Glen Powell’s newfound star power continues to fuel movie projects.
The Anyone But You actor will lead a cast that includes Anthony Mackie and Laura Dern to headline Monsanto, a legal drama from writer-director John Lee Hancock.
Rocket Science, the company that has been integral to the financing and producing of movies such as All Quiet on the Western Front and Ricky Stanicky, will launch international sales out of the Cannes Film Market later this month. CAA Media Finance is handling the domestic rights.
Adam McKay and Kevin Messick are producing via their HyperObject Industries banner. Moritz Borman, Eric Kopeloff, Philip Schulz-Deyle and Jon Levin are also producing.
Per the producers, Monsanto tells the true story of young, untried attorney Brent Wisner (Powell), who takes on a seemingly insurmountable case against the giant U.S. chemical company Monsanto on behalf of Dewayne “Lee” Johnson (Mackie). Johnson used the company’s best-known product,...
The Anyone But You actor will lead a cast that includes Anthony Mackie and Laura Dern to headline Monsanto, a legal drama from writer-director John Lee Hancock.
Rocket Science, the company that has been integral to the financing and producing of movies such as All Quiet on the Western Front and Ricky Stanicky, will launch international sales out of the Cannes Film Market later this month. CAA Media Finance is handling the domestic rights.
Adam McKay and Kevin Messick are producing via their HyperObject Industries banner. Moritz Borman, Eric Kopeloff, Philip Schulz-Deyle and Jon Levin are also producing.
Per the producers, Monsanto tells the true story of young, untried attorney Brent Wisner (Powell), who takes on a seemingly insurmountable case against the giant U.S. chemical company Monsanto on behalf of Dewayne “Lee” Johnson (Mackie). Johnson used the company’s best-known product,...
- 5/8/2024
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The North Road Company has hired Netflix and HBO vet Rochelle Gerson as head of business affairs.
She will oversee the strategy and execution of all content deals across North Road’s portfolio of production companies. She will also provide counsel to North Road’s executive team, including Amy Israel, Jenno Topping, Jan Frouman, Chris Coelen, Connor Schell, and Darian Singer, and report to CEO David Nevins.
Gerson spent nearly five years with Netflix, where she led a team of more than 40 staffers as VP of Original Series, overseeing business and legal services for more than $1 billion worth of programming. Previously, Gerson spent more than a decade with HBO, rising to SVP of Business Affairs and overseeing a broad range of licensing, acquisition, co-production, and talent deals. Previous posts included EVP of Business Affairs for the Carsey Werner Company and roles with the Walt Disney Co. and NBC.
Launched by...
She will oversee the strategy and execution of all content deals across North Road’s portfolio of production companies. She will also provide counsel to North Road’s executive team, including Amy Israel, Jenno Topping, Jan Frouman, Chris Coelen, Connor Schell, and Darian Singer, and report to CEO David Nevins.
Gerson spent nearly five years with Netflix, where she led a team of more than 40 staffers as VP of Original Series, overseeing business and legal services for more than $1 billion worth of programming. Previously, Gerson spent more than a decade with HBO, rising to SVP of Business Affairs and overseeing a broad range of licensing, acquisition, co-production, and talent deals. Previous posts included EVP of Business Affairs for the Carsey Werner Company and roles with the Walt Disney Co. and NBC.
Launched by...
- 5/7/2024
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
The Hollywood Reporter and Campari are pleased to invite attendees of the upcoming Cannes Film Festival to a very special event at the fest: a live in-depth interview with Kevin Costner, the legendary actor and Oscar-winning filmmaker, followed by a cocktail reception.
On Sunday, May 19, at 11:30am Cannes time, Costner will sit down with THR’s executive awards editor Scott Feinberg in the Campari Lounge of the Palais to record an episode of THR’s Awards Chatter podcast that will encompass his life, career and the film that brings him to the Croisette this year: Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1. He co-wrote, produced, directed and stars in the epic western. (The Warner Bros. film will premiere out of competition at the fest on May 19 en route to a June 28 theatrical release.)
Given the venue’s limited space, those wishing to attend are asked to RSVP via this link by Friday,...
On Sunday, May 19, at 11:30am Cannes time, Costner will sit down with THR’s executive awards editor Scott Feinberg in the Campari Lounge of the Palais to record an episode of THR’s Awards Chatter podcast that will encompass his life, career and the film that brings him to the Croisette this year: Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1. He co-wrote, produced, directed and stars in the epic western. (The Warner Bros. film will premiere out of competition at the fest on May 19 en route to a June 28 theatrical release.)
Given the venue’s limited space, those wishing to attend are asked to RSVP via this link by Friday,...
- 5/3/2024
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Janelle Monáe is set to join the cast of Universal Pictures’ untitled Pharrell Williams and Michel Gondry musical project.
The singer and actor joins Kelvin Harrison Jr., Halle Bailey, Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Oscar nominee Brian Tyree Henry and Missy Elliott in the film.
The project is described as a coming-of-age musical set during the summer of 1977 in Virginia Beach, inspired by the Atlantis Apartments, Williams’ childhood neighborhood.
Gondry is set to direct the project based on a script by Martin Hynes and Steven Levenson.
Williams and Mimi Valdés will produce through i am Other and Gil Netter will produce through Gil Netter Productions.
Universal’s Senior VP of Production Development Ryan Jones and Director of Production Development Christine Sun will oversee the project for the studio.
Monáe’s film credits include “Moonlight,” “Lady and the Tramp,” “Harriet,” “The Glorias” and “Antebellum.”
For her role in 2017’s “Hidden Figures,...
The singer and actor joins Kelvin Harrison Jr., Halle Bailey, Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Oscar nominee Brian Tyree Henry and Missy Elliott in the film.
The project is described as a coming-of-age musical set during the summer of 1977 in Virginia Beach, inspired by the Atlantis Apartments, Williams’ childhood neighborhood.
Gondry is set to direct the project based on a script by Martin Hynes and Steven Levenson.
Williams and Mimi Valdés will produce through i am Other and Gil Netter will produce through Gil Netter Productions.
Universal’s Senior VP of Production Development Ryan Jones and Director of Production Development Christine Sun will oversee the project for the studio.
Monáe’s film credits include “Moonlight,” “Lady and the Tramp,” “Harriet,” “The Glorias” and “Antebellum.”
For her role in 2017’s “Hidden Figures,...
- 5/2/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety Film + TV
The high-profile cast for Universal Pictures’ forthcoming musical from Michel Gondry and Pharrell Williams has just been kicked up an octave with the addition of Janelle Monáe.
Monáe has signed on to join the cast of the coming-of-age period feature that is currently untitled. The film’s previously confirmed castmembers include Kelvin Harrison Jr., Halle Bailey, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Brian Tyree Henry and Missy Elliott.
The project is set in Virginia Beach during the summer of 1977 and inspired by Atlantis Apartments, the neighborhood where Williams grew up. Gondry directs the musical from a script by Martin Hynes and Steven Levenson.
Producers include Williams and Mimi Valdés for I Am Other, alongside Gil Netter for Gil Netter Productions. Overseeing the movie for Universal are senior vp of production development Ryan Jones and director of production development Christine Sun.
Monáe’s previous film credits include Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Antebellum,...
Monáe has signed on to join the cast of the coming-of-age period feature that is currently untitled. The film’s previously confirmed castmembers include Kelvin Harrison Jr., Halle Bailey, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Brian Tyree Henry and Missy Elliott.
The project is set in Virginia Beach during the summer of 1977 and inspired by Atlantis Apartments, the neighborhood where Williams grew up. Gondry directs the musical from a script by Martin Hynes and Steven Levenson.
Producers include Williams and Mimi Valdés for I Am Other, alongside Gil Netter for Gil Netter Productions. Overseeing the movie for Universal are senior vp of production development Ryan Jones and director of production development Christine Sun.
Monáe’s previous film credits include Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Antebellum,...
- 5/2/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
10x Grammy nominee Janelle Monáe (Glass Onion) has found her newest film role in Universal Pictures’ coming-of-age musical from director Michel Gondry and producer Pharrell Williams, the studio announced on Thursday.
