Apple TV+ today debuted the teaser trailer for the new highly anticipated murder-mystery comedy series, “The Afterparty” from Academy Award, BAFTA and Golden Globe Award winners Chris Miller and Phil Lord (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” “The Lego Movie,” “21 Jump Street”). The eight-episode series will premiere globally in January 2022 on Apple TV+.
“This is one of the most surprising, original and fun projects we’ve ever made,” said Lord and Miller. “Our goal was to tell a comedic whodunnit story in a new and exciting way. By giving each episode its own unique style of storytelling, we were able to make what feels like eight distinctly different but interconnected films that highlight how everyone’s personal perspective and biases shape how they see the world.”
“The Afterparty” features a stellar ensemble cast including Tiffany Haddish (“Girls Trip,” “Like a Boss”), Sam Richardson (“Tomorrow War,” “Veep”), Zoë Chao (“Love Life,” “Downhill”), Ben Schwartz (“Space Force,” “House of Lies”), Ike Barinholtz (“The Mindy Project,” “Neighbors”), Ilana Glazer (“Broad City”), Jamie Demetriou (“Fleabag,” “Stath Lets Flats”), Dave Franco (“The Rental,” “The Disaster Artist”) and John Early (“Search Party”). Created and directed by Miller, “The Afterparty” centers on a murder mystery at a high school reunion. Each of the eight episodes features a retelling of the same night told through a different character’s perspective, each with its own unique visual style and film genre to match the teller’s personality. In addition to directing, Miller serves as showrunner and is executive producing alongside Lord through the pair’s production banner, Lord Miller. Tony and Emmy-nominated writer, producer and performer Anthony King (“Search Party,” “Dead to Me”) will also executive produce the series. Lord Miller’s SVP of Television Aubrey Lee is a producer on the series, which was produced for Apple by TriStar TV and Sony Pictures Television as part of Lord and Miller’s expansive five-year overall television deal. The behind the scenes talent includes director of photography Carl Herse (“The Last Man on Earth,” “Black Monday”), production designer Bruce Hill (“The Last Man on Earth,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”), costume designer Trayce Gigi Field (“Barb and Star Go to Vista del Mar,” “Dead to Me”), composer Daniel Pemberton (“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”), and editor Joel Negron (“Thor: Ragnarok,” “21 Jump Street”) “The Afterparty” will join a growing offering of hit and award-winning Apple Original comedy series including Emmy, SAG, Critics’ Choice, Peabody and WGA Award-winning “Ted Lasso,” “Schmigadoon!,” “Physical,” Peabody Award-winner “Dickinson,” “Mythic Quest,” “Central Park” and the upcoming limited series, “The Shrink Next Door.” Apple TV+ is available to watch across all your favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 154 wins and 523 awards nominations.
Bomani Jones the versatile ESPN personality who has gained traction with appearances on shows like “Highly Questionable” and “Around the Horn,” has found a new outlet for his work. But it’s not ESPN. It’s HBO.
HBO has ordered a new, weekly late-night series with Jones at its center that will go into production in New York starting next year. “Game Theory With Bomani Jones” is expected to examine timely issues in the world of sports. Jones is believed to remain under contract to ESPN through the start of next year, and indicated via Twitter Thursday that he would continue doing work with the Disney sports-media giant, particularly his podcast, “The Right Time.” He is expected to continue to contribute to programs like “Around the Horn” and “Debatable.”
The program represents the latest in a series of new weekly efforts many media companies are testing to fill a continued heavy interest in late-night talk and comedy at a time when executives are questioning some of the effectiveness and cost of a traditional Monday through Friday schedule. As more viewers migrate to watching programs at times of their own choosing, some regular backers of late-night offerings have scaled back, with WarnerMedia’s TBS ending Conan O’Brien’s program earlier this year, NBC parting ways with host Lilly Singh and ViacomCBS’ Comedy Central focusing on one regular late-night series, “The Daily Show,” instead of three.
Jones will join an array of weekly late-night efforts at HBO, which backs both John Oliver’s “Late Week Tonight” and Bill Maher’s “Real Time,” as well as “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” a seasonal effort created by comedian and actress Robin Thede. Other networks have also gravitated toward the weekly format, which counts Showtime’s “Desus & Mero” and TBS’ “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee” among their number.
