Wanda Sykes And Mike Epps To Star In New Netflix Sitcom
Comedians Wanda Sykes and Mike Epps are strengthening their relationships with Netflix, signing on to star in and executive produce a comedy series for the streamer.
Sykes and Epps — who have each fronted stand-up specials on Netflix — will play the lead roles in The Upshaws, a multicamera effort that centers on a working-class African-American family in Indiana who struggle to make it work and make it right without the blueprints to do so.
Sykes will also be a co-showrunner alongside Regina Hicks (Insecure, Girlfriends). They will executive produce along with Epps, Dan Spilo, Sykes’ producing partner Page Hurwitz and Epps’ partner Niles Kirchner.
Sykes’ first Netflix stand-up special, Not Normal, is nominated for two Emmys. The comedian and actress starred on ABC’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience special in May, re-creating an episode of The Jeffersonsopposite Jamie Foxx. She recurs on ABC’s Black-ish.
Epps has recorded a pair of comedy specials for Netflix, 2015’s Don’t Take It Personal and this year’s Only One Mike. He stars with Eddie Murphy and Wesley Snipes in the upcoming feature film Dolemite Is My Name.
The Upshaws is part of a comedy lineup on Netflix that includes the multicamera shows Mr. Iglesias, Family Reunion, Fuller House and The Ranch — with the latter two set to end with their upcoming seasons. The streamer is also home to the likes of GLOW, Russian Doll, Dear White People, On My Block, Dead to Me and Special.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
David Alan Grier Joins Blair Underwood In ‘A Soldier’s Play’ On Broadway
David Alan Grier and Blair Underwood will star in a Broadway production of Pulitzer-Prize winning drama “A Soldier’s Play.”
The play, written by Charles Fuller, is set in 1944 and follows a murder mystery centered around the death of black Sergeant Vernon C. Waters (played by Grier) who is found on a Louisiana army base. A driven investigator named Captain Richard Davenport (portrayed by Underwood), must solve the racially charged crime.
A previous 1981 Off-Broadway adaptation of “A Soldier’s Play” included a cast of Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Adolph Caesar, Larry B. Riley, Peter Friedman and Charles Brown. That rendition earned several awards, including the N.Y. Drama Critics’ Circle award for best American play, three Obie awards and a Pulitzer Prize. In 1984, a film adaptation of “A Soldier’s Play” earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for best picture and best screenplay.
Tony award-winning director Kenny Leon will helm the production. He recently directed a modernized adaptation of “Much Ado About Nothing” in Manhattan’s Shakespeare in the Park. Underwood is known for his role on Broadway in “A Streetcar Named Desire” and in Netflix series such as “When They See Us” and “Dear White People.” Grier, who starred in the theater and film adaptations of “A Soldier’s Play” in the ’80s, is known for his theater roles in “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess” and “Race,” as well as his on-screen roles in “The Carmichael Show” and as the Cowardly Lion in the 2015 live television production of “The Wiz Live!”
“A Soldier’s Play” will begin previews at the American Airlines Theatre Dec. 27 with an official opening scheduled for Jan. 21.
Source: Variety
Tracy Morgan Joins Eddie Murphy in ‘Coming to America’ Sequel
The comedian joins Wesley Snipes, Lesley Jones and Kiki Layne in the film.
Tracy Morgan has joined Eddie Murphy in Coming 2 America, Paramount’s sequel to its popular 1988 comedy.
The studio has lined up an array of new and returning talent for the feature project, being directed by Craig Brewer. Wesley Snipes, Lesley Jones and Kiki Layne are among the new castmembers while Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones and Shari Headley are among the returnees.
The original film saw Murphy play Prince Akeem, a spoiled prince from the fictional African nation of Zamunda, who arrives in Queens, New York, 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 new crowned prince, Akeem must once again return to America.
Jones is playing the son’s mother, a woman who once had a one night stand with Akeem, leading to pregnancy. Morgan will play Jones’ brother, a hustler named Reem.
Production is due to begin later this month on the project that has a Dec. 18, 2020 release.
Murphy is producing with Kevin Misher and Kenya Barris.
Morgan, who earned Emmy nominations for his work on 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live, stars in the TBS’ comedy The Last O.G., which recently wrapped its second season. The comedian, who hosted the 2019 ESPYs last month, is doing voicework for Scoob, Warner Bros.’ animated Scooby-Doo movie, and Green Eggs and Ham, Netflix’s all-star animated take on the Dr. Seuss classic.
He is repped by CAA and Hansen Jacobson.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Kevin Hart To Star & Produce New Superhero Comedy Feature ‘Night Wolf’
STXfilms has bought the high concept comic superhero pitch Night Wolf from Detective Pikachu scribes Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit, a project that Kevin Hart will star in and produce via his HartBeat Productions.
