Quintessa Swindell Joins New Superhero Film ‘Black Adam’ With Dwayne Johnson As Cyclone
Dwayne Johnson is starring in the DC-based action-adventure thriller.
The Justice Society in New Line and Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam movie is getting hit by a twister.
Quintessa Swindell, one of the stars of Netflix’s Trinkets, has nabbed the whirlwind role of DC hero Cyclone in the action-adventure thriller featuring the DC Comics anti-hero starring Johnson.
The A-lister is playing the titular anti-hero, one of DC’s most popular characters, with the movie project introducing members of the Justice Society, historically DC’s precursor to the Justice League and having a multi-generational super-powered lineage. The team is being refashioned for the big-screen. Already on board are Aldis Hodge as Hawkman and Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher. Additionally, Sarah Shahi has supporting role.
In the comics, Cyclone is Maxine Hunkell, the granddaughter of the original Red Tornado, a female character introduced in 1940. The more well-known Red Tornado was created decades later and is an android with wind-related powers. Cyclone has wind and sound-generating powers.
Plot details for the project are being kept under wraps. Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani wrote the latest draft; Adam Sztykiel wrote the previous draft.
Jaume Collet-Serra, who also directed Johnson alongside Emily Blunt in Disney’s upcoming adventure movie Jungle Cruise, is directing.
Johnson, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia of Seven Bucks Productions are producing with Beau Flynn of FlynnPictureCo. FlynnPictureCo’s Scott Sheldon will serve as executive producer.
Swindell, who is non-binary and uses them/they pronouns, is currently filming opposite Uzo Aduba in the new season of HBO’s In Treatment. They are a breakout star of the hit Netflix series Trinkets and also had a memorable turn in the HBO’s acclaimed series Euphoria. In the can is the Neil Burger feature Voyagers opposite Colin Farrell and Tye Sheridan, which Lionsgate hopes to release next year.
Swindell is repped by Gersh.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
President Barak Obama Return’s To ‘The Daily Show With Trevor Noah’
Trevor Noah welcomes back former President Barack Obama to The Daily Show with Trevor Noah tomorrow, Tuesday, December 15. The in-depth interview was recorded over the weekend and will air on The Daily Social Distancing Show with Trevor Noah at 11pm ET/PT on Comedy Central. The interview will also be available on all of the series’ social platforms, including The Daily Show’s YouTube channel.
President Obama returns to The Daily Show to discuss his new memoir “A Promised Land” which chronicles the first four years of his presidency. Previously, Trevor interviewed President Obama at the White House as one of the final interviews he conducted as president.
The Daily Social Distancing Show has featured a diverse range of influential voices to explore some of the most critical issues facing society including key political leaders – President-elect Joe Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senators Tim Scott, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and John Tester, Governors Larry Hogan, Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer and Phil Murphy; Mayors Lori Lightfoot, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Eric Garcetti and Michael Tubbs; Bill Gates, Stacey Abrams, and more.
Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister, ‘Friday’ Actor Passes Away From Complications From Covid 19
Tommy “Tiny” Lister, who appeared in “Friday” and “The Fifth Element” and was also a professional wrestler, died Thursday, his manager Cindy Cowan confirmed.
Cowan said he was found unresponsive in his apartment in Marina del Rey, Calif. after displaying symptoms of COVID-19 in recent days. He had been working on a film and had to cancel shooting after falling ill, Cowan said.
“He was a wonderful guy with a heart of gold. Everyone loved him. A real gentle giant,” she said, “We’re all devastated.”
Lister wrestled Hulk Hogan in the World Wrestling Federation after appearing as Zeus in 1989’s “No Holds Barred.” He later spent time in World Championship Wrestling, where he was billed as Z-Gangsta.
The actor, who was blind in his right eye, played the neighborhood bully Deebo in the 1995 “Friday” and appeared in the sequel “Next Friday.”
His other appearances include playing a prisoner in “The Dark Knight,” and the bail agent in “Jackie Brown,” as well as roles in “The Players Club,” Ice Cube’s directing debut and Mario Van Peeble’s “Posse.” He had a supporting role in “Zootopia” as the voice of the fennec fox, in Adam Sandler’s “Little Nicky” as Nicky’s brother Cassius, and in “Austin Powers in Goldmember.” In “The Fifth Element,” he played the Galactic President.