“Bomani is one of the most unique journalists working today,” Nina Rosenstein, HBO’s executive vice president of programming, said in a statement. “He’s someone who gets that sports stories are often about race, politics, economics and gender, and sees a wider view that goes beyond what happens on the field. We are thrilled to be able to work with him and know that ‘Game Theory’ will deliver provocative, insightful and funny stories that you don’t hear too often in popular media.”
HBO subscribers may already be familiar with Jones. He is a contributor to the premium service’s “Back on the Record With Bob Costas” and has appeared in the HBO Sports documentaries “Battle for Tobacco Road: Duke vs. Carolina” and “Runnin’ Rebels.” He has been featured on ESPN for a decade and helped launch the talker “High Noon” with Pablo Torre. The duo tried to lead a show that offered a little more thought and nuance than the typical sports-talk program. Jones has several degrees in economics and Torre graduated from Harvard, building a reputation for himself as a writer at Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine.
“This is, literally, my professional dream, to have a show like this one on HBO,” Jones said in a statement. “We have a chance to do something that hasn’t been done before, and I can’t wait to share our work with the world.”
Source: Variety
LAUGH OUT LOUD ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH NBCUNIVERSAL; ALL THREE TITLES TO STREAM DURING AN EXCLUSIVE WINDOW ON PEACOCK AND ONE FELLOW TO RECEIVE A DEVELOPMENT DEAL
Writers Wilandrea Blair, Danielle Nicolet, and Moni Oyedepo Will Have their Scripts Produced and Developed by LOL Studios Under the Guidance of Lead Mentor Yamara Taylor and Industry Leaders including Leigh Davenport, Val Boreland, Zainab Johnson, and more. Gabrielle Dennis, Meagan Good, and Bresha Webb are Signed on to Direct.
Laugh Out Loud, the multi-platform comedy brand founded by Kevin Hart, and Sundance Institute, the non-profit film organization behind the Sundance Film Festival and Labs, announced the three selected fellows for their inaugural Women Write Now screenwriting fellowship, a program designed to champion the next generation of Black women in comedy. As part of a new partnership between Laugh Out Loud and NBCUniversal, the projects from all three fellows will stream exclusively on Peacock, and one fellow will receive a career-defining development deal.
The three selected writers—Wilandrea Blair, Danielle Nicolet, and Moni Oyedepo—were chosen from a pool of over 670 scripts submitted by aspiring writers across the country between July 8th and August 5th. 17 semifinalists were selected from 672 submissions, and after interviews with the program directors and LOL Studios executives, the group was carefully narrowed down to ten finalists, whose scripts were presented to a jury panel of award-winning filmmakers, industry leaders, as well as executives from LOL and Sundance Institute who selected the final three fellows.
“When we started this program, it was always with the intention of creating meaningful opportunity for Black women in comedy and changing the industry narrative around this talented and dynamic group of women who have traditionally been overlooked,” said Laugh Out President & COO and program Founder Thai Randolph. “What we’ve seen through this program is that there is no ‘pipeline problem.’ Danielle, Moni, and Wilandrea are three incredible writers who represent an unbelievably great pool of talent, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with NBCU to create more opportunity and visibility for these women.”
In the coming weeks, the three finalists will develop their scripts through one-on-one guidance from Black-ish writer, Save By the Bell executive producer, and Women Write Now lead screenwriting mentor Yamara Taylor as well as receive mentorship on both their projects and careers from a panel of mentors and creative advisors working across the industry.
In addition to Taylor, mentors Val Boreland (EVP, Head of Content Acquisitions, NBCUniversal Television & Streaming) Keesha Boyd (Executive Director, Multicultural Entertainment, Comcast / NBCU), Tiffany Brown (VP, TV Development, Hartbeat), Leigh Davenport (Writer + Executive Producer Run the World), Tabitha Jackson (Director, Sundance Film Festival and Public Programming), Staci R. Collins Jackson (CEO, The Collins Jackson Agency), Zainab Johnson (Comedian and Actor, Upload), Thai Randolph (President & COO, Laugh Out Loud), Folayo Lasaki (Head of Marketing & Communications, Laugh Out Loud), Bresha Webb (Actor, Writer, Run the World), Candice Wilson Cherry (Head of Production & Development, Laugh Out Loud), and Michelle Satter (Founding Senior Director, Artist Programs, Sundance Institute) are set to guide the final writers as they get their scripts production ready through a series of five curated lab sessions.
