Actor, comedian, producer, and real estate investor Mike Epps is an Indianapolis native on a mission to revitalize his childhood street in the newly greenlighted HGTV series Buying Back the Block (wt). Mike and his wife, television producer and design enthusiast Kyra Epps, who’ve already transformed an abandoned firehouse on the block into their stunning new family home, will continue improving the neighborhood and restoring a sense of community with more property renovations. The duo will update each house, adding modern amenities and keeping the original charm, to create affordable and beautiful places for families to buy or rent. Driven by his passionate vision, Mike will be hands-on as he oversees the projects, including the overhaul of his grandmother’s house, alongside his expert construction team. The three-episode series is slated to air in summer 2023.
“Kyra and I are restoring two homes on the block, one was my grandmother’s house from the 1960s,” said Mike. “Our kids will see us work firsthand, nail by nail, to rebuild these homes and our community. Our goal is to inspire legacy and family for generations to come.”
“Our two little ones are growing up on the same block as Mike did in the ’70s,” said Kyra. “Over the last two years, Mike and I realized that we needed to be close to our families more than ever. We decided to spend more time in Indianapolis so our children could understand the importance of family and their family history. I am excited to bring my design style to the neighborhood for future families to experience.”
Buying Back the Block (wt) is produced by GoodStory Entertainment.
Three friends stumble onto a bomb of information when they uncover a cloning operation in the first trailer for the Netflix film They Cloned Tyrone.
The film stars John Boyega as Fontaine, Teyonah Parris as Yo-Yo, and Jamie Foxx as Slick, a trio who after hopping an elevator down to a hidden lab, discover a government conspiracy that’s “not just a theory.” Now, the trio has to find out how to crack the “major league” government-sponsored experiment they suddenly find themselves in knowledge of.
In the two-minute teaser, the trio is first seen, guns in hand, goofing off in an elevator before walking out into a room filled with testing and experiment equipment occupied by a single man in a lab coat.
“What kind of shit is this?” Slick whispers, gun raised before telling a trembling Yo-Yo “don’t touch shit.”
But when Fontaine gets ahold of the man and demands to know who he is, the stranger utters a vague, nearly ominous, reply. “We’re everywhere,” he responds, his voice echoing.
Set to The Gap Band’s “You Dropped a Bomb on Me,” the remainder of the trailer unveils the wild series of events all three suddenly find themselves involved in — their calls being recorded, whereabouts being videotaped — that hurtles them towards the answer behind a funky, wide-ranging plot.
“Somebody is doing experiments on us,” Yo-Yo says.
But as the trio tries to follow the trail in attempt to uncover what is actually going on in this mystery caper, their detective skills are put to the test as the group discovers being the heroes is a little more complicated than it looks.
The trailer ends with the group getting a glimpse of what they’ve uncovered in a lab: a body wrapped in foil, its face obscured by the camera angle. “I don’t know what that was,” Fontaine utters. “But that wasn’t me.”
Directed by Juel Taylor and co-written by Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier, They Cloned Tyrone is produced by Foxx, Taylor, Rettenmaier, Charles D. King, Stephen “Dr” Love, Kim Roth and Datari Turner with Poppy Hanks, Jack L. Murray, Dana Sano and Mark R. Wright serving as executive producers.
The release date has yet to be announced.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Rihanna has slyly affirmed that she will be performing at the Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show in Feb. 2023. Roc Nation also officially confirmed the singer’s participation through a statement released on Sunday.
The singer shared a picture of an NFL-branded football on her Instagram. The post came amid reports that the singer was “in talks” to headline the next Halftime Show.
The game, which typically draws one of the biggest single TV audiences of the year, is scheduled to be played at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. on Feb. 12.
“Rihanna is a generational talent, a woman of humble beginnings who has surpassed expectations at every turn,” said Jay-Z in the official announcement. “A person born on the small island of Barbados who became one of the most prominent artists ever. Self-made in business and entertainment.”
Although having Rihanna as a Halftime headliner is a logical conclusion on the Roc Nation front, the singer has not released an album since 2016. She has commented vaguely about two different albums in the years since (and been photographed coming in and out of recording studios), with one being described as a dancehall album. However, details remain scarce.
Regardless, the announcement was enough to rile up fans of the R&B singer, who hope her primetime appearance means a new album is finally on the way. Rihanna was also offered to headline the 2019 Halftime show but turned down the offer in a decision to show solidarity with Colin Kaepernick.
