Will Smith and Morgan Cooper are teaming to adapt the latter’s dramatic reimagining of the former’s beloved NBC comedy The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Bel-Air is described as a dramatic take on the former NBC comedy that catapulted Smith to stardom after he spent six seasons starring as the street-smart kid who moved from Philly to the upper-class neighborhood.
Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the new Bel-Air has been in the works for more than a year after the four-minute clip went viral when it was posted in March 2019 and caught Smith’s attention. Cooper, a Fresh Prince super-fan, created and directed the trailer that reimagined the series as if it were a drama. He will co-write the script, direct and be credited as a co-EP.
The drama series is currently being shopped to streamers and is a co-production between Smith’s Westbrook Studios and original producers Universal TV. Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Peacock, Netflix and HBO Max are among the streamers who are bidding on the potential series. HBO Max is the current streaming home for the original series.
Original series producers Smith, Quincy Jones, Benny Medina as well as creators Andy & Susan Borowitz, are all set to return as exec producers. Chris Collins (The Wire, Crash, Sons of Anarchy) will serve as showrunner, exec producer and is set to co-write the script alongside Cooper.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ran for six seasons from 1990-1996 on NBC and was produced by Jones, Warner Bros. TV and what became Universal Television. Smith starred alongside James Avery, Alfonso Ribeiro, Karyn Parsons, Tatyana M. Ali, Joseph Marcell and Janet Hubert-Whitten/Daphne Maxwell Reid. Smith has remained close with the cast and recently reunited with everyone for SnapChat.
Reboots remain in high demand across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms as they come with built-in recognition and a viewership with built-in awareness, helping to reduce the costs of marketing and making it easier to cut through a crowded landscape. Key to reboots is having the original creators and studio attached, which Bel-Air has in spades. Miguel Melendez and Westbrook Studios’ Terence Carter are also attached to exec produce.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Lionsgate Moves Janelle Monáe’s New Horror Film ‘Antebellum’ From Theaters To On-Demand
Lionsgate announced that the compelling, highly anticipated motion picture Antebellum, starring Janelle Monáe and written and directed by the advocacy filmmakers Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz, will premiere as a Premium On-Demand release, debuting on all platforms on September 18th. The film will be released theatrically in select international markets. The announcement was made by Joe Drake, Chairman, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.
With audience demand for content at an all-time high, Lionsgate’s versatile slate positions the studio to take advantage of different distribution strategies. Antebellum’s timely themes presented the studio with the opportunity to create a release plan that reaches as wide an audience as possible, as soon as possible.
“While the theatrical experience will always be the heart of our business, we are thrilled that we are able to seize the opportunity to match Gerard and Chris’s urgent and immediate film with a release strategy befitting this moment of extraordinary change,” said Drake. “Gerard and Chris are storytellers whose work beats with authenticity – not only will this film entertain and thrill audiences worldwide, but spark a discussion about our current world.”
Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz added, “While we designed Antebellum to be consumed as a communal experience in the theater, we are thrilled by the unique opportunity we have to pivot to a different kind of communal moment in our culture. As we face the realities of systemic racism in our country, which have crescendoed to this current inflection point in 2020, we understand how imperative it is to bring Antebellum to the broadest audience possible, while also prioritizing health and safety. It is our ardent hope that by sharing our film widely, both nationally and internationally, we will transform the moviegoing experience from home into a true event.”
In Antebellum, successful author Veronica Henley (Janelle Monáe) finds herself trapped in a horrifying reality that forces her to confront the past, present and future – before it’s too late. Advocacy filmmakers Gerard Bush + Christopher Renz (Bush | Renz) – best known for their pioneering advertising work engaged in the fight for social justice – write, produce and direct their first feature film, teaming with QC Entertainment, producer of the acclaimed films Get Out and BlacKkKlansman, Zev Foreman, Lezlie Wills, and Lionsgate for the mind-bending new thriller Antebellum.
