co-creator, co-star, and “Witches” director Abbi Jacobson, sat down with IndieWire earlier this summer. At the time, the episode had already been screened twice: Press members got to see it ahead of the Season 4 premiere,...
- 10/26/2017
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
In a press interview before her first American woman to go into orbit, Sally Ride was asked if she cried when there were malfunctions in the simulator tests. Twenty years earlier in the Ussr, Valentina Tereshkova was met with similar prejudice before and after she became the first female ever to enter into Earth’s orbit. Two seemingly opposite superpowers, in the middle of a Cold War, vying for world domination had the same skeletons in their closets. It was the early ’80s and the U.S. was about to send their first female into outer space. Sally Ride graduated top of.
- 6/28/2017
- by Garrett Edell
- The Wrap
Who wants to go first? Everyone sits there quietly. Most of us are intrigued but terrified actually to be the first. Why are so many of us afraid of the unknown and the uncharted? Sally Ride nailed it when she said, “You can’t be what you can’t see.” Thank you, Sally Ride. Young girls in the ’80s needed to see the first American woman go to space. I certainly needed it. I didn’t become an astronaut, but knowing that Sally Ride existed did add fuel to my courage to brave the unknown. Female pioneers like Sally Ride who dared to be.
- 6/23/2017
- by Paloma M. Riojas
- The Wrap
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