High-intensity British game show The Cube is coming to America. WarnerMedia has handed the show, which comes from All3Media-owned producer Objective Media Group, a 10-part series order. NBA legend and former Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade will host and executive produce.
However, in a slightly unusual move, the company has yet to decide which of its networks or digital platforms the U.S. remake will air on. It was ordered by Corie Henson, EVP and head of unscripted programming for TBS, TNT and truTV, who is expected to make a decision closer to its 2021 premiere date.
This comes after Deadline revealed that the game show was being brought back in the UK by ITV. The British network is raising the jackpot for the new version of the show to £1 million in its five-part series, produced by Objective label Wildcard Television.
In The Cube, pairs of contestants are forced to compete in a series of challenges while inside a small Perspex cube. It highlights how even straightforward tasks like catching, throwing, estimating, memorizing and balancing were more difficult when confined and under pressure in a small area surrounded by a large, live studio audience. Working against the clock, each pair has nine lives to complete seven games, each worth an increasing amount of money, as they move closer to the jackpot.
The producers use state-of-the-art filming techniques to show the anxiety of the contestants. The U.S. version will include new twists and turns and also give Wade the opportunity to show his own skills. The updated series will introduce a ‘helping-hand’ component, a call-to-action for the host to enter The Cube and lend his athletic prowess and compete on behalf of the contestant. The series will launch with the latest augmented GFX and camera technology.
The Cube is produced by Objective Media Group America, which is part of All3Media America. It is exec produced Wade and his production company 59th & Prairie Entertainment, as well as Layla Smith and Jilly Pearce for Objective Media. All3Media International is the international distribution partner on the series.
“The Cube is a massively popular national treasure in the UK. Honestly, I can’t believe it hasn’t been snapped up here in the U.S. before now,” said Henson. “It is a visually stunning, but super simple game that everyone can play and almost no one can win. Stepping into The Cube takes focus, determination and calm under pressure, and I can’t think of anyone who demonstrates those qualities more than Dwyane Wade. Dwyane is a legend who sets the standard on and off the court, and now Americans will have the once in a lifetime chance to compete with him by their side.”
“I’m excited to join my WarnerMedia family in bringing this exciting and entertaining game show to the U.S.,” said Wade. “As a former athlete, I enjoy competition and I appreciate the skill set needed to compete in high-tension and fast-paced environments. As executive producer and host, I’m looking forward to teaming up with contestants to embark on a quest that is both physical and mental, as well as adding my own flavor to the show that will make this a fun family viewing event.”
“We are hugely proud of The Cube – it is a game show like no other. With Dwyane at the helm this series promises to be high-octane and jaw-dropping,” said Smith, Objective Media Group CEO. “It’s very exciting to be bringing it to the WarnerMedia family, and we know viewers are going to be on the edge of their seats watching it.”
All3Media America and Wade are represented by CAA.
Source: Deadline
We have learned that Regina Hall has joined the cast of Hulu’s tentpole limited series Nine Perfect Strangers based on Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty’s latest book. The series is eyeing a 2021 debut.
Hall will play Carmel one of the nine perfect strangers. The Girls Trip and The Hate U Give star joins the previously announced cast of Nicole Kidman, Melissa McCarthy, Michael Shannon, Manny Jacinto, Tiffany Boone, Luke Evans, Melvin Gregg, Grace Van Patten and Samara Weaving in the project from David E. Kelley Bruna Papandrea’s Made Up Stories, Kidman’s Blossom Films and Endeavor Content.
Co-written by Kelley, John Henry Butterworth and Samantha Strauss and co-showrun by Kelley and Butterworth, Nine Perfect Strangers takes place at a boutique health-and-wellness resort that promises healing and transformation as nine stressed city dwellers try to get on a path to a better way of living. Watching over them during this ten-day retreat is the resort’s director Masha (played by Kidman), a woman on a mission to reinvigorate their tired minds and bodies.
Hall was nominated for a 2019 Independent Spirit Award in the Best Female Lead category for the feature Support the Girls. Her TV credits include Ally McBeal, Showtime’s Black Monday, and HBO’s Insecure. On the big screen, Hall has starred in Shaft, Little, Vacation, Barbershop: The Next Cut and the Scary Movie series. She is repped by ICM Partners and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher.
