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Impact Network has greenlit its first ever original scripted series, Variety has learned exclusively.

Impact Network, which is completely Black-founded and operated, has ordered the half-hour workplace comedy “Highly Favored” from Bentley Kyle Evans.

“We’re excited to start production on our first ever original scripted series and to have it in the expert hands of prolific producer Bentley Kyle Evans and his Harvest Studios team,” said Impact Network CEO Wayne T. Jackson.

“Highly Favored” is said to explore “the clash between tradition and modernity through the point of view of a charismatic yet old-fashioned pastor faced with the challenges of modernizing his church to keep up with the times, while dealing with a quirky cast of characters and an outrageous but well-meaning family,” per the official logline. The cast and premiere date will be announced at a later date. Impact has ordered six episodes.

“I’m thrilled to partner...

Any decade of horror could be regarded as a seminal time for the genre, such is the consistently excellent output it has brought audiences over time. However, if you had to name one era that introduced horror fans to great auteurs, lasting franchises, and superbly gory scenes, it was the 1970s. It was a breeding ground for talented filmmakers and was able to produce extreme content, just before the UK's "video nasty" era of the early 1980s almost derailed it.

Horror movies from the 1970s deserve more love, and they benefited from the American censors becoming more lenient towards violent imagery. This resulted in creative filmmakers going all out to produce features that pushed the boundaries of cinema censorship. When you look over the must-see movies of 1970s horror filmmaking, you'll find that many of the wonderful films are surprisingly gory, and reached new heights of depravity for the time.

From Donald Trump’s presidency to Disney’s acquisition of Fox, The Simpsons has proven itself to be the crystal ball of television. What started as satirical jokes and seemingly absurd plot points has transformed into a fascinating collection of predictions that actually came true, leaving fans and skeptics alike scratching their heads in disbelief.

A Still from The Simpsons Movie (2007) | Credits: 20th Century Studios

No joke, this beloved animated series has been serving up predictions about our future for over three decades now. From presidential elections to tech innovations, they’ve nailed it so many times it’s actually getting a bit creepy. Ready to have your mind blown? Let’s check out 20 times The Simpsons made us all believe they’ve got a crystal ball hidden in their writers’ room!

1. Donald Trump’s Presidency (2000) A Still from The Simpsons | Credits: Fox

Starting off with one of their most mind-blowing predictions ever.

The best Martin Lawrence movies and TV shows started out thanks to his television roles, but he actually got his first big break thanks to Spike Lee. While he was mostly involved in boxing when he was in school, he started working as a comedian when he got out of school and actually began to make a living working standup shows. This led to Martin moving to New York City and joining The Improv, which got him a role on Star Search. That was his true big break, as it got him noticed in Hollywood.

This earned him the attention of Spike Lee, who gave Lawrence his first movie role in the award-winning Do The Right Thing. After this, he got roles in movies like House Party and Boomerang, and he finally was able to get his own starring role when he signed on to star in the comedy sitcom Martin.

A movie extending the Game of Thrones franchise, based on the hugely popular fantasy books by George R.R. Martin, is in very early development at Warner Bros., sources have confirmed to Deadline.

Warner Bros declined to comment. From what we hear, there have only been preliminary discussions on the subject of a Game of Thrones movie for now, so there are no creative attachments to speak of. It’s also unclear what creative direction a film would take in comparison to the HBO series, which adapted Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire book series.

News of the potential project comes five years following the conclusion of the David Benioff and D.B. Weiss-created Game of Thrones, which brought forth huge viewership and ample accolades for the premium cabler, including 59 Emmys.

A cultural phenomenon running for eight seasons between 2011 and 2019, the show traverses the continents of Westeros and Essos,...

Quick Links The Crazies Is a Terrifying Sci-Fi Horror Spectacle The Crazies Was Filmed on a Low Budget Romero's Underrated Cult Classic

Legendary horror pioneer and celebrated filmmaker George A. Romero is fondly regarded as the "Father of the Zombie Film," having helmed a slew of iconic cinema classics throughout his illustrious career, including Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Martin, and Creepshow. He swiftly established himself as one of Hollywood's most unique and talented directors with the critical and commercial success of the 1968 zombie masterpiece, Night of the Living Dead, sparking a cultural phenomenon and becoming an influential horror hit.

During the 1970s, Romero struggled to achieve the same prosperity and praise that his directorial debut afforded him, following up Night of the Living Dead with two underwhelming pictures: There's Always Vanilla and Season of the Witch. He attempted to bounce back and return to...

A look at the box office performance of Bougainvillea! (Photo Credit – Koimoi)

The Fahadh Faasil starrer had a lot of expectations banking on it in terms of box-office performance and critical acclaim. While it definitely achieved the latter, things have somewhat slowed down when it comes to the box office numbers. While initially, it looked as if the movie might easily recover its budget, now that seems highly challenging. Take a look at the Bougainvillea box office performance.

