LOS ANGELES – (May 2, 2022) – ABFF Ventures LLC today announced that multi-hyphenate star Issa Rae (Insecure) will serve as festival ambassador for the 2022 American Black Film Festival (ABFF). The festival, widely recognized as a leading platform for Black content creators, returns live to Miami Beach June 15-19 followed by virtual events from June 20-30 on ABFF PLAY, https://abffplay.com/ the festival’s custom-designed online platform.
As ambassador, Rae will help bring media awareness to ABFF’s 26-year legacy of showcasing Black talent and discovering new voices. Along with joining festival founders, Jeff and Nicole Friday onstage for welcome remarks during opening night on June 15, Rae will screen her highly anticipated television series RAP SH*T which she created for HBO Max as part of the festival’s Saturday night lineup.
“I’m honored to be this year’s Festival Ambassador,” said Issa Rae. “ABFF was the first major festival to showcase my work and they continue to elevate Black creatives from the ground level. It’s also fun as hell.”
“It has been amazing to watch Issa shatter ceilings with her incredible sensibility to storytelling and her astounding achievements in the industry,” said Nicole Friday, festival producer and president of ABFF Ventures LLC. “We have been admirers of her work from the early days and salute her for remaining authentic and never forgetting the importance of elevating the next generation of emerging artists.”
With her own unique flare and infectious sense of humor, Rae first received attention for her award-winning web series and the accompanying New York Times best-seller, “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.” She created and starred in the Peabody-award-winning HBO series Insecure which garnered her multiple Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominations. Rae has also made her mark on the big screen, starring in THE PHOTOGRAPH and THE LOVEBIRDS.
In 2020 Rae formed HOORAE, a multi-faceted media company that develops content across mediums in an effort to continue to break boundaries in storytelling and representation. HOORAE is comprised of HOORAE Media for film, tv and digital; Raedio, the music label, music supervision company, and “audio everywhere” company; and ColorCreative, its management division. Via HOORAE’s Warner Bros. Discovery deal, Issa has also expanded her Executive Producer slate with the Emmy-award nominated A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW, the fan-favorite docuseries SWEET LIFE, and the upcoming HBOMax series, RAP SH*T.
Rae’s commitment to South LA is evident in both her personal and professional pursuits. After planting roots near her childhood home, Issa decided to set up the HOORAE headquarters in the heart of South LA. Her participation in the non-profit organization Destination Crenshaw furthers her mission of celebrating Black Angelenos and her ownership in Hilltop Cafe + Kitchen provides much-needed jobs and opportunities for local residents as well as a space for creatives to unlock their potential.
Former ABFF ambassadors include Halle Berry, Mary J. Blige, Idris Elba, Tracee Ellis Ross, Regina Hall, La La Anthony, Jay Ellis, Morris Chestnut, Omari Hardwick, Common, Taraji P. Henson and Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
ABFF 2022 sponsors and partners to date include Warner Bros. Discovery & HBOÒ (Founding); Cadillac, City of Miami Beach, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB), Sony Pictures Entertainment, Prime Video(Presenting); American Airlines, Comcast NBCUniversal, Meta, IMDb (Premier); ALLBLK, Prudential Financial, Variety, TV One, Netflix, Starz, Disney+ (Official); Accenture, Motion Pictures Association (MPA), A&E Indie Films, Springhill Company, The Boston Globe, Color of Change, Confluential Films, Endeavor Content (Supporting).
For festival information and to obtain an ABFF pass, visit www.abff.com. Pre-registration closes May 13. Press interested in media credentials to cover ABFF go to https://www.abff.com/miami/press-room/media-credentials/. Follow @ABFF on Twitter and @AmericanBlackFilmFestival on Instagram and Facebook.
Megan Thee Stallion established herself as one of the best Hip-Hop artists in the world right now. She won four Grammys at last year’s Grammy Awards ceremony and things only got better after that. Megan Thee Stallion is currently collaborating with Netflix on a new comedy series.
The upcoming Netflix comedy series is loosely based on the rapper’s life. Megan signed a first-look deal with Netflix in December to create and executive produce her own shows. Tracey Pakosta, Netflix’s head of comedy, announced the series earlier this week in an interview with Deadline.