“To say that it was no easy task to narrow the list down to our three fellows would be a gross understatement, but the sheer talent of the writers made the process a joy” said Laugh Out Loud, Head of Production & Development Candice Wilson Cherry. “This program has been a reminder of how much untapped talent exists—talent that is poised for opportunity. With their incredible scripts, Danielle, Moni, and Wilandrea each brought to life impactful, funny stories that jumped off the page. We are thrilled to be rolling into the next stage of the program with this incredibly gifted group of emerging writers and look forward to bringing their visions to life.”
Each writer, and project, will be paired with one of the Women Write Now guest directors—Gabrielle Dennis (A Black Lady Sketch Show), Meagan Good (The Intruder, Think Like a Man), or Bresha Webb (Run the World)—and production will begin later this month.
The 2021 Women Write Now screenwriting fellows and their projects are:
Writer: Wilandrea Blair
Logline: A nursing home’s famous funny man feels upstaged when his old comic nemesis moves in, reigniting their bitter rivalry. Knowing a hearty laugh could put each of them in cardiac arrest, their goal is to tell jokes that kill — each other. (Directed by Gabrielle Dennis)
Writer: Danielle Nicolet
Logline: On the advice of a therapist to treat her anxiety by, “thinking and behaving like happy people do”, one Black woman notices that white people seem pretty happy… (Directed by Meagan Good)
Writer: Moni Oyedepo
Logline: When Bri is offered a full-time job at the end of her internship, she’s shocked by the one stipulation her employer has for the position. (Directed by Bresha Webb)
In partnership with Laugh Out Loud, NBCUniversal will provide a development deal for one Women Write Now fellow. At the culmination of the lab, each writer will pitch their projects to programming executives, and one will be selected to develop a project for NBCUniversal, co-produced by LOL Studios.
“Developing diverse voices has long been a part of NBCU’s ethos and Laugh Out Loud and the Sundance Institute have been magnificent like-minded partners,” said Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “With Women Write Now, we’re able to use our platform to help support a new generation of Black women in comedy, taking an important step in ensuring more audiences see their lives reflected on screen.”
Selected projects will be produced by LOL Studios and premiere at a private screening during the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. The three writers will each receive a $10,000 stipend, a four-night trip to the Festival, and a first look deal with LOL. Following the Festival, the final short films will premiere and stream on Peacock for an exclusive window before releasing wide on LOL Network to an audience of over 100 million viewers.
“The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah is no stranger to unpacking big political and cultural stories with his nightly monologue and news satire program. It’s no easy task finding the funny in the dumpster fire of news. So it makes sense that Noah’s next projects won’t suffer from a lack of ambition.
Time Studios, Noah’s Day Zero Productions, Sugar23 and P&G Studios are teaming up on “The Tipping Point,” a documentary series that will tackle the big issues of the era, from voting rights to civil rights, human rights to healthcare, American Democracy to the global refugee crisis. Those are big, bold-faced topics with a capital T — any one would be hard to do justice to in a single film, let alone a docuseries.
To that end, each film in “The Tipping Point” will be a unique, standalone documentary. The talent participating in the series includes Noah, LeBron James and Maverick Carter through their media company The SpringHill Company, as well as Angelina Jolie, Kat Graham and Lance Bass.
The series will be executive produced by Noah, and the producers say the films will look at how “developments across our culture are rapidly leading to multiple critical moments with the potential to inevitably create the distinct delineation between before and after.” The films will be told in an array of styles, leaning into comedy in some instances while emphasizing the poignant in others.
“I hope these documentaries will act as a mirror to our society and showcase our resiliency while providing hope for the path ahead,” said Noah in a statement.
Michael Sugar, Ashley Zalta and David Hillman of Sugar23, Ian Orefice and Alexa Conway of Time Studios, and Trevor Noah and Haroon Saleem of Day Zero Productions will all serve as executive producers, with executive Ashley Dizon overseeing the project on behalf of Day Zero Productions. For P&G Studios, the executive producers overseeing the project are Carrie Rathod, Marc Pritchard and Kimberly Doebereiner. Norman Aladjem, Derek Van Pelt and Sanaz Yamin of Mainstay Entertainment will also serve as executive producers.