In the pilot of “Star Trek: Enterprise,” he played Klaang, the first Klingon to make contact with humans. Also on television, he appeared as Mr. Matlock’s bodyguard in “Matlock” and on “In the Heat of the Night.”
Lister appeared in music videos for French Montana, 50 Cent, Sublime, Ice Cube, Chamillionaire and Young Bleed.
The 6 foot 5 inch Lister grew up in Compton, Calif. and won the national shot put title in college, briefly playing football before deciding to become an actor.
He is survived by a daughter.
Source: Variety
Taraji P. Henson To Make Directorial Debut For New Comedy Film ‘Two Faced’
Taraji P. Henson will make her feature film directorial debut on the high school comedy “Two-Faced” for Bron Studios, in addition to producing and starring in the movie.
“Two-Faced” follows Joy, a Black high school senior whose chances to attend the college of her dreams are threatened by her wildly popular and charismatic school principal after she confronts him with evidence of his racist past. With the help of her friends, the student sets out to expose the principal but quickly learns that he is not above waging all-out-war against the students trying to take him down.
Henson will star in the film as the mother of the student. She will direct from a script by Cat Wilkins, who recently graduated from the MFA Screenwriting Program at UCLA and won first place in the feature comedy category at the 2020 UCLA Screenwriters Showcase for “Two-Faced.”
Henson and her TPH Entertainment will produce with Aaron L. Gilbert on behalf of Bron and Tim Story on behalf of The Story Company, as well as Sharla Sumpter Bridgett. Wilkins will executive produce with Christine Conley and Trent Hubbard.
“After two decades spent in front of the camera, I’m thrilled to finally jump behind it for my feature directorial debut!” Henson said. “What first attracted me to this project was Joy – she is the character I needed to see in films growing up, but never had. It’s important that stories be told from a woman’s point of view and partnering with Bron Studios and the amazingly talented Tim Story — both whom use their platforms to help elevate women and people of color — feels like the perfect match. I can’t wait to bring this hilariously heartfelt script by Cat Wilkins to life!”
Henson worked with Story in the “Think Like a Man” movies. She was nominated for an Academy Award in the best-supporting actress category for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and received three Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe for her role as Cookie in “Empire.” Other credits include “Hidden Figures,” “What Men Want,” “Best of Enemies” and “Coffee & Kareem.” She recently announced her production company, TPH Entertainment, which has a first-look deal with Twentieth Century Fox TV with its first project being a spinoff series for Henson’s “Empire” character Cookie.
“Taraji is an important voice in the world and Bron is thrilled to support her directorial debut, of a script from Cat Wilkins, that through its comedic elements examines race and culture in America,” Gilbert said. “We also look forward to working with Taraji’s long-time collaborator Tim Story and the rest of the team behind the film.”
Bron Releasing and UTA Independent Film Group will oversee film sales and distribution.
Henson is represented by M88, UTA, Ziffren Brittenham and The Lede Company. Wilkins is represented by UTA and Echo Lake Entertainment. Story and The Story Company are repped by UTA, Ziffren Brittenham and The Collins Jackson Agency.
Source: Variety
Zoe Saldana Stars In New Comedy For HBO Max Titled ‘The Gordita Chronicles’
HBO Max has given a pilot order to The Gordita Chronicles, a single-camera family comedy from Claudia Forestieri (Selena The Series, Good Trouble), Josh Berman (Drop Dead Diva) and his Osprey Productions, Zoe Saldana’s Cinestar Pictures, and Sony Pictures TV, where Berman’s Osprey Prods is under a deal.
Written by Forestieri, in The Gordita Chronicles, a willful, chubby, 12-year-old Dominican struggles to fit into hedonistic 1980s Miami as her family pursues the American dream.
Berman, Chris King and Jennifer Robinson executive produce for Osprey Productions. Zoe Saldana, Mariel Saldana and Cisely Saldana executive produce for Cinestar Pictures. Forestieri is co-executive producer. Sony Pictures TV is the studio.