“We are thrilled to welcome Rihanna to the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show stage. Rihanna is a once-in-a-generation artist who has been a cultural force throughout her career,” Seth Dudowsky, NFL’s head of music, said in a statement. “We look forward to collaborating with Rihanna, Roc Nation and Apple Music to bring fans another historic Halftime Show performance.”
The Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show will be telecast and produced by DPS. Roc Nation and Jesse Collins serve as executive producers and Hamish Hamilton serves as director. Roc Nation is also serving as the strategic entertainment advisors of the live performance.
“Rihanna is an incredible recording artist who is a favorite for many millions of Apple Music customers around the world,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats. “We’re excited to partner with Rihanna, Roc Nation and the NFL to bring music and sports fans a momentous show — what an incredible artist for the inaugural Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show.”
This is the first year that Apple Music will serve as a sponsor for the halftime show, replacing the NFL’s longtime partner Pepsi. The NFL announced the move last week at midnight, which had fans hypothesizing that Taylor Swift would be a potential headliner due to Swift’s connection to the hour (Her forthcoming album is called “Midnights”). That was later disproved by sources close to Swift, who spoke to both People and TMZ and alleged that, although she had been approached by the NFL in the past, the pop phenom had turned down the offer.
In May, Pepsi officially renounced its title as a halftime show sponsor, choosing to walk away from a decade-long association that transformed the event from a lineup of primarily rock musicians like Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in favor of a new group of artists aiming at the younger generations that advertisers and the NFL seek to court. The NFL was said to be seeking significantly higher annual payments for the sponsorship rights. According to a press release issued by the league, the contract with the software company is a multi-year deal.
Apple has in recent months shown a greater interest in sports. Its streaming platform has started new deals with Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer to show games to subscribers. Sports rights have long been the province of traditional media companies like Fox, Disney, Paramount Global and NBCUniversal, but technology companies like Apple and Amazon have made a bigger play for those rights as they seek to bring in consumers to their broadband subscription-video services. Amazon, for its part, is now a major NFL partner thanks to its control of rights to “Thursday Night Football.”
Earlier this year, the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show assembled a star-studded crew of artists including Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar. The performance achieved five Creative Arts Emmy nominations and won three Creative Arts Emmys, including outstanding live variety special — a first-ever for the Halftime show.
Past Super Bowl Halftime Show performances include the Weeknd, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Prince, Madonna, and more.
Apple Music will be offering sneak peeks of its Halftime ideas via its social handle on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter.
Source: Variety
HBO has released the first teaser for its video-game adaptation The Last of Us, and it looks to be very true to the game’s tone.
Scored to Hank Williams’ “Alone and Forsaken,” the teaser showcases a series of bleak landscapes and tense situations as it sets up the show’s post-apocalyptic world. There are only a few desperate-sounding lines of voice-over, the last being a whispered “Save who you can save.” The teaser (watch it below) also revealed a 2023 premiere date for the show.
The Last of Us is set 20 years after the destruction of modern civilization. It centers on Joel (Pedro Pascal, The Mandalorian), a hardened survivor of the apocaplypse, who’s hired to smuggle a 14-year-old girl named Ellie (Game of Thrones alum Bella Ramsey) out of an oppressive quarantine zone. The seemingly small job becomes a brutal journey as they come to depend on each other for survival.
Ordered to series in 2020, the show comes from Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) — who has an overall deal with HBO — and Neil Druckmann, the game’s writer and creative director. HBO and Sony Pictures TV produce the series with PlayStation Productions, Word Games and The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog.
The cast also includes Gabriel Luna, Merle Dandridge, Nico Parker, Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman, Storm Reid, Jeffrey Pierce, Anna Torv, Lamar Johnson, Keivonn Woodard, Graham Greene, Elaine Miles, Ashley Johnson, and Troy Baker. Dandridge, Johnson and Baker all did voice work on the video game; Dandridge will reprise her role as Marlene in the show, while Johnson and Baker — who voiced Ellie and Joel — will play different roles.
Mazin and Druckmann executive produce with along with Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Rose Lam.
Watch the teaser for The Last of Us below.
Reuters- McDonald’s Corp has been ordered by a U.S. judge to defend against media entrepreneur Byron Allen’s $10 billion lawsuit accusing the fast-food chain of “racial stereotyping” by not advertising with Black-owned media.
In a decision on Friday, U.S. District Judge Fernando Olguin in Los Angeles said Allen could try to prove that McDonald’s violated federal and California civil rights laws by deeming his networks ineligible for the “vast majority” of its advertising dollars.