“Each film in ‘The Tipping Point’ will dig deep to provide an objective and comprehensive view of what is happening, how we got here and where it could lead,” said Sugar, Orefice and Saleem.
Noah is repped by CAA, Mainstay Entertainment, and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller, & Gellman L.L.P. and Jill Fritzo PR.
Source: Variety
As part of the world’s most iconic comedy festival, Just For Laughs MONTREAL will be premiering their 14th annual Just For Laughs Award Show for free to fans and industry this Wednesday, July 28th at 7pm ET / 4pm PT.
Today, the festival announces the first few names of those who will make a special appearance, paying homage to this year’s recipients!
Appearing,
Will Ferrell (“Elf”, “Anchorman”, “Step Brothers”+)
Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”, “Bridesmaids” +)
Jamie Dornan (“Fifty Shades of Grey”)
Wendi McLendon-Covey (“The Goldbergs”, “Bridesmaids”)
Awkwafina (“Ocean’s Eight”, Crazy Rich Asians” “+)
Matt Rogers (“Gayme Show”, “Our Cartoon President”)
Award Recipients this year:
Dave Chappelle – Comedy Person of the Year
Jean Smart – Comedy Performance of the Year
Bowen Yang – Breakout Comedy Person of the Year
Kristen Wigg & Annie Mumolo – Comedy Writers of the Year
Jason Sudeikis & Bill Lawrence – “Ted Lasso” – Comedy Series of the Year
Hosted by Amber Ruffin
Additional special guest appearances to be announced Wednesday morning!
Tune into the 14th annual Just For Laughs Awards Show for free this Wednesday, July 28 at 7pm ET / 4pm PT at hahaha.com
On Tuesday, Netflix unveiled Plastic Cup Boyz: Laughing My Mask Off!, a new collection of stand-up specials exec produced by Kevin Hart, which will debut on the streamer on July 27.
The half-hour stand-up sets will spotlight three members of Hart’s famed comedy crew, the Plastic Cup Boyz: Joey Wells, Na’im Lynn and Spank Horton.
The collection of specials was filmed in front of a live Atlanta audience. Hart exec produced through his company HartBeat Productions. Royale Watkins directed all three specials in the collection and is also an executive producer on the project.
Laughing My Mask Off! is just the latest project on which Hart has collaborated with his Plastic Cup Boyz. In March, the MotorTrend Group announced that he would star alongside them in the original automotive series, Kevin Hart’s Muscle Car Crew. In that eight-episode show, renowned actor, comedian and producer Hart will offer a lighthearted look into the world of car collecting, as he and his crew aim to launch their own automotive club. The series launches this fall exclusively on the MotorTrend App, the leading subscription service dedicated specifically to the world of motoring.
Source: Deadline
New York, NY – July 21, 2021 – Comedy Central has revealed that multi-media mogul, Lenard “Charlamagne Tha God” McKelvey, is teaming up with late night virtuoso Stephen Colbert – making his epic return to Comedy Central for the first time since The Colbert Report ended in 2014 – to create and produce Tha God’s Honest Truth with Lenard ‘Charlamagne’ McKelvey. This weekly half hour late-night series features Charlamagne’s culturally fluent take on social issues in a variety of deep dives, sketches, and social experiments that deftly unpacks the most pressing topics permeating politics and culture. Redemptively comedic, refreshingly unfiltered, and unapologetically Black, nothing is off limits. Lenard “Charlamagne” McKelvey is bringing his influential, opinionated, thought-provoking perspective to late night. Tha God’s Honest Truth will film in New York City and debut Friday, September 17 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on Comedy Central.
Conversation sparked on social media with this tease of Colbert’s return to Comedy Central. Today’s follow-up video features the two collaborators who are both natives of the Palmetto state and have a long-standing relationship with Charlamagne appearing as a frequent guest on The Late Show.
“This is one of those moments where I can show you better than I can tell you,” said Charlamagne. “This is the third talk show Chris McCarthy has done with me and those shows prepared me for this opportunity. My South Carolina brethren Stephen Colbert is the ultimate cosign in the late night space and he wouldn’t cosign no bullshit! We are going to win an Emmy next year for best lighting direction I can feel it!!!”
“For too long, the town of Moncks Corner, South Carolina has been underrepresented in late night,” said Colbert. “I look forward to all the ways in which the fearless, peerless Charlamagne is going to change the game.”