Details as to her role in the untitled feature project haven’t been disclosed. Set in Virginia Beach in the summer of 1977, the film is inspired by the neighborhood where Williams grew up, and its Atlantis Apartments, in particular.
Kelvin Harrison Jr. leads an ensemble that also includes The Holdovers Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Halle Bailey, Oscar nominee Brian Tyree Henry, and Grammy winner Missy Elliott.
Written by Martin Hynes and Steven Levenson, the film will be produced by Williams and Mimi Valdés for i am Other, as well as Gil Netter for Gil Netter Productions. Universal’s Senior Vice President of Production Development Ryan Jones and Director of Production Development Christine Sun are overseeing the project for the studio.
Details as to her role in the untitled feature project haven’t been disclosed. Set in Virginia Beach in the summer of 1977, the film is inspired by the neighborhood where Williams grew up, and its Atlantis Apartments, in particular.
Kelvin Harrison Jr. leads an ensemble that also includes The Holdovers Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Halle Bailey, Oscar nominee Brian Tyree Henry, and Grammy winner Missy Elliott.
Written by Martin Hynes and Steven Levenson, the film will be produced by Williams and Mimi Valdés for i am Other, as well as Gil Netter for Gil Netter Productions. Universal’s Senior Vice President of Production Development Ryan Jones and Director of Production Development Christine Sun are overseeing the project for the studio.
- 5/2/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
“Civil War,” the new acclaimed drama from director Alex Garland, is dominating theaters everywhere, and the film’s star Kirsten Dunst gives one of her best performances in her long and varied career. In honor of her latest movie, let’s revisit her many awards races, including her first Oscar nomination for “The Power of the Dog.”
Dunst’s first role that brought the actress lots of awards attention arrived in 1994 in Neil Jordan’s “Interview with the Vampire,” starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. Dunst’s performance as the young outspoken vampire Claudia earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress, up against Sophia Loren in “Prét-à-Porter,” Robin Wright Penn in “Forrest Gump,” Uma Thurman in “Pulp Fiction” and Dianne Wiest, who won the trophy for “Bullets over Broadway.”
Occasionally the academy will reward a great child performance with an Oscar nomination, the way they did with...
Dunst’s first role that brought the actress lots of awards attention arrived in 1994 in Neil Jordan’s “Interview with the Vampire,” starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. Dunst’s performance as the young outspoken vampire Claudia earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress, up against Sophia Loren in “Prét-à-Porter,” Robin Wright Penn in “Forrest Gump,” Uma Thurman in “Pulp Fiction” and Dianne Wiest, who won the trophy for “Bullets over Broadway.”
Occasionally the academy will reward a great child performance with an Oscar nomination, the way they did with...
- 4/20/2024
- by Brian Rowe
- Gold Derby
Glen Powell is using his undeniable charm to put people behind bars in the new trailer for Netflix’s Hit Man. The streaming service released the official trailer for the Richard Linklater-directed film on Thursday, showing Powell as a strait-laced professor with a hidden talent as a fake hit man.
As a part-time, undercover hit man for the New Orleans Police Department, Gary Johnson (Powell) takes on several disguises sporting fake teeth, strawberry bobs, leather trench coats, and three-piece suits to lure in criminals. But he loses focus after meeting client Madison,...
As a part-time, undercover hit man for the New Orleans Police Department, Gary Johnson (Powell) takes on several disguises sporting fake teeth, strawberry bobs, leather trench coats, and three-piece suits to lure in criminals. But he loses focus after meeting client Madison,...
- 4/18/2024
- by Kalia Richardson
- Rollingstone.com
Three years have gone by since it was announced that Edgar Wright was coming on board to direct a new take on the novel The Running Man, which was written by Stephen King under his Richard Bachman pen name. The Running Man was, of course, previously turned into a film back in 1987 that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger – and even though that movie was very different from the source material, Schwarzenegger is still a tough act to follow. But now we know who’s brave enough to take on the challenge. Paramount has announced that Edgar Wright’s The Running Man is set to star Glen Powell of Top Gun: Maverick!
Wright is producing the film with Nira Park and Simon Kinberg.
King’s novel has the following description: It was the ultimate death game in a nightmare future America. The year is 2025 and reality TV has grown to the point where...
Wright is producing the film with Nira Park and Simon Kinberg.
King’s novel has the following description: It was the ultimate death game in a nightmare future America. The year is 2025 and reality TV has grown to the point where...
- 4/11/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Alex Garland may have said that he’s not planning to direct again in the foreseeable future, but he is currently directing another film while his movie Civil War heads out into the world and he works on the scripts for the upcoming 28 Years Later trilogy (a follow-up to his Danny Boyle collaboration 28 Days Later). Garland’s new directorial effort is called Warfare, and he’s co-directing it with Ray Mendoza, who served as the military supervisor for Civil War. Garland and Mendoza also wrote the screenplay together. As Warfare moves forward, Deadline has just revealed the names of several cast members: Noah Centineo (The Recruit), Michael Gandolfini (The Many Saints of Newark), Taylor John Smith (Where the Crawdads Sing), Adain Bradley (Wrong Turn), Henrique Zaga (The Stand), and Evan Holtzman (Hidden Figures).
They join previously announced cast members Charles Melton (May December...
They join previously announced cast members Charles Melton (May December...
- 4/11/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Glen Powell is slowly becoming an interesting actor with the choice of films he is participating in. While he has played pivotal parts in acclaimed films like Everybody Wants Some!!, and Hidden Figures in the 2010s, he became a sensation as Hangman in Top Gun: Maverick. He followed the huge success of that film with the rom-com Anyone But You.
Sydney Sweeney & Glen Powell in Anyone But You
Powell’s sizzling chemistry with Sydney Sweeney was the highlight of the film and audiences throned to theatres to watch the film. The film became a huge hit, signaling the renaissance of rom-coms and audiences’ desire to watch them in theaters. However, some audiences are not impressed with Powell and the present style of rom-coms that are coming out.
Anyone But You Detractors Lament the Current State of Rom-Coms
Audiences want the return of charming rom-coms like Notting Hill
Glen Powell and...
Sydney Sweeney & Glen Powell in Anyone But You
Powell’s sizzling chemistry with Sydney Sweeney was the highlight of the film and audiences throned to theatres to watch the film. The film became a huge hit, signaling the renaissance of rom-coms and audiences’ desire to watch them in theaters. However, some audiences are not impressed with Powell and the present style of rom-coms that are coming out.
Anyone But You Detractors Lament the Current State of Rom-Coms
Audiences want the return of charming rom-coms like Notting Hill
Glen Powell and...
- 4/11/2024
- by Rahul Thokchom
- FandomWire
Exclusive: Oscar winner Octavia Spencer (The Help) is joining Rose Byrne, Ariana DeBose, Dominic Sessa and Demi Lovato in Stephanie Laing’s feature Tow, which is now in production.
As we first revealed, Tow charts the true story of Amanda Ogle, a homeless Seattle woman who fought her way out of tow-company hell to reclaim her life and the car that held it all together after receiving a tow bill for $21,634. Ogle also serves as an executive producer on the film.
The original screenplay is written by Jonathan Keasey, Brant Boivin, and Annie Weisman. The Exchange is handling international sales and CAA Media Finance is repping domestic.
Producers are Byrne, Laing, via her newly launched Cake or Death Pictures, Brent Stiefel and Justin Lothrop of Votiv Films and Brian O’Shea and Danyelle Foord of The Exchange. Executive producers include DeBose, Jonathan Keasey, Jonathan Tropper, Ogle, Josh Ricks, and Danny Gusman,...
As we first revealed, Tow charts the true story of Amanda Ogle, a homeless Seattle woman who fought her way out of tow-company hell to reclaim her life and the car that held it all together after receiving a tow bill for $21,634. Ogle also serves as an executive producer on the film.
The original screenplay is written by Jonathan Keasey, Brant Boivin, and Annie Weisman. The Exchange is handling international sales and CAA Media Finance is repping domestic.