Bougainvillea Box Office Day 12

On its 12th day, the India net Bougainvillea box office collections of the Fahadh Faasil starrer come to 16.36 crore. At the same time, the gross collection comes to 19.30 crore. The movie has earned around 16.5 crore from its overseas collection. The worldwide collection of the movie now comes to 35.8 crore. The film moves towards the 40-crore target at a snail’s pace.

Trending Lubber Pandhu Box Office Collection (39 Days...

Take a look at the box office performance of Lubber Pandhu! (Photo Credit – Instagram)

The Harish Kalyan starrer sports Tamil drama raged success at the box office and how! Mounted at a modest budget, the film is not only inching toward the 50 crore milestone but has also acquired an astounding Roi (Return On Investment). On its 39th day, the movie did see a drop but it is still a blockbuster nevertheless. Let us take a look at the Lubber Pandhu box office performance.

Lubber Pandhu Box Office Collection Day 39

On its 39th day, the day-wise collection of the movie dropped to 0.02 crore. This decreased from its 38-day collection, wherein it had earned 0.15 crore. The film’s India net collection now comes to 37.34 crore. At the same time, the gross collection comes to 44.06 crore. The movie is now inching toward the 50 crore milestone. The target might seem a little difficult to...

A look at the box office performance of Martin! (Photo Credit – Instagram)

The Dhruva Sarja starrer Martin has turned out to be a significant disappointment both at the box office and in terms of the reviews by the critics and the masses alike. Despite being mounted at a speculated scale of almost 100 crore, the Kannada film is struggling even to reach the 30 crore milestone now. Let us look at the Martin box office collection on its 18th day.

Martin Box Office Collection Day 18

On its 18th day, the India net collection of the Dhruva Sarja starrer came to 21.86 crore. At the same time, the gross collection came to 25.79 crore. Given its extravagant scale, these numbers are beyond disappointing. The film is has been hailed as one of the biggest disasters of this year and might wrap up below the 30 crore target.

Trending Amaran Box Office Ticket Sales: Sivakarthikeyan Registers 58% Of Vettaiyan’s Pre-Sales,...

A look at Martin’s box office performance! ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

The Dhruva Sarja starrer Martin was touted as one of the most expensive movies in the Kannada film industry. Rumored to be mounted at a massive scale of almost 100 crore, expectations were high for this one. Not only has it gloriously failed to live up to the box office expectations, but it has also been dismissed by the critics and the masses.

Martin Box Office Day 17

On its 17th day, the day-wise collections of the Dhruva Sarja starrer remained stagnant. The 17th and the 16th-day collections came to 0.04 crore, showing no growth. The India net collections now come to 21.81 crore. At the same time, the gross collections come to 25.73 crore. By the looks of its disastrous box office performance, it looks like the movie might end its underwhelming theatrical run below the 30 crore milestone. Being mounted at 100 crore, these...

Martin Lawrence is returning for a sequel to his 1999 action comedy Blue Streak.

In what might just be the most out of left field sequel news we’ve reported this year, Martin Lawrence police comedy Blue Streak is getting a follow up, 25 years after the original.

Deadline has revealed that a sequel is in development at Sony. Lawrence is onboard as star and a producer through his company Run Tel Dat. The script has been written by Cole Maliska, but there’s currently no word on who might direct.

If you need a refresher, the original Blue Streak was inspired by, of all things, the 1965 Sid James and Dick Emery film The Big Job. It saw Lawrence play Miles, a jewel thief who disguises himself as a policeman in order to steal diamonds, but ends up being partnered with actual cop, Detective Carlson, played by Luke Wilson. Shenanigans ensue, and...

Did somebody order a pizza? Martin Lawrence and Sony are keeping the good times rolling after the success of Bad Boys: Ride or Die with a sequel to Lawrence’s 1999 comedy Blue Streak. According to Deadline the surprise project is in the early stages of development at Sony Pictures, with Cole Masika penning the screenplay. In addition to reprising his role as Miles Logan, the jewel thief turned police officer from the 1999 buddy comedy Martin Lawrence is producing via his Run Tel Dat production company—Robert Lawrence, Rae Proctor, and Stacy Lyles are also producing, with Toby Jaffe producing through Rdv Films.

Les Mayfield directed 1999’s Blue Streak, featuring Martin Lawrence as a former convict who becomes a police officer to gain access to a diamond he hid before his incarceration. Because it’s the ’90s, Martin packs the film with signature humor, disguises, outlandish characters, and off-color observations. Comedians...