Night Wolf follows a Meet the Parents-esque encounter where a man (Hart) meets his future father-in-law for the first time only to discover he is secretly the superhero known as the Night Wolf.
Hart starred in The Upside, the $100 million grossing hit which STX distributed back in January. Earlier this year, STX Entertainment announced it would partner with HartBeat Productions to produce two new comedy projects which Hart would topline. Night Wolf is the third project Hart is developing with the studio. STX previously announced Black Friday and an untitled romantic comedy. The HartBeat team will oversee production with STXfilms’ SVP of Production Drew Simon.
“After we acquired Night Wolf, we submitted it to Kevin Hart and the Team at HartBeat hoping they would love it as much as we did. It is a big, broad comedy and the idea is great fun and perfectly matched with Kevin’s comedic talent. We are thrilled to be working on what will now be our fourth film together,” said Chairman of STXfilms Adam Fogelson who made the announcement this morning.
“I am excited to be working with our friends at STX again. They brought us a great project with Night Wolf. I instantly fell in love with this pitch about an everyday guy who is meeting his in-laws for the first time and unwittingly discovers his dad to be is secretly a superhero,” said Hart.
STXfilms’ upcoming slate include Hustlers (September 13, the pic is also debuting at TIFF), Countdown (October 25), 21 Bridges (November 22), Playmobil (December 6), Brahms: The Boy II (December 6), My Spy (Jan 10), and Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen (Jan 24) among others.
In addition to The Upside, Hart also had Illumination/Universal’s The Secret Life of Pets 2 which has made close to $379M worldwide. He also has Sony’s Jumanji: The Next Level on Dec. 13.
Hernandez and Samit are represented by Oly Obst at 3 Arts Entertainment and Karl Austen and Michael Auerbach at Jackoway Austen Tyerman Werthheimer Mandlebaum Morris Bernstein Trattner & Klein. Hart is represented by 3 Arts, UTA and Schreck Rose Dapello & Adams.
Source: Deadline
Comedian Rodney Perry Lands New Role In ‘Coming To America 2’
We just discovered the news that comedian Rodney Perry has landed a coveted role in the new Eddie Murphy sequel, Coming To America 2!
No word yet on what role Perry will be playing but as soon as we find out the details we will let you know!
Perry, probably best known as hosting comedy shows like ‘Who’s Got Jokes‘ and a starring role as “Harold” in Tyler Perry’s ‘Madea’s Big Happy Family’. Perry was also seen on Mo’Nique’s late-night hit show on BET and at Bounce TV whereas he hosted of his own comedy show ‘Off the Chain‘.
Perry made the official announcement on his Instagram page @RodneyPerryLive.
Dave Chappelle To Debut New Comedy Special For Netflix On August 26th!
In case you hadn’t heard, comedian Dave Chappelle is about to drop another new comedy special on Netflix. The special will debut onAugust 26th. Watch the new trailer for the special narrated by Morgan Freeman below.
King Bach Announces Debut Comedy Album ‘Medicine’ Featuring Comedy And Music
The following article is from Billboard, as they dropped the exclusive interview with King Bach.
Andrew Bachelor (better known as King Bach) has announced his debut comedy album Medicine, exclusively via Billboard today (Aug. 14th).
The visual album, set to be released on Aug. 30, will feature songs encompassing a wide array of genres, from hip-hop to reggae, plus stand-up comedy.
While the major Internet personality wears several hats — including social media, acting, and YouTube — it makes perfect sense for him to release a comedy album. “All my supporters and I relate to music,” he tells Billboard. If you visit his Instagram, which has garnered over 18.3 million followers, you’ll see Bachelor always poking fun, creating content and making silly clips.
Each of the 15 songs will come with a corresponding video co-directed by Bachelor, to be released on the same day as the album.
Billboard asked King Bach a couple of questions about the forthcoming record as he gears up for the release. Check out our Q&A below, and find the Medicine tracklist at the very end.
What made you decide to record a comedy album?
I always search for new comedic outlets. Music is universal. All my supporters and even I relate to music. Over the past few years, I experimented with music parodies and people connected with it. This evolved into me making original music over time.
How did the idea for the visual aspect come about?
I am constantly envisioning stories in my head. Whether they are 6 second stories that I turned into videos on Vine or longer, five-minute sketch videos that I would post on YouTube. I saw the same thing in the music I was making, visual stories. So naturally, I made a visual album.
How did you choose your collaborators (Poo Bear, King Los)? What was it like working with them?
I met Poo Bear through a mutual friend, and then Justin Bieber vouched for him. We creatively connected and he was a great person, so I knew it was meant for us to work on a project together. King Los is a lyrical genius and an alien. I stole him from Area 51 and put him on the track.
What do you want fans to take away from the album?