Allen accused McDonald’s of relegating his Entertainment Studios Networks Inc and Weather Group LLC, which owns the Weather Channel, to an “African American tier” with a separate ad agency and much smaller ad budget, depriving them of tens of millions of dollars of annual revenue.
While not ruling on the merits, Olguin cited allegations that Entertainment Studios had since its 2009 founding tried repeatedly and unsuccessfully to obtain a contract from McDonald’s, whose “racist” corporate culture harmed Allen.
“Taken together, and construed in the light most favorable to plaintiffs, plaintiffs have alleged sufficient facts to support an inference of intentional discrimination,” Olguin wrote.
In a statement on Tuesday, McDonald’s lawyer Loretta Lynch maintained that the Chicago-based company viewed the lawsuit as “about revenue, not race,” and believed the evidence would show there was no discrimination.
“Plaintiffs’ groundless allegations ignore both McDonald’s legitimate business reasons for not investing more on their channels and the company’s long-standing business relationships with many other diverse-owned partners,” she said.
Allen, in a statement, said the case was “about economic inclusion of African American-owned businesses in the U.S. economy. McDonald’s takes billions from African American consumers and gives almost nothing back.”
The lawsuit said Blacks represent 40% of fast food customers, but McDonald’s spent just 0.3% of its $1.6 billion U.S. ad budget in 2019 on Black-owned media.
In May 2021, McDonald’s pledged to boost national ad spending with Black-owned media to 5% from 2% by 2024.
Olguin dismissed an earlier version of Allen’s lawsuit last November, finding no proof of intentional and purposeful discrimination against his companies.
The case is Entertainment Studios Networks Inc et al v McDonald’s Corp, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, No. 21-04972.
Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad Productions and Pharrell Williams’ i am OTHER have partnered on a new series for HBO Max.
The half-hour, single-camera comedy, titled “Rollin,’” is in development under Hillman Grad’s overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group.
According to the official logline, the series centers on “an easily corruptible newbie skater and her ragtag rink crew who find drive and deliverance on the hardwood at an ATL skating rink known for its good music, food, vibes, and stellar stunts. They soon discover that walking away from your past is easier said than done — but as all skaters learn, when you fall down, you must get back up.”
Calaya Michelle Stallworth (“Fear the Walking Dead,” “Daybreak”) will write and executive produce the series, which is in the script development stage.
Waithe and Hillman Grad CEO Rishi Rajani are on board the project as executive producers, alongside Naomi Funabashi, the company’s president of film and TV. Pharrell Williams and Mimi Valdés will also executive produce the show via their i am OTHER banner, with the company’s Shani Saxon serving as a co-executive producer. Hillman Grad executives Rocio Melara (VP, film and TV) and Sylvia Carrasco will help oversee the day-to-day on the series under the leadership of Funabashi.
Last year, Hillman Grad announced that they’d inked an exclusive multi-year overall deal with WBTVG — moving from Amazon in a highly competitive situation — to produce new television programming for all platforms, including HBO Max, external streaming services, cable and the five broadcast networks. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The first project announced under the new pact was the scripted drama adaptation of “Hoop Dreams,” inspired by director Steve James’ documentary. Aaron Rahsaan Thomas (“S.W.A.T.”) is set to executive produce and write that show.
Since its inception in 2015, and under the leadership of Waithe and Rajani, Hillman Grad has risen to become one of the most prominent companies in entertainment, with a mission to “create art that redefines the status quo by amplifying and celebrating the stories and voices of diverse, historically marginalized communities across all industries.” The new projects join Hillman Grad’s lineup of popular TV shows, including Showtime’s “The Chi,” which was renewed for a sixth season last month, and the upcoming BET+ original dramedy series “Birth of Cool.”
Source: Variety
.
Roku Original Comedy “Die Hart 2: Die Harter” Begins Production, John Cena, Ben Schwartz, and Paula Pell Added to Cast; Nathalie Emmanuel to Return for Season 2
Hartbeat produces season 2 of the record-setting Kevin Hart-led series
Eric Appel returns to direct the production, with Tripper Clancy returning as writer
· Today, Roku announced that John Cena, Ben Schwartz, and Paula Pell have joined the cast of the highly anticipated Roku Original comedy series “Die Hart 2: Die Harter.” Emmy award nominee Nathalie Emmanuel will reprise her role from season 1.
· In addition to starring in the series, Kevin Hart also serves as executive producer.
· Eric Appel has returned to direct season 2 of the comedy series, with Tripper Clancy returning to write.
· From Hartbeat, the global, multi-platform media company creating entertainment where comedy meets culture, Hart, Jeff Clanagan, Candice Wilson Cherry, Bryan Smiley, Thai Randolph, Mike Stein, Luke Kelly-Clyne, Kevin Healey, and Ty Walker will serve as executive producers.