Producers are Byrne, Laing, via her newly launched Cake or Death Pictures, Brent Stiefel and Justin Lothrop of Votiv Films and Brian O’Shea and Danyelle Foord of The Exchange. Executive producers include DeBose, Jonathan Keasey, Jonathan Tropper, Ogle, Josh Ricks, and Danny Gusman,...
- 4/4/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
In the days of smartphones and social media, everyone is expected to put their best foot forward and show the best parts of themselves, especially stars of the film industry. However, according to Kirsten Dunst, this wasn’t something that was common back in the day.
While paparazzi were always present to take your picture in your best and worst moments, not every civilian possessed a camera in their pockets to show what you did and how you looked to the world in mere moments.
Kirsten Dunst in a still from Spider-Man
Thus, she claims that her polarizing looks in real life were not as talked about in the public domain as is happening in modern times today. Yet back then, she did face problems because of her gothic style and appearance, which had also irked a Sony official. She recalled that they had a startling problem with her uneven...
While paparazzi were always present to take your picture in your best and worst moments, not every civilian possessed a camera in their pockets to show what you did and how you looked to the world in mere moments.
Kirsten Dunst in a still from Spider-Man
Thus, she claims that her polarizing looks in real life were not as talked about in the public domain as is happening in modern times today. Yet back then, she did face problems because of her gothic style and appearance, which had also irked a Sony official. She recalled that they had a startling problem with her uneven...
- 4/3/2024
- by Deepak Bisht
- FandomWire
Exclusive: Harlem is coming back for Season 3 and fans will see four new faces when the show returns. Kofi Siriboe (Queen Sugar), Logan Browning (Dear White People), Robin Givens (Batwoman) and Gail Bean (Snowfall) have been set in recurring roles.
Siriboe will portray Seth, an MLB player whose confident, charmin, and sweet mannerisms land him a spot in one of the ladies’ hearts. Browning will portray Portia, an edgy and beautiful woman from Ian’s (Tyler Lepley) childhood, whose return to Harlem causes a stir. Givens will portray Jacqueline, Eva’s no-nonsense mother. Bean will portray Given’s daughter Eva, a driven, yet playful, venture capitalist who has started working with Tye (Jerrie Johnson).
From writer Tracy Oliver, Harlem is a comedy following four best girlfriends in Harlem NYC, the mecca of Black culture in America, starring Meagan Good as “Camille,” Grace Byers as “Quinn,” Shoniqua Shandai as “Angie,” Jerrie Johnson as “Tye,...
Siriboe will portray Seth, an MLB player whose confident, charmin, and sweet mannerisms land him a spot in one of the ladies’ hearts. Browning will portray Portia, an edgy and beautiful woman from Ian’s (Tyler Lepley) childhood, whose return to Harlem causes a stir. Givens will portray Jacqueline, Eva’s no-nonsense mother. Bean will portray Given’s daughter Eva, a driven, yet playful, venture capitalist who has started working with Tye (Jerrie Johnson).
From writer Tracy Oliver, Harlem is a comedy following four best girlfriends in Harlem NYC, the mecca of Black culture in America, starring Meagan Good as “Camille,” Grace Byers as “Quinn,” Shoniqua Shandai as “Angie,” Jerrie Johnson as “Tye,...
- 3/27/2024
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Da’Vine Joy Randolph is making moves after her Oscar win.
The actress is in talks to join a musical in development at Universal from director Michel Gondry and producer Pharrell Williams that has Kelvin Harrison Jr. attached to star, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. The untitled coming-of-age project is said to be inspired by Williams’ formative years growing up in Virginia Beach in the 1970s.
Gondry is set to direct from a screenplay by Martin Hynes and Steven Levenson. Williams, Mimi Valdés and Gil Netter will serve as producers.
Randolph won the best supporting actress Oscar earlier this month for her role as Mary Lamb in Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, with other recent credits including Rustin and HBO’s The Idol. Additionally, she is set to star in the movie Shadow Force alongside Kerry Washington, and she filmed Bride Hard with Rebel Wilson last year.
“For so long I wanted to be different,...
The actress is in talks to join a musical in development at Universal from director Michel Gondry and producer Pharrell Williams that has Kelvin Harrison Jr. attached to star, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. The untitled coming-of-age project is said to be inspired by Williams’ formative years growing up in Virginia Beach in the 1970s.
Gondry is set to direct from a screenplay by Martin Hynes and Steven Levenson. Williams, Mimi Valdés and Gil Netter will serve as producers.
Randolph won the best supporting actress Oscar earlier this month for her role as Mary Lamb in Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, with other recent credits including Rustin and HBO’s The Idol. Additionally, she is set to star in the movie Shadow Force alongside Kerry Washington, and she filmed Bride Hard with Rebel Wilson last year.
“For so long I wanted to be different,...
- 3/22/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Waves) has been set to lead a new, untitled Universal feature project from director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and producer Pharrell Williams (Hidden Figures), according to multiple sources, who also tell us that 2024 Academy Award winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers) is in talks.
Universal declined comment. But the film is said to be a coming-of-age musical, set in 1977 Virginia Beach, which draws inspiration from Williams’ childhood growing up in the city’s Atlantis Apartments.
Martin Hynes (Toy Story 4) and Steven Levenson penned the script. Williams and Mimi Valdés will produce through i am Other, alongside Gil Netter for Gil Netter Productions.
Known for roles in Trey Edward Shults’ Waves, Joe Wright’s Cyrano, Nat Geo’s Genius: MLK/X, which had him playing Martin Luther King Jr., and Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, which had him portraying B.B. King,...
Universal declined comment. But the film is said to be a coming-of-age musical, set in 1977 Virginia Beach, which draws inspiration from Williams’ childhood growing up in the city’s Atlantis Apartments.
Martin Hynes (Toy Story 4) and Steven Levenson penned the script. Williams and Mimi Valdés will produce through i am Other, alongside Gil Netter for Gil Netter Productions.
Known for roles in Trey Edward Shults’ Waves, Joe Wright’s Cyrano, Nat Geo’s Genius: MLK/X, which had him playing Martin Luther King Jr., and Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, which had him portraying B.B. King,...
- 3/21/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
On March 16, Taraji P. Henson won the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture at the 2024 NAACP Image Awards. All eyes were on The Color Purple star as she celebrated with her costars. Known for her dynamic acting career including Empire and Hidden Figures, the 53-year-old continues to build her legacy in Hollywood.
Taraji P. Henson at the NAACP Awards on March 16, 2024 | Unique Nicole/WireImage
Henson looked like a bright spring flower in her daffodil-colored gown from Del Core’s spring 2024 ready-to-wear line. The strapless dress skewed sculptural with a sheer corset bustier and 3D petals. Little crystals sparkled on the bodice, which cascaded down her hips to an understated train.
Taraji P. Henson at the Shrine Auditorium in LA | Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET
Wayman Bannerman and Micah McDonald styled Henson’s lemon-colored look. The Hollywood Reporter recently featured the pair in March’s “25 Most Powerful Stylists” issue,...
Taraji P. Henson at the NAACP Awards on March 16, 2024 | Unique Nicole/WireImage
Henson looked like a bright spring flower in her daffodil-colored gown from Del Core’s spring 2024 ready-to-wear line. The strapless dress skewed sculptural with a sheer corset bustier and 3D petals. Little crystals sparkled on the bodice, which cascaded down her hips to an understated train.
Taraji P. Henson at the Shrine Auditorium in LA | Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET
Wayman Bannerman and Micah McDonald styled Henson’s lemon-colored look. The Hollywood Reporter recently featured the pair in March’s “25 Most Powerful Stylists” issue,...
- 3/20/2024
- by Ali Hicks
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
This year’s Oscars were as much a celebration of books as they were cinema. Five of the 10 best picture nominees were based on books, and three of those – “Oppenheimer,” “Poor Things” and “The Zone of Interest” – took home the most statues overall. Even the winner for best animated picture, Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron,” was loosely inspired by a 1937 novel Miyazaki had read as a child.
Which is why many of those partying in L.A. on Sunday night boarded planes across the Atlantic days later bound for the London Book Fair, which kicked off yesterday and runs through the end of the week, in search of their next Oscar-contending project. “It feels like there’s an influx of film and television executives, studio executives, producers etc., all coming into town,” Jason Richman, co-head of media rights at UTA, tells Variety.
