SHOWTIME has announced that DESUS & MERO will mark its return to a revamped studio when it resumes new episodes beginning Sunday, June 20 with guest Lil Nas X. The show has been filmed remotely from the hosts’ own homes since March 2020.
Currently in its third season, DESUS & MERO will continue to air weekly on Sunday and Thursday nights at 11 p.m. ET/PT from New York City on SHOWTIME. Each episode of DESUS & MERO, which won a WGA Award earlier this year, features co-hosts Desus Nice and The Kid Mero giving their take on the day’s hot topics and chatting with guests at the intersection of pop culture, sports, music, politics and more, with past guests including President Barack Obama, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, YoYo Ma, Missy Elliott, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Eddie Murphy, Demi Lovato and David Letterman. Longtime acquaintances Desus Nice and The Kid Mero reconnected online in the early days of Twitter, where they unleashed their potent personalities and found themselves kindred spirits. That led to stints on Complex and MTV, the Bodega Boys podcast, and a daily late-night show on Viceland, developing a feverish following. The quick-witted duobrings a distinct voice to late night, delivering smart and comedic commentary on any and all topics, that keeps audiences buzzing. Desus and Mero continue to host their long-running and wildly popular Bodega Boys podcast. Their life advice book, God-Level Knowledge Darts: Life Lessons from the Bronx, was released by Random House on September 22, 2020 and made the New York Times Best Seller List.
Produced for SHOWTIME by JAX Media, DESUS & MERO is executive produced by Desus Nice, The Kid Mero, Lilly Burns, Tony Hernandez, Victor Lopez, Suzanne Fagel and Mike Pielocik. For more information about DESUS & MERO, visit SHO.com, follow on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and join the conversation using #DESUSandMERO.
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SHOWTIME Documentary Films today announced that it has acquired worldwide rights to THE ONE AND ONLY DICK GREGORY, the directorial debut from producer Andre Gaines (The Lady and The Dale, Bill Nye: Science Guy). The documentary feature unpacks the career of Dick Gregory, the activist, pop-culture icon and thought leader who changed the lives of millions across the world through constant disruption and awareness. The film will have a World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on Saturday, June 19 as part of the festival’s inaugural Juneteenth programming slate, ahead of the SHOWTIME premiere on Sunday, July 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The announcement was made by Vinnie Malhotra, Executive Vice President, Nonfiction Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.
“There is no more important time than now to revisit the life of Dick Gregory,” said Malhotra. “His fearless voice rose to the challenges of his time, calling upon Americans to question their beliefs, in an era where you risked your livelihood – maybe even your life – to speak out. Though a comedic genius of his generation, comedy turned out just to be the beginning of one of the most unique and impactful journeys of any person we’ve seen. Andre and team have done a remarkable job in showing just how Gregory walked the walk and talked the talk in a way we have rarely seen anyone else do.”
Gregory inspired a generation through on-the-ground activism, an untiring desire to help and his influential comedy. Featuring archival footage of his early career as a comedian, the film is bookended with Gregory’s own voice just before his death in 2017, reflecting on the impact of his life on the world as a self-described “agitator.” Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Kevin Hart, Wanda Sykes, W. Kamau Bell and others discuss Gregory’s paradigm-shifting significance on the art of comedy and culture. The film features original music by Black Thought of the Grammy® award winning hip-hop band The Roots.
“Dick Gregory is as present to me now as he was when I first started filming him six years ago – a trivial length of time when compared to the nearly six decades that this one man so greatly influenced American history, comedy, activism, and nutrition,” said Gaines. “He emptied himself completely for the movement, and while the enormity of his sacrifices are rarely acknowledged, he gave every artist a master class for what it truly means to both entertain and educate. Knowing Dick Gregory was a transformative experience that not only influenced the making of this film, but me as a man. Vinnie and the team at SHOWTIME have been incredible partners to help bring this timely story to the world, and I cannot wait for Dick Gregory to finally get his due.”
Gaines founded and runs Cinemation Studios which is based in Los Angeles. His producing credits include the four-part documentary series, The Lady and the Dale, the remake of Stephen King’s Children of the Corn, Spike Lee’s Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, and the award-winning film Bill Nye: Science Guy.
THE ONE AND ONLY DICK GREGORY is a Cinemation Studios production, written and directed by Gaines, and produced by Gaines and Valerie Edwards. The film is executive produced by Kevin Hart and Bryan Smiley for Hartbeat Productions, Lena Waithe and Rishi Rajani for Hillman Grad Productions, and Christian Gregory, Chad Troutwine and Matt Rachamkin.
CBS is sticking with “The Talk” talent to host this year’s Daytime Emmy Awards, but with a twist: This year, Sheryl Underwood will handle solo duties. The Eye network announced on Tuesday that Underwood will host the 48th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, which airs on Friday, June 25 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, as well as streaming live on Paramount Plus.