The film stars Janelle Monáe, Eric Lange, Jena Malone, Jack Huston, Kiersey Clemons, Gabourey Sidibe, Marque Richardson, Robert Aramayo, Lily Cowles, and introducing Tongayi Chirisa. Written and Directed by Gerard Bush & Christopher Renz. Produced by Raymond Mansfield, p.g.a., Sean McKittrick, p.g.a., Zev Foreman, p.g.a., Gerard Bush, Christopher Renz, and Lezlie Wills, p.g.a.
Comedian Tyler Craig Passes Away!
This morning we have very sad news to report; its been discovered that comedian Tyler Craig has passed away unexpectedly. Probably best known for his storylines with the cliché “And the moral of the story is…”, Craig is survived by his wife and several children.
Craig, from Atlanta, was also probably best known for his performance on BET’s Comic View, which became legendary. Over the years Craig appeared on HBO’s ‘Def Comedy Jam’ in 1997 and Jamie Foxx’s ‘Laffapalooza!’, That Comedy Show’ and Martin Lawrence’s ‘First Amendment’.
Craig opened for many well-known comics, including Cedric the Entertainer, Mo’Nique, Katt Williams, Chris Tucker, and more just to name a few.
No word yet on his funeral arrangements, but as soon as we discover the info, we will pass it along.
In the meantime, we here at the Humor Mill send many condolences to his family and friends.
LeBron James And Maverick Carter’s SpringHill To Adapt ‘New Kid’ For Universal
Even with the NBA restart in high gear, LeBron James’ SpringHill Entertainment continues to stay busy building its feature film slate into a dominant presence. We are hearing Universal Pictures has acquired rights to New Kid, the 2019 graphic novel by Jerry Craft, with SpringHill on board to develop and produce. New Kid is the first graphic novel to win the coveted Newbery Award as well as the Coretta Scott King Award. The SpringHill Company optioned the award-winning novel last year.
The graphic novel was highly coveted by several other buyers but SpringHill — specifically SpringHill co-founder Maverick Carter — was so touched by the story that they aggressively went after it, eventually landing rights. The project is now a high priority for SpringHill with hopes of attaching a writer to adapt the material shortly.
James and Carter will produce with Jamal Henderson and Spencer Beighley overseeing the project as executive producers for The SpringHill Company. Craft will also executive produce.
The story follows Jordan Banks who experiences culture shock when he enrolls at a private school.
Even as James delivers another MVP season on the court, his drive along with Carter’s to build SpringHill Entertainment into a powerhouse media company has not wavered. They are in post-production on Space Jam 2, which James is also starring in, and their Netflix limited series Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker., which was produced by SpringHill and recently earned Octavia Spencer an Emmy nomination for actress in a limited series. They are also producing the Netflix pic Hustle with Adam Sandler recently signing on to star.
Carter and James have also raised $100 million from backers including Guggenheim Partners and Elisabeth Murdoch and are now consolidating their trio of media companies into a single entity, SpringHill, which is aiming to serve as a multifaceted platform to empower Black creators and audiences. On the TV side, SpringHill also landed a first-look deal with ABC Studios for scripted series.
Craft, the New York Times bestselling author, is represented by Judy Hansen and Hansen Literary, WME and Darren Trattner at Jackoway, Austen. James and The SpringHill Company are represented by WME and Ziffren Brittenham LLP.
Source: Deadline
Dwyane Wade To Host New Game Show Titled ‘The Cube’
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
Regina Hall Lands In New Hulu Limited Series ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’
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
Felipe Esparza To Debut Two Comedy Specials Simultaneously On Netflix And Makes History!
Netflix has announced the simultaneous debut of Felipe Esparza‘s first Netflix Original comedy specials, Bad Decisionsand 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.
Issa Rae Lands New Doc On HBO About The History Of Black Television
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.
New York Comedy Festival Canceled Due To Coronavirus Pandemic
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
Cedric The Entertainer To Narrate New Film ‘Poor Greg Drowning’ By Comedy Dynamics
‘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.
