CALABASAS, Calif. — Comedian Kevin Hart was injured in an early morning vehicle crash Sunday in the hills just south of Calabasas, officials say.
The crash happened around 12:45 a.m. in the area of Mulholland Highway and Cold Canyon Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Hart was a passenger in his own classic 1970 Plymouth Barracuda when the driver lost control turning from Cold Canyon onto Mulholland.
The Barracuda veered off the road and rolled down the embankment, according to the CHP report. Two people were initially trapped in the rollover.
Hart suffered major back injuries and was brought to Northridge hospital, the CHP said.
The driver of the vehicle was also hospitalized. The other passenger complained of pain but did not go to a hospital.
An update on Hart’s condition was not immediately available, but it does not appear the injuries were life-threatening.
The cause of the crash is under investigation, but the CHP says there’s no indication drugs or alcohol were involved.
Leslie Jones Leaving ‘Saturday Night Live’ To Pursue Film Projects
NBC’s Saturday Night Live will feature one less familiar face when it returns in September for its 45th season.
Leslie Jones will not be returning to the Lorne Michaels-produced sketch comedy series when it returns in September for its new season. Sources say Jones opted to depart the veteran comedy and will instead focus on her upcoming feature film projects and Netflix comedy special. Meanwhile, Emmy winner Kate McKinnon has closed a new deal to return to Saturday Night Live for its upcoming 45th season.
For her part, Jones joined SNL as a cast member back in 2014 after originally boarding the series as a writer and broke out during multiple appearances on its popular “Weekend Update” segments. Jones was one of the original comedians who were considered to join the sketch show back in December 2013 after SNL was criticized for having a predominantly white cast. Sasheer Zamata ultimately landed that spot.
Jones so far is the only cast departure for the upcoming 45th season. The repertory players include Beck Bennett, Aidy Bryant, Michael Che, Pete Davidson, Mikey Day, Colin Jost, McKinnon, Alex Moffat, Kyle Mooney, Cecily Strong, Kenan Thompson and Melissa Villasenor. Heidi Gardner, Ego Nwodim and Chris Redd are featured players.
On the feature side, Jones next stars in Coming to America and recently was part of the voice cast for The Angry Birds Movie 2. Her feature credits include Ghostbusters.
SNL typically undergoes cast changes every year ahead of its new season. Last year at this time, Luke Null was let go from the series and Nwodim joined the series as a featured player as Day, Moffat and Villasenor were upped to part of the repertory cast.
It’s unclear if SNL will add another cast member to replace Jones, who was the show’s oldest cast member and earned a supporting actress Emmy nomination in 2017 and 2018.
SNL returns Sept. 28 with host Woody Harrelson and musical guest Billie Elish.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Dave Chappelle’s Hosts Free Concert In Dayton, Ohio; Performances By Stevie Wonder, Chance the Rapper, And More
Dave Chappelle hosted a block party and benefit concert in Dayton, Ohio tonight (August 25) honoring the victims of the recent mass shooting in the city’s Oregon District. Surprise performers included Stevie Wonder, Chance the Rapper, Teyana Taylor, Thundercat, and others. Find clips of Stevie Wonder performing “Higher Ground” and “Superstitious” below, as well as Chance doing a rendition of his Coloring Book single “No Problem,” and footage of Teyana Taylor singing “Gonna Love Me.”
The free concert—titled the Gem City Shine after Dayton’s nickname—was announced on Facebook, however the lineup was kept a surprise. According to reports, Talib Kweli, Chris Rock, and Jon Stewart also made appearances on stage.
Earlier in the day, Chappelle visited Kanye West’s Sunday Service, which West hosted in Dayton in support of the victims and survivors of the August 4 shooting.
Jamie Foxx Joins Tina Fey To Lead Pixar’s New Animated Feature Titled ‘Soul’
Disney’s Pixar revealed Saturday at the D23 Expo that the animation studio’s new film Soul will be toplined by Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey. The pic is set to be the second original Pixar film for 2020 after March’s Onward, and it has a June 19, 2020 release date.
Directed by two-time Oscar winner Pete Docter, who was joined by co-director/writer Kemp Powers and writer Mike Jones on Saturday, the film takes place between New York City and the never-before-seen cosmic realms and “The You Seminar,” the fantastical place where we all discover our unique personalities. The tagline: Ever wonder where your passion, your dreams and your interests come from? What is it that makes you … you?”