The Gordita Chronicles has been on fast-track development at HBO Max since landing at the streamer for development in February.
Forestieri is a writer on Netflix’s Selena: The Series for Netflix and previously wrote on Freeform’s Good Trouble. A former producer for Telemundo’s L.A. affiliate, she earned five local Emmys and a GLAAD Media award for her work covering the Latino community. She is an alumnus of HBO’s Access Writing Fellowship, NALIP’s Latino Writers Lab and NBC’s Writers on the Verge program. Forestieri is repped by Paradigm and Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano.
Berman created the hit dramedy, Drop Dead Diva, which aired on Lifetime for six seasons. He also co-created The Mob Doctor for Fox and Notorious for ABC. His Osprey Prods. also has The Long Haul, a mother-daughter trucking drama with writer Katie Lovejoy, set at Fox with a script-to-series commitment, as well as a medical drama from The Good Doctor writer-producer David Renaud in development at ABC, a climate change drama Antarctica in the works at CBS and Vantage Point drama based on the movie in development at NBC. Additionally, Osprey has several streaming projects in development.
Saldana is next set to star in Jasmine McGlade’s drama Fencer and also will star and executive produce From Scratch, a limited series from Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine for Netflix.
Source: Deadline
Jennifer Hudson Lands In New Yet To-Be-Titled Comedy Film
New Line has made a preemptive deal for a music-driven holiday comedy pitch that will be fashioned as a potential star vehicle for Jennifer Hudson, the Oscar-winning Dreamgirls star who’ll next star as Aretha Franklin in the upcoming Respect.
The film will be scripted by Ira Madison III, and Hudson will make her debut as producer, alongside Glickmania’s Jonathan Glickman, who’s produced the MGM drama Respect, the drama in which, Aretha Franklin, before she died, handpicked Hudson to star in the story of her life.
The New Line film calls for Hudson to sing Christmas standards, as well as new holiday tunes. She has been getting into the holiday swing lately, singing Oh Santa! with singing divas Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande, for Carey’s Magical Christmas Special on Apple TV+. The video has become a viral sensation.
The hope is for Hudson to play a down-and-out singer whose life is turned upside down when she is mistaken for writing the next Christmas hit. New Line President/Chief Creative Officer Richard Brener moved quickly to acquire the film.
Hudson is an exec producer on Respect, which was directed by Liesl Tommy and has an August 13, 2021 release date. She will also executive produce and voice a role in Baobab Studios’ 2021 short film and immersive VR experience Baba Yaga, which brings to life the classic folktale with modern themes of environmentalism and feminism.
Glickman is also producing the upcoming films The Dark Half, Forever and Scandalous! and he is executive producer on The Addams Family 2.
Madison III’s scripting credits include the series Daybreak, Nikki Fre$h and the upcoming Q-Force. He also hosts the provocative Crooked Media podcast Keep It.
Molly Mankiewicz will be executive producer.
Hudson is repped by CAA, and Ziffren Brittenham; Madison by Kailey Marsh at Brillstein Entertainment Partners and Ginsburg Daniels Kallis.
Source: Deadline
Kevin Hart And Wesley Snipes To Star As Brothers In Dramatic Series ‘True Story’ For Netflix
Kevin Hart and Wesley Snipes are teaming up to headline True Story, a Netflix limited series written and executive produced by Narcos: Mexico executive producer Eric Newman and produced by Hart’s HartBeat Production.
This marks the TV drama debut for Hart who also executive produces the eight-episode series.
Philadelphia-born comedian Hart will play a version of himself in the fictional True Story, which centers on his character Kid and Kid’s older brother Carlton, played by Snipes.
A tour stop in Kid’s hometown of Philadelphia becomes a matter of life and death for one of the world’s most famous comedians when the consequences of a lost evening with his wayward older brother threaten to destroy everything he’s built.
Hart grew up in Philadelphia with an older brother who was in and out of jail and made his standup debut in his hometown before moving away.
“I’ve never been more excited about an acting project in my career,” Hart said. “I’ve always been a fan of Wesley Snipes and working with him is mind-blowing. Having HartBeat Productions at the helm and working alongside Eric Newman as a partner and creative arm has been unreal, nobody is ready for what this show is going to be.”