A look at the box office performance of the Fahadh Faasil starrer Bougainvillea! (Photo Credit – Instagram)

After Arm and Kishkindha Kaandam, the Fahadh Faasil starrer psychological thriller Bougainvillea is turning out to be yet another stellar offering at the Malayalam box office. The movie has also managed to enter the 30 crore milestone. Let us take a look at its box office performance for 7 days.

Bougainvillea Box Office Day 7

On its 7th day, the Fahadh Faasil starrer’s India net collections came to 14 crore. At the same time, the gross collection came to 16.52 crore. The overseas collection of the movie now amounts to 13.80 crore. The worldwide collection of the movie now comes to 30.32 crore. The movie has managed to breach the 30 crore milestone which is a positive sign indeed. It needs around 6 crore more to also recover its budget. For the unversed, the film is mounted at a budget of 20 crore.

Navra Maza Navsacha 2 Box Office Closing Collection ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

Sachin Pilgaonkar’s Navra Maza Navsacha 2 has closed its run at the Indian box office on a glorious note after spending over a month in theatres. Despite flaws, the film did wonders as the nostalgia factor clicked with the audience. In fact, it pulled off a bigger total than expected and secured a super-hit verdict during its theatrical run. Keep reading for a detailed collection report!

Helmed by Sachin Pilgaonkar, the Navra Maza Navsacha sequel was released on September 20. Even though the trailer received mixed response, there was a buzz on the ground level due to the goodwill of its predecessor. Also, as veterans of Marathi film industry came together after so many years, the audience was excited to watch the film on the big screen.

Navra Maza Navsacha 2 opened to mixed reviews from critics, but that...

The Dhruva Sarja starrer Martin is a major box office flop! (Photo Credit – Instagram)

The Dhruva Sarja starrer Martin is speculated to be mounted at a budget of almost 100 crore. This has also made the movie one of the most expensive movies in the Kannada industry. However, ever since the film was released at the box office, it has been not only slammed by the critics but is also turning out to be a major box office dud.

Martin Box Office Day 13

On its 13th day, the Dhruva Sarja starrer’s India net collection totals 21.2 crore. The day-wise collections continue to witness a pitiable graph with no improvement. The movie has almost undergone a deficit of around 79% with its staggering budget of 100 crore. It seems like the actioner will wrap up with drastically poor collections.

Trending Pushpa 2 Box Office: Will Allu Arjun Break Kalki 2898 Ad’s 93 Crores Missed By Devara & Steal The Non-Rajamouli Record?...

Poppa’s House has a merry band of comedy legends in its cast, and we’re not just talking about Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. Wendy Raquel Robinson of The Game, The Steve Harvey Show, Martin, and more was previously announced as a recurring guest star in the new CBS sitcom, but her character hasn’t been seen until now. Robinson is seen in character as Catherine in a behind-the-scenes preview of the Poppa’s House debut season, above. Wayans Sr. stars as Poppa, a legendary talk radio host and happily divorced man who has his point of view challenged at work when Ivy (Essence Atkins), a new female cohost, is hired, and at home where he finds himself still parenting his adult son, Junior (Wayans Jr.), a brilliant dreamer who is trying to pursue his passion while being a responsible father and husband to Nina (Tetona Jackson). Robinson plays Poppa...

Here’s how Gopichand’s Viswam performed at the box office! ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

The Gopichand starrer action-comedy film Viswam was released on October 11, 2024 and while the movie is moving at a slow pace, it did show some growth on its 5th day. The movie opened at just 1.5 crore, which was quite less than the actor’s previous movie, Bheema. Let us take a look at the box office performance of the movie at the Telugu box office.

Viswam Box Office Day 5

On its 5th day, the Gopichand starrer’s India net collections come to 7.27 crore. At the same time, the gross collections come to 8.57 crore. The movie has earned around 0.4 crore when it comes to the overseas collection. The worldwide collection of the movie now comes to 8.97 crore. The movie is now a stone’s throw away from the 9-crore mark. But it needs a more efficient upward graph...

Take a look at the box office performance of the Dhruva Sarja starrer Martin! ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

The Dhruva Sarja starrer Martin has not only been garnering some disastrous reviews from critics and masses alike but is also turning out to be a significant dud at the Kannada box office. Talking about the same, the movie is speculated to be one of the most expensive movies in Sandalwood and is said to be on a budget of almost 100 crore. However, the movie seems to be struggling to make even 20 crore at the box office.

Martin Box Office Day 5

On its fifth day, the Dhruva Sarja film earned 1.05 crore at the box office. This was an even further drop from its four-day collections, during which the movie earned 1.40 crore. The India net collection of the movie now comes to 17.45 crore. Given the extravagant scale of the movie, these numbers are pretty disappointing.