The voice cast will also include Daveed Diggs, Phylicia Rashad and Questlove. The original score will come from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, with new jazz music from Jon Batiste.
The studio took the wraps off Foxx’s and Fey’s characters, Joe Gardner and 22, respectively. Foxx’s Gardner is a middle-school band teacher whose true passion is playing jazz. Fey plays 22, a soul-in-training who has an unexpected encounter with Joe when he accidentally finds his way to the “You Seminar.” Together, the two are going to find a way to get Joe back to Earth, making him think again about what it truly means to have soul.
Source: Deadline
EXCLUSIVE: Eddie Murphy To Be A Scheduled Guest On ‘Saturday Night Live’
According to our sources, we hear that actor-comedian Eddie Murphy is going to make a scheduled guest appearance on NBC’s Saturday Night Live!
Our sources also stated that Murphy is not yet scheduled to also be the musical guest, but that may be a possibility, especially since Murphy has recently distributed some new music the last couple of years, as his single Red Light (with Snoop Lion) comes to mind.
Murphy hasn’t been on Saturday Night Live as a performer since he was a cast member during the 1980-1984 seasons. Murphy did mention during Comedians in Cars Getting Coffeewith host Jerry Seinfeld that he was going to make his way back to stand up, and this is certainly proof that that is becoming a reality as Murphy is scheduled to do several sketches during the show. We even hear that Murphy is planning some stand up in the near future too (more on that later).
The Saturday Night Live episode is scheduled to be broadcast around Christmas. Murphy is currently filming Coming 2 Americain Atlanta.
Stay tuned, as we will have more details shortly!
Nomzamo Mbatha And Garcelle Beauvais Join Eddie Murphy In ‘Coming 2 America’
Tracy Morgan, Wesley Snipes, Leslie Jones and KiKi Layne are among the comedy’s new cast members.
South African actress Nomzamo Mbatha and Garcelle Beauvais have joined the cast of Coming 2 America, Paramount’s sequel to its popular 1988 comedy.
They round out a cast of newcomers and returnees for the film, which stars Eddie Murphy and is being directed by Craig Brewer. The pic is set to begin shooting next week.
Tracy Morgan, Wesley Snipes, Leslie Jones, and KiKi Layne are among the new cast members, while Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones and Shari Headley are among those reprising their original roles.
The first film saw Murphy play Prince Akeem, a spoiled prince from the fictional African nation of Zamunda, who arrives in Queens and in undercover fashion gets a job at a McDonald’s knockoff while trying to find a wife.
The new story sees Akeem, now set to become king, discovering he has a son he never knew about, a street-savvy Queens native named Lavelle. Honoring his father’s dying wish to groom his son as a newly crowned prince, Akeem must once again return to America.
Character details for Mbatha are being kept under wraps. Beauvais is returning to one of her first-ever roles, playing a rose petal priestess.
Paramount has set a Dec. 18, 2020, release date for the picture.
Mbatha is a name in her native South Africa, where he starred on the country’s hit soap opera Isibaya as well as the series Umlilo, on which she played a villain. She also starred in the feature Tell Me Sweet Something, for which she was nominated for best actress at the Africa Movie Academy Awards.
Mbatha is also the face for the South African takes on the brands Puma, Audi, Neutrogena and L’Oreal Hair, and also acts as UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador.
Beauvais will be seen in Netlfix’s upcoming Merry Happy Whatever, appeared in Starz’ Power, and counts Spider-Man: Homecoming among her recent movie credits.
Mbatha is repped by Pantheon, managers Krystal Thorpe and Pumza Nohashe and attorney Barry Littman. Beauvais is with Innovative Artists and Gilbertson Entertainment.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
New ‘Coming 2 America’ On Set Photos Revealed!
As you know by now, the sequel of Coming To America is shooting now in Atlanta. The new film, titled Coming 2 America, stars Eddie Murphy and is being directed by Craig Brewer.
Tracy Morgan, Wesley Snipes, Leslie Jones and KiKi Layne are among the new cast members, while Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones and Shari Headley are among those reprising their original roles.
The first film saw Murphy play Prince Akeem, a spoiled prince from the fictional African nation of Zamunda, who arrives in Queens and in undercover fashion gets a job at a McDonald’s knockoff while trying to find a wife.
The new story sees Akeem, now set to become king, discovering he has a son he never knew about, a street-savvy Queens native named Lavelle. Honoring his father’s dying wish to groom his son as a newly crowned prince, Akeem must once again return to America.