“Charlamagne knows exactly what he wants to do with this show – which is smack the audience upside the head every week and make sure they’re paying attention to the world around them,” said executive producer, Aaron McGruder. “He is keenly aware of the power of his voice and always looking to use it to maximum effect, which requires both talent and courage. I’m very excited to be a part of this project.“
“Charlamagne is one of the most culturally significant voices of our time,” said Chris McCarthy, President and CEO, MTV Entertainment Group. “His thought provoking and uninhibited observations both get under peoples skin and open their minds which is why we are thrilled to be doing this show with him and equally thrilled to welcome back the Dean of Late Night to Comedy Central, Mr. Stephen Colbert.”
Born and raised as Lenard (Larry) McKelvey in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, Charlamagne started his journey to becoming a world-renowned media personality when he worked as a radio intern while attending night school. After various stints on-air in South Carolina, he landed a life-changing opportunity to become second mic to legendary radio icon Wendy Williams. Then in 2010, Charlamagne helped establish The Breakfast Club, the most successful hip hop show in radio history recently inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. Universally recognized as the key driver behind the morning show, alongside co-hosts Angela Yee and DJ Envy, Charlamagne’s relentless effort to unveil truth by asking the uninhibited questions audiences most wanted to hear helped propel The Breakfast Club’s meteoric rise to success.
A groundbreaking philanthropist, Radio Hall of Fame inductee, bestselling author, and highly sought-after cultural architect, Charlamagne is committed to building an inclusive empire designed to inspire, empower, and elevate the next generation of culture-shifting Black creatives. He is the author of The New York Times bestseller Black Privilege: Opportunity Comes to Those Who Create It—which was also Audible.com’s best-selling book of the year—and the globally embraced Shook One: Anxiety Playing Tricks on Me, which helped Charlamagne become one of the world’s leading voices in the mental health discussion. With a deeply personal vision to help address the unmet and underserved emotional needs of Black people worldwide, Charlamagne founded the Mental Wealth Alliance (MWA), which supports state-of-the-art mental health services to Black people in need while building a long-term system of generational support for Black communities.
In November 2020, Charlamagne announced the launch of Black Privilege Publishing, his new partnership with Atria Books at Simon & Schuster. In October 2020, Charlamagne announced his partnership with comedian, actor, and writer Kevin Hart and Audible Inc., igniting a global multi-year, multi-project development, production, and audio licensing deal. In September 2020, Charlamagne and iHeartMedia announced the establishment of the Black Effect Podcast Network, a historic first-of-its-kind joint podcast publishing venture developed to amplify Black voices, celebrate Black creators, and invest in the Black community, with culturally relevant content across a variety of genres.
As a keynote speaker and humanitarian, Charlamagne presented a $250,000 scholarship award to the South Carolina State University Alumni Association for student scholarships that will provide funds for African American women who major in English or communications. The university conferred an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters upon Charlamagne at their Spring Commencement ceremony in May 2021.
Lenard “Charlamagne” McKelvey, Stephen Colbert, Rachael Edwards (who also serves as Showrunner), Aaron McGruder, Karen Kinney, James Dixon, Chris Licht and Norm Aladjem are the Executive Producers of Tha God’s Honest Truth. Ari Pearce and Kristyn Deignan are Executive Producers for MTV Entertainment Studios.
In an effort to bring visibility and opportunity to Black women both in front of and behind the camera, LOL has brought on Meagan Good (The Intruder, Think Like a Man), Bresha Webb (Run the World), and Gabrielle Dennis (A Black Lady Sketch Show), who will each step behind the camera as director of one of the short films.
“Black women have contributed to some of the industry’s most successful and innovative film and television content. Yet, opportunities for this group are still few and far between; especially in comedy. With Women Write Now, we’re not just shining a light on a problem, but also illuminating a path to long-term solutions,” says Laugh Out Loud President & COO, Thai Randolph. “This project is another in our mission to cultivate, empower, and amplify diverse talent both in front of and behind the camera. We’re honored to partner with Sundance Institute to elevate the voices of talented Black women because we know that when you invest in women of color, it pays off in dividends.”