Hart executive produces through his HartBeat Prods., Newman via his Grand Electric. Charles Murray (Luke Cage, Sons of Anarchy) also executive produces and serves as showrunner. Caroline Currier oversees for Grand Electric; Mike Stein and Tiffany Brown oversee for HartBeat Prods.
Stephen Williams (Watchmen, Lost) will direct and executive produce the first four episodes. Hanelle Culpepper (Star Trek Picard, Kung Fu) will direct the final four episodes.
“Kevin Hart’s career is one defined by courageous creative risks and Wesley Snipes is a legendary talent – together they are truly a dream team,” Newman said. “I am absolutely thrilled to be working with these two. As always, I am grateful to Netflix for their continued support, as well as to Charles Murray, Stephen Williams, and Hanelle Culpepper for their creative partnership.”
Newman, one of the top producers on Netflix’s talent roster, recently re-started his Grand Electric banner with a new overall deal for film and TV at the streamer, where he has been for more than eight years, the last six as executive producer and showrunner of Narcos and its successor Narcos: Mexico. Newman originated the hugely successful Narcos franchise, which he brought to Netflix in 2014. Newman recently stepped down as showrunner of Narcos: Mexico to focus on his growing Netflix slate but remains an executive producer on the drug trade drama. Along with True Story, Newman is shepherding Netflix’s upcoming opioid TV drama Painkiller, directed by Pete Berg with Alex Gibney as producer. He previously worked on Netflix horror drama series Hemlock Grove, as well as multiple films, including global hit Bright through his producing partnership with Bryan Unkeless.
Newman is now in production on his third Netflix film, Escape From Spiderhead starring Chris Hemsworth and Miles Teller directed by Joseph Kosinski, and in pre-production on The Upper World starring Daniel Kaluuya. Newman is also producing the recently announced action-adventure saga Water Margin, directed by Shinsuke Sato. He is repped by CAA.
Founded by Hart, HartBeat Productions currently has a First-Look deal with Universal Studios to produce Feature Films. Their first production together, Night School, had the highest grossing opening weekend for a comedy in 2018 and spawned a TV adaptation at NBC. Other HartBeat projects include FXX’s Dave, whose first season became the most watched for an FX comedy series. It has been picked up for second season. The company’s portfolio include two standup-themed recent programs for Comedy Central, The Next Level and Hart of the City, Netflix comedy specials “Zero F**ks Given, headlined by Hart, and London Hughes’ Catch a D**k, as well as Celebrity Game Face on E!, which returned Dec. 1 with new episodes.
Hart ventured in dramatic acting territory with the 2017 film The Upside. His recent feature acting credits include Jumanji: The Next level and Hobbs & Shaw. Hart will next be seen in Fatherhood and The Man From Toronto. He is repped by 3 Arts Entertainment, UTA & and Schreck Rose Dapello.
Blade star Snipes was recently seen in the Netflix movie Dolemite Is My Name. He next co-stars in Coming To America 2. Snipes is repped by CAA.
Source: Deadline
Queen Latifah To Star In New Netflix Thriller Titled ‘End Of The Road’
Queen Latifah is to star in End of the Road.
The 50-year-old actress and musician is set to lead the cast and also serve as executive producer of the Netflix thriller, which is being directed by Millicent Shelton.
The movie centers on the recently widowed Brenda as she drives her family cross-country to begin a new life after losing her job. Isolated in the desert in New Mexico, she and her family must learn to fight back when they are targeted by a mysterious killer.
David Loughery has penned the script based on an original screenplay by Christopher Moore.
Tracey Edmonds, Mark Burg and Brad Kaplan are producing the movie while Shakim Compere will also serve as executive producer alongside Latifah for Flavor Unit Entertainment.
Shelton has previously directed episodes of numerous TV shows, including “The Walking Dead” and “30 Rock.” She has helmed music videos for artists such as Mary J. Blige and Salt-N-Pepa.
Latifah will also work with the streamer in the cast of Adam Sandler’s upcoming basketball movie “Hustle,” which is being produced by NBA legend LeBron James.