Pakosta did not provide any additional information about the show. Pakosta remarked when Megan first signed the deal with Netflix that she is a multi-talented creative force who has consistently made her mark on culture. She’s an artist who is constantly growing and evolving, and they’re thrilled that she’s found a home at Netflix for the next chapter of her journey.
Megan has always had a passion for telling creative and entertaining stories, so this collaboration with Netflix excites her. The next step in her entrepreneurial journey is to venture into production, and she can’t wait to bring all of her ideas to life for her ‘Hotties’ to watch.
· Peacock’s critically-acclaimed drama series Bel-Air has shattered every Peacock record for new subscribers, usage, and upgrades, and has been crowned as the platform’s most-streamed original series reaching 8 million accounts to date.
· The series premiered with three episodes on February 13, 2022 (Super Bowl Sunday) with new episodes released weekly on Thursdays and will return next year in 2023 with the original two season order.
· “We’re elated at the positive response to Bel-Air and that this passionate audience quickly solidified the series into the cultural zeitgeist,” said Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “Week after week Bel-Air captivated audiences with buzzy cliffhangers and stunning ensemble performances, led by the unmatched Jabari Banks. We can’t wait for what’s in store for season two.”
· “The incredible performance of Bel-Air really demonstrates the power of culture-defining content,” said Kelly Campbell, President, Peacock. “Bel-Air is our most-streamed Peacock Original series and the third biggest title on the platform, breaking records for customer acquisition, viewership, and upgrades. We strategically launched the series in February amid two of the biggest sporting events, the Olympics and Super Bowl, making Bel-Air a cornerstone of our most-streamed month in Peacock history. We couldn’t be more excited to dive deeper into this story next season.”
· “We see a lot of reboots in today’s television landscape, and yet there’s something undeniably singular, relevant and contemporary about this take on a beloved fan-favorite,” said Pearlena Igbokwe, Chairman, Universal Studio Group. “We knew Bel-Air would push the boundaries of possibility for IP adaptation, and we’re thrilled to celebrate its success with Peacock.”
SERIES DESCRIPTION:
Set in modern-day America, Peacock’s new one-hour drama series Bel-Air imagines the beloved sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air through a new, dramatic take on Will’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air. As these two worlds collide, Will reckons with the power of second chances while navigating the conflicts, emotions, and biases of a world far different from the only one he’s ever known.
Inspired by pilot director and executive producer Morgan Cooper’s viral trailer that reimagined the iconic, culture-defining ’90s sitcom, Bel-Air takes a fresh and raw approach to this world of swagger, style, and aspiration, while exploring Will’s complex journey through a current lens. The new series features an ensemble cast that introduces Jabari Banks as Will and a creative team that includes Cooper, and coshowrunners and executive producers TJ Brady and Rasheed Newson. Bel-Air is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, and Westbrook Studios.
SERIES REGULARS:
· Newcomer Jabari Banks as “Will”
· Adrian Holmes as “Phillip Banks” (At That Age, V Wars)
· Cassandra Freeman as “Vivian Banks” (The Enemy Within, Atlanta)
· Olly Sholotan as “Carlton Banks” (Run Hide Fight, Evolution of Nate Gibson)
· Coco Jones as “Hilary Banks” (Let It Shine, Vampires vs. the Bronx)
· Akira Akbar as “Ashley Banks” (We Can Be Heroes, Captain Marvel)
· Jimmy Akingbola as “Geoffrey” (The Most Dangerous Game, In the Long Run)
· Jordan L. Jones as “Jazz” (Rel, Snowfall)
· Simone Joy Jones as “Lisa” (The Chair, What If)
LOS ANGELES, May 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Today, two world-class masters of their crafts, unstoppable comedian, entertainer, and businessman Kevin Hart and 11th generation tequila producer Juan Domingo Beckmann, announce their highly anticipated new tequila brand, Gran Coramino™. In a true marriage of Beckmann’s generational tequila-making knowledge, and Kevin Hart’s unrelenting passion to introduce a high-quality tequila to a new community of tequila drinkers, Gran Coramino debuts with one of the smoothest Reposado Cristalinos on the market.