With TV also wild about...
Which is why many of those partying in L.A. on Sunday night boarded planes across the Atlantic days later bound for the London Book Fair, which kicked off yesterday and runs through the end of the week, in search of their next Oscar-contending project. “It feels like there’s an influx of film and television executives, studio executives, producers etc., all coming into town,” Jason Richman, co-head of media rights at UTA, tells Variety.
With TV also wild about...
- 3/13/2024
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
There's no question that 2016's "Hidden Figures" faced an uphill battle from the beginning of its development. The film was only the third feature directed and co-written by an independent filmmaker, Theodore Melfi, who wrote the script with Allison Schroeder. A period piece set in the 1960s, it follows the true story of three brilliant Black mathematicians who join a task group at NASA in order to help America's space program, and there's no question that the women are the movie's heroines. Being released into a climate that was very hostile to both people of color and women at the time (aka the first months of the Trump administration) and not having a huge pedigree of A-list talent behind the camera, "Hidden Figures" would have to be great in order to be noticed, just like the women the film's about.
Surely, the studio executives at Fox Searchlight, being risk-averse as per their jobs,...
Surely, the studio executives at Fox Searchlight, being risk-averse as per their jobs,...
- 3/9/2024
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
As we wind down this year’s Oscar season, we at Gold Derby are already looking forward to next year’s. Clearly, we can’t get enough. But next year’s Academy Awards season could also concern this year’s as the Oscars afterglow effect could be in full force. Actors can often garner a quick follow-up nomination after breaking through in the nominations list the year prior. Eddie Redmayne accomplished this when he followed up his 2015 Best Actor win for “The Theory of Everything” with a 2016 Best Actor bid for “The Danish Girl.” Similarly, Octavia Spencer was nominated for Best Supporting Actress two years in a row — in 2017 for “Hidden Figures” and in 2018 for “The Shape of Water.” So, which of these year’s acting nominees could return next year? Let’s take a look.
Best Actor
Bradley Cooper has an exciting project that should be out in time for next year’s Oscars.
Best Actor
Bradley Cooper has an exciting project that should be out in time for next year’s Oscars.
- 3/8/2024
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
The dubious ideology known as the “American dream” might have lost its meaning amid today’s economic conditions, when making rent each month counts as a triumph for most. But in debuting director Paul Dektor’s occasionally amusing yet messy dark comedy, “American Dreamer,” untenured East Coast economics professor Dr. Phil Loder (Peter Dinklage) holds onto its antiquated gist for dear life, indignantly teaching his subject with an idealist pursuit-of-happiness angle and fantasizing about the day he would proudly buy his very own house.
The trouble is, Dr. Phil (a nickname he detests) doesn’t quite have the means for the property of his dreams — not a modestly comfortable condo or anything, but a giant mansion that would set him back a few million dollars. Still, that doesn’t stop him from frequenting open houses at the kinds of homes he definitely can’t afford and sipping champagne among more qualified buyers.
The trouble is, Dr. Phil (a nickname he detests) doesn’t quite have the means for the property of his dreams — not a modestly comfortable condo or anything, but a giant mansion that would set him back a few million dollars. Still, that doesn’t stop him from frequenting open houses at the kinds of homes he definitely can’t afford and sipping champagne among more qualified buyers.
- 3/6/2024
- by Tomris Laffly
- Variety Film + TV
In the early days of January, Universal Pictures closed the first major Hollywood deal of 2024 by pre-emptively purchasing the short story package Long Lost, with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners producing alongside Simon Kinberg and Audrey Chon of Genre Pictures, as well as Scott Glassgold of Ground Control Entertainment. Colin Bannon, who previously wrote and directed the 2009 comedy Love Conquers Paul, is on board to write the screenplay adaptation of his own 50 page short story, which is said to be “in the vein of What Lies Beneath and Rosemary’s Baby“. Now Deadline reports that Universal has scored another Colin Bannon deal, pre-emptively purchasing his short story thriller package Don’t Look, with Janelle Monáe in talks to star and M3GAN, Malignant, and The Nun 2 writer Akela Cooper writing the screenplay, based on an unpublished Bannon short story.
How does the maker of a little-seen indie from 15 years ago land deals like this?...
How does the maker of a little-seen indie from 15 years ago land deals like this?...
- 2/26/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney might not be finished co-starring in romantic comedies!
The 35-year-old Hidden Figures actor and the 26-year-old Euphoria star recently headlined the rom-com Anyone But You.
While appearing at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Saturday (February 24), Glen revealed that he and Sydney are looking to grace the screen alongside each other again.
Keep reading to find out more…
“When you find somebody that you really jive with, Sydney is so easy to work with and so fun. We’re definitely trying to find the next thing,” he told Variety.
Glen continued, “Please send us all the scripts you got. You know we’re here for it. It’s been really wonderful to read a lot. Sydney reads everything, by the way, and in record time. She’s the fastest reader I think I’ve ever met. It takes me a little longer, but we’re...
The 35-year-old Hidden Figures actor and the 26-year-old Euphoria star recently headlined the rom-com Anyone But You.
While appearing at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Saturday (February 24), Glen revealed that he and Sydney are looking to grace the screen alongside each other again.
Keep reading to find out more…
“When you find somebody that you really jive with, Sydney is so easy to work with and so fun. We’re definitely trying to find the next thing,” he told Variety.
Glen continued, “Please send us all the scripts you got. You know we’re here for it. It’s been really wonderful to read a lot. Sydney reads everything, by the way, and in record time. She’s the fastest reader I think I’ve ever met. It takes me a little longer, but we’re...
- 2/26/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Exclusive: Universal has pre-emptively purchased the short story thriller package Don’t Look, with Janelle Monáe in talks to star.
Akela Cooper is set to adapt the screenplay based on the short story by Colin Bannon.
Monáe is in talks to produce through her Wondaland Pictures’ first-look deal with Universal Pictures, along with Scott Glassgold’s Ground Control. They are keeping the logline under wraps, based on Bannon’s unpublished short story.
Bannon is fresh from making a Universal deal for his horror short story Long Lost, produced by Steven Spielberg, Simon Kinberg and Glassgold. Glassgold and Cooper teamed on the short story sale It’s Over to Sony Pictures, with Glassgold and Roy Lee producing.
The short story deal brokering was led by Verve, its second of the day in a turbulent week after the Sony deal for Cola Wars.
Akela Cooper is set to adapt the screenplay based on the short story by Colin Bannon.
Monáe is in talks to produce through her Wondaland Pictures’ first-look deal with Universal Pictures, along with Scott Glassgold’s Ground Control. They are keeping the logline under wraps, based on Bannon’s unpublished short story.
Bannon is fresh from making a Universal deal for his horror short story Long Lost, produced by Steven Spielberg, Simon Kinberg and Glassgold. Glassgold and Cooper teamed on the short story sale It’s Over to Sony Pictures, with Glassgold and Roy Lee producing.
The short story deal brokering was led by Verve, its second of the day in a turbulent week after the Sony deal for Cola Wars.
- 2/23/2024
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Welcome to Oscar Experts Typing, a weekly column in which Gold Derby editors and Experts Joyce Eng and Christopher Rosen discuss the Oscar race — via Slack, of course. This week, we discuss possible upsets at Saturday’s Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Christopher Rosen: Hello, Joyce! It’s Friday, and as Oscar voters make their final picks, our eyes are turned toward this weekend’s big surge of precursor ceremonies. We won’t have much to say about the Producers Guild Awards (happening Sunday) just because if “Oppenheimer” were to lose the night’s biggest prize somehow, it would stand as one of the biggest upsets in history. So instead, let’s focus on the Screen Actors Guild Awards. The event — streaming for the first time on Netflix after it ran on the streaming service’s YouTube channel last year; ah, memories — could very well just rubber-stamp our expectations for the Oscar winners: “Oppenheimer” for ensemble,...