This is the fifth time that Underwood has hosted the show; in the past, she has done it with her “The Talk” colleagues. Underwood will emcee the show from Los Angeles, where a stage has been set up for the show, but the pre-taped broadcast will also include presenters and honorees from their own show studios and homes to accept their awards. Although many of the key daytime drama, game and talk show awards will be presented on the telecast, additional winners will be announced simultaneously on Twitter, via the @DaytimeEmmys handle.
Awards for Daytime Children’s Programming, Animation and Daytime Lifestyle Programming will be presented in a separate ceremony in July.
Underwood first joined “The Talk” ten years ago. The comedian also hosts “Sheryl Underwood Radio” which has 511 domestic and international affiliates, and “The World According to Sheryl – The Podcast of Sheryl Underwood Radio.” Underwood has guest-starred in the daytime dramas “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful,” and her film credits include “Bulworth,” “I Got the Hook Up” and “Beauty Shop,” starring Queen Latifah.
The Daytime Emmys, presented to programs broadcast between 2 a.m. and 6 p.m., as well as all forms of children’s television programming and certain categories of streaming and syndicated content, received more than 3,100 submissions this year. The show includes content that originally premiered in calendar year 2020, and is judged by a pool of peer professionals from across the television industry.
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and Associated Television International (ATI) produce the Daytime Emmy Awards, which last year aired on CBS as a completely remote telecast. (CBS also holds the rights to next year’s ceremony). Adam Sharp and Steve Ulrich are executive producers from NATAS, while David McKenzie is executive producer and director from ATI.
Source: Variety
Die Hart, an action-comedy series starring Kevin Hart, has been renewed for a second season — for the second time.
The series made its Roku Channel debut on May 20 as part of the library the streaming device maker acquired from defunct short form streamer Quibi. The pickup — season two will be called Die Harter, keeping up the play on Die Hard and its sequel — is the first renewal for what are now called Roku Originals.
It’s not, however, the first renewal for Die Hart. Quibi picked up the series for a second season in September 2020, about a month before the streamer announced it was shutting down. Production on season two hadn’t started, and the renewal didn’t carry over to Roku. The company says Die Hart has performed well enough since its launch, however, to merit another run. (Roku is following the familiar streaming playbook of not releasing viewing data for its programming.)
“Die Hart exploded out of the gate and after a record-setting debut weekend, has quickly become one of the most watched Roku Originals on The Roku Channel,” said Colin Davis, head of original scripted programming at Roku. “We couldn’t be more excited to bring an equally hilarious, action-packed second season to the record number of viewers who have watched in recent days.”
Season one of Die Hart follows the comedian, playing a fictionalized version of himself, as he looks to break out of his “comic sidekick” niche and land an action-star role. He goes to an action-star school run by a lunatic (John Travolta), where he’s pushed by a rival student (Nathalie Emmanuel).
Season two will be produced by LOL Studios, the production division of Hart and Jeff Clanagan’s Laugh Out Loud.
“The return of Die Hart marks a pivotal moment in the continued growth and expansion of LOL Studios,” said Clanagan, CEO of Laugh Out Loud. “We’re excited for the opportunity to team up with Roku and be the first Roku Original to get a second season. We can’t wait for fans to dive into what is sure to be an even bigger, more action-packed season two.”
Hart and Clanagan executive produce Die Hart with Tripper Clancy, Candice Wilson, Bryan Smiley and Thai Randolph. Director Eric Appel is set to return for season two.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Say Hallelujer, Madea fans! Tyler Perry is bringing back his most beloved character for an all-new adventure on Netflix.
Perry will write, direct and star in the film, donning Madea’s dress, wig and devil-may-care attitude one more time. Perry retired Mabel “Madea” Simmons in 2020 with the sold-out “Madea’s Farewell Tour” (which was also filmed for BET plus), while the character’s final film appearance came in 2019’s “A Madea Family Funeral,” where Perry ostensibly closed the casket on the character.
Perry has been quietly developing the project since last fall.
“I was done with Madea, completely done with it,” Perry told Variety, when he was honored as 2020’s Showman of the Year. “But as I’ve been looking at the state of the world — and I finished a tour in January, just before the pandemic started to break in the country — and the amount of joy and laughter that it brought to so many people, that’s what I think is missing. We need that laughter and that joy.”
The new film will be shot entirely at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Ga., with plans for a 2022 debut on Netflix. Overseeing the project are Tyler Perry Studios president of production and development Michelle Sneed, who will executive produce alongside Perry, with TPS execs Will Areu and Mark Swinton producing the film.