I just want them to laugh and have fun. This is a carefree album that you can listen to and dance, but also laugh at the topics. It should be a time for my fans to escape and enjoy themselves.
Can fans look forward to any live dates/a tour?
I did a comedy tour in 2018/2019, and those who came out to the tour got a sneak peak of the music. But I will have additional dates in 2020!
How have all of your different experiences informed your album?
I combined all those elements within my album. You see the comedic acting within the visual album, and you will also see some of your favorite YouTubers and people from social media in the videos. If you have watched my social media over the past year, you have seen my journey in the studio and you got a BTS look at some of the shoots. I enjoy juggling it all, because I enjoy doing new things every day and discovering new outlets for my comedy and creativity.
Anything else in the pipeline?
I just finished filming Greenland with Gerard Butler in Atlanta. I also recently filmed Coffee and Kareem with Taraji P. Henson and Ed Helms. I am on Sherman’s Showcase, a funny and crazy sketch comedy show, which you can watch now on IFC. I am also in Meet the Blacks 2, releasing this fall in theaters.
Medicine Track List:
1. “Canadians Are Nice”
2. “Compliments”
3. “Honesty”
4. “Secrets”
5. “Vegan”
6. “Internet Trolls”
7. “Bulimic”
8. “Blue Pantalones”
9. “Slangin D”
10. “You Are Not The Father”
11. “Say Daddy”
12. “House Party”
13. “HTH”
14. “I’m An Addict”
15. “Abstinence”
‘The Read With Kid Fury And Crissle West’ Comedy Podcast Sets Premiere Date On Fuse Network
Fuse has unveiled the premiere date for its upcoming talk/variety show, The Read With Kid Fury And Crissle West, which is based on the duo’s popular podcast. The show will debut on October 11.
The project was first announced in March. The show has a first season order of ten, 30-minute episodes. The official description reads: Inspired by their juggernaut podcast, with more than 85 million listens worldwide and 1.5 million unique listens a month – Kid Fury and Crissle host this talk/variety format that carries over their beloved segments like Hot Tops and The Read, while additionally featuring a special celebrity and/or musician guest. The duo uses their sharp, honest brand of cultural commentary and perceptive opinions to drill deep into the roots of the issues and stories affecting their millennial and Gen Z peers, from social justice and politics to dating and music culture, and everything in between.
From Avalon Television, Chloe Pisello, David Martin, Jon Thoday, and Richard Allen-Turner will executive produce alongside Kid Fury (whose real name is Gregory A. Smith), Crissle West and Alexandra Rago.
Fury is also currently developing a dark comedy series at HBO about a Black gay man navigating adulthood. Lena Waithe is executive producing that project.
Source: Shadow & Act
WATCH: New Trailer For Romantic Comedy ‘The Weekend’ Starring Sasheer Zamata, DeWanda Wise, Tone Bell
The first trailer for the romantic comedy The Weekend is now available for our viewing!
The movie stars SNL alum Sasheer Zamata as Zadie, a stand-up comedian who takes a road trip with her ex-boyfriend, Bradford (Tone Bell), to his mother’s bed and breakfast. As if that wasn’t much of a challenge, joining the ride is Margo (DeWanda Wise), Bradford’s current girlfriend. Y’lan Noel and Kym Whitley also star.
The Weekend premieres in a limited theatrical release on Sept 13. It will be available on-demand the same day.
Watch the first trailer below.
‘2 Dope Queens’ Star Phoebe Robinson Lands New Comedy Central Interview Show
“2 Dope Queens” star Phoebe Robinson is getting into the interview business.
Comedy Central has ordered an interview show from the multi-talented stand-up comedian. The order consists of 10 half-hour episodes during which Robinson will interview guests one-on-one. The projects represent the first to emerge from Robinson’s recently formed production company, Tiny Reparations.
“This show will hit that sweet spot between educational and charmingly ignorant,” said Robinson. “Who doesn’t love that? Well, all older black people who struggled and marched for my rights. But besides that, everyone else does!”
The series is produced for Comedy Central by Embassy Row and Tiny Reparations. Robinson will serve as an executive producer of the series, alongside Michael Davies for Embassy Row. Christian McLaughlin and Samantha Schles will be the execs in charge of the series for Comedy Central.
“2 Dope Queens,” which Robinson created and co-hosted with former “Daily Show” correspondent Jessica Williams, began life as a podcast in 2016 and later morphed into a four-episode HBO special in 2018.
Robinson is also known for her stand-up comedy and her second podcast, “Sooo Many White Guys,” for which she has interviewed celebrities such as Tom Hanks, Issa Rae and Reese Witherspoon. Her TV credits include the Amazon series “I Love Dick.” Feature-wise, she starred in the Taraji P. Henson and Tracy Morgan comedy “What Men Want” earlier this year.