Character details for Mbatha are being kept under wraps. Beauvais is returning to one of her first-ever roles, playing a rose petal priestess.
Paramount has set a Dec. 18, 2020, release date for the picture.
See the behind the scenes photos below!
David Oyelowo Joins George Clooney In New Film Titled ‘Good Morning, Midnight’
David Oyelowo is in final negotiations to join George Clooney in Netflix’s untitled adaptation of Lily Brooks-Dalton’s 2016 novel “Good Morning, Midnight,” sources tell Variety.
Felicity Jones and Kyle Chandler are also on board, with Clooney set to helm the pic — his first feature film directing gig since 2017’s “Suburbicon.” “The Revenant” screenwriter Mark L. Smith penned the script.
The post-apocalyptic tale follows the parallel stories of Augustine (Clooney), a lonely scientist in the Arctic, and an astronaut on board the Aether spacecraft, which is trying to return home to Earth, as Augustine races to make contact with the spaceship. Oyelowo’s role is being kept under wraps.
Clooney and Smokehouse Pictures’ Grant Heslov will produce alongside Anonymous Content and Syndicate Entertainment, who sourced the material. Production is expected to start in October.
Oyelowo most recently had a leading role in the BBC and PBS Masterpiece six-part adaptation of “Les Miserables,” on which he also serves as executive producer. The drama premiered on PBS on April 14. He is also producing, through his Yoruba Saxon banner, and starring opposite Angelina Jolie in the fantasy adventure “Come Away.”
Other recent credits include directing “The Water Man” for ShivHans Pictures and Harpo Films and appearing in the upcoming “Peter Rabbit 2.” He is repped by Hamilton Hodell and CAA.
Source: Variety
Bill Bellamy Lands In New Octavia Spencer Netflix Series Titled ‘Madam CJ Walker’
Bill Bellamy has joined the cast of the forthcoming Netflix limited series “Madam CJ Walker,” which tells the story of the black hair care pioneer and mogul.
The four-part series hails from executive producers LeBron James and Octavia Spencer, who will also star as the titular Madam. The series is inspired by the book “‘On Her Own Ground’ “by A’Lelia Bundles, Walker’s great-great-granddaughter.
Bellamy will play Sweetness, a smart, savvy numbers banker who gets inspired by Madam Walker’s success and angles for a way to get in good with her, by any means necessary. He joins other previously announced cast members Tiffany Haddish, Carmen Ejogo, Blair Underwood, Garrett Morris, and Kevin Carroll.
The actor and stand-up comedian rose to prominence through his performances on “Comedy Def Jam” in the 1990s. More recently, Bellamy appeared in a recurring role on HBO’s “Insecure.
The series is slated to premiere on Netflix in 2020. Nicole Jefferson Asher is a co-executive producer and writer on the project, while Janine Sherman Barrois and Elle Johnson will showrun, write and executive produce. Christine Holder, Mark Holder, Maverick Carter, and Jamal Henderson will also executive produce. Kasi Lemmons is in place to direct and executive produce the first episode.
‘Power’ Actor And R&B Singer Rotimi Joins ‘Coming 2 America’
Power star and R&B crooner Rotimi is the latest to join the cast of Paramount Pictures’ Coming 2 America sequel. He’ll be joining some of the original cast members including star Eddie Murphy (Prince Akeem) and Arsenio Hall (Semmi), James Earl Jones (King Jaffe Joffer), Paul Bates (Oha), John Amos (Cleo McDowell), Shari Headley (Lisa McDowell), Louie Anderson (Maurice), and Vanessa Bell Calloway (Imani Izzi).
New to the film are Teyana Taylor, Michael Blackson, Jermaine Fowler, Wesley Snipes, Leslie Jones, KiKi Layne, Rick Ross, Luenell and Tracy Morgan.
Craig Brewer is directing the pic which is currently in production. No word who Rotimi will be playing. He’s best known a the devious Dre in the hit Starz drama, Power, which will premiere its sixth and final season at the end of the month.
Kevin Misher, Murphy, Kenya Barris are producing Coming 2 America, which arrives in theaters Dec. 18, 2020.
Rotimi’s film credits include Divergent, Deuces, Black Nativity, and Imperial Dreams. He’s repped by PANTHEON, Brian Sher of Crossover Entertainment, and Meyer & Downs LLP.