Perry announced the news on social media, slipping easily into Madea’s voice, if not her costume, saying: “This is Madea saying I’m coming back, and I’m on Netflix and I can’t wait to tell you.”
“I was done,” Perry continues, as Madea interrupts. “But I wasn’t.”
It’d been a good two-decade run for Perry and Madea, who had always been one of the shiniest jewels in the mogul’s media crown. The multi-hyphenate entertainer first debuted the character during his 1999 play “I Can Do Bad All by Myself,” stepping into the role when the actor who was supposed to take the stage couldn’t make the show. Did Perry realize then, that Madea would go on to be such a big part of his career?
“I thought it would just be that one year,” he said. “I never thought it would go this long and mean so much to so many.”
After her big screen debut in 2005’s “Diary of a Mad Black Woman,”the gun-toting grandma became a worldwide sensation. Over the course of eleven films, the Madea franchise has helped Perry gross more than $1 billion at the box office.
News of Madea’s return comes as Perry is increasing his workload with Netflix. In March, Perry announced he’s producing his longtime passion project, “A Jazzman’s Blues,” for the streamer. That film, which comes from Perry’s first-ever screenplay, written 26 years ago, stars Joshua Boone and Solea Pfeiffer, and “unravels forty years of secrets and lies in a tale of forbidden love and family drama soundtracked by juke joint blues in the deep South.” Rounding out the cast are Amirah Vann, Austin Scott, Milauna Jackson, Brent Antonello, Brad Benedict, Kario Marcel, Lana Young and Ryan Eggold.
Perry’s first Netflix project, “A Fall From Grace” was seen by 39 million households in its first month of release.
Source: Variety
Ken Jeong, Keegan-Michael Key, Debi Mazar, Richard McCabe, Jennifer Saunders and Lydia West have joined the cast of The Pentaverate, Netflix’s previously untitled half-hour comedy limited series, produced by and starring Mike Myers.
Production has begun on the six-episode series in which Myers plays seven new characters.
Created by Myers and directed by Tim Kirkby (Fleabag), the series asks “What if a secret society of five men has been working to influence world events for the greater good since the Black Plague of 1347?” As the series begins, one unlikely Canadian journalist finds himself embroiled in a mission to uncover the truth and just possibly save the world himself. Remember, the Pentaverate must never be exposed!
The Austin Powers, Shrek and former Saturday Night Live star will executive produce with Kirkby, John Lyons — who worked with Myers on the second and third Austin Powers movies — Tony Hernandez (Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, Younger) and Lilly Burns (Emily in Paris, Younger) for Jax Media, along with The Gong Show exec producer Jason Weinberg.
Jeong, who rose to fame in The Hangover franchise, hosts I Can See Your Voice, which is heading into its second season on Fox, and also serves as a panelist on The Masked Singer. He is repped by ICM Partners, Aligned Entertainment and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher.
Key stars alongside Cecily Strong in Apple TV+’s upcoming musical comedy series Schmigadoon! and recently appeared on the big screen in The Prom. He’s repped by UTA and Brecheen Feldman Breimer.
Mazar, best known for her role in HBO’s Entourage, most recently starred in Darren Star’s Younger on Paramount+. She’s repped by Curtis Brown Group in the UK and Framework Entertainment.
McCabe’s credits include features The Audience, Eye in the Sky and Wallander. He’s repped by Conway van Gelder Grant in the UK.
Saunders was a writer and star of the iconic BBC comedy series Absolutely Fabulous. Her other credits include Death on the Nile and The Stranger. She’s repped by United Agents in the UK.
West’s credits include Years and Years, It’s a Sin and Text for You. She’s repped by Independent Talent Group in the UK, WME and Untitled Entertainment.
Source: Deadline
Jennifer Lopez, actor, singer and CEO of Nuyorican Productions, has inked a multi-year, first-look deal with Netflix. Along with producing partners Benny Medina and president of Nuyorican Productions Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Lopez will produce a slate of film and television content, both scripted and unscripted, that showcase diverse female actors, writers and filmmakers.
Two Netflix features starring Lopez — “The Mother,” directed by Niki Caro (“Mulan”), and “The Cipher,” based on the novel of the same name by Isabel Ojeda Maldonado — had been previously announced by the streamer.
“Throughout every aspect of her career, Jennifer Lopez has been a force in entertainment. In partnering with her and Nuyorican, we know she will continue to bring impactful stories, joy and inspiration to audiences around the world,” Scott Stuber, Netflix’s head of global films, said in a prepared statement.
Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s head of global TV, praised Lopez as “a singular talent whose creativity and vision have captivated audiences and inspired the next generation around the world. For years, she and the team at Nuyorican have brought a distinctive voice to entertainment, and I’m looking forward to working with her and the team to create new series for our members to love.”