Christopher Rosen: Hello, Joyce! It’s Friday, and as Oscar voters make their final picks, our eyes are turned toward this weekend’s big surge of precursor ceremonies. We won’t have much to say about the Producers Guild Awards (happening Sunday) just because if “Oppenheimer” were to lose the night’s biggest prize somehow, it would stand as one of the biggest upsets in history. So instead, let’s focus on the Screen Actors Guild Awards. The event — streaming for the first time on Netflix after it ran on the streaming service’s YouTube channel last year; ah, memories — could very well just rubber-stamp our expectations for the Oscar winners: “Oppenheimer” for ensemble,...
- 2/23/2024
- by Joyce Eng and Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Hulu has ordered the half-hour comedy series “Chad Powers” from Glen Powell and Michael Waldron, Variety has learned.
Powell will star in the series in addition to co-creating and co-writing the pilot with Waldron, with both serving as executive producers. The show is based on the Chad Powers character created by Eli Manning for his Epsn+ docuseries “Eli’s Places.” Manning wanted to learn more about the walk-on process for college football, so he donned a wig and prosthetic makeup so he could go undercover during the Penn State football tryouts.
The official description for the series states, “When bad behavior nukes hotshot Qb Russ Holliday’s (Powell) college career, he disguises himself and walks onto a struggling Southern football team as the talented, affable Chad Powers.”
“We’re both diehard college football fans. When we saw Eli as Chad Powers, we knew that was the way into a big,...
Powell will star in the series in addition to co-creating and co-writing the pilot with Waldron, with both serving as executive producers. The show is based on the Chad Powers character created by Eli Manning for his Epsn+ docuseries “Eli’s Places.” Manning wanted to learn more about the walk-on process for college football, so he donned a wig and prosthetic makeup so he could go undercover during the Penn State football tryouts.
The official description for the series states, “When bad behavior nukes hotshot Qb Russ Holliday’s (Powell) college career, he disguises himself and walks onto a struggling Southern football team as the talented, affable Chad Powers.”
“We’re both diehard college football fans. When we saw Eli as Chad Powers, we knew that was the way into a big,...
- 2/22/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
I share my colleague Pete Hammond’s fascination with Cord Jefferson’s BAFTA win for his screenplay adaptation, American Fiction. It is no small thing for a self-consciously American story to win a very British award against competition as formidable as Christopher Nolan, especially for a debut film.
Pete has a point when he notes that American Fiction, based on Percival Everett’s novel Erasure, about a black novelist who hits it big when his send-up of African-American cultural clichés is taken at face value, probably got traction as the only currently Oscar-nominated adaptation that is all about writing.
Fair enough. But I’d go one step more.
In fact, American Fiction is the only Oscar-nominated script that takes a serious bite out of contemporary socio-political reality.
The rest, even that wild pink feminist fly-by Barbie, which does get tangled in reality, are in a sense doing what the phrase-coining...
Pete has a point when he notes that American Fiction, based on Percival Everett’s novel Erasure, about a black novelist who hits it big when his send-up of African-American cultural clichés is taken at face value, probably got traction as the only currently Oscar-nominated adaptation that is all about writing.
Fair enough. But I’d go one step more.
In fact, American Fiction is the only Oscar-nominated script that takes a serious bite out of contemporary socio-political reality.
The rest, even that wild pink feminist fly-by Barbie, which does get tangled in reality, are in a sense doing what the phrase-coining...
- 2/20/2024
- by Michael Cieply
- Deadline Film + TV
The casts vying for the 2024 Best Film Ensemble SAG Award hail from “American Fiction,” “Barbie,” “The Color Purple,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” and “Oppenheimer.” Our current racetrack odds indicate that the “Oppenheimer” team (82/25) will triumph, followed in order of likelihood by the actors from “Barbie” (37/10), “American Fiction” (9/2), “Killers of the Flower Moon” (9/2), and “The Color Purple” (9/2).
For the first time since 2021, all five films nominated for this ensemble prize are also in the running for at least one individual acting award. None produced four solo nominees like “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “The Banshees of Inisherin” both did last year, but “Oppenheimer” got close with three: star Cillian Murphy and featured players Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt. Those with two (one lead and one supporting) each are “American Fiction” (Jeffrey Wright; Sterling K. Brown), “Barbie” (Margot Robbie; Ryan Gosling), and “Killers of the Flower Moon” (Lily Gladstone...
For the first time since 2021, all five films nominated for this ensemble prize are also in the running for at least one individual acting award. None produced four solo nominees like “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “The Banshees of Inisherin” both did last year, but “Oppenheimer” got close with three: star Cillian Murphy and featured players Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt. Those with two (one lead and one supporting) each are “American Fiction” (Jeffrey Wright; Sterling K. Brown), “Barbie” (Margot Robbie; Ryan Gosling), and “Killers of the Flower Moon” (Lily Gladstone...
- 2/15/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Actor Taraji P. Henson became a more notable name thanks to her work in projects like Empire and Hidden Figures. But this success might’ve felt bittersweet for the actor, who has been candid about feeling overlooked in the film industry.
Taraji P. Henson once felt Hollywood didn’t know what to do with her Taraji P. Henson | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
In the 2010s, Henson reached the success she’d been striving for. She was steadily building her portfolio at a young age with small roles in popular television shows such as ER, Pacific Blue, and CSI.
At the same time, her film career was also on the rise thanks to the likes of Baby Boy and Hustle & Flow. The 2015 series Empire perhaps launched Henson into a new level of fame. The award-winning music drama was a phenomenon at its time, reintroducing Henson to a much broader audience. She...
Taraji P. Henson once felt Hollywood didn’t know what to do with her Taraji P. Henson | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
In the 2010s, Henson reached the success she’d been striving for. She was steadily building her portfolio at a young age with small roles in popular television shows such as ER, Pacific Blue, and CSI.
At the same time, her film career was also on the rise thanks to the likes of Baby Boy and Hustle & Flow. The 2015 series Empire perhaps launched Henson into a new level of fame. The award-winning music drama was a phenomenon at its time, reintroducing Henson to a much broader audience. She...
- 2/11/2024
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Archstone Entertainment has acquired international rights to “American Dreamer,” a dark comedy starring Peter Dinklage, Shirley MacLaine, Kim Quinn, Matt Dillon and Danny Glover. Paul Dektor (“Frayed”) directs a script written by Theodore Melfi (“Hidden Figures”).
The movie is based on a true story from Chicago Public Radio’s ”This American Life” and follows Dr. Phil Loder (Dinklage), a low-level adjunct professor of economics at Harvard, whose grand dream of owning a home is tragically out of reach — until an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity comes his way when a lonely, childless, near-death widow (MacLaine) offers Phil her sprawling estate for pennies. But Phil quickly learns the deal is too good to be true.
Dinklage is best known for his work on “Game of Thrones.” MacLaine won an Oscar for “Terms of Endearment” and starred in “The Apartment” and “Postcards From the Edge.” Dillon’s credits include “Crash” and “There’s Something About Mary.
The movie is based on a true story from Chicago Public Radio’s ”This American Life” and follows Dr. Phil Loder (Dinklage), a low-level adjunct professor of economics at Harvard, whose grand dream of owning a home is tragically out of reach — until an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity comes his way when a lonely, childless, near-death widow (MacLaine) offers Phil her sprawling estate for pennies. But Phil quickly learns the deal is too good to be true.
Dinklage is best known for his work on “Game of Thrones.” MacLaine won an Oscar for “Terms of Endearment” and starred in “The Apartment” and “Postcards From the Edge.” Dillon’s credits include “Crash” and “There’s Something About Mary.
- 2/7/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: After mounting the two-part Civil War epic Horizon: An American Saga for Warner Bros and New Line, Academy Award winner Kevin Costner has selected his next film to produce and star in, that being an as-yet-untitled picture that Ariel Vromen will direct from a script owned by the actor.
“I could not be more honored to be reunited with my friend and collaborator,” said Vromen in a statement to Deadline, “especially on Kevin’s longtime passion project.”
Pic’s plot is under wraps and further details are scarce, but production is expected to kick off in early 2025. This will be Costner and Vromen’s second film together, on the heels of the 2016 action thriller Criminal co-starring Gary Oldman and Tommy Lee Jones. News of the project comes as Vromen awaits the release of his latest, 1992 — a drama on the 1992 Los Angeles riots, starring Tyrese Gibson, Scott Eastwood and the late Ray Liotta,...