Nine Perfect Strangers is executive produced by Bruna Papandrea, Steve Hutensky and Jodi Matterson for Made Up Stories, Kidman and Per Saari for Blossom Films, Liane Moriarty, Kelley, John Henry Butterworth and McCarthay.
Source: Deadline
Netflix has announced the simultaneous debut of Felipe Esparza‘s first Netflix Original comedy specials, Bad Decisions and Malas Decisiones.
Stand-up comedian, actor and “Last Comic Standing” winner Felipe Esparza digs deeper into his past in his first Netflix Original comedy specials, Felipe Esparza: Bad Decisions and Felipe Esparza: Malas Decisiones.
Filmed in Santa Ana, California as two separate performances – one in English and one in Spanish – THE SPECIALS showcase Esparza’s edgy style of humor as the perfect vehicle to weave through difficult anecdotes of his childhood and mistakes in his adult life with ease. Felipe Esparza: Bad Decisions and Felipe Esparza: Malas Decisiones launch globally on Netflix on September 1, 2020.
The specials mark the first time a Netflix comedian has recorded a stand up special in two languages that are set to be released simultaneously.
Esparza is repped by ICM Partners and managed by Lesa O’Daniel.
HBO Documentary Films is currently in production on SEEN & HEARD, a two-part documentary exploring the history of Black television as seen through the eyes of trailblazers who wrote, produced, created and starred in groundbreaking series of the past and present.
The documentary will offer cultural commentary about representation in black storytelling and feature interviews with actors, showrunners, writers, celebrities and other notable influencers as well as verité-driven segments and inventive use of archival material. The featured participants will reflect on their own experiences watching African Americans represented on television yesterday and today, while sharing insights into their current creative endeavors, personal experiences, and inspiration, providing a window into the larger evolution of Black storytellers across television history.
“Black people have such a rich, but often unacknowledged history in Hollywood,” commented Issa Rae. “We have defined American culture and influenced generations time and time again across the globe. I’m honored to pair with Ark Media to center and celebrate the achievements of those who paved a way for so many of us to tell our stories on television.”
The two part documentary is produced and directed by award-winning documentarian Phil Bertelsen (“Who Killed Malcolm X?”), and executive produced by Issa Rae (HBO’s “Insecure”) and Montrel McKay of Issa Rae Productions (“Insecure”), the Peabody and Emmy®-nominated team at 3 Arts Entertainment, including Jonathan Berry and David Becky (HBO’s ”Insecure” and “A Black Lady Sketch Show”), and by the Peabody and Emmy-award winning team at Ark Media (“Who Killed Malcolm X?”), including Rachel Dretzin and Esther Dere.
The annual New York Comedy Festival is taking a year off: The 2020 edition of the 16-year-old event has been canceled over concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. The next comedy fest is now set for November 8-14, 2021.
“It’s during times like these when we can all use a good laugh,” said Caroline Hirsch, founder and owner of the New York Comedy Festival and Carolines on Broadway. “But, as they say in comedy, it’s all in the timing.”
Since 2004 the NYCF has taken place each November at such venues as New York’s Beacon Theatre, Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden and Town Hall, among others. Taking the stages have been such comedians as Judd Apatow, Hannibal Buress, Bill Burr, Margaret Cho, Billy Crystal, Larry David, Ricky Gervais, Kathy Griffin, Kevin Hart, John Leguizamo, Norm Macdonald, Bill Maher, Tig Notaro, Nick Offerman, Amy Schumer, Sarah Silverman, and Wanda Sykes.
“While we were looking forward with great enthusiasm to bringing the very best comedy talent and fans from around the country and the world to New York City this fall,” Hirsch said, “the circumstances presented by the pandemic will prevent us from doing so,” says “This was an extremely difficult decision to make, but after extensive discussions with the creative community, our partners, sponsors and venues, we came to the unanimous decision that it would not be possible to try to bring the talent and fans together in New York City in a safe manner.”