“The Mother” follows a deadly female assassin who comes out of hiding to teach her daughter how to survive. “Lovecraft Country” showrunner Misha Green wrote the screenplay, with current revisions by Andrea Berloff (“Straight Outta Compton”); Caro’s other credits include “The Zookeeper’s Wife” and “Whale Rider.” “The Cipher” centers on FBI Special Agent Nina Guerrera, who finds herself drawn into a serial killer’s case after he strategically posts complex codes and riddles online. The codes correspond to recent murders, designed to lure her into a cat-and-mouse chase. Liza Fleissig, Ginger Harris-Dontzin, Catherine Hagedorn and Maldonado will executive produce, and Courtney Baxter will serve as associate producer.
“I am excited to announce my new partnership with Netflix. Elaine, Benny and I believe there is no better home for us than a forward-leaning content creation company that seeks to defy conventional wisdom and directly market to the millions across the globe who no longer view art and entertainment with the kind of boundaries and limitations of the past,” Lopez said. “We at Nuyorican Productions are thrilled to find like-minded partners in Ted Sarandos, Scott Stuber, Bela Bajaria and the whole team and look forward to getting to work right away.”
Lopez is currently training for her role in “The Mother,” with production set to begin this fall and a scheduled release in the fourth quarter of 2022. The multi-hyphenate has appeared in many films, including “Hustlers,” which she co-produced with her Nuyorican banner.
Source: Variety
MILWAUKEE (June 7, 2021) – Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance is excited to announce that award-winning comedian, screenwriter, television and film producer, and actor, Dave Chappelle will headline the American Family Insurance Amphitheater during Summerfest on Saturday, September 11, 2021. This will be the first time that Chappelle has performed at the festival.
Tickets go on sale Friday, June 11, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. at Summerfest.com and Ticketmaster.com. Tickets include admission to Summerfest the day of the show.
*** No cellphones, cameras or recording devices will be allowed inside the show.***
Upon arrival, all phones & smartwatches will be secured in Yondr pouches that will be unlocked at the end of the show. Guests maintain possession of their phones throughout the night, and may access their phones at designated Yondr unlocking stations in the lobby. Anyone caught with a cellphone in the venue will be immediately ejected. No cameras will be allowed.
Have you heard the one about the big comedy festival? Netflix Is a Joke, which was to feature many top stand-up comics performing in Los Angeles in spring 2020 but was postponed then canceled amid the pandemic, has been rescheduled for April 29-May 8.
Partnered with Live Nation, the streaming service announced the new dates this morning but didn’t provide any other details such as talents or venues. It will be held in L.A., though.
Netflix Is a Joke was announced on March 2, 2020 — just as the coronavirus emergency was taking hold. It was going to be a weeklong yuk-a-thon of more than 100 live shows with an attention-getting lineup: Ali Wong, Amy Schumer, Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle, David Letterman, Jamie Foxx, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, Kevin Hart, Martin Lawrence, Sebastian Maniscalco, the cast of Schitt’s Creek and more.
There also was to be a christening of The Hall — a hall of fame honoring stand-up legends George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Joan Rivers and Robin Williams. Organizers had set Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Chris Rock, Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Jerry Seinfeld, Sarah Silverman, Wanda Sykes and others to celebrate and induct the honorees. No word yet on whether that will happen next year.
While we wait to see who will take the stage for the now-inaugural 2022 event, here is a “to-do list” the streamer put out this morning:
ABC has put in development Better Late, a multi-camera comedy from filmmaker David E. Talbert (Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey), Lyn Sisson-Talbert, LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s The Springhill Company and ABC Signature.
Written by Talbert, Better Late is inspired by his real life. It’s about a first-time dad whose world gets turned upside down when his own father, a charismatic deadbeat, shows back up hoping for a do-over with his son and a relationship with his grandson. The multi-camera comedy is a show about forgiveness, second chances and the search for silver linings even in the cloudiest of situations.
Talbert, Sisson-Talbert and Springhill Company executive produce. ABC Signature is the studio.
Talbert most recently wrote, directed and produced Netflix’s Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Story. He also recently directed and executive produced El Camino Christmas, written and produced by Hidden Figures helmer Ted Melfi and starring Luke Grimes, Tim Allen, Vincent D’Onofrio, Dax Shepard and Jessica Alba. He’s repped by UTA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.
Talbert’s wife and producing partner Sisson-Talbert most recently served as producer on Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Story and executive producer on El Camino Christmas, among other credits.
Springhill is behind The Rise and Fall of Black Wall Street, the documentary about the 1921 Tulsa race riot, which premiered recently on CNN. James and Carter also executive produce Top Class docuseries, which was recently renewed for a second season on IMDb TV.
Source: Deadline