The selected projects, whose above- and below-the-line crew will be primarily staffed by traditionally underrepresented talent, will premiere at a private screening during the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. To further spotlight the screenwriters and bring their projects to an engaged global audience, Laugh Out Loud will distribute the films across LOL Network, which reaches over 100 million global consumers across platforms including Peacock, PlutoTV, Tubi, Roku, Snap, YouTube, Facebook, Xumo, and more.
As part of the fellowship, Laugh Out Loud, will host a two-week screenwriting lab designed to help the selected writers develop their short scripts and receive guidance on how to thrive in the business well beyond the fellowship. Black-ish writer and TV veteran, Yamara Taylor, has signed on as Lead Screenwriting Mentor for the Lab, providing one-on-one mentorship and support for the fellows as they get their scripts production-ready. Additional creative advisors and a selection committee will be announced at a later date.
“Our collaboration with LOL speaks to the core values of the Sundance Institute mission,” says Michelle Satter, the Founding Senior Director of the Institute’s Artist Programs. “Seeking the boldest and most promising independent voices and inviting them to hone their skills with established writers and industry figures, ensures a rich and thriving group of rising creatives. We are especially excited to support and amplify Black female comedy writers through this partnership”.
Submissions for the fellowship will be accepted between July 8 and August 5 at womenwritenow.com. Approximately ten finalists will be invited to interview with a jury panel consisting of award-winning filmmakers, industry leaders, as well as executives from Laugh Out Loud and Sundance Institute. From that group, a maximum of six writers will be selected to take part in the fellowship which includes individualized mentorship and creative and professional development opportunities, a $10,000 stipend, a four-night trip to the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, and a first look deal with LOL Studios.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES & ELIGIBILITY –
Women Write Now is looking for applicants who meet the following criteria:
Applicants are to submit one (1) screenplay for an original comedic short film. Screenplays must meet the following criteria:
Submissions will be evaluated with the following criteria:
Today, Laugh Out Loud, the multi-platform comedy brand founded by Kevin Hart, and Sundance Institute, the non-profit film organization behind the Sundance Film Festival and Labs, announced the launch of Women Write Now, a screenwriting fellowship designed to champion the next generation of Black women in comedy. Through mentorship, advocacy, production, and exhibition, this immersive program will offer a selection of talented writers the opportunity to receive one-on-one mentorship and professional guidance from leading Black women in comedy and to see their original comedic screenplay produced by LOL Studios.
In an effort to bring visibility and opportunity to Black women both in front of and behind the camera, LOL has brought on Meagan Good (The Intruder, Think Like a Man), Bresha Webb (Run the World), and Gabrielle Dennis (A Black Lady Sketch Show), who will each step behind the camera as director of one of the short films.
“Black women have contributed to some of the industry’s most successful and innovative film and television content. Yet, opportunities for this group are still few and far between; especially in comedy. With Women Write Now, we’re not just shining a light on a problem, but also illuminating a path to long-term solutions,” says Laugh Out Loud President & COO, Thai Randolph. “This project is another in our mission to cultivate, empower, and amplify diverse talent both in front of and behind the camera. We’re honored to partner with Sundance Institute to elevate the voices of talented Black women because we know that when you invest in women of color, it pays off in dividends.”
The selected projects, whose above- and below-the-line crew will be primarily staffed by traditionally underrepresented talent, will premiere at a private screening during the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. To further spotlight the screenwriters and bring their projects to an engaged global audience, Laugh Out Loud will distribute the films across LOL Network, which reaches over 100 million global consumers across platforms including Peacock, PlutoTV, Tubi, Roku, Snap, YouTube, Facebook, Xumo, and more.
As part of the fellowship, Laugh Out Loud, will host a two-week screenwriting lab designed to help the selected writers develop their short scripts and receive guidance on how to thrive in the business well beyond the fellowship. Black-ish writer and TV veteran, Yamara Taylor, has signed on as Lead Screenwriting Mentor for the Lab, providing one-on-one mentorship and support for the fellows as they get their scripts production-ready. Additional creative advisors and a selection committee will be announced at a later date.
“Our collaboration with LOL speaks to the core values of the Sundance Institute mission,” says Michelle Satter, the Founding Senior Director of the Institute’s Artist Programs. “Seeking the boldest and most promising independent voices and inviting them to hone their skills with established writers and industry figures, ensures a rich and thriving group of rising creatives. We are especially excited to support and amplify Black female comedy writers through this partnership”.