In 2007, the festival launched the Stand Up for Heroes event to benefit The Bob Woodruff Foundation, which has featured performances by Stephen Colbert, Ricky Gervais, John Mayer, Seth Meyers, John Mulaney, Trevor, Noah, John Oliver, Conan O’Brien, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ray Romano, Jerry Seinfeld, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Stewart, and Robin Williams, among others. To date, the Stand Up for Heroes events have raised over $55 million.
Source: Deadline
| ‘Poor Greg Drowning’ – the edgy and riveting new rom-com about a “love addict” and his quest to get over the girl that left him for their couples therapist – will be released August 11th through the Comedy Dynamics Network on Amazon Prime Video, Spectrum, Apple TV, and more. Cedric the Entertainer narrates the film and the film stars Graham Sibley (On Becoming A God in Central Florida, Blush, Dark/Web), Christine Woods (Hello Ladies, Perfect Couples), George Basil (Crashing, Wrecked, Flaked), Marguerite Gioia Insolia (Mad Men), and Jenny O’Hara (Mystic River, Devil), and has won numerous awards on the festival circuit. Watch the trailer below; |
The XFL, a twice-unsuccessful professional football alternative to the NFL fronted by WWE chief Vince McMahon, has been sold to Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson and RedBird Capital Partners for $15 million.
The new owners were selected as the winning bidder for the assets controlled by Alpha Entertainment, the parent company of the XFL. The transaction is subject to bankruptcy court approval at a hearing this Friday. Assuming that closing conditions are satisfied, the acquisition is expected to close on or shortly after August 21.
In announcing the deal, the projected new owners said they have secured “the ability to option live entertainment intellectual property for further expansion across sports, live events and original entertainment programming.”
The XFL, which had two single-season attempts to go up against the NFL, one in 2000 and the second this year, was fronted by McMahon and the WWE, which owned a 23.5% stake in the league. After starting its season in February, the XFL was forced to shut down due to COVID-19 in March. It filed for bankruptcy in April.
“For Dwayne, Gerry and myself, this property represents an incredible opportunity. It is the confluence of great passion, tradition and possibility” Garcia said. “Sports and entertainment are the foundations of the businesses I have built. Melding our expertise combined with our commitment to deliver exciting and inspiring unique content, has us all focused on developing the XFL brand into a multi-media experience that our athletes, partners and fans will proudly embrace and love.”
Johnson has a connection to the sport, having played college football at Miami.
“The acquisition of the XFL with my talented partners, Dany Garcia and Gerry Cardinale, is an investment for me that’s rooted deeply in two things – my passion for the game and my desire to always take care of the fans,” Johnson said. “With pride and gratitude for all that I’ve built with my own two hands, I plan to apply these callouses to the XFL, and look forward to creating something special for the players, fans, and everyone involved for the love of football.”
Jeffrey Pollack, president and COO of the XFL, called it a “Hollywood ending” to the process of seeking a sale.
Garcia and Johnson are co-founders of Seven Bucks Companies, a multi-platform enterprise pioneering original content for television, film, emerging technologies and digital networks.
RedBird was founded by former Goldman Sachs partner Cardinale. He has orchestrated a range of major sports deals over the past 20 years involving his clients and teams like the New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys as well as leagues like the NFL.
The XFL was the latest in a long line of failed attempts to dislodge the NFL from its perch as the No. 1 sports league in America. Football fans have not tuned in en masse for leagues like the Alliance of American Football, the United States Football League or the World Football League. The first XFL season, in 2000, provided a brief summertime splash in the ratings for NBC, which was a part-owner of the league at the time, before quickly fading.
The latest iteration of the XFL differed from the first attempt in that it didn’t try to amp up the violence or present more scantily clad cheerleaders. Kickoffs, a routine feature of games that experts have linked to high rates of concussions, underwent a dramatic change in the XFL, with teams lining up close to each other so as to eliminate running-start collisions. Other innovations included microphones on the sidelines, enabling fans to follow the game in more detail.
Source: Deadline
HBO Max has set an August 20 premiere date for the first round of its previously announced stand-up specials as part of its Summer Comedy Festival programming lineup. Solo specials from Rose Matafeo, Beth Stelling, and James Veitch, as well as a multi-act special from the HA Comedy Festival, hosted by Anjelah Johnson, and featuring a lineup of America’s top Latinx comics, will all launch on that date. You can watch a preview here.
