Watch Jamie Foxx In Very Dramatic Role With Michael B. Jordan In New Trailer Of ‘Just Mercy’
Michael B. Jordan prepares for an epic legal battle in the heartfelt first trailer for drama “Just Mercy,” also starring Jamie Foxx and Brie Larson.
“Just Mercy” is based on the case of Walter McMillan, an African-American death-row prisoner who was exonerated in 1993 after being convicted five years earlier for a 1986 murder in Alabama. Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, took on McMillan’s cause in 1988 in his first case as an attorney.
Jordan stars as Stevenson while Foxx portrays McMillan in the Warner Bros. film. Foxx warns Jordan in his first prison visit that he believes the task is futile: “You don’t know what you’re into in Alabama, when you’re guilty from the day you’re born.”
Larson plays legal advocate Eva Ansley, who outlines the hopelessness she’s witnessed, saying, “It was like looking at a river of drowning people and not having any way of helping them.”
The cast includes Tim Blake Nelson, Rafe Spall, Rob Morgan and O’Shea Jackson, Jr. Destin Daniel Cretton directed from his adaptation of Stevenson’s memoir.
“Just Mercy” will have its world premiere on Sept. 6 at the Toronto Intl. Film Festival and open in limited release on Dec. 25. Warner Bros moved the release date forward three weeks to qualify “Just Mercy” for awards season.
Watch the trailer below;
WATCH: New ‘Bad Boys For Life’ Trailer: Starring Will Smith & Martin Lawrence
“One last time?” “One last time.”
It’s been 16 years since Will Smith and Martin Lawrence hit the streets in Bad Boys II — and nearly a quarter-century since the original Bad Boys, but now we finally have the first trailer for the ever-gestating Bad Boys for Life. Check it out above.
Inspirational line: “You want your legacy to be muscle shirts and body counts?”
This time, Detectives Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence), along with Miami PD’s elite AMMO team, attempt to take down Armando Armas (Jacob Scipio), head of a ruthless drug cartel.
They’ve got people to roust, bullets to discharge, Porsches to buff out and bosses to keep on the brink of angina — note their captain’s (Joe Pantoliano) very NSFW verbal reaction in one Pepto Bismol-worthy scene.
Vanessa Hudgens Alexander Ludwig, Charles Melton, Paola Nunez. Kate Del Castillo and Nicky Jam also star in the threequel directed by Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah. Joe Carnahan and Chris Bremner wrote the script from a story they penned with Peter Craig. Smith and Jerry Bruckheimer are the producers, with Doug Belgrad, Barry Waldman, Chad Oman and Mike Stenson serving as executive producers.
Sony will release the Columbia Pictures action-comedy on January 17.
Ms. Pat Comedy Titled ‘The Ms. Pat Show’ From Lee Daniels & Brian Grazer Gets Hulu Pilot Order
Hulu is making a foray into multi-camera comedy with The Ms. Pat Show, a pilot headlined by comedian Ms. Pat. J. Bernard Calloway (City On A Hill) is set as the male lead opposite her in the pilot from the Empire duo of co-creator/executive Lee Daniels and executive producer Brian Grazer, Imagine Television and Fox 21 Studios, a division of Disney TV Studios.
The project, which had been set up at Fox with a different writer during the 2016-17 season, where it had a put pilot commitment, had quietly found a new home at Hulu where it was recently greenlighted to pilot. Debbie Allen is directing from a script by Jordan E. Cooper, who was a writer on Daniels’ Fox drama Star.
Courtesy of Fox
The Ms. Pat Show, from Imagine TV, Lee Daniels Entertainment and Fox 21 TV Studios, is based on Ms. Pat’s stand-up comedy and memoir. It tells the story of a former convicted felon turned suburban mom (Ms. Pat), whose hustle and resilient spirit were forged on the streets of Atlanta. To much reserve, she now finds herself in conservative middle America alongside her penny-pinching husband (Calloway), a struggle of a sister, and two distinct sets of kids raised under very different circumstances.
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Cooper and Patricia “Ms. Pat” Williams executive produce with Daniels, Marc Velez and Pam Williams for Lee Daniels Entertainment and Imagine’s Grazer, executive-turned-producer Francie Calfo and Imagine TV head Samie Kim Falvey. Jon Radler and Jahil Fisher are producers.
Born to a single mother of 5, living on welfare in a tough West end neighborhood of Atlanta, Ms. Pat (real name Patricia Williams) had her first child at 14 and her second child at 15, She became a drug dealer, was shot twice and arrested numerous times during her teen years. At 19, with two toddlers and a new husband, she was handed the 4 young children of her sister who was struggling with drug addiction. Ms. Pat would go on to raise all 6 children. (watch below a video of her standup that touches upon her backstory.)
While Netflix has embraced multi-camera comedy with such series as Fuller House and The Ranch, Hulu and Amazon had remained focused on single-camera comedy. This is believed to be Hulu’s first major foray into multi-cam sitcoms; Amazon did a multi-camera pilot, Making Friends, two years ago. It did not go to series.
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The Ms. Pat Show marks a reunion for Allen with Daniels and Imagine after she directing an episode of Empire.
At Hulu, Imagine TV has the upcoming drama series Wu-Tang: An American Saga, which premieres today.
Calloway was most recently seen recurring in Showtime’s City On A Hill. His other recent TV credits include The Breaks, Luke Cage and Elementary. Calloway is repped by Buchwald and Vamnation Entertainment. Ms. Pat is repped by APA, Reg Tigerman at Levity Live, and Bradley Garrett At Cohen Gardner.
Source: Deadline
Wendy Williams Preps Stand-Up Comedy Special With ’50 Central’ Producer
Wendy Williams has partnered with 50 Central producer Back Roads Entertainment on a stand-up comedy special.
Fresh off her own live stand up tour, the talkshow host is launching Wendy Williams & Friends Presents: For The Record. The special is being pitched to premium networks and streaming platforms next week.
The 90-minute special will feature The Wendy Williams Show host’s take on a raft of topics, including her own life and the tabloid headlines that it’s drawn. It comes after she took the show on the road earlier this year. The special also features other stand ups including Royale Watkins, Carmen Barton, Mark Viera and newcomer Kristen Sivills.
The special will be produced by Back Roads Entertainment, which is behind BET’s 50 Cent show 50 Central as well as MTV’s Joking Off and Cooking Channel’s Big Bad BBQ Brawl, and Courtney Parker’s LostNThought Productions. Executive producers include Williams, Bernie Young, Parker, Royale Watkins and Colby Gaines and Jonathan Cane for Back Roads Entertainment.
Williams said, “Listen, people are talking about me and my life, but they have no idea. And since comedy has always been the best source of therapy for me, I’m using this special to tell some really good stories and have my comedian friends do some great comedy we can all relate to.”
“Wendy’s ability to be transparent in deflating the rumors and addressing the unbelievable headlines of her own life is not only brave, it’s brilliant,” said Parker. “And by creating a platform that zeros in on new voices in comedy that can assist in that, is trailblazing.”
“Wendy is everyone’s big sister and viewers trust her to approach any deeply personal topic from a fun and positive place,” added Gaines. “This special gives her the opportunity to infuse her one of a kind energy and humor into the stand-up environment, and also allows her the opportunity to address her own personal headlines and rumors once and for all.”
Source: Deadline
Kevin Hart In Major Car Accident And Injures Back
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.