Submissions for the fellowship will be accepted between July 8 and August 5 at womenwritenow.com. Approximately ten finalists will be invited to interview with a jury panel consisting of award-winning filmmakers, industry leaders, as well as executives from Laugh Out Loud and Sundance Institute. From that group, a maximum of six writers will be selected to take part in the fellowship which includes individualized mentorship and creative and professional development opportunities, a $10,000 stipend, a four-night trip to the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, and a first look deal with LOL Studios.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES & ELIGIBILITY –
Women Write Now is looking for applicants who meet the following criteria:
Applicants are to submit one (1) screenplay for an original comedic short film. Screenplays must meet the following criteria:
Submissions will be evaluated with the following criteria:
Starz has given an early season two pickup to its third Power series, the prequel Raising Kanan.
The renewal for the 1990s-set series comes a week before its July 18 premiere on the premium cable outlet. Power Book III: Raising Kanan stars Mekai Curtis as the teenage version of Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s character from the original series and Patina Miller as his mother, Raquel “Raq” Thomas.
“One season isn’t enough to tell the coming of age story of Kanan Stark and his mother, Raq, a fierce and successful woman who is a force of nature,” said Jeffrey Hirsch, president and CEO of STARZ. “The anticipation globally for more of the Power Universe made it clear that the Kanan story needs to continue.”
Series creator Sascha Penn will continue as showrunner in season two. He executive produces with Power franchise creator Courtney A. Kemp (via her End of Episode company) Jackson (via G Unit Film and Television) and Mark Canton of Atmosphere Entertainment MM. End of Episode’s Chris Selak, Shana Stein and Bart Wenrich also exec produce, as does Kevin Fox. Starz owner Lionsgate TV produces the series.
Raising Kanan is set in 1991 and centers on 15-year-old Kanan (Curtis), the only child of Raq (Miller), a cocaine distributor with a growing network of dealers across New York City. The cast also features Omar Epps, London Brown, Malcolm Mays, Hailey Kilgore, Joey Bada$$, Toby Sandeman, Shanley Caswell and Lovie Simone. Antonio Ortiz, who recurs in the first season, has been upped to a series regular for season two.
Raising Kanan is the second of four Power spinoffs to debut on Starz. The first, Power Book II: Ghost, has also been renewed. The premium cabler also has Book IV: Force — which focuses on Joseph Sikora’s Tommy Egan — in production, and an untitled fifth show in the franchise is in the works.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Christina Milian, Jay Pharoah, Sinqua Walls and Christiani Pitts are set to star in Netflix’s upcoming romantic comedy film, Resort to Love, produced by Alicia Keys.
Directed by Steven Tsuchida, Resort to Love follows an aspiring pop star–perhaps a play on Milian’s real-life experience as a pop singer–who happens to get booked to perform at her ex’s beach resort wedding. But while trying to figure out how to navigate her ex’s new relationship, she meets his brother. Here’s the official description:
A romantic comedy about aspiring pop star Erica (Christina Milian) who ends up as the entertainment at her ex-fiancé’s wedding after reluctantly taking a gig at a luxurious Mauritius island resort while in the wake of a music career meltdown. She tries to keep their past relationship a secret from his bride-to-be Beverly (Christiani Pitts), but Erica rediscovers her feelings for her ex, Jason (Jay Pharoah), despite his brother Caleb’s (Sinqua Walls) attempts to keep them from falling back in love. In this warm and funny romantic story that explores the bonds of love and family, the question soon becomes will Erica sing at Beverly’s wedding – or her own?
The film also stars Insecure breakout star Alexander Hodge as well as Karen Obilom, Tymberlee Hill, Jeryl Prescott Gallien, TJ Power, Sylvaine Strike and Kayne Lee Harrison.
The film stems from a screenplay by Tabi McCartney and Dana Schmalenberg from a story by McCartney. Along with Keys, other producers include Maggie Malina and Jeremy Kipp Walker.
This isn’t the first time Milian has been in a romantic comedic film for Netflix. In 2019, Milian starred in Falling Inn Love as Gabriella, a woman who leaves the city for a New Zealand inn she’s won the ownership of. While trying to revamp the inn, she enlists the help of contractor Jake (Adam Demos) and ends up finding love. Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman also stars.
Resort to Love is set to debut on Netflix July 29th.
Source: Shadow & Act