HBO Max has set five previously announced stand-up specials produced by Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco. Beginning in August, the platform will air hour-long specials from Conan alums Beth Stelling and James Veitch filmed before the production shutdown.
Hour long specials from Chris Redd and Moses Storm will be filmed and released at a later date along with two multi act specials hosted by O’Brien featuring Naomi Ekperigin, Solomon Georgio, Ismo and Tommy Johnagin.
HBO Max announced in December that it had greenlit a slate of five specials from O’Brien’s Team Coco, in addition to comedy specials from stars such as Tracy Morgan, John Early, Rose Matafeo and Ahir Shah.
In Stelling’s HBO Max special Beth Stelling, Girl Daddy, Stelling riffs about family, society and the exes who have shaped her. Since her late-night TV debut on Conan, Stelling has released two comedy albums, filmed two half hour stand-up specials and has written for shows like I Love You America with Sarah Silverman, The Last O.G. on TBS, HBO’s Crashing and Another Period for Comedy Central. She was also an on-set writer and Associate Producer for the film Good Boys produced by Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg.
In Veitch’s HBO Max special, James Veitch, Straight to VHS, Veitch, a former Apple Store Genius, explores technology, retro-gaming, and finding love through troubleshooting theory. His late-night TV debut on Conan in 2017 has garnered 26 million views to date on YouTube. Veitch was also a stand-out during O’Brien’s Conan & Friends tour in 2018.
Source: Deadline
D.L. Hughley Launches his book “Surrender White People; Our Unconditional Terms for Peace.” D.L. Hughley Hosts a FanRoom Live Event to Launch His Book
D.L Hughley celebrates the successful release of his latest book “Surrender White People; Our Unconditional Terms for Peace.” The national bestselling author will host fans on FanRoom, a live virtual platform to showcase his book. The book engages readers in a delightful discussion on race, racism, and racial inequality that helps readers to embrace the discomfort and examine the difficult, often polarizing content. D.L. Hughley is an American actor, political commentator, radio host, author and stand-up comedian. Hughley is best known as the original host of BET’s Comic View from 1992 to 1993, the iconic character on the ABC/UPN sitcom The Hughleys, and as one of the “Big Four” comedians in The Original Kings of Comedy, a film and tour by Spike Lee. His current podcast, D.L. Hughley Uncut airs on Pluto TV. He has been the host of CNN’s D. L. Hughley Breaks the News, a correspondent for The Jay Leno Show on NBC, and a local radio personality and interviewer in New York City. In early 2013, D.L. Hughley landed in 9th place on Dancing with the Stars. His relatability is the key to his success as a comedian, author, and actor.
FanRoom is the brilliant collaboration of an actor/producer, talent agent and celebrity event producer in response to the pandemic that stilled the entertainment industry. Fighting boredom, depression and isolation, the public is hungry for normalcy. Cedric the Entertainer, award-winning actor, producer, and comedian, Mich Faulkner, CEO of 123 Talent, and Jeff Krauss, President of event production and entertainment company IE Group, designed a new reality. They brought on producers, co-hosts, Chanel Omari and Jae Benjamin. Pooling their talents and resources, they created a solution for staying home and social distancing while getting an intimate entertainment fix for eager fans. Artists connect with fans in ways never possible before. FanRoom became an instant success.
If public fears contradict a value in place, even if everyone knows it is just not true, they stay with the story. Myths like the endearing tale of Christopher Columbus discovering America and having a Thanksgiving celebration with the natives is merely a folk tale, but it is a well-loved picture handed down as a bonding holiday. The public is reluctant to give up the pleasure of the vision, so they continue the holiday despite the truth. “It’s kind of our story in America”, Hughley said in a recent interview with the National Public Radio (NPR). Harper Collins says the new book is a humorous take on societal divisions that still sting. As a comedian, the legendary comic is an original member of the ‘Kings of Comedy,’ a quartet comprised of Hughley, Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and Bernie Mac. Known for quick wit and intelligent banter, as an author, Hughley draws on the resourcefulness of his humorous side to effectively attract readers to deliver his message. He has written critically acclaimed books such as the New York Times Bestseller “How to Not Get Shot: And Other Advice from White People” and the “Black Man, White House: An Oral History of the Obama Years.” Hughley shares his deepest thoughts and emotions yet in this latest book. It cleverly lures the reader in and helps them immerse themselves in the tensions and complexities of contemporary America. The book has attracted considerable positive response during the sensitive “Black Lives Matter” controversies. To mark the launch, Hughley hosts fans and supporters on FanRoom Live.