The movie features Sandler as a down-on-his-luck basketball scout who discovers a once-in-a-lifetime player with a rocky past abroad. He takes it upon himself to bring the player to the U.S. without approval from his team. The pair has one last shot to prove they have what it takes to make it in the NBA.
It marks the latest collaboration between Sandler, 54, and Netflix, having previously teamed up to make movies such as Uncut Gems and Murder Mystery.
Kiki Layne Lands In Lead Role In New TV Series Titled ‘Ring Shout’
In a competitive situation, Skydance Television has acquired the rights to P. Djéli Clark’s fantasy historical novella “Ring Shout” with plans to develop it as a television series.
KiKi Layne is attached to star in the project, with Kasi Lemmons attached to write, direct, and serve as showrunner. Both Lemmons and Layne will executive produce along with Clark, Marc Evans, Matt Jackson, and Skydance Television’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Bill Bost. The book was originally published by Tor Books in October.
“Ring Shout” tells the story of an otherworldly evil that has risen in the 1920s South in the form of monsters who take up residence within the bodies of people filled with hate – namely the Ku Klux Klan. D.W. Griffith’s “Birth of a Nation” is helping to swell the Klan’s ranks and the monsters are drinking deep from the darkest thoughts of racism. Across the nation they spread fear and violence. But even monsters can die. Standing in their way is a young Black woman, Maryse Boudreaux (Layne), and her two friends and fellow resistance fighters – a foul-mouthed sharpshooter and a Harlem Hellfighter. Armed with blade, bullet and bomb, they hunt their hunters and send the Klan’s demons straight to Hell. But something even bigger is brewing in Macon, and the war on Hell is about to heat up. And Maryse, haunted by events of her past, is the only one who can put a stop to it all.
Layne recently starred in the hit Netflix action film “The Old Guard,” which was produced by Skydance. She also appeared in the films “If Beale Street Could Talk” and 2019’s “Native Son.” She is next set to appear in the upcoming sequel “Coming 2 America,” which will debut on Amazon in March.
Layne is repped by WME, Anonymous Content, and Sloane Offer.
Lemmons’ past directing credits include the 2019 Harriet Tubman biopic “Harriet.” She is also known for her 1997 debut feature “Eve’s Bayou” as well as films like “The Caveman’s Valentine” and “Talk to Me.” On the TV side, she has directed episodes of “Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker,” “Luke Cage” and “Shots Fired” previously.
She is repped by Gersh.
Source: Variety
Issa Rae And La La Anthony To Produce New Horror Comedy Film Titled ‘Juju’
Issa Rae and La La Anthony want to scare the living daylights out of you and make you laugh at the same time with the film titled Juju.
The Insecure and Power vets are executive producing the upcoming horror comedy for Universal Pictures. In the early stages, there are not a lot of plot specifics. However, it will be based on an original concept by Angelica Nwandu, founder of Instagram-based info hub The Shade Room and a Sundance fellow, who will write the script.
Juju will be the studio feature directorial debut for Thembi Banks, who has been a director on Rae’s Insecure, Frankie Shaw’s SMILF, and a Sundance alum herself. Earlier this year, Banks was in the midst of helming Young, Wild, Free for Macro, SK Global, and Baron Davis, but that feature project was put on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Longtime Rae partner Deniese Davis will also produce Juju, with HooRae’s SVP Development Sara Rastogi overseeing for the busy banner. Universal’s Senior EVP Production Erik Baiers will be the studio’s point person on the genre hybrid project.
A seasoned producer with credits including the BET documentary Killer Curves and the Tony-nominated Eclipsed starring Lupita Nyong’o, Anthony stewarded Juju from almost from its incarnation to its studio perch, I hear.
Rae is repped by UTA, 3 Arts Entertainment and Hansen, Jacobson. Anthony is represented by UTA, Untitled Entertainment and lawyer Renee Farrell. Banks is also represented by UTA as well as Rain Management Group and Gang, Tyre.
The multi-platform maverick Nwandu, who co-penned the drama Night Comes On that the NEXT Innovator Award at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, is repped by WME and attorney Poya Ghasri.
Source: Deadline