· Synopsis: After achieving his dream of becoming a bona fide action hero in DIE HART, Kevin Hart now wants to cement his legacy as the greatest action star of all time. He’s developed a concept for a revolutionary movie where the action is so unscripted and unexpected that even Kevin won’t know what’s coming next. But Kevin’s myopic dream comes with a blind spot, and he soon finds himself the victim of an evil revenge plot, orchestrated by someone from his past. Kevin must enlist the help of his favorite co-star Jordan King (Nathalie Emmanuel, returning for season 2), his over-eager assistant Andre (Ben Schwartz), Andre’s mom Cynthia (Paula Pell), and legendary Hollywood stuntman Mr. 206 (John Cena) if he wants to survive.
The first season of the series, “Die Hart,” premiered on The Roku Channel in May 2021. After a successful debut with a record number of households streaming the series, Roku announced plans to order a second season of the series in June 2021. “Die Hart” was the first Roku Original series that the company renewed.
· “Die Hart” earned three Emmy award nominations in 2021- Outstanding Actor In A Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series (Kevin Hart & John Travolta, respectively), and Outstanding Actress In A Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series (Nathalie Emmanuel).
· Production for “Die Hart 2: Die Harter” is underway in Atlanta, Ga.
Check out the sketch video titled My Landlord Wants It by Jamal The Creative, and written by Jayy Childish. Also stars Tinesha Lynn and Brandi Nicole.
Watch Below:
The Iron Man franchise actor’s production label This Radicle Act has optioned Hannah Rose May’s Image Comics comic book Rogues’ Gallery in a competitive situation. Don Cheadle has a first look with Industrial Media and the plan is to adapt Rogues’ Gallery into a TV series.
May wrote and created the high-concept home invasion thriller, which is set against the backdrop of toxic fandom and obsession, which has art by Marvel’s Spiderpunk artist, Justin Mason.
Rogues’ Gallery follows Maisie Wade, who has just quit her role as the Red Rogue, a massively popular comic book character. But when her abrupt exit from Red Rogue’s hit TV series leads to its unceremonious cancellation, Maisie finds herself trapped in her own home by a group of unhinged superfans. Dressed up in the cosplay of the Red Rogue’s arch villains, these diehards want to teach Maisie a lesson. If Maisie is to survive the night, she must become the hero she has grown to despise.
May will serve as an EP and will be producing the series through her Weird Neighbour Productions banner alongside Cheadle, Karyn Smith-Forge and This Radicle Act.
Cheadle is represented by UTA. May is represented by Eric Reid at WME, Bob Glennon at Authentic Management, Ben Carnegie & Neville King at Innovative Artists, and Scott Goldman at Frankfurt, Kurnit, Klein & Selz.
Source: Deadline
Launching yesterday from Hartbeat and Simon & Schuster is a new original audiobook, “Kiss & Tell”, hosted by Jay Pharoah and Rachel Bloom – the story combines the brashness of stand-up comedy, the intimacy of oral storytelling, and the energy of a live audience to portray a compelling and hilarious take on modern relationships.
Kiss & Tell: Stand Up & Stories About Love, Sex, Etc.” is a breakthrough audiobook that combines the brashness of stand-up comedy, the intimacy of oral storytelling and the energy of a live audience to portray a compelling and hilarious take on modern relationships. Coproduced with Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat and hosted by Emmy Award–winning actress Rachel Bloom and Saturday Night Live alum Jay Pharoah, “Kiss & Tell” presents an incredible lineup of the funniest comedians unavailable in any other format or on any other platform. Telling a uniquely collaborative, extensive, and universal love story through a variety of diverse lenses, covering everything from first dates and first dances to cheating, break ups, and everything in between, “Kiss & Tell” features performances ranging from stand-up and storytelling to original songs, impressions, and more.
Produced by Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat, “Kiss & Tell” features an all-star cast of comedians as they offer fresh, personal takes on all things love and relationships. Each performance features personal stories and shared memories from their own romantic journeys as they bring the universal challenges and rewards of romantic relationships to life. Featured comedians in the audiobook include: Atsuko Okatsuka, Danielle Perez, Morgan Jay, Nate Jackson, The Sklar Brothers, Sydney Battle, Sydney Steinber, and more.
‘Kiss & Tell’ was released today, September 20th, and can be found on Audible, Google Play, or wherever you shop for audiobooks.
Learn more at http://kissandtellaudiobook.com/.