“I could not be more honored to be reunited with my friend and collaborator,” said Vromen in a statement to Deadline, “especially on Kevin’s longtime passion project.”
Pic’s plot is under wraps and further details are scarce, but production is expected to kick off in early 2025. This will be Costner and Vromen’s second film together, on the heels of the 2016 action thriller Criminal co-starring Gary Oldman and Tommy Lee Jones. News of the project comes as Vromen awaits the release of his latest, 1992 — a drama on the 1992 Los Angeles riots, starring Tyrese Gibson, Scott Eastwood and the late Ray Liotta,...
- 2/6/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Eight years after the film “Hidden Figures” brought the work of three Black women NASA mathematicians to mass audiences, National Geographic will debut a documentary film “The Space Race: The Untold Story of the First Black Astronauts.” Featuring interviews with former test pilot Ed Dwight, NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Leland Melvin and more, “The Space Race” reveals the boundary-defying work of these men who dreamed of reaching the stars as Americans struggled for equality at home on solid ground. The film chronicles over 50 years of this history, up to 2020 and the news about George Floyd’s murder reaching the International Space Station.
The new film documents the discrimination these men faced in achieving their goals. In a trailer for the movie, NASA astronaut and former administrator Charlie Bolden remembers how amazed he was at America’s space program, but “growing up in the Jim Crow South, you knew what you...
The new film documents the discrimination these men faced in achieving their goals. In a trailer for the movie, NASA astronaut and former administrator Charlie Bolden remembers how amazed he was at America’s space program, but “growing up in the Jim Crow South, you knew what you...
- 2/1/2024
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Vertical has set a March 8th day-and-date release for American Dreamer, an indie comedy starring Peter Dinklage and Shirley Maclaine, to which it’s acquired North American rights.
First introduced to the world at the 2022 Tribeca Festival, the film marks the directorial debut of Paul Dektor, who worked from a script by Theodore Melfi (Hidden Figures). Pic is based on a true story from Chicago Public Radio’s This American Life and follows Phil Loder (Dinklage), a twice divorced, frustrated, underpaid professor of economics, whose grand dream of home ownership is tragically out of reach. When an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity comes his way, Phil strikes a deal with Astrid Finnelli (MacLaine), a lonely, childless, near-death widow who offers her sprawling estate for pennies. But Phil quickly learns the deal is too good to be true and the American dream is not quite what it used to be.
Also starring Kim Quinn,...
First introduced to the world at the 2022 Tribeca Festival, the film marks the directorial debut of Paul Dektor, who worked from a script by Theodore Melfi (Hidden Figures). Pic is based on a true story from Chicago Public Radio’s This American Life and follows Phil Loder (Dinklage), a twice divorced, frustrated, underpaid professor of economics, whose grand dream of home ownership is tragically out of reach. When an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity comes his way, Phil strikes a deal with Astrid Finnelli (MacLaine), a lonely, childless, near-death widow who offers her sprawling estate for pennies. But Phil quickly learns the deal is too good to be true and the American dream is not quite what it used to be.
Also starring Kim Quinn,...
- 2/1/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Taraji P. Henson is the latest addition to the cast of the upcoming Peacock limited series “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist,” Variety has learned.
Henson joins previously announced cast members Kevin Hart, Samuel L. Jackson, Terrence Howard, and Dexter Darden. The role reunites Henson, Howard, and Craig Brewer, who is executive producing and directing. The three previously worked together on projects like the Oscar-winning film “Hustle & Flow” as well as the hit Fox music industry drama “Empire.”
The series is based on the podcast “Fight Night,” which was produced by Will Packer along with iHeartPodcasts and Doghouse Pictures. It will be set in Atlanta in 1970. The official description states that it will tell “the infamous story of how an armed robbery during the night of Muhammad Ali’s historic 1970 comeback fight changed not only one man’s life, but an entire city’s destiny.”
Hart will star as Chicken Man,...
Henson joins previously announced cast members Kevin Hart, Samuel L. Jackson, Terrence Howard, and Dexter Darden. The role reunites Henson, Howard, and Craig Brewer, who is executive producing and directing. The three previously worked together on projects like the Oscar-winning film “Hustle & Flow” as well as the hit Fox music industry drama “Empire.”
The series is based on the podcast “Fight Night,” which was produced by Will Packer along with iHeartPodcasts and Doghouse Pictures. It will be set in Atlanta in 1970. The official description states that it will tell “the infamous story of how an armed robbery during the night of Muhammad Ali’s historic 1970 comeback fight changed not only one man’s life, but an entire city’s destiny.”
Hart will star as Chicken Man,...
- 1/31/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Pharrell Williams has come a long way from producing music as part of the Neptunes and as part of the rap/rock band N.E.R.D. Williams went on to do some of the most catchy, ear-wormy pop hits that radio and television would play ad nauseam. Pharrell would also break through into movies as he composed music for such films as the Despicable Me movies, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Hidden Figures. Additionally, his pop hits would be all over countless trailers and be featured in movies like Trolls Band Together and Sing 2.
Recently, Pharrell took to his Instagram to announce that his life story will be told in Lego form in a film from Focus Features, titled Piece by Piece. The film is due to hit theaters on October 11. On his post, Pharrell would include the teaser poster, which parodies the “evolution of man” poster with...
Recently, Pharrell took to his Instagram to announce that his life story will be told in Lego form in a film from Focus Features, titled Piece by Piece. The film is due to hit theaters on October 11. On his post, Pharrell would include the teaser poster, which parodies the “evolution of man” poster with...
- 1/26/2024
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Pharrell Williams’ life will be told via Legos in the new Focus Features movie Piece by Piece, directed by 20 Feet from Stardom Oscar winner Morgan Neville. The pic will hit theaters on Oct. 11.
The 13-time Grammy winner and double Oscar nominee posted about it on social today, saying: “Who would’ve thought that playing with Legos as a kid would evolve into a movie about my life. It’s proof that anyone else can do it too… #PieceByPiece.”
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The 13-time Grammy winner and double Oscar nominee posted about it on social today, saying: “Who would’ve thought that playing with Legos as a kid would evolve into a movie about my life. It’s proof that anyone else can do it too… #PieceByPiece.”
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- 1/26/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Taraji P. Henson, Jeffrey Wright, Garrett Morris and Mara Brock Akil are the honorees of the 6th American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Honors.
The annual awards ceremony recognizes excellence in the motion picture and television industry. Actor and comedian Tommy Davidson will host the gala set to take place on Sunday, March 3rd at the Sls hotel in Beverly Hills, CA.
Henson will be presented with the Excellence in the Arts Award (Female) for her body of work, which includes Empire, Hidden Figures, and The Color Purple.
Wright will receive the Excellence in the Arts Award (Male) recognizing his body of work, which includes Basquiat, Westworld and American Fiction.
Morris, an actor, comedian, writer, singer, and the first Black cast member of Saturday Night Live, will be honored with the Hollywood Legacy Award.
Screenwriter and producer Akil of Girlfriends, The Game and Being Mary Jane, will receive the Industry Visionary Award.
The annual awards ceremony recognizes excellence in the motion picture and television industry. Actor and comedian Tommy Davidson will host the gala set to take place on Sunday, March 3rd at the Sls hotel in Beverly Hills, CA.
Henson will be presented with the Excellence in the Arts Award (Female) for her body of work, which includes Empire, Hidden Figures, and The Color Purple.
Wright will receive the Excellence in the Arts Award (Male) recognizing his body of work, which includes Basquiat, Westworld and American Fiction.
Morris, an actor, comedian, writer, singer, and the first Black cast member of Saturday Night Live, will be honored with the Hollywood Legacy Award.
Screenwriter and producer Akil of Girlfriends, The Game and Being Mary Jane, will receive the Industry Visionary Award.