We are delighted to bring D.L. Hughley closer to fans through innovative technology to overcome the paralysis of the Covid 19 Pandemic and allow the laughter to move gloom into a powerful regaining of joy. As a comedian, author, and radio star, “Hughley is one of the most astute and hilarious critics of politics, race, and entertainment in America” said Jeff Krauss, Co-Founder and Co-Creator of FanRoom Live. It is a private, intimate “meet and greet” for fans to interact with Hughley on August 6, 2020, at 7:00 PM PST, while social distancing.
FanRoom Live is a digital platform that connects actors, authors, comedians, athletes, and celebrities to their fans in an intimate platform of virtual events conducted like “town-hall” meetings. FanRoom Live events feature Q&A sessions, giving fans access never experienced before. Previous guests of FanRoom include Cedric The Entertainer, George Lopez, Richard Kline, and George Wayne the former Vanity Fair scribe. Up-coming talents who are set to be announced include Kurt Angle, Brant Daugherty, Jake The Snake Roberts, and Holland Roden to give the platform the power to overcome current challenges. D.L. Hughley brings the small-town feeling virtually as he introduces his book on FanRoom Live on August 6, 2020, at 7:00 PM PST. Tickets can be purchased for $25.00 on FunRoom Tickets for this event are available for purchase on the FanRoom Live website at www.fanroomlive.com.
The newest chapter of African American stand-up comedy has begun! Jonathan Slocumb’s Cuss Free Comedy, a new brand that provides a platform for African American clean comedians. It was announced today the launch of their new stand-up comedy show to be featured on SiriusXM top comedy family channel LaughUSA.
Jonathan Slocumb gets his shot to bring along a slew of diverse clean comedians such as; AJ Jamal, Rodney Perry, Small Fire, Ceto Rodriquez, Marc Patrick, Anthony Griffith and a host of others. Jonathan Slocumb’s Cuss Free Comedy will add diversity to the meaning of LaughUSA theme, Comedy For Everyone. Cuss Free Comedy is being featured on the mainstream platform of SiriusXM that reaches 37 million listeners monthly.
Speaking about the comedy show, Jonathan Slocumb, founder/co-owner of Cuss Free Comedy commented, “At the end of the day, everybody should laugh! And everybody should have the choice to enjoy the kind of comedy that they prefer. That’s what we’re here for. If you are uncomfortable or offended by the usage of profanity but want to laugh? CUSS FREE COMEDY is your Destination!”
Jonathan Slocumb’s Cuss Free Comedy dispels the notion that all black comedy is one dimensional. Also, mentioning that the absence of profanity leads to corny and not funny.
“There is nothing cheesy or campy about Cuss Free comedians,” stated co-owner Alvin Williams. “I’ve watched Jonathan Slocumb and other clean comedians work for decades in front of audiences of all ages from 18 to 85, joking about; family, work, relationships, marriage, kids and even politics to millions of people. Cuss Free comedians still bring the extreme funny, they simply don’t use profanity. Funny is and will always be funny” ended Williams.
If you want to listen to Jonathan Slocumb’s Cuss Free Comedy and don’t have SiriusXM. Don’t worry, visit www.CussFreeComedy.com and receive a Free Three-Month Trial.
You will be able to listen to, Jonathan Slocumb’s Cuss Free Comedy starting daily this Monday, August 3rd thru Friday August 6th at 5PM EST.
For more information about Jonathan Slocumb’s Cuss Free Comedy visit www.cussfreecomedy.com or send an email to cussfreecomedy@gmail.com