The creation of Gran Coramino has been two years in the making, with Hart and Beckmann seeking to innovate within the category and draw from their backgrounds as inspiration. The journey resulted in their first expression to launch – a perfectly smooth and uniquely balanced Reposado Cristalino tequila. The 100% agave tequila is first aged in Eastern European oak barrels and finished in California Cabernet wine casks to reflect the state that Hart calls home. The liquid is then transformed into a Cristalino tequila – a unique slow-filtration process that Beckmann invented for the tequila industry more than 10 years ago – delivering a complex, deeply smooth flavor with a crystal-clear appearance.
“Gran Coramino is about people coming together and building a community that everyone can be part of. As someone who loves tequila, I’ve spent the past two years working with Juan Domingo to create a brand and product of the highest possible quality that is accessible to my fans. Juan is an undisputed leader in the tequila industry and, like me, strives for excellence in everything he does. Together with Juan and my partner James Morrissey from Global Brand Equities, we decided on every aspect of this product from the ground up. I wanted something different in the market, to tell a story that hadn’t been told before for my fans, for my culture, and a generation who has never tasted a Cristalino before. It’s the best-kept secret in tequila,” said Kevin Hart, Founder of Gran Coramino Tequila.
Gran Coramino owns every step of the tequila-making process from planting, selecting, and harvesting the finest blue Weber agaves from family-owned fields, to distilling and aging the tequila at La Rojeña Distillery in Tequila, Mexico. As the oldest distillery in Latin America, La Rojeña is an historic place for Gran Coramino to be made where, for the past 225 years, Beckmann and his family have dedicated their time to the production of high-quality tequilas.
“Kevin is a proven leader and true tequila aficionado whose creativity, passion, and enthusiasm have driven him to unparalleled success in all of his endeavors. From day one, it was clear both Kevin and I share the same philosophy for producing tequila of the highest quality, entrepreneurial drive, and care for the people who make and enjoy tequila. Kevin has become part of our team here in Mexico and I could not think of a better partner to share this journey with, and to introduce Gran Coramino to a new global community of tequila drinkers,” said Juan Domingo Beckmann, Founder of Gran Coramino Tequila and 11th generation tequila producer.
As entrepreneurs, long-time philanthropists, and tequila lovers from diverse backgrounds, Beckmann and Hart first bonded over their passion for tequila, as well as their commitment to give back to their respective communities in a meaningful way. Gran Coramino is proud to donate $1 from every bottle sold to support diverse entrepreneurs and small businesses, working with trusted partners in Mexico and the United States to help close wealth and opportunity gaps through cash grants and programs.
Gran Coramino was created and developed by Kevin Hart, Global Brand Equities and Proximo Spirits.
“Partnering with Kevin Hart has been an incredible experience. Kevin is an engaged entrepreneur who understands the hard work that goes into creating success,” said James Morrissey, Founder & CEO of Global Brand Equities. “When Kevin and I first started talking about the category of tequila, we both shared the common vision to bring higher levels of quality and innovation to the wider consumer. Kevin has been a truly hands-on partner in every aspect of this venture, and he has worked extensively with us to create something wholly authentic. Being able to partner with Juan Domingo Beckmann in the tequila category is a true honor for us. There is nobody who knows the business better than Juan Domingo, and this long-term relationship has helped us realize our vision to bring Gran Coramino to the world.“
Gran Coramino Reposado Cristalino will be available from May 2nd on GranCoramino.com, ReserveBar and at retail across CA, IL, TX, GA and NY. It will be available nationwide starting June 1st for a suggested retail price of $49.99. For more information, please visit GranCoramino.com and follow @GranCoramino on Instagram.
This Joka, a stand-up comedy series exec produced by Will Smith, will not be returning for a second season on Roku.
The streaming service launched the series, which came via its acquisition of short-form service Quibi, in March.
The series features a raft of stand-ups including Punkie Johnson and Chris Estrada.
We hear that the decision had nothing to do with the Oscars incident, where Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage, but a somewhat unusual issue with timing.
Roku is believed to never really have had the option to renew the series, which is produced by Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Studios and Topgolf Entertainment Group. The option to renew lapsed before Roku launched the show, and certainly before the streamer had the chance to analyze its viewing data, meaning that it was unlikely to return for a second season on the platform.