- 1/25/2024
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
David Lowery, Greg Papalia, Wynn P. Thomas and Francine West will receive Lifetime Achievement Awards at the 28th annual Art Directors Guild (IATSE Local 800) Awards, which will be presented Feb. 10 at the Ray Dolby Ballroom.
Thomas, who won Adg Awards for Hidden Figures and Da 5 Bloods, is the first African American production designer to join the Guild. His additional credits include A Beautiful Mind and A Bronx Tale, as well as the 2023 Academy Award best picture nominee King Richard. During his long-standing relationship with Spike Lee, Thomas has designed the director’s major films including Malcolm X and Do The Right Thing.
Thomas recently completed a six-year term as a Governor of the Designers Branch of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
“Wynn P. Thomas has significantly shaped the landscape of filmmaking, and his diverse body of work reflects his innovative approach and commitment to storytelling. Beyond his artistic achievements,...
Thomas, who won Adg Awards for Hidden Figures and Da 5 Bloods, is the first African American production designer to join the Guild. His additional credits include A Beautiful Mind and A Bronx Tale, as well as the 2023 Academy Award best picture nominee King Richard. During his long-standing relationship with Spike Lee, Thomas has designed the director’s major films including Malcolm X and Do The Right Thing.
Thomas recently completed a six-year term as a Governor of the Designers Branch of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
“Wynn P. Thomas has significantly shaped the landscape of filmmaking, and his diverse body of work reflects his innovative approach and commitment to storytelling. Beyond his artistic achievements,...
- 1/18/2024
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Disney and Tsg Entertainment Finance have settled litigation from August of 2023 when the financier sued the media giant for “rampant self-dealing” and breach of the parties’ revenue participation contract.
“The matter has been resolved,” said a Disney spokesperson.
Tsg said it has financed more than 140 films to the tune of $3.3 billion over the years with Fox, which Disney acquired in 2019, including Avatar: The Way of Water, Bohemian Rhapsody, Deadpool, Deadpool 2, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Logan, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Martian, The Grand Budapest Hotel, JoJo Rabbit, The Banshees of Inisherin, Hidden Figures, The Shape of Water and Empire of Light.
Tsg’s lawsuit filed last August in Los Angeles District Court said that Fox had promised Tsg a share of defined gross receipts for pictures under the companies’ long-term participation agreement but that the studio used “nearly every trick in the Hollywood accounting book” to not pay.
“The matter has been resolved,” said a Disney spokesperson.
Tsg said it has financed more than 140 films to the tune of $3.3 billion over the years with Fox, which Disney acquired in 2019, including Avatar: The Way of Water, Bohemian Rhapsody, Deadpool, Deadpool 2, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Logan, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Martian, The Grand Budapest Hotel, JoJo Rabbit, The Banshees of Inisherin, Hidden Figures, The Shape of Water and Empire of Light.
Tsg’s lawsuit filed last August in Los Angeles District Court said that Fox had promised Tsg a share of defined gross receipts for pictures under the companies’ long-term participation agreement but that the studio used “nearly every trick in the Hollywood accounting book” to not pay.
- 1/16/2024
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Editor’S Note: The following blog originally ran in June of 2020. We’re re-posting it here in honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 15. The updated piece includes minor edits and, more importantly, updated info re: streaming availability.
***
In the wake of international protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd by Derek Chauvin of the Minneapolis Police Department on May 25, 2020, practically every big-name streaming service quickly assembled, from their selection of available titles, their own specially curated collection of Black cinema. These collections have provided an invaluable resource for film fans of all racial demographics eager to learn more about the troubled history of American racial inequality.
Thankfully, there’s a lot of truly amazing stuff being spotlighted within these curated lists. We’ve plucked out a few (but definitely not all) of our favorite titles below. Whether based on a true story or totally invented, narrative or nonfiction,...
***
In the wake of international protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd by Derek Chauvin of the Minneapolis Police Department on May 25, 2020, practically every big-name streaming service quickly assembled, from their selection of available titles, their own specially curated collection of Black cinema. These collections have provided an invaluable resource for film fans of all racial demographics eager to learn more about the troubled history of American racial inequality.
Thankfully, there’s a lot of truly amazing stuff being spotlighted within these curated lists. We’ve plucked out a few (but definitely not all) of our favorite titles below. Whether based on a true story or totally invented, narrative or nonfiction,...
- 1/12/2024
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent News & More
Did you know that the “P” in Taraji P. Henson stands for Prolific? Just kidding. It actually stands for Penda, which in Swahili means “hope/love.”
But prolific might actually be too small a word to contain the wealth of Henson’s ambitious, wide-ranging career: Oscar-nominated blockbusters, must-see TV, a primetime musical (NBC’s “Annie Live!”) and movies known for their eminent re-watchability.
Now, as the tantalizing, tender-hearted Southern belle Shug Avery in Blitz Bazawule’s musical adaptation of “The Color Purple,” Henson is capping a banner year in which she could have become an Egot recipient with her 2023 work alone: her Emmy-nominated performance as Quinta Brunson’s cash-strapped mom on “Abbott Elementary”; being a principal on the “Purple” soundtrack; and making her first foray as a Broadway producer with the critically acclaimed “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.” B
ut when it was suggested that she’s versatile enough to...
But prolific might actually be too small a word to contain the wealth of Henson’s ambitious, wide-ranging career: Oscar-nominated blockbusters, must-see TV, a primetime musical (NBC’s “Annie Live!”) and movies known for their eminent re-watchability.
Now, as the tantalizing, tender-hearted Southern belle Shug Avery in Blitz Bazawule’s musical adaptation of “The Color Purple,” Henson is capping a banner year in which she could have become an Egot recipient with her 2023 work alone: her Emmy-nominated performance as Quinta Brunson’s cash-strapped mom on “Abbott Elementary”; being a principal on the “Purple” soundtrack; and making her first foray as a Broadway producer with the critically acclaimed “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.” B
ut when it was suggested that she’s versatile enough to...
- 1/9/2024
- by Jason Clark
- The Wrap
The Golden Globes have now come and gone, with the organization awarding “Oppenheimer” and “Poor Things” their night’s two Best Picture categories. Now, our attention turns to the Screen Actors’ Guild Awards, whose big prize comes in the form of Best Ensemble.
“Oppenheimer” is again expected to take home that award while we are also predicting that “Barbie,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Poor Things,” and “The Color Purple” will be nominated. However, not every nomination goes that smoothly. So which movies could disrupt these predictions and land themselves a shock bid? Well, here are three we think could do just that.
“Air”
Amazon’s “Air” tells the story of how Nike’s Air Jordan shoe was first created, which includes the sportswear company’s courtship of Michael Jordan. The film’s biggest strength here is the list of A-list names. Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman,...
“Oppenheimer” is again expected to take home that award while we are also predicting that “Barbie,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Poor Things,” and “The Color Purple” will be nominated. However, not every nomination goes that smoothly. So which movies could disrupt these predictions and land themselves a shock bid? Well, here are three we think could do just that.
“Air”
Amazon’s “Air” tells the story of how Nike’s Air Jordan shoe was first created, which includes the sportswear company’s courtship of Michael Jordan. The film’s biggest strength here is the list of A-list names. Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman,...
- 1/9/2024
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Emma Stone is odds on to become the fourth two-time Best Actress winner at the Screen Actors’ Guild Awards thanks to her starring role in Searchlight Pictures’ “Poor Things.” Stone, who first won the award in 2017 for “La La Land,” would join Frances McDormand, Renée Zellweger (“Chicago” in 2003 and “Judy” in 2020), and Viola Davis (“The Help” in 2012 and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” in 2021).
However, that is not the only SAG record she could match. She could also become the second person to win Best Ensemble three separate times. Michael Keaton won this award for “Birdman” (2015), “Spotlight” (2016), and “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (2021). Stone shared in that first win with Keaton (she played his daughter) and was also part of “The Help” ensemble.
Among the other two-time Best Ensemble winners: Ben Affleck (“Shakespeare in Love” in 1999 and “Argo” in 2013), Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush (both “Shakespeare in Love” and “The King’s Speech...
However, that is not the only SAG record she could match. She could also become the second person to win Best Ensemble three separate times. Michael Keaton won this award for “Birdman” (2015), “Spotlight” (2016), and “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (2021). Stone shared in that first win with Keaton (she played his daughter) and was also part of “The Help” ensemble.
Among the other two-time Best Ensemble winners: Ben Affleck (“Shakespeare in Love” in 1999 and “Argo” in 2013), Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush (both “Shakespeare in Love” and “The King’s Speech...
- 1/9/2024
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Taraji P. Henson is no stranger to hustle. Throughout college, she spent most post-class evenings singing, dancing, and waiting tables on a D.C. cruise ship and her early mornings as a receptionist at The Pentagon to help cover her Howard University tuition. Henson still wears many hats as the owner of the haircare line Tph by Taraji, the founder of the mental wellness nonprofit Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, and most recently as the brazen Shug Avery in the blockbuster musical The Color Purple.
“I just had my house remodeled: I have an infrared sauna,...
“I just had my house remodeled: I have an infrared sauna,...
- 1/6/2024
- by Kalia Richardson
- Rollingstone.com
The winter holiday season can be a lucrative one at the box office, but this year's was on uncertain ground. 2021 brought us "Spider-Man: No Way Home" and 2022 brought us "Avatar: The Way of Water," both of which now rank amongst the highest-grossing movies in history. 2023 has no such clear-cut smash hit, with "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" ultimately disappointing in its opening frame. Luckily, another Warner Bros. movie has emerged to provide the Christmas box office with a much-needed jolt: "The Color Purple."
Directed by Blitz Bazawule and produced by Oprah Winfrey, the musical adaptation of the classic book of the same name lit up the charts on Christmas Day, taking in a massive $18.1 million, per The Numbers. That made it easily the number one movie of the holiday ahead of "The Lost Kingdom" ($10.6 million) and "Wonka" ($10.3 million). Interestingly, all three of these are Warner Bros. releases.
Circling back to the movie at hand,...
Directed by Blitz Bazawule and produced by Oprah Winfrey, the musical adaptation of the classic book of the same name lit up the charts on Christmas Day, taking in a massive $18.1 million, per The Numbers. That made it easily the number one movie of the holiday ahead of "The Lost Kingdom" ($10.6 million) and "Wonka" ($10.3 million). Interestingly, all three of these are Warner Bros. releases.
Circling back to the movie at hand,...
- 12/27/2023
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
One of the indelible images of Taraji P. Henson over the years was the moment where she was in the audience, nominated for an Emmy, and lost to Viola Davis. Instead of the typical “good sport” nod and clap we’ve come to expect from actresses, Henson jumped out of her seat and gave Davis a big hug as she went on stage to accept her honor.
So when Henson’s tears went viral this week over the lack of pay equity for black actresses, and her struggle at age 53 to rise in the pay ladder despite accolades that include an Oscar nomination and starring in box office (and Oscar-nominated) successes like Hidden Figures, her fellow actresses came out to lift her up.
“Not a damn lie told,” Gabrielle Union tweeted while expressing her love for Henson. Viola Davis simply tweeted “This!” while Octavia Spencer, posted “I’m sad to see @tarajiphenson so visibly upset.
So when Henson’s tears went viral this week over the lack of pay equity for black actresses, and her struggle at age 53 to rise in the pay ladder despite accolades that include an Oscar nomination and starring in box office (and Oscar-nominated) successes like Hidden Figures, her fellow actresses came out to lift her up.
“Not a damn lie told,” Gabrielle Union tweeted while expressing her love for Henson. Viola Davis simply tweeted “This!” while Octavia Spencer, posted “I’m sad to see @tarajiphenson so visibly upset.
- 12/22/2023
- by Nekesa Mumbi Moody
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Every year, Christmas comes along to bring a big new release or two to the box office. Often, it's a major awards season contender. Other times, it's a big-budget tentpole from a studio looking to capitalize on the holiday window. In some cases, it's both. "The Color Purple" firmly falls into the "both" category as it is unquestionably a movie that Warner Bros. wants in the Oscar conversation, but also one they spent a great deal of money on. So, can the movie become the big Christmas season hit the studio is banking on?
Directed by Blitz Bazawule ("Black Is King"), the big-budget musical opens on Christmas Day this year, which falls on a Monday. It will be facing quite a bit of competition as "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" (also a Warner Bros. release) opens on December 22, with A24's "The Iron Claw," Illumination's animated "Migration," and Sony's...
Directed by Blitz Bazawule ("Black Is King"), the big-budget musical opens on Christmas Day this year, which falls on a Monday. It will be facing quite a bit of competition as "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" (also a Warner Bros. release) opens on December 22, with A24's "The Iron Claw," Illumination's animated "Migration," and Sony's...
- 12/21/2023
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
The historical book Hidden Figures was such a compelling story, the film based on the book went into production before the book was even released. For many people, the book was a real eye-opener, as the stories of the women whose math skills helped power NASA in the 1960s had not been widely shared prior to that. One of the people who was really surprised was Taraji P. Henson, who played NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson in the film. When the film was released, Henson said she couldn’t believe these women and their contributions had been kept under wraps for decades. (Click on the media bar below to hear Taraji P. Henson) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Taraji_P_henson_Hidden_Figures_.mp3
Hidden Figures is currently streaming on Disney+ and available on DVD, Blu-Ray, 4K, and most digital platforms.
The post Why ‘Hidden Figures’ Was ‘Disturbing’ For Taraji P.
Hidden Figures is currently streaming on Disney+ and available on DVD, Blu-Ray, 4K, and most digital platforms.
The post Why ‘Hidden Figures’ Was ‘Disturbing’ For Taraji P.
- 12/21/2023
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Taraji P. Henson broke down in tears during an appearance on Gayle King’s Sirius Xm radio show when asked whether she has plans to quit acting.
“Are you thinking about it?” King asked the Oscar-nominated actress while she was seated next to Blitz Bazawule and Danielle Brooks to promote their film The Color Purple. The question caused Henson to pause, cover her eyes with one of her hands and tear up. “I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious about what I do, getting paid a fraction of the cost. I’m tried of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired.”
It’s no wonder King broached the subject. Henson appears on the current cover of The Hollywood Reporter opposite Brooks, Fantasia Barrino and King’s best friend, Oprah Winfrey, to promote the film, which has been updated and reimagined as a musical.
“Are you thinking about it?” King asked the Oscar-nominated actress while she was seated next to Blitz Bazawule and Danielle Brooks to promote their film The Color Purple. The question caused Henson to pause, cover her eyes with one of her hands and tear up. “I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious about what I do, getting paid a fraction of the cost. I’m tried of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired.”
It’s no wonder King broached the subject. Henson appears on the current cover of The Hollywood Reporter opposite Brooks, Fantasia Barrino and King’s best friend, Oprah Winfrey, to promote the film, which has been updated and reimagined as a musical.
- 12/20/2023
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Barbie” is making some strong headway early on in this awards season. The Warner Bros. movie set an all-time record at the Critics Choice Awards as it picked up 18 nominations while it also landed a whopping nine bids from the Golden Globes. At both awards groups, Greta Gerwig was nominated for Best Director, Margot Robbie for Best Actress, Ryan Gosling for Supporting Actor, and the film for Best Picture. Meanwhile, America Ferrera landed a Supporting Actress bid at the Critics Choice.
This early abundance of love means “Barbie” is potentially becoming the leader of the pack in terms of awards season frontrunner. And the SAG Awards could be next. Currently, we are predicting that “Barbie” will secure bids for Best Ensemble, Best Actress for Robbie, and Best Supporting Actor for Gosling. “Oppenheimer” is predicted to win Best Ensemble but “Barbie” could sneak ahead for several reasons.
Firstly, Gerwig has a...
This early abundance of love means “Barbie” is potentially becoming the leader of the pack in terms of awards season frontrunner. And the SAG Awards could be next. Currently, we are predicting that “Barbie” will secure bids for Best Ensemble, Best Actress for Robbie, and Best Supporting Actor for Gosling. “Oppenheimer” is predicted to win Best Ensemble but “Barbie” could sneak ahead for several reasons.
Firstly, Gerwig has a...
- 12/18/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
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