The show featured a diverse lineup of up-and-coming, established, and legendary comedians exploring the nature of comedy and its unique ability to bring people together. Shot on location at Topgolf and other popular venues across Las Vegas, the series showcased stand-up sets, as well as one-on-one conversations between Smith and the comedians, intimate interviews, and docu-style moments backstage and around the city.
It featured Baron Vaughn, Megan Gailey, Punkie Johnson, Sean Patton, Rosebud Baker, Shane Torres, Clayton English, Christi Chiello, Vanessa Gonzalez, Martin Urbano, Sam Tallent, David Gborie, Jackie Fabulous, Chris Estraded, Rell Battle, and Daphnique Springs, with special appearances by George Wallace, Demi Adejuyigbe and Shawn Wasabi.
“This isn’t a competition, this is an opportunity to laugh,” Smith said in the trailer.
Smith executive produced along with Miguel Melendez, Terence Carter, Brad Haugen, Lukas Kaiser, Erik Anderson, Chad Nelson, and YuChiang Cheng. Lance Bangs directed.
Separately, we understand that Netflix has no plans to air Smith’s other stand-up comedy project. In June 2021, the streamer revealed that Smith would host his first comedy variety show. He was exec producing with Westbrook Studios producing.
We hear that the special was never filmed, and for obvious reasons, there’s no plans to move forward with it at the streamer.
Source: Deadline
The first series cut due to the merger of Warner Bros and Discovery Inc. has been revealed. With the announcement that TBS and TNT are exciting scripted programming, it has been reported that Kill the Orange-Faced Bear is not moving forward at TBS. Starring Damon Wayans Jr., production was set to start on an eight-episode season next week in Vancouver.
According to reports, the producers of the series are shopping the comedy to other outlets. The series follows a man (Wayans Jr.) who goes out for revenge after a bear kills his girlfriend.
The following was revealed about the plot of the series:
“In Kill the Orange-Faced Bear, Wayans Jr. stars as Hank, the charming, funny and grieving man who’s hell-bent on tracking down Brenda the bear, along with Jessy Hodges as Jamie, the twin sister of Hank’s late girlfriend; Alex Karpovsky as Ronnie, an oddball park ranger; and Nate Torrence as Murray, Hank’s best friend. The voice cast lineup includes Sarah Silverman as Brenda, the sarcastic badass grizzly bear who attacked and ate Hank’s girlfriend; Nicole Byer as Pauline, a bear with perfect fur and perfect nails who uses her feminine wiles to seduce Brenda’s husband; and Sam Richardson as Steve, the charmingly idiotic bear with a dangerous habit of breaking into cars to steal snacks and beer.”
Central City Productions announces the 7th Annual Black Music Honors live tapping at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, Ga. on Thursday, May 19. The star-studded two-hour event will honor artists and musicians who have influenced and made significant contributions to American music.
This year’s remarkable group of honorees include Multi-Platinum, Award-Winning Supergroup Dru Hill who will receive the Urban Music Icon Award; Five-Time GRAMMY Nominee Tevin Campbell who will be honored with the R&B Icon Award and Multi-Award-Winning; Gospel Duo Mary Mary will be presented with the Gospel Icon Award; NAACP Image Award-Winning Singer Karyn White will also be recognized with the Soul Music Award; Award-Winning Singer-Songwriter Keri Hilson will be honored with the Music and Songwriter Icon Award for her accomplishments penning songs for some of the biggest names in music and the Legendary R&B Group The Whispers will take home the Legends Award for their incredible nearly six-decade music career.
“We are more than excited to return to in-person taping for the first time in nearly three years with a live studio audience,” says Founder and Executive Producer, Don Jackson. “The pandemic had an unprecedented impact on the music industry and we’re honored to celebrate, commemorate and honor music trailblazers who have paved the way for the next generation of music and culture.”
Multi-hyphenate LeToya Luckett will co-host the epic night of celebration along with Chicago Actor and Comedian DeRay Davis. The televised special is set to air in national broadcast syndication Saturday, June 4 – Sunday, July 3, and on Bounce TV on Saturday, June 25th. The 7th Annual Black Music Honors show is Executive Produced by Don Jackson with Jennifer J. Jackson serving as Producer and Michael A. Johnson as Producer and Director.
Tickets for the live-taping event are available at www.blackmusichonors.com or you can purchase tickets at www.ticketmaster.com by clicking here. For more information about Black Music Honors, visit www.blackmusichonors.com or connect on social media @blackmusichonors on Facebook and Instagram or @blackmusichonor on Twitter.
TBS continues to thin the herd of its scripted originals.
The basic cable network, now part of the sprawling Warner Bros. Discovery portfolio, has canceled Tracy Morgan comedy The Last O.G. after a four-season run. Sources say that the decision to ax the comedy was made months ago after the now fourth season and ultimate series finale aired back in December.
The decision comes as little surprise after the comedy hit a string of series lows in season four, which marked the show’s first without leading lady Tiffany Haddish. The Last O.G. had a long road to the screen and marked Morgan’s first role since the devastating 2014 crash that left him in a coma with several broken bones. The show was originally developed at FX in 2016 before moving to TBS with a series order.
The comedy has also burned through a new showrunner every season after Owen Smith (Black-ish) steered season four, having replaced Keenen Ivory Wayans. Wayans replaced Saladin Patterson, who stepped in for creator John Carcieri in season two.
As for TBS, the cable network has continued to cut back on scripted originals over the past few years as audiences and development dollars shift to streaming. Once home to a sprawling portfolio that featured the likes of House of Payne, For Better or Worse, Cougar Town, Ground Floor, Angie Tribeca, People of Earth and Search Party, among others, TBS’ current slate has dwindled down to Fox transfer American Dad (renewed through 2023), the fourth season of anthology Miracle Workers and Nassim Pedrad’s long-gestating comedy Chad. The cabler recently made the decision to scrap Damon Wayans Jr. comedy Kill the Orange-Faced Bear, which landed at TBS after another linear cable network (Comedy Central) passed on it amid their own retreat from scripted.
TBS’ sibling network, TNT, has made the same retreat from scripted with a handful of shows earmarked for the network having either been dropped entirely, moved to HBO Max or sold to third-party buyers. TNT’s roster features only Snowpiercer and the upcoming final season of Animal Kingdom. The cabler, too, was also once home to a sizable slate of scripted that included Claws, The Last Ship, The Librarians, Major Crimes, Murder in the First, Rizzoli & Isles, Falling Skies, Southland, Dallas and scores of others.
It’s important to note that the cancellation sprees at TBS and TNT predate the WarnerMedia-Discovery merger. Linear networks, be it cable or broadcast, have dramatically reduced the volume of originals since viewers moved to streaming. Scripted series are expensive to produce when compared with reality or unscripted programming. As every conglomerate now has their own streaming platform, the days of revenue from SVOD deals to Netflix and international sales have evaporated as those rights become paramount to program internal platforms as companies hold on to their assets rather than supplying them to others.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Reuters – Stand-up comedian and Hollywood actor Kevin Hart on Tuesday launched a new media company called HARTBEAT, with a $100 million investment from private equity firm Abry Partners.
Abry, which focuses on investments in the media, communication, and information services space, took a minority stake in the company at an undisclosed valuation.
Hart, known for his roles in films such as “Ride Along” and “Central Intelligence”, will be the chairman of the new venture created out of the merger of Hart’s entertainment businesses Laugh Out Loud and HartBeat Productions.
Thai Randolph, who has held senior executive positions at both the businesses, will be the chief executive officer of HARTBEAT, the company said.
It added that Nicolas Massard, a partner at Abry, would join the company’s board and NBCUniversal’s streaming service Peacock would remain a shareholder.
HARTBEAT said it would produce and distribute television and film content focused on “comedic storytelling” and that it was in various stages of development or production on more than sixty projects.
A number of buyout firms have dived into the entertainment space in recent months, betting on strong demand for content.
In January, private equity fund Apollo (APO.N) said it would invest $760 million in Legendary Entertainment, the production and finance company behind films including “Dune” and “Godzilla vs. Kong”.